Category Archives: Featured

EARTHSHOT: HOW TO SAVE OUR PLANET by Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes

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earthshot EARTHSHOT- HOW TO SAVE OUR PLANET by Colin Butfield and Jonnie HughesFollowing the recent Earthshot Prize ceremony and the crucial COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow (31st October-12th November), we are all much more aware that we need to make serious changes to care for our planet. And now EARTHSHOT: HOW TO SAVE OUR PLANET tells us how we can do that.

EARTHSHOT: HOW TO SAVE OUR PLANET is the essential handbook to Prince William’s ground-breaking award, by Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes, long-time advisors to the award.

The book offers a guide to how we got to where we are today, with inspiring examples of how humanity is trying to set nature on the path to revival within these crucial next ten years. For those watching along at home, section three of their book focuses on practical things we can all do to make a difference, with excellent tips for people as they watch the coverage over the coming weeks and consider what they can do at home. Our individual efforts can make a difference, and the authors are optimistic at what can be achieved if we work together.

EARTHSHOT is written by Colin Butfield, former executive director at the international conservation charity WWF, and multi-award-winning producer/director Jonnie Hughes. Colin and Jonnie are creators of BBC One’s new landmark 5-part EarthshotPrize TV series, as well as the phenomenally successful documentary David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet. Their involvement with The Earthshot Prize allows them unparalleled access to the people, science and imagery behind this inspirational project.

As the definitive book of the award – the most prestigious environment prize in history, with a mission to scale the best solutions to repair our planet – the book draws on a phenomenal range of voices including an introduction from Prize-founder Prince William and contributions from leading global figures: broadcaster and natural historian, Sir David Attenborough on protecting and restoring nature, former astronaut onboard the International Space Station Naoko Yamazaki on cleaning our air, singer and philanthropist Shakira Mebarak on reviving our oceans, Christiana Figueres, co-founder of Global Optimism and former UN Climate Chief on fixing our climate, and environmental activist Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim on building a waste-free world.

This timely and definitive book of The Earthshot Prize, along with the Earthshot prize and TV series, will be crucial in moving the dial on climate change.

We loved this book and we reckon you will too.

Spirit of Aloha 65 Brings Christmas spirit & many festive cheers to you!

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aloha, cocktail, cocktail recipe, cocktail recipes, christmas cocktail recipeAloha images caption

Ok, we’re going to say it: it’s time to start thinking about the festive season.

Bring something bright and out of the blue to bonfires and dark nights. As summer comes to a close, it’s time to start thinking about winter fun. Let Aloha 65 bring a bit of spice to cosy evenings in, whether you’re hosting or having a chilled one.

The unique spirit has a full menu of winter serves to complement its tropical botanicals and warming notes of ginger and chilli, perfect for shaking up winter cocktails and causing a stir at your Christmas parties.

Why not have a go at a winter recipe out of the blue, like the Aloha Velvet? We love Aloha at Frost and this cocktail is delicious.

Ingredients
35ml Aloha 65
25ml brandy
25ml fresh orange juice
20ml fresh lemon juice
A dash of sugar syrup
1 egg yolk

Method
Add all ingredients into a shaker get shaking like you’re shivering!
Add ice and shake again. 
Strain into a glass full of ice
Garnish with 3 or 4 drops of Angostura bitters and cherry to serve.

Aloha 65 isn’t just a treat for your drinks cabinet; you can fire up your cheeseboard and canapes too. Scotch-bonnet chilli-infused pineapple ‘detonators’ are an appetiser on their own, or the perfect way to make retro cheese & pineapple a bit more exciting.  Not only that, but their ‘Sun on a Beach’ hot sauce goes so well with seafood and will really bring the flavour to your prawn cocktail starters.

Don’t let the tropical vibes fool you. The Aloha 65 bottle is wrapping up warm in its seasonal ski suit bottle wrap so brand mascot Lola really looks the part when she joins you on the slopes. Smooth enough to drink on its own, Aloha 65 is also the perfect cold-weather hip flask tipple.

Get ready for Christmas with Aloha 65, with discounts on 70cl multi-buys, gift sets and, with mini spritz kits for just £10, you can be sure to win your office Secret Santa with these stocking fillers.

You can find Aloha 65 on Amazon and discover the full range at aloha65.com.

Who says après ski can’t be tropical?

The back-story
Conceived and created by British expat barman, Stephen Thorp, at a beach bar in Florida some thirty years ago, the first homemade version of Spirit of Aloha 65 was designed to lure well-known and not so well-known surfers into his beach bar to refresh and revive them after a long day in the surf.   Thirty years or so later, and after many attempts (65 in fact), the first few bottles that met Stephen’s exacting standards were produced and Spirit of Aloha 65 came of age. Turns out, Stephen’s creation was not just a brilliant addition to the post-surf après-sea drinks menu, but was equally at home with the post-piste après-ski crowd. Available in ski and surf label editions.

