Chosen by Country Classic Lucinda – August Edition

Welcome welcome! Time for another Chosen by CCL blog , this time a selection of products that I have been loving and using for the month of August! Unfortunately we missed out on a July edition due to a little R&R, but I do hope you’re going to love the top picks featured this month. If you missed the last edition of Chosen by CCL, you can catch up on that post here.

As always, there is a completely different mixture of products, all at different price points, and all things that I have been loving, wearing and using this month. These blogs bring you products that I genuinely adore, and want to shout about. So grab a cup of tea, coffee, or Prosecco, and settle in …

Hook Polo Belt

Ideal for : The Equestrian lover

Who are Hook Polo?

Hook Polo provide performance equipment for Polo players, and have a range of lifestyle products. They use the finest English produced materials to ensure the quality of their products is second to none, and will stand the test of time.

Stocking everything from polo gloves and hats, to casual clothing, Hook Polo pride themselves on their British branding. I definitely have my eye on one of their sweatshirts, you can view that here. They also have a team of incredibly talented British Ambassadors representing the brand, including some of the UK’s best polo players.

The product…

Needlepoint Belt – Snow Polo

It’s no secret that I love belts. Not only are they practical, but they have the ability to transform an outfit, portray your character, and add something different. I always encourage investing in good quality leather belts where possible, because these generally just get better with age, and won’t need replacing continually due to going tatty or worn.

These Hook Polo belts are made in England, hand-stitched, and are produced using full grain, vegetable tanned Italian leather. The belts are finished with solid brass buckles and there is the Hook Polo embossed logo to the end of the belt.

There are currently 6 patterns available to choose from. I was completely torn when choosing, particularly between the British polo and snow polo designs. The colours are bright, beautiful and eye-catching, this is definitely a showstopper item.

I really love the attention to detail on these belts. Whenever I have worn this I can’t help but show people, and point out the horses. This belt probably couldn’t be any more me! I absolutely love adding anything equine into my style, and this belt adds such a beautifully subtle equestrian hint. This is perfect to pair with your everyday outfits, whether that be jodhpurs or jeans – it is going to look amazing! I have the snow polo design, and it pairs really beautifully with navy outfits. Keep an eye out on my social media channels for some of my outfit inspo!

These belts are unisex, and it is recommended to order your belt one size up from your trouser waist size. I find the easiest way to ensure a good fit is to just measure a current belt in your wardrobe that fits well. This is simply measured from the point the leather joins the belt buckle, to the hole you commonly wear your belt on. The Hook Polo belts are available in 4 sizes: 32, 34 ,36, 38 inches. Just for reference, I went for the smaller size, and it is on the tightest hole when worn.

How much is it, and where can I buy one?

The needlepoint belts are priced at £110.00.

Buy here

Hope & Glory Tea

Ideal for : Those wanting a little moment of R&R

Who are Hope & Glory Tea?

Hope & Glory are an independent British tea brand, bringing premium, speciality teas in both loose leaf and pyramid form. The brand is completely dedicated to ‘the perfect cup’ and there is endless information on their website, sharing everything from the from history of tea, to how to make the perfect cup.

The tea from Hope & Glory is sourced from suppliers registered with the Ethical Tea Partnership, and they use 100% organic ingredients.

The product…

Assorted Tea Collection Set

I was excited, to say the least, to be sent the Hope & Glory Tea Collection set. I love tea, and I definitely love the excuse of a quick perch that a cup of tea brings during a busy day. While life is usually 100mph, a cup of tea can have that moment of tranquil.

I was sent the assorted tea collection set from Hope & Glory, which consists of 2 of each of their 12 teas. This is a great introduction to their tea, and a good way to find out your favourites. I am currently working my way through the teas. There are some teas included that I haven’t ever tried before, so I am getting to experience new, as well as the very best of some of my favourites.
You can choose to have the tea either loose leaf or pyramid – I went for pyramid purely for ease.

Hope & Glory also have a selection of tea cocktails on their website. I really enjoy cocktails, although I can’t say I have ever been a pro at making them myself. All of the ingredients and instructions can be found on the website, I have now tried the Earl Grey Margarita and the Peppermint Cooler. These were easier to make than I expected, and with easy to buy ingredients, or things you would already have in the cupboard. You can find the cocktail recipes here. Alongside the cocktails, there are also cake recipes – I love baking so one of these is next for me to try!

Hope & Glory offer 12 month tea subscriptions alongside their products, meaning you never have to worry about running out or topping up yourself, you will have your tea delivered straight to your door. There are a number of different subscriptions available, you can view the different options here.

How much is it, and where can I buy one?

The assorted collection is currently £15.95 (usually £18.95).

Buy here

Ollies Attic Star Jumper

Ideal for : Those who love injecting colour into their wardrobe

Who are Ollie’s Attic?

I introduced you to Ollie’s Attic in the June edition of Chosen by CCL, which can be read here. This is a newly launched online clothing boutique, that are specialising in country style, they are also stockists of Chatham Footwear and Oxford Blue. If you have a tendency to impulse buy, be prepared when you look at their Instagram page. It’s the type of page that you click on and think ‘oh I want that, and that …. and that’ – dangerous for the bank balance, but great for the wardrobe!

You can currently order the items seen on their Instagram via email – orders@olliesattic.co.uk, with the product pricing and details found on their Instagram posts.

The product…

Coral Star Cashmere Blend Jumper

So from my previous ‘Chosen by CCL’, you’ll know that I have worked with Ollie’s Attic before, with one of their beautiful purses. The quality of the products from this brand is great, especially for the price of the items.

