Les Rosées Luxury Hotel Review

To say that I am slightly obsessed with the Mr & Mrs Smith hotel guide would be an understatement. My latest weekend trip was to a gorgeous 400 year old Maison called Les Rosées in Mougins, France. I nearly died when I walked in to our top floor 'Serguey' suite - it's simple, provincial luxury at its best.

The room was absolutely huge with lovely vintage leather chair, a chaise longue that made me never want to get up, and a king size bed. The bathroom was equally as large with a luxuriously deep bath and huge shower with a him and hers basin. The suite is located in the top floor of the Maison and features a glass roof with lovely grey provincial wardrobes and fabric-lined drawers that I wish I could have picked up and brought back with me to London.

The Maison also provides a delicious breakfast of pastries, granola and fruit served out on the balcony area overlooking the pretty garden and plunge pool that is surrounded by olive trees. They can also arrange dinner for you or drinks and light lunch by the pool if you wish to stay and relax. We visited Maema Plage in Cannes to soak up the last of the summer's rays instead (see post here).

The room was scented with Geodesis candles in Fig which created the most beautiful scent memory. I've already purchased one from John Lewis so I can fill my flat with the smell of our trip to Les Rosées. You can buy it here (it's amazing and perfect for wintery nights!).NHG x

See Les Rosées on Mr & Smith Smith here.

Maema Plage

It was my 29th birthday last week so Mr Porter and I went to Mougins in the south of France to celebrate. I have a tradition of going away for my birthday...preferably France. Last year it was Paris, this year I wanted to soak up the last of summer's sunshine! We were lucky to have clear blue skies and warm 25c temperatures on Saturday so we headed to Maema Plage in Cannes for a day spent on a sun lounger relaxing without barely a tourist in sight.

I am a huge fan of one-piece swimwear, I just find it far more comfortable than a bikini when lounging around and with the amazing styles available, you don't need to look frumpy. My one-piece is by Australian swimwear label Zimmermann, the go-to label for Aussie girls who love fashion as much as the beach (their ready-to-wear is also beautiful, modern and feminine). Next summer, I have either a Seventh Wonderland or Mara Hoffman one-piece on my wish list.

I also took the opportunity to wear my favourite summer purchase, my Sandro Joyeuse skirt one more time (see my post on it here). NHG x

P.S In case you are wondering, the light purple mark on my leg is a light port wine stain. I was born with it, and it covers most of my right thigh. You may have seen people with a stain on their face or neck before...they are normally purple or red and look like a discoloured birthmark!

My Autumn Wardrobe Essential

I bought this ASOS open-back lace top waaaay back in spring when I thought summer was on the cards. Of course, spring/summer this year was the wettest in 100 years (and cold too) so I only ended up wearing this top once. Not great when your ethos is to 'buy less, wear more'.

If it wasn't for my summer holidays in France and Ibiza, I honestly would have gone insane and jumped on the first plane back to Australia to live somewhere sunny (obviously not my native Melbourne!).

Anyway I digress, the only good thing to come of autumn's arrival is that I'll be living day in, day out in my A.P.C trench coat. This trench was definitely my favourite purchase this year, and is perfect for dewy mornings and chilly autumnal evenings.

If you don't own a trench coat, let me tell you it's the best-wardrobe-staple-ever. See A.P.C's AW12 version of their classic trench coat here. NHG x

Outfit details: ASOS open-back lace top, A.P.C trench coat, Topshop leather mini skirt, Country Road leather belt, United Nude black sandals, Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Too Hot to Handle' tote.

 

Shop my Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Too hot to handle' tote

Iris & Ink at THE OUTNET.COM

Last week, I attended a preview of The Outnet's new range Iris & Ink, a collection of classic wardrobe pieces that will form the basis of any stylish wardrobe.

It's no secret that I love shopping on The Outnet, but most of the time getting my hands on a fabulous designer piece involves being really quick (and not really thinking the purchase through)! Occasionally you get the piece delivered only to discover that you have nothing to put it together in your existing wardrobe...

Well we don't need to worry anymore, because the smart people at The Outnet have designed the range (including beautiful cashmere and leather pieces) to easily be paired back with any designer piece you may purchase from the site. 

Anna and I both chose to wear 3.1 Phillip Lim leopard print pieces. It was a total coincidence but I am known for my penchant for leopard print trousers (evidence here). NHG x

Shop the Iris & Ink collection here.

