Tuesday 29 July 2014

Summer Salad Recipes

Summer is the perfect time to focus on feeling fabulous, both inside and out. With the sun shining and the warm weather continuing, we can't wait to try out these amazing summer salads this August. Whether it's a light bite with friends in the garden, a picnic with the family, or even a quick and easy evening meal, salads are a summer staple on a hot day. 


But our love of salad continues. Rich in hydrating properties and full of antioxidants, eating salad is the ultimate beauty therapy. Glowing skin starts within, so join us in championing salads this summer! After a day in the sun, salad can offer a restorative burst of hydration, helping to maintain a dewy complexion in the heat. Great taste and it does wonders for your skin: what more can you ask for in such an easy-to-prepare summer meal? 

We've compiled our Top Five Summer Salads to share with you, courtesy of the excellent Foodies over at Hip and Healthy. With these tantalizing, zingy recipes, you'll be wowing your friends with both your meals and your enviably glowing skin. 

First up, it’s the super healthy kale salad, with a figgy dressing. Kale is absolutely having a moment right now, popularized for its amazing list of health benefits (its rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants so its a great boost for your hydration levels). It’s so simple to make and tastes fantastic: crunchy pepper, smooth avocado, and of course the tangy kale. So grab your ingredients and you’ll be tucking in within five minutes. 

If five minutes is just too long to spend prepping a salad, then why not give this strawberry salad a go? Just toss salad leaves, strawberries, cucumber, avocado and mint in a bowl with a quick dash of lemon juice, olive oil, and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and you’re ready to go! Fresh, flavoursome and so undeniably summery, this is the perfect grab-and-go lunch this August. 



For a rainbow salad, packed with plenty of omega goodness, give Hip and Healthy's Ultimate Salad Recipe a try. This one does require a bit more preparation (get that oven on at 200 degree celcius now to roast the sweet potato for 20-30 minutes), but other than that it’s really just a case of tossing the ingredients together in a bowl. So while you wait for the sweet potato, grab a smoothie and relax in the garden. The combination of toasted pinenuts meeting zesty pomegranate seeds and fiery rocket really is the ultimate tasty summer salad. 

For a quick, but impressive, picnic contribution, turn to the Puy Lentil and Pomegranate Salsa Raw “Noodles” salad. Simple to prepare, packed with flavour, and full of energy-rich vitamins and antioxidants, this is a must for a healthy main course at every picnic this summer. The pomegranate seeds provide the perfect pop of colour too. No need to worry about servings: just spoon it out and let the colours do the appetising for you. 



Finally, don’t just think of salad as a lunchtime or picnic option this August. Hip and Healthy show us how to create the perfect courgette salad to accompany delicious homemade Chili Salmon Burgers. In under 30 minutes, this delicious dinner can be ready to serve. After a day on the beach, this is just the thing to end your day. Healthy, wholesome, and immeasurably tasty, this has livened up our dinner menu already this summer. 


We are thoroughly embracing salad this summer thanks to all these delicious recipes from Hip and Healthy. If you’ve been inspired by their fantastic, easy salads, then check out the rest of their site for more healthy treats, perfect for you and your skin. We also recommend Pinterest for more recipes and ideas (the images from this blog post all came from Pinterest, where we were inspired to enjoy al fresco dining this summer). 



Monday 28 July 2014

Get on your bike! Face Matters at Macmillan Cycletta Events this Autumn

"Macmillan Cycletta is the UK's leading series of women-only bike rides set in stunning, family-friendly host venues, supported by Olympic Gold medallist Victoria Pendleton. There are six events around the country featuring spectacular routes between 20km, 40km and 100km." 

Catering to riders of all abilities, including those who haven’t read a bike in years, the distances are a challenging, yet achievable, chance to get on that bike. Pop over to Macmillan Cycletta to book your spot in one of the upcoming Autumn events. 




"The events are all held at wonderful family-friendly host venues with plenty on offer for supporters and participants throughout the day. If you’re looking for a challenge this summer, why not join the women on wheels? We hope to see you there. Oh, and you also get to enjoy the free Unlisted Recovery Zone; the perfect way to relax, rejuvenate and revive after your ride!" 

We’ll be in the Recovery Zone with our fantastic range of Face Matters skincare, ready to help you revitalize post-ride. Join us at five of the Cycletta events, where we will be offering post-event massages, mini-skincare tutorials, and showcasing our range of collagen boosting anti-ageing products.


We are very proud to be involved with such a great series of events, raising much needed funds, and sharing the mission to ‘empower women’. It was such an easy decision to join in and support the cause and we’d love to see you there with us. If you are interested in taking part in one of these great events, here’s the schedule for the year. Why not ask your mates along and make a fun, girly day of it?

Macmillan Cycletta New Forest –  21st September 2014
Macmillan Cycletta Cheshire –      28th September 2014 
Macmillan Cycletta Scotland –      5th October 2014 
Macmillan Cylcetta Surrey –         12th October 2014