BLUE SEQUINS

Shirt / Gant

Dress / Zara

Shoes / Urban Outfitters

PINK SATIN

Dress / ASOS

Jumper / The Side Party

Boots / Mango

THE NEW ICE CREAMS IN TOWN

My favourite sweet thing (bar a long standing obsession with Sainsbury's Taste The Difference white chocolate and raspberries cookies) has to be ice cream, in fact there is rarely a hungover Saturday that goes by without me finishing off an entire pint of the good stuff to myself. Of course I've got my tried and tested flavour favourites that never fail to satisfy my craving, ranked in a blog post not too long ago, but as variety is the spice of life I also always keep an eye out for new flavours on my supermarket runs.

Admittedly I may be a bit of a nerd when it comes to finding new ice cream flavours but at least it means that I've been doing the taste testing so that you don't have to, along the way finding some real gems that have seriously challenged the classics (though Haagen-Dazs's salted caramel and Ben & Jerry's sadly discontinued Cinnamon Bun flavour will always take some beating).

Below 5 brand new flavours available at most Tesco's and Sainsbury's and my honest rating out of 5 on them because hey what better time to get stuck into some serious ice cream then when you can hide away under your duvet, put on a Christmas movie and pretend it's not miserable and cold outside! Have you tried any of these and if you have what are your verdicts?

BEN & JERRY'S ONE SWEET WORLD

COFFEE CARAMEL ICE CREAM WITH MARSHMALLOW AND SALTED CARAMEL SWIRLS & CHOCOLATEY CHUNKS

Despite being somewhat of coffee addict in everyday life I was pretty sceptical about this flavour before I dug in, not usually keen at all on coffee flavoured ice creams or desserts as a whole, not even an amazing tiramisu or coffee cake able to get me excited. One Sweet World however changed everything. It may sound like there is a lot going on flavour-wise - coffee caramel ice cream combined with the most lavish and pillowy of marshmallow swirls, dark chocolate chunks and a decadent salted caramel swirl to finish it all off, but it all somehow works incredibly well together! The caramel is more of a background flavour in both the ice cream, which does mainly taste like coffee, and in the barely there but still appreciated salted caramel swirl. This ice cream indeed is all about the stunning combo of the ice cream with the marshmallow swirl which has an almost whipped cream like quality to it,  it all broken up in its sweetness by the delicious chocolate chunks. Buy this now before Ben & Jerry's decides to discontinue another all time great. I will be stocking up my freezer.

5/5

JUDE'S BROWN BUTTER PECAN

DAIRY ICE CREAM WITH SWIRLS OF CARAMEL AND PECAN NUTS

I may usually stick to my B&J and Haagen-Dazs when it comes to ice cream (supermarket own brands and those disappointing carte d'or numbers generally a big no no in my eyes) but will of course occasionally give smaller, more artisanal brands a chance if I spot them down the frozen isle. Jude's is a independent British ice cream maker that has only been around since 2002 but has firmly established themselves in the market, slowly but surely expanding their range. Though I had previously been left rather disappointed by their salted caramel flavour I was more than intrigued by their Brown Pecan Butter flavour, particularly after stumbling across some rave reviews online. And indeed this was a rather pleasant surprise. Yes, it wasn't the best ice cream I've ever tasted but it's luxurious yet light texture and more delicate flavours gave it a real point of difference to the big boys in the ice cream business. This isn't about cramming as many flavours and textures into a pint as possible, no this ice cream shows real craft, quality and freshness that made it a delight to eat (and way less richer too) compared to my usual choices. In terms of flavour this is probably the closest you will ever get to eating a Wether's Original in ice cream form which in my eyes is a pretty dreamy thing. Give this ice cream a go on the occasions when you fancy something a little less full on and more grown up, you won't be disappointed.

