I reviewed Chocolate Shop a little before Christmas, and think it is just the thing for Valentine’s. Yes, The Chocolate Lover’s Wine makes the perfect match and will delight many on Valentine’s Day. This really is the ultimate treat for chocolate lovers, and will be an experience like no other.
A fine balance between a seductive rich dark chocolate and premium red wine delivers a splendid twist over regular wines of choice for this special occasion. With inviting aromas of black cherry and rich dark chocolate combined, these continue on the palate surrounded by hints of cocoa powder and soft vanilla.
Commenting on Chocolate Shop, Lewis Jones, Managing Director of D&D Wines International, said:
“Chocolate and red wine is a classic pairing, so our new chocolate infused red wine is a truly indulgent treat for chocolate lovers. We believe it will make a fantastic Valentine’s Day treat”.
As an alternative to serving at room temperature, try Chocolate Shop as a short drink over ice or as a refreshing long drink by adding to fresh orange juice.
Or if you’re cooking up a delicious meal to celebrate try our simple recipe for sumptuous Chocolate Shop Tiramisu for a truly seductive and indulgent experience.
Chocolate Shop Tiramisu
You will need:-
250g mascarpone
3 tbsps icing sugar
5 tbsps Chocolate Shop wine
1 tbsp vanilla extract
150ml double cream
200ml cold strong coffee
4 sponge fingers
1 tbsp grated dark chocolate
Sift icing sugar into mascarpone and beat in vanilla extract and Chocolate Shop wine.
Method:-
• In a separate bowl, whisk cream to soft peaks. Mix cream and mascarpone and refrigerate for a few minutes.
• Break sponge fingers in two and dip into coffee.
• Place sponge fingers in the bottom of serving glasses and spoon over mascarpone mixture.
• Decorate with grated chocolate
Serve with a glass of Chocolate Shop to accompany.
Chocolate Shop is available from Sainsbury’s and The Co-operative food stores and has a suggested RSP of £8.99 and ABV of 12 per cent. For more information on this scrumptious wine, check out http://www.chocolateshopwine.co.uk.
At Iconic Gifts, it takes a lot for us to sit up and take notice of a new gift idea. We have seen it all…or so we thought.
Check out Sweet Arrangements and their range of beautifully crafted Sweet trees. Perfect for weddings and corporate events, yes, but also a perfect gift for sweet lovers.
London based Sweet Arrangements offer a huge range of trees and filled vases. The choice is vast and each order is handmade.
The range of unusual sweet gifts is also comprehensive and the best bit? The price!
The trees are bespoke to your requirements, so prices vary but Sweet Trees are around £40 - £55 with arrangements £35 - £60.
Do you know a sweet lover?! Would this be the perfect gift? The trees could be a great anniversary or birthday present and would also work really well in the corporate sector.
In short, I think I am going to start tree hugging. Totally love this great use of sweets.
With the festive party season is just around the corner you can be sure to have plenty of sparkle and a glass or two of fizz! I would like to introduce this new sparkling Gold Edition white wine from Blue Nun. This is Blue Nun like you have not seen it before as it comes complete with distinctive fine flecks of delicate 22 carat gold leaf! Yes, let’s party with style!
Perfects to pop open when friends or family visit over Christmas, this Gold Edition Blue Nun will add a little sophistication and class for the celebrations. This is a quality sparkling white wine with a lovely light fruitiness – it tastes utterly scrumptious!
Blue Nun has crafted the Gold Edition with a full, rounded flavour. This light and elegant style wine has the exciting addition of gold flecks to highlight the natural excitement of sparkling white wine.
The Gold Edition is ideal as an aperitif or to accompany light bites and hors d’oevres so it’s well suited for the party season, special occasions, and celebrations or just for fun!
Blue Nun Sparkling Gold Edition is priced at £6.99 per 75cl bottle and is available to buy on-line from http://www.drinksdirect.co.uk . The Blue Nun Sparkling will also be available to buy at the BBC Good Food Show at the NEC Birmingham which runs from 23-27th November 2011, stand number U70.
