101 Beautiful Things | A review of beautiful items, luxury and affordable to buy and appreciate

3rd November 2019

Nigella’s Lemon Polenta Cake

Here in the UK we have just seen the final of the current series of The Great British Bake-Off. If you are not familiar with this TV programme, it is a competition to find the best bakers in Britain and is a much loved TV show which probably inspires a lot of the population to get their mixing bowls out and start baking. So here is my tribute to what has become a bit of an institution.

I am not an enthusiastic baker by any stretch of the imagination and you are unlikely to ever be offered home baking at my house. But this cake is a firm favourite. It is my go to dessert when entertaining for dinner and never fails to impress, with guests regularly coming back for a second slice. It is also wheat-free which suits coeliacs and the wheat intolerant among my friends and family.

It is easy to make and turns into a lovely moist lemony cake which is really golden once you cut into it. I really like it served with creme fraiche, as the slight tanginess marries perfectly with the sweetness of the cake. The recipe features in one of Nigella Lawson’s many cookbooks and, for time poor cooks like myself, her recipes have never let me down.

Try it for yourself. I guarantee you will be love it. HERE

20th October 2019

Eileen Gray E1027 Occasional Table

This table exudes a certain elegance, with a femininity about it that suits bedrooms or areas of relaxation. The glass top depicts a fragile nature but is offset by the chrome structure which delivers strength and beauty. As with all great designs, it is simple but very clever. A timeless classic, as modern looking today as it was when it was designed in 1927 by Eileen Gray.

Gray was born in Ireland in 1878. She studied at the Slade School of Art and was a renowned architect and furniture designer. At the beginning of her career she was best known for her lacquer screens or room dividers which adorned wealthy Parisian homes. Around 1920 she met and became influenced by her Modernist friends and contemporaries, such as Le Corbusier. As a result her work became simpler and more functional, as exemplified by the E1027 table pictured and the Castellar Mirror (1927), which has a section that folds out to show the user other angles. Gray designed both of these for use in her own house.

It is not just her more modern looking pieces that are highly coveted. An earlier and more elaborate chair, the Fauteuil aux Dragons (Dragon Chair 1917) – designed by Gray and once owned by Yves Saint Laurent – went on sale at Christie’s auction house in 2009. It was expected to sell for $2million but was actually sold for $28 million.

The E1027 Adjustable Table is an iconic piece and although Aram are the only official worldwide licensed producers of the table there are many copies available for sale.

8th September 2019

Harvey Nichols Fragrance Discovery Box

I bought this after seeing it on the British Beauty Blogger site. I love perfume and this was perfect. The opportunity to try ten good-sized samples curated by The Perfume Society that you don’t see on the high street. Most of them are exclusive to Harvey Nichols. They are presented wrapped in an beautifully illustrated box which includes a booklet describing each perfume, fragrance notes and information on the ‘nose ‘ who created it. The smelling notes ask you several questions about how the fragrance changes after an hour or who would wear it. It does make you appreciate the depth of each fragrance and how it wears throughout the day.

Trying them was a bit like walking through Harvey Nichols’ fragrance department and spraying all of the perfumes on. In reality, you wouldn’t do that as either it is too intimidating and you can’t remember which is which on your arm or you are put off by the hefty price tag or fragrance family.

So it was nice wafting around work for 10 days with a different fragrance on each day. Some of them I wouldn’t have chosen myself, so you really have to be prepared to take yourself out of your comfort zone fragrance wise but there were none I disliked enough not to wear again. Most were generous samples beautifully presented and some were a bit of a lucky dip, in that you could have one of a selection in your box.

Fragrance Discovery Box – Smelling notes

First up is Ella K – Memoires de Daisen in. This is a lovely rich floral scent and probably my favourite with top notes of kumquat, bergamot, lime and tangerine. Next you get a choice from the Experimental Perfume Club. I received Red Hot Wood, described as musky woodiness brightened by bergamot.

Annick Goutal – Eau d’Hadrien is the only one I already knew. Several years ago a friend came to stay with me for a while. She turned up with a bag of clothes and this huge bottle of Eau d’Hadrien, the biggest perfume bottle I have ever seen. She would spray it on liberally and described it as a gin and tonic in a summer’s garden, which to me is the perfect description. It is a subtle blend of citrus and floral notes with a base of woodiness. Absolutely lovely, and every time I smell it I am reminded of her.

Maison Francis Kukdjian – Gentle Fluidity. A really spicy wood fragrance with the warmth of vanilla as the base. Next is Memo Paris Eau de Memo. A lovely warm citrus fragrance with a hint of leather. You get a very generous sample and bearing in mind it costs £45 for 10ml of the eau de parfum, a great deal.

Robert Graham has three fragrances to try, Oriental Fortitude, Valour and Courage – these are the most unisex of the offering and while I like a more woody, masculine fragrance these were a bit too masculine for my taste. One for the man in your life perhaps.

I was a bit hesitant to try the next one, Tiziana Terenzi – Bella Oud. While I do like Oud in a fragrance it can sometimes be too overpowering. I’m glad to say I was wrong, and it is a lovely mix of citrus and spices and smells warm on the skin. The last one is again one from a selection, this time by Serge Lutens. In my box was Un Bois Vanille, another rich woody fragrance.

