Dealing with post holiday flaking skin

lotion

It was almost inevitable after having a week in the warmth and sunshine (or even the shade) and coming back to arctic conditions my body practically went into shock! Central heating also plays havoc with the skin and even when I am not on holiday I moisturize everyday with my favourite product Kiehl's Creme de Corps lotion and occasionally the body butter when my skin feels drier than normal.  

body butter

Four days back to my normal life brought flaking and peeling skin. Even after applying the Kiehl's my skin continued to flake which is not the most attractive thing, especially when I'm working on someone's face! Although my skin felt rehydrated, I could not hide the evidence!
 

We have a product in the make up room that we recommend to people with dry skin, eczema and dermatitis called Doublebase. It can also be used as a cleanser. At around £10 for 500ml it's good value for money.
As a last resort I decided to give it a try on my exposed arms and I can't praise it highly enough. The results were amazing. It immediately soaked into my skin and the appearance of dry flakes disappeared completely! It's actually halted the peeling action and I have now gone back to my daily regime and soft, healthy looking skin. 


Product description below :- 

Doublebase gel, shower gel and wash gel all contain two active ingredients, liquid paraffin and isopropyl myristate, both of which have moisturising properties.
Liquid paraffin and isopropyl myristate work by replacing lost water within the skin, and by forming a waterproof barrier over the skin surface. This prevents water within the skin from evaporating and keeps the underlying skin hydrated.
Doublebase is useful for dry skin conditions, such as eczema and dermatitis, which get worse when the skin is allowed to dry out. Used regularly, it helps restore the skin's smoothness, softness and flexibility by replacing lost moisture and helping the skin retain moisture. This helps reduce scaling, redness and itching.
Doublebase gel can be applied directly to dry areas of skin. It can also be used before, during and after showering or having a bath as this helps to stop further drying of the skin. After showering the skin should be patted dry using a soft towel before applying Doublebase gel as a moisturiser.
In dry skin conditions such as eczema, using moisturisers and moisturising shower gels regularly, even once the skin has improved, can help prevent flare-ups.

Read more: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/skin-and-hair/medicines/doublebase-gel.html#ixzz2OkJQUEVr

Barbados .. all about the beach!

Amaryllis Beach resort

I have just returned from a fabulous week's vacation on the island of Barbados.  If you've read my past blog posts you'll know I've been there before so I kind of knew what to expect.  This particular week was all about relaxation and recharging flat batteries after weeks of the cold dark winter. One thing you can rely on with the Caribbean is that you are pretty much guaranteed great weather at this time of year - copious amounts of sunshine and consistent temperatures - and virtually no threat of hurricanes. We stayed at the Amaryllis Beach Resort which was lovely but could do with a make over. We were told more than once that it isn't what it used to be. However the staff were great and it's location is perfect - the beach more than makes up for it with it's mature coconut palms giving shade, beauty and atmosphere.
 

Each day was the same routine .. up early, coffee on the balcony then off to the gym or a walk on the beach before breakfast at the beach side restaurant. Then it was grabbing a lounger and parking it under a palm tree, settling down with the ipod on and a book in hand. Intermittent swimming in the crystal clear warm sea followed by lunch at the beach side cafe and more of the same in the afternoon.  
The sun set around 6pm every evening and graced us with spectacular displays of colour and light over the sea.  A truly blissful way to end a perfect day.

Every night we went out to eat and we were never disappointed.  We went back to our favourite restaurant Champers which overlooks Accra Beach on the south coast. The food is consistently good and the service impeccable.  Another restaurant which I would highly recommend is Daphne's which is on the west coast also located beach side so while you eat you are serenaded by gently rolling waves crashing on to the shore.

The pièce de résistance of the dining experience though was going to The Cliff just down the coast from Daphne's. It's not always easy to get the reservation you want, but if you book well enough in advance you should be able to get your preferred date. The cost per person is BDS$245.00 incl. VAT for a two course meal (starter/main or main/dessert) and BDS$285.00 incl. VAT for a three course meal, and you will be required to leave your credit card details when you book. You need to give them 24 hours notice of cancellation or reduction of numbers or you will be charged! Good to know this as you don't want to get caught out. Everything about The Cliff is fabulous - the cliff top location with crashing waves against the rocks, the food and service are second to none.  A lovely romantic setting which would be ideal for a wedding or special occasion.  Looking over the railings on the night we went, we spotted shoals of barracuda coming in to feed .. they are rather large menacing looking fish, but boy they taste good!!

