In the world of men's fragrances, Parfums de Marly is a relatively new kid on the block but they've already built up a reputation as an exquisite, niche fragrance house.

Founded in 2009, their fragrances are inspired by the “golden age of perfumery” – the 18th Century French era. Think luxury, splendor, decadence, and fragrance recipes inspired by the court of King Louis XV.

The result? Unique, bold fragrances that leverage exotic fruits, florals, spices, and woods to make you smell and feel like royalty.

And with over 30 colognes available, you'll want to know which is right for you.

Good news – we've put each and every one through its paces. In this article, we're giving you our top 15 Parfums de Marly fragrances.

In this article, you'll find:

• What does Parfums de Marly mean?
• 15. Kalan
• 14. Byerly
• 13. Percival
• 12. Akaster
• 11. Sedley
• 10. Godophin
• 9. Pegasus
• 8. Greenley
• 7. Galloway
• 6. Pegasis Exclusif
• 5. Layton
• 4. Herod
• 3. Habdan
• 2. Layton Exclusif
• 1. Carlisle

What Does Parfums de Marly Mean?

Parfums de Marly is named after “Château de Marly,” a French royal residence that once stood near Versailles.

During this period, King Louis XV's love for fine fragrances flowered into a “golden age” for men's perfume.

Louis XV enjoyed not only fine perfume, but he also had a love for horses. So much so that he commissioned fragrances named after some of his most prized steeds.

Depicted on each bottle of de Marly are two horses – a nod to King Louis XV's passion for all things equine. Between the rearing horses, “1742” is emblazoned on a shield – the year Louis commissioned his ‘Marly Horses' fragrances.

Fast forward 200 years and Julian Sprecher, a lover of history and fragrances, created Parfum de Marly after working in his family business distributing fragrances across the Middle East and Asia.

Now, without further ado – let's count down from 15!

#15 Parfums De Marly – Kalan

Kalan is a unique, exciting, and – dare we say it – polarizing fragrance. The strong opening of blood orange and pepper isn't for everyone.

Kalan is warm and spicy, with an earthy and woody dry down. It performs incredibly well, lasts a long time and is perfect for fall and winter.

• Top Notes: Spices, Blood Orange, Black Pepper and Spices
• Heart Notes: Lavender and Orange Blossom
• Base Notes: Woody Notes, Moss, Tonka Bean, White Sandalwood and Amber
  
• Sillage: Strong
• Longevity: Long-lasting
• Best time to wear: Fall and winter. The perfect scent for the festive season

#14 Parfums De Marly – Byerly

Byerly was created in honor of ‘Byerley Turk' – one of three stallions that were the founders of the modern Thoroughbred horse racing bloodstock. This masculine, woody, earthy fragrance is deceptively simple and reminds us of freshly sawn wood.

The vetiver component of Byerly really shines as it rounds off the woody notes of this masterpiece.

• Top Notes: Cardamom and Bergamot
• Heart Notes: Cedar and Guaiac Wood
• Base Notes: Vetiver and Resin
  
• Sillage: Moderate
• Longevity: Long-lasting
• Best time to wear: A day scent, to wear during spring and fall

#13 Parfums De Marly – Percival

Percival is a fresh, versatile fragrance with a surprising woody base. It's a clean, modern fragrance that is reminiscent of the ocean. We'd describe this as likable, familiar and versatile. A couple of sprays of Percival and you're going to get compliments.

• Top Notes: Lavender, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Geranium
• Heart Notes: Hedione, Coriander, Jasmine, Violet and Cinnamon
• Base Notes: Ambroxan, Balsam Fir, Amberwood, Clearwood and Musk
  
• Sillage: Moderate
• Longevity: Long-lasting
• Best time to wear: A fresh scent to wear during a warm day of spring or summer

#12 Parfums De Marly – Akaster

Akaster is a decadent fragrance with strong projection. With a rich oud base note, this is a powerful scent. There's a reason that oud is known by many as “liquid gold.” Due to its unmatched aromatic profile, oud is one of the most coveted perfume ingredients in the world.

• Top Notes: Cypress and Lemon
• Heart Notes: Bulgarian Rose and African Geranium
• Base Notes: Agarwood (Oud), Cardamom, and Musk
  
• Sillage: Strong
• Longevity: Long-lasting
• Best time to wear: Perfect for wearing in the fall

#11 Parfums De Marly – Sedley

Described by Parfum de Marly as “light, forceful and fresh“, Sedley is a woody fragrance that begins with a bang of mint and sweet citrus. This is a mature, yet fresh scent that you can wear all summer long.

•  Top Notes: Mint, Lemon, Bergamot, Grapefruit, and Mandarin Orange
• Heart Notes: Lavender, Rosemary, Olibanum, and Geranium
• Base Notes: Ambroxan, Vetiver, Cashmeran, Sandalowood, Cedar, and Patchouli
  
• Sillage: Moderate
• Longevity: Moderate
• Best time to wear: During spring and summer, for a day by the sea

#10 Parfums De Marly – Godophin

The name “Godophin” comes from Louis XV's famed Godolphin Arabian, a horse that was the leading sire in Ireland and in Great Britain in the mid-18th century. This refined scent has impressive sillage and incorporates leather and fruity notes.

