Burger & Lobster!

As a treat at work our Manager took us all out for a pre-christmas dinner. We decided to try out the new Burger & Lobster restaurant on St John Street in Clerkenwell. I'd heard good reviews and was also intrigued as they have no menu and there's a set price of £20 per meal. The meals consist of literally either Lobster, Lobster Roll or Burger which all includes chips and salad. The other thing is...you cant book a table!!

We rocked up after work around 6.30pm and got shown to a table immediately. I was expecting it to be more cafeteria style but it wasn't at all. We were sat in a booth for four right in front of the open kitchen watching the chefs at work! We were handed a cocktail list and I opted for the Mint Collins which was pretty much a Mojito- DELICIOUS!! Within minutes we had ordered our food, I went for the Lobster- it'd be rude not to! I've got to say the service in there was great! The lady that served us was so attentive and even got out a real live Lobster for us to look at and touch although I was too afraid!



Live Lobster!

Our food was served so quick and Ive got to say it was DELICIOUS! You get a whole Lobster with melted garlic butter and the chips tasted just like Macdonalds chips. Even the salad was more than I expected with little extras like red onions, croutons and spinach! It really was a lovely meal and for a great price! I would highly recommend this place! My work colleague Gemma had the Burger and it was like a huge steak in a bun! She said it was very good!

Apparently Thursday and Friday nights are their busiest times so if you don't want to hang about in a queue get down there Mon-Wed. They have other branches in Mayfair and Soho which are supposed to get ridiciously busy!

Have you been to this restaurant? What did you think?

My Daily Face

I always like to see what other people have in their make up bags so I thought I would share with you my daily make up. I use a mixture of make up brands but would say my favourite brands at the moment are Nars and YSL.

FOUNDATION- YSL Perfect Touch Radiance Brush Foundation

So, this is the foundation I am using at the moment. My best friend Emma bought this for me for my birthday. Its got a brush attached to it which is good for blending into your skin and delivers a smooth even coverage. I use shade number 5- peach and its a perfect match for my skin tone. I have to say I was always a massive fan of Clinique's super-balanced foundation before but I think the coverage on this foundation is hard to beat. You can also layer this foundation quite nicely for extra coverage on nights out. It is pricey at £34.00 but I think its the price you pay for high end make up and it does last you ages! The only thing I will say about this foundation is that I do find it a bit oily but a little bit of powder on my T Zone sorts that out. Have you tried this foundation?

CONCEALER- Natural Collection

I only recently purchased this concealer and it was mainly because I was in a rush and just grabbed a cheap one to keep me going although I actually quite like it. To be honest I rarely wear concealer as when I have blemishes and spots I find using some of my foundation is a better colour match for me however I have been using this on my under eyes recently and it feels and looks really nice. It cost £1.99 so dirt cheap! You cant really go wrong. What also grabbed me was the brand name- "NATURAL" Collection. Always a plus when I hear that word!

BRONZER- NARS Laguna

My favourite make up product at the moment has to be my Nars Laguna Bronzer. I am in LOVE with this bronzer! The colour is perfect for my fair skin without looking orange. I also love the packaging. I use my real techniques contour brush to apply this and it goes on so well. You can really blend the bronzer in well with this brush. Its my favourite part of doing my make up! This bronzer costs £25.00 but is worth every penny! I will buy this again and again!!

The colour looks dark but when applied is the perfect sun-kissed shade!

MASCARA- YSL Shocking Mascara

I first tried this mascara about 6 months ago, it was a sample from the YSL counter at my local department store and absolutely loved it! I have very short fine lashes and love that dark thick look on my eyes. My eyes are also quite small so they need opening up. This mascara does just that! The only down side to this mascara is that it dries out so quickly. But I love it so much I don't care and all I do is add a drop of water to the brush, pump the wand and its good as new! This mascara costs £24.00 so is quite pricey but for me mascara is one of the most important make up items. Look at my eyes with this mascara on- LOVE IT!

EYESHADOW- Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes Palette

This was also a present from a friend a few years ago. I'm not really an eye-shadow person but I love the shades. I tend to use the darkest colour- Espresso, with the small fine brush and just sweep a little bit into the top and bottom corners of my eyes just to give them some definition. I also use this colour for my eyebrows to give them a darker look. If im going out for a night out then I use the Nude Spice shade and Mica shade on my lids to create a smokey eye look. I really love this palette and would like to try out some others from Bobbi Brown as they go on so easily and stay put all night!

The 3 colours from right to left are Espresso, Mica & Nude Spice

LIPS-  Clarins Lip Colour Tint 

This again was a present from Emma..:) She knows I love make up!! I tend to wear lots of red coloured lipsticks and love trying new shades. This lipstick shade is number 16. The first thing I noticed about this lipstick is the smell. It has such a lovely scent, quite sweet and fruity! It goes on really well and is very moisturising. The colour looks really red but when applied goes on quite coral. Its a great everyday colour. I'm not sure they make this anymore as Ive tried to look online and cant find it. If you have any ideas where I can find this please let me know as I'm almost out and using a lip brush to scrape the last bit!

And the finishing result.......

So thats my make up! I hope you enjoyed seeing what I use..:) x

My Winter Must Haves!!

I dont know about you but with the cold starting to set in I need some creature comforts to shield me from the big freeze! Here are some of my winter "must-haves".

FEED YOURSELF WARM- 

I always start my day with a bowl of Porridge. I find this warms me up and is also a healthy breakfast that keeps you going until lunch. I tend to add a handful of blueberries to my porridge as these are packed with anti-oxidants which are good for your skin and can delay and reverse the signs of ageing. They're also a cancer fighting superfood and have various other health benefits. 

