Thursday 29 October 2015

Bourjois Velvet Edition Lipsticks!




Calling all beauty and makeup lovers!  Yes, that's right... YOU!  I have found the perfect product, which I think is both incredible and easy to apply, but also stays on even after a kiss or two... And I just couldn't wait to share it with you all!  So without further a do let's begin!

For a while now I have been on the search for lipsticks of Classic Autumnal shades for both daytime and nighttime.  Autumn is my favourite season, because with fashion and beauty... The most amazing colours seem to be around!



I glanced over at the Bourjois counter of my local Boots store, and looked upon their iconic 'Rouge Edition' range.  I have previously bought a couple of their Rouge Edition 'Aqua Laque' lipsticks, which were very moisturising in texture and ideal for summer.  It comes to you as no surprise then, that I went for the Rouge Edition 'Velvet' range, which just sounds so wintery!



The first colour I picked up was number 7 'Nude-ist', and to me it is the most amazing daytime shade.  It's a pink/nude colour which is perhaps two shades darker than your natural lip colour.  It is fantastic for when you want to recreate a natural makeup, but is also good for teaming up with a smokey eye!

The second colour I picked up was number 14 'Plum plum girl', and it was a colour that I don't normally tend to buy!  Lately, I have been incredibly in love with berry toned lipsticks such as cranberry/raspberry/cherry etc and so it was inevitable that a plum colour was going to happen!  This shade once applied is a very deep purple that almost has red tones running through it, which help to make the colour not too bold.  I like to wear this lipstick in the evening, especially when I am going out, because it gives the right amount of colour without washing you out and it goes with all Autumnal outfits... Trust me, I've tested!



The 'Velvet' range is of a much different consistency to the 'Aqua Laque' edition.  Instead of being a wet texture on the lips, it actually dries with a Matte Finish and the colour lasts for such a long time without staining your lips.  Also, this lipstick is fully kiss proof which is perfect, because it will just last and last!

I'm so happy with my new lipstick purchases and I cannot wait to start wearing them on a daily basis!  Have you tried these lipsticks before?  And are there any other lipsticks that you would recommend I should try out?

M x
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Sunday 25 October 2015

Bob Bob Ricard Review!




Once a year, Perry and I choose a high quality restaurant to celebrate our anniversary.  We like to do this, because it makes us appreciate the food more and it makes the night more special.  You see, we are big food lovers, who are always on the lookout for new places to eat such as; burger joints, street food hideouts and even pop up shops!  So going to a posh restaurant is such a luxury for us!



We decided to go to 'Bob Bob Ricard' in Soho, because the menu captivated our attention.  Bob Bob Ricard serves English and Russian classics that are reinvented with luxury ingredients.  We both couldn't wait to eat there!





When we arrived, we both fell in love with the interior of the place.  We were lucky enough to be seated in the award-winning 'Blue Dining Room' which takes inspiration from the Orient Express and the Golden Age of travel.  To us, it mainly reminded us of the Great Gatsby, what with the marble walls and tables, the design of the main logo and the private seating areas.  It was utterly stunning and I felt like a true Flapper girl!



For our starter we both chose dishes that incorporated dumplings, because they sounded rather out of the ordinary.  Perry went for the 'Lobster, Crab and Shrimp Pelmeni' (which was traditional dumplings served with salmon roe).



I on the other hand went for 'Truffled Potato and mushroom Vareniki' (which was traditional dumplings served with crispy onion and Shimeji mushrooms).  Both of us were in awe of the texture and flavour of our dishes... It was so new to us and we finished our plates so quickly, which is always a good sign!



Moving on to our main dish we both opted for the same, which was 'Crispy Pork Belly on red cabbage and apple purée, served with truffle gravy'.  Even just reading that sounds delicious doesn't it?

The pork was cooked in three different ways, it was braised and had a light crackling on top, next to that was pork scratchings and then to the side of that was pork covered in breadcrumbs!  All of the meat was cooked to perfection and the apple purée and truffle gravy accompanied the dish superbly!  I can definitely say that, that was the poshest Roast dinner I have ever tasted!



