5 of the Latest Women’s Footwear Looks from Valentino – The Best Styles for Winter 2021

If you are ready for 2020 to be over, like just about everybody else in the world, then why not start looking to 2021 with some hot new additions to your wardrobe? When it comes to footwear for the rest of the winter 2021 season, there are some really gorgeous styles out there for shoes, boots and sneakers, and you will definitely love the chic designs in the latest women’s footwear collection by Valentino.

Valentino is a fashion house with a lot of pedigree when it comes to looks that retain everything that is special about glamorous Italian style while also keeping with the times and providing looks with a modern, fashionable edge. Here, we explore five of the most interesting and beautiful footwear looks you can find from Valentino right now:

Over the Knee Black Rock Stud Boots

Over the knee boots are a winter staple, giving you a sexy and sophisticated look while also keeping you warm when you decide to dress in skirts or dresses during the colder months. If you want a pair of classic black over the knee boots that give you a true sense of high-end luxury every time you put them on, then you really can’t find anything better than these sleek black leather boots by Valentino, which have plenty of alluring fashion details like the iconic Valentino rock stud embellishments to give them a unique look.

Black V Logo High Top Sneakers with Fur Trim

When it comes to casual shoes for this season, these beautiful shearling sneakers with their warm trim at the ankle will give you a warm, cozy look without cutting down on style. With different textures and Valentino branding across the shoe to give a true ‘designer’ look, these are the perfect sneakers to upgrade your streetwear look with for the new season.

There are plenty of other gorgeous sneaker styles in the latest Valentino range for women, which you can find at SSENSE, so if you prefer a lower cut sneaker or a bolder color, you can find your new dream Valentino shoes by checking out the latest collection from this designer. This high-end site has all of the top fashion labels, so you will find plenty of beautiful fashion ideas on there for winter 2020.

Rock Stud Heeled Combat Boots

If combat style chunky boots are what you are looking for, then these heeled boots, which also feature Valentino’s rock stud furnishings, offer great comfort as well as the fierce look you want. Made in high quality Italian leather, these boots will last you through many more winter seasons to come, and the chunky heel gives a feminine look that is great with jeans. These boots are also a great way to add a more edgy, bold look to cute dresses, especially when worn with lace or fishnet hosiery and a leather jacket. 

Pink and Blue Cage Garavani Heels

If you want a sexy evening look to step out in this winter, then these beautiful stilettos with cage style straps are the perfect choice. The pink trim and straps against the blue body of the shoe make for an eye-catching contrast that looks incredible with black dresses, and the combination of the strappy design and the stud details makes these shoes as glamorous as you would expect from Valentino. 

This shoe design is available in other colors and textures, including a cashmere boucle design in off white, as well as of course classic black versions, so if you prefer neutral colors for your evening shoes, it is still well worth checking out this model. The cage style of stiletto heel is one that will never go out of fashion, and provides a little more interest to your evening shoe than the classic court shoe or pump style.

Tan Shearling Boots

If you love the warm feel and winter comfort of shearling boots that encase your feet and ankles in warmth and softness, but you want something a bit more shapely and sophisticated than Ugg style boots, then these beautifully made Valentino shearling heeled boots in tan are a fabulous investment. The classic heeled structure makes these boots elegant and luxurious, and the Valentino branding detail adds a classy touch. Wear these over leggings or thick tights with your favorite winter sweater dresses, or pair them with jeans for a soft yet sexy winter look.

These are just five of the many fantastic designs you can find if you browse the latest women’s footwear offerings from Valentino. Whatever type of shoe or boot you are interested in adding to your winter 2021 wardrobe, you are certain to find styles you will fall in love with if you take a look at their beautiful new collection.

Collaborative Post with our Partner. 

 

Wild Christmas Cocktail Recipes by Smokehead Whisky

If you’ve just had all hopes of some Christmas socialising dashed as more of the country gets plunged into Tier 3, Smokehead Whisky are here to save the day with some creative and festive cocktail recipes to try from the comfort of your own home. 

Because we all know staying in is the new going out, Smokehead Islay Single Malt Whisky has big ambitions. Established in 1933 by Ian Mcleod Distillers, the world’s 10th largest Scotch Whisky Co. Smokehead has a reputation for being labelled ‘the wild one’ of Single Malt Whisky which has been described as “an assault on your senses.” As the name suggests, if you love peat, you’re gonna love this. With that being said, Smokehead have come up with some very wild cocktail recipes to try out over the festive season… (wild-ish). They have experimented with some seasonal favourites to bring you a festive mash-up to go with their unique liquor.

