Celebrate Chocolate Week the guilt free way!

It's officially National Chocolate Week this week, hoorah! However, do we ever actually need an excuse to indulge in chocolate? Anyways instead of tempting you with lots of amazing chocolaty things I will tell you about a delicious guilt free treat you can spoil yourself with this week, or any other week for that matter…. :)

Treat yourself to a “Hot Chocolate Face Mask"!
When a sample of this mask arrived at my desk earlier this week, my friend the Bright Blonde was keen as (cocoa) beans to pamper herself with a bit of hot chocolate fun! This is her little review…
”Well it is exactly what it says on the pack! It’s hot, its chocolate and it orange :)

It’s gorgeous to apply, it smells delicious and it’s difficult not to lick it. So much so that I did have a little lick and I would say that people should refrain from licking it. It doesn’t taste as good as it smells or looks. I luckily applied it with a ‘chocolate orange’ to hand and nibbled on that whilst I had the mask on. It’s messy but it’s really rather decadent.” The self heating (yes it’s an actual HOT chocolate mask) cleanses dirt and oils from deep within pores and will leave your skin feeling soft and refreshed. 

As you can see she was well and truly in chocolate heaven :)

     

All products by Montagne Jeunesse are are suitable for vegetarians and they always prefer to use natural ingredients. The hot chocolate mask (£1.09) and complete range of their luscious skin treats can be found in all major retailers including Asda, Boots, Claires, Morrison, Sainsburys, Superdrug, Tesco or online via their website.

PS: for a great giggle read the Bright Blonde’s latest blog post about the joys of online dating; it had me in tears of laughter :)

Everyone has a book in them!

Wow I can't believe it's that time of the week already - Happy Hump Day!

They say that “everyone has a book in them” but in truth few will take the time to write it. In the past some stories were told from generation to generation but that was in the days when people communicated person to person more than we do now. So if you have a book in you - begin it now!

The reason for this quote today is because one of my dear friends has just started her own blog ♥
On this she (The Bright Blonde) has just begun to tell the stories of her life so far, her first post beginning in the future, at the very end and yet somehow putting a positive spin on her own epitaph!

Miss Bright Blonde is one of the bubbliest, funniest and most talented girls I know and I am so stoked she's decided to start this blog to share her stories with the world :)

Click on the image below to be directed to her blog! I am definitely following, will you?

 I hope you all have a fabulous Hump Day! Plus a big Hip Hip Hooray to my Big Brother who turns 31 today! (I will give you a big birthday hug this weekend) Lots of love xoxo

Sooo why are you still single?

Hello you lovely Dutchess Roz readers, PinkLouLou here, PLL for short. Guest blogging for Miss Roz while she is on "holiday" as she says (I just used my very best english accent) nothing better than a southern gal trying to sound British right? ;)

Anyhoo, not sure how much you know about me, but if you need the background, here ya go. Grab a cocktail cause my love life story is out of control, and  you are gonna need it. I am from the South (for you overseas readers, YES I am from Kentucky, born and raised.) As the gorgeous Ashley Judd once best put it:

"Sure, the girls from New York, they are tough. And girls from Georgia, they are sweet. But those born and bred fiesta Kentucky girls, they are the ones you have to look out for. We have sugar and fire in our blood. We can ride a horse, be a debutante, throw a left hook, and tell you the entire UK line up all while making sweet tea. And if we have an opinion, you get to know it. We're both the pride and the downfall of the Bluegrass…" 

Now let me tell ya a little difference about the South and oh, all other parts of the country. We get married young. I am 26, and for the past four years my summers have been filled with 8-10 weddings a piece. No lie. Now don't go thinking I am all anti-wedding or anything like that. I love weddings. Open bar, dancing, seeing your best friends find true love, I love all of these things. But there comes a point when you reach your mid- late twenties, and you are nowhere near matrimonial wedded bliss, that you get confronted with this question: 

"Sooo why is it that you are still single?" 

All.the.time. 

