Heaven on the Hill

Today I'm going to be waxing lyrical about my favourite use of commercial space in Frome...Herbs on the Hill. It's a little shop that packs a massive punch. When you first walk in you want to have a quick shower, fall asleep on the spot and go out for a night with your friends...which other shop in the world can offer than with just one pungent smell?

There's little more I love in life than a boiling hot bubble bath, it's the perfect end to any day: tricky, upsetting, happy, exciting...a moment of perfect, bubbly reflection and total content with nothing more than me, myself and I (and the occasional rubber duck, on those aforementioned happy days.) 

Herbs on the Hill seeks to make my already fabulous bath times even better and as a local equivalent of LUSH, it hugely succeeds in doing so with melts and fizzy or glittery offerings to catch my aquatically magpie-esque eye.

Having recently been in Frome on a casual visit, I came home with a box of five delectable bubbly offerings (sorry not sorry) and I wanted to share my fabulous bath time experiences with you, as a result of these showstoppers.

With a wide selection of bath creamers and bath bombs, I urge you to buy them both with the sole propose of using together. This combination means you have all the fun of a bath bomb, but spend the evening also feeling moisturised, due to those yummy melts. The best of both worlds for anyone who's ever bathed, or lived...whichever sounds more dramatic.

Herbs on the Hill's costings for the above items start from about £2.50 making it an affordable bit of luxury, for your every day. I suggest you visit the shop and, to save you some time, here's their address:

30 Catherine Hill,

Frome, 

Somerset,

BA11 1BY

Or failing that, they have a bath-porny website where you can spend a few minutes scrolling through, lusting after your next soak which you can find by clicking here.

Whatever you do, enjoy your bath. Don't ever let anyone hurry you or tell you your skin will be ruined by spending hours in there or deny you the wonder of having a book in one hand, a glass of wine in the other and hot water all around you.

It's one of life's simple pleasures and one to be thoroughly, diva-ly enjoyed. Uninterrupted and unapologetically.

Amuse l'eau

Hello diehard blog watchers, it's time for my daily rundown of something wonderful and today, I'm all about fruit infusing (or whatever wondrous infusions you wish to dilute into an otherwise boring, tiresome pint of water) water bottles. This seems to have become a big deal overnight, people I follow on Instagram are forever lusting after one or have just got one and numerous people I know just float fruit in normal water bottle, wishing they had one. Tip: this is not so desirable due to frequent mouthfuls of soggy, colourless fruit. Trust me, a strawberry isn't so fun when it's been floating for a while.

So, I've had this water bottle for about three weeks now, having waited four months for it to arrive from China (I paid a lot less for it but had to wait to scratch my water bottle itch, if you can do the same then eBay is a hub of wondrous water bottles) and I have since found some delectable ideas, which I will share with you now.

I was a little bit blind as I did think this would make sin-free naturally strong squash, it is not quite that strong of  a taste; rather it tastes like fruit, but only a bit. However, I am not a girl who really thinks about her water intake as some so vehemently do and this does take that edge off the boredom of guzzling gallons of water  and make me drink more of it, so it's clever whatever it's doing.

So, my top three picks for stacking up this little bottle are:

1.) Lime, cucumber and mint. It's water but it tastes a little like a mojito, go figure. That's my sort of water. Go heavy on the lime, you won't be disappointed, promise.

2.) Ginger and orange water. A perfect way to soothe your stomach and replenish your fluids and it tastes gorgeous. One of the most flavoursome ones I tried. Ginger gets surprisingly potent when it's left to its own devices in fresh water. You'll only need about an inch of ginger, cut up into smaller pieces and then stack it up with orange slices.

3.) Frozen raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. A hint of summer berries, it's delicious. It made me crave Eton Mess, but so long as you can stave off from hurriedly and guiltily eating  a handful of meringue, you'll be golden.

I hope you all love these recipes as much as I do and if you have any combinations to add to my repertoire, please comment below. I'm always keen for any new suggestions. I'm one of those girls who will try anything once…you know…so long as it's edible or I can take it off with a make-up wipe.

The Ultimate Builder's Brew

Having been a dedicated, loyal, lifelong tea drinker, I know what I like and I like the exact things I know.

 The only time I would stray is if I were to find something better and I always have at least half an eye open on upcoming, wannabe-brilliant teabags and vow to try it, in order to stay true on my course 

to finding the ultimate cup of builder's brew.

Granted, not the most attractive name I could have thought of, but it does what it says on the tin. I like my tea so strong that at first glance it could look like hot chocolate made with water (a vile concept, but this isn't the time for a watery/weak hot chocolate rant, 'tis after all a blog about tea) and if it can't live up to the brick colour I have come to love then it isn't worth the teabag it hangs in. However, teapigs world-famous silky pyramids back a real punch and are packed full of fresh tea leaves which, I must say, offer the most perfect cup of tea. 

You may be remarking on my casual use of the word perfect and be rest assured that I didn't just accidentally use the word perfect…it was all quite deliberate. I'm an official no-going-back, couldn't-drink-anything-else-even-if-I-wanted-to convert of teapigs everyday brew. No other brand or offering will do.

If you're a tea lover on a similar quest to find a wondrous cuppa, save yourself some time and look no further. It's here. I offer it to you. Freely.

Cheers or ching-ching or whatever us Brits are meant to say when we clink teacups, I hope you love it as much as I do.

Benebabe Roller Lady

Never being one to pass up on adding a new mascara to my repertoire, I simply had to have a dalliance with Benefit's new offering, Roller Lash and I'm so glad I did.

Not that we should judge a mascara by it's cover but, as always, Benefit have triumphed with their packaging - the mascara lid, made to look like a hair roller has a rubbery texture and is quite adorable when teamed with the jet-black pot. 

The brush has little teeth on it and is slightly curved, which all my favourite mascaras are as this gives you the opportunity to do the "grab and roll", a make-upish take on the bend and snap given to us by the fantastically educational Legally Blonde. This manoeuvre means you can grab your lashes, before rolling them into the perfect curve - bambi eyes to die for.

This mascara is perfect and it will be my go-to and, truth be told, it should also be yours. It holds on without flaking (yes, I have been known to naughtily fall asleep with it on and hours later it's still hanging on in there) and lastly, it's perfectly black, no slight grey, no little bit of brown - straight forward, honest, does-what-it-says-on-the-attractive-box, black. 

Go forth and Roller Lash.