Ruby Red Body Moisturiser Review

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Frostie

We loved this new Soothe and Nourish Hydrating Body Moisturiser from Ruby Red. It absorbed easily and was gentle on those with sensitive skin. We love natural products and this fits the bill. It has six nourishing plant oils including hydrating Babussu oil to lock in moisture all day. It left us silky smooth and moisturised. Good stuff.

The moisturiser has:

Olive Oil to moisturise and aid skin regeneration
Sweet Almond Oil an emollient to soften the skin
Grapeseed Oil a moisturiser with active antioxidant
Babassu Oil to soften the skin
Shea Butter to aid skin hydration
Jojoba Oil to condition the skin

With added actives of Aloe Vera and Glycerine to soothe and ease absorption and Vitamin B% to reinforce the hydrolipidic barrier for improved skin hydration and to even out skin tone.
Naturally fragranced with soothing oils of Jasmine, Cardamom and Ylang Ylang.

Suitable for dry and sensitive skin.

Available from Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols Knightsbridge, Planet Organic, John Bell & Croyden and selected independent beauty boutiques and online at www.ethicalsuperstore.com and the Ruby Red shop – www.rubyredcosmetics.co.uk.

Foxcroft and Ginger

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

Foxcroft and Ginger was opened 4 years ago, Foxcroft & Ginger takes its name from its owners. Quentin’s family name is Foxcroft and his wife Georgina who is a very proud redhead. With their combined passion for food and relaxation and seeing as there was nowhere that offered a totally chilled out place to just sit, eat and enjoy the finer things in life, they set about brining a little place to relax, eat fabulous food, sip tremendous coffee and indulge in a spot of wine. They found a missing niche and they have certainly done a grand job of filling it.

We where invited to sample the menu and see for ourselves that this place has ready got what it takes to make any hungry Londoner satisfied in more ways than one.

The decor is modern and industrial with exposed brick walls, wooden tables and benches that have comfy cushions. Very welcoming when you want to while away a few hours enjoying fine coffee, fresh orange juice and delectable food.

We where seated upstairs near the window, perfect for food photography. If you know me by now you will know I’m rather partial to a good foodie shot. Fashion and food are my favourite things in life and when you find a fashionable place to eat that makes the heart race a little faster.

We ordered our coffees, Ian went for the long black and I had the Aeropress, Mine was like nectar, no sugar or milk was needed although they did give me a nice little jug of steamed soya milk on the side. By all accounts Ian’s coffee was rather good too.

We indulged in a drop of freshly squeezed orange juice that was sublime and complemented or brunch so well. Served in mini bottles they looked just perfect nestled on the little wooden table.

Now for the main event….the food. I have never seen eggs Benedict served with pulled pork before so this is what I opted for. Ian had the hash brown, sausage, egg breakfast with Bloody Mary sauce.

My perfect eggs on perfect soft, lean pulled pork that melted into the sourdough bread so tenderly. This is what Sundays where meant for. Ian’s dish was accompanied by lots of nodding in my direction so I feel he felt the same.

We then paused for a while chatting about our weekend and how great the place was. Trying to pick fault but alas all we could come up with was that we actually live a little too far away and it meant we couldn’t make it our regular Sunday haunt!!

Never one to pass up on pudding even brunch has to have a sweet! Ian decided to go for a pot proper tea and a freshly made scone with jam. Keen not to pile on too many pounds I could only muster a herbal tea! Letting the side down I know, but did you see the size of my meal?!

Now we have to point out here that yes this is rather a picture packed review but seeing is believing and we needed to do this place justice, and you know me…photography and Personal styling are my main things, along with of course writing for Frost and my own fashion magazine!

All the food served at Foxcroft and Ginger is all made on the premises including the jam, scones, cakes and even the bread. Most of the cakes and bread are sold to other local establishments and they only purchase local produce for around the area.

If you haven’t paid them a visit you really should, if you are lucky enough to live near by we are very jealous and wish we could sample the entire menu! Saying that we defiantly will be back as it’s top of our list as everything we saw served looked utterly beautiful.

