THE RELATIONSHIP ISSUE £3.95
GREAT WEEKEND GETAWAYS INVESTIGATED
WHITNEY THOMPSON AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL TALKS LIFE AFTER WINNING LEE STAFFORD TALKS THIS SEASON’S HAIRSTYLES
Spring Fashion Trends
MOUTHWATERING RECIPES FROM THE HEAD CHEF AT THE CHELSEA BRASSERIE
HOT BEAUTY BUYS & TRIED AND TESTED TREATMENTS
PLUS We talk RELATIONSHIPS with our Body, Food, Men and Clothes
EDITOR’S LETTER Happy New Year and welcome to issue 5! It’s been a very exciting and busy few months at SLiNK HQ and we’re beyond thrilled that we can now offer you SLiNK magazine in print too. This issue is The Relationship Issue; being February, the month we’re inundated with Valentines day, we decided to look at not just those cliche ideas but also the relationship that we have with our bodies, families, children, food and clothes, find all of our amazing features inside! Of course this issue is packed full of hot SS12 trends and 3 great fashion stories; don’t forget to check out our interview with America’s Next Top Model winner Whitney Thompson and Canadian based brand ‘Allistyle’. I’d also like to welcome to the team our new NYC correspondent Kellie B from Fatshion Insider and our new Accessories Editor, Ashanti Jason. Finally, thank you for your continued support. We hope you grab a printed copy of SLiNK via our website and love it like we do! Here’s to a fabulous 2012 for every single one of you. Xxx Rivkie Baum
Alexis Bicknell is an Aussie PR girl eating her way through London. Forget the bar, she goes straight for the food and is found trying new eats around town with her chef boyfriend. food@slinkmagazine.com Rivkie Baum, Editor in Chief, is a Design and Pattern Cutting graduate from the London College of Fashion. She works as a freelance fashion journalist and stylist and launched SLiNK magazine in April 2011. editor@slinkmagazine.com Milly Jackson is a national award-winning fashion designer Samantha Mire heads up SLiNK and illustrator. She has recently magazine’s graphic design and illustrated for premium womensuring the layout is always enswear brand Whistles and is done on time. A Brunel ‘Product a regular contributor to various Design’ graduate, Samantha unfashion magazines. See more of dertakes freelance commissions. her work at: samanthamire@hotmail.com www.millyjackson.com Kellie Brown is Founder of Dee Andrews has a degree in NYLA, a public relations and Fashion Illustration and has studintegrated marketing firm, and ied Fine Art. Dee loves drawing fashion blogger. In her Slink fashion and portraits but is also Magazine column, ‘Fatshion In- a calligrapher and hopes to have sider’ Kellie B. dishes the skinny her own range of greeting cards on fashion beyond sample size. one day. She is available for freewww.fatshioninsider.blogspot. lance commissions. com kellie@slinkmagazine.com www.deeandrews.co.uk
MEET THE TEAM Keep In Touch With SLiNK Let Us Know What You Think Email Us: info@slinkmagazine.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/slinkmagazine Facebook: www.facebook.com/slinkmagazine You Tube: www.youtube.com/slinkmag Newsletter: Sign Up at www.slinkmagazine.com
Stephen Geraghty tackles the photography for SLiNK Food with mouth-watering results. Stephen is a portrait and lifestyle photographer originally from London, now based in idyllic Norfolk. www.stephengeraghty.co.uk Willa Gebbie is a designer/illustrator with a love for illustration, print and pattern. She lives in London, working from home, drinking tea and teaching yoga in her spare time. www.willagebbie.com
Simon Henbery (Head of Food) has spent the last 16 years in some of London’s top kitchens including time as Head Chef at Jamie Oliver’s ‘Fifteen’. He currently heads the kitchen at the Chelsea Brasserie in fashionable Sloane Square. food@slinkmagazine.com
Jeffrey Michael (Features Editor) Hunts down designers, celebrities and international models to bring SLiNK readers the hottest interviews. Jeffrey is a designer, launching his first collection at LFW Feb 2012. www.jeffreymichaeldesign.co.uk Katie Antoniou (Culture Editor) features@slinkmagazine.com is Editor of London arts and cul- jeffrey@slinkmagazine.com ture site Run-Riot and a contributor to The Guardian. In her spare time, she continues her research into time-travel and teleportation. Volunteers always needed. culture@slinkmagazine.com Ginny Weeks (Beauty, Travel and Motoring Editor) has interned at the likes of Vogue, Tatler and Harpers Bazaar, before working at trend forecasting site WGSN. She has also had a life long obsession with cars, which has resulted in her motoring section for SLiNK, a bold and unique feature written especially for women. Ginny also works as a freelance editor and writer on various fashion and beauty titles. beauty@slinkmagazine.com cars@slinkmagazine.com travel@slinkmagazine.com
Ashanti Jason (Accessories Editor) is primarily a full time mother of four, but also runs the Fashion Beauty, & lifestyle blog Adorngirl.com If that’s not enough she puts on more fashion hats as an illustrator, photographer and UK Fashion Features Editor of magazine Runway Passport. www.adorngirl.com ashanti@slinkmagazine.com
CONTENTS
Cover Credits Photography - Dave Wise Styling - Rivkie Baum Model - Alice @ Milk management Hair - Paula Mann @ Models 1 Make Up - Lauren Baker
The Relationship Issue 6 The Carrie Bradshaw Generation
7
Alice In Wonderland 8 My Relationship with...My Food
14
My Relationship with...My Body
16
SLiNK Meets...Whitney Thompson
18
SLiNK Meets... Allistyle 31 Speak Easy 34 Trends 40 Accessories 52 My Relationship with... My Accessories
53
New York Calling 54 My Relationship with... My Child
56
My relationship with... My Family
58
Beauty 59 Tried & Tested 66 Culture 72 Travel 75 Food 84 Restaurant Reviews 92 SLiNK Motoring 94 Next Issue 99
THE RELATIONSHIP ISSUE...
