In the day or so after New Year 2012, I was feeling very English (ahem Welsh, to be honest ahem) and felt entirely gluttonous enough to splash out on afternoon tea at The Kensington Hotel with The Boyfriend.
As teas come, I find The Kensington Hotel‘s offerings to be quite modern and interesting, yet an experience which is ‘traditional‘ enough to please almost every type of tea-lounger.
The Menu:
SANDWICHES
Smoked chicken with citrus mayonnaise
Honey roasted ham with
wholegrain mustard mayonnaise
Scottish smoked salmon with
horseradish and chive crème fraîche
Egg mayonnaise and cress sandwich
Brie with sundried tomato and rocketHOME MADE SCONES (The Boyfriend’s Other Woman)
Warm homemade plain and raisin scones
Cornish clotted cream
Lemon and passion fruit curd
Homemade strawberry and rose petal jamSWEET THINGS
Rich traditional English fruitcake
Victoria sponge
Carrot cake
Fresh fruit tart
…I’m considering moving in. Indulgent photo evidence, below.
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Though I’ve been pleased with the results of all my trialled products from haircare brand Phyto, nothing stands out quite as much as their “Phytonectar“. True to their branding, Patrick Alès‘ vision of creating plant-based and environmentally-conscious hair products has tricked down to create yet another powerful botanical remedy. Phytonectar is a hydrating shampoo for dry and over-processed hair (check, check, for me!) with medium-to-course texture (check, tick, yes, yes, YES!).
The product itself is a super-thick emulsion, enriched with orange blossom wax and St. John’s Wort (20%), which gently cleanses and revives even the most dehydrated, brittle hair. As it is a natural product, it comes without parabens, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals, and phthalates. This means while the shampoo doesn’t have the “lather” that chemical-filled shampoos trick us into believing means “clean hair“, it is filled with the most incredible, nourishing, and natural hair helpers.
If you want soft, frizz-free, and (most importantly) healthy hair, dump the sudsy shampoos and grab a bottle of Phytonectar.
Last weekend was kicked off with a rather debaucherous night at the Comedy Store and Piccadilly Institute. Don’t get me wrong – this isn’t the Lela London norm. In fact, that weekend is going to fill my quota for weeks and weeks to come. But hey, it was my BIRTHDAY! I realised as I get closer and closer to osteoporosis, it is s only fair to follow rather exhausting nights out with pure luxury, which is why – on Sunday – I spent the night at The London Mal.
Located in Clerkenwell (note: handy for those looking for 2012 Olympics hotels!), The London Mal (aka Malmaison London) is tucked away near the famous Smithfield Market with great links to transport. Don’t be fooled into expecting that would make it a hectic hotel stay. Surprisingly, the location seems to completely vanish from your mind when greeted with a Veuve Clicquot champagne bar in the laid back reception area. Low-lit, stylish, and chicly serene – the Mal is flawlessly designed treasure.
After the quickest check-in I have ever been through (their staff are the epitome of welcoming), I flew upstairs for an afternoon of solace. The rooms are simply gorgeous; beds large enough for five people, closet space to suit a fashion week visitor, luxurious toiletries – for the bath and shower – that you are encouraged to take away, refreshments galore, and…well….did I mention the bed?!
Check out my photo tour and review of their amazing brasserie, below!
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That’s right! Out with the old competition and in with the new!
I have a size small (though not tight!), classy “Kanari” dress to give away! Designed by Volcom, the dress has a half pleated skirt detail and gathered top with abox pleat tuck on the neckline. The Kanari Dress is actually part of Volcom’s Autumn/Winter 2011 SEED collection – a project which supports the grass roots of fashion.
In 2009, Volcom approached the London College of Fashion with an open brief: to re-invent a classic piece of Volcom denim. The prize was a six month placement working in the girls design department on a capsule collection which, obviously, was to be known as the SEED line.
In starting the capsule collection, the starting point for the winner – Anju Khusul – was to re-visit some of Volcom’s most popular and key garments. Anju wanted to create a fresh take on these key pieces but not lose the Volcom identity. As she started the research, she became inspired by the traditional art of Origami and wanted to recreate intricate and beautiful origami techniques in fabric.
The colour palette is based around matt and sheen black, estate blue, cinder brown and hints of plum, a colour combination which projects a feminine and sleek look – and with this being a more luxurious line, the fabric choices reflect this accordingly; they include silk yarns, bamboo cotton and a woven Jacquard.
Every detail on every garment has been hand selected and developed by Anju Khusul, and has resulted in a unique and incredible collection – of which you can win a piece from!
To enter:
- Leave a comment below telling me why you want to win this gorgeous dress!
- To validate your entry, “Like” my page on Facebook and publicly “Share” the photo in the WIN! A gorgeous “Kanari” album.
- For extra entries:
Follow me on Twitter and tweet:I just entered to #win a @volcom dress on www.lelalondon.com! @lelalondon
The contest is open worldwide. You have until January 27th to enter. Please make sure you comment with a valid e-mail address.
The day hath arrived! The lucky winner of the Piece of Cake vintage apron competition is….
KELLY MARTIN! Please e-mail me with your address to claim your prize, lovely!
Also, a big thank you to everyone else who entered. Your response was fantastic. You will also have another chance to win in my Volcom Kanari dress competition (worth £120!).
Good luck!
xo
Lela
Lela is…
Editor of She Said Beauty. Former fashion stylist and makeup artist. Media Executive. Currently based in London. Author of She Said Style.
Messy-haired petite. Shoe blogger. Half Brit, Half Yank. Dalai Lama/Tenzin Gyatso adorer and believer in love. Addicted to Twitter. Mother to a Maltipom (Waffles) and Terreranian (Pancakes). Find out the story of a girl. Be sure to follow on Facebook and Twitter.
Personal – lela@lelalondon.com
Business – business@lelalondon.com<
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