Top marks for presentation, satisfaction, attention to detail and the staff where delightful and attentive.

We give it 5 stars here at Frost Magazine as all go this delicious food came in under £25!!!

Next week head over to SLBStyle.com and you can see the rest of our day filled with all the fashion and the London sights!

Follow them on Twitter @Foxcroftanginger.

Find them

3 Berwick Street, Soho
London W1F 0DR
.
69-79 Mile End Road
Whitechapel E1 4TT

For more photography info checkout www.sarahbacchus.com. For styling head over to www.slbstyle.com and follow me on twitter @sarahbacchus

Bobby’s Rock ‘n Roll Bruch, House of Ho | Restaurant Review

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Matthew Radway

Soho’s House of Ho (try saying that after you’ve had a few of their cocktails) is a Vietnamese restaurant serving up an unlimited brunch every Sunday called Bobby’s Rock ‘n Roll Brunch. The words ‘unlimited’ and ‘brunch’ are favourites of mine so I went down to check it out.

The restaurant itself has a light and airy industrial feel with touches of Eastern charm. It blends modernity and traditionalism seamlessly and this approach is reflected in the menu.

We began our brunch with sweet and refreshing lychee cocktails and some unfortunately bland edamame. Until this point I genuinely didn’t think it was possible to get edamame wrong – it’s just beans.

Luckily, that was pretty much the only criticism I have of the entire experience. And when your main issue is bland edamame then you know you’re doing something right.

Duck Pho Cuon

As part of the ‘unlimited’ brunch you are allowed to choose from a selection of small plates to start with. The highlights of these were the duck pho cuon and the 7 spice marinated squid. The duck came in soft rolls with a coating of crispy onions which was a great texture combination and was served with a spicy sauce that added just the right amount of kick. There was also a mushroom version of this dish that was perfectly fine but a little underwhelming in comparison. Both my colleague and I agreed that the fried squid was the best that we had ever tasted; it was marinated in the perfect combination and amount of spices.

Other dishes worth trying include the chili glazed chicken wings which came in a smoky, spicy, sticky sauce (another one to try saying after a few drinks) and the chicken pomelo salad which was a light and refreshing dish that helped combat the sheer amount of meat and carbs in the others (that’s not a complaint – they are excellent food groups).

Apple-Smoked Pork Belly

For our main courses we had the apple-smoked pork belly and the ‘shakin’ beef. Wow. Just wow. The pork is cooked for 36 hours and you could cut through the fat on top of it like butter. I don’t even like pork and I enjoyed this dish immensely. The beef is cooked for 30 seconds at 400 degrees and was beautifully tender. I honestly can’t choose between the two dishes – if possible, try them both.

The meal ended with an expertly cooked crème brulee but by this point I think I was too stuffed to fully appreciate it. I was also very drunk. Because that’s the really good thing about this meal – the alcohol is unlimited too. We were knocking back Proseccos and cocktails like nobody’s business. If that doesn’t convince you that this brunch is excellent value then I don’t know what will.

So get yourself down to House of Ho this Sunday. It won’t kill your wallet but it will break your belt.

Easterleigh Hall by Margaret Graham Book Review

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

The perfect novel is a truly wonderful thing: a key to take you away from your life. It transports you to another world and you can lose yourself and all of your problems for hours at a time. I read most of Easterleigh Hall on a glorious Autumn Sunday while the rain poured outside. I was grabbed straight away, the characters are so well-written and fascinating. Evie Forbes is a fantastic heroine: a ballsy, decent and ambitious young woman. She is smart and is willing to sacrifice and work hard to get what she wants.

Set in County Durham just before the First World War, it is almost impossible to review Easterleigh Hall without mentioning the success of Downton Abbey, and this book would make a similarly amazing TV series. It has its villains in Lord Brampton and a valet called Roger, every great novel needs someone to hate. Most of the rest of the characters, and especially the Forbes family, are impossible to not love. Things are not always what they seem and even those ‘upstairs’ come into their own.

Margaret Graham is a very versatile writer. Her other books are also amazing. Her historical books like this one are always well researched. You are taken into the past and you always learn something too. So not just entertaining.