All in all a fantastic week - sun, sea and seafood and plenty of sleep too .. we've come back ready to take on the next slog of work in preparation for the next one!!

As usual, we flew direct from London Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic.

Next month I will be taking a long weekend break to Marrakech in Morocco .. something quite exotic to look forward to! Excited or what!!

The end of the dark months

Today is the last day of February .. the end of the (apparently) most depressing month of the year in the northern hemisphere. So how have you coped with these dark cold days of winter? On my days off I like to go out for long walks in my local park and along the canal. It's usually fairly quiet apart from dog walkers, joggers and mums with prams.  Some days there's hardly a soul in sight. The quietness and fresh air is uplifting and providing you have the correct clothing on, it really isn't a problem regardless of the conditions.  You won't find me feeling depressed because of the weather!

I always make sure I have something to look forward to - they don't call me the holiday queen for nothing!  My next jaunt as I've already told you is to the beautiful island of Barbados .. just a week away, but the rest of the year is still an open book, with the possibility of a weekend break to Marrakech, Paris or Berlin. The lure of the hot springs in Iceland is another one on the hit list. New York is always a certainty as is Milan, so it's just a matter of making a decision and the booking!

See you when I return! 

Las Vegas - Not Just Slots of Fun

My guest blogger Nigel May has kindly allowed me to add this to Holiday Queen this month giving an alternative to the usual gambling stereo type that one usually associates with Las Vegas. Read and enjoy!!  Thanks Nigel!!

I have just returned from one of my favourite places on earth – Las Vegas! I must have been there about half a dozen times now but this trip was totally different to all of the others I have experienced before. Whereas in the past I have had a tendency to stick to the Strip with its over-the-top themed hotels and ‘guide book Top 10 must-see attractions’ this time around my visit was one of wandering away from the constant kerching of the slot machines and the smoky haziness of the gambling casinos to a Vegas that maybe sometimes gets overlooked and overshadowed by the neon.   I was there as part of a work trip with a crafty friend and colleague (I work for a crafting TV channel for those who don’t know) and it was her first time in Vegas. In the in-flight magazine on the way there we had spotted a rather arty and crafty shop called Artifact at a shopping area called Tivoli Village. It’s fairly new and wasn’t even in existence the last time I was sampling Vegas so we were keen to sample its delights. And it didn’t disappoint.

Having settled into our rooms at Caesar’s Palace (we were there midweek and were given free upgrades to suites with Jacuzzis – always wise to ask at reception as you never know!) we headed off to Tivoli. It’s a $50 dollar taxi ride from the Strip but well worth it. The complex itself is called Market LV and houses a variety of different shops, restaurants and juice bars. Our favourite shop by far was Artifact – full of upcycled, eco-friendly product (the complete antithesis of what brashy, trashy, flashy Vegas is known for really) and the wares housed there are all from local artists at prices ranging from the cheap and cheerful to considered purchase. It’s an amazing place and well worth checking out if you have any kind of arty/crafty/eco feelings. Plus there’s a fantastic restaurant called Poppy Den just around the corner which serves the most incredible variety of food. For more information about these venues head to www.artifactlv.com and www.vegaspoppyden.com And for more craftiness we must recommend a visit to the Viva Las Vegastamps craft shop back in the city itself just off the Strip. In a world where craft is becoming bigger and bigger anyone with even the vaguest flutter of craftiness can spend hours browsing the shelves. www.vivalasvegastamps.com

Another fabulous attraction we discovered was the Neon Museum. It’s the ‘boneyard’ where a lot of Vegas’s iconic discarded neon signs are now left to live out their days. Over the years Vegas had changed from a gangster’s paradise to a family destination thru to the hedonistic gambling experience that we can immerse ourselves in today. It’s a real taste of Vegas-past as you wander around the site, just yards away from the huge neon signs, all in various states of dilapidation. Once famous landmarks of the city like the comical camels of The Sahara or the giant skull of Treasure Island lie lost and forlorn alongside their fellow neon friends now out of favour with the Vegas skyline. It’s hugely interesting to stand alongside Sassy Sally’s sign and learn that her famed name as the female symbol of LV was erased when she ‘married’ Vegas Vic (the thumbing cowboy) to highlight Vegas’s appeal as a destination for matrimony, and replaced with Vegas Vicky to make poor Sally sound less sleazy. I would recommend the Neon Museum to anyone who wants a nostalgic slice of Vegas pie.   www.neonmuseum.org

