I love any kind of facial treatment. I really am up for trying anything. A chance to give your skin a well deserved treat. I was invited along the other week to a clinic called Medizen, based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, to try out their Perk treatments.
13/12/2017
11/12/2017
Burleighs Gin Distillery tour | Leicestershire
You all know I'm now a big lover of gin right? Well, a few weeks back Leicester's gin masters, Burleighs, invited me along to their distillery where they offer tours to the general public so you can go and have a good old nosey around and learn a little about the process. I DID NOT need to be asked twice and I took my gin buddy, Mr C. If I took anyone else he would have actually killed me!
30/11/2017
Gin Festival at Athena Leicester
I've not been a big spirit drinker since my teenage years really but I've become a bit of a gin lover of late. It started in the summer when Nick met up with his friend Gary and they whiled away a few hours in the pub garden sipping on G&T's. That translated to Nick forcing me to try one, and me being adamant that I really didn't like gin. But, wait a minute, this wasn't the gin I remembered. This was actually really nice!!! Fast forward to November, and many bottles of gin later, we found ourselves off to the gin festival in our home town!!! The event was being held at Athena in Leicester and we were invited along by Ginfestival.com, the UK's premier gin events company. With festivals being held all over the UK, they've become hugely popular. Understandable!
20/11/2017
Black Iron at Winstanley House Leicester
credit |
A few weeks back the Black Iron restaurant opened it's doors to the public and Mr C and I were invited along for the press night. I was intrigued to say the least because it's situated in Winstanley House, formerly known as Braunstone Hall, a grade II listed building that has sat derelict for some 20 years. The grand building has been sympathetically restored to its former glory marrying the old building with a new ultra modern extension. We were given a tour of the hotel rooms and facilities and whilst there seemed to be quite a bit of finishing off to be done, you could see that all the rooms had that touch of luxury, especially the two opulent bridal suites. Winstanley House sits in Braunstone Park and the former stately home is perfect for weddings, parties, weekend breaks, or just to pop in for lunch or even just a coffee. The history of the house is fascinating and you should definitely take a look here.
13/11/2017
Bistrot Pierre Leicester
Bistrot Pierre in Leicester have recently undergone a refurbishment and I was kindly invited along to sample the menu and checkout the new look. We've actually dined at Bistrot Pierre a few times in the past and it's one of my favourite restaurants in Leicester so I was excited to go and see what they'd done with the place.
09/11/2017
31/10/2017
Zara Prince of Wales check dress
I'm a little bit in love with the Prince of Wales check pieces if you hadn't already noticed. I bought this dress before I got my POW blazer actually and it's so comfy to wear.
30/10/2017
11/10/2017
Jan Marini hyla 3D HA lip complex / review
I've been quite vocal of late telling you how I've really upped my game looking after my skin and I'm certainly seeing results. I'm throwing in acids, vitamin C and retinol but have to be honest I tend to forget about my lips even though I really dislike them and I'd change them tomorrow if I could!
04/10/2017
14/09/2017
Thoughts on the Aldi candle dupe
I was a bit late jumping on the bandwagon with the Aldi candles. The media furore somehow passed me by! It was only when my son's girlfriend mentioned how much her mum loved them that I hopped in the car in a mad dash to get myself one (or two). Apparently they've sold out time and time again, flying off the shelves the minute they come in.
04/09/2017
The Ordinary. Skincare that everyone is still talking about
The Ordinary. The buzz around this brand has been phenomenal with products hitting the shelves with a BIG bang and then flying off said shelves at a rate of knots. Falling under the umbrella of Deciem, The Abnormal Beauty Company, The Ordinary is a brand they have made affordable to everyone. All of the Deciem brands use high quality, high concentration ingredients and The Ordinary is no exception. Caroline Hirons actually did a blog post around a year ago putting some questions to Brandon Truaxe, the founder of Deciem and it's quite interesting.
