House Festival, Chiswick Park

Last week, very last minute, I was invited to House Festival, a day of fabulous music, food and drink in Chiswick Park. With ticket costs at a staggering £195, this was one guest pass I was not going to turn down. The event was sold out, and full of corporate types, enjoying a day of free premium food and drink. As a Chiswick resident born and bred, this park still holds many vivid memories for me: Sunday walks, tree climbing expeditions with friends, begging my parents for an ice-cream in the park cafe. It was nice to return, albeit for very different reasons.

Unlike most music festivals, here the stage area was small and under-populated, with guests preferring to loiter around the sumptuous displays of lobster, hog roasts and delectable Grey Goose cocktail stalls. I arrived after work at 6.30 ish though the party had begun at 3. After a day of rainstorms, I’d opted for my neon pink Hunter wellies, delighted at the chance to finally take them out. Sure enough they got some looks (I beamed proudly), well anything quite so dayglo is likely to turn a few heads.

I grabbed a hog roast bap and a ‘Provence Presse’ Grey Goose cocktail and meandered over to the music to listen to some of the Noah and the Whale set. This five piece, indie/folk band originate from Twickenham and seemed at home on the Chiswick platform. Sadly without much energy and interest from the crowd they lacked motivation a little and didn’t seem that bothered when it was their time to leave the stage. This lacklustre feel continued for most of the evening... Tinie Tempah seemed to be a different artist entirely from the spirited man I’d seen only a few days before at Hop Farm.

The food and drink was all delicious - fresh produce, presented and served to the highest standards. It was lovely to not worry about money and cost, everything was free which made things quick and easy! The toilets queues were negligible, a rare festival occurrence. Of the stalls, it was the more quirky that excited me: the mini cupcake stand, the ready to use photo booth, a pretty choose-your-own flavour candy floss stall.

The headlining act, Stereophonics came on promptly at 9.45, introduced by a beaming James Cordon. They too seemed unexcited by this suburban gig and all looked a little aged and weary. However a few familiar hits later and the, now very drunken, audience seemed to have been given the shock of power and inspiration they needed, and began joining in with the singing band. It was a great set, filled with all the favourites tunes, afterwards the crowd stumbled out, ready to collapse into their comfortable Chiswick beds.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 59

I have never been a big Benefit fan, I tend to find their make-up greasy and overpriced... however I couldn’t help noticing their newest summer product, Cha Cha Tint. This mango tinted lip and cheek stain is the third in a series preceded by the very popular Benetint and Posie tint. The Benetint is very vividly coloured, a bright red that can be quite lethal when you apply it. Posie tint gives more of a shimmery girly sheen, and is used best as a cheekbone highlighter. Cha Cha tint is a safer bet, a more mature, delicate colour that gives a gentle pretty blush.

This tropical sunset hue is perfect for summer days when you want to be as bare-faced and fresh as possible, requiring little effort. The pale orange-pink colour is good for most skin tones, and will give you a subtle sun-kissed glow all year round. I have tried Cha Cha tint on my cheeks and love the orangey glow, it is not as harsh as many blushers and feels creamier and softer on the skin. I am yet to try it on my lips but can imagine it looks glam with a coat of clear lipgloss on top.

Cha Cha tint is a perfect way to update your make up bag for summer - it is priced at (a rather expensive) £24.50 and is available in most big Boots stores, buy online here.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 52

Summer is fast approaching, and in a few days time I’m going for my first fix of sunshine. For the late May Bank Holiday I am off to Gran Canaria to lap up the rays. Hopefully my skin will get a bit of much needed colour, and my head some necessary rest. Sorting through my stored bags labelled “summer clothes 2010” depressingly confirmed to me that I have no suitable bikinis for a glamorous weekend away, and with a tight budget it seems that D&G leopard print swimwear is well out of reach. H&M have some great patterned two-piece outfits but from experience I know these fade fast, and become unflattering within minutes of splashing around by the pool.

I had never heard of TAVIK Swimwear before I saw other bloggers mention this designer’s range. After a bit of internet searching I found that they are a California based label making surf and swim beachwear for men, and launched their women’s swimwear collection last Spring. There is a flashback feel to their summer 2011 range of bikinis and costumes, with psychedelic patterns reminiscent of the 60s and 70s. In the garments I’ve seen, striking prints and wacky colours dominate, both of which flatter and accentuate a glowing tan, and stand out on the beach.

Being a US make, it is hard to find TAVIK stockists in the UK, and they are certainly more expensive over here. After a bit of research, I found you can buy pieces from the range on both the ASOS and the Urban Outfitters UK websites, and better still ASOS have some of the pieces reduced.

With the sale bikini sets coming in at around £60 I think TAVIK is still a bit out of my budget unfortunately, but definitely a step in the right direction. If you need a highstreet bikini that will last, TAVIK may just be the answer to your prayers.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 1

My mum suggested this weekly post advertising a hip, fashion forward highstreet buy. So here goes Week 1 - Nails Inc's HAYMARKET nail varnish.

You may have noticed the Sold Out Chanel Nouvelle Vague being flashed on lucky nails around the city. This Chanel Limited Edition Nail varnish pictured below (centre) was sold out within hours of hitting the shops, and at £17, it's not cheap.

I have tried both the Chanel and Nails Inc's alternative, and if anything the Nails Inc version is more glossy, and only requires one coat. Nails Inc also have great offers on their products - in Harvey Nichols at the moment they are selling 3 nail varnishes for £20. So instead of queuing for hours for the Chanel pricey option buy Nails Inc HAYMARKET for a fraction of the price from the comfort of your own home, get it on the website here for £9.45.