At Frost we are super excited about the new season for Game of Thrones, not least because our favourite actor Forbes KB is in it. There is a new trailer for the second season which will be on in less than a month. The first season was amazing so we have high hopes. Enjoy….
Tag Archives: Catherine Balavage
Frost Loves…The Blend Collective
I am a big fan of natural beauty as I have skin that used to react to everything. I am one of the lucky few that managed to live through teenage acne without any scarring. Add on eczema on childhood, and, yes, you bet I am fussy!
I was invited to the launch of Blend Collective, a new body care range which is truly natural, no parabans or nasty stuff.
It’s two founders are Pippa Bennett and Clive Walker, both lovely people. Pippa was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001 and decided to live a more natural and organic lifestyle. Pippa became increasingly interested in what is applied to the skin and its impact, Clive has been at the forefront of the natural and organic beauty industry since the early ‘90s, when he held the position of Marketing Director for Tisserand – pioneers in affordable essential oil-based products.
Clive commented:
“I wanted to create an experience people can really enjoy and cherish. I am passionate about combining natural actives at meaningful levels with pure essential oil blends to create outstanding products. Excellence and integrity in all aspects of our brand are important to us from the truly natural ingredients that we insist on through to the design and quality of our packaging”
I have tried the range and they smell amazing, the packaging is funky as hell and they really do work. Not something that can be said of all natural beauty products. The only downside is that I kept smelling myself, which probably looked a bit strange.
At the event I also met Alec Lawless. Alec knows everything there is to know about putting a fragrance blend together. There are three different blends in the range and Alec the enlivening one. Read Alec’s blog.
Alec also gave me some great advice on stress: ‘Fix the source of the stress, don’t paper over the cracks’. Sound advice from a wise man.
The Blend Collective is a team of leading, well-known aromatherapy and perfume experts from the UK combing their expertise to produce an exceptional range of truly natural body care products. The range consists of three distinctive luxury fragranced blends – Enlivening, Unwinding and Balancing – and each one contains four different body care products, all of which are a minimum of 99% to 100% natural and are formulated with delicate essential oils as well as other powerful active ingredients.
BLEND collective has been developed and produced in the UK, using the finest blends of 100% pure essential oils that are chosen for their therapeutic benefits as well as their amazing aromas. To achieve the beneficial aromatherapeutic effect, it is ensured each product contains the optimum performance level of essential oils. Try the Enlivening Collection for an energising lift, the Unwinding Collection to help you relax or the Balancing Collection for a more Zen-like experience.
BLEND collective is the brainchild of Clive Walker – ex-Marketing Director of the Tisserand aromatherapy brand who has been credited for making aromatherapy products available to a wider audience – and his business partner Pippa Bennett who is passionate about the use of essential oils in everyday life.
With so many brands falsely claiming to be natural and organic, BLEND collective is committed to set a new standard of integrity and excellence with its own ‘truly natural’ label. All products in the range are at least 99% natural, contain organic ingredients where possible and are free from the following potentially harmful chemical ingredients: petroleum derived chemicals, sulphates, parabens, synthetic fragrances, artificial colouring, glycols, TEA (Triethanolamine), DEA (Diethanolomine), silicons and PEGS (Polyethylene glycol).
In order to protect the environment, all BLEND collective product containers are recyclable and sourced only from maintained sustainable forests.
The range consists of the following fragranced blends:
1.Enlivening Blend – by Alec Lawless
2.Balancing Blend – by Emma Nash
3.Unwinding Blend – by Glenda Taylor
Products are available from www.blendcollective.co.uk. More stockists to be confirmed soon.
http://www.blendcollective.co.uk/en_GB/home
Frost Recommends The Blend Collective.
The Titan Prophecy. The New Harry Potter? {Book Reviews}
The Titan Prophecy: Rise of the Dark One is a blockbuster fantasy novel aimed at young adults, steeped in Greek Mythology and tales of Greek gods and dragons. I am not a young adult but I still loved it. It is Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings. The book educates and entertains as it uses real Greek mythology and stories, it then entwined them with the story of Charlie, his sister Emily, and his friend Max. Two boys and a girl, sound familiar?
This is not just some Harry Potter rip-off. It is dazzling and original. It is hard to put down and actually a little bit scary. Not sure if I am supposed to admit that…The book includes current world issues like climate change into the fabric of the novel. It also has some killer lines like: ‘Thinking? Surely you can do better than that?”
It has a familiarity for anyone who is a fan of history due to the real mythical historical figures in it. It is a blockbusting action-adventure-fantasy-time-travelling- novel. A real triumph for A.M Crawford, a former political journalist. This book is the first in a series and I will be reading the other ones, even if I am not 11 and outside of the demographic.
This book received the ultimate stamp of approval from me; I got some of my friends to buy it so they could read it too.
A.M Crawford commented: I have tried to weave a tale that will engage the imagination of boys and girls from the age of 11 onwards so they will grow older with Charlie, Max and their friends and remain engaged throughout their teens. The combination of elements of Greek mythology with an adventure story set in a quintessential English village is a magical mix.”