23/08/2017
My first experience with SheIn & a designer handbag dupe
You'll probably know that I'm not a fan of ordering clothes and stuff online. I can't be arsed with the hassle of having to send stuff back that inevitably doesn't fit because in actual fact I'm a size 9!! Sometimes an 8, sometimes a 10 but more often than not my size is somewhere in the bloody middle.
21/08/2017
The Private Collection from Primark
You may have seen Primarks new collection a lot on social media over the last few weeks, I'd be surprised if you don't know about it as it's been extremely popular! Say 'hello' to their new Private Collection.
31/07/2017
Styling the petite cropped trouser
Finding the right fit for petite trousers can be difficult at the best of times, let alone 'cropped' petite trousers. If you get the wrong fit they can drown you and make you look even shorter, and none of us want that do we?!
The cropped trouser is here to stay and it can add so much versatility to your wardrobe. Keep it casual with a tee or dress them up for a night on the town. I've opted for somewhere in between for this look, perfect for meeting friends for coffee or a lunch date, great for a day in the office too perhaps?
This floral yellow blouse with fluted sleeves is super pretty and comfy to wear. It's actually from Primark and you can find it here. It's very sheer so you'll need a nude coloured bra or maybe a vest type top with thin straps underneath, personally I just go for the bra, you can see it slightly when you get up close and personal but that doesn't bother me.
These trousers are from Dorothy Perkins but I can't see them online to link to. There's some similar here but without the tie detailing.
The cropped trouser can instantly make you look slimmer with the eye drawn to the ankles. Cropped are great to show off fabulous shoes and there are so many different styles. I prefer the straighter leg style which are loosely fitted then taper slightly to the ankle. I have some similar ones in burgundy (here) that I wore to London Fashion Weekend.
You really do have to be careful though if you are petite. Shop around to find the perfect style to suit your body shape as with the shorter hem if you're not careful some will make your legs look even shorter. Also, try and wear a shoe that shows the top of your foot to elongate the legs a little more.
I'm a short arse 5 foot 2 but I think these work for me!
Shop the look
28/07/2017
Micro needling & skin renewal with Swiss clinics
I've talked about my skin, and the problems I have with it, on this blog many a time. As I've gotten older my skincare routine has become really important to me and I'm now throwing everything at it, going real hard core. I mean I'm not literally just throwing any old thing at it obviously, but really considering what I'm putting on my skin these days and what benefits it has. I've brought in all the anti-aging big guns, retinols, vitamin c, and all sorts of acids. I wrote a couple of posts a while back about my routines which you can read here and here but I will be doing a more up to date post on my current skincare including all the products I'm now using. More recently I've also added a skin roller into the mix. Even though I've only recently added it, I've been thinking about it for quite some time. Last year I had a collagen PIN treatment at a clinic and knew then that I wanted something similar that I could do at home.
24/07/2017
A little bit of Spain at home
I love Spain and I miss being there. Terribly. For those that don't know we lived there for a little while some years back and feel like it's our second home. Last weekend Nick and I had a real yearning to be there, so what was the next best thing? Stick on the Gipsy Kings and have a Spanish style feast of course.
17/07/2017
Face masks I'm using right now
One of the great things in life is a good old 'at home' pamper session, Let's face it, not all of us can afford costly trips to a salon but we can afford to give ourselves a bit of TLC in the comfort of our own home. A hot bubble bath followed by a mani, pedi, face scrub, then pop on a face mask and relax, pure bliss. It should be a once a week ritual at least because taking time out for yourself is good for the body and the soul.
07/07/2017
Gourmet Burger Kitchen hits Leicester
I don't always post on here when I attend launches of new bars/restaurants, I mostly share on social media but I had such a lovely time at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen the other night that I thought I'd share it with you.
06/07/2017
Wedding florals
Will I ever stop buying off the shoulder outfits. The answer is a big fat NO of course. In fact the dress I bought before this one was also off the shoulder.
14/06/2017
Rambling rose swimsuit from UK Swimwear
Yessss!!!!!! As I write this the sun is shining and it's hot. Not just warm, but HOT, and the weather people have predicted high temperatures for the weekend. Hallelujah! I wanted to get this post done a couple of weeks ago but due to personal stuff going on I've not had the chance and I've not been able to get away anywhere to get the shots I wanted, no beach, no water, no stunning backdrop, so had to make do, although I'm pretty pleased the sun came out for these ones.
