WINTER ESSENTIALS

December 13, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

One of my favourite things about dressing for the colder weather is the accessories you get to wear that layer up to complete an outfit!

I had recently been contacted by House Of Fraser who very kindly allowed me to select a coat or a jacket of my choice from their website! I chose the Barbour Canterdale Quilted Jacket in Navy for this LookBook as I wanted to go for a slightly more casual feel.

The Barbour Quilted Jacket I found to be very versatile and can be worn to smarten an outfit up, or like the look which I went for, can be styled for a more dressed down look. I wanted to keep things simple yet classic with this look so, I teamed the Barbour Quilted Jacket with my favourite Limited Edition Superga trainers in collaboration with Harvey Nichols, and a 'Peaky Blinders' style Baker Boy Hat from Next to complete the look!

For more Winter Essentials, click here.

Myself and Matt McCormick revisited a previous location in Leeds for this LookBook and I am very pleased with the results, I hope you all like the images too!

WHAT I WORE:

HOUSE OF FRASER | Barbour Canterdale Quilted Jacket

SUPERGA | Biscuit Nubuck Trainers

NEXT | London Boy Baker Hat

NEXT | White Crew Neck T Shirt

TOPMAN | Dark Wash Spray On Jeans

Have you shopped from House Of Fraser before? If so, what did you buy? Do you like my Barbour Canterdale Quilted Jacket? Do you like the images that we took? What are your thoughts on the Superga Trainers? Do let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don’t forget to click that like button!

*Please note, this post has been sponsored.

CHRISTMAS WITH KIEHL'S 2017

December 12, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

It's that time of year again when one of my all-time favourite skincare brands have teamed up with chosen artists to design and create a festive feel for their limited edition packaging for Christmas! I am, of course, talking about Kiehl's!

Kiehl's have teamed up with;

Disney - A special collaboration honouring the iconic Mickey Mouse celebrating love, laughter and legacy!
Kate Moross - An Art Director who has previously worked with Kiehl's a couple of years ago for a Limited Edition of the best selling Creme de Corps for Mothers Day.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a couple of the Limited Edition products such as;

Disney: Creme de Corps - A super-enriched body treatment formulated with Beta-Carotene, Squalane and Nurturing Oils. This left my skin feeling hydrated and nourished, and the scent is heavenly! You can purchase this here.
Kate Moross: Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner - Made with whole flowers and plant extract, an alcohol-free facial toner designed to combat problematic skin. I love how fresh faced my skin looked from having used this! To view the design, click here! Unfortunately this is sold out online but do check your local Kiehl's Boutiques as they may still have some left!
Kate Moross: Midnight Recovery Concentrate - My all time favourite product by Kiehl's and one I have reviewed here before! This too has also sold out online, but to view the design, click here.

Whilst both designs are stunning and complete polar opposites, I must admit, that the Kate Moross designs were my favourite. I favour bold, strong designs and I liked how striking and modern these felt over the more traditional Mickey Mouse designs!

Did you manage to get your hands on either of the special Limited Edition designed products? If so, which one did you get? Which design do you like the best? The traditional Mickey Mouse? Or the modern Kate Moross? Have you tried any of the products mentioned? Which is your favourite? Do let me know your thoughts as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to click the 'like' button below!

'MR LUKE CHRISTIAN' IS NOW OFFICIALLY TRADEMARKED

December 07, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

It's been a long time coming!

I had always been a little reluctant to trademark my name, but I had been advised by fellow bloggers and PR's and also by my family and friends. The reason for hesitating was because I didn't feel as though it was necessary and I didn't want to come off as though I found myself too important? However, I had two bad experiences towards the end of Summer which have since made me re-evaluate just how important it is to cover your own back, especially on social media now!

I don't believe that this will change how I run my blog, nor will I change the content etc. But, I do believe that this has given me a huge boost of motivation and drive again to succeed and to really step it up a notch! I'm drifting away a little, but thank you all for your support and for being with me along this journey.

