August 2012 ~ TWINKLE STYLE & TRAVEL

Save Big On Your Holiday Essentials!

Whilst we love the best of everything here at Twinkle HQ, we like to save money on it too. We are addicted to the daily deal sites; but with so many of them, we found it hard to keep track of the bargains out there until we came across MyDealPage (www.mydealpage.co.uk). Nearly 40 top deal sites are gathered together in the one place and grouped by geographical location; making it easy to search for what you are looking for and make substantial savings.

We did a test just for you (yes, shopping is hard work I know) to find out how much we could save on our beach holiday essentials this year using MyDealPage rather than our usual trawl round the shops...and it was phenomenal. We got everything we would need to look bikini-ready for just £113.94 instead of the retail value of £474.93. That's a saving of 76%!

This is what we bagged ourselves:

Colour, cut & blow-dry for £24.99 instead of the usual £115 at La Cherie House of Beauty in Glasgow. This was a deal from Wowcher on MyDealPage.
New wash-on tanning kit with enough for six applications for £18 instead of the usual £45 from LyncMeUp on MyDealPage. This will give us a healthy UV-free tan!
Phillips Satinelle Epilator for £27 instead of £54 from LivingSocial on MyDealPage; for satin smooth beach legs.
Home teeth-whitening kit for £19.95 instead of £129.95 from LyncMeUp on MyDealPage; for smiling at the lifeguards!
Vibro Belt from Vivacity for £24 instead of the usual £129.99 from KGB Deals on MyDealPage. This will tone our tummy muscles after all those cocktails.

Based on figures from January to June 2012, a staggering average of £649,450 per day is spent in the UK on daily deals; and most people are signed up to more than one provider. It's the way forward in getting your essentials for less, so why not make it easier for yourself by viewing them all in the one place at www.mydealpage.co.uk or on their handy iPhone app for purchases on-the-go!

Docteur Renaud Azulene Calming Rich Cream, £29.50, Marks & Spencer
This thick lavender-scented cream is luscious. Its soothing and reparative properties make it an essential for every dressing table. It helps calm razor burns, sunburn, dry skin and other skin irritations; and should be a staple beauty product for every woman.

Bootcamp In A Bottle, £39.99, Boot Camp Foods
Named after the infamous exercise camps that slim you down with a tough regime, this product has the same effect; but achieved through drinking 'gruelling' shakes rather than toughing it out on a playing field.
Bootcamp In A Bottle is a powder mixture of , that when added to water makes up the weight-loss drink. You can use it to replace every meal as it contains all your essential vitamins and minerals, or just substitute one meal a day for slower weight loss. The taste is plain; but the texture isn't all that pleasant. It's worth it though as it left us feeling energized and lighter.

Ultimo U Sculpt: Boobs Minus, £39.50, Ultimo Beauty
The Twinkle ladies are not short in the chest department, and so we adore this offering from Ultimo which does exactly what it says on the tin. It's the first ever breast reduction body sculpting cream, and it lifts the skin and firms it; helping 'sculpt' the breast by reducing sagging and signs of aging. It's a cooling and refreshing gel that feels light on the skin. It also helps with the breakdown of fat cells through the inclusion of anti-oxidant Golden Chamomile. Wonder product? We think so.

We love this look from Kim Kardashian. It's perfect for summer evenings...

Audrey Tautou Style Retrospective

With the recent DVD release of Audrey Tautou's latest film 'Delicacy', we thought we'd look back through her quintessentially French style moments.

Audrey Tautou plays a grieve stricken widow fighting for her second chance at love in the emotional, moving French film 'Delicacy', but she was not always dressed in muted browns and wearing a scowl across her face. From adorable 'Amelie' to sophisticated 'Coco Before Chanel', Audrey Tautou has set the stage for modern, chic style and shows no signs of losing her edge.

A shaggy pixie cut and angelic features in 'Amelie' introduced us to the iconic fashion model. Through scarlet pursed lips, her smile confirmed Audrey had a mischievous side we were only beginning to witness.

Wandering from her childish style in 'Amelie', Audrey sophisticates her wardrobe with tailored, yet feminine colour hues, and perfectly braided locks. With the elegance and grace of her 20’s style in 'A Very Long Engagement', Audrey only shadows the transformation to come.

