THE COCKTAIL EXPERIENCE PREVIEW - LEEDS

On Friday 3rd March, all of the biggest and best bars within Leeds will all be showcasing their exclusive cocktail creations, created especially for the nights event; The Cocktail Experience! I had the pleasure of being invited to head over to their Press Evening to have a preview, and get a feel of what the event will hold, and to try out 1 or 2, (or 6) of their cocktails! I took along my friend Caitlin, and we made our way over to Aspire, the location in which The Cocktail Experience will be held at. 

To begin with, we started off by going to the Be At One stall, and tried a sample of their 'Brit Spritz'.

Ingredients:

  • Kamm & Sons
  • Elderflower Cordial
  • Prosecco
  • Soda

I will admit, I found this drink to be a little too bitter for my taste, but their 'Flavour Wheel' was interesting, and was a great way to determine what type of drink you should order, depending on the type of spirit/flavour you like the best!

Next up, we went to the Moet & Chandon stall, and I tried out their 'Ice Imperial' drink which went down a treat I must say. As we pondered as to which stall to go to next, I noticed a cocktail in the form of a milk bottle with a bit of candy floss coming out of it... Of course, I was naturally drawn to it! The cocktail was 'Fairground' by Oracle and tasted very sweet. One of my favourites of the night! 'No.53' by Marigold was by far the most delicate looking drink and was very refreshing! 

'My Caramel Romance' by Malmaison was by far my most favourite out of them all! If I hadn't have been working the next day, I genuinely would have drunk about 5 of them! The drink tasted like a caramel frappuccino and will definitely one I will be having on the 3rd March! 'Ruby' by Jakes bar was another favourite of mine, and to finish off the evening, Caitlin and I were given our first whiskey based drink by Vice & Virtue; King Of The North. The drink was sweet and definitely opened up my eyes to trying out more whiskey drinks, it was delicious!

Thank you to Pink Gorilla for inviting me along, I had a great time and I am thoroughly looking forward to the Friday 3rd March! For more details on The Cocktail Experience, head over to their website here to see which bars will be featuring.

Have you been to any of the bars mentioned in Leeds before? Which are your favourites? What is your favourite drink to have when you head out? Will you be coming to The Cocktail Experience? Let me know your thoughts below, and don't forget to click that like button!

HEALTHY VALENTINE'S SNACKS

Following on from my Healthy Halloween Snacks, a few of my readers had told me that they had really enjoyed that post, so I felt it was only natural for me to create some Healthy Snacks again, this time, for Valentine's! I took inspiration from Pinterest, and came up with a few ideas to make these my own. I hope you enjoy these creations, and if you have any other ideas/suggestions on what you'll be creating yourselves, then do let me know!

HEART SHAPED FRUIT N VEG

  1. Before you begin, you will need heart shaped stencil cutouts (I ordered mine here.), and some fruit and vegetables of your choice!
  2. Simply place the heart stencil onto the chosen fruit/vegetable and slowly push down to create the desired shape.
  3. Once you have the shape, slowly raise the stencil filled with the fruit/vegetable and carefully remove.
  4. & there we have it! It's that simple! 
  5. For an added extra, why not fill your love heart in with a few other fruit/vegetables. For instance, I chose to use the extra strawberries I had to fill them in with blueberries!

LOVE ME SKEWERS

  1. To begin with, you will need your chosen fruit.
  2. Some skewers - they can range in sizes, anything from cocktail sticks (depending on how miniature you're wanting to go), or some BBQ skewers!
  3. Simply arrange the fruit and slowly push them onto the skewers carefully without damaging them.

YOU DRIVE ME BANANA'S

  1. To begin, you will need some banana's, and a pen.
  2. Simply write your messages onto your banana's.
  3. & there we have it! Simple, but highly effective.

These three ideas took me around 45 minutes to do, they were super quick and easy to create, and will make for a great activity with your loved one this Valentines!

Have you experimented with food similar to this before? Which is your favourite idea out of the three that I have made? Will you be trying any of these out? Let me know down below if you do create any of these, as I would love to see them! Also, don't forget to hit that like button down below!

ULTIMATE VALENTINE'S GIFT GUIDE 2017

With less than a week to go now until Valentine's Day, I have put together a Gift Guide for your special loved one! But if like me you are single, then why not go ahead and treat yourself regardless!? 

I have chosen a few of my favourite gifts ranging from fragrances, to food and drink, finishing off with some little treats! I hope you enjoy this Gift Guide, and I hope these inspire you with some ideas!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FRAGRANCE:

FOR HER -

FOR HIM - 

Marc Jacobs - Daisy; Eau So Fresh/Kiss

I have lost count with the amount of ladies in my life who are in love with this fragrance! A sweet, yet fruity scent and one that will instantly make you a winner in any girls eyes! 