Smokehead Snow Ball:

Ingredients;

25ml Smokehead 

50ml Advocat

12.5ml Gingerbread Syrup

Lemonade

Method;

Add Smokehead, Advocaat and gingerbread syrup to an ice-filled glass. Stir and top up with lemonade. 

Smokehead Grinch:

Ingredients;

25ml Smokehead

50ml Melon Liqueur

25ml Lemon Juice

12.5ml Sugar Syrup

Method;

Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a coup glass.

Smokehead Hot Buttered Rum Rebel:

Ingredients;

25ml Smokehead Rum Rebel 

3 dashes of Mixed Spice

1tbsp Unsalted Butter

Hot Cider

Method;

Add butter mix to the glass, pour over Smokehead and Hot Cider. Stir until butter melts.

Et Voíla 

3 super simple but exceptional recipes by Smokehead…

This year we are being spoiled with an array of fabulous gifts on offer through the Smokehead website, not only do they provide free delivery for orders over £30, they are offering free merch with purchases of their full sized bottles. Whats more, if you’re unsure of what to try and you would like to give the above cocktails a go, we recommend checking out the Smokehead Skull Gift Tin which contains 3 miniature bottles of 3 mighty Smokehead Flavours. 

The original Smokehead which has immense smoke and notes of sea salt and spice. This is the show stopper and signature Smokehead expression.

Rum Rebel which is finished in a sweet Caribbean rum cask. 

High Voltage, the most intense of the three which offers all out smoke to the MAX.

For more info and to purchase, check out their fantastic website 

www.smokehead.com

Books For Christmas.

Endless Skies from Jane Cable is such a brilliant novel. I have read every single one of Jane’s books and she never disappoints.

The perfect Christmas novel from veteran saga writer Annie Clarke. Annie is in the top league of historical fiction writers. My Therapist Says

A brilliant and humorous book. Gray's Anatomy Puzzle Book

A great puzzle book for medical professionals and the rest of us. Will spark both fun and debate. I can't draw.

A brilliant book that I will be using to improve my drawing. Really good and it works. doodled cats

This is a great gift for cat people. Lots of fun.
literary places

Perfect for the literary person in your life. Which would be me, except I already have a copy. Beautifully illustrated and full of wanderlust.
baby book

Perfect for anyone expecting a baby. This follows baby for the first three years of life. It is full of prompts and ideas that you would never think of otherwise. A truly wonderful gift.
How zoologists categorise thingsThis book is a great idea. Perfect for geeks (like me) and nature lovers. You couldn't make it up, Telegraph. Humorous and fun. There is a fair amount of wit in this superb book. how to draw everything Perfect for budding artists. This book has fantastic illustrations and gives excellent step-by-step instruction on how to draw (almost) everything. Highly recommended.

Jo Pratt, the flexible family cookbook

I am obsessed with the Flexible Family Cookbook from Jo Pratt. It has so many delicious recipes (75 to be exact), along with 200 variations for allergies, intolerances and dietary choices. My copy already has a few dog-eared pages. Just brilliant.

Books are available from waterstones.com, amazon.co.uk, https://dauntbooks.co.uk and independent book stores.

Christmas Gift List: Editor’s Pick

It is that time of year. We might not be spending it together but I think this is the year we should go all out for Christmas. Zoom and FaceTime your loves ones and spend the day with your family. Take in everything you have. In 2020 we need to count every single one of our blessings and stay as grateful as possible. Let’s not sit in sorrow, let’s deck our halls and get our glitz on. Life is beautiful and we are strong enough to go on. Love to you all.

With that in mind, here are my top Christmas picks to make the day extra special.

Purdy & Figg – an all-natural, premium hand spray; the ultimate 2020 stocking filler idea. We all need to use hand sanitiser so we may as well make it stylish and luxurious. Purdy & Figg look stylish and smell amazing. Yes and yes.

Purdy & Figg was created by NHS nurse Purdy Rubin and a horticulturalist Charlotte Figg with a view to minimise the toxic chemicals we use on our skin and to create a product free of single use plastic. The sanitising spray is available in three amazing scents, comes in lovely, recyclable green or blue glass bottles with minimal, elegant branding, is all natural and eco-friendly and won’t break the bank.