RICCI'S TAPAS & CICCHETTI - LEEDS

December 04, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

Ricci's Tapas & Cicchetti can be found on the corner of Infirmary Street, in the heart of the financial district in Leeds in a Grade Listed II building, this restaurant is easy to get to and offers small tapas-style dishes using fresh local produce and unique artisan ingredients from around the world!

I had recently been invited along to try out some of their dishes and prior to the visit I had always known of Ricci's as a 'hotspot' in Leeds and that it was the place to eat so I was rather excited beforehand. As a complete novice to both the restaurant and to tapas-style dishes, I had no idea what to expect! The menu was rather expansive and from the menu I chose:

Italian Meatballs
Slow Roasted Local Belly Pork
Sweet Potato Wedges
Fish Masala
and to finish off with I had the Dark Chocolate Tart!

The Italian Meatballs were incredibly delicious and were easily my favourite dish out of the ones listed. Each of the dishes/portions were small, which I found was a great way of trying out new dishes that I wouldn't necessarily choose had they been 'regular sized'!

The whole vibe of the restaurant itself had a chic and upmarket yet laidback feel to it. A perfect place to unwind with a wide array of choices to choose from whether they be your go-to favourites, or if you fancy trying something new, then this is ideal!

Ricci's Tapas & Cicchetti has the adjoining bar of 53 Degrees North with the secret basement gin bar below, The Vault. Unfortunately I was unable to visit both these bars, but will be visiting very shortly!

Have you visited Ricci's Tapas & Cicchetti before? If so, what did you have? Are you a fan of tapas-style dishes? Have you visited either of the two bars; 53 Degrees North or The Vault before? How did you find it? Do let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to click the 'like' button!

PROVERB SKINCARE RANGE

December 01, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

'Get out what you put in.'

Proverb is geared towards men who lead an active lifestyle and believe that they get out what they put in! Using only clean, active, natural and organic ingredients within their skincare products such as; proteins, anti-oxidants and enzymes, all of which have been formulated for lab proven results.

I have spent the past month or so trialling out each other the products from the range and I must admit, I am impressed! I received;

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SKIN RESISTANCE TRAINING SUPPLEMENT

I took two capsules as instructed each morning with water and out of the range, I found these supplements to take the longest to notice any sort of change. I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of taking supplements for anything anyway so I was a little biased beforehand. However, having had these I have noticed my skin appeared brighter and with both Vitamin C and D within these capsules, I knew that these would be more beneficial for my health! You can purchase the Skin Resistance Training Supplement here.

CLEANSE & SHAVE NUTRIENT MUD

Prior to using the Cleanse & Shave Nutrient Mud, I dampened my face and then began to massage the mud into my skin. The texture of the Mud is rather thick but managed to absorb into the pores of my skin rather well and I particularly liked the citrusy scent! I noticed almost immediately afterwards that my skin felt smoother to touch and appeared hydrated! This product also doubles up to be used whilst shaving also, but as I sport facial hair, I was unable to use it for that reason. You can purchase the Cleanse & Shave Nutrient Mud here.

STRENGTHENING SKIN SERUM

I used this serum in the morning after using the Cleanse & Shave Nutrient Mud, and applied a small amount of the serum over my face. The texture of the serum was very smooth and was easily absorbed into my skin! Over time, my face felt firmer and more nourished. You can purchase the Strengthening Skin Serum here.

SKIN DEFINITION FACIAL SCRUB

Designed for all skin types, the Skin Definition Facial Scrub is a gentle exfoliator and I used this at night-time by massaging into my face, and later rinsed off with warm water. The texture of the Facial Scrub was rather light and didn't feel as rough or 'bitty' given that it is an exfoliator! I particularly like how smooth and fresh faced my skin was afterwards. You can purchase the Skin Definition Facial Scrub here.

