Jewellery Box Review And Giveaway with Songmics UK

A good jewellery box is hard to find, so I was interested when Songmics UK contacted me with the offer to review one of their jewellery boxes on my blog.

Songmics UK was established 5 years ago and in that time they have become a top 50 seller on Amazon UK. They excel in providing well-priced storage solutions for your home, from cosmetic cases to shoe racks, as well as a wide range of jewellery boxes. 

With a high feedback rating, they look like a company to trust, so I was pleased to review a black jewellery box from their range on my blog.


What I first noticed when I unboxed the product was that it was a good size, and perfect to handle all my jewellery. The black jewellery box also looked chic and very stylish, in a black leatherette material, with metal fastenings and handles. It was also lockable and came with a small metal key to secure all your jewellery away safely.


When I opened the jewellery box, it was like an Alladin's cave, with lots of nooks and crannies to hold everything. At first, I thought there wasn't a necklace section, but the necklace section is cleverly hidden in side compartments. These sections pull out and allow you to store chains, pendants and necklaces neatly with a popper fastening. 

 There are three pull-out drawers with an area for watches as well as compartments to hold other jewellery.  What I noticed was that the material was similar to velvet and it was very soft, so would be good to protect your jewellery.



Another section that is useful is a little compartment on the top, perfect for storing bracelets, bangles or earrings.

This jewellery box by Songmics, whilst not covered in leather, is still a smart addition to your bedroom and is exceptionally useful to store and protect all your jewellery.  Priced at £35.99,  I think is an outright bargain for the size and quality of the product and would make a great Christmas or birthday gift for jewellery lovers everywhere. 

Today on my blog I am giving you the chance to win this jewellery box by Songmics UK. All you have to do is enter below. Don't forget to also pop over to Songmics UK on their Facebook page to find out more about them.

 Good luck!

Win a jewellery box with Songmics UK


Terms and conditions 
You must be 18 + to enter 
Open to entrants in the UK only
One entry per household 
The winner will be contacted within 7 days of the competition ending.
If I do not hear from the winner within 28 days I reserve the right to redraw
Please allow 28 days for delivery 
Closing date 2017-10-29 11:59:59 PM

As listed on The Prizefinder, Loquax, Super Lucky, Competition Database 
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Incredible Christmas Party Locations In London

Christmas will be here before long, and before you know it the Christmas party season will be in full flow. Christmas parties can be so much fun, but not so much if you are charged with organising it. Finding that perfect Christmas party location especially in a city like London can be hard work too, as there is so much choice. So here are some of my recommendations for an incredible Christmas party location in London.

 For science buffs

For an amazing experience consider hiring the National History Museum. In the Earth Galleries, there is an intimate dining space for smaller groups. Your guests will travel through the Earth sculpture to galleries such as Volcanoes and Earthquakes and Earth's Treasury. Perfect for those that work in a science or educational background, the National History Museum is certainly a memorable place to have your Christmas party and one your party guests will never forget.

For stylish party goers


For a chic party consider a trip on the Symphony Bateaux. This cruise on the River Thames is on a Parisian boat that is all glass, lending itself to amazing views both day and night. For an evening cruise, consider the four course A La Carte meal with a live band or for a fabulous alternative, the Sunday lunch jazz cruise is really something special. Having your meal, watching the iconic buildings drift past makes for an incredible Christmas party.

For horror fiends



For an alternative Christmas party why not consider a party in the London Dungeons. Your guests are greeted by a combination of fun and frightening characters, the venue is amazingly atmospheric and prepare for some surprises during the night. Perfect for those young at heart and those that work in creative industries. Book a package that includes the rides and attractions too for a Christmas party with attitude. 

For football fanatics



If you and your colleagues are fans of Chelsea FC, have a Christmas party in Chelsea Football Club. The club has a choice of bars and function suites and their own music venue Under The Bridge. You have everything you need for your perfect Christmas party all in one place and what better place than Stamford Bridge for Chelsea fans everywhere.