When we chose to call Issue 5, “The Relationship Issue” we were obviously aware that we would come out around Valentines Day but as we have feminists on the team we didn’t feel that lending a whole issue to the February obsession with ‘love’ was for us. After all, for all us single ladies out there who are taking care of business by ourselves, it is the relationships that we seek in our friends, family and colleagues that get us through the day, not a conventional 21st cen-
tury ‘partner’. We are who we are because of the relationships we form, be it with people or material objects. It doesn’t matter if you believe in nurture over nature or vice versa, it is the bridges we build and burn that ultimately form our characters and life choices. In this issue we challenged our writers to look beyond the norm and open up about the different relationships they have with Family, Body, Food, Fashion and Children, to explore how
wide the topic of ‘relationships’ really is. Now of course we can’t completely ignore the Valentine’s theme, as Koral Webb explores how 21st Century ‘Single Gal’ Carrie Bradshaw has paved the way for modern day, shoe loving feminists, who struggle to juggle career, love and friendship. Has she turned us all into demanding, Manalo wielding divas? So join us on this path discovery. Take some time, reconnect, as after all at the centre of all your relationships is YOU.
THE CARRIE BRADSHAW GENERATION
Words: Koral Webb Illustration: Dee Andrews
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A new year, a new life. Or so the legend of the new year’s resolution has it. I heard a fourteen year old girl in my local shopping centre tell her other gal pals, “My new year’s resolution is to stay single for the whole year.” It looks like she’s got the right idea. Forget happily ever after. There are a number of factors stopping us meeting our Mr Perfect like the heart-wrenching, butterfly inducing Noah from the Notebook. Do guys like him even exist? Or is romance well and truly six feet under? Young couples are struggling to hit it off, with youth unemployment at a record high. As just under a million young adults aged 16 to 25 are without a job, is there any room for romance within the lost generation? At this rate guys need every day to be an ‘Orange Wednesday’ to be able to get the girl and, quite frankly, even a night at the movies just isn’t going to cut it with our new seemingly impossible expectations of men (thanks Disney) who will more than likely fail to deliver. Women of today are focused
more on their careers than ever before. Perhaps it’s because of the added pressure of the economic slowdown and the daunting reality of having a family, mortgage, a successful marriage and a career which come at a very high price. Sometimes it is better to cut your losses. Maybe the concept of the nuclear family is well and truly lost in the UK as we find ourselves flat sharing with friends, becoming independent and saving the settling down until later. After all this is a generation of women with Carrie Bradshaw for a role model. A hot mess of career, friendship, men and a wardrobe to die for, it was inevitable that we would become fixated on ‘having it all’ and no compromise allowed. An independent, successful woman can make or break a man. Male pride is one of those things that us women always find ourselves tiptoeing around, but sometimes circumstances just can’t be helped. Having been in relationships where my income is larger than my partner’s inevitably we come across the
dreaded question, who pays for dinner? Traditionally he should, yet financially I should. Most of the time he couldn’t, so I would. Then we both ended up feeling awful, him for not paying and me for denting his self-esteem. Safe to say, I’m now single, so I’m buying my own dinner, at half the price. With divorce rates up 4.9% last year according to the National Data Collection, this matches the statistics from the bleak economy of the seventies. As Thatcher tipped Britain into the slippery slope of recession jobs were few and far between, causing an immense strain on relationships. Sound familiar? There are copious amounts of negativity surrounding love in this day and age; relationships are harder to sustain but that doesn’t make them impossible. It’s a waiting game ladies, that’s for sure. If it can happen to Kate Middleton then it can happen to all of us. Until then, blame Carrie Bradshaw as you choose your Manolo’s over a man.