Purdy & Figg is a family owned premium British hand sanitiser brand that comes in three scents; Wild Woody, Charlotte’s Floral and Original Citrus. Pricing can be found below:

  • 50ml bottle (contains over 300 sprays), £5.99
  • The Set of 3x50ml bottle in Wild Woody, Original + Charlotte’s Floral, £16.99
  • 250ml refill £21.99

Available to buy at www.purdyandfigg.com | Additional stockists: Heal’s, Skinny Tan, Joules, Naken, some local pharmacies and health food stores

Let’s not forget the little ones this Christmas with the Oral-B Stages Power Electric Toothbrush– available in 2 designs; Disney’s Star Wars and Frozen (for ages 3+).  Available in Frozen or Star Wars, both are gorgeous and will encourage children to brush their teeth. They also come with cute travel cases.

Oral B frozen and star wars kids electric toothbrushes

Dove Advent Calendar.

Dove advent calendar, Dove,

Dove have a great selection of advent calendars and gift boxes this year. This one was my pick. It gives you a little excitement every day. Great products too. Available from boots.com

Gorgeous gifts from www.sacla.co.uk

My picks are:

  • Pastiglie Leone Carousel Fruit Jellies.
  • Gluten Free Panettone by Vergani.
  • Giandujotti Chocolates by D Barbero.

Italian sweets italian sweets chocolate

Sacla have a great selection of gifts and these three are all delicious. Christmas is not Christmas without Panettone. The praline is divine and the fruit jellies are heavenly and come in a gorgeous tin that you can keep.

THE TRACKLEMENTS RANGE OF CHRISTMAS CONDIMENTS INCLUDING
NEW SPECIAL EDITION RHUBARB & APPLE CHUTNEY.

THE TRACKLEMENTS RANGE OF CHRISTMAS CONDIMENTS INCLUDING NEW SPECIAL EDITION RHUBARB & APPLE CHUTNEY

NEW MICROPLANE PROFESSIONAL SERRATED PEELER
Available from hartsofstur.com

Carluccio’s Christmas range.

I am a huge of the Carluccio’s Christmas range. My top pick is the CLEMENTE IN CAMICIA. The box is filled with segments of 20-day syrup soaked candied clementines that are covered in rich, dark, indulgent chocolate to create a pop of flavour once bitten into. Christmas just isn’t Christmas without them. 

For little ones who dream of life on the farm:

Childs Farm Tractor washbag gift set.

child's farm, Christmas gifts.

This wheely-good gift set is perfect for farm & tractor lovers, featuring Childs Farm’s very own Old ‘Red the Tractor’. The wash bag contains Childs Farm’s organic raspberry bubble bath to clean and moisturise all skin types, and cleansing and nourishing sweet orange oil hair and body wash, to leave hair shiny and tangle free – a great addition to your little one’s bath time routine this Christmas.

The tractor wash bag also makes the perfect accessory for little ones. They can store their favourite things in it, taking it to sleepovers, or even using it as their favourite new pencil case in school!

My children have never been washed in anything other than Child’s Farm products. I heartily recommend them.

Ergofoam onderdesk footrest ergo foam

Because I have a bad back I recommend the ErgoFoam ergonomic under desk footrest as a gift for anyone who also has a bad back.

ErgoFoam is an ergonomic under desk footrest, designed to facilitate better posture, relieve seated load, and increase circulation. Flipped over, the rest becomes a rocker, and long work hours become a chance to infuse some movement into a desk-ridden day.

Awarded ‘Best Under-Desk Foot Rest of 2020’ by Wirecutter, the ErgoFoam team believes in good design and good results, and it remains their mission to help people feel their best each day. ErgoFoam‘s models are available in a variety of sizes and styles.  It gives great support and I am a fan.

Luxury Wish List Items.

A KitchenAid.

INTRODUCING THE PEBBLED PALM COLLECTION:
ARTISAN STAND MIXER WITH NEW SEASONAL BOWL OPTIONS

 

BISSELL SmartClean Pet Cylinder Vacuum
TANGLE-FREE BRUSH ROLL REMOVES STUBBORN DIRT AND HAIR

This is a pet-owner’s best friend, especially around
the festive season when it’s wet outside and paws
are muddy, fur is damp and tails wag pine needles
into the carpets, curtains and cushions. Exceptional
bag-less vacuuming power rapidly removes dust
and debris.

What are your Christmas picks? Share them with us. 

The Chilcott Lavender Collection. Perfect For Christmas.

British owned and family run businesses are always a favourite at Frost.

