The Blossom Shed: July 2012

Pimm's O'Clock...

This week lets all drink to the Olympics, other, athletic-type people's superb feats, and that heavenly place that is London in the summertime, rain or not. Pimm's anyone?

The classic Pimm's Cup is the simplest of summer sips - three parts "lemonade" to one part Pimm's mix, blended with thinly sliced cucumber, citrus, strawberry and mint. Together they create the effect of a twilit summer garden party in a glass. Straw boaters, gramophones, fragrant roses and all. A classier, more genteel sangria, if you will. Being a fan of anything involving gin, mint, quinine or strawberries, it's my kind of drink.

For us Americans, remember that in the UK, they call Seven-Up and similar, "lemonade" - hence why I was always getting around my mother's soda ban as a child by innocently ordering a lemonade at restaurants and then pretending to be disappointed but resigned when a fizzy glass of 7-Up arrived. I was secretly thrilled that the trick lasted as long as it did. So the British will tell you that Pimms is made with lemonade, therefore confusing issues further, since I prefer it made with real, sparkling lemonade - the kind actually made with lemons. It's also lovely with ginger ale, should you feel like getting creative.

Serve with lots of ice, in a charmingly retro glass, and enjoy the Olympic feats from the safety of a comfy striped deck chair. I particularly enjoy the showjumping and swimming - the only two sporting endeavors I partake of myself - and will be mixing up some festive pitchers for each...

Which event is your favorite? Will you be toasting it with a Pimm's?

Pictures via Pinterest

Friday Frock

This week's frock isn't the sort of thing I would normally wear - it falls into that rarer category of "wardrobe for the life I wish I led". Which is a relief, since it's sold out everywhere. I love the heft and detail of the fabric, and the sophisticated, timeless silhouette with its nipped-in waist and slightly longer sleeves. Fresh little details like cheeky pockets and hidden sheer stripes add a little unexpected youthfulness. Very modern day Grace Kelly. Also appropriate for Venetian canal boat chases with James Bond, and/or major art heists. Pair with a posh pair of putty-colored pumps, a classic, structured handbag (Kelly again) and an expensively disheveled coif.

What kind of adventures would you get up to in this fabulous dress?

Dressing Table Dreams

Is there anything lovelier than a mirrored dressing table? I think here in the States we call them vanities, but a childhood spent with too many English novels means they will always be known to me as dressing tables. Regardless of moniker, every girl should have some form of one in her life - whether it's a simple, pretty tray of bottles atop a dresser, or a converted desk and mirror combination, we all need that little place to retreat to and meditate over our lipsticks and perfume. A place where we can be unabashedly feminine for a little bit, and add a little ritual into the day. A temple of pretty things and quietness in a loud and busy world - and no more sitting cross-legged in the sink to apply your mascara. What's your dream table? I'll take any and all of these beauties....

photos via Pinterest

Sans Ceuticals Haircare

Surely you all know how sensitive my skin it - not least because I never shut up about it - but it really does seem to find new ways to annoy and thwart me at every turn. Recently, I've been having trouble with shampoos and hair products - they irritate my scalp and do nothing for my long, lifeless tresses. That is until a box arrived from Sans Ceuticals, a lovely little line all the way from New Zealand. The aptly named Sans is a boutique, Auckland-based haircare line that takes green to a whole new level. Entirely chemical-free, only the most potent and effective natural extracts and vitamins are used, while every effort is made to make sure ingredients are organic, locally sourced, sustainably harvested and highly active. Even the packaging is ecologically sound - the simple and chic little bottles are made of non-leaching plastics and printed with vegetable inks.

I'll admit I was a bit doubtful trying out the line - yes the idea and ethos of the brand is great, but who hasn't had some unpleasant run-ins with so-called natural shampoos and conditioners that leave hair a limp mess of snarled tangles?. The Nourishing Hair Wash sudses up beatifully but subtly into a dense, velvety foam, leaving hair feeling clean but not stripped. After the a few pumps of the Nourishing Hydratant (that's fancy Kiwi talk for conditioner), ends felt soft and smooth without any of that creepy silicone slickness. To top things off, I'm in love with the beautiful scent as well - fresh, natural and softly sweet - like tangerine peel and freesia blossoms.

All in all, a big hit here at the Blossom Shed - pure luxury that you feel good about using. Clearly hair likes it too - my straggly ends are softer and smoother, while my roots are less weighed down by build up and heavy silicones. I have to break the news to you now that it is rather expensive, particularly if you're used to drugstore-priced shampoos. Not everyone will be able to justify it - but I'd highly recommend the line if you have sensitive skin, are committed to using only the purest products, or have invested in expensive highlights or color that you want to gently protect.

Should the mood strike you, you'll find Sans Ceuticals products in the US at Woodley and Bunny or Anthropologie, and in the UK at Love Lula.

*Products was kindly provided by Sans for consideration.
Picture via Pinterest

Lazy Links

Today is a bit too hot to sunbathe, so here we are - sprawled out under over-worked ceiling fans, eating popsicle after popsicle, and generally making a sticky, grape-colored mess of the keyboard. If your Monday is looking as lazy as ours, how about a little wander around some of the things that caught our eye this week?