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ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Neon Stripe Tee - Asos Curve Orange Blazer - H & M Floral Leggings - Yoek Shoes - Stylists Own Necklace - Topshop Ring - Galibardy
Photography: Dave Wise Styling: Rivkie Baum
Photography: Dave Wise Styling: Rivkie Baum Model: Alice @ Milk Management Makeu Up: Lauren Baker using Chanel Cosmetics and Dermalogica Skin care Hair: Paula Mann @ Models1 using Paul Mitchell Hair Care Location: Callooh Callay www.calloohcallaybar.com Special Thanks - Jeremy
Corset - Asos (Customised by Stylist) Skirt - Beyond Retro Necklace - New York Couture Hair Pieces - Decorations from a selection at Paperchase and Stylists Own Socks - Topshop Shoes - as before
MY BODY I’ve got a confession to make… I love my body. All 17 stone, 5’ 7” of it. I haven’t always felt this way; in fact a deep hatred and loathing of my body led me down a very long, painful and extreme path. You see, I come from a fat family; both sides Mum, Dad, Nannas, Grandads, the lot. However, I wasn’t a particularly large child, I was chubby, sure, but nothing that would ring alarm bells to a normal family. (I use the term “normal” very loosely). Because of my parents fear I’d become like them and in a desperate attempt to save me from fatty doom they saw fit to place me on a calorie controlled diet aged 9. Thing is, no child should be made to be aware of calories let alone have to count them religiously and write them in a notebook every night after school. Childhood should be carefree, breezy and filled with laughter. Don’t get me wrong; on the whole, mine was just that, apart from when food was involved, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that my parents decision was based largely on love but, in hindsight it was grossly misjudged, and thus began my terrible relationship with food and my body. By the time I reached my teens I was massively aware of my phys-
icality, conscious of my weight and obsessed with what went into my body. I began a vicious cycle of starvation and binge eating. I already at 13 years old understood the whole weight watchers programme, thanks to a “helpful” PE teacher who photocopied the diet books for me and instructed me how to work out points and although I was a very active teenager (Captain of the hockey and netball team no less!) the weight did not shift, in fact for every year I aged I matched in weight - 14 stone at aged 14, 15 stone at 15; you get the picture.
School was not an easy place to be but, as was the case for most of my life, I was constantly in a juxtaposition of being pretty and funny enough to be accepted by the cool gang but fat enough to be ridiculed by the mean girls. Sexual promiscuity followed, meaning I was happy to go with, well, basically anyone who would have me, trying to validate myself somehow, because surely if they were ok with my body, then I was? Except I wasn’t, I was miserable. Throughout this time what I failed to realise is that until I truly accepted myself
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SLINK MEETS... WHITNEY THOMPSON Written by: Jeffrey Michael Photography: Dave Wise Styling: Rivkie Baum
Hat - Eliane Sarah Millinery Necklace - Topshop Body Suit and Coat - Stylists Own
This fall I have come from London to Toronto to begin sampling the first collection under my brand Jeffrey Michael. As it happens the amazing Whitney Thompson, first and only plus sized winner of America’s Next Top Model is in town modelling for the brand Allistyle and giving seminars to University of Toronto students on positive body image and health. Whitney’s recently changed her hair from the blonde that I recall from her winning ANTM to a radiant chestnut brown that very much suits her warm eyes. We sit down with our cup of coffee, bagel, and begin chatting about her vibrant life since the show, from billboards in Time Square, life in New York City, (to) having ten Covergirl commercials, to becoming a main spokesperson for brands and healthy body image charities. We start chatting and I am so taken with Whitney’s charm that I almost forget to turn my voice recorder on…. Whitney: It’s so tiny compared to a New York bagel. SLiNK: I know why is that?! We definitely both deserve a wellearned sip of coffee first though before digging into everything! Whitney: Priorities right (laughs) SLiNK: Exactly! So, beginning with your career, things have gone amazingly well since your time on America’s Next Top Model (ANTM). It has really pushed through a brand new image to women, and it’s really brought something new to the
table of North American mainstream culture.
vates me to do what I do.
SLiNK: When you were looking at Whitney: Awesome. Interview some of the other previous ANTM over. You already know what’s contestants who were plus size, going on (laughs). What were you thinking in wanting to be so different?
