How To Style Neutrals | Layering & Textures

Phew!  As lovely as this month has been, I'm pleased to see the back of January and mainly because it means we're one month closer to warm weather!  Although, the end of January doesn't mean the end of winter and so there's still plenty of time to embrace ALL the layers.  Speaking of which, I'm still head over heels for neutrals.  Black, grey, beige, white, brown and more.  In particular, I've developed a newfound appreciation for throwing as many neutrals as possible into one look.   The trick?  Lots of layers and tons of textures.

Hotel Chocolat Valentine's Heart | Worldwide Giveaway!

Regardless of whether or not you plan on spending Valentine's Day with someone special, there's no denying it's a really great excuse to jump on board another celebration!  These first few months of the year tend to feel a bit quiet in comparison to the lead up to the festive season, or summer's late nights and countless occasions.  So, you're celebrating Valentine's Day, or Galentine's Day, or just a night curled up on the sofa watching films on your own, there's still one common denominator making it a good night.  Chocolate!  Just don't find yourself at your corner shop at half nine in the evening.  Treat yo' self.  And this, ladies and gents, is where I come in!  I've teamed up with Hotel Chocolat to offer one lucky reader of A Glass Of Ice their very own Straight From The Heart - a heart shaped chocolate box filled with 35 caramels, cocktails, pralines and more!  Scroll down to enter...

The Year Of Wellness | Cocobay Activewear

The meaning of wellness?  An 'active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life'.  You'll have no doubt heard it mentioned at some point over recent months, or years - though perhaps not in so many words.  Self-care falls under the umbrella of wellness, as does health and even fitness.  I feel as though the past few years have seen a huge shift towards encouraging people to look after themselves; it started with the concept of Hygge, moved to include Lagom and now has us all discussing self-care in every shape and form.  No complaints here.  We're a generation made up of those creating, working, analysing and pushing forwards - but with that comes a certain responsibility to truly take care of ourselves.  The question is, how does keeping active slot into this movement of wellness?

Modelling For Bridal Indulgence | One Dress, Eight Looks (And More!)

Well, this is something new!  If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know I was asked to model bridalwear for Bridal Indulgence earlier in the month and at a pretty dreamy location.  I think I speak for everyone when I say there's something very attractive about all things bridal related; it's romantic and gentle.  With this in mind, I've been really looking forward to sharing some of the images from the shoot here on A Glass Of Ice!  The theme?  One dress, eight looks.  Oh, along with a couple of other breathtakingly beautiful dresses that look as though they belong in fairytales...

5 Desserts To Decorate With Gold Leaf

I'll be the first to admit to anything and everything metallic catching my eye.  Sometimes accessories, always product packaging and without a shadow of a doubt, home decor.  But what about food?  Restaurants have got the right idea: go big or go home.  Most dessert menus these days are nothing short of spectacular, and usually thanks to the elaborate presentation.  No complaints here.  Last Spring, I started experimenting with styling chocolate strawberries with gold leaf, and uh, I didn't stop there.  Gold leaf is super accessible and yet delivers serious style, making it the ideal finishing touch to whatever dessert you're serving up.  Needless to say, you can place edible gold leaf on anything you like (although if you've used it before, you'll know it's a pain in the neck to use - so delicate!), but my top five suggestions?  Read on...

D I P P E D   S T R A W B E R R I E S  

My first escapade with gold leaf was using chocolate-dipped strawberries.  If you find the edible sheets very difficult to put in place, covering just the lower half of strawberries can save a lot of time!

D O U G H N U T S

As shown in this post.  Ta-dah!  If you keep your doughnuts in the fridge (shame on you), make sure to take them out for a while before using, as gold leaf prefers damp surfaces to stick to - so don't let it come into contact with your fingers!