Cleanse your palate after this week's Venetian excess with some light-filled, clean interiors From Scandinavia with Love. Makes us want to buy a cheerily painted summer house and eat lots of herring.

A list of the best secret British beaches. Chilly, pebbly heaven.

An ode to the style icon that is Clair Huxtable. Say what you like - the woman could wear the hell out of a chunky sweater.

We have finally discovered the cure for dry, peeling lips. It involves tupelo honey and corn grits, and it's very difficult not to just eat the stuff straight out of the tub.

Some genius has built a library in a vineyard. They're our kind of crazy.

This sweater isn't just criminally fabulous, it's also coronation-appropriate. Now we just need the weather to cool off a bit so we can wear it.

Are we the only ones to think this whole Coachella cruise thing sounds like a really terrible idea? Like scores of drunk girls overboard bad? Though the thought of fruity drinks at the ship's bar with Jarvis Cocker almost saves it. We feel he'd be a pina colada man.

The house of Yves Saint Laurent is changing the brand's title to Saint Laurent Paris. This is too idiotic for us to care to comment on.

Those sneaky minxes over at Domestic Sluttery have started a pudding club. It's chocolate month apparently. We would like to join a club where other people make us lovely puddings and then drop them off at our door without wanting to come in and chat.

Did you know there's a Jane Austen festival held in Kentucky every year? Everyone dresses up, has tea, and we can only assume does some serious matchmaking and/or verbal sparring. Oh and there's gentlemen's DUELS. We're in.

Have you entered our absolutely fabulous giveaway yet? Why on earth not?

We have absolute swathes of scent, skincare and makeup reviews on the way again - let us know if there's anything you'd particularly love to see, or if you have any burning beauty questions you're dying to ask. Leave a comment, or write us at theblossomshed@gmail.com - we adore getting mail....

image via Pinterest

Giveaway! Win a Sumptuous Face Oil from Suti - CLOSED!

Here we are at The Blossom Shed's very first giveaway, and it's a fabulous one if we do say so ourselves. The lovely ladies at Suti, that temple of all that is pure, luxurious and nourishing, have generously sent us FOUR bottles of their divine Rejuvenate Face Oil to share...

Remember how we gushed over the sumptuous Nourish Oil earlier this year? The Rejuvenate Oil is like its younger, peppier sister - a bit lighter and zestier, with an uplifting, citrus scent and bright, golden color. A blend of the purest, highest quality oils - rosehip, argan, evening primrose, sandalwood, frankincense, tangerine and neroli - it's utter heaven for your your senses and your skin.

Hydrating, balancing and soothing, it's a fabulous choice for dry, sensitive, mature, combination and acne-plagued skins. Basically, everyone. Wear it daily, nightly, or as a treat when your skin needs a little extra pampering. It's lovely under sunscreen, and I feel like it keeps my skin soft and hydrated while still allowing it to breathe - I use it on weekends when I want to give skin a break and a bit of a pamper - a few drops massaged into damp skin leave it glowing and radiant.

Want to read more about the product? Peruse some of the glowing reviews at Beauty Mouth, A Model Recommends, Elle UK and Fig + Sage. We also want to send a huge thank you to Tina and Suzannah of Suti for sponsoring this giveaway - they're skincare geniuses and generous to boot.

CARE TO WIN A BOTTLE?

Leave a comment telling us A) how you follow The Blossom Shed - GFC, Bloglovin', Twitter or Facebook (if you want us to love you forever you'll follow via ALL of them) and B) why your skin deserves a treat. Giveaway ends August 1st, and is open to anyone, anywhere - it may take us ages to mail it if you're in Siberia, but send it we will.

Four winners will be chosen randomly - make sure you leave a contact, via email or Twitter, so that we can contact you if you're one of the lucky few!

Gorgeous Getaway - Ca Maria Adele, Venice

I know it's the fashionable thing to absolutely hate Venice - the crowds, the smell, the very difficultness of it all - but I can't help myself. I'm just not very cool - I love it. Granted I've never been in the high season - my memories of the city are early, misty winter mornings and empty, snaking alleyways. Pink, Turner-esque sunsets setting the city aglow in the evenings until a dense, chilling fog settles over the lagoon. See how ridiculous it makes me sound? That's Venice - it is ridiculous, and you have to just embrace the sinking, sea-soaked, sordid mess of it all and be overcome with the sheer weight of history and intrigue around every corner.

It may be a circle of hell in high summer, but I think in late January it's utterly magical, a place outside of time, to escape and hide out for a few days in a fantasy of gilded opulence. And next time I visit, I'm more than a little tempted to stay here...

...In the hotel Ca Maria Adele, a stylishly re-imagined 16th century palazzo in central but civilised Dorsoduro.

