Glossybox June 2012: Tools of the Trade

 I'm very late rounding up this month's Glossybox. The box arrived on the day I left for New York and so I only picked it up from the office on Monday, but then again, I'm not especially keen on this month's offering, so I don't mind too much.

Previously on Glossybox... The May box turned out to be OK for me: I like the (combination-skin-appropriate!) moisturizer, the shower gel is fine and the UniqOne hair treatment is pretty nice, although it does make my hair feel a little greasy. I gave away the false lashes and haven't used the perfumes. Oh, there was also a Glossybox compact mirror, which was quite nice.

The June Glossybox theme is travel and the products are supposed to "lighten the load [...] with these travel-friendly products." So, what did I get?

Dermablend foundation, Glossybox brush, Caudalie perfume,
HD Brows tweezers and BM Beauty bronzer

1. Glossybox Serie Exclusiv Pro Beauty Brush (full size). Glossybox claims this is worth £15 but if I had paid that much for a make-up brush, I would want something of a much higher quality. It's a decent size and looks quite sleek, but it's already been shedding a little, and it doesn't feel very soft on my skin. I'll probably use this, but, well, meh... £15, apparently.

2. HD Brows Precision Tweezers (not sure if they're full size). As someone with very sparse eyebrows, the last thing I need is to take a pair of tweezers to my brows. However, I had had a tiny splinter in my foot for several months and these helped me remove it with very little fuss. They're nice to use and will be useful to have. £19.95 for the full size.

3. BM Beauty Summer Warmth Bronzer (1g). I love my Bare Minerals foundation, but I've never been keen on the loose mineral make-up products because they're always so messy to use--BM Beauty might be interested to know that their better known competitor Bare Minerals has started producing pressed make-up products for this very reason. This bronzer is a pretty, golden shade and it looks nice on my skin, but its chunky grains make it really difficult to apply with my usual Bare Minerals bronzer brush. Sorry, BM Beauty, but this is too much hassle; I'll stick to my Bare Minerals Warmth. £8 for the 4g full size.

June 2012 Glossybox

4. Caudalie Eaux Fraîches in Thé des Vignes (10 ml). I was expecting not to like this fragrance as I have loathed the scent of most of the other Caudalie products I've tried, but actually it's quite nice: light and fruity. I probably would have preferred the Zeste de Vigne scent, but that's OK. I probably won't use this, though, although it's a decent-size sample, because, as I've mentioned before, I am faithful to Un Jardin en Méditerranée by Hermès. £26 for the 50 ml full size.

5. Vichy Dermablend Ultra-Corrective Foundation Cream Stick (mini sample pack). I can't complain about this product, although it doesn't work with me, because this is exactly the kind of thing beauty sample services were set up to provide: a way to test new products and new brands at home, without the glaring lights and pressure of a department store. Anyway, there are six samples, each in a different shade of the foundation, allowing you to find the one that best matches your skin. As expected, the sand was the closest match for me, but although it applied nicely, the coverage was too heavy for what I normally wear during the daytime. I think it is probably more suitable for normal/dry skin types, as it didn't last 16 hours on me. £19 for the 12g full size.

Total value of the products in this month's Glossybox: hard to say, given that they over-inflated the blush brush price and because you will only use one of the foundation samples, the other five are worthless. Pricing the brush at a more reasonable £10 and generously valuing the foundation sample I could use at £1, the value of this box is about £38.

Overall rating: 2/5. There was nothing terrible in this box but nothing that excited me much either. The tweezers are the product I'll use the most, although I probably will give the brush a go too. I think it's slightly cheeky of Glossybox to include their own marketing tool brush in the box, especially as there is another beauty tool included this month. This meant there were only three beauty products, none of which I really like.

I'm nearing the number of GlossyDots I need to get a free box (after which point, I am unsubscribing), but conveniently, Glossybox has managed to only credit me for four of the five product reviews I did last month, which will put me at 980 points at the end of this month. I'll be really irritated if they don't credit the extra points because it means paying for another month (it would be silly to quit 20 points away from a free box). I've emailed Glossybox customer service but as expected, they haven't replied yet. Sigh. Edit (July 3): Glossybox have now added the points to my account. Phew!

NYC: The Rainbow Tour Part II

Fifty Shades of Grey might be the talk of the town, but most of my favourite New York shops seemed to be filled with fifty shades of every colour apart from grey. I love bright colours, so I was very happy. I didn't find much in my usual favourite store, J. Crew, although I picked up a pair of blue shorts (pictured below), which I wanted to buy in fuchsia but they were sold out in my size. I also picked up a leather belt with a pop of hot neon pink from Madewell (pictured below). A couple of green-hued tops from Loft (one pictured below), a purple dress from Bloomingdales (pictured below) and some cropped running leggings from Lululemon were about the only other clothing purchases I made on the trip, although I did get the seahorse necklace in the photo below free courtesy of Brooklyn Charm's promotion on Bedford Avenue last weekend.

