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| ow where did I put those gloves? |
Sunday, 26 November 2017
A cosy combo for cold days
Thursday, 23 November 2017
Pinterest for Bloggers
Sunday, 19 November 2017
Supermarket Chic
Thursday, 16 November 2017
Beauty Haul
Liquid Eye shadows from Stila and Urban Decay
The usual advice to older ladies is not to use sparkly eye shadows in any shape or form, but I think that's rubbish. Flat, matte eye shadows can actually make our eyes look older. The trick is to keep the glitter and glimmer on the lids, close to the lashes, and not to use over the crow's feet unless you're keen to highlight them (!).
Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow in Gold is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S. It's a mixture of pearl and glitter and has a high percentage of gold in a fluid base. I applied a pale green eye shadow on my lids first (over primer) and then applied the Stila glitter product along the upper lash line. The glitter particles capture the light very well and it creates a more youthful eye.
Urban Decay's Liquid Moondust eye shadow in Magnetic is a cream that goes on like a powder, creating a dense, high-sheen effect with tiny particles of glitter. It gives a lovely iridescence to the eye lids. With hindsight this is not the best shade for my lids - I tend to use this dark aubergine / purple colour to highlight the socket line. But they have 23 fabulous shades so really we are spoilt for choice.
Aveda Color Conserve shampoo and conditioner for colour treated hair
I was interested to try a different brand for my colour treated hair. For some reason the Pureology products which I have used for the last two years had started making my scalp itch. I don't have blonde highlights at present and the organic Davines colours which were used instead have left my hair in better condition, albeit a little harder to handle now (it's finer in texture without the bleach!). The Aveda products have a distinctive smell unlike any others - a pleasant, clean smell - and leave my hair shiny.Product Renewals
In addition to the new products above, I also had some old favourites including Apothaka's lovely Rejuvenating Face Oil for normal-dry skin and their remarkable SOS Nail Recovery Oil. Read my review of the face and nail oils here. I was also given Apothaka's Rebalancing Cleansing Oil, which is new, but I've been determined to use up my existing cleansing balm before I try it - so stay tooned for the review later.
Finally, I last bought Nars' The Multiple about 10 years ago. It lasts a long time. So I treated myself to a new one in the usual shade Portofino. Cream blushers are far more flattering to the older complexion and this one has high colour density and lasts all day. Its creamy formula and sheer colour blends effortlessly to create shimmering accents; contours or dynamic highlights on all skin tones. I only use it as a blusher, although its name confirms that it's supposed to have other uses.
Sharing this post with Weekend Blog Hop at Claire Justine and Saturday Share at Not Dressed as Lamb.
FOR MORE MUTTON
Don't miss a post - follow my blog on Bloglovin or Feedspot (where Is This Mutton? is in the top 30 fashion blogs for the over-40s). You'll love "shoe of the day" on the Is This Mutton? Facebook page. And check out the Is This Mutton? Pinterest boards, including boards on other bloggers in fab outfits plus beauty, jewellery, hairstyles and fashion picks. Is This Mutton? is also on Twitter.Sunday, 12 November 2017
Red Bombshell dress and a night at Heston's
It got its first outing at the weekend when Mr Mutton and I went for dinner at the glamorous Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. It was my post birthday treat.
I find it hard to find the right shoes to go with occasion wear. If I was able to wear high heels, finding a fabulous pair wouldn't be a problem. But I literally can't walk in them so I have to find kitten heels or low block heels. They don't always look very fashionable. The model on the Bombshell website was wearing nude high heels with her red dress but that's a bit too "Middleton" for me. I found a suitably quirky and cute pair of shoes at one of my favourite brands, Poetic Licence. I teamed them with nude fishnets.
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| First stop, a glass of Champagne at the bar. |
Dinner by Heston is not to be confused with his eponymous restaurant The Fat Duck at Bray in Berkshire. I went there a few years ago and it's a fabulous experience, working your way through the experimental and stunning tasting menu.