4/5

BEN & JERRY'S WHOLLY COUCH

VANILLA ICE CREAM WITH CARAMLISED PECANS. BLONDIE BROWNIES & A SALTED CARAMEL SWIRL

This flavour had a lot of potential on paper and saw me seek out a big Tesco near me especially to get my hands on a pint, it for now exclusively stocked there. Sadly however Wholly Couch turned out to be a perfectly passable but far from memorable ice cream. Maybe this was because I am used to a more powerful base than vanilla when it comes Ben & Jerry's, maybe because the blondie pieces were few and far between or maybe because the salted caramel swirl on its own, without the aid of other strong flavours like in One Sweet World, wasn't quite of the standard that Haagen-Dazs presents us with. It's a real shame as this ice cream does have everything in it that I love and I even went on to buy and eat a few more pints thinking I had gotten a dodgy batch but sadly they all tasted pretty much the same. As I said this flavour is far from terrible and definitely worth a try if you spot it but it's also a missed opportunity to create another truly memorable flavour!

3/5

BEN & JERRY'S SOFA SO GOOD

CARAMEL ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE BROWNIES, CHOCOLATE COOKIES & SALTED CARAMEL SWIRL

Now to keep these reviews honest I should probably admit now that I am not a big fan of anything to chocolatey. Sounds weird I know and I love anything to do with white chocolate, which I guess isn't really chocolate at all to purist, and caramel but when it comes to brownies, fudge cake and the like I would rather pass, which considering the main components of this ice cream being brownies and chocolate cookies made me rather predisposed to not like it. I did have hopes however that when combined with the B&J's caramel ice cream I loved so much in Karamel Sutra and with an extra bit of caramel swirl I would somehow change my mind. Unfortunately for me the whole pint was dotted with huge chunks of brownie that completely overwhelmed all other flavours while the bits of cookies added an almost savoury cocoa note that just didn't work for me with the other ingredients. Ultimately I ended up picking at the caramel ice cream while searching for a caramel swirl that was barely there and pretty much leaving the rest on the side. Not one to keep in the range when we could all be having B&J's Cinnamon Bun flavour!

1/5

HAAGEN-DAZS HONEY WALNUT & CREAM

An honourable mention also goes to Haagen Dasz's new Honey & Walnut flavour. It's a very sophisticated and subtle flavour combo that doesn't quite measure up to their Pralines & Cream or Salted Caramel variations but is definitely one worth trying for all nut lovers that don't like it to sweet!

3/5

Green Animal Print

Top / Kenzo x H&M

Skirt / H&M

Shoes / Mango

BLACK & RED

Jumper / Zara

Dress / Monki

Shoes / Mango

Bag / Yield

BERBER & Q'S SHAWARMA BAR - AFFORDABLE MEZZE THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND

As any regular reader of this blog will know I absolutely adore anything Middle Eastern when it comes to food, particularly fond of the mezze dishes that form such an integral part of the cooking in this region. In fact all of my favourite London dining spots serve this cuisine in some way, shape or form though of course focusing on different countries within this geographical area and adhering to varying degrees of traditional cooking methods and types of ingredients used.

That includes Israeli influenced Honey & Co, Morito on Hackney Road where Spanish tapas is fused with mezze to wondrous results and last but not least Haggerston based Berber & Q which on my various visits there has never failed to impress me with it's finely executed Middle Eastern fare, served up with a hip and slightly Brooklynite touch that shines through in it's modern approach to cooking, successfully pushing flavour boundaries without loosing the essence of what makes Middle Eastern cooking so great.

I was thus more than a little excited to hear that Berber was opening a new off-shot in the picturesque surroundings of Exmouth Market, a rather romantic pedestrianised street a stones throw away from Angel, lined with a fine selection of cosy looking restaurants that are ideal for a more relaxed and serene eating experience, away from the cocktails bars of Shoreditch and chain restaurants rammed with tourists in Soho. 

At first glance the Shawarma bar may not have seemed the most obvious of dining options for a none meat eater like me- a whole section on the menu after all devoted to shawarma which is bluntly put a meat of your choosing spit roasted with not much else on the side. But veggies despair not-  though shawarma may be the menu item the bar is named after, I can assure you it, at least in my eyes, isn't the star of the show here. No, where the Shawarma bar really stands out for me is with it's stunning array of mezze dishes that also happen to be a real steal. 