07/06/2017
29/05/2017
Little black pots of Lush favourites
I guess I let the blogging side down. I don't throw pretty, brightly coloured glittery bath bombs into the water and film them fizzing away. FAIL. I'm not a bath person though, I'm most definitely a shower girl. BUT, that doesn't mean I don't love Lush, with their fresh, handmade, pungent beauty products, their policies and what they stand for as much as the next gal. I do.
22/05/2017
Advanced snail eye serum from SkinChemists
If you're a regular reader you'll know how much I loved and raved about the advanced snail duo moisturiser from British brand SkinChemists, and this months product focus is on an item from the same range, the advanced snail eye serum*.
Friday night in with Pizza Express
Life is often so hectic Nick and I don't get the chance to have a date night of any sort. Most nights it's more like ramming some food down our throats, Mr C then dashing off to volunteer, me parking my bum at my desk to blog and the kids going off out to do their own thing! Although, thinking about it we did have a recipe box delivered recently and enjoyed cooking up a storm together with that.
17/05/2017
National Smile Month & teeth whitening with Janina
It's National Smile Month guys (15th May-15th June), time to get your smile on and flash those gnashers! I don't know about you but I'm always looking for ways to improve my smile, I want to get my teeth straightened a bit with some braces but that's another issue so, for now I'm looking at ways to whiten my teeth and make my smile that little bit brighter.
14/05/2017
Summer vibes with off the shoulder from New Look
I know, I know, off the shoulder again but I just can't help it, especially when we're talking pretty floral summer dresses!
08/05/2017
05/05/2017
IT cosmetics CC+ cream....your skin but better
You know I've been searching for THE perfect foundation for like, EVERRRRRR. I guess you are too aren't you? It's a never ending journey, jeez, I'm sure we'll only find it at the end of the rainbow with that pot of gold! I thought I'd found THE ONE here, but it goes a bit like this - you buy it, spending loads of pounds in the process, you use it for a good month or two and you actually do love it, but then all of a sudden, out of the blue, from nowhere, you're skin looks shit again. I mean, what the hell has happened, what's changed? It just doesn't look polished or give the coverage it did when I first started using it and I haven't the foggiest why, all I do know is that I want something better and I'm on the hunt, again! *SIGH*
02/05/2017
Boarding the train to Soller, Palma de Mallorca
A trip to Palma is not complete without a journey on the train to Soller and you simply have to do it. If you missed my last post about Palma, you'll find that HERE.
26/04/2017
21/04/2017
19/04/2017
07/04/2017
A nip & tuck in a jar thanks to Exalt from Temple Spa
These days it seems we're all more obsessed than ever with our skincare routines, and that's no bad thing is it? I get excited about trying new products and love anything beauty! I don't know about you but I'm always busy double cleansing and toning, I'm incorporating acids and retinol into my routine now and throwing all the moisturiser I can at my skin, you ladies doing the same? I need to whisper something in your ear though; I've not been very good at looking after my neck and décolleté area. I've kind of neglected it over the years when it also needed lots of TLC, and I'm now extremely annoyed that I didn't pay it more attention.
03/04/2017
19/03/2017
15/03/2017
12/03/2017
08/03/2017
Skin Chemists bee venom facial serum
Spring seems like a really good time to ramp up your skincare and I know you guys will love this bee venom facial serum from Skin Chemists that I've been putting through its paces for the last couple of weeks.
03/03/2017
LUSH Oatifix fresh face mask || Hello hydration!
You can't beat an at home pamper session and I love a face mask as much as the next girl, taking time out for yourself to relax and refresh is the best isn't it? Unless you can afford a spa treatment, then I guess that's actually the best, but hey ho! I use a face mask on a regular basis, most definitely once, maybe even twice a week, and there are plenty out there that I 'like', the odd one I've purchased again, others not at all. The Oatifix fresh face mask from Lush, I LOVE and I don't say that lightly. My God it's amazing.