• Top Notes: Fruity Notes, Saffron, Mate, Thyme, Cypress, and Green Notes
• Heart Notes: Rose, Orris, and Jasmine
• Base Notes: Leather, Amber, Vetiver, Musk, Virginia Cedar, and Vanilla
  
• Sillage: Strong
• Longevity: Eternal
• Best time to wear: Day and night, fall and winter

#9 Parfums De Marly – Pegasus

Beginning with strong heliotrope, which blends with almond, sandalwood, and vanilla, Pegasus is a scent you won't forget. This amber fougère fragrance is one that you have to try for yourself.

• Top Notes: Heliotrope, Cumin, and Bergamot
• Heart Notes: Bitter Almond, Lavender, and Jasmine
• Base Notes: Vanilla, Sandalwood, and Amber
  
• Sillage: Strong
• Longevity: Eternal
• Best time to wear: Spring, fall and winter, day and night

#8 Parfums De Marly – Greenley

Greenley is a citrus aromatic fragrance. As the name (and the bottle) suggest, this is a very green scent, starting with green apple and with oak and amber wood coming through as it begins to dry down. Greenley is a fantastic spring and summer fragrance.

•  Top Notes: Green Apple, Calabrian Bergamot. and Mandarin Orange
• Heart Notes: Cashmeran, Petitgrain, Pomarose, Cedar. and Violet
• Base Notes: Oakmoss, Musk, and Amberwood
  
• Sillage: Moderate
• Longevity: Long-lasting
• Best time to wear: During spring and summer; for a walk into the woods

#7 Parfums De Marly – Galloway

With bright citrus and fiery pepper, Galloway is a wonderful summertime fragrance. The small and hardy Galloway pony is a fitting namesake for this easy-to-wear scent.

• Top Notes: Citruses and Pepper
• Heart Notes: Orange Blossom and Iris
• Base Notes: Musk and Amber
  
• Sillage: Strong
• Longevity: Long-lasting
• Best time to wear: A bright spring or summer day

#6 Parfums De Marly – Pegasis Exclusif

Pegasus Exclusif has a sweet, woody scent. It's rich, luxurious and has a somewhat darker, more mysterious profile than the original Pegasus formula.

• Top Notes: Cardamom, Heliotrope, Pink Pepper, and Bergamot
• Heart Notes: Bitter Almond, Lavender, Jasmine, and Geranium
• Base Notes: Vanilla, Guaiac Wood, Agarwood (Oud), Sandalwood, and Amber
  
• Sillage: Strong
• Longevity: Long-lasting
• Best time to wear: During the colder months, or when going out on an adventure

#5 Parfums De Marly – Layton

Layton has incredible depth. It is one of those scents that after you've experienced it once, you'll from then on recognize it immediately. It begins sweet and then the rich yet complex base notes take over. This is a great year-round fragrance but especially great during the colder months. 

• Top Notes: Apple, Lavender, Mandarin Orange, and Bergamot
• Heart Notes: Geranium, Violet and Jasmine
• Base Notes: Vanilla, Cardamom, Sandalwood, Pepper, Patchouli, and Guaiac Wood
  
• Sillage: Strong
• Longevity: Long-lasting
• Best time to wear: All day long, from morning to evening, especially during the colder months

#4 Parfums De Marly – Herod

Herod is a refined, elegant scent best suited for colder months. It has a smoky, vanilla scent and the tobacco heart note is the star of this fragrance. Looking for a fragrance to wear on a fall date? Wear Herod.

• Top Notes: Cinnamon and Pepper
• Heart Notes:  Tobacco Leaf, Incense, Osmanthus, and Labdanum
• Base Notes: Vanilla, Iso E Super, Musk, Cedar, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, and Vetiver
  
• Sillage: Moderate
• Longevity: Long-lasting
• Best time to wear: Fall and winter

#3 Parfums De Marly – Habdan

We love Habdan’s distinguished, smoky aroma – an aroma evocative of incense. As this fragrance deftly walks the line between sweet and spicy, it draws people in to get another whiff. Habdan is one of those fragrances you just can't stop smelling!

• Top Notes: Saffron and Olibanum
• Heart Notes:  Apple, Woody Notes, and Rose
• Base Notes: Myrrh, Caramel, and Ambergris
  
• Sillage: Moderate
• Longevity: Long-lasting
• Best time to wear: Cold nights, during fall and winter

#2 Parfums De Marly – Layton Exclusif

With deep woody base notes, Layton Exclusif has a darker scent than the original Layton. This striking fragrance is both sophisticated and animalistic. If you're looking for a dark, mysterious scent, Layton Exclusif is for you.