"I mean, you are a pretty, smart, fun girl, I am just surprised you haven't found anyone…"

Well obviously there must be something HORRIBLY wrong with me if I haven't been scooped and married before I turn 30. Ha, I mean seriously you would be surprised by how many times I am asked this question. I mean what is this 1964 Jackson Mississippi? No. It is 2011. And guess what, times ain't like the use to be kids. One time my mother actually said to me "Sometimes I feel sorry for you girls, I just always had your father…" that is great mom. I am glad you and dad met when you were 13 and have been together ever since. But guess what, I happen to LOVE my life. I am 26, I have the best girlfriends in the world, and I have had some pretty amazing times being single and 20 something. 

Do I want to find that perfect person to spend my life with? Absolutely.All I ever wanted growing up was to be a momma and housewife. But I am NOT in a rush to make something work that isn't right. I have been there. I have had that 4 carat Tiffany sparkler on my left hand. (ok maybe it wasn't four carats ;) and it was hearts on fire not Tiffany, but whatever HA) but I was there. I called off my engagement for Pete's sake (click here if you want THAT whole story). If I had wanted to get married for the sake of not being that 'single girl' don't' you think I would have done it? But it wasn't right, and this chic is NOT settling. 

So it just burns me up when I get the standard "how come you are single?" pity question. Seriously makes me want to chug a glass of wine and say "because I like to kiss any cute boyI want" HA! 

So girls that are married, I am so happy for you and I hope to be there one day. Girls that are single and feeling the pressure, STOP it! Go get your best girlfriends together, put on a hot dress, grab a martini and go HAVE FUN! I promise you, you will miss these days. So LIVE IT UP! And RELAX, quit putting so much pressure on yourself! It will happen exactly how it is suppose to. And if I hear you are wasting your time moping around and 'woe as me-ing' instead of our there LIVING your twenties, I am gonna march my tail over to your house, with all my best dresses in tow, margarita in hand, give you some super fab southern hair, and take your hot ass out dancing! Don't test me, you know I will do it. 

So. In conclusion, for the love of ALL single twenty somethings everywhere, please do NOT ask the dreaded "why are you single" question. I promise you, we are gonna be just fine. And we are gonna look hot as hell doing it ;) 

xoxoxo

        PinkLouLou

Roz: Oh PLL you are just TOO cute! Honestly girls, I only found PLL's blog a couple of months ago but ever since then I have been hooked. She's such a typical Southern Belle with the biggest heart and her blogs posts always make me smile, cry or just crack up out loud! She also has some amazing hair 'poofing' skills worth checking out but most of all I love her upbeat personality and 'zest' for life. I know for sure that if I was living in Kentucky, we'd be besties hehe :)  Also I SOOOO agree with this post - I (plus many of my fabulous single girlfriends) always get asked, so why are you single? And it's really really frustrating! So thanks PLL for this lovely upbeat post and all you girls out there make sure you check out her blog - I bet you'll get hooked on it just like me! xoxo

Stay stylish with Anna!

Hey everyone! I'm Anna from AnnaSaccone.com and I'm so happy to be guest posting on Roz's blog today! 

I thought I would do something that is a regular feature on both of our blogs -- an outfit of the day post! I am always inspired by Roz's style so hopefully you guys will like mine too ;)

My fiancé and I recently moved into our new house, so this is what I wore furniture shopping today. 

The style is quite inspired by the masculine trend, with boyfriend jeans from ASOS, a boyfriend blazer by Zara and my favourite oversized Phosphor watch. I just bought these sandals from New Look and they are sooo comfy - yay! 

I'm also wearing a simple white tank top from ASOS, my name necklace, crystal stud earrings and a brown leather Modalu London satchel with silver hardware. Oh, and I totally posed for these pictures in a flowerbed -- haha, yup I'm classy like that!

Stay Stylish!

