Lifestyle & Home: W + W at Roca.

This little genius idea combines two rather obvious issues and solves them in a beautifully constructed way. The wash basin and water closet not only minimises space but also means that the waste water from the sink flows into the cistern of the toilet- thus excluding the wastage of water.

Designers Gabriele and Oscar Buatti have created a ‘meeting of the ways between sophistication and love for the planet’ coupled with a strong yet simple design.

For more info visit Roca.

Poppy

Lifestyle & Home: Graze Healthy Snacks

If for you this word is more synonymous with something that you do, and not just cows, then maybe you should try out this great new scheme.

In a nutshell (actually in a lovely brown biodegradable box) Graze send you a bento style selection of healthy snacks to pick at during the day. These snacks range from roasted seeds and dried fruit to olives and flapjacks, with a combination of four in each box. All portions are nutritionally balanced and come with a card telling you more about them.

When you join you rate which things you want to get in your box, choosing either to make up your own one or let Graze decide what you'll get (a nice surprise!) These boxes are then popped in the post and can be delivered easily to work, or to home if like me you just like the novelty of food in the mail! All postage is free and the boxes are also slim enough to fit through the letterbox so no 'sorry we missed you' cards.

Sign up and get your first box half price.

Poppy

Health & Beauty: NUDE Skincare

Founded by eco-entrepreneur Bryan Meehan (who brought us Fresh & Wild), and Bono’s wife, Ali Hewson (of Edun fame), the key ingredient in NUDE skincare is probiotics.

Yes, those friendly bacteria found in live yoghurt, when transformed into probiotic-derived proteins, can also help support the skin’s ability to repair and renew.

NUDE’s range of cleansers, hydrating waters, moisturisers and masks was recently joined by the Advanced Cellular Renewal Serum. Already a bestseller, it packs the biggest probiotic punch of the lot – and in just one drop, applied to the face at bedtime. I have to admit I’ve never had so many compliments about my skin since using it, alongside the equally gorgeous Cleansing Facial Oil.

This luxury range is free of harmful chemicals, and available from Space NK and the NUDE skincare website.

Jane Lee

Lifestyle & Home: Lent

Whether you are religious or not, Lent often inspires many people to give up one thing or another for the weeks leading up to Easter. While most people give up chocolate, or crisps or other ‘bad’ foods I was inspired to do something different last year.

During a mildly tipsy conversation with a friend around this time last year, we began talking about being self conscious and how at the gym (we had both recently joined) we both had an odd admiration for those women who were quite happy to stand naked in the shower amongst the rest of us. Being a yoga and pilates girl I didn’t really feel the need to rush to the showers and often just waited until I got home. My friend however would always sidle into a bikini after her running and cycling and shower like that. After discussing the point of the negative body image many of us have, especially I always feel, around other females (I am still of the belief that women are the cruellest critics) my friend decided on what she was going to give up for Lent: Wearing clothes in the shower at the gym. It was a simple vow but at the same time would inevitably change the way she felt about her body.

It got me to thinking a couple of days later, what could I give up that would be of a similar scale? I decided on something not quite as specific but the following: To give up not doing things purely because I felt out of my comfort zone.

I spent the next month of so speaking to new people, trying out new foods and saying yes to a lot more things that I would normally would with great repercussions. I booked my trip to Paris, ate out alone for the first time (strangely liberating) and made an effort to meet up with new friends.

It is for this reason that this year I am channelling the idea of ‘giving something up’ in the sense that it can change you for the better. A lot of people give up chocolate because they feel that it is either a bad thing to be eating or that by giving it up for a time, they will appreciate it more.
This year I am thinking of using Lent as an excuse to give up the following:

Pre-judging: Not watching/reading or listening to things that I think ‘aren’t my thing’ as I may be presently surprised.

Laziness: Getting the bus to the nearest tube- I am perfectly capable of walking for 20 minutes and what’s more, I actually really enjoy it when I do it.

Forgetting to take reusable bags shopping

Not texting back. It infuriates me, so I shouldn’t do it to others.

Being a bad consumer: Buying products that aren’t fair-trade when there is the option, a no brainer really.

Buying fruit, veg and meat which have been shipped from afar. In fact, I’ve given up meat all together.

I wonder what you’ll give up...

Poppy

Health & Beauty: Bounty of Nature “World’s purest honey” reaches UK market

I am an absolute honey nut...as in I go crazy for the stuff and eat it with absolutely everything. Mainly in tea, on yoghurt, in porridge...you name it, chances are I've tried smearing it in honey and eating it! I even use it as a face mask!

Honey is an amazing natural product which aids health, detoxifies, reduces stress, improves memory and tastes so damn good! It's nature's candy and it's healthy!!

Now, when the delightful package arrived from Bounty of Nature you can hardly imagine my excitement at receiving the Eurphoria Longana Honey, Honey with Royal Jelly, Honey with Propolis and amazing Bee Pollen each with their own characteristic health properties. Ethically sourced from the highest quality producers around the World, there are currently four great products to choose from.

Euphoria Longana Honey

This honey is harvested from the beautiful tropical flora jungles high in the mountains of Thailand's Northwest region of Chiang Mai, coming from the nectar of oriental Euphoria Longana flower, which bears the sweet, juicy, succulent  Longan Fruit, the cousin of the Lychee. In the Far East Longan Fruit is  seen to be an  anti-ageing fruit as it contains a high level of proline which is known to help  improve skin texture by aiding the production of collagen. Something which we all need to replenish!

It also acts to reduces tiredness and boost energy levels, soothes sore throats, nourishes the skin and has a calming effect on the nervous system. With a delicious flavour and consistency, this pot is a great one to try out of the range for everyday use.