For celebrity spotters


For a fun venue for all the family consider having your Christmas party at Madame Tussauds. Included in the package are all your food and a free bar until midnight. You even get to ride on the 'Spirit Of London' ride, taking you through the history of London from Tudor England to the swinging sixties and onto the 80's, as well as your chance to 'celebrity spot' from all the famous people there. With a disco with DJ and you can book either a shared venue or a VIP room for that exclusive touch. 

For more ideas for venues for Christmas parties in London check out Melon Events. Melon Events can help you organise that perfect Christmas party and before you know it your boss will be giving you an extra Christmas bonus for a job well done! 

*PR collaboration
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London's Most Favoured Hotels For Business

If you travel to London regularly or are looking to come to the city for a stay, you're sure to be wondering what the top-rated hotels are for business people and professionals. Considerations that top your list of importance no doubt include location, customer service, luxury facilities such as world-class restaurants, spas and fitness centres, plus what business services they offer.

As a private chauffeur company which brings clients to London's most luxurious hotels, we have heard great stories about the best luxury services and what is recommended to busy executives to stay. Due to their very tight schedules and busy lifestyles, our clients have very high expectations in what will accommodate them. Not only facilities, locations and food, but all other services to make their work easier need to be top notch. The following hotels have been highly rated by our busy clients.

Hilton London Bankside


Situated just three minutes from the Tate Modern, London Bridge and Borough Market, Hilton London Bankside is a hugely convenient central London location. It is also just 12 minutes walk from St Paul's and the City via the Millenium Bridge.

Rated highly on Trip Advisor, the hotel has meeting rooms and photocopying services, video conferencing and video phones available, secretarial services and office rental. It also offers audio/visual equipment rental, fax machines and complimentary printing services. There is also a gym, pool and spa for when you want to relax.

Hyatt Regency

Ideal for both business and leisure travellers, the 440 room Hyatt Regency in London, known as 'The Churchill', is located in the West End. The stylish hotel is based on the life and loves of Winston Churchill, making it a very classic and traditional 'British' stay. Their farm-to-table restaurant, The Montagu, is very popular, as is their award-winning bar and terrace.

You can use their wifi for no cost, work out in their 24-hour fitness centre, and enjoy some downtime with a massage in your own room. There's also a 627 square metre meeting space if you want to bring your work colleagues together near Portman Square.

InterContinental

There are two London InterContinental hotels - one is near the O2 arena and is a stylish riverside hotel with a rooftop bar. There's also a 5-star location on Park Lane, which is an upscale destination with restaurants and a spa. Both are rated highly by our clients, offering great access around London. Their Park Lane hotel is situated between Green Park and Hyde Park, just five minutes walk away from both, and a stone's throw from Buckingham Palace.

JW Marriott

An esteemed hotel brand globally, their 5-star Mayfair location on Park Lane is much loved for its style, opulence and luxury. Overlooking Hyde Park, Grosvenor House is a high-quality hotel with an indulgent restaurant. Ideal for business meetings and social occasions, their guest suites have been recently renovated to a high specification.

Shangri-La Hotel

Another 5-star luxury hotel, the Shangri-La Hotel at the Shard in London has breathtaking views across the city and River Thames. Despite being at the centre of all the action, it is a tranquil and peaceful space. Situated close to Borough Market, there are plenty of delicious eateries both nearby and within that, you can enjoy. It is just a 15-minute river taxi ride away from Canary Wharf. There's even an infinity pool on level 52 and a stylish cocktail bar for after your dip.

Mr Ong (a client from Malaysia) has a regular stay at Shangri-La Hotel every time he travels to London. He revealed: “the breakfast was fantastic! I really enjoyed having my favourite coffee after the meal while enjoying the breath-taking view of the river Thames”

The Ritz London

One of the finest hotels in the world, The Ritz has a reputation that exceeds itself. When you enter this hotel, you are entering a world of luxury, style and indulgence. Their dining is of Michelin-star levels, while their opulent banqueting rooms are the perfect place for entertaining and impressing clients.

Most chauffeur companies can help to book a room at these hotels along with their travelling service. Please note, some hotels do not allow chauffeur cars to park near the front door. So if you arrange a private drive with chauffeur, it’s important to set the exact pickup time. If you have a different experience of staying at these hotels, we would love to hear.