• Top Notes: Almond, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot, and Watery Notes
• Heart Notes:  Civet, Geranium, Rose, Gardenia, and Water Lily
• Base Notes:  Laotian Oud, Guaiac Wood, Vanilla, Coffee, Sandalwood, Indonesian Patchouli Leaf, Oakmoss, Amber, and Pink Pepper
  
• Sillage: Strong
• Longevity: Long-lasting
• Best time to wear: Fall and winter and for an elegant evening.

#1 Parfums De Marly – Carlisle

If you're looking for a signature scent – this is it! Carlisle was born to be king and has consistently been in our Top 3 fragrances. It's a masterpiece.

Formulated in 2015 and described as a “wave of freshness,” Carlisle is a rich, seductive and intoxicating fragrance that will get you compliments. Think of it as masculine and elegant, but floral and fruity.

This powerful, long-lasting fragrance starts sweet, then turns spicy before settling into a rich, vanilla-centered aroma.

• Top notes: Nutmeg and Green Apple 
• Heart notes: Rose and Tonka Bean 
• Base notes: Patchouli and Vanilla
  
• Sillage: Enormous
• Longevity: Eternal
• Best time to wear: Spring, fall and winter and for a special evening

Click below to watch the video – Ranking My Parfums De Marly Collection (14 Bottles) WORST To BEST!

The post Top 15 Parfums De Marly Colognes For Men appeared first on Real Men Real Style.

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I’ve been experimenting with ways of getting more use out of the sorts of autumn dresses I’d usually “save for best”. Dresses that I’m happy to invest in, because they are more often than not bought for a work event or a special occasion, but that then tend to sit forlornly in the wardrobe waiting for their next outing. Which is a travesty. A travesty I tell you!

Why do we always seem to spend the most money on the items we wear the least? The “only for best” shoes that we can’t even walk in (guilty of this many times over, seduced by the red soles), the ridiculous dresses that require tit tape, Spanx and someone to hold the hem as you make your way perilously from taxi to wedding reception…

So, how to get more use out of the dresses you’d usually save for best? It’s really quite easy – so much so that I’m almost embarrassed to write it out. Just add knitwear. Oh, and flat footwear. With some welcome warmth on top and a newfound ability to run for the train as the doors start to shut, the “save for best” dress becomes a daily staple – and one that’s effortlessly chic and pulled together at that.

The striking all-over print that has always felt a little much for a quick run into town suddenly takes on a new role when it’s paired with a chunky cable-knit jumper – it offers a flash of bold pattern to lift an otherwise unremarkable bit of autumnal dressing. Because what would I have on otherwise? I’ll tell you: pale blue skinny jeans. My autumn-winter uniform. Jeans and a knit, white trainers and a big coat. Isn’t it a nice change to have something bright and perky going on downstairs?

(Not to mention the fact that the maxi skirt part of the special occasion dress is a hell of a lot kinder to the undercarriage than a daily sartorial diet of tight, restrictive denim with ill-placed crotch seam.)

I’ve picked out three different autumn dresses here that all look snazzy and special for an evening out but are equally great under woolly layers and with wintery boots or trainers on the feet rather than skyscraper heels.

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Autumn Dress 1: Leaf Print Shirt Dress, £39.50 at M&S*

This is a real winner, this dress, but I feel it only comes into its own when you cinch the waist with a belt.

It has been made with reams and reams of fabric and so initially I felt a little swamped when I tried it on (I think it runs on the large size) but with a belt gathering the waist, the volumes of fabric suddenly felt highly luxurious rather than unshapely.

With a V-neck jumper thrown over the top (this one is from Reiss here*) and some boots in autumnal brown (these are Carvela, here*, and supremely comfy despite the heel) it becomes a throw-on dress for everyday wear. I’d probably stick to a navy cable-knit jumper in future but was trying to be snazzy with my styling here.

(I also decided to use a stick from the woods as a prop and I’m not sure whether it’s all a bit Lord of the Rings for my liking. You live and learn.)

Buy Leaf Print Dress, £39.50 at M&S*

Buy Cora Cricket Jumper, £138 at Reiss*

Buy Wine Leather Boots, £149 at Carvela*

Buy Leather Belt, £355 at Gucci*

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Autumn Dress 2: Floral Printed Midi Dress, £198 at Reiss*

This was something of a departure from the norm for me: the high-neck, the clinging fabric, the print-from-a-nineteen-sixties-sofa-set. However the gathering across the chest and back seduced me and I have no regrets: it’s “gothic heroine meets Hen Night in the West End” and I’m here for it.

On a sidenote, there were so many dresses in Reiss that I loved. I’m definitely adding them to my list of “places to always check when you need an outfit in a hurry”. The tailoring is really good and the styles are sharp and feel somehow professional. Like what I’d wear if I was the daughter in the TV show Succession.