I discovered a few new shops while I was in the city, one of my favourites being C. Wonder, which is on Spring Street in SoHo (they are opening another store soon in the Columbus Circle shopping centre). It's a little bit like a poor—or at least, slightly less rich—man's Kate Spade, mixed with a dash of Ralph Lauren or, perhaps, LL Bean prep. They sell a range of clothing, accessories and homewares, which come in many bright colours and most of which can be monogrammed. I really liked the initial bangles, but they didn't have a B in a colour I liked. The prices are pretty reasonable too, for the quality--more like J. Crew than Kate Spade. At the lower end of the price range is Joe Fresh, which seems to be a hybrid of Uniqlo and Cos. Like Uniqlo, they sell a basic clothing items in many different colours, but they borrow a touch of minimalist chic from Cos. I didn't buy anything on this trip but I'll be stopping by again on future visits.

Top: J. Crew on Fifth Ave. Bottom: C. Wonder and Joe Fresh

Another favourite new discovery was Henri Bendel. I don't know why it took me so long to venture inside this Fifth Avenue department store, but I'm glad I did. It's probably most similar to Liberty in London, especially because of the ground floor, which is devoted to frivolous girly things, such as make-up, handbags and jewellery. They also sell a beautiful range of own-branded bags and accessories, many of which are really stylish and would make lovely gifts.

I've left my favourite purchase until last and I'm still very excited by it. Regular readers will not be surprised to learn that it is a handbag, although it wasn't an impulse buy; I have been lusting after this bag for a few months and even considered ordering it online from the US. I saved about £60 by buying it in New York though. And it is Rebecca Minkoff's Mini MAC in black with gold hardware. I have rediscovered black lately and I wanted a smart black clutch bag for the evening. I love the classic design, but the added edginess of the studs and the animal print lining (slightly annoyingly the lining was supposed to be blue with black spots, like the dustbag, but in his efforts to get me the bag with the nicest leather, the Saks sales assistant managed to give me one with leopard lining instead).

Mini MAC, Mitzy's little sister

Better still, you can wear the chain strap full length for cross-body looks, you can double it up to wear it as a shoulder bag (pictured) or you can remove the chain altogether and wear it as a clutch. Very versatile, then, and, after a few years of a Mulberry obsession, relatively reasonably priced, for a designer leather handbag.

NYC: Manhattan Bar Hoppin'

I drank quite a few cocktails last week but because I'm a lightweight and because I had a drink with dinner most nights, I only sampled the delights of three new Manhattan bars.

First, there was Mother's Ruin, a lovely, low-key bar on Spring Street. At seven o'clock on a Tuesday evening, it was bustling enough to be interesting, without being so crowded that it was unpleasant. We pulled up a stool opposite the bar and selected from the three cocktails du jour. I had the Sí Punch, which involved rum, lime, pineapple, almond and grenadine and which hit all my buttons. Plus I got a piece of pineapple, a maraschino cherry and a cocktail umbrella. What more could a girl want? They also have a slushy machine, so some of the cocktails are a bit like boozy Slush Puppies. By the time we left, it was a little busier but the candle-lit setting lends Mother's Ruin an intimacy many cooler places lack. 18 Spring Street nr Elizabeth. Facebook.

Mother's Ruin: Some'r Shorts and Sí Punch

Next came Anotheroom in TriBeCa, which is part of a small family of bars with 'room' in their name. We ducked in for a drink on Wednesday night, which was one of the hottest days of the year, and bathed in the air conditioning. The barman assured us that it was normally rammed after work on a week night, but I guess everyone was sitting in a walk-in freezer and/or diving into the Hudson to cool off. I couldn't face a real drink so I just ordered a lemonade, but they have a pretty interesting beer and wine menu, if you're that way inclined. The bar itself is sleek and minimalist, all brushed steel and low lighting; they also showcase a range of artwork, although when we were there, they appeared to be in transition as some of the works were leaning against the bar. 249 West Broadway nr Walker. Website.

Anotheroom

Finally, we went to Elsa, a cocktail bar in the East Village. We had (again) hoped to go to PDT but had (again) failed to book, but Elsa seemed like an interesting place to try. Also, it was quite close to the hotel and as it was raining on Friday night, we didn't want to roam too far. Inside, Elsa is very light and airy, with its white walls and Edison light bulbs. Much as I enjoy some of the more secret speakeasies, Elsa makes a refreshing change. It's the cocktail list that is most impressive, however, with most of the drinks' names taking literary or film inspiration. I ordered the Plan to Get Even ("hi, I'd like a Plan to Get Even, please"), which involved black cardamom silver rum, pineapple, honey, lemon and a sugar- and smoked-salt-dipped rim. I'm not much of a connoisseuse but I really could taste all the subtle flavours of the drink and I wasn't disappointed. I also tried a sip of a Broken Mirror (Absinthe, Green Chartreuse, mint, lime and dandelion-burdock bitters), which wasn't quite sweet enough for my taste, but I could tell that it was well mixed. If you're a bloke and/or like blokey cocktails, the Death of a Ladies' Man would probably slip down very nicely. 217 East 3rd Street @ Avenue B. Website. Summer menu.

Elsa: Broken Mirror and A Plan to Get Even

Most of the cocktails I drank with meals were good too, including the Pimm's Cups at Smith & Mills and Walter Foods--uncreative of me, I know, but four years at Cambridge means I can't not drink Pimm's in May Week (i.e. mid-June).