Anna

Roz: Great outfit Anna. LOVE your watch and every-time you wear that blue blazer I go 'I want, I want' :) I really like the boyfriend masculine trend too but I am not sure I could pull it off....maybe you will inspire me to buy some boyfriend jeans Anna! To anyone who hasn't heard of Anna before, c'mon, have you been hiding under a rock?! Anna's blog is not the only fabulous thing about her; she has her own super successful YouTube channel which has had over 7,5 million views to date plus another funny YouTube channel with her hubby-to-be that features daily vlogs  that is so entertaining to watch! And on top of all that she's written an amazing book called 'The Style Diet' which is full of practical tips and tricks on styling, confidence and healthy body image! I'm super flattered that Anna was willing to guest post on my blog so want to say a HUGE thank you and hope you come to London for a little visit soon so we can finally meet in real life :) xoxo

Happy Hump Day: Operation Beautiful by Laura+

Aloha Roz's Readers! I've been asked to do a guest blog post while Roz is sunning it up on the Amalfi Coast (lucky devil!) and so, because I adore Roz and her blog, here I am, wishing you a Happy Humpday! :)

Some of you might be wondering who I am? Well... I'm Laura and I'm the author of Lollipop Loves. It's a bit of a random blog, just like me! Today's picture to celebrate the hump? This:

I'm a little bit obsessed with Operation Beautiful. If you are not familiar with it, the concept is to make people feel good about themselves. How do you do it? By leaving a little note with a lovely message, like the one above. To be more precise, Operation Beautiful is "transforming the way you see yourself, one post-it note at a time".

I really believe that self-belief and confidence in yourself is imperative to happiness, and little random gestures can brighten anybody's day. Tell me you wouldn't smile on finding a little note staring at you when you are feeling pretty rubbish. The world seems to be obsessing on looks and weights, and with all of the photoshopped images in magazines, it's easy to understand why people (especially women) put pressure on themselves to strive for perfection. But what is perfection?

Let me tell you.

YOU are perfection.

Yes, you!

You with the braces, and you without.

You with the blue eyes, and you with the brown, hazel and green.

You with the blonde hair, you with the brown hair, and you with any colour of the rainbow in between.

You who is a size zero, and you who is not.

Every single one of you.

Beauty is more than looks. It is more than tanned skin, perfectly coiffed hair, a dazzling smile and a slim figure, and this is why I love Operation Beautiful. It spreads the message that (to quote Bruno Mars) "You're amazing. Just the way you are." Warts and all!

To spread the happiness, all you need to do is carry a post-it note pad and a pen and leave an inspirational message where someone might find it - the mirror in the ladies' loos, inside a lift, inside a changing room - anywhere. Anywhere that someone can read it, and anywhere that someone can appreciate it. I know I do, and even though I never find out if someone's read my message, I know that if they have, I've managed to make them feel good, if only for a nanosecond. 

With all the negativity that's occuring lately, isn't it about time we spread some happiness and love?

Don't forget, you are beautiful!

xoxo Laura

Roz: Happy Hump Day everyone! By now I (hopefully) should be developing a rather nice bronzed tan in Italy hehe ;) Anyways a big thank you to Laura for taking over my Happy Hump Day post this week. I have been a fan of Operation Beautiful for a while now myself as I love the message it sends and think it's so true that it's important to spread the love and that it can hopefully lift someone's day when they are feeling a little down. It's such a shame to see the lack of self confidence in girls these days - I even see it in my friends that are the most stunning girls! Love yourself girls; each and everyone of you girls out there are perfect just the way you are ♥ 

About Laura; oh where to start, I just love her blog! She's the sweetest and funniest girl. My favourite bits on her blog are the 'Things I have learned..' posts, her book reviews (we adore the same books!),  '120 Happy Things..' posts and all the beauty, health and wedding planning stuff in between. Overall, it's just FAB so make sure you check out Lollipop Loves now :) xoxo

Bruno Mars - Just the way you are 

Candy Striped Nails by Milly

Hello Dutchess Roz readers. It is Milly from Pearls & Poodles and I am honoured today to be guest posting on Roz's blog whilst she is off holidaying in slightly more sunnier surroundings. I have been lucky enough to meet Roz several times now at various events and she is such a lovely person and brilliant blogger. Needless to say I jumped at the chance when she asked if I would guest post for her whilst she is away.

