Wednesday 15 June 2016

Review: The Pizza Union Kings Cross

Hey guys,

Whilst in London, we stayed near Kings Cross station. Being one of the most popular stations in London, you can imagine the surroundings. There are plenty of places to go and eat, you have your normal fast food places such as McDonald's, and they are currently building a Five Guys too. But they also have Nandos and independent restaurants.

One of the evenings, we thought we would try one of the local eateries, a Pizza place. This restaurant was The Pizza Union. What led us here had been the cheap prices and the fact the that it was so busy. We couldn't think of anywhere better to try.

When we arrived, we joined the line and waited to be served. Before being served you choose your drink,this can range from water, soft drinks or alcoholic beverages. Once we got to the counter, we gave our order,and chose our sauces,we were given a buzzer. We went to find a seat, and after sitting for 15-20 minutes, our buzzers went off to indicate our food was ready.

The food was freshly prepared and baked in a Pizza oven. And all so reasonably priced. I ordered a ham and pineapple pizza with a bottled water and garlic and herb dip, it all came under £10! What more could you ask for.

The Pizza base, was perfectly thin and crispy, the tomato sauce was lovely, sweet a d herby and the ham used was palmer ham. I couldn't have asked for a better pizza, I even would go to say it's the best pizza I've ever eaten!!



If you are ever in kings cross, London,it's definitely worth a visit!

Thank you for reading and until next time

X

Friday 27 May 2016

Review: Kick Bar Shoreditch

Hey Guys,

So, a couple of weeks ago, I visited London for a weekend away. I went with one of my long time best friends, for a getaway. Whilst we were there, we ate some amazing food! One place we ate at, was the Kick Bar located in Shoreditch.

After walking around, looking for something to eat, we stumbled across this rustic looking bar. As we walked in, the authentic music was playing, and a group of people were playing on the football tables having what looked like a mini tournament.

The Kick Bar is a Cuban themed bar, with a lively, fun, family feeling. The staff were having a laugh and a joke, one guy practiced his cocktail making skills, throwing the mixer around trying to artistically catch it (and failing) whilst one of the girls welcomed us in.

We ordered drinks first of all, just a coke, which came in a glass bottle. Now that information may be pointless, but how often is it that coke is served in a glass bottle?! This was a sign that this was going to be a place I enjoyed. And I most definitely was not disappointed.

When we received the menus, we were amazing by the choices. Prices varies, from £9-£15. Food was freshly prepared there, and freshly made to order. So although, the prices may seem a lot, it was definitely worth it.

We ordered a burger which, rightfully so, was named the Bloody Good Burger. And may I say, that was a Bloody Good Burger. It was served with a side of tortilla chips, in a lovely brioche bun.

The burger itself, was a thick beef patty, with herbs mixed into them once used. One the burger, you had salad, pickles bacon and cheese. It had a lovely sauce on it which added to the beauty of it.

Me and my friend were both concerned that for £9 we were not going to be filled up by our meal. But boy, were we wrong. Once the burger had been eaten, we were both so so full, and made the decision that, for £9 that was one of the best things we had ever eaten.

I have included a few pictures of the place,and food, so you can get a feel of what to expect if you get a chance to go. If you go to London,and decide to go to Shoreditch, please go here even if it's just for a drink as its a fantastic place!

 

 


Until next time, Thanks for reading!

X

Saturday 21 May 2016

My Weekend In London

Hey guys,

Do you ever get that feeling where you just need to get away? Away to recharge your batteries, take time out for you? I was lucky enough to treat must a weekend away with one of my longest best friends, and we chose London.


Now, of course, London is a weird choice to go for a relaxing weekend. It's a massive city that is beyond busy... but it did the trick! We visited so many places in just a few days, and we ate some amazing food,along with some fantastic cocktails!

We arrived on the Friday, the sun was blazing, and it put us both in the happy, positive mood we were looking for. The first thing we did was check into our hotel. We stayed in a travel lodge in Farringdon. Now, the area wasn't very pleasant, it was quite intimidating on an evening. But nevertheless we were happy with the location.

Once the check in was done, and bags were dropped off in the room, we felt it was time to go and explore! The first place we went to was Shoreditch. I had never been to Shoreditch before, but had always wanted to go, knowing the reputation it had for being one of the coolest places.

When we got to Shoreditch we had a wander around, looked at the foodstuffs and all the pop-up shops located near the high street. It was such a fun place to visit. When we were walking around, we found an amazing bar where we ate. It was called Bar Kick. It was a Cuban themed bar, with football tables, great music and a rustic kitchen feel.

 We both had a burger which was called 'The Bloody Good Burger' and it definitely lived up to the name! It came with a side of tortilla chips, which was a great alternative to the traditional chips you'd get with burgers down the local pub. I will be doing a more in-depth review on this bar and the food, including pictures and prices.

