Give a beauty treatment for Christmas with beauty booking app Booksy

Image courtesy of Alice McNails

Let your nails do the talking this party season as beauty booking app Booksy’s Ambassador Alice McNails shares her top trend predictions for fun and festive Christmas 2022 nail art. 

With Google trends showing searches for "Christmas Nails" up +200% over the last seven days, salon booking app Booksy says nail salon bookings are set to soar as customers flock to salons to celebrate this magical time of year with a Christmas mani. 

Booksy Ambassador and social media superstar Alice McNails, who boasts over 56k followers on Instagram says: "Everyone likes to go for delicious rich shades at this time of year, my customers are starting to ask for a classic red, midnight blue, forest green, and all the glitter. Classic designs always come back around at Christmas, candy canes, snowflakes, little presents, snowmen, and intricate holly and ivy details are forever popular. The 2022 take is to make these details 3D.

"I'm loving experimenting with texture right now, high shine chrome in gold and silver is very popular and sugaring to create a snowy effect (when you apply acrylic powder or loose glitter to a wet gel layer) is perfect for a chic nod to Christmas. For a festive take on the classic French manicure, why not swap out classic tips and opt for festive tip nails with candy cane, frosted snow or Santa hat French tips in a sugaring effect?

"Nothing says festive like red nails, I predict 70% of my clients will opt for some form of red on their nails this season, it's the Christmas crowd favourite. My big 2022 predictions are that 3D snow globe nails, baubles, and the cat eye trend are all going to be popular - we'll be seeing more 3D elements everywhere.”

Alice’s 2022 Christmas nail predictions:

Classic Christmassy red

Dashing 3D details

Beautiful baubles

Festive French tips

Gorgeous glitter

Hair and beauty booking app Booksy allows customers to access hair, beauty, and wellness treatments in their local area 24/7 without any of the fuss of back-and-forth phone calls. Once registered and logged in, it takes just ten seconds for users to find and book a suitable, local appointment at a time to suit, streamlining the booking process and saving customers time and hassle. 

The Booksy app is free to download here https://booksy.com/en-gb/ and it's also free to use, too. And customers have the option to search by service type or location, and even find same-day appointments. Users receive appointment reminder notifications and can cancel or amend their booking without having to contact the salon directly.

UK Parliament’s shop partners with Leicester textile manufacturer to create the exclusive 2022 Christmas jumper

The official shop of the UK Parliament is again partnering with Jack Masters, a family-run textile manufacturer based in Leicester design and supply Parliament's official limited edition Christmas jumper.

Jack Masters is a family-run textiles manufacturer based in the Aylestone area of Leicester, city with a long association with the textiles trade dating back into the Victorian era.

Set up in 1987 by husband and wife Dilip and Illa Patel, the business has been supplying high quality knitwear and knitted accessories to fashion brands, designers, independent boutiques and catalogue firms for over three decades.

Today, Jack Masters is run by Dilip's son Snahal, who is just as passionate about British design and manufacturing as his predecessors. The firm had previously partnered with UK Parliament in 2021, for the production of last year’s best-selling Christmas jumper.

To celebrate the unveiling of the restored Elizabeth Tower earlier this year, the 2022 design features a repeating bell and clock tower motif, alongside the Parliamentary portcullis, all nicely captured in a traditional fair isle pattern.

With colours inspired by the Tower’s restored clock dials, including the ‘Prussian Blue' colour of the restored clock hands and numerals, this year's limited edition jumper will be certain to strike a chord this Christmas.

The jumper is composed of 60% recycled pre-consumer cotton and 40% recycled post-consumer polyester, so is a sustainable, long-lasting blend that retains a soft, cosy feel, perfect for the festive season.

The Jack Masters team are passionate about sustainability. An advantage of manufacturing garments in the same country as they are distributed and sold is a smaller carbon footprint from transport. Jack Masters are also committed to a zero-waste production process. They use recycled, recyclable or biodegradable packaging, and produce many of their garments using recycled yarns. 