Why? Well for a mere £22.5 you get to pick 5 of their near perfect vegetarian mezze dishes offered here which with an additional side of the infamous Berber & Q cauliflower shawarma, making a much appreciated guest appearance here, and the delicious fluffy toasted chollah, flown in daily from Israel, resulted in quite the impressive small plate feast being served up at our table. In fact where small plate dining can very quickly turn very pricey in London, at the Shawarma bar we were left stunned by how much food materialised in front of us at such a decent price. 

From their smooth hummus that ranks in my top 3 ever, to the creamy yet tangy labneh served with pistachio and dill and the deeply rich blackened aubergine with chilli and anchovy- this truly was food to blow your mind and tantalise your taste buds, leaving me and and my dining companion in near silence as we mopped up the last juices to make sure not to miss out on even the smallest of morsels left on our plates. Other highlights included a sweet yet tangy beetroot salatim (a sort of cold shredded salad) that came served with walnut and orange and the so simple sounding yet oh so wonderful and strangely complex flavour combination of za'tar roasted tomatoes and creme fraiche. 

In fact as you may be able to tell by now all five of the dishes we chose were stars of the bloody show because not one failed to deliver in it's flavour, no gap fillers or dishes to pad out the menu - no, from start to finish this was truly exceptional food for just under £17 a head without wine but with service included. We left stuffed and unable to shut up about just how good our dinner here had been. This isn't fine dining- of course you can't reserve, food comes out quick and service can feel a little brisk, but that didn't stop me from absolutely adoring it here. Indeed I even favoured the slightly less "hip" vibe here compared to it's sister restaurant, simple chairs and tables in this narrow dining room a little less forced than the copper, exposed brick and long communal benches so prevalent at Berber & Q.

Putting interior preferences aside though, what it really boils down to for me is the Shawarma bar's effortless ability to serve truly outstanding Middle Eastern food at a value for money you rarely ever get to experience at this level of cooking in London. To me this place is a real culinary treasure that I hope will elude guide books and tourists for a while to come. I will be back and if you like mezze even just a little bit you better be on your way there now. You won't regret it. 

KENZO TIGER

Jumper / Kenzo x H&M

Skirt / Topshop

Shoes / Mango

STRIPES & FLORALS

Top / Farah

Dress / Topshop

Shoes / Vans

RED HEARTS

Top / Lazy Oaf

Skirt / ASOS

Shoes / Mango

DENIM DUNGAREES

Dungarees / Monki

Rollneck / Uniqlo

Shoes / Converse

STELLA'S JOB

Stellaswardrobe.com has been part of my life for just over eight years now and the two times a week I get my outfit snaps done has become an unquestionable part of my weekly routine, done without a fail no matter the weather, how busy I am or even if I am barely standing. Of course as life has it I also had to start facing up to the reality of adult life during these years and start paying my own bills and rent each month, without any family money to fall back on inevitably having to rather quickly enter the working world once my degree was done.

I won't bore you too much with my life details. Yes, I did a totally academic subject at a totally boring and academic university (history at UCL if you care to ask) but unlike many of my classmates chose from very early on in my course, if not earlier in my life, to not to go down the better paid route of becoming a banker / consultant / lawyer / anything that involves dressing in a suit and working in the city. Why? Well as this blog stands as testimony of I have always loved fashion and in a way always knew it was in some shape or form going be part of what I wanted to do for a living.

I began interning in the industry while I was still at Sixth form through a combination of luck, determination and also having this little blog that thankfully a few people began to read and ended making the rounds at ASOS, Elle, Company and Grazia to name a few during my intern time which continued well into my uni years where not a single summer was not spent working full time for free. Of course I didn't always have the best of times, 'The Devil Wears Prada' is undoubtedly an accurate portrayal of some editors and their peculiarities, but I learnt an invaluable amount about the industry and how it works during this time and was able to built relationships with people that have lasted to this day, the fashion world in fact filled with fantastic figures like Paula Reed, just one example of many, who are at the top of their game but still will mentor and nurture talent when they see it and have not got one bad bone in their body instead an admirable amount of talent and passion.