Dearne wears: Iris & Ink 'day-to-night' leather top' (coming soon), 3.1 Phillip Lim leopard trousers, Anya Hindmarsh Valorie clutch, Oscar de la Renta heels. Anna (from South Molton St Style) wears: 3.1 Phillip Lim leopard blazer, Iris & Ink blue top, Dorothy Perkins jeans, Isabel Marant tiger print heels.

French Pharmacy: Lotions & Potions

Following on from my blog post yesterday on my latest French Pharmacy haul, I thought I'd tell you about the lotions and potions (as I call them) that I also bought in Paris. I didn't buy these from CityPharma as they are all available from basically any French Pharmacy in the city. Unfortunately these products are hard to find outside of France.

Avibon: As made famous by Gwynnie's Goop, this thick, sticky gel is my favourite. It looks ridiculous when applied (makes you really shiny) and will feel like you've smeared petroleum jelly over your face. It's so worth it, and I absolutely love the way that my skin feels in the morning. Said to combat wrinkles (don't have any so can't confirm), it's great on acne (that I do have) and leaves your skin feeling plump and smooth. I'm a huge fan of vitamin A and have had a few vitamin A skin peels in the past. At around €8, it really is a beauty bargain.

Arnigel: I don't know why, but my legs are constantly covered in bruises. Probably has something to do with the fact that I manage to run into everything all the time...this homeopathy gel is said to relieve bumps and bruising by minimising the swelling. I'm not entirely convinced, but anything to get rid of the unsightly dark bruises on summer legs is worth it in my opinion.

Homeoplasmine: Another homeopathic remedy that is intended for skin irritations and contains  plant extracts and antiseptic. Great for reliving dry and cracked skin, whether it's a sore nose from too many tissues to dry hands. This reminds me of Australian Lucas Papaw Cream.

Cicaplast: I actually bought this in Boots a few months back, but this is another product recommended by Lisa Eldridge (in her acne make-up video) and I used it after I had a mild skin peel back in April. Cicaplast works by accelerating the rate of repair by the skin making it perfect for peels and other dermatological procedures. A little bit goes a long way and your skin will feel baby-soft the next day.

You can see all of my French Pharmacy posts here. NHG x

French Pharmacy: Nuxe

It's been awhile since I featured a French Pharmacy post on my blog, so I thought one was well overdue!

As recommended by make-up guru, Lisa Eldridge, I made the trek to visit City Pharma when I visited Paris back in July. It was a hot weekday and I couldn't quite believe how many women were all in there shopping for beauty supplies! When I left and looked at my receipt I realised why - the prices. City Pharma offers much better value than your ordinary French Pharmacy (especially compared to UK prices).

With Mr Porter tapping his foot in the heat outside, I quickly scrambled around trying to find my favourite products as well as a few new ones to try. Here's what I purchased and what I think of each product!

Bio Beaute by Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Orange: From Nuxes's Organic range (Bio Beaute), this cleansing water works similarly to Bioderma's Crealine H2O Micelle Solution in my opinion. With a lovely orange scent, this water cleanses eyes and face easily and is a great alternative to wipes (which are terrible for your skin FYI). The cleansing water is made up of 100% pure organic natural extracts with no silicone, PEG, mineral oils, artificial coloring agents, parabens, EDTA, formaldehyde, products with ethoxyl derivatives or phenoxyethanol. Buy online here.

Bio Beaute by Nuxe Exfoliant Confort Aux Fruits Rouges: Also from the Bio Beaute range, this exfoliant eliminates dead cells with 100% Organic apricot and raspberry seeds, while the oily extracts of organic blackberry, apricot and plum soothe and soften skin. The scrub is 100% of organic natural origin with a delicious pear and plum fragrance. Buy online here.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse: A staple in my summer beauty routine, this multi-purpose oil is perfect for spritzing all over after a nightly soak in the bath or on bare legs for a touch of sheen. Nuxe have recently launched a fragrance inspired by this product, it's that popular. Buy online here.

Nuxe Rive de Miel Face Cleansing and Removal Gel: I've blogged about this product before. It's by far one of my favourite cleansers, I love the honey and sunflower fragrance (some may not) and the way it leaves my skin make-up free and smooth as silk. I much prefer a gel cleanser over a foaming. Buy online here.

Nuxe Rive de Miel Hand and Nail Cream: Again, I've featured this before, but it's my favourite hand cream and I highly recommend it. I also love the smell of this product but then, I'm obsessed with the smell of ALL Nuxe products. Buy online here.