Our trip to Vegas was peppered with many of the stalwarts of Vegas entertainment – the Bellagio dancing fountains, the gondolas of The Venetian and a couple of shows (we took in the fantastically demonic Absinth at Caesar’s Palace and the Cirque De Soleil Beatles extravaganza, Love, at The Mirage), plus the must-see Freemont Experience with its dazzling array of canopy bulbs forming one of the most spectacular light shows on earth. But one relatively new attraction that we were keen to experience was the gruesome Eli Roth’s Goretorium near the Planet Hollywood hotel. Still relatively unknown (it opened for Hallowe’en last year) the experience is unlike anything else the Neon City has to offer. Fans of Eli Roth will know that he is the Hollywood director responsible for gore-fests like Hostel and Cabin Fever. The attraction, just like the man’s films, is dark, demonic and devilishly enjoyable, with actors dressed as zombies chasing you around and trying to scare the living (or should that be undead?) daylights out of you before ending up in a blood-splattered bar serving up ghoulish drinks and playing back-to-back horror clips. The year-round haunt may not be everyone’s cup of tea but we loved it and it provided yet another different layer to the Vegas experience. Visit www.goretorium.com for details. Just one word of warning – avoid it if you’re at all squeamish!

There is no place on Earth like Vegas. It’s magical, mystifying and mayhem all in one glittery cluster. But if you are thinking that there is nothing more to Vegas than a home for gambling and whiling away the hours in a smoke-filled casino then let it be said that it has so much more as long you stray a little bit further than the fairy-tale turrets of The Excalibur or the dizzying heights of The Stratosphere. I love it and look forward to my next visit. And yes, of course we played the slot machines too – it would be rude not to. Did we win? Yep, an astounding $30….but at least we won! And it paid for a cab ride off-Strip.

Nigel's blog - Musings 

http://www.nigelmay.net/musings/las-vegas-not-just-slots-of-fun

Barbados beckons again ..

In less than 8 weeks I will be off on my travels again.  Not content with having nothing in my calendar for the cold months ahead I have booked a week in the Caribbean to satisfy my craving for warmth and a little vitamin D. St. Lucia was on the hit list again but I left it too late to get any decent accommodation so I've opted to go back to my favourite island Barbados.

I actually don't mind a bit of cold, but not too much in one go!!  Although I have been to Barbados twice before I feel there is much more to see and do in between lounging by the pool or on the beach. And of course there is all that fabulous sea food to sample. 

My flip flops are jumping for joy! 

In search of the sun ...

It's January 2nd 2013 and unusually for me I have absolutely no holidays planned as yet!! So in the next few days I'm going to get cracking and at least get something booked for a break from these cold, dark months in the lead up to spring. I really need something to look forward to otherwise its just work, work, work and everyday life in and around. Not that it's a bad thing .. I just like the prospect of a little slice of travel on a regular basis. 

It will have to be somewhere warm .. dreaming of an azure blue sky and a turquoise sea ....

Peace, Joy, Love

The words on the Christmas tree at the Coyaba Resort, Jamaica say it all. (It was real too and smelled divine) Peace, Joy, Love. 

I wish you all peace, joy, love and more for 2013 .  Thanks for reading my blog and giving me such positive feedback and a reason to keep writing. It is my intention to share my knowledge and travels and hopefully inspire you to do the same if you're not already!

Happy New Year!!!

Jamaica .. not all about the beach

I'm so glad I got the opportunity to go back to Jamaica again! After visiting 12 years ago and stating that I wouldn't care to go back and we'd done the all tourist things .. so what reason would you ever want to go back for? How naive of me! An invitation to a good friend's wedding was the catalyst  and it just proved to me that you should never set anything in stone. Nothing stays the same and neither should it. I'm not saying it's perfect but I wouldn't want it to be. Each place has it's own character and everybody's experience is their own.

