Sheppy’s Oak Matured Vintage Cider Review

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Frostie

Sheppy’s Oak Matured Vintage Cider

Sheppy’s vintage cider is matured in oak vats for up to 12 months and this dedication to flavour truly comes across in the cider. It is not as sweet as a lot of cider, it has an interesting balance of acidity and sweetness. It is fine and full flavoured. The oak really comes across and there is a strong, mature bitterness that balances well with the sweetness of the cider. It is interesting, tasty and strong. We liked it and think it will even suit people who don’t like cider because it is too sweet.

An interesting, strong, mature cider, the oak really comes out. Good and interesting.

Benecos Makeup Review

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

This brand is a new one to me and its really lovely with simple packaging and the look of clean lines. This natural young brand is all about affordable high quality products that deliver essentials to all women.

This young label was founded in Germany at the end of 2008 and the name Benecos stands for good cosmetics.

They believe in minimal packaging and instead of outrageous and highly expensive advertising Benecos uses word of mouth marketing. The brand have produced all the products to the BDIH standard and it has a touch of real luxury about it. The highlighter that I tested was so delicate and beautiful, it was silky to the touch and it was so subtle it could be used all over the face for that perfect fresh glow. Not overpowering like a few brands if you are a little heavy handed. This looked stunning applied to the top of the cheeks and along the bridge of the nose. Add a little under the arch of the brow to give a stunning life to the eyes. Give your shoulders a touch of sheer dewiness and add some along your collar bone for a fresh and sculpted look. Even a swirl added to a large makeup brush and applied to the centre of the legs will give you a fine elegant and pretty finish.

Every face is different but a general rule you’ll want to pay especially close attention to where the light hits your face, so look for the highest points if you are in any doubt. Just make sure you don’t go overboard otherwise you may look a little too shiny. I doubt you could make any mistakes with this product as its not really a shimmer, its more of a lift. It creates the ultimate and oh so soft dimensions for natural looking makeup. Very done but in an undone way. Almost like you have a little secret in your cosmetic purse!
This is perfect for the simple makeup looks hitting the runways for this next season. Great for quick touch ups throughout the day and it won’t break the bank either. All Benecos products are organic and at around the £5-7 you can indulge as much as you like.

Pop me a little Tweet @sarahbacchus to let me know if you have tried this brand before! You can purchase the range here. Go and say hi over at Twitter @BenecosUK

Berkeley Homes’ One Tower Bridge Show Apartments Launch

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Last week I headed to One Tower Bridge to view their luxury apartments. The building is truly beautiful, even from the outside. I headed in and everyone was friendly and smartly dressed, just as you would expect. I see a model of all of One Tower Bridge and it looks very impressive.

They have 356 units in total and have already sold 309. Cambridge House has been launched and that is their flagship block. There are 36 units in total in Cambridge including 3 Duplex Penthouses. There are private gardens, a new street, Duchess Walk, is being built which will have shops and restaurants. A boutique hotel with 70 bedrooms is also being launched

The apartments are stunning, every little detail is perfect. As I walked around, glass of champagne in hand, I wanted to become a multi-millionaire very quickly. As did every other person who saw them. They are gorgeous apartments: the ultimate in luxury. Take a look at the pictures and see for yourself. The view is also incredible, as is the location. You are very close to the South Bank but this side of the river is quieter, more calm.

Honky and Casa Forma also did an excellent job of designing the show flats. I loved the sumptuous surroundings.

Berkeley Homes’ One Tower Bridge sales team will be welcoming prospective buyers to an onsite marketing suite for the first time. In addition to the onsite marketing suite, Berkeley is launching two spectacular show homes, which do justice to the development’s extraordinary location on one of London’s last remaining great riverside locations, at the foot of the world-famous bridge.

The Casa Forma apartments

Coinciding with the milestone of the first completions at One Tower Bridge this month, the two-bedroom show apartments, located in Cambridge House, the river-facing block, will provide the first enticing glimpse of what life could look like inside these exceptional residences.

Inspired by the distinctly British character and charm of the Thames Walk location, Berkeley Homes has commissioned acclaimed interior designers Casa Forma and Honky to each present their own London aesthetic in one of the show apartments.