You can buy Nuxe online (with free shipping) from Feel Unique here or Marks & Spencer (new stockist) here.

I also bought the following French Pharmacy staples: Bioderma Crealine H2O Micelle Solution, Avene Thermal Spray (I bought a HUGE can for less than the price of a small can in Boots), Nuxe Body 24hr Moisturising Body Lotion (my favourite body lotion) and Embryolisse moisturiser.

To be continued tomorrow...

NHG x

P.S You can read all of my French Pharmacy posts here.

Picnics in The Secret Garden

Since autumn treated us to glorious sunshine this past weekend, I basically spent the whole weekend in the Secret Garden having a little picnic and reading the weekend papers.

Considering that I was thinking this week that I wear too much pink, this super-girly outfit really just proved what I already knew. Must-not-buy-anymore-pink. You heard it here first!

NHG x

Outfit details: Blush pink Sandro dress, French Connection pink hat, Mulberry leopard necklace,  Cavela for Kurt Geiger tan platform sandals, Labour and Wait French market basket, National Trust recycled wool picnic rug. 

Autumn Sunshine

Autumn is always my favourite season every year in England. Clear blue skies, crisp mornings and sunshine, unlike summer when it's all rain, humidity and pollution haze.

I haven't mentioned it on here yet, but I am no longer a real Notting Hill Girl. I moved to Little Venice (a whole 8 mins away) a few weeks ago and wish I'd moved sooner. Especially since my new flat includes keys to my "Secret Garden" aka Crescent Gardens, a 3 acre space hidden from all street view and barely used by its residents.

The tourists can have Hyde Park, I've got my own slice of heaven in this quiet part of London. NHG x

Outfit details: Alice & Olivia floral dress, Chanel sunglasses, Topshop tan leather belt, GUESS man-style watch and Mulberry Bayswater bag. 

Bella & Fifi

By far my favourite thing at Wilderness was the Canopy & Stars/Bella & Fifi dome filled with lovely beds that you could rest your weary festival body, or make your own flower garland.

Bella & Fifi are not your ordinary florists - they are 'couture florists' based in South-West England. The Saturday night of the festival featured a midnight masked ball in the forest so I couldn't resist purchasing this floral butterfly mask to wear. The tent inspired me to wear a gorgeous hydrangea headpiece when I (eventually) get married instead of your usual veil. So creative and so gorgeous.

Visit Bella & Fifi's website here.

Outfit details: Camilla & Marc dress from The Outntet and Bella & Fifi floral butterfly mask. 

Photos by Briony Whitehouse from A Girl, A Style.

101 Dalmatians

I think I'm going to set up my own Twitter feed called 'Sh*t my boyfriend says'. Case in point: I walked into the bedroom wearing my Equipment polka-dot shirt for a girl date with fellow bloggers Briony, Anna and Sarah last Saturday when Mr Porter says, "How's in going 101 Dalmatians?"

Erm, scuse me?

It seems that men see fashion trends through different eyes. We see polka-dots, they see dalmatian print. Briony later told me that her boyfriend (also Australian - the worst kind for teasing) had said that her leather shorts made her look like a "leather couch". Hhhmmm.

NHG x

P.S. Whenever I wear my A.P.C trench coat I'm known as 'Inspector Gadget'...

Outfit details: Equipment polka-dot shirt, Mimco flower necklace, A.P.C trench coat, Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Too Hot to Handle' bag, Zara black skirt, Zara black wedges. 

Thanks to Sarah from Style on the Couch and Briony from A Girl, A Style for taking these photos. What a fun day out! 

Raspberry Hunter Wellies

I recently blogged about my Wilderness festival experience here. When planning my weekend wardrobe everything revolved around my Hunter Original Gloss boots in raspberry which formed my 'work' uniform for the weekend.

They went perfectly with my Marc by Marc Jacobs dress (also worn in the sunflower fields of Dordogne here) that I bought in New York over 3 years ago. It has been a staple piece in my summer wardrobe ever since. Although it was expensive at the time, I've definitely decreased my cost per wear to an absolute bargain plus, it always receives compliments!

Do you have items that you wear for years after you purchase them? NHG x

Outfit details: Marc by Marc Jacobs dress, Hunter Original Gloss in Raspberry, Bella & Fifi carnation flower garland, Mulberry leopard necklace.  

Photos by Briony Whitehouse from A Girl, A Style.