This would make a lovely gift for the perfume connoisseur and at £45 is a great way to explore new fragrances that are not your usual high street offering and an opportunity to find one that is unique to you.

The Perfume Society has several discovery boxes available from their website for £19 each. It is a great resource for perfume lovers as you can enter your favourite fragrance and they will match you up with some you might like to try or buy for a friend. It will also keep up to date with the latest launches and news.

This post is not sponsored.

18th August 2019

Afternoon Tea

I am going to transport you back to Madeira for a short while to talk about the afternoon tea we had at Reid’s Palace Hotel. Coincidentally when researching this post, I discovered that it is afternoon tea week. I often wonder who comes up with these different weeks. The cynic in me thinks that it coincides with a lull in the market, maybe mid-August is quiet for afternoon tea, who knows?

I have to say I am not someone who relishes the prospect of consuming a large amount of cake and sugary things in one sitting. I sort of shudder at the prospect, but when you have a birthday to celebrate, why not make an exception?

There is something very English and genteel about having tea, proper tea from a teapot in bone china cups with a saucer. Not your usual builders tea in a mug. It conjures up images of Victorian ladies sitting in big sprawling manor houses with a poor servant running around pouring tea and serving cucumber sandwiches, while the lady of the house gossips about her neighbours or some local scandal. It is said that it was introduced by the seventh Duchess of Bedford to fill the gap between lunch and dinner, which was generally served around 8pm.

Traditional afternoon tea consists of finger sandwiches, scones served with jam and clotted cream and little cakes with a choice of teas, or if you are celebrating, a glass of champagne. In London all of the main hotels vie for the honour of serving the best afternoon tea, at prices ranging from around £20 to a whopping £70 a head. You can sit in ornate lounges admiring both the decor and the artistry and talent in producing the cakes.
Afternoon tea at Reid’s Palace costs €36 a head with a glass of champagne costing a further €18.50. For that you get the usual fare of finger sandwiches, scones, dainty cakes and a menu of teas. But the best bit is the view over the gardens and, of course, the sea.

The serving staff are very attentive, a little too attentive for my liking, and once you’ve finish your first round you’ll be offered even more sandwiches and scones, and a fresh pot of tea which you will need to cut through the sugar. How many carbs can a person consume at one sitting?

Wall of historical photographs at Reids Palace Hotel

The hotel itself is spectacular. It still retains it’s colonial feel but is immaculate with polished floors and large grand piano sitting majestically in the bar. There is a wall of photographs of the hotel over the years and decorative features like an old phone artistically arranged. Even if you don’t go for afternoon tea it is worth a visit just to admire the foyer area alone.
Wherever you go for afternoon tea it is something really special and a nice thing to do for a celebration which will appeal to all ages and especially if you have a sweet tooth.

Not sponsored and paid for by me. Reid’s Palace Hotel HERE.

4th August 2019

Mary Quant at the V&A

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has some really exciting exhibitions and fashion seems to be something they excel at. I really enjoyed the Alexander McQueen one they held a couple of years ago. It was amazing to see such skill in tailoring which McQueen was known for, and that his fashion house continues, at close hand.

Currently on at the V&A is a Mary Quant retrospective. This was a name I grew up with. I was aware of her clothing but as a child only took a passing interest in it, and certainly didn’t appreciate the creativity. On a recent visit it was great to see all of the pieces on display and the influence they had on the Sixties. Most of the clothing on show has been donated by the owner and there are some interesting notes about why they bought it, how much it cost and for what occasion they wore it. I particularly liked the quirky items including the cricket jumper dress and admire the interesting use of synthetics such as pvc and crimplene which, while a big no no now, was the height of sophistication at the time. Makes me break out in a sweat just thinking about it.

Mary Quant herself was and still is a style icon, sporting her famous bob created by Vidal Sassoon. She was a massive influence on sixties fashion, creating relatively affordable pieces in comparison to her peers and teaming up with shop and catalogue brands to bring high fashion to the masses. Something that is fairly common now but almost unheard of then.

To me Mary Quant means make-up. When I was about 12 years old I developed an obsession with nail varnish. A school friend had an older sister who worked at a cosmetics factory and she would bring back samples for us – we would spend hours painting our nails in different colours. My favourite was Plum Gone by Miners but the creme de la creme was Mary Quant. Occasionally we would get our hands on the much coveted little round bottle of Mary Quant nail varnish. So glamorous.

After I tried the nail varnish I was intrigued by the rest of the range. It was so different to anything you could get at Woolworths and so out of my reach financially. But one glorious day my aunt gave me a tin of Mary Quant Crayons; she could have given me the moon and I wouldn’t have been happier. I remember spending ages just opening the tin and admiring them before I ever attempted to use them. Realistically they were not that great but the concept and the hype around them was amazing.

Funnily enough a few years later I got a summer job at the same cosmetics factory as my friend’s sister and although my love for make-up was never diminished, my love for nail varnish did very quickly after working on the production line. It constantly broke down with bottles spilling everywhere when it got stuck on the conveyor belt. I vowed then and there never to buy another bottle again.

The exhibition is great and well worth a visit if you want to learn about sixties fashion or just take a trip down memory lane.
It is on now until 16 Feb 2020. For booking and more information click HERE

This post is not sponsored. Entry fee paid by me.

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