From here we walked around aimlessly but we discovered so many places. We walked over London bridge, we saw the shard, walked by the river, and just enjoyed the the Sun and the walk. When we got back to the hotel we were ready for a good sleep.

The next day was a day of shopping. You cannot go to London and not take a trip to Oxford Street. So this is where we started. We had a lovely day. We took our time, and soaked it all in. I brought a few things from the trip,including a couple of cardigans from H&M including a mustard yellow one, that I've been after for ages! (I'm thinking of doing a look book where I feature my purchases)

One thing I was excited to do was go to the Oxford Street Lush shop... and my God, it did not disappoint. I was in awe and of course I couldn't go with out buying at east one thing from there... so of course, I treated myself! I've also planned a haul for this trip... so keep your eye out for that!!

From Oxford Street, we ventured to Carnaby Street, which is another favorite place. It's full of cool boutiques and the famous Chocywockydoodah shop. We didn't really go in any of the shops here however, so we walked to Soho and went for cocktails.

Our next stop on the shopping tour was the ever so amazing Camden. Camden is the place to do, every other shop is a tattoo/piercing shop, the market you can find great items, and the famous food market is situated here. The food market is where we decided to go for dinner. We decided we wanted Chinese, so with £5 that's what we got. Noodles and sweet and sour. It was the nicest Chinese I've eaten.

The final stop of the day was St. James's park. It was a lovely day so we decided to take in the view and have a sit on the grass. After a while we decided to go for a walk around the park grounds, before we decided to head back.

Our final day was full of preparing to travel back home. While we didn't want to rush,we had time to kill. So we spent that time sitting in a small café in Carnaby Street.

Although we did do a lot in the few days we were away, I came back more energised, more positive and in a much better place, then before I went away.

Have you been to London? Where are your go to areas?

Until next time... Thank you for reading.

X

Wednesday 13 April 2016

Review: Halsey by Mac

Hey guys! 

Lately, I've been really into experimenting with my make up, stepping out of my normal every day comfort zone and trying something new or daring. 

I have tried lots of different thinks to try and shake up my day to day ruitine and start showing some love to new styles. I have even ditched the eyeliner for one day! 

So, to go along with the stepping out of the comfort zone, I have brought a few new lipsticks. My usual daily tones are more Browns and pinks.. And I leave the darker shades from the weekend. However, I've never really been daring when it comes to new shades. 

When I heard that one of my favourite artists had teamed up with one of my favourite make up brands, I got super excited. And I thought, no matter what it is, I have to get my hands on it. 

When it was released, I was both excited but also, I was unsure. The outcome of this beautiful match, was something that for me was so cool, but so daring I wasn't sure what to do. But then, I saw so many pictures I couldn't resist. 

Behold, the beautiful love child of Halsey and Mac Cosmetics. 




As you can see, this is a grey colour. It has a bluish undertone to it, and in some lighting it actually looks green. 

You can also have a play around creating new colours using a mixture of lipliner a or lipsticks. My favourite that I've tried is a plum lip pencil underneath, as you can see from the swatch, it creates darker grey.



I've tried this colour with a number of different make up looks, but I feel my favourite is a basic cat flick liner. Very minimal. But that's just for me personally. 

I have seen so many takes on how to wear this lip colour, and each and every individual person rocks this shade in their own unique way. 

I feel this lipstick is a quirky alternative to a black lip. One to make you stand out in a crowd. No matter who you are, what your gender or style is. This lip colour works. 

Having looked online it is now sold out. And I believe it is limited edition. But at £15.50, for such a unique colour, it was such a great price. 

If you managed to get your hands on one, congrats :). 

Until next time, thanks for reading! 

X

Sunday 13 March 2016

F**k It Therapy - Self Help Book

Hey guys,

This is just a quick little post, just to let you guys know about this book! I am looking to do a review on it once I've actually completed it, so keep an eye out for that! 

This book is a self help book. I'm a lover of self help books, because I they can be helpful. Some are better then others, but it depends on the individual in the long run. 

This book is all about looking at a situation and accepting it, but saying fuck it and what will be will be. It talks about being in a 'prison' and how to break free.

With me, I've overcome a few things using self help books, I've gained more confidence, and I live more for the adventure and true not to dwell on the 'what ifs'. And now I aim to conquer my stress levels with the help of saying 'Fuck It'.

Once I have read this, I will give a more in depth view and opinion on it, and we can see if it actually works!!

Sorry for the short post! I will be back with you all very soon! I'm working on new material!

Until next time! Thanks for reading!

x

Sunday 28 February 2016

Tattoos : My Experience And Aftercare Advise

Hey guys,

So this post is something a little different, as I will be talking about tattoos, and my experience and some advise and tips on aftercare.

