A sparkling night out $

When I was in Italy at the beginning of July, we kicked off the wedding celebrations with a fun Bachelorette/Hens party for the bride to be! The theme was 'Sex & the City' which basically meant a chance to glam up and sparkle! I own this incredibly sparkly dress that I adore but never get a chance to wear because it's so in your face and when you wear it you pretty much become a walking disco ball. I bought it quite a few years ago of a friend back in Australia for a ball and have only been able to wear it a couple of times since. It is by Australian designer Ruth Tarvydas from her signature collection.

Me and my friend by the waterfront in Cernobbio, the little town at Lake Como where we stayed.

The 'Metallica' dress is made of silk with hand sewn metal sequins all over. It has a racer back and a drawstring waist. It's deliciously special to wear and as you walk the metal sequins jingle! (link)

On my hair I used the Cloud Nine 'The Wand' (link)

I love the messy curls it produces...but my hair does look slightly frazzled in these photos because on the walk from the hotel to the lakefront we got caught in a massive rain storm!!

In the boat taxi on our way to the party!

The bride to be (left). She had also glammed up for the night but her bridesmaids had a different plan for her and put her in a silly outfit but she still looked amazing :)

For the party us girls headed to the town of Bellagio to a 'beach bar' for drinks, food and a good boogie!

At the stunning beach bar overlooking the lake! Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate with us that evening because it rained quite a bit but we sure didn't let that dampen our night of fun!

The bride to be making a toast!

There was plenty of prosecco going round....

It was a really fun girly night out and we danced and partied until the early hours of the morning! x

Something blue...

When I was out shopping in Paris I spotted something amazing and blue in a little shop on Rue Montorgueil. And as much as I tried to resist it..the urge to own this bit of blue arm candy was just too strong! The size, the colour; I just loved it! Because the bag is not made of real leather it wasn’t too expensive and set me back about €50 which I think was well worth it.

I took these pictures of my new bag when I was in Italy earlier this month…


The bag comes with a removable inner padded smaller bag (plus seperate strap) that has compartments and zips for phone, lipgloss and any other handbag essentails. So bascially it's two bags for the price of one!

Its gorgeous blue colour definitely brightens my day when I have it with me!

This is me, my new bit of blue arm candy and my friend overlooking Lake Como in italy :)

Do you like my new handbag and would you ever be bold enough to rock such a bright bit of arm candy?
I think a colourful handbag makes a great accessory to any simple outfit! xoxo

Life is too short...

Sorry for the late post today, life has been pretty hectic since I got back from Croatia on Sunday and on top of that am coming down with a chest cold :( I think my body is telling me to take it easy for the next few days! 

Exactly one year ago today, one of my friends boyfriend died in a tragic accident and therefore today's quote is all about living life to the fullest....

Happy Hump Day everyone!

Also this is your very last chance to enter the Simply Beach Giveaway (link) on my Facebook Fan Page. Entries close by the end of today so what are you waiting for....enter NOW!! You could win a £50 voucher to spend on your new beach wardrobe! Good luck! xoxo 

Chicken and Orange Tabbouleh Salad

Hello everyone!
I am back from my holiday in Croatia and I had the most amazing time….photo’s will follow :)

After a holiday filled with lots of naughty food, alcohol and late nights this week is definitely all about the DETOX! Healthy eating, plenty of sleep, no drinking and lots of exercise. I recently found this recipe in the free London Stylist magazine and have made it a couple of times since. It’s a delicious, easy and healthy summer meal. This recipe is perfect for using up leftover roast chicken (or be lazy like me and just buy a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket)

Chicken and Orange Tabbouleh Salad

Ingredients (serves 6) 
300g medium bulgar wheat
500ml vegetable stock

1 bag of rocket salad leaves
120g walnuts
2 tsps cumin seeds
1 orange
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 mild chilli, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsps sea salt
1 leek (or red onion), sliced
700g leftover roast chicken
80g fresh parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsps walnut oil

Bulgar Wheat

Bulgar wheat is a whole wheat grain that has been cracked and partially pre-cooked. It is a naturally high-fiber, low-fat, low-calorie vegetarian and vegan food ingredient. Tough bulgur wheat is most commonly found in tabouli (tabbouleh) salad, you can use it just like rice or couscous, or any other whole grain, such as barley or quinoa.

Add the bulgar wheat to a pan with the stock, cover and put on a low heat for 5 minutes. Remove and fluff with a fork. In the meantime toast the walnuts and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan.

