london Archives - Megan Taylor

WHAT TO DO IN LONDON THIS CHRISTMAS

Christmas is and always will be my most favourite time of the year. I love the magic of it and the time to spend with family and friends with yummy food and drink and exciting places and events to go to. Each year, and throughout the year for some reason, my Christmas To Do posts are super popular. Check out my previous years posts for a little extra inspiration. I have been pretty concise this year in my suggestions with only things to do which I have personally taken part in before, therefore knowing they are fabulous and worth your money.

ICE SKATING

There are so many fabulous ice skating venues across London and the whole world at this time of year. I do wish there were more ice skating venues across the world in general to be honest. I believe that the two most adored venues across London at Christmas are Somerset House (£12.82+) and the Natural History Museum (£12.65+). For the ideal ice skating experience I would suggest booking a session between 4/5pm because you then get that absolutely perfect twinkly sunsetting experience. Finish it off with a take away hot chocolate to keep you warm on your way to the bar…or maybe the theatre as I share my favourite performances this year.

THEATRE

I am from a theatre background, both myself and my parents and my brother. We have all worked in the theatre in someway or another. We love going to the theatre all year round but there is something incredibly magical about going over Christmas in a family group. Coincide with a lovely afternoon tea if you have kiddies in tow or cocktails and nibbles if older. This year we have booked to see Home Alone (£25+) played with a live audience at The Royal Albert Hall and I am practically giddy. This experience with La La Land was incredible so I am thrilled to have booked tickets (back in the summer hehe). Another show we are going to see this year in Scrooge at The Old Vic. I wanted to go last year but the tickets were completely sold out. Other fabulous shows which I have seen in the past but are back on are The Nutcracker at the Coliseum (£16.50+) and Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake (£12+). Another show which is theatrical but not theatre is Mariah Carrey is doing a small Christmas tour, including the 02.

CINEMA

I love going to the cinema. As an actress I always come out feeling very inspired. After coming out of the cinema from watching La La Land I walked into an audition the next day and booked it! Other than the inspirational aspect for me, I love that cosy vibe, especially now we have cinemas in the UK like Everyman and Electric Theatre where you can sit on red plush velvet sofas, armchairs and beds all whilst drinking cocktails and eating food. Perfection. This winter there are lots of fab films to go and see. I am seeing Nutcracker this weekend but before the end of the year I also want to watch Mary Poppins Return, The Grinch, Fantastic Beasts:The Crimes of Grindelwald, Ralph Breaks The Internet and The Christmas Cronicles (Netflix). We are seriously spoilt for choice.

RANDOM CHRISTMAS JOLLIES

There are so many fabulous random Christmas fun things to do, especially in the London area. Some exciting goodies that I came across were these:
• Winter Wonderland Hyde Park.
• SouthBank Christmas Festival.
• Christmas at Kew Gardens.
• Christmas wreath making at Petersham Nurseries.

I have a lot of lovely Christmas posts planned so make sure you stick around and follow me on Instagram and Facebook to make sure you don’t miss it. Christmas recipes and gift guides galore.

WHAT TO DO IN LONDON THIS CHRISTMAS | Megan Taylor

Rita Hazan Has Landed In The UK

When you look into Rita Hazan’s working history she seems to be the hair Queen of America. Rita is responsible for Beyonce, Jessica Simpson and Katy Perry’s hair to name a few. If Beyonce lets Rita touch her hair then she must be good! Rita has released hair products designed specifically for coloured hair. These products have been available in the USA for a while now but they have just landed in Selfridges in the UK. I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch at London’s Edition Hotel. The event took place in the Penthouse suite and was decked out with flowers and gold balloons. We drank the strongest margarita’s known to man and the champagne was flowing all night long, along with mini sliders to keep everyone a little more sober. This event was more like a cool New York party than a normal press event.
{Watch my You Tube video at the bottom of the page to see the event in action}