This year's Houses of Parliament Christmas jumper is one such garment produced from 100% recycled contents. 

Discover more about Jack Masters and the Houses of Parliament Christmas jumper here https://mailchi.mp/32de085d78e3/jack-masters.

Aldi reveals Christmas opening times

Aldi has revealed when its stores will be open over the festive period.

In the pre-Christmas run-up, Aldi will be extending their opening hours, from 7am to 10pm from Monday 19th December to give shoppers more time to pick up last-minute food, drink and gifts before the big day.

Stores will also be open until 6pm on Christmas Eve, but customers should check local store details online to avoid disappointment.

Aldi will close its stores as usual on Christmas Day, and will once again keep all stores shut on Boxing Day as a thank you to their colleagues and in recognition of their hard work throughout the year, as it has always done since opening in the UK in excess of 30 years ago.

The majority of stores will also be open from 8am until 8pm in between Christmas and New Year, and until 6pm on New Year’s Eve to help shoppers get everything they need to bring in 2023, at the lowest possible prices in Britain.

Stores will also be open until 8pm on Bank Holiday Monday (2nd January) 2023.

Aldi has everything customers need to make this Christmas and New Year special, thanks to its award-winning range of delicious food and drink, and an array of gifts for all the family. Details of Aldi’s amazing Christmas range can be found here.

The supermarket also offers a Click and Collect service in over 200 stores, meaning thousands of shoppers across the UK will be able to get quality Aldi groceries online at unbeatable prices in time for Christmas. Shoppers will be able to choose from a range of grocery items online here, then drive to their local store where their shopping will be brought to their car by Aldi colleagues. Pre-order slots for Christmas will be revealed soon.

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Thatchers family mulled cider recipe is ideal for Christmas

Many of us who are fans of the Christmas season of good cheer, good will, good food and good drink will have tried mulled wine before now.

But how many of us have tried mulled cider before?

If you haven't, the Thatchers family are sharing their very own mulled cider recipe with us.

So, with the season for warm, spicy cider upon us, here's a traditional recipe for Mulled Cider that the Thatcher family has passed down the generations.

This recipe serves 8 people.

To make your own mulled cider, just take two litres of Thatchers Gold cider (or Thatchers Zero for an alcohol-free alternative), and add:

1 sliced orange, lemon and apple

2 star anise

5 cloves (or ½ tspn of ground cloves)

2 cinnamon sticks (or 1 tspn of ground cinnamon)

8 slices of ginger (or 1 tspn ground ginger)

Soft brown sugar to taste.

Mix all the ingredients together, simmer gently in a pan for around ½ hour but be careful not to let it boil.

Serve, share and enjoy.

So, who are Thatchers? They are a family run cider maker with its home in Sandford, Somerset. Its ciders, all full of natural apple character, are crafted at Myrtle Farm. Pride in its heritage, Thatchers has been  making cider for four generations and it's simply at the heart of everything they do.  

Its knowledge and passion for apples is reflected in its ciders: authentic, flavour-filled full of flavour and with a distinct character that reflects Somerset cider making at its very best.

Thatchers crafts a range of ciders, including Thatchers Gold, Thatchers Haze, Thatchers Blood Orange and Thatchers Cloudy Lemon, but whichever you choose, you can be sure they have all been made with the same care, attention and hands-on experience.

Aldi unveils brand-new Townhouse Candles

Aldi’s new Hotel Collection Ceramic Townhouse Candle is £84 cheaper than the luxury brand, Jo Malone.

Weighing 1.5kg, Aldi’s new Hurricane Centrepiece Candle is also set see shoppers all the way through the festive season. 

Aldi’s brand–new Hotel Collection Ceramic Townhouse Candle (£9.99, 300g) is set to light up the room this Christmas with its spectacular Christmas scents. Available in-stores and online now.  

They're ideal for when the fire is crackling, and the smell of mulled wine is brewing, invite the scent of Glowing Fires or Lavender & White Musk to the home. 

