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The Lobster Shack – North Berwick

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Over the past few weekends, for one reason or another, I’ve found myself ending up in North Berwick. Before this summer, I’d never even ventured to the town, but now, since it’s only a half hour drive from Edinburgh, I’ve become quite the regular!

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Discussing places to go in the town, everyone had something great to say about The Lobster Shack, so it was about time to go explore the harbour and indulge in a little fresh seafood!

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The Lobster Shack is located right in the centre of North Berwick’s harbour, and you can’t miss it. If the blue and red shed wasn’t eye-catching enough, there will be a long, though quick-moving, line of people all debating over the small, well balanced menu.

DSC_0429Considering that The Lobster Shack consists of a single ‘shack’ with one chef and a few wait staff who buzz around taking orders, tidying and doing whatever else, the menu has everything you could enjoy on a sunny day in Scotland, and from beginning to queue to being served up with steaming boxes of seafood, could have only been 15 minutes. Considering it was a sunny afternoon, it was a pleasure to stand outside and watch the boats come and go and relax a little.

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We opted to sample three of the menu’s best-loved dishes – a half lobster, breaded haddock and a carton of seafood chowder. Honestly, I forgot to photograph the chowder, but it was the best cup of the stuff I’ve had outside of the American East Coast. It was indulgently creamy, with hunks of potato, haddock and lobster. Served with slices of crusty bread, it was the perfect start to an indulgent lunch in the sunshine. Then we moved onto the mains – both hulking boxes of seafood, chips, salad and coleslaw. The breaded Haddock and Chips is the fish supper of your dreams. The fish was juicy, the breading crisp, and the double-cooked chips were crunchy on the outside, yet still pleasingly light and fluffy in the middle.

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I went for the half North Berwick Lobster, and honestly, I think it’s one of the best meals I’ve had in a while. Cooked simply with a little garlic butter (the remnants of which are poured over the chips) the half lobster was a gleaming mass of fresh meat, just waiting to be wrestled out it’s shell. Wonderfully sweet, the freshness of it was evident, and sitting in the sunshine enjoying it was absolutely heavenly!

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Dermalogica launches their new Phyto Replenish Oil at Harvey Nichols Edinburgh*

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When an invite arrived in my inbox inviting me to the launch of a brand new Dermalogica product at Harvey Nichols, you can imagine how quickly I RSVP’d. I love a good skincare evening – the chance to learn about new products, as well as have a bit of a play around with them is always great fun, plus I just love learning insider tips from those in the know!

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So, on Thursday I popped into Edinburgh’s Harvey Nichols store for the pre-launch of Dermalogica’s brand new Phyto Replenish Oil. Not only was it a chance to have a bit of a play with the new oil, but it was also something of a launch for the Dermalogica counter which has only been around for six or so weeks.

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It’s an absolute beast of a counter, full of hi-tech corners with iPads mounted on the counter and informational videos. It’s a counter like no other – if you pick up an item, an accompanying screen lights up and tells you all about it, as well as how to best apply and use it. The whole experience is very interactive and educational, and I can’t wait to head back in to play around with it a bit more!

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So, after sitting down with a glass of Harvey Nichols Prosecco (which, I should add, is just delicious) we were introduced to Jean-Paul, Dermalogica’s only male skincare expert, who was leading the evening’s presentation. As well as learning about the new oil, we were treated to a demonstration of a FaceFit treatment, and taught all about facial massage.

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As someone with dry skin, I’m a big fan of facial oils – I apply one most nights, and I use a drop in my foundation daily, but I can understand why some people might be nervous. It’s easy to assume that using an oil will automatically make skin look wet or greasy, but since Dermalogica’s is non comedogenic, it doesn’t clog pores, instead it just disappears into the skin.

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The Phyto Replenish Oil is filled with goodness from Chia Oils among many other super hydrating and lightweight ingredients, and I can’t even tell you how good it feels on the skin. After passing a couple of bottles around the audience, we were instructed in a number of facial massages which have been specially designed to hydrate and moisturise.

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I’ve already started to include a little facial massage into my evening routine, so I’ll let you know if I start to see a difference! Then, we were all treated to some facial mapping. It’s a great little service that Dermalogica offer to see what and where your skin needs a little more TLC, and it’s nice to know your doing all the right things! Then, it was time to head home, laden with the most generous of goody bags – I was very kindly gifted a full size bottle of the Phyto Replenish Oil, which I’ve been testing all weekend. I’ll have a full review up soon, but spoiler alert – it’s a gem!

Dermalogica’s Phyto Replenish Oil launches on September 1st

*Thank you to Harvey Nichols Edinburgh and Dermalogica for inviting me to the event.