The original recipe didn't include rocket, but I love this peppery salad leaf so I decided to make my salad a bit lighter by less bulgar wheat and adding some rocket!

Grate the orange zest into a pestle and mortar. Add the olive oil, chilli, garlic, dill and salt. Crush together to form a paste, then add to the cooked bulgar wheat.
Peel the orange and cut into cubes and chop up the leeks and parsley! What a gorgeous range of colours don't you think?

Shred your leftover chicken or use ready grilled or rottiserie chicken if you don't have any leftovers.

Now mix together the bulgar wheat with the chopped orange, leek, walnuts, cumin seeds, chicken and parsley. Squeeze over the lemon juice and dizzle over some walnut oil and combine!

And there you have it, a yummy healthy lunch or dinner!
The combination of the nutty bulgar wheat with walnuts, chicken and fruity orange is just delicious.

Recipe from cookbook ‘Supper With Rosie’ by Rosie Lovell

See the online link to the original recipe here (link).

Are there any healthy summer recipes you are loving at the moment? x

Your top five beauty investments by Veronika

Hi! I’m Veronika and I write the style, beauty and home décor blog, Veronika’s Blushing.  I’m delighted that Roz has asked me to guest blog for her while she’s on holiday and I’m here today to share what I think are your best “beauty investments.”

When you’re a style and beauty blogger, it’s tempting to try a lot of different looks and products. Over the years, I’ve had different hair colors and makeup routines, but I’ve noticed that as I get older, I’m more focused on creating a signature look and enhancing my appearance in the areas where I’ll get the most return on my efforts, both in the short and long term.

Sometimes, it’s tough to evaluate what you should spend your time (and money) on when it comes to beauty products and regimens. Here’s what I think are your best beauty investments:

Full, polished hair- Maybe you can’t afford to get a blowout like the lovely Duchess of Cambridge three times a week, but what you can do is learn how to give yourself a fantastic blowout. There are plenty of great tutorials on YouTube or, if you feel comfortable, ask your stylist to show you how to blow out your hair or go to a blow dry bar and observe the techniques that they use. The best part? A well-done blowout gives you incredible return on your investment---those 20 to 25 minutes you spend styling your hair make it bouncy for days---meaning you can skip daily washes and touch up your hair with some dry shampoo.

Kerastase Cristaliste Lumiere Liquide, one of my favorite blowout products!

Smile- The days of overly-bleached, Hollywood-perfect teeth are over---but a great smile has never gone out of style. Maintain your oral health by flossing nightly, using a whitening or stain-removing toothpaste (I like Crest Vivid White or Colgate Whitening) and if you can, invest in an electric toothbrush. I love my Sonicare toothbrush so much that I even travel with it! I also whiten my teeth once a year to maintain brightness and remove stains. I use professional trays I had made at my dentist’s office, however Crest Whitestrips Professional are also a wonderful an effective option.

Skin- Everyone wants clear, glowing, even-toned skin. For some of us, it comes naturally and for others (like me) who struggle with acne or other skin issues, keeping your skin clear can be quite the challenge. Investing in great skincare products is important---but so is prevention. In your early to mid 20’s is when you should start thinking about using eye creams and moisturizers that will help prevent premature aging, including sunscreen, which you should wear every time you’ll spend any significant amount of time in the sun. Establishing a preventative skincare routine now will be an investment that you’re still patting yourself on the back about 10 and 20 years from now. I used tanning beds a lot when I was in college and once I became aware of not only the increased risk of melanoma but also how much it prematurely ages you, my skin never touched a tanning bed again. Ten years later, I’m still reaping the benefits---at 29, I’m pretty happy with my skin and don’t have a lot of wrinkles.

Probably my most “glowing” day---at our 2009 wedding

Bright-eyed- They say that the eyes are the windows into the soul and I think they’re also one of your most important features to highlight. Bright, defined eyes can make your entire face look balanced and awake. I always use concealer on my lids as a base to even out my eye area and then I use Maybelline’s Eraser Dark Circles in the light pink “brightener” color under my eyes to perk up and lighten the entire under-eye area. I also use Benefit’s Eye Bright on my lower lash line and in the inner corner of my eye. I have a tutorial of my entire eye makeup routine here. By far the most impactful part of brightening up your eyes is curling your lashes. I feel like it instantly makes you look youthful and rested. I heat my eyelash curler with a hair dryer for a few seconds and it locks the curl in all day (and, if you want it to last extra-long, always use waterproof mascara because the formulas are drier and help lock in the curl).