It then came to my favourite time of the evening... Pudding time!  Like many of you may or may not know, I always judge a restaurant by their dessert menu and oh boy did this restaurant deliver!  Perry chose the Signature Chocolate Glory (which was Chocolate Jivara Mousse, Chocolate Brownie, Berries and Orange and Passionfruit Jelly).  It was shaped into a ball and was dusted with edible gold dust.  The waitress then poured chocolate sauce over the dessert in the shape of a star and suddenly the ball melted and started to open up to reveal the delicious brownie and berries inside.  It was like watching a live magic trick!



My pudding on the other hand, was a little less extravagant but still incredibly exquisite!  I chose the 'Dulce de Leche Creme Brûlée served with orange drizzle' and it was incredible!  It had a beautiful crunch on the top and then it was a gorgeous velvet texture in the middle.  You could really taste the dulce de Leche and it wasn't too rich either.  It was safe to say that our stomachs were truly satisfied!



Overall, we both had an amazing time and were so lucky to have managed to book a table, because you have to book at least 3 months in advance!  The interior, the music, the food, the service and the great company was utterly magical and we will never forget dining at Bob Bob Ricard!  I thoroughly recommend you all to try out this amazing place, because it is really rather special!





Which restaurant have you been to recently?  Which restaurants in London would you recommend to me to try out next?

M x
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Happy 6 Year Anniversary!!




Hello everyone!!!  I'm sorry that I haven't been around for a while but Perry (my fiancé) and I decided to book a week off work to spend some quality time with each other as lately we never get the same days off.  But most importantly, we took a week off because we wanted to celebrate a milestone in our relationship.  On Monday 19th October 2015, it was our 6 year anniversary..... 6 years together - that's a really long time don't you think?  It's funny, because we both feel that it's gone so quickly, especially these last couple of years.

Then:



Now:



We've been together since we were young teenagers.... He was 17 and I was 16!  I like to think of us as childhood sweethearts.... I know, I know, I'm being too cheesy!  It's just amazing to have this one person accept you for who you are and to be able to share incredible memories with one another!  I hope you all have somebody like that in your lives, and if you don't - just know that you will very soon, but it will happen when you least expect it, (at least that's what happened to me!)



For our anniversary we decided to watch the film 'The Walk' at Empire Cinema in Leicester Square and then we ate lunch at 'Homeslice', which is the best place for pizza!  We then travelled to our hotel, got changed into something a little smarter and headed over to 'Bob Bob Ricard' in Soho for a romantic dinner, which Perry kindly treated me to.



Overall, the night was fantastic and we were both so happy that we managed to book time off to see each other!  All we can say now is.... Bring on next year!

M x
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Saturday 17 October 2015

Brow brilliance!




Eyebrows.... The most important feature of our complexions!  The things that shape our faces.  Without eyebrows we wouldn't have any expressions and would just simply have one look... How boring!  So it is vital that we look after our eyebrows and maintain the correct shape and colour that helps to flatter our faces!  (Although I must say that I am quite lazy regarding this... So that's all about to change!)

I usually never tend to bother colouring/filling in my eyebrows, as I never have the time and to be honest I have naturally black eyebrows anyway... So I didn't see the point.   Oh how I was wrong!

I watch a lot of my favourite bloggers daily on YouTube and so many of them are constantly showcasing make up looks that involve colouring in eyebrows.  So I instantly wanted to try it out for the first time and see if it was something I wanted to pursue in the future or not.



After scouring my local boots store, I came across a brow kit from one of my favourite drugstore brands, 'Collection'.  I thought that it was perfect for me to have, as a beginner and I knew that it would be fairly easy to apply.



It consists of three brow shadows (a light brown shade, a dark brown shade and a black shade) for filling in your brows and a small tube of brow gel for holding the eyebrows in place... This is handy, because my eyebrows are always moving around!



The way to apply this product is to use the small brush, or if you're someone like me who doesn't get on well with tiny applicators, then use your MAC eyebrow brush or a brush that is small and great for shaping.  Then simply choose the colour of shadow that you think works best with your complexion... (I'm the dark brown shade) and gently apply to your brow line.  Make sure that you only use a tiny amount of the product because you don't want your eyebrows to look like they have been drawn with pen!  Once you are happy with the filling in, use the brow gel and gently brush your eyebrows so that they are lightly coated and will therefore not move and remain securely in place.