“No one really had a real drive like I had, or wanted to change the industry like I did”
Whitney: I learned a lot from their mistakes. You know, Toccara [from cycle 3] is a good example. She was beautiful, she had everything going, she probably could have won. But she complained about them not having her size, she became angry about it. So I took that and went, alright, when this happens to me, because it will, they’ll SLiNK: (laughs) Do you feel like try to test me, I’m not going to when you were going onto the show react that way. And I think havthat one of your true motives was ing a message versus being like, to promote positive body image? ‘Hi, I’m big and I’m pretty and I should win’ is important. They Whitney: I knew when I went on want someone to win who is gothe show I had to separate myself ing to be a spokesperson and has from every other plus sized girl a good head on her shoulders. I that had been on the show before. think that definitely helped me. I thought that no one really had a real drive like I had, or wanted SLiNK: Well the thing is Tyra to change the industry like I did. Banks herself is such a spokesperI had my thirteen year old cousin son for so many different issues. Do say that she thought she was fat you still keep in touch with her? and it was like, ‘This is wrong’, what’s going on right now when Whitney: I haven’t really seen her women thinking they aren’t good since I taped her talk show. I was enough because of the size they supposed to go to a CW event are? That wasn’t OK with me. [the network that hosts ANTM] I wanted to change that, and it but I was outside of the counmotivated me through the show. try. I think she follows all of our And then becoming a spokesper- careers, because when I’ve won son for the National Eating Dis- awards or when something really order Association, travelling to good happened, she’ll send me all these universities, I speak to flowers or write me a letter. I’m women one on one, these college like, ‘Dude, Tyra Banks just sent girls, I talk to them and hear their me a bouquet of flowers! Um, stories, and it continually moti- that’s pretty cool.’ But no,
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Necklace - New Look Shoes - Dune Shapewear worn as dress - Maidenform
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SLINK MEETS... ALLISTYLE
Words: Jeffrey Michael
SLiNK meets owner, designer and the all round brilliant woman behind Alli Style. www.allistyle.com
SLiNK: Pam tell us about your do you see it sitting? charity work... Pam: I see Allistyle standing Pam: I am the President of Al- alongside brands such as Donna li’s Journey, a charity for young Karen, Theory and Ralph Lauadults with cancer that my ren. We are not your average daughter Alli started just prior to Lane Bryant, Evans brand that her passing. Alli was in the can- is made in Asia out of synthetcer system for over 7 years and ic fabrics. Allistyle is made in she saw that there was nothing Canada with the workmanship in Canada available for the sup- that surpasses other brands. Our port of young adults with cancer. clothing is travel friendly, sophisWe work hard to raise funds for ticated, timeless and works in young adults to have a special all environments with the addi“sanctuary” to come to in order tion of other pieces from your to be together and have the op- wardrobe. Allistyle is the “go portunity for the camaraderie to” label when you open up your that they so desperately need. closet every morning, that with These comfort rooms are the the addition of accessories you only kind available in Canada. are ready to go. Allistyle truly We have one in Toronto and we celebrates the curves of women are hoping to expand across the with clothing that highlights and country in the next 5 years. Alli’s appreciates the beautiful curves Journey can be found at www.al- of a full figured woman. lisjourney.ca. Allistyle supports Alli’s Journey with a percentage SLiNK: Why did you decide to use of net profits. eco friendly fabrics?
company that uses eco-friendly fabrications. I believe that the consumer wants to support sustainability and I know that by offering this option to them at a cost effective price, the consumer will want to make a difference. Plus size clothing benefits from the use of viscose from bamboo, as it is anti- micro bacterial, is easy to wear and adds complete comfort to your everyday life. Allistyle concentrates on using bamboo, organic cotton, and hopes to continue to do so in most of its collections.
SLiNK: If you had to place Alli- Pam: Allistyle is not an ecostyle alongside other brands where friendly company, but we are a
SLiNK: Who is the Allistyle woman? Describe her in 5 words
SLiNK: Where do you see the brand in 5 years’ time? Pam: In 5 years’ time, I believe that Allistyle will be the plus size brand that woman will be certain to have in their closet. I believe that in five years’ time, we will be one of the top international brands.
www.allistyle.com
SPEAK EASY Photography: Dave Wise Styling: Rivkie Baum
Fur Collar and Brooch - Vintage Market Dress - Customised by Stylist (Tassels from Barnett Lawson) Ring - Forever21 Shoes - Dune
Dress - Vintage Necklace - QVC Shoes - Pied a Terre
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Speziale Mermaid Maxi Dress £79 Marks & Spencer
Jersey Skater Dress £32 ASOS CURVE Exclusive
Dress - ASOS CURVE - £45 Clutch - River Island
Dress - Yours
Clothing
Dorothy Perkins - £39.50
Margrittes Printed Top - Navabi
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Rive
IMPRINTED
Print is huge for S/S12, seen on the runway at the likes of Prada and Caroline Herrera it is the easiest way to inject some ‘this season’ into your wardrobe. When getting your must have
print, make sure you choose a print with a base colour that you can match up easily, otherwise you’re in danger of letting it hang in your wardrobe! Prints this season are bonkers with a capital B
Illustration : Dee Andrews Fashion : Rivkie Baum
so embrace a loud splash of colour with open arms. Alternatively, add a touch of print to your look through a scarf. Think of it as a way of dipping your toe in the trend pond.
ACCESSORIES: CANDY SHOP Compiled/Written by Ashanti Jason
Lili Yang £768
95
£1 Follie Follie
Marc Cain £239
Dune £65
Kate Spade Kelsey Shoulder Bag around £300
Kurt Geiger Humbug Clutch £180 Image courtesy of Mulberry (S/S12)
Vibrant pops of colour were predominant on the SS12 catwalks from the bright stripes, and fluorescent yellows of Mulberry, iridescent oranges from Zoe Jordan, to the softer candyfloss hues of Meadham Kirchhoff. As always, the easiest way to inject these trends in to your wardrobe without a major overhaul is through your accessories. Here is a selection of bags to indulge your sweet tooth. Truly scrumptious...