Chilcott is a family run, sustainable British lifestyle and interiors brand based in the Brecon Beacons. The
beating heart of the brand is the Chilcott lavender farm perched on a Welsh hillside in Brecon Beacons.
Contrary to what one might expect, the lavender thrives here and the harvests provide plentiful lavender oil
and dried lavender for the brand’s beautiful range of scented lifestyle accessories. Exquisite attention to detail, expert craftmanship and hand finishes create elegant pieces for you, your home and your dog.
Chilcott are proud to introduce three new collections of natural home fragrances made using proprietary
recipes of Chilcott essential oils carefully blended and beautifully presented to elegantly complement any home and bring the fragrant freshness of the countryside indoors.

 Chilcott, lavender, gift set, botanical,

www.chilcottuk.com

@chilcottuk

The fresh, relaxing fragrance of lavender evokes summers on the Chilcott farm high in the Brecon Beacons.
Here the lavender fields bloom creating a scented haven for a myriad of bees and butterflies.
The flower heads are carefully harvested and used to make Chilcott’s signature lavender products.

We tried the Lavender Gift Set: £45

A celebration of Chilcott’s signature fragrance, the Lavender Gift Set is the
complete lavender lover’s collection. The luxury gift set contains 50ml lavender
diffuser, Chilcott Harris Tweed lavender bag, 50ml Chilcott lavender hand sanitiser
and 100ml lavender room spray all presented in a premium white gift box.

The gift set has the wow factor. It says luxury all the way. The presentation is impeccable before you have even opened the box. When you do open the box the products are all gorgeous and smell divine. This fantastic gift set is the perfect gift for Christmas and beyond.

Chilcott room diffusers offer the perfect natural, environmentally friendly way to add lasting fragrance your
home. The diffusers are fully recyclable, reusable and refillable and available with natural or black reeds.
The gentle mist of the Chilcott room sprays adds instant natural freshness to your home. The glass bottles are fully recyclable. The simple, subtle and elegant design will look at home in any room.

Frost loves.

Sustainable Christmas Gifts and Stocking Filler Ideas From Elephant Box

Every regular reader of Frost will know that I am obsessed with sustainability and eco-living. So I was happy to come across Elephant Box. They make gorgeous products that last a lifetime. I recommend the gorgeous Stainless Steel Rainbow Straws and the Elephant Box 2 litre lunchbox. There is a reason it is a bestseller. My son claimed it as soon as he saw it.  Stainless steel is clean, reusable and virtually indestructible. The products are also stylish. Frost loves.
sustainability, eco-living, reusable, elephant box,
Elephant Box – with a 2 litre capacity, our best-selling lunchbox is made from 100% stainless steel. It’s perfect for food storage in the fridge/freezer and is also oven-safe. RRP £29.50.

BRAND NEW Clip & Seal Lunchbox – available in 1.2 and 1.9 litre capacity, the clip & seal lunchbox has a unique locking system making it 100% leakproof and airtight. Lightweight and ultra durable, it’s perfect for carrying food and heating it up in the oven. RRP £29.50 – £32.95.

BRAND NEW Leakproof Food Canister Trio – this set of three airtight twist and lock food canisters is incredibly versatile, equally good for taking food out or storing it at home. RRP £32.

Two-in-One Lunchbox – a long time classic, this slimline lunchbox has a 800ml capacity and a snack pod that fits snugly inside to create two sections for your lunch. RRP £28.

Leakproof Tiffin – this traditional Indian tiffin-style lunchbox has a 700ml capacity and silicone seal, perfect for carrying lunch, storing pre-cooked food in the freezer or picking up meals from your local takeaway or deli. RRP £24.95.

Stocking filler ideas – On-the-Go Cups and Plastic-free accessories

Reusable Stainless Steel Rainbow Straws – the ultimate stainless steel straw – 24cm long so it won’t disappear in your drink, 8mm diameter, and bent so it won’t jab into your gums. If that’s not enough, they’re a lovely iridescent rainbow colour. RRP £8.

Reusable To-Go Cup – a stainless steel reusable cup with a beautiful cork sleeve and silicone lid. RRP £16.

Stainless Steel Pint Cup – this pint cup is made here in the UK with 100% recycled stainless steel. Be a zero-waste hero and take it with you on your picnics, BBQs and camping trips. RRP £10.

Stainless Steel Spork – complete your zero-waste, on-the-go eating ensemble with our pocket friendly spork. RRP £7.50.

