London: Tea Time in Wonderland

How about trying a different atmosphere? Yes? Then book an appointment with Evans & Peel, a mysterious bar – London has a skill for those. You will need to discuss your case with a private detective, intrigue him before he opens the secret passage, behind the bookcase and lets you in. Behind? An old fashioned speakeasy and cocktails to die for…Cheers!
1. Celebrate these few days of freedom with a glass of bubbly. Ruinart has just opened the most magical pop-up at The Langham.

2. Are you a whisky connaisseur? The stop at Spitafields and try the Nikka pop-up, a superb Japanese brand, one of my favourites.

3. Hampton Court Palace Greenwelcomes a real feast with the Foodies Festival. On the menu, a cake and bake theatre, a BBQ arena, a gourmet market, pop-up restaurants like Jamie’s Italian, Randall & Aubin, Patcharee, Masala Zone…

4. Still in Hampton Court, join The Big Picnic – live music, theatre, kids’ activities, Pimm’s and champagne bar.

5. A must see: the Chelsea Flower Show celebrates its 100th anniversary. And finally allows garden gnomes to step back in… A few pictures here.

6. And to make the most of it, Crabtree & Evelyn transform Covent Garden in the cutest herb garden.

7. The Supreme Court will open its doors to the public on Saturday -  go and have a glimpse!

8. Fancy something exotic but don’t have the budget to travel? Try some Egyptian street food instead.

9. Incredible. Bombas & Parr have turned Kew Gardens’ boating lake into a giant fruit salad. With a pineapple island in the centre.

10. Watch Grease, Purple Rain, Dirty dancing at The Book Club and sing along. Yes you can. You should. As loud and enthusiastically as possible!

11. Go on. Dine with a view.

12. Go and say hi to your favourite super-heros at the Comic Con.

13. Enjoy a peaceful moment on Trafalgar Square on Mondy with a free symphonic concert.

14. Black and white with optical illusion – a gorgeous art show by Kai & Sunny at the Royal Festival Hall

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My favourite temple on fashion. I can spend hours in the regent Street store. Modern, impeccably cut, clothes made for living, for moving but in the most stylish way. An exceptionnal quality of cotton, figure hugging  T-shirts. Hundreds of colours.

What can you expect for autumn-winter 2013? Washed-effect on jeans in beautiful hues, leather jackets so soft they feel like a second skin and you never want to take them off, soft knitted collars to feel cosy in. A retro touch, splashes of neon on accessories, raspberry and vibrant green, walking shoes so light they feel surreal, bags you will want to collect, cool satchels that simply call your name. Chic, energetic. Who said the cold season was fashion boring?

Even better: the brand continues its collaboration with Timothy Everest. The men range had been a hit -  the women collection, sweetly called Sebiro, is simply superb. Tailored suits with a British spirit, a revisited tweed, sharp angles, cheerful colours on the hem, under the collar. There is a style for everyone: The Town Coat, The Country Rebel, The Rock Rebel, The Muse. Simply perfect to go to work (especially when style is already a good business card) but very classy too on simple jeans, a flashy T-shirt and funky trainers.

You will fall in love again and again.

Superdry

Aperitif time at Camber Sands. Sunshine on bare shoulders, a straw hat, sunglasses, feeling alive. Walking through the dunes, finding the perfect spot, beautiful palette of pastel colours. And to celebrate this moment of freedom, a glass of Balblair. A highland single whisky with a difference. It prefers the alchemy of a perfect vintage year than a 15, 20… years statement. Waiting for the perfect balance, an exquisite art. The 89 is amber coloured with dried fruit notes, honey, caramel, spices, a long finish. 2002 is more golden, vanilla, citrus peels, zesty, such a presence, such a strength. Silence all around. All is said in a smile and twinkling eyes.

Balblair whisky – vintages timed to perfection

It all began with a cheerful bubble note on Oh Happy Days. Made me want to throw a party. And dance and sing and jump. Possibly all three at once. And match French and British colours, like a confetti rain. It all takes just a little craziness of course.

And so you arrive to the phonebooth, cheeks all pink with happiness. You step in and start blowing balloons. You can see people’s gaze, not understanding, frowning. But as the pile goes up, above your knees, they start to smile and laugh and stop and take pictures. You escape, ask curious passers-by to help, join in, go on, add one. You see them turning into kis for a few minutes.

80. There are 80 in there. Yeah, really. Blue, white, red. Children don’t resist -  they want to open the door, of course you let them. That beautiful laugh. The amazement in their yes.

Your turn to play!

Thanks to Bianca for being part of this fantastic adventure.

An immensity. 8 km of beach to be exact, framed by dunes, sand marbles by the wind. Soft waves. A tide retreated extraodinarily far. Thousands of shells, playing a kind of music when washed away by the sea. Such peace, a beautiful silence. Kites doing complex figures. The urge to stay there, buy a house nearby, take your morning coffee on the beach. Losing yourself in the contemplation of the horizon.