Using light pink under your eyes really brightens your entire face!

Trim and Toned- By far one of the best beauty investments of all is keeping your body strong and toned. From a physiological perspective you’ll have more energy, sleep better, be stronger, more flexible and have more endurance---and from a mental perspective you’ll feel balanced, happier and more satisfied with your overall appearance. My favorite toning workings include The Bar Method, Ballet Beautiful and Pilates. I find that these types of workouts really target such a wide array of muscle groups and they work muscles you didn’t even know you had! There are also fantastic workouts available on YouTube (for free!) by the girls from Tone It Up and BodyRockTV.

On my way to the gym! All gear by Lululemon

What are your best beauty investments?

Leave a comment below or come visit me over at Veronika’s Blushing.
Thank you for having me!

(No Thank YOU Veronika - what a great post. It's easy to see why I love her blog right? xoxo Roz)

When I’m grey...

Everyone is desperate to be in love. It seems to be the primary mission of almost every person I’ve ever met. However, I have recently begun to suspect that love is wasted on the young. I thought I was in love at 17 and in a haze of hormonal angst, I married him. Turns out I wasn’t really in love at all. I am certainly not in love at the moment but I am the happiest I have ever been. One day, I may meet someone who I fall head over heels in love with but by that time I want to be completely sure of who I am.

Some people are scared of meeting too late and not having enough time together but my Great Auntie Nancy met someone when she was around 80, they had a wonderful time, travelled, socialised and giggled like children in each-others company. They had six blissful years together before he died and rather than be a heartbroken widow, she is glowing with happiness because even though he has gone she is still in love.

Some people who fall in love very young can fall out of love later and then their old age is all the more sad and lonely for them. I hope I’m in love when I’m old and grey... Mrs Grey would be nice!

Happy Hump Day ♥

Today's Happy Hump Day post was written by my dear friend (and super talented writer) Erin from The Girl from Clapham. On her blog she writes daily short stories that are funny, touching or just a great read!
Make sure you check it out; often her posts bring a smile to my face! www.thegirlfromclapham.com

Jo Malone Scent Surround Diffuser by Miss Lucy

Hello readers of Dutchess Roz! My name is Lucy and I write over at misslucyloves.com about all things lifestyle, beauty, fashion and interiors. A big thank you to Roz for having me guest post on her lovely blog. It really is one of my favourites! I hope you enjoy this little review of one of my favourite brands, I'm a girl possessed. I'd considered buying a Jo Malone Scent Surround Diffuser for some time as though they're a little pricier than the candles (£7 more) I knew they'd last me longer. I have no concept of 'saving' nice candles and just burn them right down as quickly as possible by burning the same one every single night until it's gone. I realise that this is very foolish but I can't be helped.

Having now tried the diffuser, I'd 100% recommend this to anybody who is as guilty of burning candles too quickly as I am. It's supposed to last 4-5 months depending on how many diffuser sticks you put in at once. I, of course, have put them all in in one go but the scent is so gorgeous and persistent that I don't care. This is a much better investment of your money if you want to buy a Jo Malone scent and I will definitely be repurchasing one of these. On the website they're only available in Lime Basil & Mandarin, Red Roses and one of my other favourites, Pomegranate Noir.

I'll be trying the Pomegranate Noir next time though I do really like the fresh scent of the Lime Basil & Mandarin. It's currently residing in my bathroom but I think it's a scent that will also work well in the kitchen so I might move it around a bit. I'm a huge, huge fan!

Thanks to the gorgeous Miss Lucy for this guest post!
I am a loyal follower of her blog so make sure you check it out.
www.misslucyloves.com  

My new bikini purchases #

Because of my impending sailing holiday to Croatia I was looking at my bikinis a while back and concluded that my collection was definitely due for a refresh this summer! So for the last few weeks I’ve been searching the web and tried on many in stores but I just couldn’t seem to find any that I absolutely loved. That is until I came across this gorgeous bikini at Reiss!

ALBI - bandeau style petrol blue and gold stripe bikini from Reiss - now on sale for £34! (link)

The bikini comes with removable halter neck trap and has lovely gold d-ring detailing to the front and cube-finished tie-side bottoms. This is me soaking up the sun in them while I was in Como, Italy :)

Then the other day while reading some celeb goss online I spotted these photo's of Ashley Tisdale in a bright fringe bikini and it was love at first sight! I just knew I HAD to get my hands on them.