ROOT CONCEALER

It has been a while since I have been excited about a new beauty product on the market. I feel like all of the newest products that are coming out lately are just improved versions of what we already have. This root concealer is new, at least it is new to me. It is well designed and does its job well. You can either buy it in pencil form or in a spray can. With the spray version you can conceal your roots with a quick spritz up and down your root line in between hair appointments. The root concealer pencil is my favourite because it is a multi-purpose product…which are always a bonus in my opinion. The pencil chubby stick comes along with its own mascara style brush. This brush allows you to scrape away at the crayon stick and then paint the colour onto your hair. The stick is stiff and super pigmented. The reason this pencil is multi-purpose is because you can use it on your eyebrows!!!!!! …and it works like an absolute natural looking dream. Because the pencil is so dense I feel like it is going to last a very long time.

SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER

Rita’s shampoo and conditioner are made specifically with coloured hair in mind. These products are designed to make sure they don’t strip your hair dye. It leaves your hair feeling silky smooth. I love the packaging of the full sized products but I adore the smaller sized products which are perfect for travelling. When you go on holiday and are unintentionally bleaching and drying your hair in the sun at the beach you will need these products to keep your hair looking glossy.

Have you ever tried any of these products? What do you think of them?

BEHIND THE SCENES

My Latest Make Up Obsessions

I am having a bit of a love affair with make up lately and have recently stocked up on plenty of new goodies so expect a lot more make up obsessions to be coming soon to my blog. The pieces I have selected to show you today are from Too Faced, KIKO and Make Up Forever. I hope you enjoy my latest make up obsessions.

KIKO eyeshadow brush
I love KIKO. Everything they sell is affordable so you can try out new products without breaking the bank. This make up brush has been perfect for a bit of precision eye shadow blending.

Make Up Forever eyeshadow brush
This brush is a little chunkier than the KIKO brush which makes it great for an easy application of a large expanse of eye shadow.

Make Up Forever Eyeshadow – Platinum
This eye shadow is absolutely beautiful, it is like a zillion stars clustered together into a little pot. With just a small brush of this on your eyelids when you are on holiday you will be all set to go for your evening ahead.

Too Faced Smokey Eye Palette
I have been a lover of Too Faced for a while now. Their packaging is always very enticing. This Too Faced palette is wonderful. All of the colours are wearable with no eyeshadows that are too “out there”. I normally find that with an eye shadow palette there are colours that I never use but that is not the case with this one. ‘Firefly’ and ‘Cloves’ are my favourite colours to use for a day look and then build it up with the darker colours and the silver ‘In A Flash’.

What make up have you been loving lately?

Launch Party For Palmer’s Coconut Oil Formula

This blog post has been a long time coming and I am sorry for the wait. Unfortunately I just had too many other blog post scheduled. Last month I was invited to an event by Palmer’s and their lovely PR team. The location was at the wonderful Ham Yard Hotel. If you are an avid reader of my blog you may remember me recommending Ham Yard Hotel in my ‘A Night Out In Soho’ blog post. Even though I often visit their bar I have never been lucky enough to have drinks on their balcony, until now. The rooftop is idyllic and so quiet that you wouldn’t believe you were a stones throw away from Piccadilly Circus. For more details on Ham Yard Hotel click here.

{A beautiful day for a beautiful location at Ham House Rooftop}

When we entered the lobby it was filled with the scent of coconuts because of both the products and the fact Palmer’s had custom made some candles scented with the fragrance of their products.

{The goodie bag had all the four products in the picture above. There was also a candle scented like the products made especially for the event}

The cocktails and canapés were beautiful and tasted amazing. Like all great events and parties Palmer’s of course had a photo booth which many of us bloggers leapt into and couldn’t get enough of.

{All good parties have to have a photo booth}

{This was my favourite product as it is super thick and moisturising for dry tanned skin}

The evening was quite warm for May so I headed out in skinny jeans, pink pumps and a smart blouse and my Mulberry Lily bag to dress up my outfit a little bit.

