Isle of Paradise HYGLO Self Tan Serum First Impressions

With all this sunny weather we've been having its time to dust off the summer clothes and get the legs out! I'm certainly a newbie to self tanning and when I saw the lovely Jules who created Isle of Paradise launch a new Hyaluronic Self-Tan for face and one for body I just had to give it a go! I had used a gradual tan face serum that they made as a one off for QVC last year and really enjoyed being able to control the depth of tan for my face, so when I saw this I had to try it immediately! Can we just take a second to appreciate how nice the packaging is, with glass bottles and a pipette applicator, I already love it just to be on my vanity!

I ordered both the Face HYGLO Self-Tan Serum *and Body HYGLO Self-Tan Serum* as I thought I'd like to give both a go. With being new to self-tan I thought by choosing a buildable formula I could just keep topping up till I get my desired effect. I've only had the product for just over a week so this is very much a first impression. The formula of the product is packed full of go to skincare ingredients. The hyaluronic acid in the formula helps draw moisture into the skin aiding with intense hydration to leave skin looking plump and dewy. They also as brand use a signature blend of avocado, coconut and chia seed oil that help hydrate and nourish skin. There isn't a guide colour but it glides so effortlessly I haven't found it streak on my skin when I've been really careful to smooth it out.    
  
This picture is my skin after three applications of the Face HYGLO Self-Tan Serum * and I have to say it certainly gave me the most amazing glow and really plumped my skin. I think the shade looks super natural and sun kissed, you wouldn't tell it was from a bottle! I used maybe 4-5 drops on each application but it does say you can use more if you want to. You could definitely tell the skincare benefits were working because my skin felt so hydrated. I have to say I think this will definitely be a staple for me this summer and when I wanted that added glow all year!




This is the before and after of my leg after 2 applications of the Body HYGLO Self-Tan Serum*. I certainly think I could have used a lot more drops than I did but I was cautious to start with. I still think there was a difference in colour to my legs and it did look really healthy and glowy. I think I need to experiment with it a bit more but based on first impressions I do really like it. The dry down time is really quick and there's no unpleasant smell or sticky feeling after application. Again as with the face serum there isn't a guide colour but with practise I'm sure I'll get better!

Overall if you are new to tanning or a pro I really think these are good products. Especially if you are nervous to try tanning having the ability to control it so easily its a good entry into the world of glowing skin. Without having to use mitts you can just spread it on with your hands (Don't forget to wash them afterwards though) it makes it even simpler! They are also all cruelty free and vegan!


*Affiliate Links (these don't cost you anything to use but help me to afford new products to review for you!)

NARS Tinted Glow Booster

With summer on the approach we are all looking to get that sun-kissed glow. One of the newest additions to my makeup has been the NARS Tinted Glow Booster*. This is such a multi-use product, you can have it under your base for an allover glow, mix with your foundation or layer it on top as a highlighter. It comes in four shades; Kalvoya*, Simos*, Tangsi *and Barbuoa*.



It has a very lightweight formula with micropowders to give a sheer luminosity and the pearlescent pigment to give that lustre effect to your skin. I think it is comparable to the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter  but I do think its a finer finish and looks a bit more natural. Its also oil free, paraben free and fragrance free. Infused with a NARS's exclusive Jojoba Complex Hydraglow Complex, the illuminator nourishes and hydrates the skin to create a dewy finish and extend the wear of makeup for up to 16 hours, thanks to a combination of Jojoba Elixir and Jojoba Gel.



I personally have used it on its own more often than mixing it as I rarely wear foundation, but when I have tried putting it under it does create a nice glowing complexion. I have found applying it with your fingers blends it better than with brushes or sponges and I think the formula likes to be warmed a little before application. I use shade Kalvoya*.



Top left is just an application of the tinted glow booster, bottom right is the glow booster under foundation and on the right is the tinted glow booster under foundation and concealer.


*Affiliate Links

Eating My Way Round Amsterdam 🇳🇱🍴

Last week I ventured back to the wonderful city of Amsterdam, with plenty of food inspiration to explore from searching through instagram I was on a mission to try it all! If you haven't seen my post from my previous trip there I shall link them here: Day 1 & 2 and Day 3 & 4.