Actually if I was the daughter in Succession and potential heir to billions of dollars then I’d probably be in head-to-toe Tom Ford and Dundas and Saint Laurent but let’s not split hairs here. Or heirs. Hohoho.

So, heroine from a gothic novel but then – what’s this? Stompy boots to bring things back down to earth:

I’ve had a good old rave about these Russell and Bromley boots already but here we go again: beautifully made and absolutely worth every penny. I’ve wanted to invest in a pair of R&Bs for decades and don’t know what took me so long, to be frank.

I particularly love that I don’t have to do up all of these laces each time, because they are fake ones. What a tease and a thrill! Every time I look at the boots to put them on, my heart sinks a little because I see the laces, but a split second later my brain kicks in and reminds me that there are zips up the sides…

It’s the ultimate emotional rollercoaster, let me tell you.

The pretty little pink cardigan is from M&S* and is made from the softest cashmere – it looks great buttoned up and tight, twinset style, but equally good thrown over a dress to keep out the autumn chill.

Buy Bobby Neutral Floral Dress, £198 at Reiss*

Buy Pink Cashmere Cardigan, £89 at M&S*

Buy Stomper Boots, £345 at Russell & Bromley

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Autumn Dress 3: Flower Field Tiered Maxi Dress, £295 at Me+Em*

I mentioned in my last try-on post (for Reformation dresses, here) how I thought that Me+Em were quite literally a cut above when it comes to finish. This was the dress I was referring to. It just slipped on like a dream and hugged all the right places.

The zip-front and side stripe give it the sport-luxe feel that Me+Em are so good at and the floral print is gorgeous. It’s also incredibly easy to dress this down, perhaps because of the dipped hem which gives a less weighty feel to the front of the skirt.

Buy Tiered Dress at Me+Em*

The dipped hem is a clever trick, really; it stops you looking like one of those knitted dolly toilet roll covers. Do you remember those from years go by? Anyway, with many long dresses your feet completely disappear so that it looks as though you’re floating. With a dipped hem, you get the sense of luxurious length at the back but it shows your feet and a bit of leg at the front. Very smart.

I’ve dressed this one down with my trainers of longtime habit: Adidas Stan Smiths. These, however, are Stan Smiths with a difference: from a line called Primegreen, they are vegan and made with 50% recycled materials. If you’re looking for a leather alternative. People rave about Veja but I found them a little uncomfortable and I don’t like the yellowed sole on them…

So, Primegreen Stan Smiths on my feet (these are £75 here*) and a navy textured cashmere jumper from M&S (£79 here*). Navy jumpers seem to be my jam, these days – black feels so harsh by comparison and I feel as though it tends to wash me out. I’ve relegated all the black knitwear to the shelf, cedar wood balls sandwiched between the layers. I should get some of those vacuum storage bags really, shouldn’t I?

Buy Floral Tiered Dress, £295 at Me+Em*

Buy Navy Textured Cashmere Jumper, £79 at M&S*

Buy Primegreen Stan Smiths, £75 at Office*

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Which is your favourite dress? Let me know. Along with any handy tips for dressing down the dressing up dresses.

(Sizing and shoot info: I am 5’8″ and hover between a UK10 and a UK12 in most brands. Here I’m wearing all size 10 or small. Shoe size UK6. Images shot whilst away this summer, the house was amazing – it’s here at Kate & Tom’s.)

The post Autumn Dresses: Just Add Knitwear appeared first on Ruth Crilly.

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Ruth Crilly, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

Reformation is a brand that I’d only ever seen on Instagram – barely anyone I knew offline had heard of it and I hadn’t picked up a fashion magazine in so long (too busy reading House & Garden, apparently!) that I was feeling quite out of the loop with what was trendy and what was not.

But dress after pretty dress kept popping up on my Instagram feed and more often than not the ones that caught my eye were from Reformation, so I decided to take the plunge (quite literally, as you’ll see) and order a selection of bits and pieces to try on. Mainly to find out what all the fuss was about, but also to pull myself out of what I’d started calling my gardening clothes comfort zone.

I’d already noted from my online research that many of the dresses were cut in a way that I could only describe as…challenging. At least, challenging if you’ve spent over a year wearing the same green shorts and loose t-shirt. To suddenly be thrown into the world of dramatic cleavage, exposed decolletage and high leg splits is no laughing matter!

So here’s my try-on of the random selection of Reformation dresses. Cost-wise, they were all around the £250-£300 mark, which brings them in at around the same sort of price as a dress from Me+Em. I have to say that in terms of finish and cut, there is no competition between the two: Me+Em pieces feel as though they have been tailored and are finished perfectly to the last stitch. The Reformation dresses are, how can I put it? More casually finished. You’re paying for the label and the signature body-con sort of style and cut rather than deftly executed draping and darting of materials.

Watch my Me+Em clothing try-on…

This comparison was brought home to me last week when I was trying on dresses from various brands for a shoot and put on a beautiful autumn sample from Me+Em; it just felt so incredibly expensive and tailored – fully-lined, the pockets precision cut so that they didn’t interfere with the line of the seam. Very clever.