LK Bennet £245
Bayswater £795 Mulberry
The large ladybug Grab Bag £365 Osprey French Sole £159
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www.fatshioninsider.blogspot.com
NEW YORK CALLING Interview by Kellie Brown Illustration by: Willa Gebbie
Our new columnist Kellie Brown aka Fatshion Insider (www.fatshioninsider.com) hits the streets of New York to keep us up to date with what is hot in the Big Apple. Chasing down the brands and designers that are leading the way in curvy apparel. For this first edition, Fatshion Insider checks out LA based label ‘Tbags of Los Angeles’ (www.tbagslosangeles. com) Tbags, created by Shadi AskariFarhat and Su-Lyn Tay, is among a new crop of contemporary designer brands that have moved beyond simply creating straight size fashion lines and have entered the plus size arena. Tbags can be found at the likes of Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks.
com as well as Bloomingdale’s and Bloomingdales.com (www. bloomingdales.com) and is one of my favorite luxury brands! The clothes are unique and their finishes and fastenings, in fact every detail makes each piece feel beyond special. I caught up with designer Shadi Askari-Farhat…
fabrics, suede and upholstery into stylish, chic and distinctive handbags. Starting in 2001 as an accessory collection, hence the name tbagslosangeles, it was a natural progression and only a matter of time before it evolved into a clothing line. Then in Autumn 2010, we expanded into the plus size clothing market.
Q. When the brand launched in 2001, it was just handbags, What year did Tbags begin creating plus size clothing? A. My business partner and I met while completing post-graduate degrees in merchandising and product development at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles where we began transforming vintage
Q. How did this come about? Did the retailers request that you add plus size to your range? A. It was Saks Fifth Avenue who requested that we develop a plus size line and we are forever grateful to them for that idea. Our mission is to create fashion that we wish we had hanging in our closets so no matter what size you are, women of every shape
Illustration by Milly Jackson
should be able to wear our de- ingdales, Nordstrom). A 1x is US signs. 14/16 2x is US 18/20, 3x is US 22/24 (UK 18-28). Q. Tbags to me, is really about looking really chic but still very Q. What’s coming up for Spring fun, is that the desired image of the from Tbags? brand? A. Silk bodies, new fun prints, A. It’s all about being chic and and luxe separates. Fresh and fun. Tbags Los Angeles epito- modern pieces that easily transimises sexy, sophisticated and tion from day to night. distinctive style. Exhilarating free flowing signature prints and Q. Are you big on staying on trend bold solids, alluringly pulsed by for each season, or is it more free flavors of bohemian chic and flowing creativity? vintage charm reflect the inven- A. Tbags Los Angeles is our cretiveness, personality, and wit that ative vision, so it is totally about drive each collection. free flowing creativity. To us it’s not about following what othQ. How do you size your plus ers are doing, it’s about creating range? what we think is missing and beA. We currently offer 1x, 2x, 3x ing innovators. both online and to the major department stores: (Saks, Bloom- Q. What curvy celebrity would you
most like to see wearing Tbags? Are there any current celeb followers of the brand? A. I am a huge fan of Adele, so I would love to see her wearing one of our designs. Q. Is there a message you’d like to send to your curvy consumers? A. We feel and understand the frustration of hearing “we don’t have your size,” and that is why there is nothing we love more than to offer you sophisticated, sexy, and stylish outfits that are comfortable while showing off your most flattering assets! Fashion is a form of expression and a reflection of individual style, so your size, shape, body-type, age, etc. shouldn’t be a restriction. We want you to feel confident and beautiful in our clothes.
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BEST IN BEAUTY
Ginny Weeks rounds up her top Spring beauty buys...
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Guerlain Orchidee Imperi- algae. We love its rosemary and ale Neck & Decollete cream almond oil scent and the quick £226.00 for 75ml (1) drying formula means there is no mess. Orchids are having a beauty moment and this recession-busting Sisley Hydrating Long Lasting wonder cream by Guerlain is one Lipsticks in Rose Cashmere and of the best on the market. Skin Rouge Passion £31.00 each (3 & is visibly smoother and hydrated 4) after just one week of use- proving that anti aging creams really Sisley has added 4 new fabulous can make a difference! shades to its range that are just perfect for perking up your winMamamio Shrink To Fit Hip & ter makeup routine. Thigh Cream £44 for 100 ml (2) Soap & Glory Glow Getter Popular with celebrities and for spray £10.00 for 100ml (5) a good reason, Mamamio’s latest cream is packed full of cellu- This streak free tanner is great for lite busting ingredients including on the go tanning. green tea, caffeine and brown
Pukka Digestive Health Pack £38.41 (6) Brilliant for that mid winter detox, this pack contains a soothing formula of Triphala, 1ltr of Aloe Vera Juice and a delicious box of Detox tea. BeautyWorksWest Cleanse Facial Cloths £7.95 for 25 wipes (7) Developed by anti ageing expert Dr Sister, these handy travel size wipes remove all traces of makeup but are still gentle enough for sensitive skin. The soothing aloe vera and pomegranate formula moisturises and calms the skin – a new gym bag essential!