Camber Sands, Sussex

The years go by. In my case, 35. The quality of the skin changes, small lines appear. Friens will tell you they tell your story. The idea is nice but could that wait until I feel old?

Transformulas, a British brand founded on the fear of needles (join my world), developped a range of anti-ageing products. Beautiful alliance of cosmetics and pharmaceutical technology with biological active ingredients. One of their signature creations is this Face Contour Tightening crème – smoothing, redefining, resculpting.

Behind that promise is eyeseryl, a miracle in the beauty world. How does it work? By improving the drainage of fluids in the eye contour area. Quite slow at night, it often creates puffiness when you wake up. The little plus? It also, softly, reduces small lines. It is paired with Acmella Oleracea (relaxing muscle contractions therefore softening the appearance of wrinkles and expression lines), Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin E (anti-inflammatory and healing properties), Allantoin (cell-proliferating healing agent for healthy tissue and softer skin) and Prunas Perscia (preventing the skins natural tendency to dehydrate), it is quite an impressive cocktail!

In reality? Yes, it works! Nice creamy colour, slight citry perfume, very refreshing, in a punp bottle allowing to have just the quantity you want. After using it for 3 weeks, the skin has clearly gained in elasticity, the neck and chin contour much tighter, the eye contour softened, small wrinkles softened. Relief sign – a few years knocked out in our favour!

Transformulas – Face Contour Tightening crème

If you love refined coffee, try a cold drip one. Filtered at room temperature, even iced, drop by drop. The process takes a minimum of 06 hours, a whole night, up to 12. Hypnotising.  Less acidity, no contact with heat so no loss of flavour. An exceptional purity. Velvet…

Ozone
11 Leonard Street
London 
EC2A 4AQ

I discovered the Foodies Festival in Brighton, It will be travelling around England all summer. So many treats to try, so many mouthwatering aromas that all senses all awakened. And so you walk around with always a plate in your hand. Or a glass. with a formidable appetite.

On May 25, 26 and 27, it will stop at Hampton Court Palace, for an extraordinary feast. Cake and bake theatre… BBQ arena… Restaurant pop-ups Jamie’s Italian, Randall & Aubin, Patcharee, Masala Zone… So many discoveries to make! And we have 3 pairs of tickets for you to win.

Leave us a message below and follow us on Facebook or Twitter. The lucky winners will be selected at random on Monday May 20. Click and take a chance!

Pond’s is one of these name goign from a generation to another – did you know it actually celebrates mores than a 100 years of sucess? Can you think of a better proof of quality and trust? Modern touch -  they are rebranding to Pond’s Institute. In the cocoon atmosphere of the Spatisserie, hidden in The Dorchester, we indulged in rose flavoured champagne reminding of the cream famous floral perfume, so soothing, so refreshing. Did you know the Cold Cream Cleanser, traditionally used to remove make-up in seconds, is fantastic as a mask or even for hand massages? And that the Hydro-Nourishing cream, rich in Elastine and vitamin E to protect and smoothe the skin, also proves a formidable highlighter when applied on cheekbones? Wow. When you compare the price of highmarket brands and how multitasking and affordable the Pond’s range is, your choice is immediate. My favourite is the Dry Skin Nourishing Anti-Wrinkle, which fight the airconditioning in my office admirably. No tightness, no dryness. Pond’s, c’est la vie en rose!

Pond’s Institute

Brighton, until June 02, is even livelier than usual: the Fringe Festival is on. Art, theatre, concerts, family workshops, the streets are so very festive! Alpro is sponsoring the event this year and invited me to have a look around as well as sip on delicious #alproccinos et #alprolattes (by the way, tweet your #mugshotmoments for a chance to win a trip to Rome!). Walking form one neighbourhood to another, I was fascinated by the incredible number of cafés around. You feel like stopping every 5 meters. Here are a few we loved:

Bill‘s

We love the large industrial space revamped with colours from floor to ceiling, shelves meticously organised, filled withdelicious jams, chutneys, limonades… There is so much to look at you probably will completely forget you have a plate and a hot drink.

Bill’s
The Depot
100 North Road
Brighton BN1 1YE
Nest

A minimalist café, in small touches of design, small splashes of colours. The cakes are divine, the atmosphere very homey,a great place to spend a rainy day with a good book.

Nest
35 Kensington Gardens,
North Laines,
Brighton,
BN1 4AL
Tic Toc Café

Cute clocks here and there, childhood memories, a great sense of humour, mismatched chairs, a mouthwatering collection of cakes. Locals love, love, love this address!

Tic Toc Café
53 Meeting House Ln
The Lanes
Brighton BN1 1HB
Small Batch Company

My favourite. For coffee lovers who appreciate a good roast, a fruitiness, care about the origin of the beans. Such a treat to ask for a syphon coffee or a cold drip…

Small Batch Company
17 Jubilee Street
Brighton, BN1 1GE