AuthorAll post by : Reema
My ‘June’ Glossybox arrived shortly after the recent ‘Hello Glossybox‘ post.
This month’s theme was ‘Summer Looks’ and the box had a variety of summery treats including Paul Mitchell Ultimate Wave Cream to create sexy, tousled, beach hair and a lovely coral Nails Inc polish.
My favourite product in the June Glossybox is, without any doubt, the Figs & Rouge Tinted Lip Balm (Cherry Blossom)
My dear hubby surprised me with a quick getaway to Brussels over the weekend. We had been talking about a Eurostar train trip for quite some time and as much as I LOVE Paris, I was excited to explore a city that I had never been to before. My excitement multiplied after hearing about all the Belgian culinary treats on offer. Chocolate, waffles, fries and other yumminess…I knew from the beginning that this was going to be a delicious trip. And, oh yes, it was!
Here is my foodie guide to Brussels!
Belgian Chocolate
I gave up coffee on June 1st. And I am still standing! Hooray!
Finding healthy (and tasty) replacements for my morning cuppa has been easier than I thought. I have a renewed love for green tea and am mixing it up with other detoxifying drinks such as hot water with honey and lemon (yum), wheatgrass powder (not so yum) and other fresh juices and concoctions.
I met up with a friend this morning at Le Pain Quotidien and tried a delicious detox juice from their seasonal menu made with pink grapefruit, turmeric, agave syrup and sparkling water. Never knew detox could taste so good!!
Quite a claim, isn’t it? I thought the same when I first read bareMinerals bold statement! Of course, I was instantly curious!
bareMinerals was launched in the United States in 1995. They have come a long way since and bareMinerals products are now available all over the world. Their makeup is made out of natural minerals with no chemicals, preservatives, dyes, oils or perfumes. bareMinerals boasts that their ingredients are so kind and gentle to the skin that one can even sleep with makeup on!
It is my birthday today!! And I have had too much fun and a shameless amount of dessert over ‘birthday week’ that kicked off with a delicious meal at Sushi Samba London a few days ago.
My American readers may be familiar with Sushi Samba, a popular Brazilian-Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant with locations in New York, Miami, Las Vegas and Chicago. Sushi Samba used to be one of my favourite restaurants during my NYC days and naturally, I was beyond excited to finally try out their new London branch.
Imagine your local farmer’s market on steroids. Borough Market is beyond that. It is where both Londoners and tourists come together to experience fresh, delicious foods from Britain and the world. It is a foodie’s paradise!!
My first visit to Borough Market was as a new Londoner back in 2006. It quickly became a monthly ritual as well as a top ranked British tourist attraction whenever friends and family came to visit.
11 degrees Celsius. Thick, dark clouds, rain and HAIL! Isn’t it almost the end of MAY?? Someone please tell me why I choose to live in London?
The best way to fight this miserable weather is of course, to escape it! But for those of us with no such fun in the sun plans, here are some ideas to make it feel a little bit like summer.
Who doesn’t want clear, radiant skin? There is no doubt that besides being born blessed, the best way to a healthy, luminous complexion is drinking lots of water, eating right and exercising. But let’s get real…we all need some help, don’t we?
I wandered into my local Body Shop the other day and left with a great skincare product from their Vitamin C range that deserves a special mention on Hungry Aphrodite!
A perfectly ripe avocado is undoubtedly my favourite ‘power food’. I was initially put off by the high fat content but the benefits of avocado in my diet make it very easy to overlook this technicality 😉
Avocado has the highest protein content of any fruit and is rich in a variety of vitamins and nutrients. It lowers cholesterol, helps to control diabetes and has also been known to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and improve side effects resulting from chemotherapy. It is high in folate and provides excellent nutrition to pregnant women and is also a nutritious addition to your child’s diet.
My mother-in-law is in London for a few weeks and that always means a daily overdose of great food! 😉 We were all in the mood for something different this past weekend: A quick Google search and a couple of reviews later, a table was booked at Asmara, an Eritrean restaurant in Brixton.