NYC: New New York Nibbles

As with my favourite New York coffee bars, it's often difficult to resist revisiting places like Corner Bistro, Fanelli's and PJ Clarke's, but I did quite well at trying new restaurants on my most recent visit to New York. So much so, in fact, that I don't have room to write about them all here. Instead, I picked my top three places for lunch or brunch and my top five for dinner, all of which happen to be lower than 12th Street or in Brooklyn. All of the brunch spots happen to be in NoLIta because that's where our hotel was.

Brunch and lunch
Ruby's (NoLIta). In the heart of NoLIta, Ruby's is a tiny but friendly Aussie cafe, which does great sandwiches, salads and burgers. I tried the Bondi Burger--grilled chicken in ciabatta with chilli mayo and salad--and it managed to be just filling enough for lunch on a sweltering day. The coffee in Ruby's is also supposed to be good, although I haven't tested it out yet. 219b Mullbery Street nr Spring. Website.

Public (NoLIta). We thought about going to Public for dinner one night but after looking at the menu, we decided that brunch would be more fun. Luckily, perhaps, we showed up at 2.30 on Saturday--late in the brunch shift--which meant we got a sunny table on the balcony-like section of the restaurant's Elizabeth Street front. I opted for a posh fry-up, involving scrambled eggs, bacon and tomatoes on sourdough, but most of the other dishes were more creative (black pudding waffles with red wine poached pears and whipped foie gras butter, for example). A lovely place to linger on a sunny Saturday. 210 Elizabeth Street bet. Prince & Spring. Website.

Brunch at Bread

Bread (NoLIta). Decorated in white, grey and silver, Bread, on Spring Street, serves a range of salads and Italian sandwiches. We went for brunch and Belgian waffles with maple syrup, fresh berries and cream was clearly the way to go. Not to mention a tall glass of strawberry lemonade. The omelettes sounded good too but I was in the mood for something unhealthy (again). 20 Spring Street nr Mott.

Dinner
Saxon & Parole (NoHo). This restaurant, which offers "grilled meats and aquatic delights" pretty close to our hotel and we walked past it many times before finally deciding to go there for our last supper. Inside, Saxon & Parole is light and airy--there are more casual booths near the bar and more formal, white-clothed tables out back--but we sat on the pavement terrace to watch NoHo go by. The cocktail menu is more vegetable- than fruit-based but there were lots of tempting choices and the bar itself looked very impressive. I had to have a burger and it was a great one, perfectly medium rare and with tasty cheese, maple bacon and shoestring fries (I opted for my fried egg on the side). The puddings were pretty interesting too: we shared a sort of caramel popcorn trifle dish, which was really tasty. A woman at the next-door table said that the bathrooms were, like, the most romantic ever. I wouldn't go that far but they were pretty nice, even if I did almost fall down the stairs because the lighting was so low. The restaurant is named after two racehorses, in case you were wondering... 316 Bowery at Bleecker. Website.

Popcorn pudding, the bar and the burger at Saxon & Parole

Smith & Mills (TriBeCa). Smith & Mills was recommended indirectly by a friend of a friend and I'm glad I knew what to look for because I probably would have walked right past its unassuming frontage. Inside, though, is a lovely, intimate neighbourhood restaurant with a handful of tables and a cool bar. We were lucky to score a table on a scorching Wednesday night, and were very happy to cool off with a refreshing cocktail (I had a rather patriotic Pimm's Cup). A lot of the menu sounded great but I couldn't resist the sound of a burger with white cheddar and home-made chips (i.e. crisps) and it didn't disappoint. Nor did the lemon cheesecake we shared for pudding, which contained a number of different fruity condiments. 71 North Moore Street nr Greenwich. Website.

Cheesecake and the bar at Smith & Mills

Five Points (NoHo). "Every neighborhood needs a place with a good bar, a serious kitchen, and zero pretensions," the Five Points website declares, and maybe it does fit the bill for NoHo. The restaurant has a slightly southern feel and I ordered the Amish chicken, which was juicy and delicious. We also shared some pork scratchings, which were not what I was expecting (i.e. this). The cocktails were good too, although I should have probably stepped out of my comfort zone and tried one of the more interesting gin-based drinks rather than the less adventurous raspberry-vodka-etc. 31 Great Jones Street nr Lafayette. Website.

Cocktails and pork scratchings at Five Points

Walter Foods (Williamsburg). I have been meaning to visit the Brooklyn outpost of Balthazar for quite some time now--not helped by the fact that I had the address of the place completely wrong. I'm glad we made it, though, because the southern-influenced food was really good. I had a pulled pork sandwich with baked beans and coleslaw; the pork was particularly excellent, as was the friend chicken I managed to sample. I was far too full for pudding but the special of the day happened to be a chocolate and peanut butter cheesecake, so how could I say no? We sat in the lovely, quiet courtyard out the back, but on a less clement evening, the restaurant itself would be a fine place to dine. 253 Grand Street at Roebling. Website.

The Spotted Pig (West Village). A self-styled West Village gastropub, with more than a hint of English influence (faggots and PG Tips on the menu), The Spotted Pig isn't great for vegetarians but offers a range of meaty dishes for the carnivores among us. Surprise, surprise, I had a burger (minus the roquefort; they don't do cheddar), which was probably the best of the holiday, perfectly juicy and medium rare. The fries were a little salty, but very moreish and nothing that a good cocktail (Sorrel Punch with gin, in my case) couldn't wash down. 314 West 11th Street @ Greenwich. Website.

