Review: Rush, Loughton

There's nothing I love more than having a good pampering session so when Rush got in touch and offered me a complimentary blow dry, I couldn't say yes please quick enough. I had so much about Rush but had never had the opportunity to visit a salon.

Rush opened on Loughton High Street earlier this month and it was all sparkling and new when I visited - it was literally just over a week old. I was immediately whisked off to have my hair washed by the lovely junior. She happened to be from the same town as me so we had a lovely chat and she did a very good head massage. I thought I was going to nod off there and then. I loved the little touch of the drink and a few pretzels to nibble on. Food is always the way to my heart!

I was in the salon for over an hour while the owner preened and primped my hair into a voluminous masterpiece. Just look how beautiful it is?! I certainly had a spring in my step when I walked out. He talked me through every product that was put in my hair and constantly asked if I was ok and happy with the service. The blow dry lasted all day which was very impressive considering it was done at 1pm - it still had a little oomph after i'd slept in it. I'd definitely go back if I was after a little helping hand before a special day or even a well deserved treat.

If only I could afford to have a professional blow dry every day eh? That would be the life!

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Review: The Purple Salon

When an email dropped in my inbox asking me if i'd like to be treated to a blow dry by The Purple Salon. I've never actually had a proper bouncy blow dry. I know right? I've been extremely lucky that my wonderful uncle is a hairdresser and he helps me keep control of my mop. As I usually have it done late at night I don't want him to spend hours blow drying my hair into shop so it usually get it blow dried straight.

I arrived to the salon with a sinking feeling as my name wasn't on their appointment list. But credit to them, they didn't seem fazed and did their best to fit me in. It took a lot of shifting but in the end it worked out fine.

I was very well looked after by the junior Chloe (I think that was her name!) who made sure I was comfortable and fetched me a drink and magazines to read. She was very chatty and made me feel at ease. My stylist Karl again was very friendly and made me feel at ease too. I was very impressed with his attention to detail and he worked well with Chloe as a team. I was in awe of the fact I had two people working in the blow dry! I was so happy with the result. Just look at those curls?! It helped put a spring in my step the whole day. It lasted for most of the day. Karl explained the curls would have held better if my hair was layered. Something i'm going to look into getting down next time i'm due a trim.

Thanks so much guys!

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A day at Westfield

Since Westfield Stratford City opened, it's became one of my favourite places to shop. It's only 25 mins drive from my house which has been both a blessing for my wardrobe and a curse for my wages. It has all my favourite shops and I love the fact it has both high end and high street offerings. We all need a little lust in the Mulberry windows at times! I spent even more time there when I was working in London as it was on my way home. Lethal. My boyfriend would often me there after work as it was halfway for both of us and we'd stuff our faces before heading off home. Namely at Wahaca. It's worth just going for a meal at the centre even without doing any shopping! If you fancy something quick to eat I really recommend opting for the 'posh' food court near Nandos. You can absolutely everything there but with proper cultery and plates. We love going to Rhythm Kitchen for some jerk chicken. It's so good!

When they got in touch with me and asked if i'd like a voucher to sample the delights of the shopping centre and let you know my thoughts. Of course I thought all my Christmas' had come at once and said yes please! I had to pick my voucher up from the concierge desk. They were really helpful into sorting it out for me and explained it thoroughly. It's a great place to go if you'd never been before as they're always more than willing to answer questions and you can pick up a little map. It comes in very handy!

We didn't want to break tradition and opted for a lunch at Wahaca. Again. I had the amazing fish tacos. Again. The staff were very friendly and attentive. We never felt hurried which is always a plus. I hate the new rule recently where you have to have finished eating in two hours. We opted to go for an early lunch at 12 as from past experiences at the weekend it can get extremely busy. Make sure you have an early or late luch to beat the rush!

Then it was turn to shop! I made a beeline for Topshop straight away and got distracted by the midi skirts again. I didn't need to ask for any help but I spotted plenty of staff around so felt help would be at hand if I needed it. There's nothing worse than desperately needing a size and having no one to ask. I picked up a couple of midi skirts and peplum top to try on and decided to plump for the pretty black gingham skirt. It was such a great length and lovely lightweight material to take me through to the summer months. The tills were full of staff and although the queue was really long at first glance it went down fairly quickly.  Thumbs up from me!

Next was Zara. I really miss popping into Zara on my lunchbreak when I worked in London. Sadly Colchester isn't blessed with one! As usual EVERYTHING caught my eye but I managed to narrow it down to a beautiful palm print dress and a floral set. Much to my dismay, the co-ord looked awful on me! But the dress? Well that couldn't not come home with me! Once again it was very busy but I felt staff were well equipped with dealing with it. The fitting room staff member had a very good system to keep the queue running smoothly and as a ex-shop assistant i'm always impressed!