{What I Wore – Shirt: Zara, Jeans: Topshop, Shoes: Clarks, Necklace: Monica Vinader, Bag: Mulberry}

Santa Maria Pizzeria Chelsea Launch

I have been a long time lover of Santa Maria Pizzeria since they opened in Ealing in 2010. It is a fair trek for me to get there but it is well worth it for the amazing pizza. I have been taking family and friends there regularly since it opened and even blogged about it being the best pizzeria in London. The lovely owners Pasquale and Angelo invited my husband Liam and I down for the opening of their new larger venue in Chelsea. Just a few minutes walk from Fulham Broadway and you will be munching on the best pizza you have ever eaten within minutes. Take along all your friends and family and sit at the long family table.
The new venue is much bigger than Ealing and you can now book tables to guarantee you get seated. The urban interior bridges the gap between industrial Imperial Wharf and Cosmopolitan Chelsea in the most perfect way. We had such a lovely time and the pizzas were made to absolute perfection. After chatting to Pasquale and Angelo they mentioned that their pizza dough recipe is literally a science experiment based on the weather. They have to continually alter the recipe depending on how hot it is outside.

{Wonderful list of affordable Italian cocktails}

{Santa Maria – Chelsea}

Dine like an Italian:
Aperitif: Order an Aperol Spritz and olives to start.
Main: Santa Buffalina pizza and a Peroni.

{Santa Buffalina Pizza}

Let me know if you visit and take lots of pictures
x

Lumiere {review}

If you are looking for something to do this weekend then make sure you head into London to see the town lit up as you’ve never seen it before.
For four days (finishing tomorrow) London has been filled with light installations suitable for all ages.

14th-17th January
18:30-22:30
Free

Our route:
Trafalgar Square-Leicester Square-St James’ Square-Picadilly-(Kingly Court for a pizza at Pizza Pilgrims)-Carnaby Street-Oxford Street-Grosvenor Square.

If you only visit one location, make sure you head to either
Leicester Square for the flower garden lights they were absolutely beautiful or
Regent Street for the floating Sea Creatures.

I have never seen London as bustling as it was last night. Even though everywhere was busy you didn’t feel as if you couldn’t get from place to place. There are loads of different installations across London and the event is very well controlled to help filter everyone around.Download a map from here.

Christmas Theatre Trips

Every year I try to book tickets to the theatre at Christmas.
There’s no better excuse to get dressed up and drink cocktails than going to the theatre in the West End at Christmas time.
I have recently been to see Elf and Funny Girl.
Elf was very festive and perfect for this time of year while Funny Girl would be perfect all year around.

ELF

Stars: ***
Where we sat: Circle. Row G. Seat 32
Ticket Price: £78.50
Tube: Tottenham Court Road
Buy Tickets

As many of you know Elf is my favourite film. As soon as I heard the musical of Elf was coming to the West End in London I jumped at the chance to buy tickets.
There was a lot of press regarding the extortionate price of the tickets for Elf but there were definitely a few average priced tickets available.
When you are in the Domion theatre you can see the stage pretty well from all the seats.

Kimberley Walsh from Girls Aloud played the part of Jovie. I was really impressed by her vocal abilities in her solo number. She definitely didn’t get the chance to show that off whilst in Girls Aloud!
Ben Forster played Buddy the Elf and he picked up on loads of Will Ferrell’s Buddy-isms.
Special credit goes to Joe McGann playing Walter Hobbs who perfected James Cann’s voice and mannerisms immaculately.

I feel the story was well adapted for the stage but as no one knew any of the songs it didn’t create the normal musical theatre atmosphere of the audience humming along.

The magical ending was perfect for kids and adults. There was snow falling from the ceiling and Father Christmas somehow flew over the stalls like a One Direction concert!
The majority of the audience were in their late twenties, early thirties but the show was definitely aimed at the kiddies.