The day were arrived was Shrove Tuesday so understandably our first stop was to find some pancakes! We had been recommended Pancakes Amsterdam by a family friend so we stopped by the Spui outlet of the chain. We both opted for bacon and cheese dutch pancakes due to the sheer amount of other sugar I had planned savoury seemed the best option! It was certainly very filling, I was unfortunately defeated by the size of it but it was very tasty!

 


We were staying at the INK Hotel Amsterdam  which I must say was amazing and we had a great stay there. We dinned twice in their restaurant called the Pressroom , as the building used to be the base of the dutch newspaper 'De Tijd'. The first night I had the risotto which was the perfect portion size, packed full of flavour from the asparagus and pine nuts. The last night of our stay we returned and I decided to splash out and have the peppered steak served with peppercorn sauce, confit shallot and mashed potato. The steak melted like butter under a hot knife and was up there with some of the best steaks I've ever had. I would really recommend this hotel and its restaurant and I would certainly book again!



The first morning breakfast destination was one I had been to before on my previous trip as its an instagrammers paradise. Pluk has a sort of boho chic vibe with gorgeous homeward and foodie goods to match! If your looking for instagrammable smoothie bowls or avocado based dishes this is a must visit. It does get quite busy and you can't make reservations but its worth waiting for! We had the Bali bowl and some lemon and poppy seed cake.



Van Stapele Koekmakerij Cookies are also one to get to early in the day, as once the 3000 cookies they bake a day are gone they close! I had to make two trips to catch these elusive cookies but they were worth the wait! They only bake one type of cookie; They are made from a high quality chocolate dough, full of Valrhona ingredients. The cookie’s crispy outside envelopes a soft white chocolate filling. Perfect afternoon snack! 



Pastai is a lovely little Italian restaurant I found on one of the foodie instagram accounts. They change their menu weekly so there is plenty of chance to go and try something new each time! I had some really nice arancini and pasta with courgette and cheese. Perfect spot for some delicious fresh pasta! Service was quick and certainly filled us up after a day of walking round all the museums! Though I do wish I had tried their chocolate cake as I had read many a good word about it online!



Melly's Cookie Bar is a artisan bakery are famous for their cookies,  Argentinian Alfajores and Dulce de leche and Yerba mate. So obviously I had the chocolate cake with dulce de leche for my breakfast with a hot chocolate! Perfect little pitstop before exploring more of the city for a sweet treat and hot beverage.   



If you are looking for the best instagram pretty content then you must stop at Polaberry. I think I spent more time taking pictures of all the beautiful product and store than I did devouring this adorable unicorn cakepop! Even the merchandise was gorgeous! Trying to pick what to buy was very difficult! A must see for any pink lovers or chocoholics! I also had possibly the best hot chocolate from my trip there, so also get that on your winter warming drinks list!



I couldn't have not come to Holland and not tried a stroopwafel, I went for one from Van Wonderen. With various topping options to have including more stroopwafel, Oreo, chocolate to hazelnuts (and more that I can't remember!) Nothing beats eating it warm from the waffle iron!



Continuing my sugary quest I went to the wonderful Tony's Chocolonely Super Store and created my very own bar! Tony's chocolate is out to create 100% slave free chocolate and traceability from bean to bar. Not only are they improving living quality for the people producing the cocoa, the chocolate is delicious! I went for milk chocolate with cinnamon sugar, hazelnut and spiced biscuit! I loved how personal you could make them from the packaging to the flavours! Perfect gift to bring back or keep for yourself I'm not judging!.



My last foodie stop less sweet and more meaty. I had a super tasty burger and sweet potato fries at The Butcher Social Club which is just below the A'DAM Lookout. I had the daddy burger and it was a beast of a burger but full of flavour from the edam to the fried onions, I didn't leave a scrap! The price point was also really good for the quality of food and its destination. There was also a really good selection of drinks which I wish I had tried out a boozy milkshake now!



That bring the end to my foodie adventures of Amsterdam for this trip. If you have any recommendations for if I go back I'd love to find more typical dutch places to eat!