Buy it here: The Titan Prophecy: Rise Of The Dark One
Spicy Filled Roasted Stuffed Onions
Frost is going to be publishing a number of recipes all based around British onions. Here is the first one. Yum.
Spicy Filled Roasted Stuffed Onions
Serves 4
These beautiful roasted onions are filled with a delicious, spicy lamb mince. You can substitute
lamb mince with beef mince if you prefer.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
4 large British red onions peeled
1 tbsp oil
225g lean lamb mince
2-3 tsp Ras El Hanout spice mix
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
50g sultanas
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2tbsp freshly chopped mint
2tbsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
50g feta cheese, crumbled
125ml hot vegetable stock
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ fan oven 160°C, Gas mark 4,
2. Place the onions on a chopping board and cut off the top of each onion. Use a small knife
or spoon, remove the centre of each onion, keeping about2-3 layers of the onion. Finely
chop the removed onion.
3. Carefully trim the root end of each onion so they stand up and stand in an ovenproof dish.
4. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the chopped onion until beginning to soften. Add the
mince and cook for a further 5-7 minutes or until the mince is brown. Drain any fat or
liquid that may be in the pan. Return the mince and onion to the pan.
5. Add the spice and seasoning and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the sultanas, lemon zest, herbs and feta
7. Spoon the mince filling into each onion, packing tightly.
8. Pour the stock around the onions, cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
9. Remove the foil and continue to cook uncovered for a further 20 minutes, or until the
onions are tender.
10. Serve the roasted onions with a mixed salad or couscous.
Christopher Shannon AW12
Christopher Shannon AW12
Christopher Shannon’s collection was very interesting. Lots of blacks and whites, some onepieces. It was quite streamlined. The Central Saint Martins graduate took inspiration for his collection from Mathieu Kassovitz’s gritty 1995 film La Haine and also from youth culture outside of the United Kingdom.
The models were interesting. I am not sure they were professional. Most of them couldn’t walk and didn’t pose for the press at the end of the catwalk. This added to the air of rebellion and moody youthfulness. Christopher Shannon is one to watch.
MADD Dessert on Rupert Street | Reviews.
I love mango. I cook with it all the time and I put it in all of my sandwiches – don’t recoil, try it!- I also have the sweetest tooth in West London. So MADD was made for me. You can make your own desserts and the majority of them are all mango. Yum. I took Frost writer Mary Tynan and went to review the goodies. It’s a hard job….
Apart from the mango concept MADD has another niche: you can build your own dessert. It’s fun and fabulous. You can be as creative as you like.
I tried the Siam. Sweet coconut sticky rice with mango. Tastes amazing and very different. Also has a raspberry? sauce. Really good. All of the different consistencies and tastes work together amazingly.
The Mango creme brulee – one word: wow. It tastes amazing. It is cooked perfectly. And does that cracking thing.
Mango upside down cake, god, how did I live for so long without knowing this existed. Absolutely stunning. Tastes like heaven.
I also had the mango passion fruit fool – sweet and delicious.
I also had a mango smoothie, because it was only lunchtime and I had to go back to London Fashion Week after my sweet lunch I didn’t try any of their cocktails or shots. Maybe next time.
The wonderful owners Ralph and Jonathan are friendly, creative and enthusiastic. It is impossible not to like them and want them to do well. They even let me take a coca-cola cupcake. It may sound weird but it is one of the most amazing things I have ever tasted.
If you don’t like mango then MADD do non-mango desserts. They also do tea and coffee.
MADD are on Rupert Street. No.53. Go try them out.
MADD BOASTS DESSERT SOLUTION FOR THE HEALTH CONSCIOUS
MADD (a.k.a. mango addiction), the UK’s first dessert and drinks lounge dedicated to the “king of fruits,” opened its doors to Soho diners on December 5th. Aimed at changing the dining habits of London’s inhabitants, MADD offers a healthy and delicious alternative to the fast-food options littering London. Set in a location renowned for its fried fare, Rupert Street is the perfect setting to introduce this nourishing Eastern concept to the West.
Ralph Monthienvichienchai and Jon Sivak, the creators of MADD, hope to share the health benefits of the mango with their outpouring of customers. Every part of the mango is beneficial; of its many medicinal properties, the mango tree is purported to offer anti-viral, anti-septic, anti-parasitic, anti-tussive (cough), and anti-asthmatic effects. It can also be used as a cardiotonic, aphrodisiac, and a digestive aid. Mangoes are not only high in prebiotic dietary fibre and vitamin C, but they contain antioxidant vitamins A and E, as well as B6, K, potassium, and 17 amino acids. The mango may even help prevent prostate and skin cancers. A good MADD addict will not only be able to satisfy their sweet tooth craving, but they will also lower their cholesterol, cleanse their blood, decrease the effects of aging on their skin, and increase their general happiness and wellbeing.
In a bid to improve the city’s nutrition, MADD also offers a vast selection of replenishing drinks, coffees and teas, including the irresistible “MADD Smoothie”, a signature blend of mango, coconut, and greek yogurt, sweetened with a squeeze of organic honey.