About Author: Thu Ha Larkin is a fashion & travel blogger who writes for different blogs and websites. She is now working at London Chauffeur as a Digital Marketing Specialist. She spends most of her weekends to visit different places around the world and the UK to enrich her life and travel experience.
Follow London Chauffeur to read more of her posts: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

* guest post
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The Art Of Making A Luxury Watch

In today’s society, there has been a decrease in the general appreciation for a good, high quality watch. For some, this is a tragic by-product of the mobile phone era. Now that just about everyone is carrying some kind of electronic device with them at all times that displays the time, a whole generation has grown up who have never needed a watch.

On the other hand, this has created a more focused marketplace. The luxury watch market is now catering mostly to aficionados and celebrities, and some would argue that it is all the better for doing so.

However, don’t let that fool you; there are luxury watches available at a range of price points now that manufacturing technology has advanced and previously complex processes have been simplified.



Making a luxury watch at any level requires care and attention as well as respect for the craft itself. Mechanical watches have been objects of wonder ever since their inception. The history of human timekeeping is a truly fascinating one and the makers of the finest watches today are acutely aware of this history.

Precision

Most people are familiar with the traditional image of a watchmaker, sat at their workbench with the components of the watch neatly laid out. The watchmaker takes a pair of tweezers and peers through a magnifying glass and begins the delicate assembly. Putting a watch together in this way requires a high degree of precision; the actual making of a luxury watch takes this to a new level.

Watchmakers work with levels of precision that are verging on the microscopic. We now have machines that can perform incredibly precise manufacturing and assembly tasks, but truly luxury watches are still finished and assembled by hand. This is mostly limited to a few Swiss and German brands but is an excellent demonstration of the level of care that goes into luxury watches.

Durability

The very best watches will need servicing, on average, every 5 to 7 years. Parts will wear out and require cleaning and oiling to ensure that they perform properly. The infrastructure of a watch is an intricate mechanical system and even slight deviations caused by minute damage or wear can throw the entire system out of sync.

Weight

Good quality components take up space within the watch and are sturdy and weighty pieces. The best quality watches tend to be somewhat on the heavier side, but this is worth it for the added resilience.

Weight is therefore usually a good indicator of quality, however, some lines, most notably Swiss watches, have found ways of striking a balance between the need for weighty components and looking stylish.

The Sweep

The sweep refers to the motion of the second hand as it rotates, you might have heard that the best luxury watches don’t make the typical tick-tock sound that we usually associate with mechanical watches. This is not entirely true, although it is an accurate reflection of experience. If you take a high-end luxury watch and hold it up to your ear, you might be able to hear a very faint noise.

Because a luxury watch will use the highest quality internal components, they make the motion of the second hand so smooth that it appears to glide continuously. In fact, the tick-tock is still happening, but at a rate as high as nine times per second instead of one. In fact, one of the most common tell-tale signs of a fake watch is an audible ticking mechanism.

Conclusion

pin for later


Luxury watches are not just beautiful fashion accessories that elegantly complete any look, they are also marvellous examples of precision engineering. The care and attention that goes into their production only add to the luxury appeal of them.

*PR collaboration
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Bakerdays Christmas Cake Review And Giveaway Ends 22/10

I have always thought of cake as being one of my five a day, so when bakerdays got in touch to ask me if I would like to review one of their Christmas cakes, of course, I said yes.

 bakerdays is a company that delivers celebration and gift cakes all over the UK. From birthdays to anniversaries, Easter to Halloween, the cakes are suitable for any occasion. If you are looking for gluten and wheat free cakes or dairy free cakes they make these too so that is good to know if you have someone who has an allergy or intolerance.

 The cake they sent me was a letterbox Christmas cake. Now letterbox cakes are a genius idea, not home to receive one? It doesn't matter as they fit through the letterbox. See what I mean about genius!


So I looked on the website and went through the designs to order my cake. Now some people are traditionalists and love a good fruitcake for Christmas, whilst others prefer a traditional sponge cake, a lemon cake or even a chocolate cake under their Christmas icing. The good thing about ordering your cake from bakerdays is that you can choose a variety of different sponges and you don't have to order a fruitcake for your Christmas cake. 