HAUS LABORATORIES Kit First Impressions

Its been a while since I've reviewed any new beauty products, and when I had seen a few other influencers talking about Haus Laboratories I decided to pick some bits up! I picked up the Haus Of Goddess collection as I thought all the gorgeous pinky shades would go nicely with my current makeup collection.



The collection contains; Aphrodite Glam Attack Liquid Shimmer Powder, Myth RIP Lip Liner and Venus Le Riot Lip Gloss. I also picked up another lip liner in Slayer. I really love all the colours of this collection as you can make either a really natural look or full glam.

 In the swatches below the order is Myth, Layer and Aphrodite. (p.s. I appear to have misplaced my lip gloss so unfortunately couldn't swatch it, but I had been using it and it is a really lovely pinky nude!)



The lip liners blend really easily and are perfect for doing an all over lip colour or just as liner. I've used the shade Slayer as a nice berry lip with a bit of gloss over it quite a few times. The Myth liner reminds me a bit of Charlotte Tilbury Pillow talk in terms of shade. One thing I do find with the blendability is that sometimes it can smudge if I've knocked it, so maybe keep a mirror to hand or set it by blotting.

The liquid shimmer powder is truly beautiful, the shade, the consistency the shine, I just can't fault it. It looks pretty on its own or layered. My personal favourite way to use it is to layer it over my Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk palette to add a real shine and sparkle to it.

All in all I really like the formula and shades. I'd definitely like to try some of the other shades out and maybe the eye liners! I do think they are a good price point for the quality of them as well. The packaging makes it feel really high end and special. Go give the products a go and let me know what you think!

Smokeworks BBQ Cambridge *AD

A few weeks ago the Smokeworks on Station Road had a fabulous revamp! Me and a few local bloggers were all kindly invited to go and check it out! The new bar area had the perfect atmosphere for pre-drinks or after work cocktails! With a great selection of tasty cocktails, beers and selected bourbons. 



On the evening we got to try out some deliciousness from the menu from some of their new vegan options to their classic BBQ ribs!  I was so distracted by my fabulous company that I didn't get round to eating all the food! So I decided to go back last week and give the food more of a go! (AD I was kindly given a discount card)



I started off with a Strawberry Collins made with vodka which was super fruity and sweet. For food we ordered the 14 hour low 'n' slow brisket 'steak', a whole chicken with sriracha glaze and a stack burger. Safe to say we left feeling very full! There certainly is a whole variety of options to choose from, it certainly took us a while to decide. The sauces are all made in house and certainly went really well with my brisket. If you are feeling very brave you can even have Vlad's Blood Hot Sauce, which certainly adds a kick to your meal!

All in all if you are looking for that smokey BBQ flavour in Cambridge look no further than the Smokeworks and make sure you are hungry! I shall certainly be going back for another Cogtail!

*AD I was kindly invited to try out the food at their launch evening and given a discount card for when I returned again.

Festive Afternoon Tea at Parkers Tavern💛⛄️AD

With the festive season upon us my mind has certainly been thinking about all the fabulous Christmas foods to indulge on. When an email from Parker's Tavern dropped into my inbox inviting me to try out their new Festive Afternoon Tea I jumped at the chance to go! These three tiers of temptations are available to book from November 18th. They also have  children's, vegan, gluten free and dairy free options as well so you can all indulge!



Let's start of with the savouries tier! Starting off with three sandwiches; Cucumber, Dill & Mint Mascarpone, Smoked Salmon & Crème Fraîche,  Turkey & Cranberry. Followed by the PT Sausage Roll and Crayfish Tarts. I must say the sausage roll is the best one I have ever tasted!



Moving onto the middle tier of Plain and Fruit Scones with Spiced Jam and Lemon Curd and the obligatory cream. You just can't beat warm scones with cream and jam. The flavours Parker's Tavern have created in the spiced plum jam are so perfect with the scones.



Now for the most exciting tier of the three! Starting with the Ferrero Roche, Chestnut 'Snowman' Macaron, Paris Brest, Mincemeat & Brandy Custard Tart and Marmalade & Cardamon Financier.  The level of details and range of different flavours are the perfect treat to get you in the festive spirit.