So I’d say that the Reformation quality is fine, but for the prices of the dresses I’d prefer a bit more attention to finish – the autumn collection on their website, I’ve noted, is far more expensive than the summer one. Maybe those dresses are lined and more weighty in the fabric department but then you’re really paying for it! Some of the dresses are at the £500 mark! The cotton floral strapless maxi-dress from my try-on was by far the most beautifully made; lots of voluminous fabric to the skirt, nice pockets and a well-structured bodice that had been thought out carefully.

Fit-wise, all of the items were as expected: there was a lot of boob going on. I felt like a medieval milkmaid, or an extra from Game of Thrones. Which was quite titillating whilst still in the relative security and comfort of my own bedroom but felt a little…exposed when I had to run into Sainsbury’s to buy milk. I’m not sure it’s really my vibe now that I’m in my forties: for going out-out, yes, but for lunches and trips into town and casual dinners? I’m not so sure. And because I rarely go out-out, it leaves me with a dilemma: if I buy something from Reformation, when will I actually wear it?

In fairness (spoiler alert!) I did keep two of the items I’d bought. I’ll mark them in the list below. But let it be known that it’s only the maxi dress that’s had any wear: the booby top has been relegated to the bad behaviour section of the wardrobe because it’s quite gapey. I should have kept the small and not moved up to the medium, but then the small was very stretched across my tudor barmaid’s gut and I feared for the buttons.

Which brings me onto sizing: I’m a UK10-12, but lean towards a 10 these days in most brands. The “small” size fit well in almost everything I tried, apart from the top which you’ll see was rather a close call in terms of decency.

I haven’t washed anything yet so can’t comment on longevity or ease of laundering, but with expensive things I tend to spot wash or handwash anyway. (By handwash I mean I dab at things in a half-arsed manner with a flannel and then keep shouting out “the stain’s not going, I’m going to put it in the washing machine and risk it!” until I finally give up and just live with the stain.)

Here you go then: my thoughts on Reformation’s dresses and a real life try-on. I hope you enjoy this – it’s a few weeks old I’m afraid, because I’m still running on school holidays time, which means no time at all, so there’s something of a blog post backlog.

Let me know what else you’d like to see try-ons of in the comments. I have some fun ones coming up really soon…

Roland Top*: https://bit.ly/3yuweZo

Nell Top (I kept this) – loads of versions but this is “Lima”*: https://bit.ly/3iJanrD

Nikita Dress – they do this in 15 versions, this one is “Ronan”*: https://bit.ly/3sdZKQB

Kourtney Dress in “Tropical” (not on site currently but loads of patterns/colours)*: https://bit.ly/3xHrEFR

Mica Dress*: https://bit.ly/3sezYMe

Lissa Dress (I kept this, it’s beautiful)*: https://bit.ly/37EfkLV

The post Trying On Dresses from Reformation appeared first on Ruth Crilly.

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Ruth Crilly, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

Well here’s an absolute treat of a little place to stay: The Gunton Arms in Norfolk. It provides what is, arguably, the perfect low-key country escape. If you yearn for remoteness and the chill whip of an autumnal wind as you stomp across fields with your hound in tow then you will love The Gunton. Equally if you like the idea of remoteness and the chill whip of an autumnal wind but don’t actually want to go out in it and would rather stay indoors in front of a roaring fire drinking red wine and eating Cromer Crab and a huge Blythburgh Pork Chop then you will love The Gunton.

This place is undersold, in my opinion, because they call it a “pub with bedrooms” and although the description is factually accurate, it’s sort of like calling The Shard an office block, or saying that the Sahara is a bit dusty. With The Gunton’s exquisite food menu, the dramatic open cooking fire that dominates the dining room and the sort of stylish, roughed-up country house luxe bedrooms that you’d expect from a pricey boutique hotel, it’s so much more than the vision that “pub with rooms” conjures up.

I’ve been trying to find the right words to describe it and keep coming back to the same two: comfortable and alive. A strange duo of words to pick, maybe, but that’s how the whole place felt to me. On the one hand it was comfortable, like a big old armchair that you could flop down into, all the edges softened by years of happy use, but on the other it just seemed so buzzing and alive. Perhaps it was because we arrived so late on a Friday evening and the pub and dining rooms were in full noisy swing, but I think it’s also the way that the decor and furnishings are so richly layered – valuable modern works of art on the walls, prints and patterns on the upholstery, worn rugs set over wooden floors…

Perhaps vibrant is a better word than alive, but you get the gist of what I’m trying to say. There was nothing soulless or boring about this place – every inch of it felt as though it had seen years and years of fun, as though there had been one long and unending (very relaxed) country house party. And that feeling continued in our room, which was sumptuously furnished and had views of the surrounding parkland but also had the hum of the dining room coming up through the floor. Which would usually drive me mad – good soundproofing is almost my number one requirement when I’m paying for accommodation – but somehow felt charming here. Comforting, even. Being in this jolly, very tasteful hive of drinking and eating activity when the night was dark and drizzly outside felt warm and satisfying and I was tempted more than once to go downstairs for a nightcap. But having never actually done this before in my life I wasn’t sure whether it was a thing that just happened in story books and so I stayed in bed and read Country Living.