The Honky Apartments

Just as each of the development’s nine blocks is slightly different in character – with variations in architectural styles, size and height to complement the skyline and showcase the magnificent views across the River Thames – the individual show apartments have distinctly different style sensibilities and features, yet each one has perfectly captured the energy, vibrancy and tasteful luxury that are part of living in the capital. The designers have all expressed their personal vision for One Tower Bridge using beautiful bespoke materials and furnishings and original artwork against the interior architects’ strong base palette.

Buyers can look forward to a home that anticipates all the needs and requirements of contemporary luxury living. All of the apartments are fully fitted with the finest materials and technology, including Miele integrated appliances, built-in coffee machines, wine coolers and individually designed oak cabinets for the custom-designed ergonomically planned kitchens.

Each apartment has a private balcony, terrace or roof garden, and also features the very latest in integrated Smart Home Technology, allowing residents remote access to adjust the automated blinds and switch on the underfloor heating system or air conditioning as they disembark from a long haul flight, as well as control the state-of-the-art security system. The technology hub also communicates wirelessly with the lift, automatically recognizing residents and delivering them to their floor.

Designed by internationally celebrated architects Squire and Partners, these luxurious one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments and penthouses offer an opportunity to live on the South Bank, right beside London’s iconic landmark – which is marking its 120th anniversary this year – and just a short walk from both the Tower of London and the Shard.

Harry Lewis, Managing Director at Berkeley Homes (South East London) Ltd, comments:

“This is an extraordinary moment, as One Tower Bridge takes the next exciting step towards completion. The stylish interiors designed by Casa Forma and Honky reflect brilliantly all the values and virtues of One Tower Bridge, and will help buyers to get a sense of the complete experience of living in this one-of-a-kind development in a truly inspirational setting.”

Prices at One Tower Bridge start from £1,130,000.

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Whiskey Cocktail Recipes | Cocktail Ideas

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Frostie

With cocktail season fast-approaching, thirsty folk on the search for the perfect summer sundowner need look no further than The Wild Geese whiskey cocktails.

The super premium Irish whiskey makers have teamed up with renowned bartender Marian Beke of critically acclaimed, Nightjar, voted one of the world’s best cocktail bars, to create a range of exclusive cocktails perfect for those long sunny days. Multi award winning The Wild Geese, enlisted the expertise of Marian, to hand-craft an array of bespoke and soulful cocktails bursting with intense flavour and dressed with delicate garnishes.

The first in the line-up, The Irish Apple, will invigorate and refresh at the end of a hot, balmy summer’s evening. The Wild Geese Classic Blend is fused with dry apple cider and tart rhubarb juice to create a cocktail to enjoy whilst soaking up the last of the rays. Sweet caramel is drizzled over the top of the long drink to add a touch of sweetness to this artisanal cocktail.

The Sarsfield Swizzle is a twist on the classic swizzle cocktail with a hint of spice. The Wild Geese Classic Blend is firstly mixed with crisp, botanical gin syrup and a dash of green tea bitters. Tangy lemon balm is added to the drink to bring out the citrus notes in The Wild Geese Classic Blend, and finally topped up with lemongrass and chilli beer for a zingy finish. Named after Patrick Sarsfield, the Irish hero who led the original Wild Geese in 1691, this cocktail mixes innovation and tradition perfectly.

For the third recipe, Beke marries The Wild Geese Rare Irish with the exotic juices of the Ugly Fruit, to achieve the ultimate bittersweet serve. The Freedom Sour is an innovative take on the ever-popular Whiskey Sour, freshened up with maple syrup and a layer of Matcha tea foam.

The three times voted ‘Best Irish Whiskey’ collection is made with superb quality aged Irish Whiskey stock and uses a special Extended Double Distillation process, creating a unique smoothness and richness unlike any other whiskey. The subtle and complex flavours are created using a pioneering distillation process, providing an unusual balance between robust and spicy malt, and light smooth grain.