Evie starts work as an assistant cook at Easterleigh Hall against her family’s wishes. Her family do not like Lord Brampton as her father and brothers work in the mine that he owns. But Evie wants to run a small hotel and her training will give her a way out. Little do they know that the world is on the brink of war. The book does not rush. It allows the story and the characters to grow, to really get into the story. I love this, you really feel like you know these people. This is a glorious read and one I will be recommending to friends. Luckily there are another two books in the series which will take us up to the Second World War. I can’t wait. It is out on October 9th. Read it, buy it or steal it. Okay, maybe not the last one.

Easterleigh Hall is available here.

http://www.margaret-graham.com

Dracula Untold – Movie Review

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Junior Smart

If history is anything to go by there are many different ways of telling the legend that is Dracula and even more when it comes to covering the subject of Vampires of which Dracula is seen as the King or at least the one who started it all.

King of the Dracula movies so far has been Ford Coppola’s 1992 version, but here akin to the recent films such as ‘I Frankenstein’ what we have here is a dramatic retelling of the origin story, complete with armies in the style of 300, stop motion capture in the style of The Matrix and battles in the style and glory of Game of Thrones and more bats than Batman Begins. If Francis Ford Coppola had access to CGI effects like these who knows what he would have created. Instead it is down to director Gary Shore to capably show us his vista of the hows and whys of Vlad ‘the Impaler’ Tepes earning his supernatural powers and becoming a creature of the night.

Set in Transylvania during the 15th century, Transylvanian prince Vlad is enjoying a long period of peace. He served the Turks well and his brutal style of combat has earned him the name of “The Impaler”. When Sultan Mehmed (Dominic Cooper); heir to the Turks throne demands 1,000 boys including Vlad’s own son to participate in his army with the ultimatum of not doing so being war and mass slaughter of his people. Vlad chooses to make a stand and seeks out an old mythical mountain and a nightmare creature (Charles Dance) in order to save his family and kingdom.

Striking up a bargain, Vlad is allowed to experience what it’s like to be a vampire for a short period of three days, giving him the strength of 100 men, the speed of a falling star and enough power to destroy his enemies. However, the catch is that he will also have an insatiable thirst for blood. If Vlad succumbs to this thirst he will forever be damned as a vampire and the evil that was contained within the mountain will be released. The story cracks along at a fairly fast pace; a solid film debut for Gary Shore who has directed from a script written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. The dialogue is fantastic, very much the piece and the direction wise enough to have just enough scares without it crossing the boundary into actual horror territory. This film takes the honourable sympathetic approach to Dracula’s virtues – a man who is willing to risk all, including his humanity and sanity to save his son, his family, his kin and his kingdom.

Special effects alone cannot carry a movie and there are some great performances, Dominic Cooper and Charles Dance all carry their roles capably but it has to be said it is the charismatic presence of Welsh actor Luke Evans (Fast and Furious 6) which really anchors this film. It is incredible how he shines in this role, able to bring real emotions and real anguish to a character not yet previously seen. Thanks to him, you believe in Vlad’s cause, compromise with his predicament and feel empathy with his character when he seeks to exact revenge.

There is no doubt that Dracula Untold is a competent film, for many either they will either like it or hate it. There is just enough vampirism and love enough to soothe Twilight fans and more than enough action to suit the man cubs out there.

The slight let down is the ending which blatantly sets things up for a sequel. Hopefully if the film does well things could be very interesting indeed.

The Verdict

If you are into modern day imaginings, was a fan of the Twilight series and like Game of Thrones or Gladiator this film is your thing

8/10

Luster Pro Light Review: UK’s First Complete DIY Teeth Whitening System

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Out of all of the things you can do to look younger, whitening your teeth is one of the most important. It takes years off you. Teeth whitening can be expensive though, and scary. I have heard stories in the past of people burning away their gums. Thankfully these are now a thing of the past. The UK’s First Complete DIY Teeth Whitening System, Luster Pro Light has been released. Let’s find out if it works.