Through a process of elimination I began to see what job I wanted to actually end up doing, pipe dreams of being a designer, fashion editor and stylist slowly but surely crushed as I got to experience the realities of doing them in day to day life. Luckily through running this blog I had, without really trying, become a social media native, me of course advertising to you guys what I was getting up to through my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, making me well skilled and experienced in a field that fashion brands were now looking at using more and more and could no longer ignore. With a bit of luck these skills eventually landed me my first job at super talented shoe designer Kat Maconie who I am still indebted to to this day for having full faith in my abilities and letting me loose on her social media channels which luckily for her I ended up being more than capable of successfully looking after.

Of course it was a bit of shock to the system leaving a cushy uni life with loans and starting right at the bottom in an industry where wages do not reflect the costs of living in London but I cannot thank Kat enough for what I took from my time here, particularly the realisation that it was not strictly fashion per se I was interested in but rather the creative process as a whole- brainstorming ideas and making them happen in real life to elevate brands, create campaigns and leave an overall lasting impact.. the end goal of eventually becoming a creative director slowly crystallizing in my mind as the career path I wanted to take.

I was very fortunate then that after I left Kat Maconie another place offered me a position perfect for exactly this next step in that path. Coffin On Cake PR, the PR and creative agency I have now been with for just under 2 years gave me the freedom but also sometimes harsh guidance and criticism from my Creative Director that I needed in order to learn what really goes behind being a creative, from pitching for new business, developing strategies and running big social accounts to also having the guts to go with an idea when significant budgets are involved and your neck is the one that is ultimately on the line when things go wrong.

Anyway excuse the ramblings on my short and far from extraordinary career so far...To get to the point I am now the Creative Content manager at the agency and, with the invaluable work of my amazing assistant Karmen, was for the first time in complete charge of coming up with and also realising the theme for our SS17 press days. Why am I sharing this on the blog? Well I am pretty damn proud of the result. Starting with a silly Pinterest board that was all Miami Vice, 80's references, pastel hues and neon flashes, in part inspired by me recently re-watching Drive and Inherent Vice and stumbling across an image of the all pink Paul Smith store in LA, we slowly began to shape and develop ideas of how we wanted to transform the office, spending a good few weeks trying to make it all reality whilst not overdoing it on the budget side of things.

This meant a lot of thinking outside the box- hey guys I can effortlessly fly post any building with massive pink posters, some wallpaper paste and a broom now, improvising (who knew you could give almost anything a new lease of life with some pastel spray paint) and long hours but you know what these kind of days only made me realise how lucky I am that I found a job I truly love, "a calling" may be lame way of expressing it but I was so proud of the end result that I was itching to start a new project, a new creative challenge, almost straight away- having ideas and making them a reality a feeling that is hard to top for me.

We were also lucky enough to get the amazing guys at Hackney based and now pretty much Instagram famous coffee shop Palm Vaults on board, whose tropical vibes and Miami inspired 70's and 80's retro look seemed almost too good to be true for what we had in mind and who set up their amazing bar in our office space for the duration of the press days, serving incredible coloured lattes and baked goods (get yourself down to their cafe asap as queues are only going to get longer!).

Of course I still have long way to go before (and if) I ever become a proper Creative director, in my dream scenario working with high end luxury brands, and I still don't earn a bomb but I guess other than showing off, at least a little, what me and the Coffin team managed to pull off for this press day, I also wanted to show that even in this day and age you don't have to be a famous full time blogger or the editor of Vogue to have made it in fashion. If you work hard, and I mean damn hard, and find what you really love doing, there will be a way to make your own path - heck you'll even be able to keep your very own blog on the side even if it means a few long evenings and late nights!