Irish Apple

2 parts The Wild Geese Classic Blend Irish Whiskey

1 part apple and rhubarb juice

3 parts dry cider

1/2 part Kamms & Sons

Mix the Classic Blend, dry cider and apple & rhubarb juice by ‘rolling’ them in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a highball glass and float a large ice ball on top. Add the Kamms & Sons to create a bittersweet taste and garnish with a crab apple and apple blossom. Drizzle fresh caramel over the garnish for the final touch.

Sarsfield Swizzle

2 part The Wild Geese Classic Blend Irish Whiskey

1 part gin botanical syrup or 1/2 part gin & 1/2 sugar syrup

Dash of green tea bitters

Lemon balm

Top up with homemade lemongrass and chili beer

Pour a full measure of The Wild Geese Classic Blend directly into the serving glass. Add gin syrup as a sweetener and a dash of green tea bitter. Add lemon balm leaves to compliment the citrus notes in the Classic Blend. Top up with lemongrass & chilli beer and ‘swizzle’ the ingredients to mix them. Serve with pinewood and sweet spice.

Freedom Sour

2 part The Wild Geese Rare Irish Whiskey

1/2 part maple/ honey syrup

2 parts fresh squeezed ugly fruit juice

Few dashes of bitter

Matcha tea foam

Shake and serve in martini glass, top it off with matcha tea foam.

One last one for the World Cup.

Gold Cup

Ingredients
2 parts The Wild Geese Classic Blend Whiskey
1/2 part of lime juice
1/2 part coconut cream
1/2 part sugar syrup

Garnish
1/2 part of blue curaçao
lemon
passion fruit shell

Method
Blend a small handful of basil leaves, coconut cream and lime juice together until you have a liquid form. Pour into a cocktail shaker with sugar syrup and The Wild Geese Classic Blend Irish whiskey then shake hard with ice.

Serve in a rocks glass over crushed ice and add a passion fruit shell. Fill the shell with blue curaçao and garnish with the zest of a lemon. Add your nation’s flag to celebrate your team for the final, champion touch.

The combination of the triple citrus notes (orange, lime and lemon) with the coolness of the basil leaves make this a super refreshing cocktail with a mild and creamy, sweet finish.

Which one will you make?

Anna Wintour Throws Stylish Wedding For Son

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Frostie

American Vogue editor Anna Wintour hosted a predictably stylish and extravagant wedding for her son, Charlie Shaffer, at her Long Island Estate. The wedding even had its own hashtag #masticinlove and the guests happily used it and shared away.

Credit: Lise Love Official Instagram,

The wedding on Saturday was attended by André Leon Talley, designer Prabal Gurung, Oscar de la Renta, Mario Testino and Vogue West Coast editor Lisa Love.

Credit: Indie Rock Instagram,

Shaffer, is a third year medical student at Columbia University and his 27-year-old bride Elizabeth Cordry is associate director of product development at Jet.com.

Credit: Bee Shaffer Instagram,

The wedding was held at Wintour’s mid 19th-century weekend home which is known as ‘Mastic’ – hence the #masticinlove hashtag.

Credit: Prabal Gurung Instagram,

The bridesmaids wore Prada and sister-of-the-groom Bee Shaffer posted a picture of the bride’s Oscar de la Renta gown with the caption “always a bridesmaid”. If that was not fashionable enough all six flower girls wore matching Alexander McQueen dresses.

Credit: Bee Shaffer Instagram,

Wintour is thought to have worn Chanel. There was a string quartet to serenade the guests, they played from a tree house during the ceremony. There was an outdoor reception and the newlyweds danced underneath the stars for their first dance. The couple then jetted off to the Rocky Mountains for their honeymoon.

Credit:l Instagram

How beautiful….

Kate Moss And Naomi Campbell Show How To Do Holiday Photos Properly

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell have been friends for years so it is nice to see that, despite the passing of time and heavy work loads, they still make time for girlie holidays. Their holiday snaps are just what you expect: glamourous gorgeousness. Naomi shared this picture on her Instagram. We don’t like the smoking but you sure can tell how these women made a living out of being photogenic.

Photo credit: Naomi Campbell Instagram.

The two supermodels posed for the shot in Ibiza and it was Mert Alas, one of the best photographers in the world, who took the picture.