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LEE STAFFORD HAIR TIPS DECONSTRUCTED WAVES Hairdresser, Lee Stafford says, “This spring look has proved that having a bit of an edge is as chic as ever. To achieve perfect waves follow my simple step by step guide below: * Rough dry hair with a towel and a quick blast of a hairdryer * Apply a handful of my Ddouble Blow Mousse (1) (£5.19 from Boots) * Blow-dry your damp hair using a medium to high speed, medium to high heat setting. The hotter the setting, the more lift you will attain from your hair.
* Don’t use too much heat as you can dry out or damage your hair. Be sure to vary the heat and wave the dryer so that you don’t concentrate the air flow on one section of hair for too long. * Aim the blow dryer airflow up the hair shaft, from the roots to the ends of the hair. This will help add lift. * Once hair is dry, use big barreled heated rollers – take 2 inch sections of hair from the centre front and comb it straight up smoothing out any tangles. * Wrap the ends of the sectioned hair around the roller taking care not to buckle the hair. * Then wind the roller down
firmly towards the scalp. Keep winding until the roller sits on the roots of the hair. * Continue around the whole head always taking the same width of hair. * Leave the finished set to dry naturally * Mist the brush with hairspray and use to smooth any spray hairs. * The key is to make sure hair is super shiny and glossy – so a finishing spritz of Lee Stafford Shine Head Spray Shine (2) (£5.49) will add a glass like effect and you are ready to go.”
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TRIED & TESTED... By Ginny Weeks
KERASTASE CHRONOLOGISTE TREATMENT AND BLOW-DRY AT THE HOUSE OF RUSH THE PROCESS After a welcome cup of tea my hairdresser ushers me over to the gorgeous salon area. We then talk through my hair, its textures, problems and personality; meanwhile pictures are taken of my follicles and scalp with a minute camera. It’s fascinating to see your hair in such detail (and the damage that lemon did to it in the summer holidays!) On to the next stage where your hair is first shampooed, and then towel dried to prepare it for the treatment. Next the Chronologiste cream is mixed with the Kerastase Caviar Pearls to create
a paste and applied to the hair and scalp. Whilst it worked its magic I sat and let the massage chair soothe my sore back whilst drinking a freshly made coffee, divine! The Chronologiste treatment combines Vitamin A, E, silicone, ceramides and much more to soothe the scalp and restructure any split or dry hairs. It is great for people with sensitive skin who might not suit a Keratin style treatment because it’s very gentle and soothing. After 10 minutes the treatment was rinsed off and I was ready for my blowdry. SLiNK RATING The House of Rush is a huge salon but the staff treat every customer as an individual. The treatment was specifically ca-
tered to my needs, and I felt pampered and cared for from the offset. I loved the salon itself, with little touches like the massage chairs and camera readings giving it that edge over its rivals. My hair and scalp feel so nourished and my hair looks so much shinier and silkier than before. My blow-dry (volume, texture, waves) was exactly what I wanted and my hairdresser talked me through all of her techniques so I picked up a tip or two. Any bad points? Having to pay for drinks. Blow-dry with a Stylist starts at £45, Kerastase Chronologiste treatment costs £35. The House Of Rush, 200 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9HU. Enq: 020 7042 3200; www.rush.co.uk
CULTURE Written by - Katie Antoniou www.run-riot.com
ALL NEW PEOPLE AT DUKE OF YORK’S THEATRE; PREVIEWS FROM 22ND FEBRUARY Zach Braff proves that he’s more than just a pair of scrubs with All New People, the play he’s written and toured around the US. Luckily for us, he’s even going to be starring in the UK version, alongside the likes of that girl off Torchwood. If it’s anything like as good as his movie Garden State, it’s a must see, so book tickets now as they’ll sell out fast. Set in the dead of winter, Long
Beach Island, New Jersey, Charlie (Zach Braff), has hit rock bottom. Away from the rest of the world, this perfect escape is interrupted by a motley parade of misfits who show up and change his plans. A hired beauty, a fireman, and an eccentric British real estate agent desperately trying to stay in the country all suddenly find themselves tangled together in a beach house where the mood is anything but sunny... www.allnewpeople.co.uk
IMOGEN HEAP - THE SEASHELL AND THE CLERGYMAN AT THE ROUNDHOUSE 26TH FEBRUARY 7PM New films like The Artist and Hugo have helped bring silent films back into vogue, but institutes like the Birds Eye View Festival have been championing silent movies for years. Part of their programme involves contemporary female musicians creating and performing new scores for old film footage. Last year Grammy award winning singer Imogen Heap composed an incredible acappella soundtrack for the 1928 surrealist film, The Seashell and the Clergyman, performed with acclaimed UK choir The Holst Singers. It was without
a doubt one of the most original musical performances I’ve ever witnessed, so I’m thrilled that Imogen and the choir will be performing it again at The Roundhouse as part of Reverb, a five-day festival of contemporary classical, celebrating the best in a new wave of performers who have broken out of ‘traditional’ classical concerts, redefined the rules and shattered boundaries.