I browsed around various other shops such as River Island, Boots and Miss Selfridge. Nothing else really took my fancy until I wandered into Dorothy Perkins and spotted some great nude sandals. Despite the shoe department being manic, I didn't have to wait too long for the shop assistant to bring my size and she kept an eye on me to check I was getting on ok. I don't like it when they suddenly leave you!

After all that working we decided we needed a little treat and opted for Pinkberry. I understand it was very busy but the sitting area was a bit neglected. The tables were dirty and there were pots scattered around. I think maybe they should have had more staff on. But the pinkberry itself was fab and was the perfect reward to a tiring day.

Have you been to Westfield Stratford City before?

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Beauty: Simple Skincare

Simple was one of the first brands I tried when I ventured into skincare many moons ago. Over the years I've tried and tested many different brands both budget and high end. When Simple offered to send me the new Kind To Skin selection to try I jumped at the chance and was transported back to my teenage years left wondering why I stopped buying the brand.

001: Kind to Skin Protecting Moisture Cream SPF 30
I fell completely in love with this product and will buy it myself when it runs out! It's one of the best budget moisturers I've tried and for a small bottle it lasts for a fairly long time. It leaves my skin feeling hydrated and doesn't have an overpowering smell. Being the wrong side of 25 is not sitting well with me and when I look for a moisturer it ideally has to have SPF. This ticks all the boxes, the SPF 30 will help with any dreaded premature ageing. They do say the sun causes the most wrinkles!

002: Kind to Skin Perfecting BB Beauty Balm
Admittedly this is the first time I've ever used a BB cream so I don't have much to compare it with. However, this took to my skin like a duck to water and didn't feel too heavy on my skin. I don't wear foundation because it makes me feel claustrophobic. I wouldn't buy this again, not because it was an awful product but because I just don't think BB creams are for me. I prefer to be au natural before putting my daily face on!

003: Kind to Skin Moisture Boost Hydro Boost
I have a feeling this will be a god send in the warmer months! It will be great to keep in my bag so I can freshen up on the go. It dries almost instantly and makes your skin feel lovely and refreshed. Perfect for waking you up in the morning!

004: Kind to Skin Sunkissed Moisture Cream
It's getting to that time of year when the fake tan comes out of hiding and the pins need polishing up. I struggle with fan tanners on my face as it tends to make me look like a oompa-loompa.  It's not very dark and it doesn't make a different straight away. But by the time a week has passed it's reached a lovely natural colour. Just make sure you are continuous in your application as it will get patchy if you don't do it daily. Never a good look!

005: Kind to Skin Illumiating Radiance Cream
Again the SPF in this is a winner. I preferred wearing this at night as it had a shimmer in it and I thought it was a bit too much for the day. A little goes a long way and it was very easy to use too much and end up looking like a glitterball! Subtly is key when it comes to this product. It was a really nice cream to wear at night to help jazz up your make up.

006: Kind to Skin Brightening Eye Make Up Remover Pads
Sometimes I find eye pads a little bit too irritable thanks to being a contact lens wearer. But these glide on effortlessly and you don't have to rub hard to remove stubborn mascara leaving your eyes sore and red. It worked out one bad per eye. I do still perfect to use cleansing water to remove my make up but these are a great option if you're on a hurry!

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Review: Five Guys

If you've been reading my blog for a while you'll probably have already have came to the conclusion that burgers are my favourite thing to shove in my mouth. It's taken me a while to get round to trying out Five Guys - Obama's fave dontcha know! - so when it was decided we needed an office lunch outing, this burger chain was my suggestion. We didn't queue as we had an early lunch but by the time we'd finished it was starting to get very busy. Make sure you visit off peak!

I opted for the cheese burger with the toppings of tomato, onions and ketchup and a side of small cajun fries. A word of warning - the portion size of the fries is humongous. That brown bag at the back was nearly full up. My boyfriend, who has been known on more than one occasion to finish a whole KFC bargain 12 piece bucket on his own, couldn't even finish a portion when he went. He's an human dustbin so you know the portion size is kinda out of control if he doesn't finish it. One of the unique selling points of Five Guys is the sheer amount of fizzy drink combinations on offer. There's over a 100 to choose from. I was boring and just opted for diet coke but you can go wild!

After being disappointed with the offerings at Shake Shack , I was hoping and praying Five guys didn't leave me with the same sinking feeling. Fear not friends, Five Guys was amazing. The fries were delicious, slightly a bit too spicy after you've shoved a few too many in your mouth but a perfect amount of kick. The cajun seasoning meant they were morish enough to munch without a sauce. The burger was ridiculously messy to eat and was all over the place. It's near on impossible to eat like a lady. The generous layer of plastic cheese - my guilty pleasure in a burger! - helped to add to the flavour. The bun held together quite nicely without breaking too much. It did go soggy after a while but it's what i'd expect for a fast food burger. The burger tasted of much nicer quailty than other fast food chains i've tried - you felt like you were eating meat unlike a certain chain beginning with M. The most important thing was it made me go 'mmmmmm so good' with my mouth full. That's the main thing right?! Five Guys, you win this American fast food battle for me!