Don’t they look great?

Online gambling, its rise and fall.

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Errol Clarke

I recently discussed an incident that happened regarding an online gambling site. We will get to that shortly… I have found that the government have had a strange interest in gambling and the alleged taking more than the person can afford to gamble toward betting shops, but not so much toward betting sites! Have we taken a bad thing and made it worse? By that I mean, have we gotten to a stage of where the need to make money is far more important than the consequence? The funny thing about this is that everyone can argue their point and we would not be any closer to an answer. The whole process is fairly tight and multiple accounts cannot be used to take advantage of the offers from gambling company. The information is stored, even if you manage to delete your account and not used it for a while… Well that seems to be not true either, as the need to take your money may be actually greater than the rules set in place! I spoke to Paul Higham from Brighton and he had a situation from Paddy Power!

Stephen Hawking and Paddy Power

According to a Diamond Reels report, he had placed a bet with them and won £110, but after having won, he was denied the winnings due to the fact he had already opened an account previously! Mr Higham had used the Paddy Power offer which was allegedly for new customers only, but they had already taken his details, allowed to bet his own money with the offer and then told he was unable to claim his winnings due to having been a customer in the past! I am sure had Mr Higham lost, it would have not been a case that they would have liked to refund his money, but since that never happened, I am just speculating. When I contacted Paddy Power for their stance on the subject they looked into it and came back with, “We have looked into the case and are happy it has been dealt with in line with our policies. We aren’t commenting beyond that.”

I checked the revenue for online gambling in the UK for the last 5 years and the numbers are astounding. On Facebook alone the gambling sites supported took £1.3 billion in 2010 and almost reflectively in 2014 £3.1 billion. On reflection, it seems as though Mr Higham’s £110 win is not even equitable as a fraction, or a percentage. Initially, I thought that maybe Paddy Power were going to put it down to some miscommunication, or some error they could gladly sort out with a few emails and I could write a happy ending, but unfortunately it took them the best part of a week to even give me the quote, which for one week’s work is pretty underwhelming. However, I digress… As Paddy Power is only one incident that doesn’t pose online gambling in a very good light, could the honeymoon period be over for them and are they looking to just take everything from the customer until the customers finally just give up on them completely? To tell you the truth, I don’t really know! All indications say that online slot machines are starting to get better and better results and customers! Will an odd flutter here and there be able to sustain them and will modern technology be their demise? I wish I had that crystal ball, as I would put the mother of all bets on it! Like most people, I am not against gambling, as we all do it in some form, or another.

What I do find disturbing is that in 2014, when technology and business are almost fused together that they thrive off each other. Thus, one must make sure to get into good online gaming sites such as https://www.slotsformoney.com which is legit and offers you the best games out there. Human intervention comes into play and makes the action seem totally illogical. It shows that the computer can make a decision using all the information given and yet still a human can come along and make it seem as though the machine has no ability to do exactly what it was designed to do. So my conclusion for online gambling isn’t that the program is designed to fail from the beginning with the programming it has, but the rules are constantly changing. Something that you can’t program a computer to do and requires actual human intervention. And we all know, “To err is to be human”!

Walker, Austen & Alexander

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

Walker, Austen & Alexander is a fantastic new tea shop thats up market, quirky and modern, selling loose leaf teas that you can see brewing naturally… just the way it should be. Using filtered water and the finest bespoke teas, that have been blended by an English Master Tea blender.

This amazing new tea shop serves a lovely selection of sandwiches, cakes and hot food.The delightfully decorated tea boutique is clean and inviting with a very laid back feel and approach. Tea should be savoured and this is just the place to do just that.

We drank Strawberry & Champaign, pear & elderflower and Rooibos creme caramel infused herbal teas. We shared a goats cheese, sun kissed tomatoes and rocket ciabatta, a Mediterranean vegetable and mozzarella ciabatta and a whopping big slice of chocolate cake all served with delightful sides containing vegetable chips and a fresh salad with croutons. All the dishes where presented perfectly and we demolished the entire lot. We left happy, full and content knowing this will be a regular place to visit again and again!! Take a look at the lovely views that day!!