Honey With Royal Jelly

This honey contains 5% fresh Royal Jelly, known to promote vitality and stamina. This magic elixir also helps to preserve  youth and nourishing the skin. Due to the level of amino's and globulin's present in Royal Jelly, it is classically regarded to be the key to optimal health and longevity as it helps enhance the immune systems ability to fight off infection.

A beautiful soft-tasting honey, use this to Promote vitality & stamina, preserve youth, nourish the skin, lower cholesterol, strengthen memory and promote collagen production. It also makes a great face mask and firms, softens and tones tired skin!

Honey with Propolis

This is a stronger flavoured, darker coloured honey enhanced with 5% Brazillian Green Propolis extract, a substance that bees collect from various trees and shrubs to seal the walls of their hive. The antimircobial properties propolis possesses ensures that the hive becomes a germ-free sterile zone, thus protecting the bees from the risk of infection.

Propolis helps to boost your immune system by stimulating the thymus gland to produce more white blood cells, which the body uses to rid itself of viruses, poisons and other metabolic waste products, thus selctively destroying harmful bacteria while leaving useful bacteria alone.

This honey is great to improve the immune system and selctively destroys only harmful bacteria and promotes a healthy heart. It's slightly stronger flavoured than usual honeys and so this one is best used mixed into drinks, in salad dressing or added to food. With it's antiseptic qualities, it's also perfect for getting rid of a sore throat.

Bee Pollen

Bee Pollen is a real superfood that contains a comprehensive mix of essential nutrients. Vitamins B-complex A,C,D and E, minerals, enzymes, amino-acids, carbohydrates, proteins, natural antibiotics and phyto-nutrients that are important for the rejuvenation of body cells, as well as folic acid to provide increased stamina and endurance.

Use of bee pollen helps promote healthy skin and fights premature ageing as it helps repair and stimulate cells, balances blood sugar level, stimulates the metabolism, detoxifies the body and helps repair and stimulate cell growth. I enjoy this amazing product in my smoothies, on top of fruit, yoghurt and also as a drink. It's flavour is very mild and although eating it takes a bit of getting used to it becomes quickly addictive!

We Love: Spring is in the Air! with LUST by the GORILLA PERFUMERS AT LUSH

Feminine, sensual and heady, Lust is a La Luminata fragrance favourite that simply dazzles and bewitches.  Unashamedly provocative with main notes of  Jasmine, ylang ylang, rose, vanilla and sandalwood, this is the perfect scent to leap into spring.

Gorilla Perfume was formed to showcase the perfumery of Mark and Simon Constantine as an antidote to boring mass-market scents and a movement to get people excited about good quality perfume.

Mark is particularly fond of working with jasmine absolute, but is usually worried about how far to take it. However, there were no holds barred in the making of Lust!  "I think what you're good at is what you like to do.  I do believe that I'm good at jasmine.  I wanted to do a really, really sexy, dirty, lustful fragrance and that's what I've done.  I'm very happy with it!  I've done fragrances like that before, but I'd never had the nerve to let them be.  British people have a problem with sexy fragrances; there's always this feeling of having to dress the thing up in a frock and put a bonnet on it.  This time, I just went all the way."

Lust contains pure jasmine absolute, making it an exotic and heady fragrance. The full bloom of the jasmine flower is accentuated by rich florals and a soft, woody base. Jasmine, ylang ylang and sandalwood will set pulses racing...

Lust is available in Lush shops nationwide and online at www.lush.co.uk / www.gorillaperfume.com

Perfume bottle (30g) - £20.00
Atomiser (10g) – £9.00
Solid Perfume (12g) - £4.50

Health & Beauty: THE BRUSH WITH FASHION MAKEOVER : DISCOVER WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MAKE-UP MEETS STYLE

New from The Body Shop for Spring 2011 comes the limited edition ‘Brush with Fashion’ make-up. This fashion-forward, sustainable and cruelty-free collection has been developed in collaboration with the acclaimed London College of Fashion.

Featuring covetable packaging designed by the celebrated college, a sensational catwalk inspired Spring palette is brought to life with Community Fair Trade ingredients. From vibrant pinks to sumptuous matte shades of chocolate and rose-tints, products come together with ease for stunning looks and make-up artistry.

Pieces include the Illuminating Face Base, gorgeous Hi-Shine Lip Treatment, an innovative Tailored Cheek Tint and essential Limited Collection for Eyes. All are paired with the award winning and convenient built-in cruelty-free brush for professional results.

Nikki Palmer, the make-up artist for ‘Brush with Fashion’ and London College of Fashion alumna says, “In contrast to the minimalist, neutral shades of Autumn/Winter, Spring 2011 will be a celebration of brights, with no colour left unrepresented... It’s about creating a look that’s graphic and playful, with bold colours that can be mixed and matched.”

We tried out the illuminating face base which is a great addition to the new fresh-faced catwalk looks that I saw at London fashion week. The base gave my skin a warm glowy finish and made me look fresh and awake. I would love to see a chemical-free version though of this collection, it would be amazing if the Body Shop started a completely chemical free range that also mixed with fairtrade values. We also loved the fact that they were siding with the LCF  fashion students and giving them opportunities to showcase their work...this gets a big thumbs up from us!

The collaboration with London College of Fashion is the first in an exciting series of partnerships with the world of fashion. Both pioneers share similar values and beliefs, combining ethical beauty and the address of sustainability issues through fashion education, research and consultancy.

The new limited edition ‘Brush with Fashion’ collection is available in The Body Shop stores nationwide from Tuesday 15th February 2011. Prices for the collection range from RRP £2.00 to RRP £15.00.