Let Urban Retreat at Harrods give you the Gift of Beauty this Christmas. During the run up to party season, a girl needs a little help to ensure she is looking her most fabulous best. This year, why not opt for the best of the best with a superb ‘Jewel Package’. Well, they say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and with a little help from Urban Retreat you will know that statement is true! With packages such as Diamond, Sapphire, Ruby and Pearl, all including an ultimate pampering session, there will be no lady left disappointed this year!
Urban Retreat invites you to envelop yourself in ultimate luxury with the help of a shining team of hair, makeup and skincare specialists. This is a present guaranteed to delight a loved one or a well deserved treat to you. Any choice from the specially selected packages of indulgent treatments will leave you glowing with inner radiance, allure and glamour.
On hearing of these wonderful ‘Jewel Packages’, I knew I had to get someone to try it out! A friend was lucky enough to sample the Pearl Package (£110) and was truly delighted with it all. This package capture’s the true lustre of the ocean’s most precious jewel, leaving you glowing with classic elegance. It includes the following:-
• Blow-dry
• Custom manicure
• Makeup Application with the Daniel Sandler Team
• Glass of Champagne
Here is what she said:-
“On entering Urban Retreat, it really was a fabulous salon – A true Retreat in the middle of Urban London. James was waiting for me for a wash and blow-dry. He gave me a very good wash and the most wonderful blow dry I’ve ever had. He used large rollers to ensure full body – it was the best blow dry I have ever had. The end result was my hair was full bodied, bouncy and beautiful.
A delightful girl Jenni arrived to do my manicure. I had a cut, file, moisturise, soak, cuticles, buff, base coat, two colour coats and a top coat. At the last minute one of my nails had a very small hair on it, so she started from scratch again on that nail. I commented that it was ok, but she said it had to be perfect! Included was a hand and lower arm massage – all very nice!
I then moved on to have my make up done. I’ve never had my make up done for me before, so I was a little bit apprehensive! Adel was lovely – gentle and friendly. She asked and I explained that I prefer the natural look. She explained every action – foundation, concealer, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, blusher, lipstick and gloss.
Overall, I found the whole experience wonderful. I left the Urban Retreat feeling like Pretty Woman – my hair was bouncy and beautiful, my nails were buffed and gorgeous and my make-up was a real treat – I felt great. The staff were gentle and friendly, helpful and attentive, thorough, professional and polished. I was told the complete package would take 1 hour 15 minutes – in fact it took 1 hour 40 minutes, which shows that each person took their time to do a good job. There was a really nice atmosphere – very buzzing and happy.”
This all sounds amazing; what a treat! And, with the Pearl Package being the cheapest, just imagine what it will feel like with the Diamond Package at £450? A voucher for any treatment at Urban Retreat in Harrods will make a remarkable gift for many this Christmas – or in fact any time of year. To find out details on further treatments and Christmas packages please check out http://www.urbanretreat.co.uk. To book a treatment at Urban Retreat at Harrods please call 020 7893 8333.
We all know that Make-Up is a girl’s best friend! And, that receiving gorgeous gift sets containing wonderful make-up products at Christmas time is sure to put a huge smile on her face. Frontcover Cosmetics have the fastest-selling Christmas make-up brand in Boots and they’re the ultimate beauty gift sets. A set of these will delight many. With an amazing 14 sets available, finding the perfect gift for her is simple!
To create warm and shimmering looks, this Frontcover’s Gilt Edged pack does just that! It has everything you need to create the perfect golden look ready for the party season. If you want to glitter, shimmer and shine all over from your head to your toes… this is the ultimate set! Well, the festive season is party season, and we girls like to look good!
The Frontcover Gilt Edged includes the following:-
• Large Metallic Make-Up Case
• Mini Metallic Cosmetic Purse
• Shimmer Stick
• Compact with Domed Baked Powder Blush
• Double-Ended Lip Gloss
• Double-Ended Chunky Metallic Pencil (Gold/Copper)
• Holographic Glitter
• Iridescent Pigment
• Shadowbase
• Double-Ended Eye Applicator
• Cheek Brush
For a price of only £25.00, the Gilt Edged Gift Set really is worth every penny – you get an incredible amount of products! To see the full range, please check out http://www.frontcovercosmetics.co.uk.
