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

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.

28th July 2019

Flowers of Madeira

The magnificent Protea – Palheiro Gardens

As you travel around the island you see what the benefit of having a sub-tropical climate brings to the local flora and fauna. There are flowers everywhere and, understandably, Madeira has some of the most beautiful gardens displaying a wide range of species from all around the world. Anyone who likes flowers can only be impressed with the range and abundance on offer.

If you have a head for heights you can jump in the cable car near the central market and go up to the Tropical gardens in Monte which are amazing. If like me you don’t like heights, it is accessible by road. Definitely worth a visit. Or take a trip to the Botanical gardens where the flower beds are arranged in geometric patterns and lovingly cared for. Really beautiful with fabulous views.

Palheiro Gardens Madeira — Palheiro Gardens

On my recent visit to Madeira we stopped at Palheiro gardens. This used to be the home of the Blandy family, so you will hear locals refer to it as Blandy gardens. It is very high up so the temperature is slightly cooler but the flowers and plants are still quite spectacular, and there are great views over the bay.

Bird of paradise — Strelitzia – Bird of Paradise

The gardens are very reminiscent of an English country garden, lots of roses and camellias. There are some trees that look as if they were imported from the UK and are struggling with the climate. However, it’s perfect for the Proteas from South Africa and the Jacaranda from Brazil, as well as the crowd pleaser favourite, the Strelitzia or Bird of Paradise.

This is the fourth and last part of my Madeira series. Please scroll down for the other three. This post is not sponsored, all trips were paid for by me.

More information about Palheiro Gardens HERE

14th July 2019

Eating in Madeira

You can enjoy some fabulous food in Madeira. The local produce is amazing. I have already spoken about the bananas which to me are the way bananas should taste, really sweet and slightly waxy in texture. But the locals are not satisfied with just having them as a dessert, they pair them with fish too. The dish that you will see in many restaurants is scabbard fish with bananas (espada com banana), a seemingly odd combination but actually delicious. A deep water fish, the scabbard is long and silver when in the water but as soon as it comes up to the surface it turns black. It has a very subtle taste, so is perfect to be accompanied by stronger flavours.

Most people have tried Madeira cake at some point. The pale yellow one with a darker crust. Simple and delicious. However, a more traditional cake is the honey cake (Bolo de Mel). This is a dark, dense delight that’s very sweet and nutty. My favourite, though, are Pastel de Natas, small custard tarts usually served slightly warm with a coffee. Nothing like the custard tarts you get in England. The pastry is light and flaky and the custard is creamy and sweet. Absolutely delicious. Lucky for me, my local supermarket sells them and although they are not quite as good as the ones in Madeira, they are not a bad substitute.

The market place in Funchal is a great place to visit. Full of beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables, it also has a wide selection of chillies and fresh fish and flowers for sale. Definitely worth a visit just to browse or buy flowers to take home. They will pack them up for you to take on the plane.

Here is a quick roundup of my favourite restaurants in Madeira:

La Vaca Negra
If you like steak, this is the place for you. Every cut of steak you could ask for, beautifully cooked, flavoursome and served simply with a jacket potato or chips, and salad. Go hungry as the portions are large.

Cris’s Place
This is one of three restaurants by the same owner that are situated within a square mile. Cris’s and Cris’s Flambé are the other two. All three have a similar concept whereby there is a set menu at a fixed price, offering three courses plus coffee and wine. The wines are chosen by Cris to complement each course and they are good quality. if you find choosing Portuguese wine a mine field this is a good choice. The service is excellent and it has a very upmarket feel.

Indian Palace
Fancy a curry while on holiday? This one serves up some of the best I have tasted. All your favourites with rices and beautifully fresh, fluffy naans to complement your dish. Great service too.

Frango de Guia
Grilled chicken, rosemary and garlic flavoured chips and a nice fresh salad. If that sounds good this is the place to visit. They do lots of other dishes but every time I visit that is what I order because to me, there is nothing better.

Hole in One pub
I have to give an honourable mention to this pub. It has the best atmosphere and attracts a lot of tourists. There’s live music most evenings and sport on large TV screens will keep you there for several drinks. It also has great range of gins, local beers and wine, plus food.

This is the third part in my Guide to Madeira, for the first two parts scroll down below.

This post is not sponsored. I paid for all meals and excursions.