I can't say that this whole place doesn't terrify me slightly. Well, more than slightly. You just know there's a dwarf in that red bedroom waiting to jump out and stab someone. Also that doge fellow on the wall is clearly up to no good. But who cares! It's so ridiculously dark and opulent, so unabashedly straight out of the Venice of the imagination, that I think it's fabulous. Look at all those dark corners and shadow-throwing lights! It looks incredible - though I'm sure a weekend would be plenty of time to enjoy its charms. Any longer and you'd need to recover with a long respite somewhere bright white and minimalist to cleanse the senses of all that velvet.

top photo via pinterest

Feel the Burn - Soothing Scalded Skin...

I'm over at She Said Beauty again today, rounding up the best ways to soothe a sunburn. Head on over if you've ever been a little too careless with your SPF - these remedies and potions will take the sting right out of your burn....

Ever had a really dreadful burn? I've had a few minor mishaps so far this summer - no one told me that Zyrtec and other allergy medicines can make you photosensitive. Ouch...

Cult Classic - Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse

I've long admired Nuxe's Huile Prodigieuse from afar - convinced that until I spent my summers on a wood-panelled yacht on the Riviera, I didn't need to be spending a fair chunk of money on a tiny bottle of fragrant, luxurious oil. I broke down this year and decided not to wait for the yacht - that could take ages - and until then I'd like to be adding a bit Riviera glam and featherlight hydration to everyday life.

The blend of six precious oils (Borage, St. John's Wort, Sweet Almond, Camellia, Hazelnut and Macadamia) sinks invisibly and lightly into skin, leaving a glowing, subtle sheen. No mess, no oiliness, just instant, lightweight hydration. The beautiful frangipani fragrance smells like a beach in the south of France - sunsoaked, expensive and slightly old fashioned. Smooth onto shins and shoulders for extra glow, or dab a bit onto cuticles as a luxurious pick me up for overworked hands. A drop or two leaves hair shimmering, separated and softly fragrant - with no heavy formulas or slick silicones to weigh it down. I even like a tiny amount on cheek and browbones to add a little highlight to skin. It's a multi-purpose hero product for me, and I'm not alone - in France, a bottle is sold every six seconds - entrenching it firmly into cult classic territory. Nuxe products are some of my very favorites - simple, high-quality, pharmacie-chic - besides the divine Huile Prodigieuse, I'm a big fan of their cleansing waters and soothing moisturizers.

Basically, you need a bottle. It will sit looking stately and stylish on your dressing table, you'll reach for it daily, and when you close your eyes you could almost be on that yacht - what more can you ask?

It's the weekend, Have a drink.

This week's drink is non-alcoholic. I'll wait while 70% of you shuffle off in disappointment...

Despite being something of a coffee fanatic, I've always been rather disappointed in the iced variety. It's fine and all, but there's not that knock-out, instant happiness kick that a cup of hot cafe au lait inspires. All the beautiful, rich flavors seem to fade away when hot coffee gets iced, leaving behind something rather watery. Astringent, acidic, and entirely lackluster. Then at some point last year, I caught up with the rest of the culinary world, and tasted the cold-brewed variety.... And all of a sudden all of those oenophile-worthy descriptions that coffee snobs are always using start to make sense. Why yes, I think I CAN taste swirling caramel undertones and a hint of burnt cherry! It's smooth, creamy, thirst quenching and rich - really startlingly delicious. All of the wonderful flavor and depth, none of the watery bitterness.

I pour about a half a cup of coffee to 2 cups cool water in a large pitcher, jar or french press, and leave it in the cupboard for 12 hours. Sieve through a fine filter, or through the French press if you're lazy and don't mind a bit of silt. If you're normal, pour over ice with equal parts water and milk. If you're like me, and have built up a dizzying resistance to caffeine, you'll leave out the water. Store the remainder in the fridge for when you'll inevitably want another glass.

If you want to be really thorough in your drinking experience, freeze cubes of coffee, milk or a mix thereof beforehand - no more melting ice watering down your favorite brew. Also, it's a simple fact that iced coffee tastes best drunk through a bendy straw. I don't know why. It just does. Now I just need to find a way to make bigger batches. I'm thinking in the bathtub, a la gin. It's going to be a very icy and highly caffeinated summer here at the Blossom Shed....

Friday Frock

Oh those ancient Greeks. Say what you like, they knew how to drape. There's nothing I love more than this goddess-style cut - particularly when it's executed as beautifully as on this week's frock. Why do we bother with shifts and maxis, wraps and sheaths, when there's the option of looking like you've just sprung, resplendent and immortal, from the sea's pale, aqua foam? Also suitable for summer wedding's, rooftop cocktails and other mere mortal events.

Pair with metallic accessories, luminous skin and a messily braided updo, and try to avoid launching a thousand ships while at the bar.

Popsicle Pretty

I'm not particularly brave about wearing bright makeup, but something about a sunkissed complexion peering back from the mirror gives me the sudden urge to play with popsicle hues. Healthy, glowing skin and the golden summer light are the perfect accompaniments to an unexpected and flattering pop of color. I like to dip my toes into the look with candy-colored and neon nails, a flick of aqua liner or a flush of dewy, artificial cherry on cheeks. Sugary, saturated shades sheered onto lips leave a bright, cool translucence - just like the soft, colorful stain left behind by an icy, frozen treat.