Austen characters dedicating their entire existence to finding a spouse, have things really changed so much? Does Sex and the City not prove us still as relationship obsessed as ever? The School of Life asks how necessary is a relationship; Do they really make us happier? Or is the quest for an ideal ‘other-half ’ just a myth, perpetuated by everyone from our parents to Disney? www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats- Rather than spending money on on/productions/imogen-heap the usual Valentine’s Day commercial rubbish, invest in some wisdom from philosophy, literaHOW NECESSARY IS A RE- ture, art and psychoanalysis over LATIONSHIP? the ages. THE SCHOOL OF LIFE; 14TH FEBRUARY; 18:30-21:30 www.theschooloflife.com Whilst we may laugh at Jane
When telling friends I was going to Budapest I’m embarrassed to say that three of them didn’t have a clue where it was. Now this is either a reflection of awful British geography skills, or it’s a hint to the un-touristy nature of the place. I chose the later, and felt refreshed that Budapest maybe wasn’t just a destination for stag parties and cheap beer, but an undiscovered gem. It has been dubbed the ‘Paris of the East’ after all. The first impressions on the drive from the airport into the city were a bit bleak- lots of derelict buildings from the Soviet era, and dilapidated supermarkets. The city itself couldn’t be more different however with its wide Parisian boulevards, bustling coffee houses and the River Danube providing a beautiful backdrop. The city is split by the river into Buda, the old town, and Pest, with its shops and pretty squares. We stayed in the Pest area of town, at the Le Meridien Budapest, a stunning and historic hotel overlooking the Erzsebet Square. Highlights of the hotel are an award winning French restaurant, and a gorgeous spa area featuring a swimming pool, jacuzzi, gym, and treatment rooms, just perfect after a day out in the cold. Our room had a panoramic view of the city skyline, and a traditional, ultra luxurious interior. SIGHTS If you like shopping, Budapest offers both modern stores and quaint Hungarian markets, selling all sorts of crafts. It’s lovely to wonder through them with a cup of mulled wine and a langos
(traditional fried bread puffs with cheese). Spas and public bathing are a huge tradition in Budapest, partly because the city sits on several natural springs. We visited the most famous thermal spa, the Szechenyi, and tried the invigorating and beautiful outdoor pool that stays at 38 degrees all year round. The best cure for a hangover that we’ve ever found! Don’t miss the House of Terror museum, a fascinating building dedicated to the victims of terror in Hungary. Across town is the Castle District, which is great for a gentle stroll after lunch (once you get up the hill!). Here you can explore the extraordinary 13th century Buda Castle Palace and the Cave Church, which is inside the hill itself.
Morrisons2, a converted townhouse popular with the local twenty-something crowd. WHERE TO STAY Rooms at the Le Meridien Budapest start from £121 per double room for two people. Reservation number: +36 1 429 5600 or reservations.budapest@ lemeridien.com Central number: +36 1 429 5500 Web: www.lemeridienbudapest. com www.lemeridien.com/budapest GETTING THERE Easyjet has daily flights from Gatwick to Budapest from £86 return (including taxes) in March. www.easyjet.com
FOOD AND DRINK For lunch we tried the Trofea Grill, which overlooks the river. The restaurant serves a traditional and cheap Hungarian buffet where you can sample all sorts of local fayre including goulash stew, goose liver and palinka (fruit brandy). For an excellent fine dining alternative try Onyx, an innovative and quirky place with elegant and refined Hungarian specialities. A great time to explore the city is after dark when you can truly appreciate the beauty of the riverside architecture such as the palace-like Parliament buildings and the beautiful bridges. The evening is when Pest comes alive and dilapidated buildings by day are transformed into trendy London style bars or ‘ruin pubs’ by night. We danced and drank Moscow Mules (£3.50 each!) at
British Airways has three daily flights from Heathrow to Budapest from £165 return (including taxes) in March. www.britishairways.com For further info on Hungary please visit www.hungary.com
BUDAPEST
FOOD Recipes by Simon Henbery Photography by Stephen Geraghty
It’s February, the month where thoughts turn to relationships and I’ve got some great relationship advice to share. Unusual pairings, guilty pleasures and something to spice up the cool evenings... I’ve been exploring our relationships with food and how the usual and sometimes unusual relationships ingredients have with each other can give great results. There’s a recipe for an indulgent chocolate pudding and while we all know scientists have proven chocolate can give you a buzz there’s a great beef chilli recipe that shows how chocolate can really complement the heat of chilli too. The sharp sweetness of plums become the perfect partner for my Chinese style pork and show the classic relationship between fat and fruit. And finally it’s a healthy reworking of the great guilty pleasure, the lamb kebab which of course should be served with a cold beer.