 

The drinking and eating activity is a must, by the way. The restaurant is headed up by Stuart Tattersall (formerly at Hix) and the dining room is dominated by an enormous open fire over which the steaks and chops and sausages are cooked. I went for the Cromer crab pasta and polished off the entire thing which is unusual for me because crab pasta (it’s always with chilli, garlic and parsely, isn’t it? The classic combo!) is one of those dishes that I always think I fancy and then get bored of half way through. I cleaned the plate and still hadenthusiasm for a delicious milk pudding.

But my starter was the standout dish: mixed beetroots with pickled walnuts and Binham blue cheese. My eyes rolled to the back of my head I was so delirious with pleasure. It was so simply executed but each ingredient on the plate (beetroot, walnuts, cheese) could have been a spokesmodel for its variant, a show-winning example of quality. The beetroot was the sweetest-yet-earthiest I’d tasted, the Binham blue was sharp but creamy and the pickled walnuts – the pickled walnuts! Dear God, squashed onto the fork with a slither of beetroot and a tiny crumble of cheese, they were a taste sensation. Almost too much. I had to order another glass of red to calm myself.

Anyway, you can tell by now that I really rate The Gunton Arms. When we arrived to a neon reception sign glowing out through the dark and the drizzle I knew we’d bagged a good one – the pub itself was nowhere to be seen (you can’t drive up to it, also part of its charm) and it felt exciting and slightly spooky, like we’d arrived at a hipster version of the Bates Motel. Similarities with the Bates Motel ended there, obviously, although I did think that a woman was being slowly murdered on our second night. Turned out she was just having sex. I assume, anyway, from the way it all came to a head.

We paid £185 per night for a superior room. On our way out on the second morning I did that nosy thing that we all do (please tell me you do this) and poked my head into the open rooms that had already been departed from. Just to check out the competition. One of them, which I think must have been a small double, was quite literally a bed in a room because there was no space for anything else, the other was a standard, by the looks of it. Plenty big enough for a little night away, but I think it’s probably worth going for the superior if you can stretch to it! The bathroom was large and had a lovely slipper bath.

 

You can find the website for The Gunton Arms here – make sure you also book your dinner table in advance as it gets very busy, apparently.

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Fancy the idea of a weekend romping about the countryside but want a little more luxury? I can highly recommend Hotel Endsleigh in Devon, reviewed in full here.

Again, it has that lived-in, relaxed sort of quality but this is altogether a grander affair in a larger country house and huge, landscaped grounds that include an arboretum. The food is brilliant and feels slightly more of a posh event than at The Gunton, in that you might want to get a bit more dressed up, though you absolutely don’t have to.

Hotel Endsleigh Review: Shower Sharing and the Voyeuristic Dog

The pinnacle of countryside escaping, though, has to be The Newt in Somerset. Vast amounts of effort and money have been poured into making this a complete countryside destination with a number of places to eat, grounds so big and wonderful that people pay just to visit them and possibly the best spa I’ve ever been to. You can read all about The Newt here and their website is here.

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Ruth Crilly, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

My five favourite beauty, fashion and lifestyle products this month include some boots for stomping in, a dress for vamping in and a face cream that moisturises so deeply it’s slightly unnerving. Watch the video below if you fancy listening to me chatting through my favourites or carry on reading for the quiet, work-skive-friendly version.

I kickstart my favourites this month with a really exciting one for me, because I loved this product and brand so much that I’ve actually invested in the company. (Hence the AD disclaimer.) The product is a very high-quality supplement called Heights and it has been specifically formulated to support the brain – braincare, if you will. Now I know that the issue of supplements divides people and so if you’re not a taker then please feel free to scroll on down to just below where there’s a picture of me wearing a dress and looking sultry/dead behind the eyes.

I’m pretty selective about the vitamins/supplements I take and well aware of the noise around the fact that so many of them are – quite frankly – shite, but I’ve also had some noticeable health successes (for want of a better phrase) when I’ve consistently taken certain vitamins and supplements that have been recommended to me.

You could argue that it’s coincidental and obviously it’s anecdotal, because I haven’t been part of any trials or studies, but off the top of my head: my recurring cystitis is massively alleviated when I’m consistently taking D-Mannose, I don’t get my awful mouth ulcers so much when I take Vitamin B12 and making sure I keep up my Vitamin D intake is a priority for me since 2014 when I was tested and shown to be drastically deficient. (All of these were recommended to me by doctors or consultants both privately and through the NHS.)