Curaprox Black Toothpaste*

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I think that it’s fair to say that I have something of an interest in unusual dental products. I’ve tried $100 toothpaste (here), toothpaste made from chocolate (here), and I’ve even added charcoal to my toothpaste (here), so when I heard that Curaprox were releasing two black toothpastes: Black is White and White is Black, you can imagine how excited I got!

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Black is White was the first of the toothpastes I tried – packaged in a sleek black tube, complete with matching black toothbrush, in a word, it’s stunning. Happily, the formula is as awesome as the packaging, and the black colour isn’t just for effect.

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It’s thanks to the activated carbon which adsorbs stains from the surface of teeth, leaving them whiter than before. It feels like a gentler, more natural way to get whiter teeth, and I just love how fresh and clean my mouth feels after using the toothpastes.

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There’s no difference in the formula except their flavours – the black tube has a minty-citrus taste, whilst the white has the more regular plain mint. Both are super refreshing, and I’ve been using the black tube daily for about a week, and I can already see the difference!

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As if the activated charcoal in the formula wasn’t enough, there is also a super subtle blue shimmer, which leaves teeth looking even whiter, albeit on a slightly less permanent basis.

Available from www.curaprox.co.uk & Professional Dentists,

Curaprox RRP’s at £19.95

Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate for Night*

Liz Earl Superskin Concentrate for Night

As someone with chronically dry and dehydrated skin, I’m always on the lookout for new products which will help to calm and hydrate. Even though the weather isn’t feeling as cold and harsh as usual, I still like to add as much hydration to my routine as possible.

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If, like me, your skin is prone to any sort of dryness or sensitivity, I would seriously recommend trying it out – I’ve been using it nightly, and I have just been loving it! Every evening, after a good cleansing session, I take a drop or two of the oil in my fingertips, warm it up a little then press into skin.

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I then give myself something of a mini-facial massage, either using my fingers or my little butterfly. It lets the Superskin Concentrate really soak into my skin, and I can feel if any areas need an extra drop or two. I just love how quickly the formula sinks in, leaving my face and neck feeling soothed and nourished, and the scent is just delightful.

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Filled with skin saviours like Hazelnut, Rosehip, Lavender, Neroli, Avocado and Argan Oils, as well as Vitamin E, Liz Earle’s Superskin Concentrate couldn’t really be better for skin. I’ve really noticed a difference in my skin the mornings after using the Concentrate – it feels more supple and smoother. I’ve even dabbled in adding the tiniest drop to my foundation on days where my skin is feeling extra parched – it adds a really beautiful subtle radiance which lasted all day. If you’re headed off somewhere hot this summer, I would also recommend tucking a bottle of this into your case – it’s perfect for healing skin that’s seen a little too much of the sun!

Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate is priced at £60.00 and is available here (UK) and here (US)

Margaret Dabbs SPF 30 Sun Defence For Hands*

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I think it’s fair to say that currently, Scotland is enjoying it’s allocation of summer weather. For the past three or so weeks, it’s been nothing but blue skies and increasingly warmer temperatures, and I have to say, I’ve been absolutely loving it! To be honest, I don’t normally apply a dedicated SPF when I’m in the UK – all my moisturisers are at least SPF 15, and that’s normally more than enough for the paltry sunlight we get, but I have to say, the day before the Margaret Dabbs’ SPF 30 Sun Defence for Hands, I spent basically an entire day driving around with the window down – by the end of the day, my whole right hand and lower arm had sunburn!

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Thankfully it was nothing too serious, but it was kind of shocking, so, you can imagine, when a sunscreen specifically designed for hands popped through the door, it felt like fate!  Margaret Dabbs’ is the authority on everything hands and feet, so I couldn’t wait to try the sunscreen. I have to say, I’ve never even thought about having a formula specifically designed for hands, but, considering everything they go through, it makes a tonne of sense!

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Packaged in a sunny yellow bottle, complete with spray nozzle, I’ve actually been keeping the SPF 30 Sun Defence for Hands in the side door pocket of the car. Every time I get in, I give my hands (and arms, if I’m wearing a shorter sleeve) a quick spray, rub it in, then carry on with my day. It’s so easy and convenient to use, and if you live somewhere with more than Scotland’s couple of days of sunshine, I feel like this is a real must-have.

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Unlike most sunscreens, Margaret Dabbs’ doesn’t feel heavy, or leave skin with a sticky film. Instead, it’s super lightweight, and a quick spritz is all you need for full protection. The formula is also fortified with pure Emu and Argan oils which means your hands get a does of nourishment and well as protection. I’m also a big fan of the scent – Mandarin and Geranium oils means it smells beautifully spa-like, rather than the usual giveaway coconut. It’s such a genius little product, and it’s become part of my routine every time I get in the car – if, like me, you spend a whole lot of time driving around, you need to try this!

Margaret Dabbs’ SPF 30 Sun Defence for Hands is priced at £22.00 and is available here.

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