Housed in an elegant ceramic holder, this luxury scented lidded candle come in a gorgeous gift box, so it makes the perfect Christmas present. For those not partial to naked flames, Aldi shoppers can opt for the matching Hotel Collection Ceramic Reed Diffuser (£9.99, 200ml), instead.

With a price tag significantly less than the pricy alternative from Jo Malone, shoppers can fill their homes with warm and comforting fragrances without blowing their budget. 

Enjoy the Christmas Lights at Covent Garden

London's most eye-catching and exciting neighbourhood is glimmering, glittering and sparkling with festive joy with over 115,000 lights, mirror balls, giant mistletoe sprigs and humungous baubles, as well as the iconic 60ft British-grown Christmas tree decorating the estate.

But look out for much more because there will be exclusive pop-ups, special Christmas offers, new store openings and partnerships, all coming together to make Covent Garden the ultimate destination this festive season.

Covent Garden, the home of unrivalled shopping, dining, entertainment and family fun, will once again be London’s most magical destination. 

Kicking off the festive season with more sparkle than ever, the estate will turn on the magic with over 115,000 lights illuminating the streets and over 30,000 dazzling lights adorning London's tallest and most iconic British-grown, handpicked 60ft Christmas tree, which stands even taller than in 2021. The festive decor will also extend into the Market Building itself, which will see the return of its Insta-famous giant baubles, mistletoe and mirror balls.

The ultimate home of Christmas in London will play host to a variety of new and exclusive pop up shopping moments, the return of some festive favourites and partnerships from world-class brands in the run up to Christmas. These experiences will also sit alongside over 1,000 weatherproof outdoor dining seats across 55 restaurants for the chance to experience the magical festive scheme from all angles.

For visitors seeking the perfect gift, Covent Garden has a wide selection of world renowned lifestyle brands offering unique, personalised and the most desired present options. From luxury pieces at Tiffany & Co, Vashi, Bucherer and TAG Heuer, to premium and fashion forward items from Ganni, Reformation, ba&sh, A.P.C and Free People, and beauty favourites from Glossier, Charlotte Tilbury, Dior, Chanel, Aesop, Tom Ford and Jo Malone, to name a few, Covent Garden is the one stop destination for any festive experience this year.

For festive dining experiences or pre and post theatre meals, visitors can discover delectable menus from a variety of favourites including The Oystermen, La Goccia, Frenchie, Cora Pearl, 3 Henrietta, Balthazar, Ave Mario and Petersham Nurseries.

For party season drinks, visitors can enjoy delectable offerings from the likes of Bullards Gin, Mrs Riot, Balthazar and The Royal Opera House.

To learn more please visit http://www.coventgarden.london.

(Image courtesy TheOtherKev and Pixabay)

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Wear a Christmas jumper and you'll get a discount!

A shop is offering a nice discount to all customers wearing Christmas jumpers or Santa hats.

The York Gin shop is offering a £1 discount for anyone who arrives at their shop wearing Christmas clothes and/or accessories, including angel’s wings, reindeer antlers or festive earrings.

It will even give the ‘Santa Clause’ discount on gin for anyone wearing a real or fake long white beard. And dressed-up pets like York Gin dog, Inigo (pictured) count as part of the discount scheme, too! 

Bosses say they want to get as many people as possible into the Christmas spirit at a fairly difficult time for many.

Customers can either take the discount, or, if they'd prefer, donate the pound to local hospice, St Leonard’s.

Explains York Gin co-founder Emma Godivala: "It’s challenging times for so many of us at the moment, but we’re determined to have some fun this Christmas.

"Hopefully the Santa Clause discount will bring some sparkle, joy, jumpers, hats, antlers, fairy wings and novelty earrings into our city.

"The York Gin shop offers free tasters of all our range, including our Chocolate and Orange festive gin, so we’ve got the Christmas spirit right there too."

The Santa Clause scheme runs from 17 November, when the city’s Christmas Market opens for its 30th year, right through until Epiphany (6 January).