I think that I’m healthily cynical about the vitamins industry as a whole but feel as though I’ve had enough positive experiences with good quality ones to be open to trying something new. And I loved that the Heights Smart Supplement targeted the brain and the health of the actual organ itself, which wasn’t something I’d thought of before. The capsules (you take two a day, anytime, and they’re fine on an empty stomach) contain all of the Vitamin D I need to take, the Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Vitamin B12 and then a careful selection of highest quality vitamins and minerals that help to support the brain.

Read more about Heights

If you’d like to give them a try then I have a 25% discount code for the monthly plan – use code RUTH25. It works out cheaper the longer the plan you subscribe for, but I did a few months first to see how I got on. Please do let me know what you think if you try them, I find the whole concept so interesting – you can read more about Braincare here.

Get 25% off Height Smart Supplements using RUTH25

Next favourites on my list this month: two fashion items. Stompy boots and vixen dress. I have some events coming up for work and wanted a dress that was noticeable (cue bold print) but not too blousy (enter stage left the long sleeves and high neck). There’s something slightly gothic about this Reiss dress* and I really like the autumnal colours in the print. I would never usually go for a high neck but I think that it works so well with the gathering over the chest and across the back – I think it’s really flattering.

Reiss Bobby Dress, £198

Stompy combat boots aren’t perhaps the natural pairing for a printed maxi dress, but I’ve been experimenting with ways of getting more use out of evening/occasion dresses and going down the “Lily Allen circa 2006” route seems to be quite a successful one. Fancy flouncy dresses with trainers. Pretty maxi dresses with hard boots. There’s a proper blog post coming out imminently, but for now, behold the “Stomper” (aptly named) boots from Russel & Bromley:

They’re so beautifully made. Expensive, but worth every penny in terms of build quality and the fact that somehow they still manage to look quite dainty. Initially I was vexed by the laces up the front, because nobody has time for laces, but they’re actually dummy ones and the boots have zips down the sides. Marvellous.

You can find the Stomper boots online here.

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Two beauty products now. The Jo Loves Fragrance Paintbrush in Pink Vetiver has been in the favourites before, more for the scent itself than the scent delivery system, but after a few little nights away here and there I’ve noted that the paintbrush is actually quite a nice way of applying perfume. It seems more luxurious than a rollerball – slightly cooling, and the brushstroke is sensuous – and there’s something a bit more enticing about softly stroking a fragrance on. It’s great for travelling with as it’s lighter and sturdier than a glass bottle and handy if you’re in a crowded train or plane and don’t want to spritz perfume on everyone within a five metre radius.

The Paintbrush is here* online and is £40 for 7ml for the initial packaging. Yikes! That’s £5.70 per ml. However the refill set is £35 for 21ml which is much more purse-friendly at £1.66 per ml. For comparison’s sake, the 100ml fragrance in a bottle is £1.15 per ml. I don’t think that the extra is too horrendous considering how convenient the brush is, especially for travel!

You can find the Jo Loves Pink Vetiver range here*. Pink Vetiver is absolutely gorgeous, by the way. I can highly recommend it as an autumnal fragrance that still has sparks of a summer evening. It’s spicy and slightly exotic with a sort of musky masculinity – pink peppercorn, ginger, vetiver and cardamom. Really quite addictive.

Last on my favourites list but absolutely not least: the new Triple Hyaluronic Acid Deep Moisture Miracle Cream from Beauty Pie (online here*). This cream promises deep hydration and boy does it deliver. It’s not quite so dramatic as the Supreme Cream (renamed Power Elixir Moisturiser, here*) but the lightweight gel cream packs an amazing punch in terms of hydration and the effects are noticeably long-lasting. If you’re after a heavyweight moisturiser with a lightweight texture and no greasy residue then this is your bag – suitable for all skin types, it’s perfect for plumping out those crepey lines of dehydration.

Buy Triple Hyaluronic Acid Deep Moisture Miracle Cream*

If you’re unfamiliar with the Beauty Pie membership system then read my post here; you subscribe to a certain plan and then have a spending allowance. The products are one price for the non-member and another, much lower, price for members. For this cream, the £60 equivalent price (they compare the product to similar luxury products on the market) is brought down to £15.57 for members. Add on membership and postage and you still have a very high-end face cream for significantly less than you’d pay elsewhere.

That’s the idea. It makes more sense once you get your head around it and Beauty Pie’s skincare is so consistently good that it is worth getting your head around it!

If you use the code RUTHSENTME* then you can get an extra £50 spending allowance on sign-up, so make sure you get your bonus if you take the plunge. Some of my most-used favourites are in this post but I would absolutely, unreservedly recommend the new Hot Oil Double Cleansing Balm, here* online.

Shop at Beauty Pie*

That’s my favourites done and dusted for this month – I’m toying with the idea of moving this feature into the middle of the month so that the title still feels relevant and timely. What do you think? I sometimes think that once the month has moved on I don’t want to read anything about the previous one. It’s like going backwards. Let me know your thoughts!