The blend
Beautifully and naturally crafted, Aloha 65 ticks a lot of boxes: vegan, gluten free, and at under 47kcal per 25ml serve has less calories than an equivalent measure of gin or vodka (50kcal per 25ml serve). It’s made from only fresh ingredients with no added colourants.

So what sort of spirit is it? Well it’s not gin and it’s not vodka, but like those old stalwarts, Aloha 65 starts with a neutral grain spirit base.  However, unlike gin or vodka that an take just a few hours to make through a fire-based distillation process, Aloha 65 takes weeks to make and is made by separately and naturally infusing neutral grain spirit with just six very special raw ingredients including fresh pineapple, lemon, ginger and scotch bonnet chilli.  These ingredients macerate slowly in the neutral grain spirit for up to a month naturally steeping the alcohol with their individual flavours. The separate infusions are then carefully blended together et Aloha! Sunshine in a Bottle.

Its versatility means that it can be enjoyed as a delicious chilled shot, on ice, or a refreshing long-drink, or as the unique heart of a great cocktail. It is proudly all-natural, vegan and has a lower ABV (27%).  One sip and you’ll know what all the fuss I about.  If you’ve never heard of, or believed in, ‘Sunshine at First Sip’, you have now.  Many people seem genuinely surprised that it is still possible to create something quite new and different in the spirits category but Stephen’s years of dreams and hard graft have certainly been worth it.  Trust us – you’re in for a treat.

A brand with a difference
Spirit of Aloha 65 offers the consumer something very different both to look at and to taste.  With its coastal roots, Spirit of Aloha 65, was born of the surf, sun, sand and sea but is equally at home in the mountains and on the slopes. The vintage and retro branding has universal appeal and the branding screams: ‘Life is for living’ and ‘Have fun!’.  ‘Lola’, our iconic surf girl and ‘Al’ her buddy, don’t just surf, they ski!  Of course, they do!  The ski/surf winter bottles are a must this winter to create that lock-down après ski vibe.  Oh, and how many spirit brands do you know that also have a hot sauce?

Integrity
‘Aloha’ isn’t just a friendly greeting, it’s a way of life.  It puts a smile on your face.  Alohans, as we like to call them, live each moment to the full and always bring their A-Game, but with respect for others and their environment.  Aloha 65 is proud to be partnering with Plastic Oceans, donating 5% of its profits to the charity to help preserve the planet and its natural diversity for generations to come.  Aloha 65 is also supporting the promotion of “The Last Glaciers”, a new film about climate change, glaciers and the fate of our planet. Aloha 65 is vegan and made with only natural ingredients.

Aloha Sour

Ingredients:
35ml aloha,
10ml velvet falernum,
10ml cherry brandy,
2 dash cherry bitters,
10ml lemon juice,
egg white

Method
Add all ingredients into a shaker and dry shake (no ice).
Add ice and shake again.
Strain into a coupe.
Garnish with 3 or 4 drops of Angostura bitters and cherry

Available on Amazon.

SAUCE IT is a new and truly exciting way to buy restaurant-quality ingredients at home

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BBC’s Matt Tebbutt opens the chef larder
for the real foodie with the launch of SAUCE IT

Just think of it as the food and drink concierge for those in the know, giving you access to the chef’s personal larder – essentially their first choice of ingredients – so you too can finally shop like a chef!

Just open our exclusive ‘little black book’ of suppliers, producers, cooking professionals and sommeliers who can offer you chef designed boxes, filled with incredible ingredients discovered over years of working in the trade. SAUCE IT gives you access so you can discover for yourself how these rigorously sourced ingredients can ultimately change the way you cook and create.
The result of years of research and tasting, every item on SAUCE IT has been trialled and tested extensively by the expert who puts their name to each recommended ingredient or product. If you are looking for the wow factor, look no further, as SAUCE IT source the impossible to find; the ingredients you won’t find in Waitrose or even famous food halls.

sauce it box sauce it box

The SAUCE IT boxes
To celebrate the launch of this exciting new concept, TV favourite Matt Tebbutt has created a new box The Weekend Collection by Matt Tebbutt. To coincide with the launch of Matt’s new book ‘Weekend’, this box contains a selection of ingredients, handpicked by Matt, and featuring in his new recipes such as the Cabernet Sauvignon Vinegar used in Matt’s Anchoiade dip or the beautifully packaged ‘Las Hermanas’ hot smoked paprika made using age old methods, ideal for Matt’s Smokey chicken with sweet corn and mango salsa.
Matt commented ‘SAUCE IT is an exciting new way to shop like an award winning chef does, giving you access to all the very best produce that was once only available to the restaurant world’.

