Baby, it’s cold outside. The first snowfall of the year meets you by surprise and rekindles happy memories. Rosy cheeks, red skies and laughter. The golden leaves begin to cascade down and the sky flickers with early-evening stars. You come in from the cold and snuggle up by the fire. Festive cheer and twinkling lights fills your home. Delightful.
Tis’ the season for crackling fires, snowy landscapes and cosy knitted jumpers. We are thrilled to bring you our NAF! Professionals Limited Edition Winter scents that will have your clients whipping off their mittens and oiling up their nails in no time!
Say hello our Winter Spice nail & cuticle oil. This opulent fragrance has warming top notes of sweet spicy cinnamon and ginger sprinkled with hints of pine and citrus. Founded on a decadent base of velvety golden honey and creamy vanilla, this oil embodies all things winter!
To celebrate the launch of our new scents, we’re sharing some of our favourite recipes that have been the inspiration behind our Winter collection. The following is the perfect winter warmer, brought to you by our Social Media Manager, Karen. It’s not the festive season until you’ve had your first mulled wine of the year, right? Right! The best part of making it at home is that the aroma of cinnamon and cloves cooking on the stove top has the power to transport you to a twinkling German Christmas market, sipping on glühwein without actually leaving your house… total bliss!
{ Mulled Wine }
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (750 ml) bottle of dry red wine
- 1/4 cup brandy (or orange liqueur - we used Cointreau)
- 1 orange, sliced into rounds (also peeled, if you would like a less-bitter drink)
- 8 whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste once cooked
- optional garnishes: citrus slices (orange, lemon and/or lime), extra cinnamon sticks, extra star anise
METHOD
- Combine ingredients. Add wine, brandy, orange slices, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, and 2 tablespoons sweetener to a large saucepan. Stir briefly to combine.
- Simmer. Cook the mulled wine on medium-high heat until it just barely reaches a simmer. (Avoid letting it bubble — you don’t want to boil off the alcohol.) Reduce heat to low, cover, and let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours.
- Strain. Using a fine mesh strainer, remove and discard the orange slices, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and star anise. Give the mulled wine a taste, and stir in extra sweetener if needed - we added some honey!
- Serve warm in heatproof mugs, topped with your favourite garnishes.