Sex appeal drips off Audrey’s fingertips, as she playfully seduces the camera in 'Priceless'. Her dramatic plunging neckline and messy up-do show off her slender build, while the mischievous grin reappears from her earlier years.

Departing drastically from her previous films, Audrey tosses on her cotton cardigan to play a more solemn role in 'The Da Vinci Code'. Lengthening her glossy tresses, she illustrated women can be dominant and elegant at the same time.

Channelling her chic elegance in 'Coco Before Chanel', Audrey poses in her iconic garb proving black and white are forever the classic colours of fashion. Loose, pin up curls and a beautiful strand of pearls supply the perfect addition to her proper, trimmed suit.

Audrey's latest film 'Delicacy' can be bought from Amazon for £9: Amazon

Biba Cut Fur Swing Coat, £189, House of Fraser
This faux fur coat is perfect for dressing down with a belt over the top, or pairing with a glamorous dress for an evening out. It has a great sheen to it, and the colour changes slightly according to where the light hits it. It looks fabulously luxurious, and is a must-have for Autumn and Winter.

Lulu Guinness Black Doll Face Fifi Clutch, £265, Lulu Guinness
This super-cute clutch from Lulu Guinness will turn heads. One side shows the doll's eyes open; whilst the other side shows them closed. The clutch fastens with Lulu's iconic lips too! Our Editor Laura Pearson-Smith adored this bag when she met with Lulu Guinness last month to view the new collection.

Lulu Guinness & Laura Pearson-Smith

Tresor Paris Pia Bellatrix Earrings, £129, Tresor Paris
These elegant crystal earrings in an Egyptian-inspired design are perfect for a night out. When translated into English, the name of the earrings, Bellatrix, means female warrior; so these would make a great gift too. Fans of Tresor Paris include Sienna Miller and The Saturdays' Mollie King.

Nowadays, 'me time' is a real luxury; and the best place to get it is out in the middle of nowhere, without the distractions of phones, emails and televisions. Not all of us are suited to roughing it like campers, so that's where 'glamping' comes into play- all the relaxing benefits of camping without the stressful negatives of finding heat, pitching a tent and having no electricity.

Wigwam holidays have over 50 locations in the UK, each with solid, spacious,wooden wigwams for you to take a break from the rat race. All the wigwams have locked doors, lovely warm heating, double glazed windows, fridges, kettles, outdoor firepits for cooking, and plug points. Other than that, they are bare, and ready to turn into your own luxury retreat. You can also get the wigwam already supplied with made-up beds (duvets, pillows and sheets), with towels and a with hospitality tray by choosing the Luxury Wigwam package which is only slightly more expensive than the regular options.

We stayed at Strathfillan Wigwam Village in Scotland; located on a working farm in the heart of the West Highlands, within the Loch Lomond & Trossochs National Park. Whilst you would normally think of taking a break away like this in the sunshine, we actually went in the middle of Winter. There was snow on the ground; not another 'glamper' in sight...and it was wonderful! However, now it's August and if a Winter trip sounds too harsh for you, you can enjoy a break there in the sun.

Strathfillan Wigwam Village also has it's own shop where you can get the firewood you need to start your barbecue, and (if you are adventurous enough) get some of their exotic meats to roast- including kangaroo, camel and zebra! The staff are friendly and there if you need them; but otherwise they leave you in peace; which is great. The location also has a communal kitchen to cook in if the barbecue doesn't appeal; but we didn't use this as there is a cafe just down the road in Crianlarich called 'The Green Welly Stop' which opens late and makes delicious homemade pizzas and other specials to takeaway for the nights that you don't want to barbecue.

There are also plenty of activities to do whilst at Strathfillan Wigwam Village if you don't just want to laze about. There are gorgeous woodland walks, and you can even pan for gold; which is great fun.

We had a fabulously relaxing time, and they also welcome dogs to join the holiday. The only negative to Strathfillan Wigwam Village is the existence of only one communal toilet block. We were staying right at the top of the complex, and had to walk in the middle of the night down paths to go to the toilet. It did add a sense of adventure though; but you definitely need a torch as it's not well lit.

To find out more information about the sites across the UK, and to book, visit: www.wigwamholidays.com.