FUNNY GIRL

Stars: *****
Where we sat: Row B. Seat 15
Ticket Price: £40.00
Tube: Southwark / London Bridge
Buy Tickets

I have never seen the movie of Funny Girl but I know a lot of the songs, having sung them in singing classes as a kid.
We were lucky enough to go to one of the previews of the show.
It is currently running at the Chocolate Menier Factory in Southwark before going to the Savoy next year for an extended run.
I was so pleased to have seen it at the Chocolate Menier Factory.
It is a lovely small theatre and I got to sit in the second row, making me feel as if I was part of the show.

Sheridan Smith and Darius Campbell played the leads and were wonderful.
Darius has come a long way since the days of Pop Idol.
He executed a heartfelt portrayal of Nick Arnstein.
If Sheridan doesn’t win an Olivier Award next year I would be shocked.
Smith played the part of Fanny perfectly. Her voice was wonderful and hit all the big notes. Her rendition of Don’t Rain On My Parade was fabulous.
I don’t quite know how she managed to tear up in so many scenes…such an incredible actress.

Tanya’s Cafe {Review}

After a long day of filming my husband came and met me for dinner in London.
He took me to Tanya’s Cafe.
I have been vegetarian since I was nine and always had an incling to try out being plant based but never thought it would be possible.
When I found out about Tanya’s Cafe I immediately put it on my list of places to go.
We have Tanya’s cook book and regularly follow the recipes.

We arrived at 7pm and it was fairly quiet, about 50% full.
The atmosphere was lovely and chilled.
The restaurant is set within My Hotel, nestled somewhere between the Kings Road and Fulham Road.
By the time we left at 9pm the restaurant was full and buzzing.
We could have stayed there all night drinking cocktails and nibbling on kale crisps.

While we decided what we were going to have for dinner we ordered a cocktail each.
They were the healthiest and freshest cocktails I have ever had. They were really delicious.

What we drank: Passionate Crush, Mango Mexicana, Sweet Burn and Top Gun.

We couldn’t decided what to order so we shared an array of random dishes.

What we ate: Pad Thai , falafels, kale crisps, carrot sticks with red pepper hummus and an aubergine dish.

The pudding (pictured above) was my favourite dish of the night. The cake was a chocolate and date puree slice. I would go back just for that slice alone. Tanya…please put the recipe for this in your next book.

I would highly recommend this restaurant. Everything is raw and vegan.
My husband thought he was going to be hungry after our meal but he was completely full.

A Night Out In Soho

I am very excited to present my first in a series of “a night out in…” blog posts.
Tonight I am starting with one of my favourites… a rather boozy night out in Soho, London.
Below is a map of your night adventure, drawn by my talented hubby Liam. (Make sure you print it out or save the image to your phone and take it with you).

1. Pizza Pilgrims
If you read my blog post, the Best Pizzeria’s In London, you will already know that Pizza Pilgrims is one of my Top 6 Pizzeria’s in Europe.
Where better to start off your night than with a pizza at Pizza Pilgrims.
Order yourself a margherita pizza with buffalo mozzarella with an Aperol Spritz on the side.
*Top Tip: Get a seat upstairs by the window for some fabulous people watching.

2. Princi
Princi is like no other place I have ever been. The whole ambience created here is so peculiar and absolutely wonderful during night and day.
It feels like one big party in a grown up cafeteria.
You will meet more foreigners than Londoners in here. Not so much tourists though.
More like Europeans living in London hanging out in their own secret eatery that they never told you about.
*Top Tip: After your hearty pizza it is time to order another Aperol Spritz (they are fantastically large). Order one chocolate walnut cake to share.

