Marni for H&M - Coming to an H&M Near You

Pinch me. I can't believe it's finally happening, zesties. Are you as ecstatic as I am for the biggest fashion-for-all event of the year?! The Marni for H&M collection is only one week away from hitting the H&M store near you on March 8th. Prepare yourselves for a battle of the high-street-meets-designer fashion victims.

The collection perfectly embodies the modern woman. It is at once playful and serious; dramatic and calming; breezy and warm. I love it. I love it all. And even Sofia Coppola agrees.

See here the short film she produced capturing the ultimate cool factor of the Marni for H&M collection.

Marni for H&M hits select H&M stores Thursday, 8th March

Stores open @9am
There will be massive queuing so make sure you get there early!

Zesty Birthday Dinner

Today is my birthday and my boyfriend is taking me here.
If you're familiar with Ottolenghi, you'll know that Nopi is the latest yummy addition to Yotam's divine London culinary repertoire. 

Roasted aubergine, spiced yoghurt, dukkah, coriander

Seared scallops, pig’s ears, black bean and ginger sauce

Pork belly, caramelised Nashi pear, grape mustard jus

Caramel and roasted peanut ice cream, chocolate sauce

I can continue.

Jealous much?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!


Nopi Restaurant
21-22 Warwick Street
London W1B 5NE

The Ultimate Healthy Snack Extraordinaire

Don't you find that you crave more sugar in the winter than you would during other seasons? I don't know about you but all I want to do is wolf down pounds and pounds of sweets and chocolates to keep me warm during the work week. And lately I've been fighting the urge to bite into that 4pm birthday cake at the office while all I want to do is stuff my face silly with carbs. Weird? I don't know. I think we all need the sugary fuel to get us through the day in the cold, dreary London winter days.

It's hand picked, all natural, little drops of fruity sunshiny goodness called Urban Fruit that have kept me going these past few weeks. It's a simple concept, really. This London-based simple food company hand picks fresh fruit from lush flowery trees when they're at their ripest, peel them, cut them into strips, bake them gently and voila! With no added sugars and additives and with 200 calories a pack that will last you through two snacks, I have found my 4pm sugar-binge alternative! Mango, Pineapple, Cherry, Strawberry & Apple, take your pick.

Find your healthy snack sugar-binge alternative at Whole Foods Kensington

Cleanse Away 2011 - Glow in 2012

It's nearly the end of the year - and as expected you're exhausted. Your skin feels gray, drab and it looks almost yellowish. You feel an urge to cleanse away all impurities that have managed to nestle themselves into your pores over the last 12 months. You want to brighten up again and start fresh. There's a simple solution for that - the facial cleanser. Now I know that most of you are attached to your regular go-to's when it comes to cosmetics and beauty products, and that when in doubt, nothing beats an express run to the Duty Free counter at Heathrow airport before catching a flight. I get it, I do it too. But no more. With my thirties fast approaching, I've decided to stop neglecting my skin and making it a priority for 2012.

I've recently been recommended a cleanser by a dear friend of mine whose grooming tastes I blindly trust. I tried it, bought it and never went back. The amazing Shu Uemura Skin Purifier is a rich and delicate oil, which rinses and purifies your skin to leave it looking smooth and glowing. After a long day of stress and makeup, simply use a couple droplets of water to foam up the oil and massage your skin, eyelids and lashes gently with your fingertips, soaking up all the makeup and dirt accumulated during the day. No need for extra makeup remover, no need for cotton swabs. Job done.

 Check out Shu Uemura's tutorial here:

Choose the Classic for normal skins, Aloe Vera for normal or ageing skin, and the Fresh for oily or blemish-proned skin. 

Visit Space NK, Liberty or the flagship Neal Street boutique to get your Shu Uemura Cleanser, and for £28 you'll be one step closer to a balanced and glowing 2012.

The Staves - The New Wave I Crave

The Sound of The Staves is nothing short of extraordinary. No joke, it is by far one of the most blissful sounds I've heard on earth - at least in 2011. A combination of the Dixie Chicks, Enya and the Corrs, their vocals are clear, crisp and honey-like. And if you lend your ear to their enchanting harmonies, acoustic loveliness and fairy-like melodies, you'll fall in love with them as well. The three sisters, Jessica, Camilla and Emily from Watford, UK, are bringing Hippie back with their smooth songs like Mexico and Facing West, from their undiscovered 2010 EP - one of my proudest 2011 zesty discoveries.

 Check out their Myspace and book your tickets to their UK gigs here!

A Pink Box Full of GGGs (Glossy Girly Goodies)

The latest Brit-born girly start up, called Glossybox, brings you an innovative and fun subscription service, offering its members a selection of 5 beauty product samples each month, from the most up-market and coveted brands to the most niche and exclusive, and that for only £10 a month. If you're an avid cosmetics consumer, love experimenting with new products but would rather die than to spend the money or time on products that you try once, hate and ultimately throw out, this is your new girly discovery. Or better yet, if you're fed up with the regular Boots run, gag at the sterile smell of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals on your daily lunch Cosmetics trip, you'll want to read on.

Glossybox is a fantastic consumer proposition insofar as it's easily digesteable and user friendly. This is how it works. It's a 3 step process.

1. First sign up to receive your monthly Glossybox and complete your Beautyprofile to allow the experts to carefully match products to your likes and personal beauty.

2. Every month you'll receive a beautifully wrapped pink and purple polkadotted box full of girly goodies in the Royal Mail.

3. Enjoy 5 cherry-picked luxury products each month and avoid the hassle of long queues and the pressure of sales people.

Provide feedback and with every survey, receive 20 points. After collecting 1000 points, your next Glossybox is free. You'll want to do this.

With brands ranging from O.P.I, Nars and Lalique, to All For Eve and batiste shampoos, you'll be able to sample from all sorts of products for nails, skin and hair alike.

Plus enjoy regular style and beauty tips via their online magazine. This week, Glossybox talks you through Olivia Palermo's beauty tips on how to look effortlessly glamorous. You can subscribe to news updates on Facebook and Twitter as well.  All of this from the comforts of your cozy living room. What are you waiting for? Check it out here and sign up now, zesties.

The Latest Addition to the Bruton Street Fash Pack

No, this is not a joke and this is not a tease. Your heard me. It's happening and it's true. The cult Parisian designer Isabel Marant is coming to town and bringing her delicious garments to Mayfair's finest street to reside at 29 Bruton. While no official opening date has yet been announced, you can be sure that there will be buzz, fashion lights and beautiful people populating the new space and strutting their stuff with her latest collection through the streets of London. Marant will move into a 3,5000-square-foot premise, and will become neighbour to Matthew Williamson, Stella McCartney and Diane Von Furstenberg. Yes, dear. I did say the Finest.

Being a hardcore fan myself since 2004, I've never once not seen her catalogues, and never once not bought anything from one season to the next. I've always clung like glue to her ankle boots, floral prints and skin-tight leather trousers. And her knits have a way to make any look seem effortless yet feminine. There's something to be said about laid back French fashion. It's just undeniably cool.

Take a look at her exquisite A/W 11 collection here.