27/02/2017
La Chapelle || Winter sunshine in the French Alps
So, we were last together at après weren't we downing shots and bottles of fizz (remind yourself here) after arriving and surprising Emily and I promised I'd show the chalet that we holidayed in and tell you a little more about the area.
19/02/2017
A trip to the French Alps to surprise our Chalet girl
A couple of weeks ago we flew to Geneva on a surprise mission. Our daughter Emily is currently working in the French Alps as a chalet host and having the time of her life. She kept on asking us to go visit her but for one reason or another we just couldn't do it. I won't bore you with the details but things changed, we booked our flights and off we went. We decided not to tell Emily and just turn up. We'd spoken to Matt, the owner of the chalet where she was working and arranged to stay there and he sorted our transfers from Geneva, which is about 90 minutes, on a good day. We arrived at the chalet around 6pm and the look on her face was priceless. Shocked but so pleased and excited.
17/02/2017
My trial of Silidyn is over so let me tell you what I think
My 8 weeks are up so let's talk about Silidyn* again shall we? This tiny bottle of liquid silicon is said to provide benefits to hair, skin, nails, connective tissue and bones. You can read my last post here and that kinda tells you a bit about Silicon itself and why a supplement like this is good to take.
12/02/2017
Review of The Queen's Head in Belton Leicestershire
Friday night I was invited along to review the food at The Queen's Head in Belton, Loughborough, a quaint village pub in the heart of The Midlands. Having recently undergone a refurbishment the interior decor is incredibly stylish with a contemporary twist, but with a homely, warm feeling too and it's all been done to a very high standard. The dining areas are extremely spacious, there's no sitting on top of each other in this pub!!
10/02/2017
TILI beauty box from QVC (Number 3)
I'm back again with the next TILI box to show you. Another one I couldn't resist. As you know I don't purchase any subscription boxes and NEVER will, I decide when I want to buy one. This is the third TILI box they've produced (through QVC) and I've genuinely been really impressed with each one. I can honestly say I've found at least one product from each box that I have/will repurchase again. That's why I love these because if you like the look of the products in a box for that month you just buy and try. Simples. There's a couple of items in here that were already on my 'To-Try' list so happy days!
03/02/2017
Bedroom makeover || Pretty vintage chic interiors
Last year I shared our master bedroom makeover (post here- please excuse slightly dodgy photography though!) and now I bring you Emily's bedroom makeover. Prior to the makeover her room was that of a typical teenager and the revamp was long overdue to be fair. She wanted something along the vintage lines, feminine with pastel shades but really light and bright, she only has a small window in her bedroom so we wanted to make it as bright as possible.
29/01/2017
Getting into the fitness training zone Make a change with M&Co
I didn't make any new years resolutions this year, and it's a good job I didn't because to be perfectly honest I think I would have struggled to keep them as I've had this nasty virus from Boxing day right up until a couple of days ago BUT I have vowed to get back on the fitness train in the next week or so and new work out gear always gives that little bit of motivation to get you going doesn't it? M&Co recently got in touch to see if I wanted to try out their new Training Zone range, their brand new activewear collection for men,women and children, perfect for any type of activity.
27/01/2017
Winter skin saviours for 30 plussers & beyond || night time routine
I recently covered my daytime routine on here so now it's time to tell you about the products I currently use in the evening. As I said in my daytime post I've switched my cosmeceutical products from Jan Marini to ZO Skin health but also combine that with other brands too at the moment as I'm working my way up to getting more of the ZO products when budget will allow!
18/01/2017
Winter skin saviours for 30 plussers & beyond || Daytime routine
Over the last 12-18 months I've switched my skincare around quite a bit. Being in my 40's I really need to be using products that work and produce results, not just surface results but deep down in the skin kinda results! Everything I buy seems to have the words 'anti-aging' slapped all over them these days *sigh* but there's no getting away from it, I'm getting old!
08/01/2017
Silidyn review || A silicon supplement for strong bones & nails, better skin & healthier hair
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