Royvon Animal Hotel
For the rich, pampering their little pets is a must. Check out the Royvon Animal Hotel in Surrey (UK).
The place is situated on six acres of land (might not be much for humans but that’s a huge place for pooches) and offers play and pampering for dogs.
The animal hotel features a spa in which dogs can be bathed, groomed and massaged. There’s also a training center that would teach your dog better manners and etiquette to fit a luxurious lifestyle.
There’s even a dog taxi (air conditioned at that) for rides to Brecon Beacons so that pets can enjoy the scenic countryside.
Check out the Royvon Animal Hotel here.
Glanusk Estate Wedding in Wales
Some people would rather get wed in a classy place. Vegas is just too full of drunken and wasted people getting hitched. Some people would avoid Vegas wedding chapels like the plague and would consider crossing the Atlantic to have their special day.
Wales doesn’t usually come up as a wedding destination for some but the place does offer some really classy wedding venues like Glanusk Park. The Glanusk Estate is one of the premiere wedding venues in Britain.
The whole place is basically 400 acres of private parkland which houses various historical landmarks in the Estate such as the Penmyarth House (in which you can hold your ceremony) and the lawn overlooking the park, the River Usk, and The Tower (on which you can hold the reception).
Yup. The cost of renting out the place on top of getting people over there. Gotta pack some very serious dough.
World’s Most Expensive Baked Potato
(via Daily Mail)
The baked potato may not be the most healthful item on your plate but, thanks to chef Ben Kingdon of The Cary Arms, it could be the priciest.
The Cary Arms is “The Inn on the Beach” in the coastal town of Torquay in Devon county, England. It’s there that Kingdon produces the gastropub food for which the inn is known—including the most expensive baked potato in the world.
The 24-year-old chef refers to this delicacy as the “tuxedo spud,” as a baked potato is known in Great Britain as a “jacket potato.” The potato’s flesh has been mixed with creme fraiche, lemon, chives and spring onions, and topped with caviar. Sides include balsamic-roasted vine tomatoes and a side salad, served with the potato on a wooden board. The dish is served with a glass of champagne.
The expensive potato is priced at £40—US $60. Unfortunately, only one was ordered in the two weeks after its debut.
Parfums DelRae Coup de Foudre ~ fragrance review
In its promotional description of Coup de Foudre, Parfums DelRae promises that “regardless of your previous ‘rose’ experience, it is ‘love at first sight.’” I’m always a little amused when new rose-inspired fragrances take this slightly defensive stance, as though we all carry negative preconceptions of rose perfumes and need to be reassured that this flower is actually very beautiful, sensual, and yes, “modern.” I wore my first rose fragrance when I was about eight years old — it was Avon’s Roses, Roses and it was memorably contained in a pig-shaped bottle — and I’ve never turned away from roses, so Coup de Foudre is preaching to the converted, in my case.
Coup de Foudre starts off as a just-picked rose and then turns gently romantic. Parfums DelRae mentions its use of true Rose de Mai from Grasse, in a composition that allows the raw material to shine through, and the natural rose note is definitely evident. It’s bright and clear, with hints of lemon and mint…
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The winners of the draw….
…for the Aftelier giveaway are: Atreau, Mimi Gardenia, Lavanya & arch.memory.Congratulations, you get to pick your scented prize!Please email me using the contact on the Profile or About page with your shipping address and your preferred prize, so I can notify Mandy to have your prizes in the mail for you soon.Thanks for the participation everyone and till the next one!
Instead of a sleeping pill or a mood enhancer
Instead of a sleeping pill or a mood enhancer, a nose full of jasmine from Gardenia jasminoides could also help.
In collaboration with Dr. Olga Sergeeva and Prof. Helmut Hass from the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, researchers from Bochum led by Prof. Hanns Hatt have discovered that the two fragrances Vertacetal-coeur (VC) and the chemical variation (PI24513) have the same molecular mechanism of action and are as strong as the commonly prescribed barbiturates or propofol. They soothe, relieve anxiety and promote sleep.
— Read the rest at Intoxicating Fragrance: Jasmine as Valium Substitute at Science Daily. Many thanks to Ruth for the link!
Online fragrance shopping
New at bloomingdales: Ralph Lauren Big Pony.
New at harrods (UK): Gucci Guilty.
Deal at luckyscent: get free shipping on orders of $75 or more with coupon code july10, good through 7/31.
New at nordstrom: Marc Jacobs Lola Velvet.
Jean Paul Gaultier will launch L’Extrait Classique X in October. The new fragrance for women is a limited edition variation on Classique X, which was introduced earlier this year…
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The corpse flower is so rare that only 28 have ever been known to bloom in the United States. The 29th is poised to open any day now at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
— A titan arum, aka corpse flower, is due to bloom in Houston. This one has been christened ‘Lois’, and you can follow her progress at the Museum’s Beyond Bones blog. Many thanks to Cynthia for the link!
Magnetique
Olivier Martinez in a new spot for L’Homme Yves Saint Laurent. Below the jump, the original commercial.
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