Pool at the Cardiff

This time around we got a morning flight from Miami to Montego Bay, a mere 1 hour 15 minutes away, so we were at our hotel by early afternoon sitting by the pool enjoying our free welcome rum punch.  Our first accommodation was in the area of Runaway Bay - The Cardiff Hotel and Spa - set in the hills overlooking the bay.  We stayed for a week with other guests of the wedding party and it was a lovely quiet, home from home atmosphere where the staff were friendly and hospitable. A great place to relax and do the real vacation chill out! The private beach is about a 10 minute walk away but the hotel operates a shuttle service there and back. I would say that if you choose to stay here on your own, you would be wise to hire a car to get around as the taxi's are quite expensive and there really is nothing nearby.  Ocho Rios and the surrounding attractions like Dunn's River Falls and Mystic Mountain are within 20 minutes drive away and a day trip to Kingston is just that! There's a lot more to do besides .. it just depends what you want.

Overlooking the harbour

The wedding was held mid week at the Shaw Park Gardens nestled in the hills above Ocho Rios. It is a stunningly beautiful place - a rainforest with lush vegetation, waterfalls and birds and butterflies flying and fluttering freely adding to the romanticism of it all. This topped with a cocktail party complete with steel band overlooking the harbour and the light fading into dusk and you have a near perfect scenario. It was a truly magical afternoon followed by a full on party around the pool back at the Cardiff Hotel.

Coyaba beach

At the end of our stay there, we transferred back to Montego Bay to spend our last 24 hours or so at the Coyaba Resort. Not only is it a beautiful setting, a relatively small and intimate resort, but it is a mere 10 minutes away from the Robert Sangster International Airport. Don't let this put you off, there is very little in the way of aircraft noise. I found the people to be helpful and friendly, the food was great and I definitely want to go back to this resort and sample the riches of Montego Bay itself.

I'm so grateful to have had the second chance with Jamaica... thank you Norman and Yolanda.

See you later alligator

Whilst we were visiting Miami, we could not pass up the opportunity to visit Gator Park in the heart of the Everglades and take an airboat ride through the "river of grass".  

The Everglades was coined "The River of Grass" by Marjory Stoneman Douglas  because the water is not stagnant like that in swamps, but instead travels very slowly from north to south. The Everglades is one of the world's largest and slowest flowing rivers. 

Our guide was a quirky, barefooted guy with a raspy voice that conjured up images of rusty nails. He was a real character who obviously enjoyed his job and as he turned the engine over he would call out to the alligators by name (obviously all for show) and they would appear in the water alongside the boat. I think the vibrations in the water caused by the engine being switched on and off was the more likely lure!

C'mon out lil fella

The first part of the ride was slow so we were able to observe alligators, soft shell turtles and various species of birds and plant life at close quarters. Then he cranked up the engine and off we went at pace over the water that seemingly stretched as far as the eye can see. He threw in a few jack knife turns which caused the water to spray over everyone and the whole experience was exhilarating! It's hard to believe the water is only a few inches deep.

After the boat ride we went to an alligator show presented by another character with a craggy face and voice to match. All he needed was a parrot on his shoulder!  As well as demonstrating how the natives wrestled with the alligators in order to keep and eat them, the show featured the largest toad I have ever seen, a snake, a giant scorpion and a cockatoo. Normally I am not comfortable watching any kind of display involving animals but this one was relatively short and very informative giving a brief history of the native people who inhabited the area and their relationship with their environment. 

River of Grass

The Everglades: River of Grass is a non-fiction book written by Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 1947. Published the same year as the formal opening of Everglades National Park, the book was a call to attention about the degrading quality of life in the Everglades and continues to remain an influential book on nature conservation as well as a reference for information on South Florida.

For more info on the Everglades National Park go to http://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm

Art Basel Miami Beach 2012



Installation at Scope

I'd heard about it and checked it out online but nothing prepares you for the actuality that is Art Basel Miami Beach. You would be hard pressed to see it all even if you were there from start to finish. Thousands of artists from all over the world exhibiting in more than 260 galleries. There are numerous installations, pop up exhibits, film screenings and parties to attend all over the city.  

John Matos http://www.crashone.com/

Judd Tully, a writer for the magazine Art + Auction and veteran of the fair, says: "Miami is a party city. You either have to be young or a glutton for punishment." I have to agree!

Not only are the gallery owners and/or representatives there, a lot of the artists are in attendance too and it's interesting just to walk around and meet the people responsible for all this creativity and talk to them about their inspiration, techniques and processes. And of course, everything is available to buy from affordable art to works costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

We spent two overwhelming days at Art Miami, Scope, Art Asia and Overture looking at art from every conceivable genre - some beautiful, some innovative, bazaar, weird, inspiring .. it's ultimately all in the eye of the beholder.

Art Basel Miami Beach 2013 December 5-8