May 2011 ~ TWINKLE STYLE & TRAVEL

A Relaxing Sleep Guide

We all have problems sleeping at times; but it is well proven that herbs such as Lavender help induce sleep and relaxation.
We have been testing out the beauty industry's sleep products, and have picked out the most relaxing (and gorgeous) ones so you don't have to go out hunting, and can just go to sleep instead!

1. Sranrom Sleep Tight Mist, £18, www.sranrom.com
As well as the traditional Lavender, this authentic Thai product also contains White Champaca and Ylang Ylang; used in Thailand for centuries to relax the mind. It can be sprayed in the room, or on your pillows; but can also be sprayed directly on your skin if you want to use it on your neck or body. It smells divine, and allows you to just melt away...

2. Sranrom Sleep Tight Spot Roller, £8, www.sranrom.com
We also love the Sranrom Sleep Tight Spot Roller. It contains the same ingredients as the mist, and is 100% essential oils. Roll it on your temples or wrist for a relaxing sleep.

3. Gift Box Galore Relaxation Hamper, £27.99, www.giftboxgalore.co.uk
If you want everything you need to unwind and sleep well in one pretty package, get one of Gift Box Galore's Relaxation Hampers. They make perfect presents too! Each hamper contains delightful goodies such as a Lavender essential oil burner and oil, Lavender-scented Linseed silk eye mask, bath bomb, Lavender tea lights, Chocolate incense sticks and much more. Heaven in a box!

4. Espa Soothing Bath Oil, £42, www.espaonline.com
Espa's Soothing Ball Oil is one of the most amazing smells you will ever experience. It makes you instantly relax before you even get in the tub! Pour some of this into the hot water as you are running it, climb in and try not to fall asleep in the bath. The Sandalwood, Rose Geranium and Frankincense will work on relaxing your body; whilst the Myrrh will quieten your mind. It also contains Sweet Almond Milk to give you delightfully soft skin too.

5. Espa Relaxing Salt Scrub, £32, www.espaonline.com
This exfoliating product contains natural sea salts to scrub away dead skin cells, and Sweet Almond Milk to make your skin lovely and soft. It's beautiful Lavender scent will calm your mind whilst Rosemary and Bay will relax your muscles. No more counting sheep!

6. Yankee Candle French Lavender, £16.60, www.scentedcandleshop.com
Part of Yankee Candle's new Summer 2011 collection, this will fill your room with the scent of Lavender; helping your drift off into dream world. It has a glass lid that will keep the scent locked in whilst not in use.

Stylish Weekend Break: Oxford

The Four Pillars Oxford Thames hotel is the ideal place to stay when visiting the city of Oxford.

The four-star country hotel sits on the banks of the River Thames, and it's gardens and riverbanks are home to a variety of ducks, geese and other woodland creatures. Standard rooms (double occupancy) for dinner, bed and breakfast cost from £140.

We stayed in one of the newly-refurbished College Hall bedrooms; all named after Oxford colleges. In our room we were greeted with a complimentary drinks tray containing red and white wine, still and sparkling water and soft drinks.
The bed is a a Super King and is extremely comfortable; with an abundance of pillows. A bar of Divine chocolate was resting on each side when we arrived.

The garden view from the room through the 14th century lead-paned windows is beautiful to wake-up to.

The bathroom is stocked with delightfully aromatic Clarins' toiletries, and the power shower is an excellent early morning wake-up. The bath is deep and perfect for a relaxing soak. If, however, you have a problem lifting your legs high I would mention this when booking as the baths have unusually high sides.

Breakfast is served in the main restaurant- the River Room. On one side there is a range of cereals, fresh fruit, meat, cheese, juices and pastries; and on the other are the hot items- sausage, bacon, fried and scrambled egg, fried bread, hash browns, black pudding and beans. There is also a menu containing other items cooked to order- such as boiled eggs and soldiers, tea, coffee and hot chocolate. The window tables are the best in the house for breakfast, as canal barges meander past on a regular basis.

Dinner is also served in the River Room restaurant. The menu is varied, and there are plenty of choices for meat lovers and vegetarians alike.

Do not make a visit without trying a side of Creamed Savoy Cabbage with Bacon (£2.95)- it's delicious! We had sirloin steak (which has a £5.95 supplement charge), and it comes with the best Dauphinoise potatoes that we have ever tasted!

For dessert the Spiced Chocolate Fondant (which has a £2.95 supplement charge) is the choice to make. We were worried it may have too strong a Cinnamon flavour since this is where it gets it's 'spice'; but the pudding turned out to be deliciously sweet and rich. The berry compote and real vanilla ice-cream were ideal accompaniments.

The staff in the River Room are very friendly and attentive and welcome several weekly regular diners. If you are not on a dinner inclusive rate, a main course only costs £16.50; two courses cost £21.50 and three courses cost £26.50 (plus any dish supplement charges).
If you are looking for a less formal menu, you should think about room service. The room service menu is excellent and very well-priced; containing items such as burgers.
If you want to eat outside the hotel and venture into Oxford, our choice is definitely the Loch Fyne Restaurant. This seafood restaurant (which also serves meat) gets all it's fish fresh from Loch Fyne in Scotland.