It uses the same paint-on whitening gel and Dual-Action ‘blue light’ technology that is used by dentists. Luster Pro Light does work and it also did not upset my sensitive teeth. It is clinically proven to be safe and effective which I was glad to read before I used it. I am always very cautious before I use anything. It can be a little bit of a pain pretreating with whitening solution, brushing and then applying the dual-action whitening. The ready-to-use trays which you put in your mouth are not exactly comfortable but this is all small fry and a minimal amount of effort that you can do in the comfort of your own home.

The treatment really does work. You can even use the rapid schedule and get results in 30 minutes. I will definitely use this again for top ups. Already a best-seller and close to becoming the No. 1 teeth whitening system in America where it first went on sale, this is good stuff indeed.

£49.99 from Boots.com or Boots.

Glo-Minerals 3-in-1 Color Stick Review

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

I am a huge fan of fast beauty. Convenience is key. Who has the time to spend hours on looking good? Not many of us. So I love products that multi-task. They also take up less room and are great for traveling.

This 3-in-1 Color Stick from Glo-Minerals is not unique, the multi-sticks have been around for a while but it certainly has a place on the market. This is a Limited Edition three-in-one stick for cheeks, lips and eyes. This soft, shimmering, pink-peach hue complements all skin tones and skin types. It is available in one shade: doll face and has vitamin E to soothe skin.

The colour is a beautiful, fresh colour that looks summery and suits all skin tones. It gives a healthy glow and looks beautiful on. When you use it on your eyes it is not as pink as you think it will be. A little also goes a long way. It does look pink on the lips. I love it. A great product that saves space and money. Good stuff.

Limited Edition 3 in 1 Colour Stick in Dollface. Available from www.glo-minerals.com £11.95.

WOW Face Mask Review

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

I was initially going to do a funny Instagram picture of myself wearing this mask a la Suki Waterhouse. Upon putting the mask on vanity prevailed however. The mask comes in two separate pieces, one for your lower face and one for the top. Once it is on you look like a burns victim. It is not a good look but who cares? You are making yourself beautiful. My husband certainly didn’t. He didn’t even crack a joke.

I found the mask a little hard to put on. You also have to be careful is doesn’t slide of your face. I lay on the sofa smoothing it down. It feels nice and soothing. I watch Parks And Recreation on Amazon Prime while reading a book I am reviewing. So I am not very good at switching off and relaxing but I will be lying here for 40 minutes. I actually like the gel feeling of the mask and am sure I can feel it working away.

After 40 minutes of looking plain weird I take the mask off. I then give the result the ultimate test: I ask my husband if he can notice a difference in my skin. He says he can. I look ‘fresh’. Brilliant. The mummy look is worth it.

I did only use this mask once so I can’t say if it makes a long-lasting difference to skin with long term use, but I was impressed with the results I saw. I would like to try it again but at £99 it is slightly out of my budget.

Here is what the they say:

The NEW Aqua Gel Mask Treatment that fights the ageing process

WOW mask is a brand NEW Bio-peptide Aqua Gel mask that contains innovative natural ingredients to restore the skin’s tone, elasticity and hydration to reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles. It releases the essence of nature’s most potent skin-loving plants at exactly the right speed for your skin to get the maximum benefit.

Institute Hyalual Switzerland, a scientific research centre dedicated to skin rejuvenation, created the mask as the simplest and most effective way to combine the moisturising effect of Hyaluronic Acid (HA), Argireline (famed for its skin firming properties) and RMCP-complex (a combination of ingredients that include fruit and leaf cell culture and flower extract). It’s the interaction between HA, Argireline and RMCP-complex which results in such a complete anti-ageing effect.

The mask also uses newly developed Transdermal Cosmetics Delivery technology which is activated by skin temperature to allow the ingredients to reach the deeper layers of skin. This means that WOW mask provides 200% more hydration than other collagen-based moisturising treatments.

There are five masks provided in each box and each mask can be used for 20-40 minutes. Simply wash and dry your face, take the mask out of its silver sleeve and remove the protective plastic sheets and put it on your face.

It’s not magic but WOW mask offers the best that nature and science can provide in terms of beautiful and youthful looking skin.

WOW Facial Mask Treatments £99.99

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