3. Amathus
A few doors down from Princi is my favourite Wine Shop (I actually do not like wine but the spirit shelves are abundant). Amathus sell pretty much every alcohol brand you can imagine and more. The owners and all the staff really know their stuff. The staff always recommend the perfect alcohol and if you ask really nicely they let you taste before you buy, if they have it open. Liam and I have spent many a night tasting a multitude of different rums which is then followed by a very large shopping bag.
*Top Tip: Treat yourself to a bottle of Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum and Sambuca Molinari for sipping purposes once you get home.

4. Ham Yard Hotel
The last bar tonight is cool, calm and delectable.
As part of the Firmdale Hotel Group, everything feels very familiar to Charlotte Street Hotel, Covent Garden Hotel and Soho Hotel etc. yet Ham Yard has a slightly different cocktail and food menu than the others. Order a cocktail and some frites to soak up some of the boozy tipples for your journey home.
I haven’t tried it out yet but Ham Yard hotel have their own bowling alley and cinema…maybe I should include a trip there next time.
*Top Tip: Order the Havana Nights cocktail for a fresh, fruity, syrupy and boozy hit of rum and Chambord.

5. Home/Hotel
With Picadilly Circus tube station only a few steps away, jump on the tube home.
Once home you can put your shopping from Amathus to good use. I love a yummy night cap of a slowly sipped large shot glass of sambuca or rum before drifting off for a long slumber to many episodes of F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

Let me know if you go to any of these places and I hope you have a fantastic night with your friends or maybe on a romantic date?

Gift Bag Haul

Last week I was booked by my modelling agency to walk in Binky Felstead’s AW16 catwalk at Libertine in London. The event was put on by the lovely guys over at In The Style. When leaving I was given a gift bag which was filled with goodies.
I have just released a You Tube video (below) showing you everything that is in the goodie bag.

Make sure you subscribe x

Items in the gift bag

St Moriz Gradual Tanning Lotion

St Moriz Instant Leg Tanning Spray

Lee Stafford Double Blow Mousse

Binky London Nail Varnish (Silver Sparkler)

All that jazz Nail Varnish (The Crown Jewels)

Elegant Touch Nail Apothecary 05 Super-Matte Top Coat

Spectrum Make Up Brush (Dome Contour)

Vita Coco Coconut Oil 250ml

Vita Coco Coconut Water

Best Pizzerias In London…and Europe

Thin base, thick base, stuffed crust, sloppy, dry, meat, chilli…the choices for pizzas are endless but have you had a real Italian pizza?

I like to believe that my Italian heritage sort of allows me to judge what is the ‘perfect pizza’. With that said here is a little thought stream on my thoughts and my choice of London’s Best Pizzerias and a few in Europe that you must check out.

The original pizza started as a margherita to represent the Italian flag. Red (tomato), white (mozzarella) and the green (basil). I understand it is nice to add further ingredients to pizza from lesser restaurants but sweetcorn and pineapple…no! I have been know to add rocket and olives if I am somewhere where the pizza may not be quite so perfect. If you are eating a perfect traditional Napoli pizza you really do not need to add any ingredients, it is almost sacrilege.

Below are what I believe to be the best pizzerias in London…and Europe.

LONDON’S BEST PIZZERIAS

1. Santa Maria Pizzeria, Ealing
These pizzas have the perfect amount of wetness in the middle that you can rip off your chewy crust and dip it in the gooey goodness. Santa Maria import all their ingredients from Naples and have been known to close up shop when they run out of ingredients rather than buy substandard supermarket replacements.
If you live close enough they will even deliver your pizza through Deliveroo …unfortunately for me I am not within this boundary.
TOP TIP: There is a no reservations policy so you can always get a table when you turn up or if it is busy you can put your name and number on a list, pop to the pub next door and they call you when your table is ready.
Santa Buffalina is the pizza to order.