{ Purchase }

Viktor & Rolf - Flowerbomb

Another classic ladies fragrance; Flowerbomb! Similar to the Mens Spicebomb version in the sense that they are both very strong when it comes to sillage.

{ Purchase }

Narcisco Rodriguez - For Her; Fleur Musc

I find that the bottle of this looks like an enlarged, elegant version of nail varnish.. Just me? Anyway! A floral yet musky scent with vibrant notes.

{ Purchase }

Chloé - A Love Story

A clean fragrance that is equally as floral as it is citrusy! Perfect for the upcoming Spring season! 

{ Purchase }

Davidoff - Horizon Extreme

A woody, spicy fragrance that has incredible longevity and can give you many compliments!

{ Review || Purchase }

Viktor & Rolf - Spicebomb

My first ever fragrance, and one I will always go back to due to it's stunning scent, and the powerful sillage it leaves behind.  

{ Review || Purchase }

Issey Miyake - L'eau D'Issey Pour Homme Noir Ambre

An oriental scent that feels warm and sweet. Perfect for a nighttime, and the bottle is just as stunning as the fragrance!      

{ Website }

Tom Ford - Extreme

A strong, solid masculine scent. One I believe should be in Tom Ford's Private Blend Collection, it's that good. A woody, earthy fragrance and one that lasts for hours upon your skin!

{ Purchase }

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FOOD AND DRINK:

Hotel Chocolat - The Valentines Pick Me Up

Chocolates from Hotel Chocolat are always a guaranteed way to make somebody feel good! Within this little goody box you get;

  1. Shortbread covered in 50% Milk Chocolate
  2. 6 white hearts flavoured with Passion Fruit 
  3. A slab of caramel-milk chocolate covered in puddles and florentines
  4. 2 hearts, one containing a hint of chilli (my favourite!) and the other, their signature praline

{ Purchase } 

Kraken Black Spiced Rum

I had been sent a little sample of Kraken Rum last year from 31Dover.com, and ever since that sample, I have been hooked. Honestly, it is all I ever drink now! It is sublime. I drink this with Coke as I have found it to mix perfectly, although I am looking for new mixers and cocktail suggestions to use Kraken Rum with? Any help? 

{ Review }

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GIFTS:

TK Maxx - Stags Head

A gift bought for me a couple of years ago, that I have found instantly grabs peoples attention wherever this is placed within my house. (It is also heavily featured in some of my YouTube videos that you may have seen!) Stunning, slick and bold, a must have for any man after something eye catching for their room!

Now, as with TK Maxx stores only stocking certain items, I have included the link for their website so you're able to find similar options to the stag and I have also found an alternative to the one photographed.

{ Alternative || Website }

 

 

Jo Malone - Mens Cologne Collection Gift Set #JustBecause

As a huge fan of all things Jo Malone, I was flattered when I had received their Mens Cologne Collection containing 5 of their miniature fragrances; 

  1. Dark Amber & Ginger Lily
  2. Grapefruit
  3. Amber & Lavender
  4. Wood Sage & Sea Salt
  5. Incense & Cedrat

As part of their #JustBecause campaign, in each of their boutiques, they are currently personalising each gift with a special message for your loved one! Your chosen gift will be wrapped with a 'Just Because' ribbon, and will feature your personal message on a gift card. Why? Well, just because!

{ Purchase || Website }

Blossoming Gifts - 50 Red Roses

I love roses, any type of rose, I absolutely love! So when Blossoming Gifts sent over this beautiful bouquet of 50 red roses, I was immediately won over! As a special treat to you, my readers, I can exclusively share with you a discount code of a whopping 33% to ensure your loved one will receive a special bouquet of flowers in time for Valentines!

DISCOUNT CODE: BGIFTS33

I would also like to point out, that I received these flowers on Friday 3rd February, and are still in perfect condition now, on Wednesday 8th February! Blossoming Gifts also offer Next Day Delivery when you order by 9pm.

*Please note that the code does not include those in the 'flowers by post' range, but is included on everything else!*

{ Purchase }

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have you tried any of these gifts mentioned in my Gift Guide? Which is your favourite? Have you any ideas of what you will be getting your loved one this year for Valentines? Perhaps if you're single, will you be treating yourself to anything? Do let me know your thoughts down below, and don't forget to click that like button! 

PS. Have a wonderful Valentines whatever your plans are. X

CHARLOTTE TILBURY VALENTINE'S GIVEAWAY

'Easy to choose, easy to use, easy to gift!'

I love Valentine's! I love the whole notion of romance and the idea of love, and to share some of the love with you, I have teamed up with the exquisite Charlotte Tilbury to gift you, or your loved one, some special, gorgeous treats!