Cocktails and the burger at the Spotted Pig

The NYC Caffeine Chronicles

Each time I visit New York, I try to go to at least two or three new espresso bars. This is sometimes hard when there are a few places that I really love and want to keep going back to, but usually means I discover a few great new places to caffeinate. I may do a map of some of my favourite independent espresso bars in the city in the near future, but in the meantime, here are a few of the places I discovered last week.

1. Bowery Coffee (NoLIta). I was happy to find that this cool coffee house, in a 100-year-old building endowed with Lower East Side history, was only a couple of blocks away from my hotel. The inside is kitted out in industrial chic. My macchiato was very good (they use Counter Culture coffee), and a whole ranged of caffeinated beverages, iced and un-, are available. Basically, it's a really nice place to hang out and warm up / cool down (delete according to the season) with a decent brew. 89 East Houston Street nr Bowery. Website.

Macchiato at Bowery Coffee

2. Saturdays Surf (SoHo). I had actually intended to check out another espresso bar, a few blocks away, but it wasn't what I was expecting, so instead, I decided to try out Saturdays Surf, which has been on my to-caffeinate list for a while. Saturdays Surf is a surf shop with an espresso bar--or perhaps vice-versa--situated on one of the quieter blocks of Crosby Street. The barista apologised for the lack of latte art on my macchiato, but it still tasted good. The laid-back attitude and the small courtyard garden out back are definitely this place's best features, however. A great spot to chill when SoHo gets a little too intense. 31 Crosby Street bet. Broome and Grand. Website.

Mackers and macchiatos at Saturdays Surf

3. Gasoline Alley Coffee (NoHo). I dived into here desperate for air con on the sweltering morning that was last Thursday. Sadly, they didn't have any (or, at least, it wasn't turned on), and it may have been just has hot inside as on the benches in the sun outside. Maybe this is why it felt like my macchiato was served slightly too hot and wasn't as flavoursome as some of the others I've sampled in Manhattan. Don't get me wrong--it was still good and Gasoline Alley is a cool hang-out--but New York sets very high standards for coffee. 331 Lafayette Street bet. Houston and Bleecker. Website.

Gasoline Alley Coffee. Truck costs extra.

4. Blue Bottle (Chelsea). Originally from the Bay Area, Blue Bottle now has a small series of espresso bars in New York too. "We roast coffee on vintage gear, put it in compostable bags, and still get it to our customers within 48 hours," they say. Pretty impressive stuff and my macchiato, supped at the the Chelsea branch (West 15th Street), was really good. I also tried an iced New Orleans coffee, purchased from the pop-up branch on the High Line (in the Chelsea Market Passage, near 16th Street), which was refreshing and tasted great. They also have a branch at the Rockefeller Center, which is useful given how hard it can be sometimes to find decent coffee in Midtown. 450 West 15th Street nr 10th Avenue. Website.

L: Blue Bottle's High Line pop-up. R: Sampling the macchiato in Chelsea. 

NYC: The Rainbow Tour

The weather was near-perfect in New York over the weekend--it rained on Friday night and so Saturday and Sunday were hot and sunny, but slightly less oppressive than earlier in the week. It was just about cool enough, then, for a morning run in Central Park on Saturday. We were still pretty warm by the end, of course, but I didn't feel like I was going to pass out, like on Wednesday.

Sunny Saturdays call for two things: brunch and Brooklyn, so after scoring a window seat on the balcony at Public for the former, we walked over the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn, more specifically to Smorgasburg, where the hipsters were out in full force. We grabbed some lemonade and had a wander through the adjacent craft market, which had lots of cool jewellery, art, accessories and homewares, not nothing that tempted me enough to purchase.

Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg's main drag, was car free on Saturday, as part of Williamsburg Walks, so we grabbed a free spot of (imported) turf, sipped on a free coconut water and waited in line to pick out a free necklace from Brooklyn Charm (I chose a little brass seahorse on a gold-coloured chain).

Dinner was in the courtyard garden at Walter Foods, Balthazar's Brooklyn outpost, which I've been meaning to try for a while now. My pulled pork sandwich with baked beans and homemade coleslaw was delicious. So much so that I swore I was too full for pudding, unless it contained chocolate and peanut butter; cue the Reese's-inspired pie I subsequently ate.

As we wanted to check out this new multicoloured water tower art installation in DUMBO, we caught the East River Ferry from Williamsburg, after watching the sun sink down over the Manhattan skyline.

The driver was obviously keen to get home because the boat (which was the last one) left 15 minutes early and then crashed into the DUMBO dock. I don't think anyone was hurt but it took them a few minutes to get the boat sorted out. The views of the water tower weren't quite as impressive as I was expecting but the views of the city and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges by night were pretty stunning. We walked back to the hotel over Brooklyn Bridge before heading up to the rooftop terrace to take a closer glimpse at the NYC Pride-themed lighting of the Empire State Building.

Sunday called for more brunch, this time at the low-key and cool Bread on Spring Street; waffles with fruit, maple syrup and cream really hit the spot. The aforementioned NYC Pride and its huge parade on Sunday meant that our plans to meander around the Village and the West Village were curtailed somewhat. In fact, we had to take the L train to get from the Meatpacking District back onto the right side of Fifth Avenue.

