July 2011 ~ TWINKLE STYLE & TRAVEL

Paisley- The New Fragrance From Etro

Italian brand Etro; who manufactures fabrics, fashion and fragrances has created a new perfume in tribute to it's iconic Paisley print. Etro Paisley; launching in August smells wonderful. It has top notes of bergamot, cardamom and blackcurrant leaf; middle notes of ylang-ylang, sambac jasmine and pink pepper; and a base of vanilla, berry, Indonesian patchouli and grey amber.

The box and bottle both feature Paisley pattern, and is available in 50ml (£88) and 100 ml (£112) Eau de Parfum. You can purchase the new Etro fragrance exclusively with Selfridges (www.selfridges.co.uk) from 29th August, until it is available nationwide (in stockists such as Liberty and House of Fraser) from 3rd October. We have been using the 100ml bottle for the last month, and love it. A little goes a long way.

Summer Nights With LondonW11

Our favourite accessory at the moment is LondonW11's gorgeous Icon Print Cashmere Scarf. It's perfect for summer evenings, and can be worn round the neck or as a wrap. Then, when Autumn and Winter sets in, it will make the ideal accompaniment to a smart work outfit, or casual shopping look.

It is delightfully soft; having been made from 100% superfine Italian cashmere; and it's brown, military green and navy pattern is a classic that will never go out of fashion. A perfect luxury investment piece!

To find out more about LondonW11, and the brand's other cashmere fashions; visit www.londonw11.com.

Swimwear Picks

Our pick of the best swimwear out there this summer. Perfect for sunbathing whilst sipping cocktails...and swimming if so inclined.

Afternoon Tea: Cakes To Keep Cumbria Curvy

The motto of Lucy's On A Plate in Ambleside in the Lake District is "Cakes To Keep Cumbria Curvy"; making Lucy instantly every woman's best friend.

Her tearoom and bistro serves the most delicious home baking- from triple chocolate layer cake to lemon cake to scones. The best way to enjoy her baking is as part of their Cumberland Afternoon Tea (£7.50). This way you get to try a little bit of everything (well, when I say little bit, I mean slab). Their triple chocolate layer cake is honestly the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten (and i've eaten a lot). It is moist, and creamy and deliciously moreish.

Lucy's On A Plate also serves an extensive menu of fabulous meals both during the day and in the evening. We adored their Macaroni Cheese (£7.95). Just the right amount to leave room for the cakes afterwards!
Lucy herself is a bit like Rick Stein is to Padstow. She owns several businesses in Ambleside; including the more lively eatery Lucy4; just across the road from Lucy's On A Plate.

Lucy's On A Plate has a relaxed friendly atmosphere that is instantly welcoming. Visitor's get an instant impression of the team's personality with jokes and witty sayings written on everything from the mirrors to the menus. "Love is blind. Marriage restores the eyesight" was our favourite.

The property mixes wood with country and vintage-themed decor to create a place that you could happily while away the day.

Please don't visit the Lake District without making a little stop at Lucy's On A Plate before you go. For directions, and more information visit: www.lucysofambleside.co.uk.

Across the road from Lucy's empire is Scarlett Ribbon, a delightful vintage style boutique. Perfect for walking off all that cake and spending your last few pounds.

Dresses from individual designers sit alongside vintage-inspired hairbands and purses; along with a gorgeous selection of feminine gifts and trinkets. You can also shop online at: www.scarlettribbon.co.uk.

If you are still feeling a bit stuffed from your triple chocolate layer cake, head a few miles down the road to The Beatrix Potter Museum in Bowness-on-Windermere, and meander around the beautiful recreated scenes from Beatrix Potter's much-loved tales.

It is a lovely and relaxing way to spend an hour or two; with plenty to keep the kids amused; including treasure hunts. Entry costs £6.75 per adult and £3.30 per child. More information can be found at: www.hop-skip-jump.com.

Photographs: Malcolm Smith

Stylish Stay: Mar Hall, Bishopton

Mar Hall Hotel & Spa is a 5-star retreat near Glasgow in Scotland; and is one of the featured 'Small Luxury Hotels of The World'. Celebrities such as Beyonce (who stayed in the same type of suite as us, at the same time, just a few doors down in Room 15) have enjoyed the opulence and seclusion the hotel offers.

As soon as you reach the end of the long winding drive and see the baronial mansion that is Mar Hall, you feel like you are at the end of the earth. Surrounded by a 240 acre woodland estate, even one night here is enough to feel completely refreshed and ready to tackle the outside world again.

