Tales From The Chair - July
Your monthly round up of everything I’ve been discussing and discovering straight from the salon chair . . .
Lately
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Lately 〰️
Slow days by the sea on a visit to the Isle of Wight . . .
Beauty & Well-Being
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Beauty & Well-Being 〰️
As my new found obsession with Weleda continues, I have been taking a soak at any given opportunity with their Rosemary Bath Milk. Revitalising rosemary provides an energising wake-up call for Summer mornings and is equally soothing on tired aching limbs at the end of the day, try it in a foot bath where it can also help with general circulation in the legs and feet. £16.25/200ml
I’ve been trying out a few shampoos and conditioners from the Klorane range lately and really like the Colour Enhancing Conditioner with pomegranate (I’m yet to try the matching shampoo!) It’s nourishing and detangling without being too heavy and helps to tighten the hair fibre resulting in longer staying power for colours prone to fade (all over glosses, toners etc)
Ok, this little invention is amazing! Snoozeband Deluxe £54.99 - sleep mask and headphones combo is my new favourite thing! A silky soft, adjustable, eye mask fitted with ultra thin blue tooth speakers hidden inside enabling you to connect to your favourite music, guided meditation, podcast or audio books. You can also use it offline by listening to a selection of 20 soothing sounds and white noise that is pre programmed into the device. Snoozeband Deluxe is just perfect if you need a little extra help in falling asleep at night or for meditation sessions to help improve focus or to pass time on long haul flights. I’m a side sleeper and its definitely possible to fall asleep wearing this, you can also set the shut down timer so that it will automatically turn off after 1, 2 or 3 hours. (I personally limit use to just 1 hour because as much as I enjoy using this, I’m also mindful about EMR and the potential negative effects to health. Everything in moderation right?) With up to 13 hour playback time from just 1 charge and the option to remove the wires and speakers to enable machine washing, its a well designed gadget that I’m finding I’m getting a lot of use from! Falling asleep to the sounds of rainstorms and rolling thunder has become my favourite way to end the day lately! Highly recommend!
Food & Drink
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Food & Drink 〰️
This month’s food and drink highlights have included a couple of celebratory anniversary treats, a visit to newly opened Lasdun, named after Architect Denys Lasdun, tucked inside The National Theatre. The team are ex St John chefs and founders of London’s first Michelin pub The Marksman plus co-founder of Lyles so you know you are in for a treat! The crab, cod fritters, crumbed gurnard and pork chop were all delicious and I was excited to see a favourite orange wine, Pheasants Tears on the menu. The marble bar is also a nice addition to the Southbank to stop by for a drink!
We also enjoyed the most delicious lunch at Strakers in Notting Hill. The google reviews appear to divide opinion wildly, perhaps we caught them on a good day? For me the dishes were out of this world delicious, the freshest produce (the vesuvio tomatoes with dressed crab were hands down the best tomatoes I’ve ever eaten and the potato gnocchi with pork ragu was divine!)
Afterwards we popped into The Pelican for a drink and it was instant pub love - such beautifully minimal, rustic interiors! I 100% want to head back to try the restaurant at some point! Such a cosy spot for the arrival of Autumn!
At Kings Cross I visited Happy Face Pizza for the first time for a cheap and cheerful dinner with friends. Great Neapolitan pizza, good tunes and plenty of seating, a handy place to bookmark if your'e in and around this area.
Down on the Isle of Wight, on the recommendation of TV Chef James Martin, I sought out Bembridge Butchers W.W.Woodford & Sons - their now famous sausage rolls are a taste sensation!
We also stopped by the Isle Of Wight Distillery to sample some of the Mermaid Collection gin & rum. This is a lovely brand for gifting, especially due to the beautiful bottles with design details akin to a mermaids tail.
Eye Spye
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Eye Spye 〰️
4 pretty things that have caught my eye this month . . .
Natural, scalloped rattan tray, £98, MrsAlice.com
Bernatta, sunflower yellow, silk-sattan bag, £180, LaiaAlen.com
Mermaid Gin, 70 cl, £39.90, IsleOfWightDistillery.com
The citrus tree, £33.60, BloomAndWild.com
Currently Reading
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Currently Reading 〰️
Hamnet, an exploration into the mysterious short lived years of Shakespeare’s only son. I’ve decided that historical fiction is definitely one of my favourite genres and this gem by Maggie O’Farrell has been sat patiently on my book shelf for a good few months after a client recommended it to me. I have LOVED reading this book!! Maggie’s writing is magical and moving, the themes of love and loss brought smiles to my face and tears to my eyes. Highly recommend! £9.99, Waterstones.com
Over To You
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Over To You 〰️
Mary recommended Altruist Sunscreen
“Altruist was developed specifically by experts, (leading British dermatologist and skin surgeon, Dr Andrew Birnie, and Dutch economist David Westerbeek van Eertenwith) with a passion for preventing skin cancer, who want to change attitudes to sun care all over the world – that is why they keep the cost so low, to encourage people to use more and be safer.”
Louise recommended JVN Embody Volumizing Foam for hair to increase bounce and vitality when styling without a sticky or crunchy feeling.
Fran recommended Tillingham Wines for pizza in East Sussex.
Thank you for reading, I hope you discovered something new!
Hx