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Bioré Pore Strips

I’ve been meaning to do a review on these for a while now, so when I reached for the box of pore strips this morning and found only one left I thought now would be a good time to type up my thoughts.

There’s something strangely satisfying about removing all the built-up dirt (which can lead to blackheads), and nose strips like these ones by Bioré are an effective way of cleaning your pores. Using them on a regular basis may also visibly reduce the appearance of your pores, so they recommend you do this once every three days. At £7.99 per pack of 6 I tend to only use one per fortnight (when I remember), trusting that my daily makeup remover routine is doing its job well enough without any more assistance.

I’ve tried out an almost identical product from Marks and Spencer and found them to be slightly better than the Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips, but unfortunately they seem to be discontinued in most M&S stores.

If you’re not too familiar with the process, here are the steps:

First, remove the nose strip from the packaging.

After washing your face, wet a cotton pad under the tap and gently wipe around the nose area (the strip won’t stick to a dry nose).

Take the smooth and stickier side and apply it on the nose – like I have in the photo below – press down to ensure the whole strip has contact with the skin.

Set the timer for 10-15 minutes, make yourself a drink and sit down and enjoy the latest YouTube upload in your feed whilst you wait. You can generally guess when the strip is ready to remove as it will feel rigid and firm – similar to how papier-mâché dries. Slowly (and carefully) start peeling back the strip from the edges until you get to the centre.

If you have any pain removing the strip, use your wet cotton pad and dab over the area of the nose where you are finding most difficulty. This should ease it gently and peeling it back will feel easier and pain-free.

And there you have it, my pores. Bared to the world wide web. No shame, just a feeling of satisfaction of knowing my skin is clean. To be honest you probably can’t see much on there (thank goodness), the pore strip didn’t reveal too much so I’m hoping that this means my skin was pretty clean already…

Have you tried these pore strips before? Leave me a comment and let me know your opinions and recommendations 🙂

The Lost & Found, Birmingham

Last weekend during my stay in Birmingham with friends, we were taken to our friend Alyson’s favourite pub in the city centre. The Lost & Found is a classic British restaurant that is situated in a large Victorian building featuring quirky rooms within. The interior is incredible, boasting a ‘library’ and a ‘conservatory’ – an Instagrammer’s dream! (Not to mention extremely Pinterest-worthy).

You will need to book a table in advance as it gets super busy, especially during the festive period. We were greeted by a friendly waitress who escorted us to our table in the ‘dining room’, where we found this cute Alice in Wonderland style bottle with our reservation tagged on.

As I sipped on my Champagne cocktail, we devoured a board of delicious Polenta chips and marinated stuffed olives.

In all of the excitement of gossip and giggles with the girls, I totally forgot to take a snap of my main meal. I ordered the Ultimate Fish Finger Sandwich, You will just have to take my word for it when I say that it really was the ultimate sandwich!

For dessert I opted for the Cappuccino Crème Brulée, two loves of mine combined. I dipped the hazelnut biscotti into the coffee froth, before reaching the crunchy caramelised topping that was hiding beneath the surface. Yum!

Despite the service being a little slow (it was a busy Saturday lunch time), I really enjoyed the overall experience. If you happen to be visiting the city, I would highly recommend stopping by here. Good friends and a cocktail required.

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser

You have probably read several posts on this miracle skincare product before. This is nothing new, but oh boy does it deserve the praise. I have suffered from bad skin since a teen and have stuck to the same skincare products in fear others will break me out.

Enter, Liz Earle’s Hot Cloth Cleanser.

There are two phases to this routine. Phase one is applying a pea sized amount of cleanser onto your finger tips and massage it all over your face – that’s right, it even removes the most stubborn mascara! Phase two is to use the soaked muslin cloth (use warm to hot water) to gently polish and clean the makeup off your face, leaving your skin feeling soft and radiant. The eucalyptus and cocoa butter ingredients cause a soothing and relaxing scent that enhances the skincare routine.