But we managed to entertain ourselves with a little more High Line, a little more shopping and dinner at Saxon + Parole. The cocktails at the latter sounded great but, in pre-flight mode, I decided to remain teetotal and opted for a non-alcoholic version involving raspberry vinegar. The burger was great--possibly the best of the trip--and the pudding, involving popcorn and a sort of caramel-filled non-fruity trifle, was also delicious. In other words, it was a great last supper, even if no burger is good enough to help me get over the sorrow of leaving New York again...

NYC: High and Mighty

As expected, the heat continued yesterday. Again, I tried to take it easy, ambling slowly up Broadway to Central Park where I ate a salad and basked in the sun. After a bit of shopping and a manicure, I caught the subway back downtown and read on the hotel's rooftop for a while until it was time for dinner.

We ate at The Spotted Pig in the West Village, an English-influenced gastropub I've been meaning to try for a while. I should have resisted the burger option but it sounded too good, although I had to order it without roquefort. And it was worth it; possibly the best burger of the trip so far, very juicy and tender. The shoestring fries it came with were very salty but tasty and more-ish. We started with a few oysters, which, along with a fruity cocktail (Pimm's-based in my case, naturally) made a refreshing start to the meal. It was also quite amusing watching the American waiter explaining the menu (specifically, faggots) to two Brits. I declined the offer of a PG Tips.

We decided to take advantage of the second longest day of the year—and the sunshine—by going to the High Line for sunset. It was still very hot and humid, but we did our best to chill out. There were roaming musicians to keep us entertained, but one of my favourite things to do on the High Line is people watching, so we did plenty of that too.

Despite being full, I managed to find room for a peanut butter gelato. Tough job, but someone's got to do it...

NYC: If You Can't Stand the Heat...

...seek solace in the air con. That was my plan yesterday, and by 10.45, I was already storming through Duane Reade in search of the coconut water that is being advertised all over town. The last time I was in New York when it was this hot was 1995 and only for a couple of days en route to more rural locations.

I tried to ensure that I was never too far from a shop or espresso bar (not difficult in this city), but somehow ended up very hot and fuzzy by the afternoon and was sorely tempted to join the people bathing in the fountain in Washington Square Park. Still, I enjoyed my macchiato in the lovely courtyard garden out the back of Saturdays Surf on Crosby Street, and although lunch at tiny, Aussie caff Ruby's, on Mulberry, wasn't air conditioned, it was breezy and cool inside and my Bondi burger (chicken, salad and sweet chilli mayo on ciabatta) was delicious.

There was no sign of any cool-off after office hours, and we sheltered for a drink in Anotheroom in TriBeca. The barman assured us it was usually packed, but I guess everyone was in a fountain somewhere.

Dinner at Smith and Mills, on North Moore Street, didn't disappoint either. It's a lovely, tiny neighbourhood restaurant with a handful of tables and a very cool bar. We lingered over our refreshing cocktails (mine involved Pimm's), before I devoured a burger (with white cheddar, caramelised onions and homemade crisps). The menu was creative and fun—the lemon cheesecake we shared for pudding seemed to contain about 15 different fruity ingredients beyond the lemon—and it's a nice place to hang out, intimate and low key.

 Sadly, it was still scorchio when we walked home at 10.30 and today is supposed to be even hotter—record-breaking, even. Eek. This is probably the one time I'm craving a swimming pool in New York!

NYC: Good Morning, Manhattan

The temperature in New York today is going to be scorchio. In fact, it was already 26 C when I left for my run at about 9 am. Probably not the best day for strenuous activity, then, but it was so sunny...

I had planned to get the subway to Borough Hall, run along the promenade at Columbia Heights, over Brooklyn Bridge and then back up to Houston Street via the East River bike path. The subway was being crap, however, so I got off at Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall on the Manhattan side instead, ran over Brooklyn Bridge and along the promenade and then back again. By that point, I was so hot, I decided to skip the East River and just run back to my shower and air con via Chinatown.

Yesterday was full of assorted adventures (and shopping) but I'll write more about those anon, because now I'm in need of a macchiato.

NYC: A Rooftop with a View

Well, after a flight that landed well before its scheduled arrival time, we made it to our hotel in New York by 2 pm yesterday—just in time to get settled and then go for a wander through SoHo, pause for coffee at Ground Support and then enjoy some live music in Washington Square Park before getting an early dinner at Lombardi's. Surprisingly, given its reputation as one of the best pizzerias in the city—if not the world—I've never been to Lombardi's before. 'Best pizza' is a hard prize to award but suffice to say, the margherita and a side of meatballs were very tasty.

One of the best things about our hotel is its rooftop terrace  on the seventh floor, which has an amazing view of the city, including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler and the Freedom Tower. We took some refreshments up there last night and sat and watches the sunset. It's definitely a feature that many pricier hotels in the city would envy.

After free breakfast in the hotel (bagels! Pastries! Granola bars! Fruit!), I'm off to the shops. J. Crew, it's been way too long...

What's in my (NYC) Suitcase?

