Hot on the Highstreet Week 82

Christmas is all about memorable scents and delicious smells, aside from the Christmas dinner turkey, scented candles are a must around the cold winter season, and add to the decorations and sparkle during the festive season. I love the Diptyque candles, their scents are delicate, natural and lasting. I have one in my room, a pretty Tuberose scent, pale yellow in colour, it is a beguiling strong and sensual flowery scent, and always calms me when I light it in the evenings.

The Diptyque company was started in Paris in 1961 when three friends were united by a passion for creativity and design. They opened a shop at 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain selling items from their travels and beautifully eccentric fabric designs. To match their fabrics the Diptyque trio begin offering coloured candles with added perfumed wax. The customers fell in love with the inimitable stylish fragrances leading to the introduction of the first Diptyque scented candle in 1963. Ever since they have been luring visitors in with their unique special scents and pretty packaging.

This December Diptyque have launched a lovely range of holiday fragrances especially for the festive season. The Epinette (spruced tree) and Perdigone (spiced plum) scents will bring a luxurious smell to any home while glowing in their red and green pretty glass containers.

The Epinette echoes the aromatic freshness of pine needles and the resinuous notes of pine cones while the Perdigone is a concentrate of warm and fruity notes around a spiced plum that deliciously perfumes the house, comforting in the depths of winter.

The mini candles of Epinette and Perdigone cost £25 each and promise to last 30 hours, they are the perfect stress free Christmas gift.

Buy on the Diptyque website here.

Pavillon des Lettres, hotel, Paris

Pavillon des Lettres is a literary palace, with twenty-six rooms, each subtly themed to pay homage to a renowned writer from French or International literature. It is the perfect, quietly elegant hotel to rest your head while staying in the city of love.

Located in the dreamy 8th arrondissement, with Prada on the street corner and moments away from the Elysée Palace, it is the ideal place to explore from or 'get lost in translation'.

We were welcomed in by the friendly staff; I felt special just to be inside this impressively smart building. Staying in the Junior Suite on the 6^th and top floor (our writer was Hans Christian Andersen – the 19^th century Danish author and poet, noted for his children’s stories), it was a fairytale room, the Eiffel Tower glowing prominently outside the window and lights flickering with youthful energy on the streets down below.

The Andersen suite is a spacious affair and yet felt cosy and romantic, we spent a good fifteen minutes examining every trendy feature and trying out the lavish bed. Clues about the specific writer were there to be discovered all around the room - above the bed an excerpt from the author's work is stencilled on the wall and on the bedside table a small novel sits for those particularly interested in learning more about the literary hero with some bedtime reading.

The bathroom was heavenly, a large glass wall petition, engraved with a quote from our writer, separating the bathroom from the bedroom... while I enjoyed my turbo shower, I heard the poignant murmur of Edith Piaf, and realised my friend had appropriately found the album on my iPod and plugged it into the dock speakers. Despite the traditional décor with stylish muted colours and the enchanting poetic theme, our room was kitted out with all the high tech modern essentials, large TV, speakers and even an iPad for visitors' use. In the bathroom the toiletries were plentiful and by Plantation London, a natural brand I have never come across before. Sadly the plug didn't work in the bath, which was a shame because we were planning on utilising the jacuzzi bubbles settings, to make the stay even more decadent. Wrapped in the soft hotel bathrobe, I could really make myself comfortable on the velvet chaise longue.

After making full use of our room, we wandered out to explore the waiting city. As the hotel has no restaurant (though room service is available), the helpful concierge spoke to us, in perfect English, about our evening plans, and kindly offered to book us into a lovely French Brasserie for supper, to save us the trouble of traipsing round trying to find somewhere suitable. He picked ALLARD, a fiercely French restaurant with a reasonable menu, tucked away on a side street. It was lovely, and just what we desired: comforting Coq au Vin with thick flavoursome sauce, Charlotte au Chocolat and the crispest cold white white.

I slept amazingly well and whinged childishly as we had to rise early and go down to breakfast, wishing I had one more hour in bed, or one more day in Paris. Downstairs the breakfast buffet was small but perfectly composed with buttery miniature pastries and bread, cheese and meats. The hotel offered exemplary service, awaking early to provide us with sustenance before our dawn Eurostar home. We chose a light continental breakfast, making use of the lovely jams and honey and helping ourselves to the freshest orange juice and frothy cappucinos. In the dining parlour there are ample books to flick through, and if you want to curl up on the sofas there is an Honesty Bar which guests are welcome to help themselves to, a nice touch I thought.

Despite being situated in one of Paris's most popular districts, Pavillon des Lettres is a reflective and relaxing haven inside that inspires one to dream. It is a hotel of luxury and comfort, with a unique and inspiring theme. The only risk is you may want to stay in all evening rather than visiting the amazing city's sites, we were certainly tempted to.

Book here to stay in this wonderful hotel.

