Just in time for Valentine’s Day one of my favourite web shops for gifts, Ella Georgia, has got together with Love Brownies to help make your 14th Feb even sweeter. Here’s how it works:

1. Pick the occasion – the box can say anything from Happy Birthday to a simple Thinking of You.

2. Select your brownies.

3. And tell Chantal what you’d like hand-written on the band hidden inside the box.

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That’s it! 8 Brownies, hand baked, delivered to your door or anyone else you would like to spoil for £19.95. To order click HERE.

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I spent this evening with my girlies Stina, Charlotte and Matilda. Is there anything better than catching up with your close friends over a nice cup of tea? Of course Stina’s super charming kitty Leon was also there. Tomorrow I’m leaving for Tenerife to spend somemuch needed quality time with my family.

Leon’s morning face :)

xoxo

A few months back I discovered Pureberg- a hand sanitizer for those like myself who love everyday luxuries. I’m a proper germ-freak, my colleagues can tell you stories about my work desk cleaning ritual. I’m always carrying around either wipes or gel sanitizers, but always find myself disappointed with their packaging and the fact that they leave my hands looking and feeling extremely dry.

This luxe prouct is the brainchild of three friends from Denmark. It kills over 99.99% of germs but leaves your hands feeling super soft thanks to the blend of shea butter and vitamin E. It also has a lovely scent. The price tag is £11.95 which you might find a bit pricey, but my bottle has lasted me over 3 months now. This elegant  bottle looks perfect next to my favourite Chanel compact and lipstick. I can really recommend this product.

So first of all let me wish you all a Happy New Year! May 2012 be an amazing year for all of us. I really believe in writing down new year resolutions. It helps us see where we are and where we want to be. That first day of year really feels like a new start. If only we could see every new day as a fresh start. Anyhow, here are some of my resolutions (those I can share) which I hope I can see through:

♥ I want this blog to be more me, more personal posts. Personal doesn’t have to mean private.There is a line…

♥ Be more honest with myself – majority of us live life without ever facing ourselves or being honest with ourselves and I understand why. It can be very painful. But we can only grow or have success in manifesting change when we are frank with ourselves. I’ve started writing myself letters, once a month I will write an honest letter about what I see when I look in the mirror, things I’ve done that I’m proud of and those choices and actions I am less happy with. I want to be the best version of me that I could ever be.

♥ Be happy – it’s a choice. As simple as that. I want to be happier. I want to be happy on a rainy day where I have to work 12 hours and the underground stopped working. I am blessed, I have a beautiful life filled with love, I have every reason to be happy yet there are days when I don’t appreciate the life I am living.

♥ Eat more healthy. This is not about wanting to lose weight and it might sound crazy that I only recently realized that this body of mine is the only one I’ll ever be given and I should supply it with the best fuel that I can find, not just any junk infront of me. About a month ago my body started craving healthy food which is great.

♥ Be braver- if you don’t take chances you never know how far you can go or what you can achieve. I am ready! :)

My lovelies, thank you for being part of my 2011 and I look forward to travelling down 2012 with all of you by my side.

Sorry for lack of posts. Having an asthma flare up… will be back as soon as I feel better. Meanwhile the winner of the FNUG competition is the lovely Leia. Congrats doll! Email me your address and the lovely people at Ella Georgia will send you a little package just in time for Christmas.

The ready-to-wear and accessories label opened it’s first store at Westfield in October and I’ve been back several times since. Bimba & Lola not only promises a mix of elegance and the latest fashion trends, but also the very best quality when it comes to leather and fabrics. My favourite winter coat and boots comes from there, all I am missing now is one of their signature bags stamped with the greyhound silhouette.

I am sure Bimba & Lola will become as big a success here as it is in the rest of Europe, Asia and Middle East. The store in Westfield is only the beginning and I am so glad that I no longer need to fly to Spain to get my bimba & lola fix.

So I’ve got together with the lovely people at Ella Georgia to offer one of you the chance to try FNUG. We got 2 beautiful shades waiting for the winner: Short Skirt and Trendy Lace (total retail price: £30).