If you are a shellfish fan, you’ll love Salcombe’s finest shellfish box which includes the finest Salcombe crab and lobster from a small day boat, packed on the quayside and sent direct to you, straight from Chris the fisherman. Is there anything finer than a simply boiled fresh crab with lemon, mayo and crusty bread? For the lobster, the king of crustaceans, the BBQ is perfect! Salcombe is famous for its crab and lobster, in fact it reaches nearly every corner of the globe, and if you’re looking for fresh seafood for that family feast, our shellfish is landed by one small boat and delivered straight to your door.

For the Spanish food lover, the El Gordo box has the most amazing Spanish products; ones that you will only find in restaurants such as Barrafina or Pizarro. SAUCE IT have brought together the absolute best of the best small Spanish producers of outstanding quality. Sit back, relax, imagine you are taking in the sights and sounds of San Sebastian, and indulge in some the worlds finest ingredients, enjoyed with a glass of Manzanilla sherry, naturally!

There are also boxes from well-known chefs such as Ben Tish, Sabrina Ghayour and Jane Baxter. A selection of wine boxes are available, handpicked by the team at SAUCE IT and their black book of wine experts.

Those involved in SAUCE IT, and we suspect, our customers, are pioneers in a world of discovery, fans of independent travel and favour self-selection rather than the package choice. When you purchase a box with SAUCE IT, an order is then placed with our suppliers. For example, your Salcombe crab is in the sea right up to the time it’s sent to you, your vegetables are picked to order and the ingredients for your box are collated on the day of dispatch. We supply our chef-collated boxes direct to your door in our eco friendly packaging, avoiding singular product or environmentally damaging deliveries. You will not find expensive and unnecessary packaging with SAUCE IT, we let the ingredients themselves do the talking!

All the boxes are compiled by the country’s finest restaurant suppliers. Buying from SAUCE IT supports fabulous fishermen, awesome organic vegetable growers, higher welfare meat producers and farmers, and some amazing but small artisan food heroes. Matt and the team at SAUCE IT will also give you fantastic hints, top tips and fabulous recipes to go with your outstanding ingredients. This is undoubtedly the concept epicureans have been waiting for!

We love it!

Sprout, The World’s First Plantable Makeup Pencils

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eyeliner, plantable, eco-friendly, sustainable, These makeup pencils are pretty special, and sustainable from start to end. Recycling in the beauty industry is notoriously difficult, but here’s a clever, patented invention by eco-pencil company Sprout World, that is designed to not only reduce waste, but give something beautiful and useful back to the planet.

Simply use the makeup pencils as normal, and instead of throwing them away when they become too small to use, flip them around, stick the end (green capsule facing down) into a pot of damp soil, and ta-da – beautiful wildflowers will start to sprout within 1-2 weeks!

Sprout Makeup Pencil
Where did the idea come from?

Sprout World is made up of 70% female employees. It was during a routine discussion about the waste problem within the beauty industry, that the team flagged how the majority of people in that room used make-up pencils daily, and therefore, they could potentially play a huge role in giving a second life (and a beautiful one at that) to products that would otherwise end up as waste.

Kind to the skin and planet

Sprout Makeup Pencil
Every element of the pencil is made from natural, kind-to-skin ingredients and materials:

100% natural and ethically sourced
Made from sustainable certified wood
Recyclable sugar cane cap
Plant-based soluble cellulose cap that dissolves when planted, releasing wildflower seeds
AllergyCertified, plastic-free and paraben-free
Sprout Makeup Pencils

Available as an Eyeliner (Black or Brown) and Browliner (Brown)

Price: £10.95 per pencil / £20.95 per two-pack

Stockists: amazon.co.uk and sproutworld.com

Niacinamide for your body?

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Niacinamide is a holy-grail skincare solution to help strengthen the skin’s barrier, prevent moisture loss, improve skin tone, reduce enlarged pores and provide anti-oxidant properties to protect against oxidative damage and premature ageing. This sought-after ingredient can often be found in facial serums, moisturisers and cleansers – but when did we decide good skin days just belonged to our face?

Elevate your daily body care with MESSIAH and EVE Body Cleanser .02 (£21 / 300ml) – a luxurious blend of premium, results-driven skincare ingredients including Niacinamide, AHA’s and Pentativin, so you can enjoy brighter, clearer, smoother, softer skin…from the neck down!
MESSIAH and EVE Body Cleanser .02 (£21 / 300ml, messiahandeve.com)

messiah and eve , body cleanser, beauty, review
  • Your daily skin smoother to gently reveal fresh, radiant, supple skin – without the scrubby mess.
  • Alpha Hydroxy Acids – derived from fruit enzymes to gently exfoliate, keep skin smooth and blemishes at bay.
  • Niacinamide – improves skin tone, brightens dull skin, strengthens your skin barrier and reduces trans epidermal water loss for hydrated skin all-over.
  • Vitamin E – a skincare staple that moisturises and protects the skin
  • Pentavitin – provides instant, deep hydration and protect skin from post-shower dryness.
  • And the scent! ‘Modern Unity’ contains a mix of bespoke blended French fine fragrances, combining essential oils and botanicals of blackberry, birch tar and guaiacwood – this mysterious and unique sweet, yet woody fragrance, is the embodiment of sophistication, designed to subtly last on your post-shower skin.
  • Responsibly designed – vegan, cruelty free, recycled and recyclable.