Following a great response to a recent nail art post I featured on my own blog, I thought I would trot my talons over here and show you my latest design. This technique is really very simple, and can be adapted with any colour combinations you fancy. To create the tips I used some nail guide stickers which you can easily find on eBay; literally hundreds of different designs for a few pounds.

CANDY STRIPES

I used No.7 nail polish in Snowflake for the base. Now this isn't an amazing white, it is a little streaky and required 3 good coats to achieve an even and opaque finish, but it was the only white I had so it had to suffice. For the candy stripe tips I used Barry M polishes in:

304 - Mint Green, 309 - Pale Pink, 308 - Pale Purple, 307 - Lemon Ice Cream, 306 - Pale Blue.

After applying the white base coat I waited...and waited some more until it was completely dry. If the nail polish is slightly tacky, the nail guide stickers will just rip it off and make a big fat mess. Next I took the nail guide stickers and placed them on my nails, making sure they were lined up as straight as possible. Once happy with their placement, I painted the tips with my chosen colours. Again, it is important to wait until the tips are totally dry before gently peeling off the stickers.

 Et voila. :)

A really fun and colourful take on your typical french manicure.

Thank you Roz for letting me gatecrash your blog and share this post with your readers. I hope you are having a fantastic break away and eating lots of pizza and gelato!

Is this something you would try?

x Milly

Roz: Thanks Milly for this awesome post! I looooove these fun nails. They are super funky and creative! Pearls & Poodles is such FAB blog - Milly has an amazing sense of style (she actually inspired me to finally go and get my long lusted after Alexander McQueen scarf), her beauty and hair reviews always inspire me and OMG she is miss cupcake extraordinaire!! Definitely recommend you check out her blog now if you haven't seen it before. Thanks Milly again - you are such a darl :) xoxo

Volume Refresher Spray - Beauty Junkie London!

"Hello lovely readers of Dutchess Roz, I’m very happy to be doing a guest post as this is a blog I absolutely love. So hope you enjoy!

First off, please can I just ask that you excuse the angry face… the ‘before’ picture shows that I was clearly very unhappy at how much the volume flops out of my hair over the day... 
Sadly, vanishing volume is something I ‘suffer’ from on daily basis (being a tad over dramatic there…) but I do have fine hair, and whilst I do what I can, I do need an extra helping hand. As the day goes on it does tend to flop. This is why the John Frieda Volume Refresher Spray has become my new savior and earned a place in my handbag.

The reasons I like this over other dry shampoo is that it manages to add volume but without making hair all crispy or dirty feeling – when some other brands do. There is another product I'm going to talk about over on my blog soon does deliver amazing volume but I don't like to use it too often as I don't like the ‘dirty’ feeling.

The final result of a quick spritz around the roots and a ruffle with my hands - hence the messiness. But that's what I'd do to refresh at the end of the work day if I was going out, so it's a fair idea of the difference it would make. It definitely gives my hair a boost, but not to the point where I'll be mistaken for Dolly Parton... which is a good thing for me.

Plus the can is only a little bigger than a small hairspray can, so easily fits in my handbag. Any bigger and it wouldn't be practical.

So there we have it, a speedy review of my currently volume boosting essential!
Thank you for having me as a guest blogger Roz!"

Thank you SO much Jen - Make sure check out Jen's fantastic Blog 'Beauty Junkie London'  now ♥
Jen is one of the bloggers I have been following for yonks; I love her honest reviews and am so lucky that I have got to know her in person since moving to London because she's one of the loveliest bloggers around! Mwah thanks again Jen xoxo

A little bit retro...