I feel like I have been doing a lot of travelling over the past six weeks or so--not that I'm complaining--and today I'm heading off to Manhattan. I haven't been since last September, over nine months ago, and I'm very excited to be going again for a whole week. We'll be staying in the NoLIta/Lower East Side area and the weather is looking good: hot and sunny all week, with Wednesday and Thursday potentially reaching 35 degrees. Scorchio indeed. I'm using the same suitcase as for my Istanbul trip, my carry-on-size purple spotted Kipling case, which I will check in, but I'm taking a bigger bag, namely Mitzy, as my carry-on. These are the clothes I'm bringing:

Top left: two cardigans (royal blue from Mango, heather grey from J. Crew); black blazer (Zara); two scarves (pink jersey from French Connection, royal blue from Galeries Lafayette); three pairs of shoes (black ballet flats from Banana Republic, nude ballet flats from Minelli, tan leather flip flops from Steve Madden). Top right: four dresses (orange floral and coral lace from Tesco, grey jersey from J. Crew, black jersey from TopShop). Bottom left: four tops (purple vest from Uniqlo, pink cami from J. Crew, bright pink top from Anthro, teal top from Anthro); gym kit (top and skort from Lululemon, sports bra from Nike, Asics trainers from Sweaty Betty, bikini from H&M). Bottom right: two skirts (polka dots from H&M, royal blue from TopShop); shorts from Miss Selfridge. My undies are already packed.

There are enough outfit combinations for my trip in there; I will probably also buy some new clothes while I am out there, as I am wont to do. I packed a bikini because our hotel has a rooftop terrace, which I'm really looking forward to using, especially if it is going to be so scorching.

My toiletries and make-up are pretty much the same as for my Turkey trip, although I've got some new sun cream and travel shampoo and conditioner. For jewellery, I'm taking three necklaces (purple and gold pendant and gold star from Market NYC, turquoise from a street vendor in SoHo), two pairs of earrings (my Kate Spade signature spade studs and a pair of turquoise drops from Aspire), a new pink and gold ring from Portobello Road, and all of my recent bracelet haul. I keep my jewellery and assorted bits and bobs in the turquoise Tumi travel wristlet, which has lots of pockets and compartments.

Again, the 'miscellaneous' section of my suitcase is similar to that of my Istanbul packing list, so I didn't bother including my sunglasses, wallet, iPhone and so on. I have my tech kit (iPad, chargers, converter, SD card iPad converter and a new GorillaPod), a sleep mask, my small pink Longchamp tote, my purple Longchamp purse for my US currency and cards, reading matter (book for the plane--and several more on my iPad--and my New York Moleskine city guide and a few other quirky guide maps), a small pink water bottle and a brolly--just in case.

A Very Scandi Scandal

If you are looking for a fun, light-hearted movie to round off the weekend, don't go to see Nikolaj Arcel's A Royal Affair (En kongelig affære). But it may well fit the bill if you fancy a thought-provoking, well-acted, tragic movie depicting one of the most dramatic periods of Danish history. There are elements of La Reine Margot and of any film depicting Henry VIII's relationship with his second and fifth wives. Not to mention The Madness of King George, whose protagonist is the sister of our heroine in A Royal Affair.

It is 1766 and a young British princess (Alicia Vikander), whose name we only discover is Caroline Mathilde almost two hours into the film, is being shipped off to marry King Christian VII of Denmark (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard). He is supposed to be charming and fun, and Caroline is optimistic for her future. No one mentions the fact that he also suffers from various symptoms of mental illness, and is erratic, wildly promiscuous and, according to the movie at least, obsessed with masturbation. The first years of the marriage do not go well--Caroline is repulsed and scared by her husband in the bedroom and cannot forgive his need to sate his desires elsewhere. Nonetheless, she does her duty and the future Frederik VI is soon on his way.

Denmark, like much of Europe at this time, is in a period of great change. The country is ruled by the conservative elite, who take advantage of the fact that the king will sign any document if it means he can return to the brothel sooner. But the Enlightenment is underway and those who support it manage to get Johann Friedrich Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen), a small-town doctor with big, revolutionary ideas, a job as the king's personal physician. Struensee becomes the king's closest friend and confidant and is soon able to use his influence to start pushing through radical reform that he hopes will make the country a better, and fairer, place. Naturally, the conservative ruling council and the king's stepmother (Trine Dyrholm), who wants her own son on the throne, are unimpressed and plot to remove this dangerous upstart from government.

Their job is made easier by the fact that Strunsee and Caroline fall in love; ironically, the king tells Struensee to try to make Caroline more fun. They are attracted to each other but they also bond over Rousseau and it is clear that the queen is on Team Enlightenment, which means she can also push through some radical reforms of her own. For a while, Caroline feels as though she has it all: her husband is happy--and less erratic--with his new BFF, she is doing things that will make Denmark a better place, and she has a thoughtful and attractive lover. When she finds out she is pregnant, she manages to persuade her husband to sleep with her early enough that he wouldn't doubt the child's paternity, but as the queen and Struensee become more confident in their successes, they also become more careless. Spoiler alert: the ending is pretty bleak, although the closing title cards hint at a faint note of hope for the future.