I have repurchased this kit a handful of times since trying it last year for the first time, so you can imagine the joy I felt when a friend of mine gave me this travel sized Christmas edition set a few weeks ago!

The full size kit which comes with two muslin cloths and a full size bottle of the cleanser retails at £14.99 in Boots.

What are your thoughts on this holy grail product?

Lemon Drizzle Loaf Recipe

Spontaneous baking is my favourite. The kind where you search through your kitchen cupboards and grab the necessities for most cake bakes – flour, sugar, eggs…

After a quick Google, I came across Good Food’s ‘lemon drizzle cake’ – a recipe by Tana Ramsay that I have tried before and is super simple to follow. Please click here for the method.

What you need:

225g unsalted butter, softened

225g caster sugar

4 eggs

Finely grated zest 1 lemon

225g self-raising flour

For the drizzle topping:

Juice of 1½ lemons

85g caster sugar

It will take around 15 minutes to prepare the mixture and you will need to bake or 45-50 minutes – 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.

While you wait for the cake to bake make yourself a cup of tea, sit down and enjoy an episode of your favourite TV series (I’m currently obsessed with Suits!)

Ta-da! Leave it to cool before drizzling the lemon icing on top and serve once the icing has set.

Let me know if you try this recipe and how it turns out – Happy Baking!

Milk and White Chocolate Cookies Recipe

Wednesday’s are all about the Great British Bake Off in my house, and no doubt most homes around Britain too.

I grew up helping my mum bake cakes, so I tend to gravitate towards the classic recipes that the likes of Mary Berry probably made up all those years ago! I find baking a really therapeutic and relaxing hobby, and after a long day at work it’s fun to be a little bit creative in the kitchen (blasting out some of your favourite tunes – Destiny’s Child is my baking soundtrack at the moment).

I have to give beauty blogger and YouTube sensation Tanya Burr full credit for this recipe, and if you would like to try this recipe go and check out her video here. In previous experience, I have found cookies to be a difficult bake to make – but this one is super easy, even for those who can’t cook/won’t cook.

1. Mix 300g of caster sugar with 200g of butter

2. Add 1 egg, and mix

3. Add 325g of self raising flour and sift in stages, mixing inbetween

4. Add the 200g of milk chocolate (I used Cadbury’s Giant Chocolate Buttons) and 200g of white chocolate (I used Milky Bar Giant Buttons) – I like to do a ‘taste test’ whilst adding these in, it’s important to make sure the chocolate tastes good 😉

5. Using your hands (if you don’t mind getting messy) or two spoons, separate the mixture into blobs. I found this recipe made enough for 12 cookies.

6. And now you wait…

…Until the 10-12 minutes is up.

I left the first batch in a few minutes longer than I should have, and found that they weren’t gooey enough in the middle. The second batch I took out and left to cool for 20 minutes, and they were delicious!

They are the perfect, indulgent treat – best served with a cup of tea.

Have you tried Tanya’s recipe?

Eylure Brow Palette

Brow power in a palette.

You may remember a few months ago I posted a review on Seventeen’s brow kit, it’s a good’un and has been used pretty much every day since that post last November. When something’s good, why try something new? The grass isn’t always greener, but I am on good authority to tell you that there is a new brow kit in town.

One Night in Luxury at The Petersham Hotel

Last Friday night I was lucky to stay in this beautiful hotel in Richmond, perhaps one of the grandest places I have had the pleasure of staying in.

From its impressive exterior to the magnificent interior, The Petersham is without question the perfect escape. Situated less than 10 miles from central London, its beautiful landscape views of the River Thames and surrounding greenery make you feel like you’re in the heart of the English countryside – far, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. There is something regal about the place, easy to imagine what it would have been like to live in during the mid 1800’s, when the hotel was born. With it’s high ceilings, grand staircase and historic art gracing the walls – honey, I was no longer in Kansas.

Arriving at past midnight, I dragged my dancing feet off to bed, not without admiring the art and impressive décor en route.

Before I could whip off my clothes and jump into my PJ’s, Nia had already put the TV on and we proceeded to drink tea and share plenty of giggles watching Smack the Pony. Then I fell asleep.