I opted for a red glossy lip and winged eyeliner look the other day and for some reason I felt a little retro hehe but I loved it :) Check out my Face of the Day:♥ Face
Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer
Revlon PhotoReady Foundation
MaxFactor Translucent Loose Powder
NARS Laguna Bronzer
Body Shop Blush in Tea Rose
MAC Charcoal Brown e/s fill in brows
MAC clear brow gel to set brows

♥ Eyes
NARS Abyssinia eyeshadow (Makeup Your Mind Palette)
Urban Decay Naked & Buck eye shadows blended into crease
MAC Fluidline in blacktrack applied with MAC 210 eyeliner brush
NARS Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara

♥ Lips
Bourjois Effet 3D Balm Action Gloss in 06

Hair wise I was inspired by a post on The Beauty Department which featured the lovely Marianna (she's got a fab blog!) See the post that inspired my twisted, textured hair-do here. It comes with instructions on how-to create it yourself - super duper simple!

What do you think of my 'a little bit retro' look? xoxo

Happy Hump Day %

Hey lovelies!
It's Wednesday again already. Honestly I can't believe it's June - time just flies when you are having fun...

If only....... (hehe)

I am also proud today to show off that 'Shopaholic' has picked me as one of their Editor’s Pick: Unforgettable Blogs! This month they decided to feautre ME (so honoured) and also the wonderful Natalya

"Shopaholic is a group of talented writers and avid shoppers with one goal in mind: make shopping simple. Superheroes of the shopping world, our writers have unmatched wit, incredible good looks and, best of all, they are dedicated to fighting buyer’s remorse everywhere. Looking for the best leather satchel or a new overnight bag ? We'll do the research for you so that you can make the best decision with your time and money. So keep calm and carry on shopping! Shopaholic is here for you. Buyer’s remorse beware."

So this is what they said about me!
"Roz is a gorgeous Dutch (hence the spelling of ‘dutchess’) beauty and shopping addict living in London. Her fabulous beauty and fashion blog is not only like cupcakes for the eyes, but it’s informative, fun, and uplifting! I look forward to the inspirational ‘Happy Hump Day’ messages (every Wednesday of course); they make the week so much better! It’s really apparent that Roz puts a great deal of her lovely self into this blog. And now, we’ve got her answers to all-important questions.

Q: How has London influenced your personal style?

A: Living in London is fantastic because there is so much more variety here than I was used to in New Zealand. I love the fact that there is a great range of high street brands that sell quality, fashionable clothes. Some of my favourites are ZARA, Reiss, Whistles and Topshop. But then there are also the amazing department stores that allow you to browse along a huge selection of designer brands! If only I could splurge more often…On a beauty basis, again there are so many more brands available to the people which means I have experimented a lot more with different products and brands. I also think I have gotten a bit bolder by wearing more colour (perhaps to compensate for greyer skies?).

Q: Who or what inspires you?

A: I find I get inspiration from so many things. Magazines, movies, celebrities, events and other bloggers or people I see on the streets! People always ask me, “Don’t you ever stress that you will have nothing to blog about?” But no, it’s more the other way around. I am always inspired and have so many things I want to blog about, but with too little time!

Q: Which 3 beauty products would it be extremely difficult to live without?

A: Oh gosh, that is such a hard choice to make but I’d probably have to say:

• Concealer or foundation – to at least be able to apply my daily ‘face’. I am fortunate to have pretty good skin but I will still always wear some sort of foundation or cover. If I am going for a lighter look, say on holiday or at the gym, I will still put on a bit of concealer and some powder to even out my skin tone.

• Mascara is a must-have! I am not blessed with dark, long lashes so I wear mascara every single day to darken my lashes and make my eyes stand out!

• And a kohl eyeliner because you can use it to define your eyes plus create a simple smokey look with it!

Q: What have been the biggest benefits you’ve gotten from blogging?

A: Blogging has very much helped me grow my passion and I feel it’s brought up a more creative side in me, which I didn’t even know I really had! I have been lucky to have met so many lovely and amazing people through the blogging and PR communities and it’s given me fantastic opportunities to attend fabulous events and get introduced to new brands. I blog for fun and I can definitely say that even though it takes up a lot of my time, it continues to bring me happiness every single day!Thanks, Roz!"

Check out the full article on Shopaholic's website here!
Happy Hump Day everyone :) xoxo