Mikkelsen acts his heart out as the 'nobody' who goes on to become, arguably, Denmark's most powerful man. Struensee isn't perfect--he is often patronising to the king and is later guilty of manipulating the king and using him as a pawn in the same way he criticised the king's earlier advisors of doing; then, of course, he betrays the king completely by having an affair with his wife and lying about it. Mikkelsen makes him seem flawed but sympathetic. Meanwhile, Vikander does her Keira Knightley best as the doomed queen: all sad, brown eyes, resigned to her fate. A Royal Affair is a bit of a weepy, but there is plenty of drama (plus the usual brothels and balls) and some big ideas that keep things moving nicely throughout its 2h35 length. The period depicted in the film spans only about six years, but it feels a lot more epic. Go and see it, but be sure to take a handkerchief.

Sister Act

The tagline of Lynn Shelton's new movie Your Sister's Sister reads, "a comedy about doing the right thing with the wrong person," which makes me wonder whether that was really the best they could come up with. Although the film is definitely witty and has a lot of funny lines and funny moments, I wouldn't really describe it as a comedy. Dramedy, maybe, if that weren't such an awful word. I'm not entirely sure I agree with the second half of the description either, as you will say. Misleading posters notwithstanding, I quite enjoyed Your Sister's Sister (which I keep accidentally calling My Sister's Keeper and My Sister's Sister; the title doesn't make a huge amount of sense either).

The brother of Jack (Mark Duplass) died over a year ago and Jack has been in a lonely place ever since so his best buddy Iris (Emily Blunt) sends him off to her family's cottage on a small island off the coast of Washington state so that he can chill in an-internet and TV-free zone and then return with a renewed vigour for life, or something. Iris used to go out with Jack's brother and later dumped him; more recently, she has started to have feelings for Jack but hasn't been brave enough to tell him yet. When Jack turns up at the cottage late at night, he is surprised to find it occupied by a semi-naked woman. After a minor confrontation with an oar, he realises it is Iris's older sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt), who, it transpires, has been hiding out there since breaking up with her partner of seven years. Unable to sleep, exhausted and drunk, they end up sleeping together, despite the fact that Hannah is a lesbian and Jack "[doesn't] have boobs."

And guess who's coming to breakfast! Yes, that's right: Iris decided to surprise Jack and shows up early the following morning with a load of supplies. Hannah doesn't want to lie to her sister but when Iris reveals her feelings for Jack, she decides that what Iris doesn't know probably won't hurt her. Except that this is the movies, and so of course Iris founds out. In fact, a whole load of other shit hits the fan; as Imogen Heap sang, "It's complicated / This time I think it could be / Triangulated."

The script, much of which was improvised, was as I said funny, but it was also sharp and sweet, without being overly maudlin. The issues that come up--death, life, love, families, and so on--are pretty heavy-going, which is why I maintain that it is somewhat misleading to call Your Sister's Sister a comedy. The three lead actors all put in strong performances, which is lucky because almost all of the action takes place in and around the cottage, with very little interaction with anyone else. I was initially confused by Blunt's accent--I couldn't tell if she was doing a really poor American accent or she was in fact Hannah's half-British half-sister and had one of those annoying transatlantic accents that becomes more American as the person becomes more emotional. The latter is, I think, correct, although I would have expected Iris to have more of an American accent. Linguistic pedantry aside, Shelton has put together a tightly plotted, emotional character study of three lost souls in search of salvation. Your Sister's Sister is a little clichéd in places, but the superior acting makes it stand out from the other movies of its ilk.

Jumping through Hoops

When tickets for the London 2012 Olympics first went on sale last year, I didn't bother trying to apply. The application system sounded too complicated and I didn't want to commit so far in advance. Nor did I jump on the band-wagon at most of the other ticket opportunities, but I finally caved a few weeks ago. I'm not exactly a huge sports fan, to say the least, but I really enjoy watching gymnastics, and seeing some athletics in the Olympic Stadium or swimming in the aquatics centre would also have been fun. The booking system didn't seem to have improved: you pick a sport, look at all of the available sessions and prices and then click on the 'search' button. If the sport is athletics or swimming and the sessions you want are under £50, you will then wait about 10 minutes before being told there are no available tickets. You can search for multiple sessions at once but if by some miracle they all turn out to be available, you have to buy all of them or none.

In the end, I gave up on swimming and athletics and moved over to the far less popular (non-beach) volleyball. I used to play volleyball at Cambridge and even reached the lofty heights of the university second women's team. It's been a while since I've played but I thought it would be a fun event to watch, even if I do have to trek out to Earls Court. Plus, my ticket was only £30--roughly the price of two central London cinema tickets.

Olympics tickets pack

I usually get post that requires a signature and/or won't fit through my letterbox delivered to my office, but for the Olympics tickets, your delivery address must match your billing address. I had resigned myself to having to make the trip to my Royal Mail delivery centre to collect the tickets but then this morning, I got a text saying they were on their way. The post normally comes between 11 and 12 on Saturdays, so I went for an early run. Sure enough, soon after my return the postman came and I signed for my tickets. Nice job, Olympics people, for delivering the tickets on a day when people are more likely to be at home! Also included in the pack is a one-day travelcard, which I can use to get free travel on the day of the event; this makes me resent paying a £6 delivery charge slightly less.

I'm still not massively excited about the Olympics--it's going to be a huge hassle for those of us who live and work in zone one--but now I feel that at least I'll get to enjoy at least part of the experience.

48 Hours in...Oxford part II

In part one of my guide to Oxford, I highlighted some of my favourite places in and around the High Street and the Covered Market. In this section, I've picked out a few spots in Jericho, in North Oxford, and given some more general and more touristy information about the city.