C H O C O L A T E   T R U F F L E S

Next on my to-do list, for sure.  Smaller desserts mean less work, but with chocolate truffles the effect is just as striking.  Better yet?  Drizzle chocolate over the truffles first, or dust lightly with cocoa powder afterwards

I C E   C R E A M

Try not to go overboard to avoid overkill and it could be magical.  If you're displaying a scoop or two in a bowl, position a couple of squares of chocolate on the side and also cover them with gold leaf.  Like I said, magical

C R È M E   B R Û L É E

Admittedly, this isn't something I've seen on the menu before - but how I wish it was!  I'm kind of tired of seeing berries awkwardly balanced on desserts.  The large, flat surface could become ten times more glamorous with a small cluster of gold leaf covered fruit in the centre

I just adore beautifully presented desserts.  Obviously, taste comes first.  But there's no rule that says you ever have to compromise on presentation!  Having said that, I'm just as happy to tuck into a belgian bun without any glitz or glam.  Anyway, as always super looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments below!  Have you ever tried using edible gold leaf on food before for special occasions?   

With love,

Gabrielle x

Colourful Faux Fur | It's Cool To Be Kind!

This past week has been pretty lovely; a few standouts include modelling bridalwear (can't wait to share more!), shooting new looks for the blog and meetings with a couple of dreamy brands!  I've also been having a bit of a 'metallic moment', seeing me buy over-the-knee glitter boots in the Topshop sale (sneak peek on my Twitter) and uhh, sprinkling gold flakes over a doughnut - sassy doughnut alert.  But it also brought with it something a lot more serious.  While in London, an animal rights protest was taking place outside a popular outerwear store, spreading the message of their cruelty to animals.  Honestly, through seeing constant strong expression online and clear disliking of people choosing to wear real fur, I'd started to kid myself into thinking that out in the world, wearing real fur was a thing of the past.  Except, it's not.  I'm not here to judge, but I am here to help spread the message of how gorgeous (and warm!) faux fur can be and how unnecessary it is to look at real alternatives.  Bottom line?  It's cool to be kind.

5 Reasons To Book A Hotel Staycation This Month

I absolutely adore the sense of camaraderie (particularly online) when it comes to hitting the ground running at this time of year; sharing dreams and setting goals.  However (and it's a big however), I'm also pretty sure we're going to need many incentives along the road to keep the motivation at this sky-high level!  I'll admit, I've got it pretty easy on this front as one of my main goals this year is to reach a whole other level of calm through mindfulness and learning how to truly relax  - so you won't catch me whipping myself.  But regardless of whether you're going full steam ahead, or learning how to take a step back, there's something we can all relate to - holidays!  So, you're looking into booking a staycation (probably, I mean this is January), why should you ditch the cosy cottage, quirky glamping experience and budget options this month, all in favour of a chic hotel staycation?

Double Vinyl | Stepping Out Of Your Fashion Comfort Zone

Patent leather boots? No problem.  Vinyl skirt?  Also no problem.  But pair them together and you've got yourself a pretty saucy dominatrix-esque outfit that even a mohair chunky knit jumper can't tone down.  Oops.  I wouldn't say my personal style is safe - due to the masses of mile-high stilettos I pair with most outfits - but I rarely step out of my comfort zone.  My comfort zone is pretty vast at this point, and so it surprised me to find how categorically uncomfortable I felt stepping out in double vinyl.  The good news?  That feeling didn't last for long...

If 'familiarity breeds contempt', stepping out of your fashion comfort zone is definitely the way to go.  A funny sense of pride comes with having broken the cycle and tried something new, and once you've started thinking about unusual-for-you outfit combinations, you just can't stop!  With this week arriving and bringing with it a fresh new year, it's the perfect time to step out of your comfort zone and try pairing different pieces together.  My advice?  When you're ready to challenge yourself, roll up a pair of jeans (or jumper) in your tote, ready to whip out should you lose your nerve at any point throughout the day.  Or, y'know, suspect hypothermia to be setting in. Speaking of which, anyone else find their legs never get cold?  I'm literally a walking-talking ice cube, and yet that doesn't seem to apply to my legs?!

Jumper - Reiss

Skirt - H&M

Boots - Aldo (also at Zalando)

Clutch - Victoria Beckham at Farfetch   |   Hat - Mint Velvet

At the end of the day, fashion is meant to be fun.  And this sure as hell was fun to wear!  Will I be pairing the two together again?  No, probably not.  Been there, done that, got the raised eyebrows.  But it's definitely prepared me for stepping outside my fashion comfort zone more in future.  Damn, it feels exciting to be starting a fresh new year, right?!

Liked this post?  You might also enjoy >> Add To Basket: Black Patent Boots

With love,

Gabrielle x