How cute do they look right?

So I googled and googled away and found that the bikini she's wearing is the Audrey Bikini by L'Space. The funky bikini comes with a citrus halter neck fringed top that is supposed to enlongate the torso to give you better bikini cleavage and the bottoms are a fun colour patterned design. 

L'Space Audrey Bikini with Foxy Tab bikini bottoms (link)

I got all excited about ordering one for my holiday but then found that they were pretty much sold out on every webshop! I emailed online beachwear company Beach Elements and they replied saying they’d just had some come in stock and could get one shipped to me within 3 days. What great service and tada  three days later my new bikini arrived in London - I am one happy girl :)

Do you like my new bikini purchases?

As you are reading this I will be wearing one of these new bikinis whilst sailing the crystal blue waters of Croatia on my holiday!! Next week, while I am away I have lined up a couple of guest posts from some of my favourite bloggers. I hope you enjoy them. See you when I get back :) xoxo

The ultimate long lasting manicure: Shellac Nails!

For ages now I have been meaning to try out the hype that is 'Shellac nails' and last night I finally went for my first CND Shellac manicure and I have to say I love it. Shellac offers a more nail-friendly solution by taking gels to the next level and it is the ultimate long lasting manicure! The special formulated polishes brush on just like regular nail polish. Nails are prepped in the same manner as a basic manicure but your polish will stay on, chip-free, for at least 14 days!

I got my nails done at Nails in London in EC4 London and the whole process only took about 30 minutes. The application process is simple. A clear base coat is applied, which is then ‘cured’ for 20 seconds in an ultraviolet light box. Two coats of coloured polish follow (I chose the CND shade Tropix), each of which needs two minutes under the UV lamp, then a high-gloss top-coat followed by a final 20-second blast of the UV light and, voila, your nails are all done!

And the amazing thing is they are dry – like ROCK HARD dry, no risk of smudging or scratching. It’s the weirdest feeling walking out and not having to be careful touching things; I kept thinking I was going to damage my manicure! But it didn’t :) I am super happy with the finished result and will be curious to see how long I can remain chip-free for!

Do you like the shade Tropix I got? I love Coral and thought it would be perfect for my holiday :)

My shellac manicure cost £35 which I think is pretty good value for money when you think how long lasting it is compared to a standard manicure! When the time comes to take the Shellac polish off your nail, you can easily get this done at the salon when you go for your next treatment and the best part is that it doesn’t actually damage the nail itself. Even though salons don’t recommend it I have seen a few tutorials on how you can remove shellac nails at home; read a good tutorial here (link).

Btw like my new iPhone cover? I picked it up yesterday for only £3.99 at H&M. It was one of those items that's in the baskets by the counter and I just couldn't resist taking it home!

So the verdict on Shellac Nails? I am hooked and will definitely get it done again. I think next time I will try a shellac french manicure. Have you ever had Shellac nails or are now intrigued to give this new revolution in manicures a go? Let me know your thoughts. xoxo

I'm setting my sails for Yacht Week!

In only THREE sleeps I will be going on a holiday which is bound to become one of the best summer experiences of my life!! Think sunshine, sailing on a yacht with my friends and partying with people from all over the world. Sounds amazing right; well let me introduce you to ‘The Yacht Week’!

The concept of The Yacht Week is that you gather your best friends, go online, pick the country you want to spend the week sailing, choose the date and book your boat! Then just show up for the best week of your life to soak up the sun and party the nights away. Think this video sums it up quite nicely ;)

The locations you can choose from are The British Virgin Islands for winter/spring or Croatia, Greece and Italy in the summer. I’d heard so many amazing stories from friends last year about TYW so when the opportunity came around to book a boat for the Croatia – South Route 2012 with friends, it didn’t take me long to scream a wholehearted YES!!  

 So on Saturday, me and five friends (+skipper, phew someone that can actually sail our boat!) will be taking off from Split, Croatia for an epic voyage with great people from all over the world. Apparently ‘Every day is exceptional. Every night is magical. Crystal clear water, fresh winds, regattas and yacht parties will make the experience the journey of your life.’ BRING IT ON :)

Counting down the days - can you tell I am EXCITED???? :)

  For more information on The Yacht Week check out their website www.theyachtweek.com.

 

Happy Hump Day everyone! xoxo