Laduree, Covent Garden

Laduree is the perfect place for a spot of tea. I visited the quaint Covent Garden branch a few days ago to gossip with a friend. It is a fairytale cafe with matching tea sets and a pretty pale green theme, an Alice in Wonderland destination. The waiters are, of course all French... and trot around delivering delicious snacks to the 'ladies that lunch'.

The menu is very tempting with every cake you could desire but also the option to have a full meal if you so wish. As Laduree is famous for its macaroons, we decided this was the treat for us. We tried raspberry, pistachio, rose and salted caramel. My favourite was the airy pale pink rose flavour filled with fluffy white sweet cream icing. The salted caramel was an amazing combination too and melted in the mouth. Like most things from Paris, the Laduree macaroons are petite, stylish and exceptionally delicious.

There is an extensive tea list to choose from, and after much debate we decided on one portion of rose tea and one of almond. Both were flavoursome and sweet (there is no need for milk) and they complement the macaroons perfectly. Laduree has everything you need to feel like a Parisian princess for the day, and is the perfect pick me up between shifts of Covent Garden shopping!

Visit Laduree in Covent Garden, in Harrods or on Burlington Arcade. See the website here.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 29 - The Boys are Back in Town

Courtesy of a very special boy, this week I will be taking on a male Hot on the Highstreet. It’s been a long time coming and at last there is a subject(s) worthy of this post. So, I introduce to you: two innovative men’s (sort of) highstreet shops: Pretty Green, and Sandro – Paris, both new to the London scene.

Pretty Green is Liam Gallagher's clothes shop on Carnaby Street. All the pieces are designed by Liam himself and have a real sense of his character about them. There are two distinct collections making up the brand. The Green Label is a casual range for everyday wear – signature pieces, well put together. The Black Label features classic British tailoring, with real attention to detail, using only the finest fabrics. I particularly love the khaki cotton parka, £245 (shown above) which has a vintage feel but with real quality, and has logo patches sewn on and engraved buttons. Pretty Green is doing so well they are all set to open branches in Manchester and Glasgow any day now. I’d like to say well done Liam, we always hear about female celebs creating fashion labels but for a male celeb it’s rather more impressive; who said fashion was just for girls?

On 25th November Sandro – Paris launched their first menswear store in the UK, on Westbourne Grove. On offer is classic Paris elegance with an injection of fun... check out the website here. I have always admired this designer and am currently lusting over their black playsuit, £160, that Alexa Chung wore to the store’s launch party, paired with a casual white tee – she looked painfully cool. Their men's clothes are just as unique as the ladies'. Smart slimline trousers and beautiful patterned silk scarves can be found on the boys' clothes rails. The pieces aren’t cheap but for such stunning staples they are worth every penny.

Watch out ladies, the boys are back in town, and they’re looking seriously stylish.

Things to do in Paris

Paris, oh Paris, I adore Paris. I went last weekend for three days, and even with the torrential rain (it really did pour non-stop) it was still charmingly beautiful and a wonderful weekend away.

There is so much to do in the city, it is difficult to know where to start. So I thought instead of giving you an all inclusive guide, I’d just mention a few things that I enjoyed:

MUSEUMS: The city is littered with them. Quai Branly is relatively new, and has a wonderful collection of worldly artifacts. The Louvre is, of course, a must... a little tip though – the first Sunday of every month offers free admission to most major Paris museums and galleries, which is a great idea in theory, but in practise means waiting in three hour long queues just to get in. The Picasso Museum, which I am dying to see, is closed until mid-2012 so don’t waste your time like I did seeking out that one!

RESTAURANTS: Where to start? French cuisine can be absolutely divine if you know where to go. Unfortunately with the Pound-Euro conversion being so dreadful, even the snackiest of meals becomes pricey. On our first day we stumbled across a hip vintage cafe called ‘Etienne Marcel’ and in the Etienne Marcel region. We ate delicious ‘LOVE Burgers’ which arrived in the shape of a heart (!) accompanied by the most delicious skinny french fries. A very yummy lunch, but for just main and drink for two it came to 45 Euros, which is about 43 pounds. La Coupole is a fun restaurant too, with a lovely feel of tradition and celebration; the food can be a bit on-off though. The man at our hotel recommended a restaurant, just around the corner from Bastille metro, called Les Banquettes (3, Rue de Prague) in which the food was thoroughly tasty and had a perfect ambience; definitely my nicest meal in Paris to date. I ate stuffed poussin with fois gras sauce and vegetables. It had such a friendly atmosphere, with no tourists at all, they made us feel very welcome and gave us complimentary glasses of wine.

AFTERNOON TEA: The one and only Angelinas (on the grand Rue de Rivoli) really is a treat; you will have to queue, but their famous thick hot chocolate is worth it. A beautiful setting too – I felt like I was Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys. I must also mention Cafe Camille (that I love for obvious reasons) located just a few streets away from Place des Vosges (24 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois); this gem is always packed full of Parisian darlings.