There are also so many varieties of tea to accompany your afternoon delights, or a little festive tipple of Mulled Cider or a signature Wittgenstein's Poker cocktail. The team at Parkers Tavern were so accommodating and welcoming I can't fault anything about my experience and will certainly go back again! Tristan and his kitchen team have really nailed the perfect festive afternoon tea.

Disclaimer: I was very kindly invited to try out the afternoon tea and it was gifted to me but all views are my own. AD Press Sample

Christmas Gift Guide 2019🎅🏻

With Christmas coming up we all face the struggle with what to buy people for presents! I decided to compile a few ideas from John Lewis & Partners that I picked up myself! Disclaimer, I do work for John Lewis & Partners but this is not AD or gifted I purchased them all myself!



One of the first gift ideas I picked up was a Choose Your Favourites Customised Quality Street Tin. I love the personalisation of this and it means you don't end up with flavours you don't like! New this year were two exciting flavours; Chocolate Caramel Brownie and an exclusive flavour to John Lewis & Partners Crispy Truffle Bite! Its priced at £15 for the personalised tin with pick and mix flavours and then you can refill the tin for £10 (because we all know these tins never make it to Christmas without being eaten!). *Available in store only



Chocolate not your thing? Why not go for more adult crackers with Fevertree Gin and Tonic Crackers! There were so many options to choose from and you can buy a set of four you pick yourself for £32 or £8 per cracker. You can go in store to the Oxford Street branch to select your flavours but can can still order these online!



This next one is another foodie gift! The Kit Kat experience is perfect for chocolate lovers that want that personal touch! You can create your own eight finger Kit Kat; you first pick a chocolate for the base then three toppings and then it its made and put into a personalised box! I went for milk chocolate with chocolate brownie, mini marshmallows and caramel chunks! This service costs £14 and it available at Oxford Street. There are also Best of British Flavours or Special edition flavours you can buy in selected stores and online! These would also make great Secret Santa gifts!



Men can be notoriously difficult to shop for at Christmas time. The two gifts I picked out can always be changed for personal preference but the Chanel Bleu De Chanel Parfum is a really timeless fragrance that is a aromatic, intensely woody fragrance. It opens with powerful freshness, then lingers with a precious accord of New Caledonian sandalwood that gives it sophisticated full smell. The other thing I chose was a John Lewis & Partners RFID Blocking Leather Flip Card Wallet in Brown which I thought for £38 was really nice quality with 8 cards slots, 2 additional slots, 2 note slots, a printed lining, and flipover section complete with four extra card slots and a transparent ID slot. Again a very classic design so I'm sure it would be a good gift! 



For any accessories lovers I discovered Stackers that make all sorts of storage from tiny travel boxes to big jewellery storage. Due to my rather large collection of Olivia Burton watches I decided to gift myself this Stackers Watch Box in White. I love how I can see my watches while the box is shut and the pads to keep your watches on are so soft and secure. I think this could be a nice gift for males or females and does come in other colours! The joy of it as well is as the name might suggest you can stack it with other layers to add a jewellery one underneath!



Of course I had to get a new watch to go with the watch box! This gorgeous Olivia Burton Winter Wonderland Mesh Bracelet Strap Watch is so perfect for Christmas! With a little frosted trees and a little reindeer I couldn't think of a better watch to have for Christmas. The pale rose gold strap is also a perfect metal colour for a piece of subtle winter bling! 



Two beauty picks for the lady in your life I decided on this year are the Charlotte Tilbury Starry Eyes to Hypnotise Eyeshadow Palette and Chloé Nomade perfume. I really feel like the Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow palettes are a good investment for any beauty lover. The colour selection and pigmentation quality are just top notch, you can create so many looks from this palette and it just looks stunning. The Chloé Nomade Eau de Parfum is my go to fragrance and it is certainly popular amongst other people I know, it has an intense character of oak moss, shrouded in the sweetness of cherry plum and the freshness of freesia. 

Thats it! Just a small selection of gift ideas to either inspire you on what to get your loved ones or yourself (I'm not judging?).