How to enter, it’s simple: 
1) Show love for Ella Georgia by liking their facebook page HERE.
2) Follow Being Dena on Google Friend Connect (easiest way click on the Google Friend connect box on the right hand side of the blog).
3) Bonus entry will go to the ones that will share this post on twitter or blog about it (please leave a separate comment with the link of your tweet or blog post)

The Winner will be announced on Friday the 9th of December. The Deadline of this giveaway is Thursday 8th December at midnight. Good luck to everyone!

Cote Brasserie is a British owned chain of French-style bistros. It mirrors the trend in Paris where locals are turning away from over complicated cooking and returning to the basics of French cuisine. Cote promises classic dishes such as steak frites, corn fed chicken, chargrilled fresh tuna steak and more at  medium prices. The chain that won the Good Food Guide award for “Best Value Restaurant in the UK for 2009, is open all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I visited the Westbourne Grove branch for lunch. They do a great set menu during the weekdays between 12-7pm: 2 courses for £9.95 or – 3 courses for £11.90. I ordered the steak frites for main and Creme Brulee for desert and I was delighted with my choice. The food was absolutely delicious and desert to die for. The bistro has a lovely atmosphere. The only thing I wasn’t happy with was the service. The girl serving us had such an attitude and it took her forever to get our order. Perhaps this was a one-off, I am willing to find out only because the food was so good.

The other day I came across Chambers & Beau. It was set up in 2008 by Amy Elson, an award winning jewellery designer. The brand allows you to create your own personalised pieces by choosing tags, hearts, pebbles and semi-precious stones. Then Amy who works with silver and leather, will hand stamp your chosen names, dates, words or messages onto the piece. This will make such a unique and personal little gift for yourself or someone you love.

Handsome wanted to spoil me for putting up with the movie so he tooks me to my little heaven here in London: Ladurée ;) I had the Ispahan: Smooth rose flavored macaroon biscuit, rose petal cream, fresh raspberries and lychees. I can’t imagine anything more delicious.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I recently received a package from Lubatti.com to test out their best selling products: The Wild Violet bath oil and body lotion. Of course like all other product reviews here on my blog, I allow a month of use before giving my verdict.

I must admit that I had almost finished the body lotion by week 2. I can honestly say it’s the best one I have ever used. It’s so very light yet extremely moisturizing and contains Shea Butter, Vitamin E and Almond Oil. The light Wild Violet scent is heavenly hence why I kept re-applying- I simply couldn’t get enough of it.

The bath oil which contains Sweet Almond oil, Jojoba (my favourite oil), Avocado oil and Vitamin E, is also very lovely and you get out of the bath with the silkiest skin. When the oil comes into contact with water it turned into a milky sea.

Both products come in three other delicate fragrances: Scented Rose, Tuberose & Mimosa and Bergamot & Grapefruit.

Please let me know what you think and I would really appreciate it if you could follow me on google connect.

ps. A big thanks to the wonderful Stuart Pinfold who has been incredibly patient and done a fantastic job on this blog.

Mytights team contacted me and kindly offered me the chance to review an item from their website. I decided to go for something my mum says every woman should have in their wardrobe: Spanx. Ten years ago I would have connected the name with something my grandmother would wear under her dresses, but Spanx have come a long way since then. You see celebrities and bloggers wearing them and they look so modern that you don’t feel the need to hide them from your boyfriend anymore :) The Spanx slips are great for smoothing out your body under dresses and especially good to hold you in under very light or sheer clothes.

I ordered the Slim Cognito shape slip in nude, and when it arrived I was so eager to try it on. This version offers the strongest level of control and body shaping. I admit it was a little hard to get it on but once it was one I loved the effect, I have never had a more pronounced hour-shaped figure. It really sculpts your body into the desired shape, especially around the stomach and waist area. What I love about it is that it’s seamless so almost invisible under my fitted dress. The biggest surprise of all: bf told me he loved it on me, and that it reminded him of something Marilyn Monroe would have worn.

If you’re looking for a lighter version of the Slim Cognito then I recommend the Spanx Simplicity which looks silky enough to be a normal piece of underwear. It’s ultralight and therefore perfect for the summer. I see these slips as an investment now, they will last you for ever. Plus a girl always needs a nude or black coloured slip for under those see-through dresses.

Dress: H&M, Jacket: Noa Noa, scarf: Wild Swans, hat: via dad, boots: Vagabond

Photos by my lovely and talented colleague Saeed. Visit his flickr here.