COLOR RICHE

During London Fashion Week I attended L'Oreal's beauty pop-up in Soho to get my hair did and nails done, trying the Color Riche nail varnish range for the first time.  My manicure lasted for several days - I always find the "up to x days" claim should be halved in reality, but my nails didn't chip for almost a week so I was impressed.

I received a few shades to try at home, my favourite of which is Nude Demoiselle - a light nude colour which is bright but not too white with a hint of pink; already on permanent rotation.  The girly Jardin des Roses is a pretty, vibrant pink shade for summer and Rubis Folie is the perfect berry red: deep but not dark, bright but still rich.  The products are gel-based, made with a blend of oils for long-lasting shine, the bottles are chunky bevelled glass and the patented brush with over 400 bristles makes for easy application.  I find that with a base coat, two coats of quite a thick nail polish with good coverage like this and finished with a glossy top coat, my nails seem to feel stronger and grow longer.  I'll be wearing these shades all summer long.

Browse the 22 Color Riche nail polishes available at Boots

FRIDAY'S FFFFOUND: SWAY

Dinara Chetyrova by Jamie Nelson for Elle Vietnam, July 2011

HOTEL JOSEF, PRAGUE

Prague was high on my list of places to go for a while and we finally got around to visiting a couple of months ago. I bought my boyfriend flights for his birthday present last September and we went the last weekend of January after a pretty hectic start to the year with skiing in Val Thorens and a work trip to NYC during the snowstorm. We arrived early Friday evening and got a taxi from the airport straight to our home for the weekend, the chic Hotel Josef.

PAUL COSTELLOE

Held in the grand Oak Room on Piccadilly in February, Paul Costelloe's London Fashion Week show was for women who mean business. The Dublin-born designer presented a modern take on power dressing for the Autumn/ Winter 2016 collection: tailoring, 80s references and tough edges from military jackets, chunky black ankle boots and leather fingerless gloves to corsets, metal chokers and ear cuffs.

THE GATE

I eat quite a lot of meat and fish, only having one or two meat-free dinners or lunches a week, so when I was invited to review the popular veggie restaurant The Gate, I was keen to try it out the healthy, inventive vegetarian and vegan cuisine. There are two branches in London - the original in Hammersmith and one in Islington opposite Sadler's Wells, which we visited for a delicious mid-week dinner last month.

PAINTING THE MODERN GARDEN: MONET TO MATISSE

The Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse exhibition at the Royal Academy is beautiful, uplifting and perfect for this time of year.  If you haven't been already, it's in its final week so this is your last chance to see a wonderful collection of foliage, flowers, greenery, lawns, lakes and, of course, water lilies.  Curator Ann Dumas has brought together a collection of 120 works which explore the role gardens played in the changing art world from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century.