VITAMINS- 

At this time of the year you tend to find people become ill with flu and colds etc. To help prevent this I take a daily dose of Berocca. I don't take this all year round, only at the start of Winter to give me a helping hand and help fight off any germs especially as I get the tube each day for work which tends to be full of people coughing and sneezing! Berocca is a tablet crammed with vitamins and minerals which dissolves in water. You drop it into a glass of water and it makes up a tasty orange flavour drink. Its designed to help release energy from your foods and support a healthy immune system. If you have a fast paced lifestyle then your body can easily burn out and thats when you become more susceptible to germs so I would highly recommend taking this! 

HANDS-

Another "must have" for me is a good hand cream. My hands get so dry during the winter months so a good rich hand cream is a must! I am currently using L'occitane's limited edition hand cream. I got this as a freebie from a magazine recently and have used their products before and enjoyed them. This hand cream is lovely and rich without feeling greasy and smells delicious! I am using the Date Bouquet scent which smells a bit medicinal so probably not my first choice but it isn't unpleasant. L'occitane use all natural active ingredients which make this product great for sufferers of skin complaints such as eczema and dermatitis. I think I will definitely be purchasing this product when I run out!

FACE-

I also find that during the winter months I need a good face moisturiser to stop my skin from chaffing. I have used the same face cream for a good while now which was recommended to me by my Mother in Law to be. Its by No7 and called Protect and Perfect Day cream. I use this over my REN daily fluid to keep my skin moisturised and find it helps smooth lines and wrinkles. This cream also contains SPF15 which is a bonus! Have you tried this cream? 

LIPS- 

I have tried and tested a lot of lip balms and always seem to go back to my trusty old Vaseline pot! I just don't think you can beat it! A lot of people say it feels too greasy on their lips but for me there is nothing worse than dry lips. I have been using Vaseline for years and years and find its a great all rounder! I also use this to keep my eye brows in tact. I am currently using the green pot with Aloe Vera as I prefer the smell of this one. This product is cheap as chips! 

BODY-

I suffer with dry skin especially during the winter months particularly on my legs. I have tried quite a few different moisturisers and body butters but am currently using the Soap & Co Hand and Body Lotion. My Fiance bought this for me last christmas and I have re-purchased this a few times since as I find it so moisturising and the smell is amazing!! The one I tend to use is the Passion Fruit scent. We found this product in Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford. They have a few stalls there and let you try and test their products on site. I think this cost around £15 for the bottle so its not cheap but really does feel luxurious on the skin. They use all natural minerals and proteins which again is a bonus for me and especially if you have a sensitive skin. Check out their website; www.soapco.com

FEET-

My feet are the first place I feel the cold so I was chuffed when I got these warm cosy bed socks as a christmas present last year. I think they were from Next? They are cable knit wool on the outside and filled with fur inside. I think they also look really cute with the little bobbles they have attached to them. They keep my feet nice and toastie in the winter. I LOVE THEM!! 

HOT WATER BOTTLE-

I love nothing more than cuddling up to this little baby at night! I've even been known to carry this on the train to work during the winter months. This is an absolute MUST!! I think this was from Topshop? I love their selection at Christmas time, I will definitely be putting another one of these on my christmas wish list as this has gone a bit bobbly now.

Well thats my Winter Must Haves! I hope you enjoyed reading..:) x

My First Post!

So here goes my first post! I'm going to start by telling you a little about me. I'm 33 years old and live in Essex with my fiance. I work in the city so have the pleasure of commuting each day which I hate although sitting on the tube gives me a chance to do my favourite thing- people watch! I have always had a keen interest in beauty products, more so as I've got older. Probably because I am far more aware of the changes to my skin and body as the years have gone by! As a teenager I suffered with problematic skin, teenage spots and acne and thought I may have grown out of them by now but unfortunately not! I have tried and tested so many different products and its only now that I feel I have found the perfect solution to my problems! In a word...CLEANSER! Funnily enough I was recommended this miracle solution by another blogger and felt I just had to tell everyone about this amazing product and how its worked for me! Its by REN and its called Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser.

It works by combating the main causes of break-outs which are, excess sebum, a build up of dead skin cells and bacteria. This product for me is amazing! When you apply it to wet hands and rub it in you will notice it doesn't lather and feels "clay-like". I massage it into my skin and within seconds it takes off all my make up including mascara without giving me panda eyes. After rinsing my skin feels clean and moisturised without feeling oily. REN uses only 100% plant and mineral derived actives and is free from synthetic ingredients which was a perk for me as I love all things natural! This luxurious cleanser contains an extract of Manuka honey which acts as an anti-inflammatory. This is particularly good if you suffer from red painful spots like me as it helps to soothe and calm volatile complexions. I've noticed this cleanser has also made a difference to any scarring I've had from previous spots, making them less red. I follow this up with the Clearcalm 3 Replenishing Night Serum. I can honestly say that since using this product which has been the last 3 weeks, I haven't had one spot appear on my face and for me that is a miracle! I would highly recommend this product although it isn't the cheapest at £18.00 so what I found was great is that REN do whats called a Kit for Blemish Prone skin for £15.00- See here!

Its an introduction kit which includes a trial sized clearcalm 3 clarifying clay cleanser, day fluid, night serum and a treatment mask. This is a great price for testing this product and when you order from REN's website they give you 3 FREE samples of their products which you choose yourself! So...if you have like me been in search for a solution for your spot-prone skin I would definitely give this a go!

Well, this is my "must-have" product of the moment. I hope you've enjoyed reading my first post and hope it helps you. I may be making a few changes to my blog as I go along so please bare with me! Feel free to comment below and ask me any questions. x