I must say that I am thoroughly impressed by this eyebrow kit, because not only did it make my eyebrows pop and come to life, but I can also definitely see myself using this a lot in the next few months!

What brow products/kits would you recommend I should use next?

M x
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Friday 16 October 2015

Manicure Post: Burnt Romance!




These past weeks have been so hectic lately that I haven't had a single moment to rest and get my nails done.  It's been terrible!!  I suffer from extremely brittle nails that break very easily and are a real nuisance if they are not properly cared for.  So the other day, I booked an appointment and finally had a chance to pop into my local Salon 'Beauty Box' and get them professionally manicured... Hooray!!

What with the weather looking more Autumnal and with fashion bringing out colours like khaki, tan, aubergine, teal and cranberry... I wanted to go for a colour that was versatile with all of those shades but also one that was quite romantic.  I have an important anniversary coming up and I want my nails to go with the theme... Don't worry a post will be up very soon regarding that!



I finally came to the conclusion of choosing the CND Shellac shade 'Burnt Romance', which I feel is the most perfect shade of Red.  It is a deep and dark shade that almost borders towards the colour Rust which is bang on trend for AW15.  I absolutely adore this colour, as not only does it work with my winter wardrobe, but it also is extremely flattering for my skin tone and a colour that I will definitely repeat again!

This colour has been so popular at the moment... Here are some pictures that I have been lusting on Pinterest!





I can't tell you how great it feels to have my strong nails back after a very turbulent few weeks.  I cannot wait to style my nails with upcoming outfits and see what my friends and colleagues think of the colour.  Next time I will go for something a little more earthy... Like green perhaps??

What colour are your nails at the moment?

M x
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Tuesday 13 October 2015

An Autumn girl through and through!




The other day I had my colours done by a fantastic lady called Mandy Pitcher, who specialises in being a colour specialist.... Basically, that means that she tells people what colours suit them the best and also what season they should be wearing.  That way your colours are all categorised into a respective group that blends together and enables you to create a capsule wardrobe!  Voila!

She very kindly took time out of her hectic schedule to come to my place of work and for half an hour draped various coloured fabric over my shoulders to see which colours worked best with my complexion... This was so new to me and I was so excited to find out!!



I had never noticed before how important eye colour is and how it determines what colours can work well on you or not.  It turns out that my once blue/green eyes are now green/grey ones and change colour when certain shades are applied to my skin.... It's all really fascinating!



After a good twenty five minutes of constant colour styling, (although my complexion was seeming a real challenge, because of my changing eye colour and how I could get away with summer colours), she eventually came to the conclusion that my seasonal colour palette for myself was Autumn!  I was so overjoyed, because my all time favourite season in terms of fashion, is surprise, surprise... AUTUMN!



I instantly asker her what colours I was therefore allowed to dress myself in... And here is the overall verdict:-



Golds
Khaki
French navy
Black
Burgundy
Cranberry
Aubergine
Plum
Mustard
Tan
Camel
Rust
Tomato Red
Brown
Ivory
Teal
Pale Olive
Cappuccino
Taupe



And so the colours that I cannot wear are:-
Silver
Grey
Charcoal
Pale colours
Pale blue
White
Pink
Yellow
Bright colours

I was so thankful for her service and for taking time to see me.  After mentioning to her that I'm getting married next year and having shown her pictures of my wedding dress, she very kindly offered to finish our styling session at her studio as her wedding present to me.... I honestly couldn't believe her when she said that... What a lovely person?  I shall definitely be taking that extremely generous offer up with her in the next few weeks and I shall buy a beautiful bouquet as a thank you!

Have you ever had your colours done?  If not, then what are your favourite colours to wear?

M x


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Saturday 10 October 2015

Travelcard Treasures!





Lately, my big sister has been working incredibly hard with revising for her exams.  She works in Finance and in order to get more qualified in her chosen profession, she has to pass several lengthy examinations.... NOT FUN!!!  So I decided to treat her to a little something that would hopefully cheer her up and give her encouragement to carry on.