The York Gin shop is officially York’s best, having been awarded retailer of the year at the Visit York Tourism Awards 2022.

York is acknowledged as one of the UK’s most Christmassy cities. Its St Nicholas' Christmas Market,  celebrating its 30th year this year as we have pointed out, is in the top five festive markets in the world according to research undertaken by Planet Cruise. 

Other research showed York’s houses have the third most Christmas lights in the UK.

And in 2017, a study showed that York people sent the most positive tweets in the UK about Christmas with over 9 in 10 liking the festive season.

yorkgin.com

Salcombe Gin Hampers: The Perfect Gift This Festive Season

There really is no better way to get into the festive spirit than with one of Salcombe Gin's new luxurious hampers. 

Whether you're looking for a gorgeous gift for a friend or loved one, or just want the ultimate present to treat yourself this Christmas, the hampers contain everything you will need to make the perfect 'Salcombe & Tonic'. Salcombe Distilling Co. expertly crafts exceptional gins at its waterside distillery in South Devon, which, incidentally, is one of the world's only distilleries directly accessible by boat.

Every drop of gin in its multi-award-winning range is distilled with unrivalled passion, care and attention to detail. 

Each fabulously festive Salcombe Gin Gift Hamper comes with a full-size bottle of Salcombe Gin, a branded pair of copper tongs, two engraved gin glasses, eight 150ml Fever-Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water cans and a Salcombe Gin jute bag. 

Everything is presented in a stylish genuine wicker hamper for the final flourish of luxury.

Gift hampers are available with a choice of three of their exceptional gins, Salcombe Gin 'Start Point', Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie' and Salcombe Gin Voyager Series 'Daring'. Salcombe Gin 'Start Point' is a multi-award winning, classic, citrus-led London Dry gin which is exceptionally smooth and complex.

An extremely versatile gin, it has a backbone of Macedonian juniper with a flavour profile inspired by Salcombe's rich maritime heritage. Salcombe Gin's flagship, it's distilled using the London Dry method and features a blend of 13 fine botanicals with citrus flavours encompassing grapefruit, lemon and lime peels alongside English coriander seed, juniper and orris root.

It is incredibly well-balanced and distinct with layers of intricacy running throughout. RRP £99 for a Salcombe Gin 'Start Point' Gift Hamper, which contains a 70cl bottle, 44% ABV. Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie' is inspired by the Mediterranean coast. Bright, fresh and elegant, the delicate flavours are reminiscent of Southern France and emulate the qualities of a dry rosé wine. 

Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie' is purposefully dry with no added sugar, artificial colours or flavours. It pays homage to the Sainte Marie lighthouse in the South of France, which marks where 19th century Salcombe Fruit Schooners loaded supplies of citrus fruits and herbs. 

Distilled with Macedonian juniper berries and combined with flavours of angelica and strawberries (giving it a subtle sweetness), an additional 12 hand-sourced botanicals including orange blossom, rose petals, fresh lemon, orange peel and pink peppercorns are then added to the distillation. RRP £99 for the Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie' Gift Hamper featuring a 70cl bottle, 41.4% ABV.

Salcombe Gin Voyager Series 'Daring' is developed in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Paul Ainsworth and inspired by his dish, 'A Tale of Porthilly'. Distilled with whey and foraged Cornish botanicals, this exquisite gin showcases the spirit of the wild Cornish coast and mimics the rich, smooth mouthfeel and fresh umami and zinc-like properties of the Cornish oyster. 

Taking further inspiration from Paul's carefully balanced dish, the gin combines the use of fennel, apple and lime to replicate the accompanying salad and create a complex flavour profile and exciting taste. RRP £129 for the Salcombe Gin Voyager Series 'Daring' Gift Hamper, which contains a 50cl bottle, 46% ABV.

For further information about Salcombe Distilling Co. and Salcombe Gin, visit www.salcombedistilling.com, follow SalcombeGin on Instagram and Facebook and Salcombe Distilling Co on Twitter.