MADD revels in bringing the freshest mangoes of the season to ensure that the nutrition and flavours will never disappoint. MADD enters the winter season with the beautiful sun-kissed mangoes from down under, introducing the Aussie Queensland Kensington Pride mangoes to Londoners everywhere.
Women Become The Breadwinners.
In this wintry economical climate some things have changed. More women than men lost their jobs, but it also changed people’s attitudes. Women have become entrepreneurial.
Avon, the company for women has proven some of the top female Sales Leaders are not only comfortable with running their own businesses, but also with having their husbands help look after the children and even work for them.
Some of these entrepreneurial women have become the main breadwinners in their families. What’s more, they have been able to take their success to the next level, even employing members of their own family to work within their team – including their husbands. Working closely together, and sharing their private lives and careers, these unconventional ‘power couple’ partnerships appear to be a prosperous success, with men that agree to the arrangement perfectly comfortable working for their wife.
Avon Sales Leader Rebekah Testar, who is responsible for training and recruiting her own team of Representatives comments:
“I love having the opportunity to work with my husband, Tony, taking time off together when we want to, and supporting each other on a daily basis. It’s not for everyone, but like other Avon couples I know we make these unconventional partnerships work by carefully delineating the respective roles and playing to each other’s strengths.”
“From my personal experience the most successful, full-time working relationships will find ways to work together at home by creating a separate balance of power in their business relationship, resting on how much each person wants to put in.”
Avon Sales Leader, Tony Testar says:
“I don’t feel intimidated that I technically work for my wife, I’m proud to be a part of such an enterprise that we can run together. When she started working for Avon, the money opportunities, and flexible hours allowing us to holiday and spend time with the kids was certainly appealing. When Rebekah first recruited me I did have a few male friends that took the micky, now some are thinking about setting up their own Avon business.”
Grace Dawodu, 41 from Essex is an NHS community nurse but decided to become an Avon lady due to our current economic climate as a lot of people in the health sector are at risk of losing their job. Grace viewed her Avon role as more job security for her.
Grace is a Sales Leader in training. She lives with her husband who works in admin. With her job as a nurse and an Avon lady, she is now the main breadwinner. Grace used to buy from her local Avon lady but was inclined to become one with the cuts the NHS were making. Grace enjoys working for Avon for several reasons; as a community nurse , she sees her Avon role as an extension of helping others. Secondly, Grace also trained as a therapist at a domestic violence so has a personal connection with Avon’s causes.
Nadine Rowlands and Wayne Rowlands, Manchester
Nadine started her Avon business five years ago, and two years ago, she recruited her husband Wayne as part of her team. They initially started the business because they had just moved house and had a big mortgage to pay, but as time went by, it became more and more of a passion for the couple and nowadays they very much run their business as an Avon partnership. At the last count, they had 1,200 Representatives and Sales Leaders in their team, and an annual turnover of £2.5 million! This year they are on track to earn an impressive £95k.
Watermelons Book Review: Is Climate Change a Conspiracy?
James Delingpole is known for being controversial. He is right wing and speaks his mind. You may know of him not only because of climategate, but also due to the furore he created when he debated in Tatler magazine whether people were sending their daughters or sons to private school.
One sometimes feels he is saying things for effect, but if there is one word I would use for his new book, Watermelons, it’s “interesting”.
It takes courage to be apart from the general conscious, especially on something like climate change. A subject most people in power have stopped debating over. The environment is at the forefront of political agenda, newspapers, televisions and people’s minds. You can’t go to a supermarket without being asked if you really want a plastic bag. I try to never use them (after seeing the effect they have on animals and the ocean thanks to Greener-upon-Thames) but when you have lots of shopping and someone asks if you need a bag you just feel like asking them if you should just juggle it all home.
I don’t judge people on their political beliefs, but I feel that will stop some people reading Delingpole’s book. Some of my liberal friends were not amused I was even reviewing Delingpole’s book, but, really, who cares.
I found this book interesting. Even if you get to the end and don’t agree with Delingpole it is a fascinating read. The name ”watermelons” is Delingpole’s description of people who are red on the inside and green on the outside. In this book he is debunking the myth of anthropogenic global warming (CAGW). Delingpole has a chapter on the evidence behind his theme of the book, which is; politicians and scientists are using the myth of man-made climate change to raise our tax and control us. Delingpole is not just a crack pot conspiracy theorists. Alain De Botton is mentioned in the book, Delingpole asked him what he wanted to read in the book and he said the science, the evidence, of Delingpole’s claim. Delingpole took his friends advice and included this.
The chapter on the climategate emails is hilarious. Really funny. The scientists involved to not come across well. I will still recycle and be environmentally aware but the book has some good points. It expose hypocrisy in droves, and takes people to task.
This book is for anyone interested in the debate on climate change. Whether environmentalist or sceptic. Delingpole is educated and outspoken. Most people follow other people’s opinion rather than make up their own minds . Which is why I do think you should read this book, it is entertaining and political and sparks debate Then make up your own mind.
