Tea & Cake with Tora

At the first sign of the sun peeking it's little face out to say hi last weekend, Tora and I, true Brits that we are, leapt at the chance of going for some tea and cake somewhere (ANYWHERE!) outside. Well, not anywhere - we went back to Hotel du Vin, which was just lovely.

We'd not had an afternoon tea at Hotel du Vin before, but if it was even half as good as the Sunday lunch I'd had before (click here for post), I was going to be one happy bunny! The staff were really nice when we got there - usually you have to book for the afternoon tea in advance, but they quickly checked with the kitchens to see if it was going to be possible anyway (it was), and set up a table for us outside. Where we gleefully and stubbornly shivered over our pots of tea, looking up at the sun from our sheltered perches, and waited for the cake to come.

The fun you can have pouring and drinking tea! The sandwiches and cakes arrived, and further happiness ensued... the scones were still warm, the profiterole-eclair had the richest of chocolatey toppings and freshest cream centre, and the Madeleines were crisp and buttery... mmm...

After fresh pots of tea, lots of chatting, Tora introducing me to Instagram (you can follow me here), a spot of shopping, and admiring Brighton in the sunshine, we decided... that we should probably get another cuppa to warm up.

We happened across Bertie's of Brighton, nestled in the heart of the North Laines. It looked so cool inside! Top hats randomly hanging from the walls, chandeliers, and art deco style mirrors adorning the walls. We settled in with our coffees and nattered 'til the sun went down. 

What a nice day! If you'd like a similar one, bookings and enquiries for afternoon tea at Hotel du Vin can be made here, and Bertie's can be found at 15 Bond Street, BN1 1RD.

Mysalonlooks Spa - Gel Mani Me Up!

A few weeks ago, I did something I've never done before...

I got a gel manicure. Ok, so I know it's not exactly paragliding or anything, and I know gel mani's have been around for a while now, but, I'd heard mixed reviews about them and didn't really know how good or bad they were for your nails. 

The time had come though. My talons were in dire need of some TLC, and in a bid to find out if this really was the Holy Grail of manicures (nail polish that doesn't chip... of course...) I bit the bullet, and booked myself in for an appointment at Mysalonlooks Spa. (Mysalonlooks is a lovely little day spa I'd been to several times before, so I knew if anyone was going to do a good job of this, they would). The super friendly team were nice enough to let me take lots of photos, too. So let me show you around, why don't you...!

The spa offers a wealth of services and treatments, including luxury skin treatments, massages, and waxing. One of my favourite things about their pedicures too is that you can sit back and enjoy a massage on one of their amazing massage chairs - they honestly feel like the real thing! I left wanting to buy one of those bad boys for my living room. Aaand relax...

There are two private treatment rooms too, which are softly lit, smell lovely, and have soft music playing in them (perfect for an afternoon nap? On a lunchbreak? No?)

 So obviously when I got my manicure myself the other week, I couldn't really take photos of the process. My hands just don't bend that way. So Marie, Emily and Rachel, who are all part of the lovely team at the spa, kindly volunteered to perform the service again, while I snapped away in the background, and admired all of the different colours they had on offer.

The treatment starts with a nail file and shape, and cuticle work. A gel polish base coat is then applied, followed by two coats of the colour of your choice (I plumped for Miami Beet, Marie went for Tutti Fruiti), followed by a top coat, hand massage, and polish to make sure your nails are in tip top condition!

Et voila! The finished product. Pretty, huh?

I've waited for a while to do this post, because I wanted to see and show you how well my manicure really lasted - it turns out... really well! Just over three weeks, to be exact. I was using Avoplex cuticle oil along the way to help make sure my talons stayed nice and conditioned, and was really pleased with how the polish made my nails feel so strong and healthy. My nails also never usually grow, but with this manicure they did, and even though I was really naughty and ended up picking off the polish after the third week (awful habit...) they've stayed lovely and long! I am officially a convert.

Days 1 - 8...

Days 9 - 16

Days 17 - 23

If you want to hop on board the Gel Mani Train too ("all aboard!") you can find Mysalonlooks in the heart of Brighton Lanes, where they have their current spa and one they are soon to expand in to (or if you're more in the Hove direction, there's one there, too). Bookings for any of their luxurious treatments or services can be made online here (where, psst! - you can also enjoy 30% off of usual costs!) 

Go on, treat yourself and get your hands pretty for Spring :o)