SHOPPING: Vintage or Designer? Take your pick. I found that very few people could give me exact information on good retro shops in Paris. Go to metro station Etienne Marcel and explore around that area. Killiwatch (64 Rue Tiquetonne) is the well known warehouse-like vintage shop, but if that daunts you try Episode down one of the side streets... revolutionary prices – I bought a colourful silk top for 11 Euros and suede knee high tassle boots for 45 Euros, bargains me thinks.

HOTEL: We stayed in the Bastille area which is a little like the ‘Notting Hill’ of Paris. If you want to stay nearer the big attractions like the Eiffel Tower it is likely to cost you more. When I stayed more centrally, the hotel was not as high quality and didn’t have half the atmosphere of Pavillon Saint-Louis Bastille, where we were staying this time.

With the Eurostar so cheap, easy and quick it is all too tempting to hop on a train to Paris every weekend.

Puccini's La Boheme at The ENO

ENO always has a diverse programme. This season they are offering up some real classics that I’m sure will be popular with the public: Handel’s Radamisto, Mozart’s Don Giovanni and of course Puccini’s La Boheme. Unlike some operas La Boheme is not difficult to follow, and the narrative moves slowly through the powerful melodies, avoiding the unbelievable twists and turns of some opera plots. Above all it is a great love story, and more prosaically a study of some young bohemians and the mischief they get up to.

I fell in love with Puccini when I first performed Tosca with Opera Holland Park, ever since I can’t help but be deeply affected by the overpoweringly passionate music. My academic experience of Puccini can sometimes lead me to be overcritical of productions I see. This time round ENO push all the right buttons for me, it is a truly enchanting production on all counts.

This is the first revival of Jonathan Miller’s production, following its initial successful run. Thanks to designer Isabella Bywater this adaptation adds something special to Puccini’s classic. The atmosphere is transporting, Miller decided to set the opera in 1930s Paris, the era after the depression, and Bywater’s vision matches the directors sentiment entirely. The evolving set made me feel so close to the great French city, and the magical mist and falling snow in the second half made me shiver. My favourite part of the set has to be the intricately decorated Cafe Momus that radiates from the centre of the stage, and is complete to the tiniest detail. I later found out the set and costumes are based on images of Paris from about 1932 by the famous Hungarian photographer, sculptor and filmmaker Brassaï.

The singers are all brilliant, but tenor Gwyn Hughes Jones is particularly spectacular as Rodolfo. (The part is split between Gwyn Hughes Jones and Alfie Boe). He commands the stage, and engulfs the tiny Mimi (Elisabeth Llewellyn) with an endearing natural charm. His voice is sensitive and yet grand and the massive ENO theatre buzzed with his presence. This is Llewellyn’s ENO debut, and I thought she did jolly well, she sings with a natural sincerity that suits the character well, her obvious excitement was very noticeable in her quite touching bow at the end of the curtain call. The rest of the cast are good too, and it is difficult to find any fault. I loved the raucous children running across the stage, all peering in to the Cafe while the bohemians are inside singing. I do prefer my La Boheme in Italian, but thought that Amanda Holden’s translation was rather comically and enjoyable.

Puccini’s music is so brilliant it doesn’t take much to make one of his operas into a good production, but this has something a little bit extra. ENO got it just right.

La Boheme continues at the ENO until 27 November 2010, book tickets here.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 14

It is always a challenge to find a scent that suits you. When getting ready to go out with your friends it is easy to become attached to those popular perfumes that all girls wear: Daisy by Marc Jacobs or Chloe by Chloe perfume. These are beautiful fragrances, but it is much more fun to have your own special scent that is different from anyone else.

May I introduce you to Annick Goutal, an extraordinary Perfumery House from Paris. Yet again it seems I am attracted to someone who has a lot in common with me. As a young French girl, Annick Goutal was a keen musician, and rebelled against her almost inevitable career as a pianist. She came across a perfumer from Grasse, a renowned town near Nice in the South of France, and this is where she discovered her talent for creating fragrances. Sadly Annick Goutal passed away in 1999, but today her work is continued by her daughter, Camille.

I was first introduced to Annick Goutal four years ago when my mum gave me a bottle of the Petite Cherie for my 18^th birthday. Fresh and carefree it is the ideal scent for a young girl. This scent was created by Annick specifically with Camille in mind. It is light-wearing and so natural that it could appeal to women of all ages. The scent smells primarily of a sweet, but not sickly pear, floral and fruity. Other delicate hints of peach, rose, vanilla and cut grass can also be discerned. Petite Cherie - Eau de Toilette is on sale in Space NK for £51 (100ml).

Eau de Camille is another beautiful perfume from Annick Goutal, a scent requested by her daughter who wanted to smell as good as the garden. This scent is innocent and playful with suggestions of ivy, honeysuckle and privet tree.

See Annick Goutal website here.