Small Screw Top Canister – raisins, biscuits, nuts & seeds, this container is perfect for carrying and storing the little things in life! RRP £12.50

Mini Snack Pod Pair – these little snack containers are big enough for a portion of your favourite snack and small enough to fit bento-style into your lunchbox or to stash some nuts in your bag. RRP £14.95.

Shop the range at www.elephantbox.co.uk – free UK shipping on orders over £50

Fun Sanitiser Range For Kids | Frost Loves.

Before COVID-19, getting children to wash their hands was hard enough, but it’s important now more than ever to keep their interest and the health discipline up to keep them and others safe. Leading UK hand sanitiser manufacturer, Ocean Free, have just launched their new ‘Fantasy’ line of Hand Sanitisers for kids.

sanitiser, hand, kids, unicorn, pink

TIPS FOR SAFE KIDS HAND SANITISING

Apply a single pea-sized amount of gel into your own hands then rub the surfaces of the child’s hands and between fingers until fully dry. This takes approx 20 seconds.
Supervise the child to ensure they do not try to lick the product, especially if it has an enticing sounding scent.

Make sure the child’s hands are dry before they consume any food or drinks or are going to put their hands near their mouth.
Only use hand sanitiser gel as the next best option if soap and water is not available.

Available from www.oceanfree.com

Fantasy Hand Sanitiser, 5L, £21.99 Fantasy Hand Sanitiser, 500ml, £6.99

Ocean Free Fantasy Hand Sanitisers are surgical-grade, proven to be antibacterial, virucidal and yeasticidal. The highly effective UK-made sanitiser kills 99.999% of many common germs. Contains 70% ethanol to ensure quick effective hand sanitisation, ideal for children who don’t have high attention spans! Use and application of hand sanitisers need to be supervised, and only a pea-sized applied to a child’s hands to ensure effective hygeiene and safety. Moisturising to skin, Ocean Free has a high emollient content reducing the drying effect on the skin commonly associated with regular use of hand sanitisers.

 

SISTER SCRIBES: OVER AND OUT FROM KIRSTEN HESKETH

My last ever Sister Scribes post – and what a blast it has been!

And, my, what a lot has happened in the two years since the five of us named ourselves the Sister Scribes and banded together as friends and fellow writers. We’ve written before about how we went to stay at a wonderful house – Darcy’s Abode! – in Bath and spent a few fabulous days writing, sightseeing, eating and getting to know each other better. Back then, getting published was just a twinkle in my eye –  a twinkle that I feared might be extinguished at any moment – and how in awe I was of my fellow Scribes with their launches and their multiple deals. Would it ever happen for me too?

Fast forward two short years – and so much has changed. My debut, Another Us, was published by Canelo this year. It came out in in ebook in May and I had the loveliest of Zoom launches, complete with dying my hair red to match the cover and to raise money for Mind. And then, in August, it came out in paperback. I originally had a digital only deal with Canelo and the fact they had enough faith in me and my book to then invest in a paperback in this most difficult of years really was the icing on the cake. Thank you so much, Canelo, you really have been fabulous to work with. As has my wonderful agent, Felicity Trew.

And, basically, it’s been brilliant ever since. Another Us (very briefly) had bestseller flags in the UK, Canada and Australia, which was totally beyond my wildest dreams. It’s been featured in Woman and Home, Women’s Weekly, Woman (there’s a theme here!) More, Pick Me Up, Waitrose magazine … the list goes on. It was longlisted for The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize and was a contender for the RNA’s Joan Hessayon award. But best of all have been the dozens of messages I’ve received from readers all around the world telling me how much Another Us has touched, informed, amused or plain old entertained them. I think that has been the very best bit of all. That and getting to know a whole host of other debuts – including my lovely Sister Scribes – because no one understands quite what it’s like to have your debut come out in a global pandemic than someone who is going through exactly the same thing ….

And now it’s time to look forward. I have been lucky enough to secure a two-book deal with Hodder and Stoughton for a series set in London in WW1. The Post Office Girls follows the experiences of three girls who join the Army Post Office – in a huge, wooden, building which was been hastily thrown up in Regent’s Park to cope with the sheer volume of mail being sent to the various fronts. My grandfather – who himself served in WW1 – worked for the post office in London his whole life – and the first book is dedicated to him. It will be published in May next year and the second book – A Post Office Christmas – follows the November afterwards. I wrote the first 50,000 words of that during Nano (success – hurrah!) and am now feeling deliciously Christmassy – if absolutely exhausted!

So, all that remains to be said is a huge Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. Thank you for following our adventures over the past couple of years and best wishes for a safe and happy 2021.

Over and out x