We could still taste the sea on our smoked salmon (£6.45) and squid (£6.25) starters. The portions of smoked salmon are extremely generous and come with wasabi and soy sauce for dipping.

For main course we had steak (£16.45 or £19.25 with king prawns). Despite the focus of the restaurant being on it's seafood, they prepare excellent meat dishes. The steaks were well cooked, and came with delicious accompanying sauces such as peppercorn.

For dessert we had the popular summer fruit trifle (Price On Board), and sticky toffee pudding (Price On Board); which finished off the meal perfectly.

The atmosphere in the Loch Fyne Restaurant is warm and welcoming. It is a casual relaxed family restaurant; but equally just as intimate for couples looking for a romantic night out.

If you are looking for things to do whilst in Oxford, take a tour of Christchurch college and make a visit to Blenheim Palace. Oxford is a very cultured city; so take in some of it's most interesting sights!

To book the Four Pillars Oxford Thames Hotel visit: http://oxford-thames-hotel.four-pillars.co.uk
To view the full menu for the Loch Fyne Restaurant visit: http://www.lochfyne-restaurants.com/restaurants/Oxford
To find out what activities are available in Oxford visit: http://www.visitoxfordandoxfordshire.com

Short Trenches

The weather is good; but it's not quite the time of year yet to take the risk of going shopping without a jacket, as Pippa Middleton showed in this M&S Autograph Essentials Double-Breasted Trench Coat (£89).

We have picked out some other cute short trenches too...

Stylish Weekend Break: Birmingham

The words 'Birmingham' and 'style' aren't usually bedfellows; but the city of Birmingham is indeed a rather stylish place.

Like all cities, Birmingham has its shabby areas; but shopping and entertainment locations such as The Mailbox and The Bullring bump up it's style rating considerably. The Mailbox is the home of luxury retailers such as Harvey Nichols and Armani; whilst The Bullring houses Selfridges alongside high-street retailers such as Debenhams.

The highlight of The Mailbox is its outdoor quayside area named Wharfside Street. Here, fabulous eateries sit side by side along the waterside.

Cote Restaurant (http://www.cote-restaurants.co.uk) is our favourite. It is part of a chain of 22 restaurants; although you would never know it. It's French-themed menu features the best of local produce; with all items prepared freshly in-house. All of the staff members taste the menu and daily specials alongside wines recommended by their sommelier; so that each can make personal recommendations to customers.

For starters we had fresh scallops and prawns cooked to perfection, and for our main course, we had their fillet steak (£17.50) sourced from a local farm, and served with a choice of sauces and frites. The steak really is the best we have ever eaten. It's juiciness, flavour and tenderness is out of this world.

They also have an excellent selection of breads to compliment the dishes on their menu.

Cote's desserts are to die for. Their chocolate fondant (£4.95) is soft and delightfully rich; as is their signature creme brulee (£5.25). It is definitely well worth a visit!

Rather a hidden gem in Birmingham is the Staying Cool apartments that occupy the top few floors of The Rotunda building (http://www.stayingcool.com). Staying in a 'Mini Apartment' on the 19th floor, we had an unrivaled view of the city.

The apartments are super-sleek, and 60s-themed. Each contains all the home comforts guests could desire; plus some extra gadgets such as a juicer with fresh oranges, an Apple mac and a cappuccino maker.

Eating breakfast at the table by the floor to ceiling windows is a real treat! It is important to mention, however, that the windows do open fully, and that the only thing protecting you from the streets many floors below is a waist height glass barrier- so do not bring any children or pets!

Staying Cool's bathrooms contain soft white robes for use during your stay; and their own range of shampoos, shower gels and body lotions (with fresh herbal ingredients) will leave you fully refreshed after a morning power shower or fully relaxed for a perfect night's sleep.

Royal Beauty

The royal wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William; the now Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has now passed after much anticipation.

People across the world watched as the bride emerged from The Goring hotel in London, eager to catch a glimpse of her dress, hair and make-up. Here is the lowdown on how her stunning look was created...

Kate's hair was styled by James Pryce of Richard Ward's salon in the Chelsea borough of London. Her hair was styled in a Demi Chignon, a partial up-do style. If you would like to get your hair done at Richard Ward, prices for a Creative Director such as James Pryce start at £58 for a cleanse, condition and finish. However, these may rise after this weekend's activities! You are also able to purchase the styling products used in the salon, and most likely on Kate's wedding hair, online at http://richardward.com/shop/. To book an appointment, call 020 7730 1222.

Another salon was in the royal wedding spotlight, when Kate received a manicure by Marina Sandoval at the Jo Hansford Salon in Mayfair. Sandoval created a custom nail polish blend especially for Kate; containing Bourjois' no.28 Rose Lounge and Essie's no.423 Allure. Manicures start from £35. For an appointment at the salon, call 020 7495 7774.