Charlotte Tilbury is a world renowned makeup artist, working with the likes of Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Rihanna, Cara Delevigne, the list goes on... Charlotte then launched her range of makeup and skincare products in 2013, and is now instantly recognised with her iconic and understated, rose gold packaging!

The luxurious gifts that you could win yourself are:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  • JOY TOP NOTES: Lemon, Peach, Black Pepper
  • FLEUROTIC HEART NOTES: Tuberose, Jasmine, Frankincense, Hedione, Violet
  • MAGIC MOLECULE BASE NOTES: Fire Tree, ISO E Super, Patchouli, Ambroxan

A one of a kind, 'floral chypre' fragrance that attracts love, light, power, positivity and sex to the wearer.. I don't think you could find a fragrance more apt for Valentine's! The beautiful Kate Moss stars in the campaign, which you can view the video here.

Charlotte's Magic Cream is a unique multi-tasking, anti-aging cream which stimulates collagen production leaving your skin looking healthier and more hydrated! The cream also has SPF15 within it, ensuring that your skin stays protected from the Sun's harmful UV rays. 

 

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love Bite is a striking, bold, pillar-box red and is ideal for an effortless Parisian inspired makeup look! As stated before with the 'Valentine' Lipstick, this 'Love Bite' lipstick also contains all of the same ingredients and pigments. With it being a very bold colour, a special blend of waxes has gone into creating this lipstick which will ensure that the colour will not bleed outside of the lip line!

The petal-rose pink lipstick was given the name 'Valentine' by fans through Instagram. The lipstick contains 3D glowing pigments which will give you a fuller, wider pout and also contains light-diffusing pigments which will give your lips a luminous finish to them as the light reflects off of them! 'Valentine' is finished with an angled square tip, so you can apply this lipstick straight from the bullet for those kissable lips!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For your chance to win this incredible prize of Charlotte Tilbury gifts, all you need to do is the following:

  1. Follow me on my Twitter page here
  2. Retweet my pinned Charlotte Tilbury tweet here

It's that simple! All entries will be checked on my Twitter page, and the winner of this bundle of treats will be announced live on my Instagram Story on Friday 10th February.

I wish you the best of luck!

*Please note, if you don't win this time, Charlotte Tilbury offer 2 free samples per order, and from February 1st, free samples of their K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipsticks will be complimentary also! Check out Charlotte's Gift Shop for more treats and ideas!

VALENTINE'S TAKEOVER

It's that time of year again! Whether you love it or loathe it, there is no escaping from the fact that Valentine's is slowly creeping up on us! 

As a fan of Valentine's (albeit being single, *ahem*), I have come up with a few blog posts and social media content that I hope you will all really enjoy! I can actually reveal, that I have teamed up with a luxury brand for a big Valentine's Giveaway... Intrigued right? Well make sure you come back and find out more details on that very soon! 

How do you like my new Valentines look? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!

TONI&GUY x SIBLING

When it comes to haircare, I have to say, I'm pretty lazy. I used to simply find a hair product, rub it into my hair until I felt it looked decent enough, and then spritz a load of hairspray on top to keep it in place. I was never overly conscious of my hair, nor did I make a massive effort, but now I have come to the realisation that it was in fact, because I was using the wrong product this whole time!

During the London Fashion Week: Mens, I received a backstage pass to the TONI&GUY event, but unfortunately, I was unable to attend. I swear I will make it to the London Fashion Week: Mens one day! (Hopefully in June..?)

TONI&GUY collaborated with Sibling to come up with a special, limited edition bundle of products, and I was very fortunate to have received this bundle that were used from the TONI&GUY Fashion Show! The goodies I received were;

  1. TONI&GUY - Styling Clay
  2. TONI&GUY - Styling Fibre
  3. TONI&GUY - Flexi Definition Gel
  4. TONI&GUY - Illuminating Hair Perfume
  5. V05 - 'Plump It Up' Dry Shampoo
  6. V05 - mattFibre
  7. V05 - liftingPaste
  8. V05 - fluffTamer

I have thoroughly enjoyed experimenting, and playing around with each product and working out which style worked best for me! That being said, the ones that stood out to me by a clear mile were...

V05 liftingPaste

When I first applied this into my hair, I began sweeping my hair backwards into a bit of a quiff, as I would do normally, and honest to God, I saw a huge difference immediately! My hair appeared thicker, and stayed upright into a quiff-like position almost effortlessly. I felt as though my hair looked more groomed and polished, and the texture of my hair still felt smooth and soft to touch! None of that 'producty' feel to it! To further prove how obsessed I am with the V05 liftingPaste, I have had a lot of compliments recently on my hair too. By far, my favourite hair product when it comes to styling, as I have noticed such a difference with this, and it does exactly what I need it to! You can purchase the V05 liftingPaste here.