Have you tried Five Guys?

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This week i'm loving - Liz Earle Lipstick

Liz Earle Peony - c/o

This is my first Liz Earle lipstick and it won't be the last! I love the fact that the lipstick is slightly sheer meaning you can build up the colour depending on how bright you fancy your lips. A quick sweep of colour for the daytime or a more intense pink for the evening. It's been my go-to lipstick for when I'm dashing out of the house for the past few weeks. It's a perfect neutral yet still manages to pack a punch. It feels lovely and moisturising on your lips although I'd recommend prepping your lips with a lip balm or scrub as it does tend to show up the dry patches. It has a fairly decent staying power - after a few hours it was still intact and visible.

Have you ever tried the make up range by Liz Earle?

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A/W hair inspiration with GHD

When Best British Bloggers challenged me to create my own take on an a/w hairstyle using products from the GHD range I puffed my chest out and racked my brains.

I'm not the most amazing at creating hairstyles but I can do simple and chic. I hope. After spotting side braids across the Valentino catwalk I decided this was the direction I wanted to go in. It's a little something out of the ordinary (for me anyway) and can work from day to night if you're hoping to paint the town red after you've finished work. It's also perfect for freshly washed hair or day-old hair you're trying desperately to hide and make look presentable.

After a giving your hair a rough towel dry, apply 4-6 sprays of the Straight & Smooth Spray before drying it fully. The pins really help to give you a sleeker finish as it's so much easier to blow dry in sections especially when you have a lot of hair like me - the big paddle brush was a god send! Give your hair a good ruffle at the roots and spray evenly with hairspray to give it some oomph.

Divide your hair into three even sections and plait to the side keeping it nice and tight. It might help to use some gum/wax if you have layers to keep the plait in tact. Simply run a little through your hair before you start. Tie the end with a snag-free hairband and give it a few squirts of the Final Shine Spray to give it the perfect shine and keep away those pesky flyaways. Add any colour ribbon to fancy - I don't think you can wrong with red!

Have you tried any hairstyle from the catwalk?

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You gotta work it out

Zaggora medium hotpants - c/o

Recently I've decided to try and get fit. I am the worlds worse at bringing exercise into my life but have decided to start running. I've been doing it for the last few months - although not for the last two weeks as been poorly boooo - and I might not be able to say I enjoy it but I can say I feel so much better for it. I'd been intrigued by the Zaggora hotpants after seeing them doing the rounds on various blogs so jumped at the chance to try them myself.

The medium hotpants cover you from the waist down to your knees and are said to help you burn those all important calories while you work out. The special thermo-technology fabric helps to harness your body's natural heat when you exercise thus helping you burn those all important calories.

After trying these underneath my running leggings - I'm not brave enough to just wear them on their own yet - I can honestly say I feel they work. It's not the nicest feeling when they come off as they make you sweat A LOT but this means that they're working. Combined with running and healthy eating, the hotpants have helped me feel a lot better about my body shape. I've given up weighing myself so I don't actually know if they've made me lose weight. But I feel I look better so that's what counts right? My bum isn't wobbling as much as it used too! They're definitely something that I think are essential to my fitness regime and I wouldn't mind adding a top to my collection!

Have you tried any exercise clothing from Zaggora? 

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Burger Afternoon Tea at BRGR.CO

BRGR.CO had been on my list of burger joints to visit for a fair few months so when the word on the grapevine was they were starting to offer burger afternoon tea, the blogger buds and I booked ourselves in. Using the excuse of Sarah's birthday, we arrived last Saturday with high expectations. Unfortunately we (Sarah, Hannah, Elodie, Lily and Aisling) left highly disappointed.

Having arrived at 3pm it took us half an hour to get our much needed glass of prosecco and iced tea - even then we had to flag the waiter down to recieve them. After listening to our bellies grumbling for an hour and 15 minutes we finally had our burger afternoon tea put in front off us. Again after asking twice where our food was. Considering we had already pre-booked, this was appalling. They knew exactly how many people were coming and the fact that it was busy shouldn't have made a difference. After we complained we were given a complimentary bottle of prosecco, while it was a nice touch I would have preferred money off our bill as three of our party didn't actually drink. 

The food itself was good if not a little lukewarm. The dessert was the best part - I could eat a million and one of those mini doughnuts. I did think they could have been a bit more meat in the sliders especially the chicken. The beef burger was a little dry but I really enjoyed the lobster slider as it made a nice change. The avocado was a nice touch. I would have preferred there to be a better ratio of meat to the bun. The chips were a good size portion and were pretty fluffy on the inside which is always a good thing. 

I won't be rushing back to BRGR.CO anytime in the future which is a shame as the regular menu did look tasty. I'd rather spend my money somewhere where I feel a bit more valued as a customer. 

I'm actually guest posting over at Sarah's blog today while she swans off on holiday. Check it out if you're interested in an immense carrot cake recipe. You'll struggle not to eat the whole loaf! 

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