CHINESE STYLE PORK SHOULDER WITH PLUM SAUCE If you can get the pork shoulder on the bone great, all meat is better cooked on the bone as it helps to keep it moist. If not, don’t worry because after a long, slow cook the meat will be falling apart. You could serve this with little pancakes and roll them up with the sauce like you do with crispy duck. When you buy the plums choose soft overripe ones as the flavour will be better and they will break down nicely. PORK SHOULDER INGREDIENTS:
the cinnamon stick a bit, add it to the pan and finally rub the five spice all over. * Refrigerate overnight if you have time or leave for a few hours. * Preheat the oven to 150°. * Take the pork out and reserve the marinade. * Take a casserole pot, brown the pork well all over. Take care to brown the skin and fat gently and well. * Add the marinade to the pan, add the sherry and a (200ml) glass of water. * Cover the dish and put in the oven for approx 2 ½ hours. By which time the meat should be literally falling apart.
1kg pork shoulder 2tbsp 5 spice ½ cinnamon stick 100ml soy sauce PLUM SAUCE 50ml rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar INGREDIENTS: 2 cloves garlic 150ml dry sherry 1tbsp sunflower oil ½ a red onion * Bash the garlic cloves and break 40g ginger each in half. Don’t worry about 1 clove of garlic peeling them. ½-1 red chilli * Find a dish big enough for the 50g coriander with roots pork and add the garlic, rice wine 1 star anise vinegar and soy sauce. Break up 100g sugar
400g red skinned plums 1tbsp Thai fish sauce 2tbsp soy sauce * Peel and finely chop the red onion, garlic and ginger. Deseed the chilli and finely chop too. Wash the coriander and chop the roots as small as you can. Cut the plums in half and remove the stones. * Using a shallow pan, heat the oil and gently fry the onion, garlic, ginger, coriander root and star anise for a few minutes. * Add the sugar and a splash of water to help it dissolve. Let the sugar bubble up and start to take on some colour. You need to keep an eye on it and as soon as the sugar is turning a caramel colour add the plums carefully. Adding the plums should stop the sugar from colouring further but I always put a splash of cold water in too to make sure. Turn the heat down and let the plums soften and start to collapse. When the mixture is thick and the plums have pretty much lost their shape add the fish sauce and soy sauce. Finally chop the coriander leaves and stir in.
SLINK MOTORING FORD FOCUS 2.0 CDTI 140PS TITANIUM By Ginny Weeks
THE DETAILS: Price: £20,845 Engine Size: 2.0 CDTI 140PS TITANIUM 6 SPEED 0-62 MPH: 8.9 seconds Horsepower: 140 PS Luxury Factor: 3/5 Head/leg room: 5/5 Petrol Costs: Medium CO2 (g/km): 129 UK Tax Cost (per year): £95 Editors colour of choice: Ink Blue
OVERALL sound system was so easy to use; Great to drive and ticks all the it synced to my phone automatiboxes. A superb family hatch. cally and within 30 seconds I was playing music via the controls on My childhood experience of my steering wheel. The same Ford was a rust coloured Sierra thing happened when I received estate that broke down on eve- a call, no faffing about, the car ry motorway in Devon. When gave me an option to listen to the that car died, my dad decided to call and all I had to do is press ok abandon Fords from then on and on the wheel. Ford has got the turned to Vauxhalls as a two fin- system exactly right. ger salute. As is the way with parental views one can’t help but be DRIVE slightly influenced. Hence I have The brilliantly engineered 2.0 steered clear of Fords in the past. CDTI 140PS model doesn’t feel When the Focus arrived I wanted like a diesel, in fact it hardly even to hate it, but it can’t be the best sounds like one either. Its refined selling UK car for nothing, so I and energetic engine delivers gave it a chance. 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds, and yet delivers only 129g/km in CO2. DESIGN It’s a combination that’s hard to It’s a good looking car; I like the beat, especially considering the sporty lines and the in-your-face price, which is lower than several front grill. The design team were German alternatives. It’s a joy to bold with the back light clusters drive with bold, accurate steering which have a sort of shelf in and a great smoothness around the middle but it’s paid off and town with its start/stop technolmakes the Focus look more con- ogy and ease through the gears. temporary than some of its rivals. On long journeys the car is just Instantly the car feels like great as satisfying in cruise mode as it quality from the chunky doors is accelerating around bends. to the smart seats. Sitting in the cockpit-style driver’s seat gives COMFORT you a great seating position and The size of the 5 door is perfect heightens the feeling of being ‘at for a family, with excellent headone’ with the car. The sprawling room in the back and the boot is black and silver interior is easy to huge. It’s very comfy in the back use and high tech but the quality too, even with the sportier veris a little cheap in parts, like the sions. The suspension has a real handbrake and abundance of sil- smoothness about it, without bever plastic, which is a shame. ing dull or sponge like. It’s perYou couldn’t ask for more tech- fect actually. nology though; I loved innovative features like the blind spot SURPRISE indicator on the wing mirrors Germanic quality and engaging, (a little light comes on, on your solid drive. mirror when another car is in your blind spot) and the traffic WOULD I BUY ONE? sign recognition system which Yes, it’s brilliant… tells you the speed limit of the It seems like I’ve been converted road you’re on. The bluetooth after all.
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