 The choices of designs are wide, from fun cartoon characters to romantic designs, and traditional Christmas scenes, there is a design for most people. I picked a design I thought my son would like as he loves dogs, a cake called 'dachshund through the snow'. 

A few days later the cake came through the letterbox and landed on our doormat. With excitement, I opened the box, looking forward to seeing the cake. The cake was delivered in a sturdy little tin and came complete with card and a cracker, what a nice touch! 



The design was true to the photo on the website and I thought it looked really good.

The sponge was light in texture and tasted great. The icing was soft and sweet, exactly as expected. I have to admit I was expecting more buttercream though, as there was a very thin amount on the bottom of the cake. The letterbox cakes are described as serving 3-4 and are priced at £14.99. Personally I think it is a little expensive for what you get but of course, you pay for the convenience, the tin and the design which you can personalise. Overall it is a lovely cake that anyone would appreciate having for Christmas.

Today on my blog you can win a bakerdays Christmas cake. Entry is via the Gleam app below, and don't worry, it is easier than it looks to enter! Check out my other competitions when you are here too. Good Luck!
Win a bakerdays Christmas cake


Terms and Conditions 
You must be 18 + to enter 
Open to entrants in the UK only
One entry per household 
The winner will be contacted within 7 days of the competition ending.
If I do not hear from the winner within 28 days I reserve the right to redraw
Please allow 28 days for delivery 
Closing date 2017-10-22 11:59:59 PM

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Finding a Role in the Beauty Industry

The beauty industry continues to grow, consistently drawing the participation of skilled professionals and consumers. Within the industry, there are many different (and sometimes unusual) roles for people to explore and pursue. Commonly known roles, for example, include beautician, commercial, beauty blogging, makeup artist, etc. However, it can be tricky to know exactly where to start, and if you do not have experience it can be difficult to know exactly what you want to do, or how to do it.

Here are some tips on first getting into the beauty industry.

Portfolio


Frances Mazur, CEO of the Mazur Group, a headhunting firm for the beauty industry believes that maintaining an updated portfolio is critical. She says, “As you prepare for your interview, you can refer back to your file to find specific things you've done that are relevant to the job you're applying for. Showing the visuals that support your stories in an interview really sets yourself apart." 

In an industry that is so visually driven, having a portfolio is essential to help build your personal brand. Of course, to build up a portfolio you need to have examples of previous work you have done. A great tip, if you are just starting and have no professional experience yet, is to use family and friends as models.

Work within your strengths


The first job you take in the industry or even the second, third, fourth does not mean that it is the job you will be stuck with. If your dream job is to be a designer, it may not seem to make sense to take a job in marketing. However, if you have experience in marketing, this could be the perfect way to get your foot in the door. Use your strengths and experience to find a role within the beauty industry and see where that takes you. From this insider role you can spend time learning the ins and outs of the beauty business and then take a sideways move when the time comes.

Volunteer


Volunteering is a great way gain experience and gives back to the community. Check your local area for events such as fashion shows or fetes, or even fundraising events with a low budget that may be looking for volunteer beauty professionals.  Also, check out local and small companies that may love to have an intern or assistant for a period of time. 

Suitable vacancies


The common dream in the industry is to work in a big city such as London. However, if you look outside the big cities it could benefit you in your job search. Speak to others within your network and see what is available around in the more low-key cities. 

There are many networking events where you can meet new people and expand your network  Putting yourself out there and letting it be known that you are interested in beauty roles could certainly help bring in the job offers.

You can also keep an eye on any suitable vacancies in your local area by regularly checking job sites, like Jobrapido, so you do not miss an opportunity perfect for you. 

Remember, the first role you get in the beauty industry may not be your dream job, but do not give up on your search! Put yourself out there and be confident in your skills.  Gaining experience is vital in order to progress your career in this industry, so remember every opportunity is worth taking if it offers you the chance to learn more and improve your skills. Take advantage of any possibilities, learn as you go and enjoy! It is a wonderful industry to be in.

*guest post by Emily Jones

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