TONI&GUY STYLING FIBRE

Similar to the liftingPaste, this Styling Fibre does what I need it to in terms of getting my hair upright and styled. I only used a small amount each time I used this, and found that it didn't leave my hair feeling sticky or too difficult to play around with! The Styling Fibre is quite versatile in the sense that if I want to have a slightly 'bedhead' look, then this will achieve that, just as much as it would when I opt to have a more slick, groomed style. I have to say, that I found this Styling Fibre to smell quite nice too! You can purchase the TONI&GUY Styling Fibre here.

V05 'PLUMP IT UP' DRY SHAMPOO

I am quite particular when it comes to dry shampoos! Mainly because in the past whenever I have used one, the dry shampoo makes my hair appear to have white patches, and it looks rather dusty.. This dry shampoo however, is completely 'patchfree' and creates a fresh, clean look to my hair! I have also enjoyed using this dry shampoo as a way to style my hair, as it adds a bit of volume and texture. You can purchase the V05 'Plump It Up' Dry Shampoo here.

To view more of the range of products by TONI&GUY, click here!

I would love to know if any of you have tried any of these products out? How do you style your hair, and what products do you use? Have you used any by TONI&GUY before? Do let me know your comments down below, and don't forget to click the 'like' button!

BOBBI BROWN SKINCARE

Before receiving a bundle of skincare goodies from Bobbi Brown, I am slightly ashamed to admit, that I only ever thought of the Bobbi Brown brand for makeup. I had no idea that they did skincare! That being said, I was very intrigued and curious to try the range out. I received five products, and having tried each of them out, I can say that they are all as equally luxurious as the next. I am now, a big fan of Bobbi Brown!

20170129_172353307_iOS.jpg

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HYDRATING EYE CREAM

I applied the Hydrating Eye Cream just before going to bed, to allow the cream to work overnight. Upon application, you only need a small amount of the eye cream on your ring finger, and then using your ring finger, dab small amounts of the cream underneath your eye area starting from the corner of your eye. Be sure to go right the way around your eye area, and above your eye meeting again at your starting point in the corner! Gently massage the eye cream into your skin, and allow the skin to absorb the cream.

It took around 3-4 days of continuous application for me to notice a difference, and when I did, my eye areas appeared less puffy, and the 'purple' tones seemed to have been reduced! I also really liked the packaging of the eye cream, as I found it looked very slick and compact! You can purchase the Hydrating Eye Cream here.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INSTANT DETOX MASQUE

This is one of my favourite Masques.. Ever! A bold statement, I know, but I have found this to really clean out my pores, brighten up my face, and create a smoother, more polished finish! To apply the masque, make sure your skin is slightly damp beforehand, gently rub the masque over your face, avoiding the eye area, and then leave to settle for 2-5 minutes. For me personally, I left this masque on for 5 minutes, as that is when I felt the masque really tightened my skin and began to work.

The colour of the masque is a dark grey to begin with, but ends up a much lighter grey once the masque begins to work! You can purchase the Instant Detox Masque here.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HYDRATING RICH CREAM CLEANSER

I don't often use cleansers, but the times that I do, are primarily when I need to remove a bit of fake tan that is starting to look a little patchy! I found this cleanser to be really silky on my skin and found that it absorbed well also. My skin felt smooth, soft, and appeared more hydrated! You can purchase the Hydrating Rich Cream Cleanser here.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BUFFING GRAINS FOR FACE

I actually applied the buffing grains whilst using the hydrating rich cream cleanser! I found that the buffing grains are best applied with a product, such as the cleanser, as when they work together, they compliment each other perfectly. To apply the buffing grains, you only need a tiny amount, and be sure to rub gently across your skin. I have to admit also, that the buffing grains is a first for me! I have never tried any of these before, but with that being said, I am a new fan of this type of product, and can see the benefits! My skin immediately felt softer to touch, and I find that the buffing grains is a great and easy way to exfoliate the skin. You can purchase the Buffing Grains here.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SKIN CLARIFIER - PORE & OIL CONTROL

I applied the skin clarifier on my skin twice a day, only applying two-three drops at a time! I found that with this product, I didn't notice a massive difference with it, however my skin did look less shiny, especially around my 'T-Zone' area! You can purchase the Skin Clarifier - Pore & Oil Control here.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed trialling out these products from the Bobbi Brown Skincare Range, and have now implemented a few of them into my skincare routine as my new staple favourites! The whole skincare range feels super luxurious, and is definitely worth treating yourself to. To check out more from Bobbi Brown, such as their skincare products, or even some of their 'How To Tutorials' click here!

Have you tried any of these skincare products before? Have you bought anything from Bobbi Brown? If so, what did you buy? What is your favourite item from Bobbi Brown? Do let me know your thoughts, as I would love to hear from you all! Also, don't forget to click that 'like' button down below!