 

The post 5 Beauty and Fashion Favourites: August 2021 | AD appeared first on Ruth Crilly.

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DMTBeautySpot

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Ruth Crilly, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

Next in my ‘Trying On’ series I am reviewing the best strapless bras – both for comfort and for a good shape beneath clothes. It’s actually very hard to find good strapless bras; most tend to slip downwards over the course of the day (or night) and if they don’t then it’s because they’re so tight around the ribcage that you can barely breathe. Some strapless bras stay up but mould your boobs into one long “boob sausage” (official technical term), others give great shape and lift but drop dramatically halfway down your torso every time you speak.

Just for you, the viewer, I’ve jumped and jogged my way through testing to find the best strapless bras. This is incredibly important work. A tough gig but someone has got to do it! You’re welcome. I hope it’s useful. Watch the video, and read the reviews and links below:

Strapless bra shopping: possibly the worst that bra shopping can be. Thankfully strapless bras are not a lingerie item I’d typically wear every day – I usually employ the “services” of a strapless bra because I’m wearing something tricky – sleeveless, or low-necklined or some other heinously complicated thing.

And I’m usually only wearing aforementioned heinously complicated thing because it’s a special occasion – wedding, party or whatever. Why do we do it to ourselves? The one time you want to feel your best yet you also know you’ll be standing about for long periods or dancing very badly, after having eaten half of the wedding feast… And you think I know. What’s a party without some extreme physical discomfort? Let’s find the tallest heels and the most restrictive bra!

Anyway, here’s my low-down of the best I tried. The key things you want from your strapless bra: longevity and comfort. ie, you don’t want it to slip down over time and you don’t want it to dig in. Oh, it’s also nice if there’s a bit of subtle moulding to the cups of the strapless bra to give a smooth shape underneath clothes so I’ve mainly chosen smooth versions for this very reason. I’ve tried to also look for brands who cater for a wide range of sizes (harder than you’d think and I did throw a few wildcards in) and also those who make their bras in more than one “nude” shade – Wonderbra and Boux Avenue come out tops here…

Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless Bra

This Wonderbra* strapless bra has a great shape. It feels really well engineered and it is made specifically to be a strapless bra rather than a multiway. You don’t always get a good uplift with a strapless bra but this one has and it is surprisingly comfortable. After a lot of dancing there’s a tiny bit of slippage but overall it’s incredibly impressive. This would be great for a night out – great uplift and relatively comfy.

Buy for £32 at John Lewis*or ASOS* and about a million other places online! Sizes – 30-38 A-G cup.

Boux Avenue Strapless Bra

There’s a little bit of uplift with this but more slippage than the Wonderbra. It is more like a t-shirt bra, definitely less engineering to it than the Wonderbra*. I can see me having to hoist it up repeatedly. It’s very soft and comfy though and comes in quite a few different shades.

Buy the Boux Avenue Straless Bra* in sizes 30-40, A-G cup.

Freya Deco Strapless Bra

The Freya strapless bra has a T-shirt shape and like the Boux* one it is also multiway, whereas the Wonderbra*  is designed just as a strapless bra. It does stay on really well and is pretty comfy – I would say it’s a bit sturdier than the Boux one.

Buy from Freya in sizes 28-38 B-GG cup.

Wacoal Halo Strapless Bra

The Wacoal Halo is a lovely soft, lacy bandeaux top rather than your standard strapless bra. It isn’t as structured as the other bras and wont give you as much uplift however it is beautifully made and the prettiest of the lot. I’m not sure where I would wear it though?

Buy the Wacoal Halo Strapless Bra* in sizes 32-38 B-E cup.

M&S Lace Trim Push-Up Strapless Bra

M&S’s Lace Trim Push-Up is a really well structured strapless bra with a wide band at the back for support. The mesh and lace design is so pretty.

Buy the M&S Lace Push-Up Strapless Bra* in sizes 32-40 A-E cup.

See also:

M&S Lace Bandeau Strapless Bra

The Bandeau strapless from M&S is very pretty but I bought it a size too small and can’t get it on! If you fancy it for yourself, in the right size, then you can buy it here*.

I also wear:

Roland top from Reformation

Buy here*.

My overall strapless bra verdict:

My personal favourites were the Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless Bra* and the
M&S Lace Trim Push-Up Strapless Bra* but overall bra brand winners have to be Wonderbra and Boux Avenue for their range of sizes and colours. They both have a selection of nude tones – four and three options, respectively.

I think I’ve found strapless bra perfection – or near-perfection, at least. The Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless Bra* does gives an incredible shape, doesn’t fall down and also allows you to breathe in and out.

AD info: no paid or sponsored content. All items paid for. Affiliate links are marked *.

Watch my Trying on: Me+Em Clothing video

The post Trying On The Best Strapless Bras appeared first on Ruth Crilly.

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DMTBeautySpot

via https://dmtbeautyspot.com

Ruth Crilly, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,