Triumph & Disaster

There are boxes all over the house and in our garage, full of products that have caught my attention over time. They may have made their way to me via gifts, GQ style pages, spontaneous visits to independent retailers, a new range at the hairdressers or perhaps an eye catching packaged brand that simply has to be tried.

Well Triumph & Disaster falls in to the latter, while looking for products to feature in my xmas gift guide, I found the products on ASOS, firstly loving the packaging and then the name upon further inspection.

Then what do you know, a couple of cheeky hints and my Fiancé had purchased me the shampoo for christmas. Come on though, am I supposed to have just one item of their range to trial? a quick visit to their website and another three items were promptly on their way.

There was so much more than some stylish packaging, This is a trendy and very fun brand, every link and description of their products has a quirky and humorous element to it, which sets it apart from most in this industry.

They offer a pleasing emphasis on creating products that are crammed full of natural ingredients including local indigenous ones such as Horopito oil & Ponga Fern extract.

In this world where more than ever we analyse what we are putting in to or on to our bodies, there is something reassuring when you know that the products is derived from natural sources.

The products I have used so far are

Coltrane Clay 

A clay that offers a matte finish, with  a medium hold. A lovely scent to it which is created by the American Tobacco infused into it. Easy to mould and warm in to your hands, It doesn't clump or become difficult to run a brush or hands through, it offers volume and style that provides hold but can easy be restyled.

Karekare Hair Tonic

Salt spray but not as you may know it, a combination of sea salt and natural root extracts, this spray offers excellent volume & texture without drying the hair out, which I have found is common with a lot of texturising sprays. I use this on damp hair, blow dry and then add the the Coltrane Clay to style.

Shampoo & Conditioner 

The shampoo firstly can be used sparingly to ensure good coverage and lather. It contains everything you would want from a shampoo, a great smell and with impact of nourishment from the keratin & argan oil. As they describe themselves, its a treatment disguised as a shampoo.

The Conditioner is fragranced with cucumber and mint, made by a combination of fruit and plant based ingredients, the conditioner quickly moisturises and softens the hair providing volume and shine.

All of the products look the part to adorn any bathroom, and deserve to be on display. Most importantly though, they pack the substance needed to be a great range together, to become your daily routine for hair styling.

Aside from the hair tonic, you can get great value by purchasing the set titled It's a mess aint it Sheriff    which has the other three products in and saves you £10, which I would strongly recommend.

Triumph & Disaster have quickly become my favourite hair range, I am yet to try the face & body products but I am sure I'm not far off doing so, with a review to follow shortly after.

As is their aim, I will now be a walking zombie billboard of Triumph & Disaster speak.

Yorkshire getaway

Unpacking the cases was emotional, it confirmed that our long weekend was over, however with each item that was pulled out and separated for washing, there was a moment taken to take in the scent one last time, attempting to preserve the feeling of being tucked away in our little log cabin in North Yorkshire, as each item of clothing held within its fibres the scent of oak & pine. A reminder of the place that captured our hearts 3 years ago and only gets better each year.

Upon a friend of Beth's recommendation, we first visited the Sun Hill Lodges in January 2015 and we have booked it each year since, with next years visit already confirmed. This is our yearly tradition now (until we can afford to either buy or build our own!)

The lodge, named Lillie, has essentially become our second home now. We wouldn't want to book another one for fear of being traitors to the lodge that has provided us with so many memories (including being the perfect place for me to pop the big question last year) It's just perfect for a couple wanting a cosy getaway.

The moment I walk in, I head straight for the log burner and my cave man instincts kick in and I have to create fire!! What is it about us men and wanting to burn things?!  (I used to do it at school in the science labs, with the little wooden sticks to volunteering to clear my Gran's gardens in the Autumn just so I could be in charge of the bonfire. But I digress...) Lille Lodge is one of six available. Two additional ones are being built now ready for Spring 2018. 

Set in the village of Constable Burton, the lodges are set in a location that gives you the feeling of being remote, in your own little world, but within reach of local pubs and villages and comfortable driving distances to bigger towns and tourist attractions. 

* York is an hour away 

* Whitby an hour & a half

* Harrogate 50 minutes

* Yorkshire Moors 40 minutes

* Fountains Abbey 40 minutes 

All of the above must be visited by the way. We generally try to visit one of these in on the way up and on the way back to make the most of the time we have in the area.

The first year we tried to stick to some form of itinerary, visiting the must see places around, mainly situated in the list above. However as we always go in January, there are certain places not open at this time of year. This really isn't a problem though, because everywhere you go there is a place of natural beauty to be explored - there is always a great pub close by to grab a bite to eat and a couple of local ales to wash it down with. 

Speaking of which, whether you stop at the Sun Hill Lodges or not, make sure you are close enough to be able to make a visit The Blue Lion in East Witton, this place has such a unique style. Walk in and you feel you are in a homely, countryside village pub, a roaring fire in each room, dark wood and characterful features. The locals and staff welcome you with a warm smile. However it would be a crime to not experience the food here. Whether you opt for a table in the bar or the main restaurant, you can be assured of a challenge in trying to choose from the delectable options on the menu. The service is of the highest standard from all of the front of house staff. Nothing is too much. They are extremely well presented and attentive. As for the food, every dish we have had so far has been delicious, substantial in portion size and excellent value for money - a delightful mid-way between traditional, heavy pub-grub and fine dining. 

There had been a snow shower the night before and in the area around us there had been six inches of snow fall, it had settled and provided an extremely picturesque scene to look out on. This did cause some problems for the places we visited the next day as the rain and snow had frozen and some places had become either difficult to get to or too icy to walk around.

More snow was forecast, lo and behold it snowed and snowed for several hours and there was going nowhere by car. The big kids in us couldn't contain ourselves and we donned our thermals, walking boots, coat, hat and gloves and were straight out there building the biggest snowman we could. I can't recall too many times I have seen snow like that, but it was such a fun experience.

We were well prepared and welcoming of being snowed in, films selected, plenty of food, alcohol & brews (Yorkshire tea of course) and our guilty pleasure of a selection of board games, which get way too competitive, neither of us like losing. Simply because we could, we enjoyed a brew in the hot tub with the superb back drop of the Yorkshire hills to enjoy. 

When feeling this relaxed and enjoying ourselves so much, the four days pass so quickly and never feel like enough. 

So until next year, we can treasure the memories contained within those wooden walls, and start planing and looking forward to the new ones that will be made there in 2019.

Thank you to George & Ann Duffield for creating these stunning lodges, I look forward to hopefully reading in the visitors book comments of people that have visited because of this post.