No bed will ever compare to the one at home, but I have to give this one at The Petersham a respectable 7 out of 10. Not the comfiest but by no means the worst that I’ve slept on, I was fast asleep seconds after hitting the pillow. Once we had managed to roll out of bed and change out of our finest jim-jams, it was time to head downstairs for breakfast (not down the fire escape, may I add).

The views from the dining room were stunning.

Each of us had a delicious Full English, which cost £14 per head, but with scenic views, lavish surroundings and impeccable service (oh and free pastries, may I add) – it was worth every penny. When in Rome….

Before we knew it, it was time to leave.

Whether you are planning a weekend away with a loved one, a girls weekend away or just a fancy schmancy stopover en route into the centre of London, I would highly recommend a stay at The Petersham hotel in Richmond.

And if these photos don’t do it for you, I can reveal you even get some cheeky biscuits in your room…

*I have to say a big thank you to Nia, Sue and Paul for inviting me along – I had a fab time!

Avo & Bacon Toasts | The Recipe

When you’re not a breakfast person it can be difficult to find options that are healthy and appetising without being totally boring – porridge anyone?

Most mornings I don’t have time to potter about the kitchen making breakfast so I usually take crumpets or teacakes to toast when I get into work, but on weekends I relish in spending time cooking up a hearty brunch after a much-needed lie in. I tried avocado for the first time a couple of months ago, and now like most people I’m obsessed. Avocado with prawns, avocado with chicken, avocado with eggs – the list goes on!

I looked in my fridge this morning to find something tasty to rustle up, and there it was – avocados that had to be eaten up today and an unopened pack of unsmoked streaky bacon. A quick and simple breakfast that anyone can put together – no butter necessary. (You can adapt this to feed more people)…

1 avocado

4 pieces of streaky bacon

1 slice of bread (I used wholemeal)

Just cut up the avocado and distribute on the toast, sprinkle a tiny amount of salt and pepper, use a fork to mash it up and then place the crispy bacon on top – & voilà!

Nutritious and delicious.

What do you eat in the morning?

I’m interested to find out more ways to make breakfast exciting 🙂

Brother and Bones, Scala London

Last week I headed to London to see Brother and Bones.

If you haven’t heard of them, then this post is a real treat for your ears (and eyes).

The five-piece London based band (who have Cornish roots) are doing incredibly well, with a radio interview and performance for Dermot O’Leary’s Radio 2 show in the bag and are currently on a European tour – they even have 3 support dates with Bastille on their return. These guys are unstoppable.

Last Wednesday my friends and I travelled over to the venue Scala, near Kings Cross, and enjoyed a 90 minute set of alt rock/acoustic goodness. I’ll let the music and images do most of the talking…

They opened up with ‘Raining Stone‘, a perfect choice to get the crowd warmed up.

After singing Happy Birthday to lead vocalist Rich Thomas, they played one of my favourites, ‘For All We Know’, an easy one to sing along to (and have stuck in your head for days).

One of the highlights for me was a beautiful acoustic performance of ‘Gold and Silver’…and ladies, I’m sure you’ll agree that Rich’s voice is enough to make you go weak at the knees.

One thing I discovered from the gig was how dedicated and passionate Brother and Bones fans are – it was as if they had come to see a band at the level of Kings of Leon, for example. They knew all the lyrics, and there was limited moshing (great for those like me who hate being pushed around and smacked around the crowd).

The band had the entire crowd singing along to the majority of songs, even having everyone chanting for an encore at the end. I had an amazing time, with (dare I say it) this gig being one of the best gigs I’ve been to (good company also essential – thanks Tilda & Esme!)

I’ve actually been re-living the gig in my mind quite a bit since, and I’m sure after watching their videos and listening to their awesome music you’ll be booking tickets to see them soon too.

For more information, check out their website and YouTube channel.

http://www.brotherandbones.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/BrotherAndBones

Until the next gig…

Baking Blueberry Pancakes

Homemade blueberry pancakes! read more…