Head to a special kind of Narnia and relive your youth with playground-inspired fitness this weekend
Visit an alternative Narnia
Nestled off the bustle of Old Street lies Callooh Callay, Shoreditch’s eccentric and quirky cocktail bar that will give you a night to remember. Step through a wardrobe to enter the secret Upstairs Bar and dance the night away to the latest hits. When you’re feeling thirsty, take a flick through the comic book menu for delicious cocktails - served in grammophones, of course - and ever-changing food options of mini beef burgers and deep fried baby squid.
Callooh Callay Bar ; Thursday - Saturday (6pm - 1am), Sunday - Wednesday (6pm - midnight); 65 Rivington Street, London, EC2A 3AY
Get a bespoke pamper treatment
Decleor have launched their latest Oressence Energy3 treatment in in their brand new Liberty spa. The experience begins with a consultation between you and your therapist, in which they will ask nine simple questions. Your therapist will then use the results to create a unique blend of essential oils suited to your requirements. Each personalised treatment is aimed at supporting your body’s vitality, mind flow and tensions, while promoting youthful skin. What are you waiting for? Book in now.
Decleor at Liberty ; £90 for 1hr 30min treatment; also available at Decleor spas, salons and selected department stores
Play stuck in the mud
Tough Mudder , also known as “probably the toughest event on the planet”, is a 10 - 12 mile run with military-style obstacles designed by British Special Forces. After reciting the Tough Mudder pledge, delve into the test of mental toughness and physical endurance, and attempt to conquer ‘Everest’, take a leap of faith off ‘Walk the Plank’ and desperately hold on to ‘Funky Monkey’. On average, the course takes 3.5 hours to complete but it’s around 78 percent of those that participate who actually reach the finish line. Reckon you could hack it?
From £50 - visit toughmudder.com for more details
Make your lips stand out
Keeping with our quest for luscious lips, we’ll be making sure that our lips are lined with Revlon’s Colorstay Lipliner. Celebrity makeup artist Mary Greenwell recommends using a lipliner in order to get fuller lips . Simply use the lipliner to outline your mouth - this will help to accentuate your cupid’s bow. Fill in your lips with your selected lipstick, or if you want your lipstick to last longer, colour your lips in with your lipliner before applying. Revlon’s Colorstay applies to the skin easily and doesn’t budge, meaning you’ve got the green light to sip cocktails. What’s even better is that these liners don’t require a pencil – perfect for touch ups on the go and nights out.
Revlon Colorstay Lipliner; £6.29; Available in four colours
Get good steak
Pop-up turned permanent, Flat Iron has all that you could want from a steak meal without any fuss. With only one steak on the menu, a delicious Flat Iron steak with house salad, £10, there’s also incredible sides such as dripping cooked chips, creamed spinach and market greens. The atmosphere is low-key but is all that you could want for a nice meal out - dimly lit, exposed brick walls and even the wall-mounted meat cleavers don’t bother us. While this restaurant operates a no booking policy, it makes up for it with their cocktail bar, serving wine, craft beers, specially created cocktails and fresh St. John doughnuts that come with a choice of homemade fillings. This is one place we’d be happy to wait for our table.
Flat Iron ; 12pm - 11pm; 17 Beak St, London, W1F 9RW
Visit your new favourite shop
Duke St. Emporium is the new concept store taking over North Mayfair and we can’t wait to visit. Bringing together British brand Jigsaw and its sister store The Shop at Bluebird for the first time, there will be a range of the latest trends for you to peruse. When you’re shopped out, head over to check out their carefully curated collection of books, art and installations as you sip on a coffee from their in-store Fernandez & Wells. Shopping at its best.
Duke St. Emporium ; Monday – Friday (9.30am – 8pm), Saturday (10am – 7pm), Sunday (12pm – 6pm); 55 Duke Street, Mayfair, W1K 5NR
Channel your favourite legend
Didn’t you hear the news? There’s been a lipstick revival , and at Get The Gloss we couldn’t be happier. The Met Gala saw a wave of colours from pillar-box red and almost-black plum to barely-there nudes and even striking violet. Getting in on the action, this weekend we’ll be recreating the looks of our favourite stars and reaching for our smooth and creamy Smashbox “Be Legendary” lipsticks. Packed with vitamins A and E and shea butter, they provide intense hydration and moisture, leaving the lips soft and smooth and preventing any issues of flakiness. Our favourite for this weekend is Pout, a baby pink that provides both a beautiful colour and lovely shine that suits any look.
Smashbox “Be Legendary” Lipstick ; £15.50; available in 23 shades
Think ahead and book that pamper sesh now
With the lovely thought of an upcoming Bank Holiday getting us through the next week and a half, we’re already thinking of ways to make the most out of the extended weekend. Tucked away on the outskirts of the New Forest lies Lime Wood, a beautiful country manor perfect for a peaceful getaway. Their incredible spa spreads across three floors, including ten treatment rooms, the huge Forest Sauna and Outdoor Steaming Hot Pool. When you’ve finished loosening and relaxing every limb, head to the Rooftop Herbary and sip on their garden-grown raw smoothie while you soak up the sunshine.
​ Lime Wood ; Hampshire; Doubles from £245 per night; Book now on mrandmrssmith.com ; Check latest availablity here
Twirl to tone up
Remember “play time”? You’d run out into the playground so that you could grab the most sparkly hula hoop and compete on who could keep it up longest. It now seems that this childhood game is back for us adults, as Hoola Nation’s hooping classes help you tone up and improve your overall fitness. Hoola Nation says that the bigger and heavier the hoop, the slower it rotates around the body, meaning everybody is guaranteed to keep it up - which should make it easier than when we were kids. No more hoops dropping to your ankles the moment you swing your hips - let’s face it, we were never the ones that won those contests...
Hoola Nation ; Classes take place across the UK, click here to see the next one closest to you
Go vegan
Beyonce and Jay-Z tried it, Anne Hathway follows it and now even J-Lo is on board – veganism is the latest trend hitting Hollywood and it’s now come to Hyatt Regency London, The Churchill. LA chef Ali Parvinjah has created a vegetarian and vegan meal for the hotel’s Montagu restaurant, and an apprehensive Glossy tried it and came back admitting that it was some of the most delicious food she had ever tried. Pushing his ‘Farm to table’ philosophy, Ali has created unique and flavoursome combinations, such as hemp crusted teriyaki Portobello mushroom filets, raw cacao vanilla bean cheesecake and macadamia cheese. Ali has a gift for creating nutty cheeses – we strongly recommend the hazelnut cheese and cashew cheese. Even if you’re not vegan, this is certainly worth a try – tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street, its chandlier-decorated dining room is perfect for a quick lunch or relaxing dinner. Even if you aren’t vegan, don't worry - you won’t miss the meat.
The Montagu, Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill ; 2 courses, £20, 3 courses, £25; 30 Portman Square, London W1H 7BH