View Oxford favourites - Jericho in a larger map

Jericho
Little Clarendon Street, which we've always called Little Trendy Street, is about a ten-minute walk north of Carfax and is the gateway to the hip (well, for Oxford) area known as Jericho. There is a bigger branch of Taylors on the corner of Little Clarendon Street and St Giles, which is a deli as well as a purveyor of sandwiches. At 55 Little Clarendon Street is George and Davis, a branch of the G and Ds cafés that specialise in ice cream and bagels. They always have quirky, tasty ice cream flavours and if you don't find one you fancy, you can write your suggestion into their book and if enough people endorse your choice they will make up a batch; Dime Bar Crunch always used to be my favourite flavour. Just opposite is the Duke of Cambridge (no. 5-6) a studenty but cool cocktail bar. Its sign is now adorned with the current Duke's portrait but don't let that put you off because it's a nice place to hang out. Pierre Victoire (no. 9) is a long-established and popular French bistro. In need of a giant but stylish red hammock? Search no further than Central (no. 33-35), which sells all sorts of gorgeous (if pricey) furniture and homewares. Uncle Sam's (no. 25) sells vintage clothes, and there are a few boutiques near the junction with Walton Street.

Walton Street is home to Oxford University Press, but it also has a number of interesting shops and eateries. I haven't been to Raoul's (no. 32) for years but it always used to be one of my favourite cocktail bars. Two doors down at no. 34, Albion Beatnik is a lovely independent bookshop and café. You'll see Freud (no. 119), a gorgeous café-bar housed in a former Greek revival church, from halfway down the street. It's open during the day for coffee and lunch, and then in the evening for cosy, intimate drinks, when the high-ceilinged room is dotted with tea lights and colourful flowers. There is usually live music, spanning a range of genres, and they also sell the artwork that adorns the walls. This is probably my favourite place to go for a drink in Oxford.

Freud by day

Further along Walton Street, the Jericho Tavern (no. 56) is great for a drink and the food, including the brunch, is also good. Branca (no. 111) is a smart, Italian-influenced brasserie, Mamma Mia (no. 102) serves delicious pizza, and Brasserie Blanc (no. 71-72) is a good choice for a more formal--and French--meal. Finally, at no. 57 is the Phoenix, the first cinema in the Picturehouses anti-chain, and one of two lovely independent cinemas in the city. The other, the Ultimate Picture Palace, just off the Cowley Road on Jeune Street, offers more of a faded-charm experience, but is just as characterful and shows a quirky mixture of new movies and old classics.

Freud by night

Tourist information (see this post for a map)
Oxford is about an hour by train from both Oxford and Birmingham and the station is just off the Botley Road, about a ten-minute walk into town, and most buses come into the Gloucester Green bus station--about five minutes from the city centre. The Oxford Information Centre on Broad Street (another former employer of mine) offers a range of guidebooks and leaflets, and they also book guided walking and bus tours.

Oxford has a few hotels in the city centre--the Old Bank and Malmaison are both very cool, the latter being situated in a former prison, and the Randolph is a fussier, more traditional alternative. Cheaper accommodation can be found in the numerous B&Bs dotted around the city. I used to book accommodation when I worked at the tourist information centre and there are a few dodgy B&Bs out there; the TIC's website has a list of places to stay that have been vetted by Visit Britain or the AA. In the summer, especially at the weekend, Oxford gets really busy so do book well in advance, unless you want to spend the night in Reading or Banbury.

The Dreaming Spires - taken from Queen's College

Most of the colleges and some of the university buildings open to the public for at least part of the day--usually during the afternoons--and some charge for entry, particularly those in which parts of the Harry Potter movies were filmed, such as Christchurch. Of the other colleges, I like Magdalen, Merton and Queen's, although the latter is hard to enter. Radcliffe Square, which hosts several colleges, the Radcliffe Camera and the University Church, is also beautiful. Nearby is the Bridge of Sighs, but it isn't as nice as the one in Cambridge! You can rent a punt or book a guided punt tour from Magdalen Bridge, although unlike in Cambridge, you won't see many colleges from the boat. The most famous museums are the Ashmolean (art and archaeology), the Pitt Rivers (known for its shrunken heads in jars) and the Natural History Museum, although the History of Science Museum is also quirky if you're that way inclined. In the summer, open-air theatre is one of the biggest attractions. Both Creation Theatre and the Oxford Shakespeare Company regularly put on performances in the gardens of the colleges.

Punts raring for action

If you're in need of dinner and are happy with a chain, most of them are located on George Street. The first Jamie's Italian is at 24-26 George Street; also of note is the Pizza Express in Golden Cross Walk, next to the Covered Market, which is in an attractive, historic building. Here are a few pub recommendations: the Head of the River (on St Aldates), if it's a nice day and you want to sit by the river; the Bear (Alfred Street), one of the oldest pubs in town in which the walls are decorated with ties; and the Turf Tavern (Holywell Street), studenty and touristy but with a good range of beers and a network of outdoor courtyard drinking areas, Bill Clinton reportedly "did not inhale" here. To be honest, though, most of the pubs in the city centre are pretty., historic and studenty so it's hard to go too far wrong.