My first experience of Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine was as a college student in Boston. I remember falling instantly in love with the flavours and the unique, communal dining experience. The memory certainly hasn’t faded and the craving kicks in every now and then.
Most of you will know what I am talking about. A fun night out followed by a sore head, and horrible nausea the morning after. Ugh. And of course, the looming, long day at work or an even more frightening one spent taking care of a toddler in your own delicate state. Eeek!
Honey is renowned worldwide for its health and beauty benefits.Besides being the world’s most natural sweetener, honey is also anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. It is used widely in alternative medicine as a cure for all kinds of ailments and is considered a ‘power food’ that should be included regularly in one’s diet.
Here are some simple ways for you to include some sweet honey in your life!
Weight Loss – A spoonful of honey mixed with warm water and a squeeze of lemon is a well known weight loss aid and great for detoxifying the body. Have it every morning as soon as you wake up and you will see the results on your skin and general well-being!
I am always intrigued by bizarre beauty fads from around the world. It is often a source of amusement and other times, just disturbing to see how far women (and men) can go in their pursuit of beauty and eternal youth. Hearing about these crazy treatments makes me wonder about if and where I would draw the line.
There has been a lot of buzz recently about the anti-ageing ‘Fire Facial’ aka Huo Liao treatment being offered in Chinese beauty salons. Sounds hot, doesn’t it? Think again.
What I love most about living in London is exploring the vibrant cultures and cuisines from around the world. The culinary scene over here is bustling – there are always new flavours to explore and of course, the old favourites that are practically institutions for some of us!
We had some friends in town from India this weekend and decided to try out Coya, a trendy new Peruvian-Japanese restaurant in Mayfair. Peru is home to a very significant immigrant Japanese community and we were all very eager to explore the unique fusion cuisine.
I read earlier that this week marked the 130th anniversary of modern day lipstick. Given that lipstick is a beauty staple for women across the world, I thought it might be fun to dig deeper into the history of this miracle worker and share some little known facts with all of you.
On this day, exactly one year ago, I experienced beautiful Tuscany for the very first time. I still vividly remember the long drive from Bologna to our villa at the Castello di Casole, through those spectacular green hills and vineyards. An unforgettable holiday spent with our lovely family enjoying delicious food and wine at the most luxurious Tuscan villa – pure bliss!
I love to travel and Italy ranks high up (if not, at the top!) of my favourite destinations list. Food, dessert, wine, art, fashion, design – the Italians always seem to get it right, don’t they? From the rolling hills of Tuscany to the striking Amalfi coast, Italy never ceases to amaze me.
My first introduction to Parsi cuisine was at a friend’s dinner party in Mumbai a few years ago. The Parsis are descendants of the Persian Zoroastrian community that emigrated to India in the 8th century to avoid religious persecution. Mainly settled in Mumbai, they are a small but significant and highly eccentric group with unique customs and lovely food!
A friend recently recommended I give my two year old a daily dose of organic elderberry syrup to boost his immunity. A naturopath had advised her of the wonders of elderberries in reducing the number of colds/coughs and other viral infections in both children and adults. I was about to take off for a long holiday to India at the time, and was naturally concerned about keeping my child healthy and germ-free throughout our hectic trip.
Elderberry syrup (sambucus nigra) is a remedy that has been around for centuries in Europe. According to research, elderberry syrup is anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, rich in vitamin C and high in anti-oxidants. It is safe to use for adults and children over 12 months of age.
Hubby and I recently attended a friend’s wedding at the gorgeous Park Hyatt Resort in Goa, India. It was here that I was first introduced to products made by “Forest Essentials: Luxurious Ayurveda’. Founded in 2000, Forest Essentials has revived ingredients used in many old Ayurvedic recipes. Their products are sourced from plants, trees and herbs naturally grown in forests in the Himalayas – Music to my ears!
The shampoo, conditioner and sugar soap bar that we tried at the hotel were fabulous and definitely inspired me to pay a visit to their Delhi store before we headed back to London.
Hungry Aphrodite is a chronicle of my experiences with divine food, beauty and oh yes, the pursuit of good health and eternal youth. I hope that you will enjoy being a part of my creative space.