Each of the hotel's 53 bedrooms are exquisitely designed; but it is the personal touches that make Mar Hall a home-from-home. Expect a personalised note welcoming you; and some Scottish tablet on your pillow when your bed is turned down for the night. A huge comfortable bed, large television with free DVD rentals, comfortable slippers and dressing gowns, and a delicious room service menu give you are perfect reasons to never leave your room. We stayed in a Junior Suite (£375 per night) just like Beyonce, and Take That the week before.

The huge Junior suites contain a beautiful lounge, bathroom and bedroom off of a long corridor. The bathroom has a roll-top bath and a separate power-shower, and is a delightfully spacious for pampering sessions.

The hotel's Aveda concept spa really is something to experience. There are countless treatments to choose from; but the Chakra Balancing Massage (£75 for 1hr) is a must. Your body feels refreshed and re-centred after a combination of massage, reiki and reflexology; using the oil you have selected according to the Chakra they are tending too. After your treatment, there is no need to come out of this wonderful state immediately. You can move yourself to the spa's relaxation room to slowly bring yourself round.

The restaurant has a locally-sourced Scottish menu that varies nightly. The food is fresh and delicious, and the friendly waiting staff will talk you through the menu and organise any changes you wish to make to dishes. Nothing is a problem. Their warm Blueberry Cake dessert, served with Mascarpone ice-cream is to-die-for; and will leave you waddling back up to bed!

Rooms at Mar Hall, with breakfast, start from £155 per night for a Classic Room; and can be booked directly with the hotel at www.marhall.com. It's a perfect location for a romantic break with a partner, or for a pampering treat to yourself.

Photographs: Malcolm Smith

Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, is looking as stylish as ever on her tour of Canada. She's wearing the famous Reiss (www.reissonline.com) white Nanette dress from her official Mario Testino engagement photographs; although the dress has sold out and is no longer available. Her cream and red Anya Hindmarch fan bag is currently on sale, however, at www.anyahindmarch.com. Get it before it disappears too!

Scottish Academy of Fashion Showcase

Last night, the Scottish Academy of Fashion previewed it's first showcase to VIPs. The collections on show were designed by the academy's fashion students at their collaborating institutions. The academy aims to attract the best national and international talent through collaborative industrial and academic research, knowledge exchange and networking. It's current academic partners are Edinburgh College of Art, Glasgow Caledonian University, Heriot-Watt University and Robert Gordon University.

All photographs: Tony Marsh

Last night students from these universities showed their latest designs, and they were all of an extremely high quality. We at Twinkle Magazine adore this floral dress from Sarah Struthers; student at Robert Gordon University.

One of the highlights of the showcase is the unveiling of four macs chosen by Mackintosh to go into production and be sold at their flagship London store in Mayfair. The winning designs were a single-buttoned brown coat with citrus lapel, designed by Edinburgh College of Art fashion graduate Qi Zhang ; a bronze coat with concealed front fastening and draped collar, designed by Eliza Borkowska and Isabel Wong, Edinburgh College of Art graduates; a green caped coat with a tie-belt with eyelet detail, designed by Edinburgh College of Art graduates Lisa Leisos and Jett Sweeney; and a grey coat with accentuated tail, designed by Pamela Aitken, Heriot-Watt University School of Textiles and Design graduate. Our favourite is Qi Zhang's citrus lapel creation. We think we will be first in the queue!

The showcase is open to the public this weekend on 2nd and 3rd July at Edinburgh's Inspace from 12-8pm.

For more information visit: Scottish Academy of Fashion.

Bobbi Brown Tortoiseshell Collection

Bobbi Brown was inspired by her own tortoiseshell-framed glasses to create this new collection for Summer. She says: Like a great pair of glasses, the Tortoiseshell Collection is about standout eyes.
The collection launches exclusively in Selfridges and on the Selfridge's website today; but Twinkle Magazine got a palette out to try a few weeks ago, and we love it! The casing itself is sleek and stylish and opens up to a two-level drawer style collection of eight eyeshades.

Photograph: Selfridges

There are two eye palettes available- Bronze and Sand (pictured above); both priced £48. The Sand is for lighter skin tones, and the Bronze is for medium to dark skin tones. Both palettes contain warm neutral and metallic shades that allow you to go effortlessly from soft to smokey. Perfect when switching from a day at work to a night out!

Get the Bronze eye palette here; delivered direct from Selfridges. Get the Sand eye palette here; delivered direct from Selfridges.