Now that the weather is transitioning to cooler days and evenings, I am reaching for lightweight, but generally long sleeved items. This jumper definitely fits into this category, and its relaxed fit does mean I keep on reaching for it, as it is just so comfortable to wear. The neckline is fairly high, so during the winter you would be able to put something scoop neck underneath if you did want to layer even further.

I have a blog coming very soon all about adding some colour into your wardrobe. For those starting out, accessories are a great place to start, but for those who love a real colour pop, this jumper is P E R F E C T.

Coral is surprisingly easy to style. It pairs wonderfully with white denim, so if you own jeans or a skirt, this is such an easy, go to look. I have also paired this with my matte/leather look black trousers – such a great evening/drinks look. Coral also pairs really well with denim, whatever the wash/finish. Due to the versatility of the colour coral, you will be able to get lots of wear from this jumper, reaching for it time and time again.

If the coral colour is a little bright for you, the same jumper is available in baby blue/ivory. The jumpers fit size 8 – 14.

How much is it, and where can I buy one?

This Cashmere Blend Jumper is £45.00 + postage.

Buy here

Gasm Drinks

Ideal for : Those entering into the Shooting & NH Season!

Who are Gasm Drinks?

Gasm drinks have worked long and hard to produce the perfect mixture of fizz and spirits, fine tuning a refreshing new champagne style cocktail drink, suitable for in and out of the Countryside. After experimenting for over 200 years, Gasm Drinks have produced the ultimate blend, including Sloe, Plum and Raspberry.

Enjoyed over ice, or from a flute, there is no occasion that isn’t worthy of a Gasm.

The product…

The Plum Gasm

I am going to do a full blog on this brand once we get into the Cheltenham racing season, as I know that those of you that follow the blog with an interest in racing – are going to obsess over this brand. So definitely keep an eye out for that. But as an introduction, I really wanted to share with you one of the bottles available from Gasm Drinks – The Plum Gasm.

I actually took the Plum Gasm over to my parents for our socially distanced Fathers Day, because I knew that not only would I be able to give an honest review myself, but they would equally be up for reviewing.

The bottles themselves are beautiful, and would make a fantastic gift. The Plum Gasm is a rich rose gold in colour when poured. Plum juice finely blended with prosecco to create a delicate fizz cocktail. The blend is a perfect mix of sweet and dry, meaning it is suitable for most palettes. The hints of orange and peach absolutely come through in the taste, and the drink is incredibly smooth, which I actually prefer to just a classic glass of prosecco.

The drink itself received incredible reviews at the family gathering, with me having to fight for some over some very impressed taste testers. We all agreed that the drink was so smooth and enjoyable, much preferred over prosecco. With family regularly out during the shooting season, and myself obsessed with racing, I can see the whole family has found their new tipple for the upcoming season.

Available in 3 different sizes, 37.5cl, 75cl and 150cl. There are currently 3 different versions to choose from within the range.

This product should be enjoyed responsibly, and by over 18’s.

How much is it, and where can I buy one?

Starting from £20.00 per bottle at 75cl.

Buy here

Vezavi Nautical Style Belt

Ideal for : The sun worshipper with a love of nautical style

Who are Vezavi?

Based in Glasgow, Vezavi create handcrafted products from real leather hides. Both hand-stitched and hand cut, the unique products created by Vezavi have the ability to be customised and personalised, in order to create your dream item, with a personal touch.

With everything from leather belts, spur strap, silk scarves and handbags, there is something for everyone on their site. There is a strong equestrian theme running through many of their products, so naturally I was drawn to this, but they also include nautical and plain themes as well.

The product…

Nautical style | Steering wheel buckle belt | Ship’s wheel Leather Belt

I did a little unboxing of the items I received from Vezavi, which you can watch here. I have been fortunate enough to try out one of their silk scarves and one of their leather belts, both of which I love!

I don’t own any bright leather belts, so I was excited to have a play around with styling something in such a bright red. I have spoken about colour a lot, and I enjoy adding bright, bold colours to my outfits – something which is often easily done with accessories such as belts.

You know I like to review honestly in these blogs – and one mistake I did make was wearing this with white jeans initially. Around the belt loops turned a pale pink colour, however, this didn’t stain the jeans, it did just wash out. I have since been wearing it with darker colours whilst it is still quite new.

It pairs beautifully with navy outfits, and has been the perfect accessory this Summer, as we have been so fortunate with some beautiful weather, and the nautical theme has definitely been giving me all of those holiday feels. I fell in love the the Joules anchor playsuit above, and have been regularly pairing the belt with this outfit for the perfect beach look.

The belt and buckle themselves feel really good quality, and the belt is really nice and supple, so is comfortable to wear, particularly as a waist belt, as well as worn round the hips. I like my belts to be able to do both, and these come with several holes so that you do have the option to wear wherever suits you and your style.

This belt is actually available in 5 different leather colours, so if the red isn’t for you, but you love the design, you can choose from another leather colour. The belt is also available in a variety of sizing, including custom sizing.

How much is it, and where can I buy one?

This belt is exceptionally well priced at £25.00.

Buy here

I really hope you have loved this insight into 5 products I am loving this month. I love writing these Chosen by CCL blogs as one of the reasons I started blogging was to be able to share things I am excited about with people!

There is a whole lot to come, so stay tuned, if you don’t want to miss my upcoming posts, you can subscribe to my blog at the bottom of this page.

Next week there will be a new blog launching every single day. That’s right – every. single. day. Stay tuned at 7pm each evening for the new launch!

See you very soon indeed…

Lots of Love, Lucinda xo

‘Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you’
Oprah Winfrey

{Please note these items were gifted. I was under no obligation to write about them in this blog post, and these reviews have in no way been influenced by the brands themselves. None of the links included in this blog are affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Information and pricing was correct at the time of publishing}

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