For the main course I had Powdered Duck Breast (c.1850), braised & grilled red cabbage, spiced umbles (whatever an umble is....!) and pickled cherries. Mr M had Cod in Cider (c.1940), with chard and flamed mussels. All tip top! I was too stuffed for pudding or cheese but Mr M managed to push down Sambocade (c.1390) which came with a goat alert: goats milk cheese cake, elderflower and apple, perry poached pear and smoked candied walnuts.
The final flourish was a sweetmeat presented to me on a plate with "Happy birthday Gail" in ganache.
The Dinner restaurant, overlooking Hyde Park, offers modern dishes, inspired by historic British gastronomy. The menu shows the year when each dish was originally to be found. We love this restaurant because it's got such a great vibe. The staff are very friendly and enthusiastic without being pompous or overbearing. I realised I was done with Michelin starred fine dining when, at another famous London restaurant, a waiter said snootily "I'll ask the water waiter" when asked for another bottle of water.
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| Mr Mutton gets his close-up |
The last time we were here it was in June for our wedding anniversary. We had a table looking out at the park and the light was fantastic. Last night, it was dark outside and more atmospheric inside, but it didn't make for great photography so I won't share all the photos we took of our food (sorry Nancy!). I was seated with a great view straight into the kitchen. One guy spent the evening grappling with the flames of an oven that was searing pork chops. Another was painstakingly cleaning and trimming mushrooms individually.
Mr Mutton had the famous "Meat Fruit" (c.1300) which looks just like a mandarin but is in fact chicken liver pate. I had a starter called Salamagundy (c.1720): chicken oysters, salsify, marrowbone, horseradish cream & pickled walnuts. The combination of different textures, and the powerful flavours, were divine. We didn't choose Savoury Porridge (c. 1660) - snails, girolles, garlic, parsley & fennel - because neither of us like snails.
The final flourish was a sweetmeat presented to me on a plate with "Happy birthday Gail" in ganache.
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| I kept the jewellery simple with a rose gold circle necklace and rose gold charm bracelet |
Outfit Details
Red Bombshell dress from BombshellHQ; Shake It shoes by Poetic Licence, AmazonARE YOU MUTTONED UP?
Don't miss a post - follow my blog on Bloglovin or Feedspot (where Is This Mutton? is in the top 30 fashion blogs for the over-40s). You'll love "shoe of the day" on the Is This Mutton? Facebook page. And check out the Is This Mutton? Pinterest boards, including boards on other bloggers in fab outfits plus beauty, jewellery, hairstyles and fashion picks. Is This Mutton? is also on Twitter.Thursday, 9 November 2017
The perfect heirloom gift
It's a great heirloom to hand down through the generations because not only can it be engraved with a name, date or message, but it can also house a special photo.
Martha Jackson Jewellery is a British company specialising in premium sterling silver jewellery at affordable prices. I was invited to choose a locket on a chain, which I thought would make a lovely keepsake for my niece Isabel, 14.
I chose the silver vintage heart locket necklace which has a choice of different lengths and types of chain. Options include engraving for £5, with a choice of six fonts, and the opportunity to add a gold or silver charm.
Martha Jackson's engraving is done by Marco - nice personal touch - and I opted to have Isabel's name engraved on the back in By Hand font. Other suggestions for engraving are initials, a special date, or a short message.
There are plenty of other items to choose from including cuff links, bangles, different lockets and a diamond set secret message ring.
Is This Mutton? has an extensive Pinterest board featuring more jewellery than shown in the blog.
Sharing this post with Weekend Blog Hop at Claire Justine and Saturday Share at Not Dressed as Lamb.
*I was gifted the silver vintage heart locket necklace but as always my thoughts and opinions are my own
ARE YOU MUTTONED UP?
Don't miss a post - follow Is This Mutton? on Bloglovin or Feedspot, and receive a weekly email on new posts. You'll love "shoe of the day" on the Is This Mutton? Facebook page. And check out the Is This Mutton? Pinterest boards, including boards on other bloggers in fab outfits plus hairstyles and fashion picks.
Monday, 6 November 2017
5 Over 50 Challenge: Boots!
