Inside this year's Arches Open Studios // Southampton

This past weekend saw the return of Arches Open Studios - an annual weekend that allows the people of Southampton and further to discover a hive of creative and artistic activity. We stumbled upon it by chance last year so have been looking forward to attending this year's open weekend. 

You'll find Arches Studios below Central Bridge which is part of a space arts, a visual arts organisation established in 2000, that leads on a range of artist development projects, including the Arches and Tower House studios, God's House Tower, and the RIPE programme, along with delivering a bespoke range of Artist Resources.

They take an enterprising approach to delivering their mission of supporting visual artists and inspiring audiences and have grown incrementally and strategically over the years, developing a portfolio of projects that have culturally reanimated several Southampton buildings as well as becoming a registered charity and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO).

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch

(complimentary tickets for the purpose of review - see disclaimer)

Last Friday, I spent the evening with MAST Mayflower Studios for a look behind the scenes, a full theatre tour and to catch the latest show to grace the stage at the city's theatre in Guildhall Square. It was my first visit to MAST Mayflower and I had such an enjoyable time. They have some fabulous shows coming up so I'm sure I'll be back again very soon. 

Friday, we were there to see Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch from the multi-award-winning Fat Rascal Theatre and fresh from a complete sellout run at Edinburgh Fringe.

"We’re beyond thrilled to be making our return this Summer, after spending the last two years upscaling the design, expanding the show into its two fast-paced and electric acts, finding our wildly talented new cast and dreaming up what we know this show has the potential to be. ‘Unfortunate’ is brimming with the passion and persistence of a magnificent team of individuals fully committed to our vision of pure silliness, eccentricity and joy. Ursula’s lair is finally ready to welcome you back and brimming with surprises, we just need our final ingredient… you!”

Robyn Grant – Writer of the Book and Lyrics and Director

The Lion King at Mayflower Theatre

(complimentary press tickets for the purpose of review - see disclaimer)

After what feels like an eternity of waiting due to the pandemic, The Lion King has arrived at Mayflower Theatre ready for a roaring run in the city. From 8th September - 15th October, The Lion King will be gracing the stage, set against the majestic Serengeti Plains and to the evocative rhythms of Africa, Disney's multi-award-winning musical is a unique theatrical experience that you will remember forever.

Brilliantly reimagined by acclaimed director Julie Taymor, Disney's beloved animated film has been transformed into a spectacular stage production with the powerful story of Simba and his epic adventure to his destined role as King of the Pridelands at its heart. 

It was my first time witnessing the show and it's one I certainly won't be forgetting in a hurry - I already want to see it again, it was just phenomenal. 

Princess Cruises Unveils their Next Generation Ship - Sun Princess

Yesterday, Princess Cruises unveiled details of its new and bespoke ship, Sun Princess. As the brand's largest-ever ship, Sun Princess will accommodate 4,300 guests and boasts stunning views, innovative entertainment venues, multi-storey dining rooms and next-level stateroom accommodations. Returning the venerable 'Sun Princess' name back into operation, the ship remains true to the smooth clean lines and design aesthetics inspired by the Seawitch icon.

The Latest in Beauty Sunday Times Style // The India Knight Edit

(Features press samples and affiliate links - see disclaimer) 

Hands up who wants to try the best of the best when it comes to beauty? Well, now you can do exactly that because Latest in Beauty has teamed up with The Sunday Times Style to release two special edition boxes for a second year! The two boxes, the Sarah Jossel Edit and the India Knight Edit are available to purchase now and come absolutely chocker full of the best in beauty making it the perfect way to access tried and tested beauty for less.

Award-winning columnist India Knight is an authority on all things beauty and is known for testing and uncovering some of the very best products in the industry, it'll be her edit that I show you within this post.

Available to purchase for £48.00 and worth a huge £234, the limited edition edit curates some of the top products from her 2022 Sunday Times Style column and showcases a unique and exceptional lineup of makeup, body care, skincare and haircare.

The NEW 5 Essential Oils Intensive Repair Solid Conditioner by L'Occitane

(features press samples & affiliate links - see disclaimer)

Just a little over a year ago, L'Occitane released a collection of solid shampoo bars - created with your hair and the planet in mind, the shampoo bars are made with 98% readily biodegradable ingredients, and are entirely plastic-free. Their packaging is 100% recycled and recyclable paper making it a perfect sustainable option when caring for the environment.

They've received awe-inspiring results so far with 94% of women tested finding their scalp felt more comfortable, 90% found their hair felt just as beautiful as it would with liquid shampoo and 97% said they felt that their scalp's natural balance was respected so it's great to see a conditioning bar now available within the solid range. 

Typology Hair Oils & Scalp Treatments - What you need to know

(Features press samples & affiliate links - see disclaimer)

Typology has firmly found its place within my beauty shelves and I just had to share with you this latest release - the oh-so-wonderful hair oils that promise to have you swishing your hair back and forth.

Created by Ning Li, the founder of MADE.com, Typology is completely clean, genderless and 100% digital. The Paris-based skincare brand was founded with a mission to promote critical thinking in the personal care arena, intending to break the rules and demystify the complex industry. It's completely stripped back to basics in terms of ingredients and packaging allowing them to design and produce concentrated, natural products that are active, effective and sustainable without a bit of faff in sight.

Hearty pub food, refreshing cocktails & an all-new look - The Talisman has reopened!

(Press visit for the purpose of review - see disclaimer)

Following a recent £1.3m refurbishment, local Hall and Woodhouse Brewery reopened the doors to The Talisman in Park Gate, Southampton. Known as one of Hampshire's most welcoming pubs and nestled among some of the country's most fertile strawberry fields (you'll notice the strawberries carefully dotted around the pub), it is fondly named after a type of strawberry and is once again providing delicious food and a range of beers, wines and cocktails to the masses of Hampshire. 

Set just down from Swannick train station and boasting over fifty parking spaces, the historic pub's menu includes a range of traditional pub classics such as burgers and steak, as well as international cuisine. There is also a pizza oven which has been hugely popular since the refurbishment, with vegetarian and vegan options available too.

Five Happy Things // August 2022

And just like that there's another new month and update - I feel as though this year is really flying by and I'm not at all ready. August has been a really lovely month, we've had a lot of fun and our little girl turned one too. It feels as though I've blinked and her first year with us has flown by but oh what a wonderful year it has been. 

Other than getting the birthday party ready we've enjoyed the sun, eaten out, celebrated other birthdays and started to get the four-year-old ready for school - he starts in just a few days. 

I've somehow managed to pull together five happy things, I had so many to choose from as it has been such a great month but I whittled it down. Let's have a nose...