Tag Archives: healthy

Hot on the Highstreet Week 242: Beauty Detox and Replenish

Posted on by

January is a miserable month and our skin and hair can really suffer. I have compiled a selection of my favourite New Year products to detox and replenish so you can feel your best even in the coldest month of the year.

Mary Kay TimeWise Microdermabrasion Set £50 – I have tried Microdermabrasion facials before and always found them quite aggressive on my skin. Mary Kay have introduced this do it at home set which energises and nourishes in two easy steps. The first step should be used after cleansing and will gently exfoliate the skin removing dirt from pores and softening the skin texture. Step 2 is a rich serum containing vitamins and anti-oxidants and left my skin feeling luxuriously smooth and plumped.

Perricone MD Chloro Plasma mask £67 – I swear by the Perricone MD products and this revitalising mask is no exception. This innovative product contains blue green algae and watercress to help deep detoxification and purification. After an application my skin felt tighter and the pores were noticably smaller. It is also a great anti-aging product, reducing wrinkles and leaving skin looking supple and smooth. The perfect treatment to use on a Sunday evening in.

Thalgo Les Infus’Oceanes Bio Drainage £7.30 – Sometimes it is a great idea to supplement skincare with other dietary products. This detox infusion helps stimulate the body to release excess water. After Christmas it is the ideal drink to make you feel lighter and brighter. I tried the blackcurrent flavour but it is also available in other fruits.

Mary Kay Skinvigorate Cleansing Brush £35 – I found this handheld, battery-operated cleansing device quite comical when I first used it as I am not used to electrical skincare products. After removing eye make-up apply the cleanser and turn on the Skinvigorate slowly massaging the brush over your face in a circular motion. It is easy to use and truly removes make-up and dirt better than washing by hand, though it is quite an expensive alternative to a flannel. This product made my skin look more radiant immediately and the results continue as you use it repeatedly.

Murad Essential-C Day Moisture £57 – I struggle to find a moisturiser that is rich without clogging my skin. After the stress of moving house this product soothed and relieved my skin leaving it soft and silky, miraculously hydrating after just a few uses. And as an added bonus this product gives SPF 30 protection so will protect your face against the harsh pollution in London.

Yes to Grapefruit 25 Brightening Facial Wipes £3.99 – these are the perfect on-the-go wipes to cleanse and refresh. They are slightly textured so remove excess dirt and remnants of make-up and leave your skin completely clear. Made from 98% natural products and packed full of healthy grapefruit your face will be thankful for the zingy citrus burst.

Detox Kitchen, Carnaby Street

Posted on by

I’m always on the lookout for new breakfast spots in London. As a massive fan of French toast, pancakes and all things calorific, my favourite venues are usually utterly indulgent. Detox Kitchen however is healthy and fresh, offering filling and delicious morning meals and punchy homemade juices.

Their flagship cafe can be found on Kingly Street just off Carnaby Street and there is also concession on the top floor of Harvey Nichols, perfect for an energising snack in between shopping stints. I went along for an early morning meeting to try the seed and nut filled cereal with coconut yoghurt and blueberries, and an addictively good fruit juice. The little place is decorated with small white tables and sprigs of flowers; it is particularly lovely in summer with the windows open.

As well as providing nutritious breakfasts for sit-in or take-away customers, Detox Kitchen create and deliver delicious well-balanced meals for the day. You can sign up for a start date and duration and let the chefs organise your meals, delivering fresh and seasonal breakfast, lunch, dinner, pressed juice and snacks.

Food that tastes great, looks great and makes you feel great.

More information here: detoxkitchen.co.uk

Hot on the Highstreet Week 215

Posted on by

I look forward to lunchtime all morning, and miss it all afternoon. Working in Knightsbridge has its perks but there isn’t much choice when it comes to feeding time! The options are too pricey or located too far away, most of my office end up going to Waitrose to pick out the ingredients to make their own plates of food.

Lunchbox London solves all your working day culinary problems providing office catering and individual lunches. The delicious meals are healthy and nutritious, prepared freshly each morning. The hard-working lunchbox girls think up a new creative menu each week which gets sent to you by email after you subscribe online. Just place your order from the menu by email the day before and your lunch will be delivered to your doorstep by 12pm the following day.

Their office catering provides for larger groups or meetings with artisan sandwiches, finger bites, and buffet-style sharing salads. All from just £6 a head. This innovative company have also got afternoon snacks covered, with healthy, appetite-satisfying snacks to get your through the afternoon.

The Lunchbox team came to meet me last week for the perfect little picnic in Hyde Park. After hearing about their backgrounds in cooking and studying at renowned cooking school Leiths, I tried a range of tasty and inventive meals. I greedily managed to finish off almost my whole menu:

Sweetcorn fritters, mozzarella, avocado-lime salsa & sundried tomato salad,

Goats cheese, pomegranate and aubergine chicken rolls with roast squash, rocket and herb dressing,

Marmite popcorn,

Seeded agave bars.

The fritters were my favourite, a crunchy texture with a good bite contrasting with the peppery salad, citrusy salsa and zingy tomatoes and the soft comforting cheese. It was polished off in no time. The chicken rolls were great too, a more filling meal with exotic sweet pomegranate fruit. Marmite popcorn proved to be a hit with my girly colleagues, who loved that one portion is less than 100 calories! The agave bar looked too healthy for me, a small and dense cake-like bar I was amazed to find it had a sweet and moreish taste, I particularly noticed the flavoursome desiccated coconut inside.

I went back to the office raving about this brilliant young company. Currently they only deliver to a limited central postcode but let’s hope Lunchbox gets out to all Londoners soon, everyone needs a lunch this healthy and delicious!

Visit the Lunchbox London website here or email thegirls@lunchboxlondon.com to find out more and order.