{Santa Maria, Ealing}

2. Pizza Pilgrims, Soho
Starting as a pizza van they quickly gained lots of adoring fans and soon opened up a restaurant in Soho. There are now three, one in Kingly Court, one in Dean Street and I hear there is also a rooftop restaurant in Peckham (I haven’t been to this one yet so can’t judge that one).
My favourite in the rainy months is the Dean Street restaurant (I often follow my meal here with a cocktail at Soho Hotel a few doors down. Get the Twisted Mojito). This restaurant feels perfectly Italian and wonderfully cosy. There is a friendly Italian family vibe of closer the better and no sense of personal space. Just embrace it and enjoy your delicious pizza. This restaurant has an atmosphere that feels as if you are actually in Italy.
In the summer months I prefer to eat at the Kingly court restaurant as you can sit outside. As a non-smoker I adore the fact that there is a strict no smoking policy within Kingly Court. I like to follow my pizza with a cocktail upstairs at The Rum Kitchen (I recommend the Zombie).
TOP TIP: Order an Aperol Spritz or three alongside your margherita pizza with buffalo mozzarella on top.

{Pizza Pilgrims, Soho}

3. L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, Baker Street
New to London is Da Michele, imported from Naples, Italy (it is in my Europe’s best pizzas list below). It only opened in October 2017 (I am here updating this blog post as it seems to be pretty popular. This spot used to be reserved for B Soho but they closed down). Liam and I popped by to L’Antica in Baker Street last week and loved it, it tasted exactly as it does in Naples and is just as big as they are served there. It’s safe to say this is the biggest pizza you are going to get in London. Don’t worry about getting a seat, Liam and I went at peak time on a Friday night and were immediately seated in prime position and received our pizzas in minutes. There are two floors and they accommodate big party bookings. I can’t wait to go back.

EUROPE’S BEST PIZZERIAS

1. Pizzeria Trianon, Naples
The best pizza in the entire world!
Growing up and staying with relatives in Naples this was the first and only pizzeria my Italian relatives would take me to and I will never forget it. The pizza is to die for and the atmosphere is like no other. The constant Italian chiacchiericcio (chatting) is music to the ears. The pizza is so big that it spills over the edge of your plate.
Located beside the infamous Via Forcella (a rather scary street at night time) you are in the heart of Napoli and the restaurant is full of locals.
TOP TIP: Eat and drink like a local by ordering “una birra e un margherita” and they will treat you like family.

2. L’Antica Pizzeria da Michaele, Naples
Opposite Trianon this pizzeria is also incredible. Michaele and Trianon are renowned for being the best pizzerias in the world but my heart lies with Trianon. The pizzas are just as big as Trianon but they are not quite as juicy.
Both restaurants have a constant queue of people outside but you will never have to wait long because there is no waiting around once inside. You order straight away, eat 3 minutes later then pay the bill. No hanging about and not exactly a long romantic meal. Do not let this stop you. Save the romanticism for your gelato by the harbour.
TRIVIA: Julia Roberts filmed the Italian pizza scene in ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ here.
TOP TIP: Same as at Trianon. Order a margherita and a beer and you will have a wonderful time.

3. Gatto Bianco, Lindos
Greece probably doesn’t immediately spring to mind when you think of pizza. This pizzeria is originally from Pozzuoli, S.Italy so naturally the pizzas are srummy. As a fussy eater I loved having a restaurant when on holiday in Lindos that I knew I would like the food. The pizzas had a wonderfully traditional chewy base with the perfect amount of traditional charcoal patches.
TOP TIP: Grab a seat on the rooftop terrace for pizza at dusk with fabulous views of the Acropolis.

{Gatto Bianco, Lindos}

You may be screaming that I have missed out a few. Please do let me know where I have missed.

All this pizza talk and I am salivating…I’m off for a long drive to Santa Maria Pizzeria.

My First Vlog!!

