The French Pharmacy *updated*

I recently blogged about my latest obsession with 'French Pharmacy products' and since then I have been refining my daily skincare routine to incorporate these fabulous products. My absolute favourite brand is Nuxe which I can't get enough of...I just love the smell of their products.

What I'm currently using:
Nuxe 3 Roses foam cleanser - This smells divine (like roses obvs.) and is gentle on the skin. My skin never feels tight afterwards, although I do need to use a separate eye make-up remover which I don't normally do.

Nuxe multi-purpose oil - I absolutely love this. You can use it on your hair (a bit greasy for my hair), nails and body. I love the way it smells and leaves your skin feeling silky soft with a glow. It's especially lovely to slather over your body after a bath.

Nuxe Fondant body scrub - I like my scrubs to really scrub my skin quite hard as opposed to just rubbing with light beads. This contains orange, lichee (I think they mean lychee?) and walnuts and smells really natural. It sloughs away dry skin with ease.  

Embryolisse cream moisturiser - A cult beauty product amongst beauty editors which can be used as a moisturiser, primer and cleanser. I've been using it as a simple moisturiser and so far, it's good. I normally use Cetaphil which is kind of similar...and both are recommended by dermatologists.

Avene gentle purifying scrub - A bit too gentle on my skin, but as I'm using the Avene Diacnéal at the moment, I wanted something that wouldn't irritate my skin. My skin feels very soft afterwards. 

Avene Diacnéal acne treatment (not pictured) - This product contains Retinaldehyde (0.1%) to help prevent thickening of the skin (and formation of blackheads) plus Glycolic acid (6%), a powerful exfoliant which has a peeling effect upon the surface of the skin. It has a 5 star rating on a lot of websites and is known to remove scars, acne and diminish wrinkles. I've had to change my cleanser and scrub so that my skin doesn't become too irritated as it's quite strong for a pharmacy treatment.

La Roche-Posay lipid-replenishing body milk - This is a great all over body moisturiser and is perfect for summer when I'm not wearing so many layers. I think it would be too heavy in winter as my clothes would stick to it a little. It doesn't have a smell which is great if you don't want it to clash with your perfume.

You can buy Nuxe online at lookfantastic.com and feelunique.com.

I'm going to continue trialing French Pharmacy products so I will keep you posted with my findings! NHG x

NHG loves: COS AW11

There were certain brands that I just "didn't get" when I moved to London. One of them was Zara (I swear their collections have improved ten fold over the last few years), another was Whistles (who have since obviously re-branded thanks to Jane Shepherdson) and the third was COS.

To me COS was a brand that 'yummy mummies' and corporate women would wear to look simple and chic. I felt a lot of their shapes were also a bit too old for me.

But my opinion of the brand started to change after seeing it featured by fashion bloggers (mainly Scandinavian) who loved the brand for it's wardrobe staples. Considering my wardrobe was missing most of these staples, it's little wonder that I didn't know the joy of COS.

This year, I have bought so many pieces from the store including v-neck t-shirts, cotton jumpers and Breton style tops here and here. It's going to be my go-to store for AW11 as they are one of the only stores who actually sell pure wool at a decent price (not like Topshop with it's evil Angora blends) and they even feature hand knitted items such as scarfs, jumpers and dresses. Their AW11 collection is very Phoebe Philo for Celine, no?

Do you love COS? And should we start a campaign to get them a) on social media b) open an online store? I think we should... NHG x

Parisian Chic: A Style Guide

I've been meaning to post this ever since I finally got my hands on Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange. The book was originally sold out on Amazon, but I happened to notice it in The Travel Bookshop's window (the famous one from the film Notting Hill) so I thought I'd support local business and buy it from there instead.

On the same day I also found the perfect Breton striped top that I've had on my 'Wardrobe Essentials' list for some time now, which I thought was quite fitting considering the Breton top is a french fashion icon...It's by COS, who seem to be my go-to store of the year for my missing wardrobe essentials and is still available in store for £25. It's long and stretchy and the perfect weekend top in my opinion!