HYDRATION PRO MOISTURISER // OIL BALANCE PRO MOISTURISER

Depending on your skin type, whether it be normal, dry or oily, you have these two moisturisers to choose one which suits your needs best! As my skin type is normal/dry, I used the Hydration Pro Moisturiser as it tackled my issues. I found that the Moisturiser had a slight shine to it which for me personally was slightly off putting as I favour a more 'matte finish' to my face, however, despite this, my skin did look healthier and had a nice glow to it! You can purchase both the Hydration Pro Moisturiser here, and Oil Balance Pro Moisturiser here.

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Overall, the range from Proverb has a high end, premium feel to it and with the ex rugby pro & model; Thom Evans being the ambassador, it isn't surprising to see why! You can experience the Proverb 4 x 4 x 4 x 4 programme in which Thom Evans demonstrates the different products and the different movements maximising the full experience of each product! To view the programme, click here.

To view the full range, and to learn more about Proverb, click here!

Have you tried any of these products by Proverb before? Will you be trying any of these out? Which sounds most appealing to you? Do let me know your thoughts below, as I would love to hear from you! Also, don't forget to click the 'like' button below!

*Please note, this post has been sponsored.

COUNTING DOWN 'TIL CHRISTMAS WITH HOTEL CHOCOLAT

December 01, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

Every year without fail, I had always treated myself to an Advent Calendar from Hotel Chocolat and this Christmas was, of course, going to be no exception, only this time I had been gifted the Advent Calendar by Hotel Chocolat!

I am much more of a 'dark chocolate' person as opposed to 'milk chocolate', so I had been gifted with their Dark Chocolate Advent Calendar! This year there is a much wider selection of Advent Calendars to choose from such as their;

Milk
Chocolate
Caramel
White
For 2
Up to Snow Good
Supermilk
100% Ecuador
The Grand Advent Calendar

As today is the 1st December which officially marks the beginning of Christmas, I cannot wait to open up each door and count down the days until Christmas with each dark chocolate treat! For more details and to get inspired by their Chocolate Gifting, click here and to purchase any of the Advent Calendars mentioned, click here.

Have you shopped at Hotel Chocolat before? If so, what did you buy? Did you buy your Advent Calendar from Hotel Chocolat? Which one did you choose? Did you manage to get your Advent Calendar in time, or will you be playing catch up!? Do let me know your thoughts as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to click that 'like' button below!

SUKHOTHAI - LEEDS SOUTH PARADE

November 13, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

I had recently been invited along to Sukhothai in Leeds to choose a meal of my choice, alongside some drinks!

Sukhothai is a Thai Restaurant and was first officially opened back in 2002. Based in North Yorkshire, there are currently 4 restaurants;

Leeds - Chapel Allerton
Leeds - City Centre
Leeds - Headingley
Harrogate

I visited the Sukhothai restaurant situated on South Parade in Leeds City Centre, an area best known for its bustling nightlife with many chic and stylish bars/restaurants! The decor within the restaurant was very grand and opulent and despite being rather busy, it still had an intimate feeling and wasn't too loud.

From the menu I selected Poh Pia Tod for my starter which were Thai Style Spring Rolls with mixed vegetables served with a sweet chilli sauce. They were absolutely delicious! For my main I chose to have the Gang Kiew Wan which you can choose from Chicken, Pork, Beef or Lamb to go with your Thai Green Curry with coconut milk, bamboo shots and courgettes. I found the portion size to be a little too large for me, but admittedly I have a small appetite regardless so perhaps I would advise to visit Sukhothai when you are absolutely ravenous! From the drinks menu I then chose the Phuket Beach which was a gorgeous, fruity cocktail. Overall, the service was very attentive and the food came out very quickly!

If you are based in North Yorkshire, or you're a visitor who's a fan of Thai food, then I would strongly recommend Sukhothai!

Have you visited Sukhothai before? Which one did you visit? What did you eat/drink there? Do let me know your thoughts as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to click that 'like' button below!