I had quite a busy day today so I thought you may like to come along on the journey.
See what a modelling casting is like and learn about what a fittings model is.
Hope you enjoy. Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel and comment if you want any more YouTube videos,
M x

My top 5 healthy cook books

I have been a vegetarian for a very long time…twenty one years in fact.
When I was a kid it wasn’t very common. None of my friends were vegetarian and as far as I know nor was anyone at my school.
I am loving the current shift in attitude towards the whole vegetarian and plant based lifestyle. The previous negative stigma is no longer as apparent. There is an abundance of healthy eating Instagram accounts which have brought to the surface these fabulous Instfame beauties celebrating the natural lifestyle and bringing out these wonderful cookbooks.
These are my current favourite tried and tested healthy cook books:

1. The Uncook Book by Tanya Maher
The pictures in this book are beautiful and enticing. I am forever intrigued by the raw lifestyle. I would love to have more raw meals a week but my head says it is only achievable in the summer, yet this book makes the raw life seem attainable. Unfortunately the majority of the amazing recipes such as the fruit leather require a dehumidifier. Not only are they pricey but I cannot find space in my kitchen for anymore appliances…I haven’t even found any room for a dishwasher.

Fave recipe: Falafels on sticks

2. Get The Glow by Madeleine Shaw
I am loving this book. You will probably already use a lot of the ingredients within this book so you don’t have to go out and do a very expensive shop before you can make something. Every recipe looks so yummy but there are a fair few meaty recipes which I obviously won’t be making…although I could always use halloumi as an alternative.

Fave recipe: Quinoa burgers

3. Deliciously Ella by Ella Woodward
This book is fully plant based and sugar free and full of wonderfully delicious recipes. The only downside is that there aren’t many sweet treats in there. Having read this book from front to back a few times, I do feel the sugar free life could be achievable. Ella has even brought out an app full of even more recipes and is regularly updated.

Fave recipe: Sugar free baked beans

4. Hemsley Hemsley by Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley
From the girlies that made the spiralizer insanely popular and the word courgetti known across the globe. This book is beautiful and the least strict on healthy eating out of my top 4 picks. A fair few meaty dishes and sweat treats. You will find some scrummy recipe in here for all the family.

Fave recipe: Summer lime coleslaw

Hair Help

I think I have stumbled on a hair saviour.
I am sure you have all been there…freshly styled hair but you have to tie your hair up for the gym or simply for those day to day chores where having your hair in your face will just stress you out! On many occasions I have tied my hair up and been left with an unwanted kink in my preened hair. I used to sport the scrunchy look back when I was nine but I don’t feel trendy enough to do that look in the current “ironic” way.
I did found some chunky plain black fabric hair bands from H&M for about £3 which are fab but look like a bit of an old rag on your wrist. This week Popband caught my eye with their pretty elastics and ever since then my wrist has been adorned with a different coloured band each day.
At £8 they are a bit pricier than a standard hair band but the way I think about it is you are also paying for a bit of jewellery. I wear mine to bootcamp classes for the pretty effect but also the fact that there is no kink in my hair afterwards if I don’t have time to wash my hair.
I bought mine from a Joy store but you can buy them online at their PopBand.

Ritz Crackers Campaign

On a very chilly Friday morning I made my way to Clapton…miles away from Surrey…to shoot a campaign for Ritz Crackers. Until this day I had never eaten a Ritz Cracker before. This Friday saw me bite handfuls of them and they are scrumptious! I was really pleased to have booked this job. The casting just involved me posing in front of the camera smiling lots. These commercial modelling castings are often known as the money making jobs because the brand has to “buy you out” for a set amount of time as well as the day rate. I get booked for more of these jobs than fashion shoots because I am rather smiley 🙂 I actually got told on a recent casting that I smile too much…it certainly put an end to my smile in that casting…super scary casting director!
The job was so much fun. There were five models all twenty-something’s there to smile, laugh, eat and drink…”such fun”!
The campaign will be about for the month of June starting today in the Metro (picture below). You will also spot it in glossy magazines and around the shops and at bus stops. Let me know where you spot it 🙂