Here is Ines' top 10 tips for dressing like a Parisian:
10. Jeans with gem-crusted sandals
9. A pencil skirt with ballet flats
8. A sequined sweater with men's trousers
7. A diamond necklace with a denim shirt, during the day
6. Loafers with shorts...and even with socks
5. An evening dress with ultra-plain open-toed sandals
4. A pearl necklace with a rock 'n' roll t-shirt
3. A chiffon print dress with battered biker boots
2. A tux jacket with sneakers
1. An evening dress with a straw handbag

I think it's safe to summarise that she loves to juxtapose traditionally worn together items which I'm not sure I 100% agree with...especially number 1 and 6. What do you think of Ines' top 10? NHG x

Outfit details: Breton top, COS; black skinny leg jeans, Sportsgirl; leopard necklace, Mulberry; Sunglasses, Chanel; Jalouse boots, ASH; red leather clutch, vintage from Ebay; gold nail polish, Topshop. Pictured below: My boyfriend's APC Breton jumper...I have my eye on it (and it may end up in my drawer like one of his cashmere jumpers did).

Windswept Porto San Paolo

I've been home from Sardinia for a week now (boo hoo) but one of the best restaurants we visited when we were there was Il Portolano in Porto San Paolo, which was not far from where we were staying. The restaurant overlooks the small port where you can watch the beautiful sunset.

I had an amazing Dory fish ravioli which I've since realised is actually a "Nemo" fish (as in the Disney film which is based in Australian waters). I gasped when I googled the fish afterwards and actually yelled "oh my god, I ate Nemo!". Poor Nemo, he's such a gorgeous blue fish...but oh so tasty.*

It was a really windy day so I was struggling with hair in my lip gloss and my dress flying up around my ears in these photos...during the day we stayed no longer than one hour at the beach as there was not much sunbathing going on - only lots sand in mouth action!

I've just realised that I must have a thing for dresses that are cut on angles - this is another dress with a shorter front than back...I really like the print of this dress and the mesh back. I bought it from Topshop in summer 2010 and although I don't wear it often, I seem to get it out whenever I have a nice restaurant to visit. NHG x

*I've since realised that it was probably 'John Dory' fish and not Nemo...so I'm not going to burn in hell.

Outfit details: Dress, Topshop; wedges, Zara; leather clutch, vintage from Ebay; ring, Topshop; man-style watch, Guess. 

Paradise in Sardinia: Cala Luna beach

I've been to many beach side destinations but never has my jaw dropped like it did when I stepped off the boat at Cala Luna beach on the east coast of Sardinia. The beach which is set in the Gulf of Orosei is only accessible on foot by hiking from nearby Cala Fuili or by boat from the marina at Cala Gonone.

The crystal clear water is a mix of turquoise and azure blue and the beach is set against a backdrop of limestone caves and lush vegetation. While there are very affluent and 'flashy' parts of Sardinia, Cala Luna is like being on your own secluded island. We stayed until dusk and caught the last boat back to the marina and it was truly magical watching the sun set across the fresh water pool that sits back from the sea.

While I only scratched the surface of Sardinia by visiting the north east coast, I can promise you that this part of the island is not to be missed if you ever visit. I now list it as my 'favourite beach in Europe' and being Australian, I'm a bit of a harsh critic...

Have you been to Sardinia? I would love to know where you visited and your thoughts as I'm planning to visit again in 2012. NHG x

P.S These photos weren't taken with my DSLR - just my normal Sony digital camera!

Ciao Sardinia

On Saturday I arrived in Sardinia for 8 days of paradise. It's true, this island is absolutely stunning! Living in London I pine for sunshine and beaches, and I instantly feel relaxed and happy whenever I head to the Mediterranean as it conjures up memories of a 'proper' summer (no offence England). Even the sounds and smells are similar, and there is nothing I love more than the sound of cicadas.

My boyfriend has commented on how many dresses I have that he hasn't seen...yes, because I can't wear them anywhere other than a hot destination! I bought this mint green dress from Sportsgirl in Australia when I was visiting in February and absolutely love it. It is cut on an angle, with a longer hem at the back.

Today I visited one of Italy's fabulous Luxury Outlet Malls and I picked up a cute white See by Chloe shirt...oh how I love you Italy! NHG x