The reason I am doing this post is because, yesterday I had a new one. And although I'm not covered (I have 2), I enjoy them. And in case some of you lovely lot are interested in getting on or maybe you have a few, I'm just sharing some tips and my experience of having them. 

So to start of I want to talk about my experience. I will insert pictures of both of mine, you will see my older one is quite terrible compared to my new one but I still love it. 

So my first tattoo, I had it done a couple of years ago, I went with one of my best friends and we had them done together. We both went for different designs. We were asked many questions just that we were of age (you must be 18+ in most places). 

As you can see from the photo I have posted below, it's very patch. It wasn't done well at all. I was sat in a chair with my leg in a really uncomfortable position. Half way through the outline my leg was numb. The artist I didn't find very professional, but at the time I loved the finished artwork. 


During this, I went very light headed and hot. I had to have a break, which is totally fine. If you need a break then you need a break or your at risk of passing out. 

I had a phobia of needles before this. Of course having a tattoo hurts. But it's  more afterwards once it is completed. It throbs and stings. One thing you have to remember is that it is an open surface wound. So with that in mind of course it will sting. 

So yesterday, I went for my second tattoo. It was a completely different experience. I had to fill in a medical type form, and sign a declaration. Once I had completed that my artist continued to ask me more health questions. Such as if I'm a smoker, blood pressure. Once all of that the real business started. 

My artist used at least 6 pairs of gloves in my 3 hour sitting. Although I felt totally fine during this tattoo (no dizzy spells, not light headed feeling not hotness) I was made to have a 5 minute break. This was so I could have a sugary drink. I didn't need this break, but my artist insisted.

She talked me through everything she was doing, which parts may hurt and described the type of pain. Advised if it was to much to stop for a break. I didn't. 

She made me feel comfortable, and I was confident that she would do a great job. And I was not disappointed.



While I was having it done I asked her opinion on other parts of the body and the pains. I thought this may help some of you or may be nervous but really want one. 

I was told that, thighs, tops of arms, back of the neck are the least painful. This are just uncomfortable. The hip area is a tickley area along with the side/ribs. 

Anything on the bone, so, feet, hands, shoulders, back, also the throat are the most painful and most uncomfortable ones to have. 

She also stated that the refuse to complete throat tatoosunless they are 100% that the client have thought about it and the design. If they feel it to thought through, then they will refuse to tattoo. 

Like any tattoo, you must think long and hard about what you want. These are very expensive, and last the rest of your life. Along with the design you must also be sure on the location of the body. 

Once you are 100% sure and your of age, and it's what you want, then go for it. In you'll be surprised how confident they can make you feel. 

But always go with your gut. If you are not sure then don't go with it. Wait. Draw it on before hand so you get a feel. But just remember this is a lifetime commitment.

So, aftercare. This is THE most important part of having a tattoo. Once you have paid all that money, you don't want to then ruin your new ink by not taking care of it. As I've said, this is an open wound. They can get infected. They will go funky and that can cause colour loss.

The tattoo will scab over, DO NOT pick it. Don't even think about it unless you want a patchy tattoo. 

Make sure you clean it, and use a good cream. A number of things are recommended. And there are loads of ways to care for your new tattoo. 

Some say to leave it uncovered, let it dry out and scab up. Makin sure you use cream to keep it clean. Try not to get clothes on the area. And once it's scabs do not pick. 

Your new tattoo will start to get itchy... DO NOT scratch that itch. If you scratch that throbbing beast then you are risking taking the scab off. You sat through a tattoo. You can get over the niggling itch. I know you can!

These are the instructions I followed. And my tattoo got stuck to EVERYTHING!

So with my new one I'm trying another option. I'm not letting it dry up. I'm keeping it covered with cling film. Creaming it regularly. 

It will get sweaty doing this. That is fine. It will form a wet scab. This isn't bad. It means you won't get a patchy tattoo. It will still itch. But you won't get stuck on clothing or bedding. It will also be protected from infection as it will be covered up. 

They advise you not to soak the tattoo and to pay the tattoo dry when you do clean it. Once it is clean, then you must keep the artwork creamed. 

Now, the creams that are recommend are, savlon, coco butter or bepanthen. But not to use Vaseline or sudecrem.

I've chosen bepanthen. But you use what you feel. Also some say that dream cream from Lush also works wonders.

I must also point out, tattoos are personal preference. The aftercare is also personal preference. Some people love them. Some people hate them. I tried to get lots of into from my artist to share with you. 

I hope this can be some what helpful for you all. And I hope you enjoy the post.

Until next time!

Saturday 20 February 2016

Cleansing Routine

Hey guys!

I'm back after a short break, there has been so much happening lately, so to ease back into it, I've decided to do a post on the items I use when I cleanse. I do my routine twice a day, the evening is more intense then the morning, to be sure I get rid of any trace of make up from the day. 