    • messiahandeve.co.uk    | @messiahandeve

Did You Know Truffle Is The Secret To Diamond Skin?

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With the seasons changing and the days becoming cooler, this can often take a toll on your skin. Most commonly, the winter weather affects our skin by drying it out; the combination between the cold outside and the heat of your house, contributes to this. This ‘winter skin’ can cause your skin to have a dull appearance, and even contribute to signs of early ageing.

SOS H20 may be your secret to diamond skin this winter due to its secret ingredient… truffle. Yep, that’s right, the secret to keeping your skin hydrated and youthful may just be your favourite ingredient in pasta.

 

SOS H20 , truffle, skin, skincare, moisturiser,

Mock-up created for smartymockups.com

Why Truffle is the secret to diamond skin:

  • Infused with nutrients, vitamins, and amino acids, which boost healthy skin with anti-aging properties.
  • Packed with anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties from an enzyme called Superoxide Dismutase which repairs skin and helps to prevent fine lines and wrinkles. 
  • Rich in vitamins and amino acids, this ingredient will nourish the skin with hydration and boot moisture levels for softer, smoother skin.
  • Packed with ceramides and Vitamin C, your skin will be brightened and dark spots will be diminished.

​SOS H20, from £5, sosserum.co.uk 

  • Formulated with Green Grapes and White Truffle, the appearance of fine lines will be reduced, and skin will be brightened.
  • Infused with skin-perfecting ingredients including low molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid, to keep even sensitive skin moisturised all day. 
  • A silky formula, fast absorbing, that increases hydration, elasticity and suppleness as well as leaving the skin looking firm and toned.​

Offering UVA and UVB protection of SPF 30, this is the perfect daily moisturiser in winter. UVA rays are at the same strength in winter, as they are in summer, meaning that skin damage is just as likely to occur in the cooler months as it is the summer. Wearing SPF 30 everyday means that 97% of UV rays will be blocked, and skin damage will be reduced.

Intensely hydrating, soothing, and offering UVA and UVB protection of SPF 30, SOS H20 is the winter swap we all need to keep skin youthful and glowing throughout the colder months.

 

The Perfect Winter Skincare Routine with Korean Beauty Brand

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As the weather becomes cooler, our skin becomes drier. The lack of humidity in the air, and even your central heating, is the cause for your skin drying out. To ensure your skin stays hydrated and plump throughout the winter months, it’s essential to switch up your skincare routine. Making skincare swaps to more hydrating products is the secret to ensuring glowing skin throughout the winter months.  

 Korean beauty brand, Atomy, has compiled a skincare routine for all skin types. Anti-ageing and hydrating products, this routine will answer all your winter skin problems. We have tried the brand and love them. Try them out for yourself. 

 

Top Pick For Christmas: VTech Myla The Blush And Bloom Unicorn

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We cannot get over how gorgeous Myla, the blush and bloom unicorn is. She is the perfect, interactive, toy from leading children’s toy brand Vtech. Gorgeous, fun, and excellent for development. We cannot recommend this fantastic toy enough. It is our top pick for Christmas.

Leading electronic toy brand, VTech, is excited to announce that Myla – the much loved Unicorn – is getting a makeover. Introducing, Myla the Blush and Bloom Unicorn.  

Myla lush and bloom unicorn, toys, toy, tech

Little ones can now take Myla to a make-believe hair salon with a beautiful array of stylish hair options. From giving her a simply brush with a comb, to unlocking her full potential with a stupendous selection of clips – Myla is getting ready for her festive debut. 

Most notably, Myla has a magical wand that allows children the opportunity to express their full fashionista. By selecting any colour on the wand, you’ll be able to apply a sprinkle of colour to her horn, eyes and wings before watching in amazement as they magically light up in the chosen colour. She’ll also light up if you blow her a kiss! 

Myla can also bring a sparkle of magic to your play-area, with wings that flap in time with the music she plays. And when it all get’s a little much, Myla will also tuck her legs under and have a nap – encouraging little ones to think creatively about dreamtime. 

RRP: £55.50 | Available from: Smyths Toys Superstores / Amazon / ToyStreet