I chose an exquisite Travelcard holder from Aspinal of London in a beautiful nude colour.  It's 100% real leather and to make it even more personal I had her initials embossed on the front.  Very chic!



It arrived the other day and I cannot wait for her to see it!!!  Aspinal of London do the most incredible leather goods, especially handbags... So you can imagine how difficult it was for me to focus on her when there was so many pretty things!!!

Hope you are all having a great Saturday!

M x
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Wednesday 7 October 2015

Monday Moaning!


Yesterday was such a washout!!!  Not only was it raining all day, but it was so dark and incredibly depressing.  The kind of weather that makes you feel constantly like you want to go to bed and hibernate for a day or two! 

It also didn't help the fact that I was in the worst of moods and really couldn't be bothered with the day.  So I decided to pop into my local Caffe Nero and order my trusty regular hot chocolate with whipped cream.... because...it just needed to be done!  



For any of you, who are thinking "why didn't you just get a coffee?".... Well you see, the thing is, I can't stand the stuff!  I have tried every combination under the sun with milk, without milk, with sugar, without sugar and I still cannot get to grips with it!  Oh well... Thank goodness hot chocolate exists!  



After an incredibly long and tiring day at work.... Surprise, surprise... I went on my tea break and purchased the November issue of 'Glamour' magazine.  I'm so glad that I did, because not only was the gorgeous Ellie Goulding on the front cover, but also I was given a free 20% off gift card for H&M as well as a free Nails Inc nail polish in the most perfect Autumnal shade "Grosvenor Place".  It's a lovely deep purple... Almost steering towards black but not quite.  I always love experimenting with dark colours on my nails especially in winter!  Instantly my dreary Monday had vanished and in its place was a much brighter one!  

Make sure that you all go and grab your own copy of November's Glamour, because it is one magazine that you do not want to miss out on! 


M x
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Saturday 3 October 2015

Big London Day Out!




On Thursday, I was lucky enough to have the day off with my fiancé Perry...miraculously our days correlated at last!  Seriously guys, I swear we see less of each other now than when we were teenagers at school!!  Anyway, we decided to make the most our day together, and opted for a big London day out.  I don't know what it is about London... But every time I go, (which is a rarity), I get so excited!!!  I think it's the fact that there is so much to do, and so much to explore... You can never get bored!! 




We travelled to London Victoria and took the tube to Embankment station, where we got off and walked along the Embankment, until we reached the Southbank.  I love walking along the Thames, especially in the sunshine, which we were lucky enough to have!  




After exploring, we made our way to Leicester Square (which is our usual stomping ground) and checked into the Hagen Daaz ice cream parlour, where we embraced our sweet side and gorged on delicious ice cream!  Perry went for the 'Cookies and Cream' ice cream which had melted chocolate sauce and big pieces of  cookie added.  I on the other hand, chose the 'Pralines and cream' ice cream with butterscotch sauce and pieces of wafer added on top... Yummy!  Both of our desserts were served in a small cup, but boy were they filling!  We did however eat them in the quickest time possible and it was so worth it! 



After filling our bellies with amazing ice cream, we went to the 'Empire' cinema across the road and saw the film 'Everest' in their new IMAX screen, which uses Laser technology!  All I can say is that the sound and picture quality was incredible... We literally felt like we were in the film!  It's fascinating how advanced technology is nowadays....





Another place I like walking to, is 'Carnaby Street'.  It is full of quirky shops, and great tasting food places... It always has such a great buzz!  I wanted to check out 'Kingly Court', which is a 3 floored area which contains nothing but restaurants... Perfect for date nights and catching up with friends.  One restaurant in particular is 'Dirty Bones', which Perry and I will check out next time we are in the area.  Unfortunately their waiting list for dinner was 2 hours and we just couldn't wait that long! 




It didn't matter though, because we ended the night in one of our favourite Italian restaurants, 'Zizzi's'.  I decided to go for Chicken, mushroom and Rosemary risotto, which was so delicious! 



I had such an amazing time with Perry, and it makes me really appreciate our time together! 



Hope you are all having a fantastic weekend! 

M x
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