I use a range of products, that are on both ends of the price spectrum, some are available in local stores, some are online, or in bigger department stores. 

So let's get started, to start I will explain my skin type, and these products are aimed at my skin type, however, I feel there could be products out there that are better suited to my skin type but I haven't found them yet. And obviously, not everyone has the same type of skin, so these products could be terrible for your skin. So do some research. 

My skin type is very dry and very sensitive. I extremely dry patches on my cheeks and my T-Zone. With that, my skin gets very tight and sometimes stings. I have to use really thick creams, and make sure I use as many natural products as I can, but I don't follow that as much as I should. So the chemicals/ingredients in these products do irritate my skin, hence the use of such thick creams. 

I am in no means a professional, I use it and that people would be disgraced by, and as always, I am not gonna be showing off with the items I use.


As you can see, this is everything that I use. 

To start off, I use the baby wipes (I know they are no good for your skin) this may make people think dear god no! But if they are good enough for a baby, why not on my face? As you can see, I use extra sensitive which are fragrance free. 

I stock up on these as I use a few at a time. And I use them twice a day. These are the only wipes that I have found that agree with my skin. I normally have a serious breakout/rash if I use cleansing wipes. 


One I have took off the top layer of dirt/ make up, I then use a cleansing water/cream cleanser/ cleansing balm. I use the water of a morning, and either a cream or balm on an evening. 

The cleansing water I use is the L'oreal micellar water. Again, I have tried loads, and although this makes my skin feel tight, I don't get a rash. I've used others that have caused me to have a really bad reaction. 

I just apply this to a cotton pad, and gently wipe my face, eyes and lips to get rid of any make up that may have stained. I find this really great to take off any stubborn eyeliner and mascara. It's really gently on the eyes. 

I tend to soak the cotton pad and rest it on my eyes then wipe away after a few seconds. It works wonders! 


Of an evening, I tend to use a deeper cleanser, I alternate these.. Depending on how my face feels. If I just need a gentle but deep cleans, I use Liz Earl's cleans and polish, with a muslin cloth. 

Liz Earl is beautiful, they have a wide range of products, including body was and shampoos. All of which are fantastic, and smells beautiful.

The cleans and polish is a great and easy way to give yourself a mini facial. All you need to do is apply the cleanser (a cream formula) over your face, eyes and lips. This is to be done on dry skin (not dampened). Once that has been applied, wet the cloth in warm water, and using circular motions, polish the cleanser off. Skin is left smooth. 


If I require a deeper cleans, then I go for elemis cleansing balm. You apply this the same as the Liz Earl cleans and polish, only before buffing it off you wet your hands and using circular motions just give your self a mini massage, the balm will turn to an oil consistency. After about 5 minutes just buff it off again using a Muslin cloth. 


After cleansing, I use a toner. This is to cool the skin down, and close any pores that have opened whilst cleansing. This is great, as it helps prevents spots, and any dirt enter your newly cleanser pores. 

There are many out there, and I've used a number of different ones, my favourites are the Liz Earl tonic boost, elemis apricot toner and the one that I'm currently using, which is by Lush. 

They are all used in the same way, for the same reason, to smooth skin and close pores. You apply it using a cotton pad over the face, eyes, and don't forget that neck! 


Finally, I use a face cream. I tend to use an Anti-Wrinkle cream as I'm a big believer in the day that Anti-Wrinkle products are a prevention. (I'm 24 and have been using anti-wrinkle products since I turned 21). 

However, the cream I use does change depending on the condition my skin is in. I usually go between Liz Earl's moisturiser and elemis pro collagen marine cream. Currently it's Elemis. However, for a few weeks I've been using E45 due to having server dryness. 


I apply this all over the face and neck, and it's lovely. It feels silky smooth, and leaves my face feeling soft. 

For those extra special pampers, I use a face mask, this is new to me, as I've never found one that doesn't leave me with a rash.. I've started using the quick fix facials calming clay mask for sensitive and red skin. It irritates my skin a little but it's the best one I've used yet. 

You apply a thick layer to your face, avoiding the eyes, and leave for 5 minutes and then wash off. 


As well as this, I exfoliate 2 times a week. I've been on the hunt for a great exfoliate, and I think I have finally found one. I'm currently using a tester pot. It's the Aloe Vera exfoliated from the body shop. 

It is great for sensitive skin as there is no fagrance, no colour, and the exfoliate beads are so small, but do an almighty job! I can't wait to actually purchase a full size. 


I must say, if you do have any skin issues and are looking for help, try the body shop. The staff are so lovely and so helpful. And if your unsure they supply you with free samples. 

What are your top skincare products? Do you have a product you can recommend? As I said I'm not an expert, but we can all help one another! 

Thank you for reading!!

Until next time :) 

X