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: NYC Make Up Haul

L-R Clinique Cheek Pop 01 Ginger Pop, Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour blush Natural Beauty, Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush 60 Coffee Cake

L-R Yello-Out Clear Acrylic Top Coat, O.P.I You're Such A Budapest, O.P.I Red My Fortune Cookie, O.P.I Red Hot Rio, O.P.I My Paprika is Hotter Than Yours, O.P.I Toucan Do It If You Try, Nicole by O.P.I Drying Drops

L-R Burt's Bees Tinted Lipbalm Red Dahlia, Covergirl 305 Hot Passion lipstick, Covergirl Lipperfection Jumbo Gloss Balm 245

Marc Jacobs Daisy Rollerball and Marc Jacobs Dot Rollerball

Origins Super Spot Remover, Covergirl Flamed Out Very Black Blaze, Clinique Chubby Stick 09 Heaping Hazelnut

Just like I would never refer to myself as a shoe girl (you and I both know this isn't true), I wouldn't use the term 'Make Up Lover' to describe myself either. So how did I end up spending a small fortune on beauty products in New York? Your guess is as good as mine.

I fell head over heels for Duane Reade especially when I discovered O.P.I nail polishes worked out around £5 each. Yep I may have squealed a little too. I could have brought home a whole rainbow of colours but alas my nail polish collection makes my dad nervous. He's convinced it's going to cause a crack in our ceilings... I decided to spare him the heart attack and only bring home 7 bottles. I showed some good restraint! The Maybelline blush is absolutely amazing! I can't stop wearing it.

I couldn't resist this snazzy pouch at Chelsea Market although I can't for the life of me remember my the name. Schoolboy error! It made me laugh as I've only just really graduated onto lipstick in the last two years.

I wish I brought more of the Covergirl lip crayons. It just applies like a dream and is such a pretty colour. It's perfect for day way as it's not to in your face. It also creates a slight stain so isn't too shabby when it starts to wear off. It's enough of a reason for me to book a return trip right?

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Powder blue

Outfit:
Powder blue midi dress: c/o Hobbs
Powder blue lady dragons: Vivienne Westwood (similar)
Silver ball bracelet: Tiffany & Co
Red lip crayon: Cover Girl

Hobbs was one of those brands I used to lust (and still do!) over when I was working hard in Uni. And eating lots of pizza.  I imagined i'd be dressed top to toe in the brand, wearing high heels everyday and swanning around in London when I got my first job. My first job was indeed in London but I lasted in heels for about a week and my wages still only stretched to Primark. So I was over the moon when they got in touch to see if I fancied something. I couldn't reply quick enough and this dress caught my eye as soon as I opened the website. It just so elegant, summery and pretty damn perfect. It fits like a glove and as Aisling has been telling me for god knows how long, you really do see the quality when you spend those extra pennies. I'll definitely be saving up my coins for another Hobbs dress. I think this may be the start of something beautiful...

This dress is going to get it's debut at Newmarket Ladies Day. I do love a day at the races! I've got a hot pink pillbox hat to match the heart on my shoes. If anyone has seen any hot pink clutches hit me up as i'm on the hunt for one to match!

Do you own anything from Hobbs?

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Review: Big Easy

A few weeks ago I managed to finally drag myself to the newly opened Covent Garden branch of the American/seafood restaurant Big Easy. Having already visited the Kings Road branch I fell in love and was very excited one had opened a bit nearer to home.

It's not the cheapest of places to eat and is definately a treat option for lunch. But the portions are huge. Absolutely huge! I didn't eat anything for the rest of the day. I opted for the Carolina Pulled Pork and it went down an absolute treat. The BBQ sauce was sticky and tangy and went perfectly with the melt in your mouth pork. The chips were a little bit too well done for my liking but Lily helped me finish them off! The coleslaw had a tasty lemon tang to it and baked beans were moreish.

I'm a sucker for presentation and I loved how everything was served in seperate bowls. The brown greaseproof paper added a great rustic feel to the food. It was fairly busy but not overpowering or too loud. Service was a bit hit and miss. Sarah's main came out quite a while after everyone elses so that was a bit annoying. I think meals should come out all at one rather than in droves.

Next time I visit i'm zoning in on the delicious ribs Aisling chose. The girl did good!

Have you ever been to Big Easy?
 

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NYC Part Two

During the second part of the week we braved a visit over to Bronx Zoo. Despite the reputation you hear we made it out alive! The zoo was a bit of a disappointment and despite the good reviews we'd read it really wasn't that good at all. It was just so large which isn't a bad thing but it seemed to have a serious lack of animals. London Zoo may be ridiculously overpriced but it's 10 times better. Leave the zoo in the guide books if you visit NYC guys!

We also decided to rent bikes and cycle around Central Park. Got to admit I was bullied into this as I was not keen at all but I'm so glad we did it. I really recommend it. You see so much and we did the six miles perimeter in around 2 hours. It hurt like hell but we got to see everything! Of course we refuelled in Hooters after as you do.  We did the majority of our shopping in the last few days. Boy did we shop till we dropped! I was a bit underwhelmed by Macys, I thought Bloomingdales was top notch. A way to comp[are is to say Macys is Debenhams and Bloomingdales would be Selfridges. The service was just so much better in the latter and it was spotless. Just a much nicer shopping experience!

We also visited the Top of the Rock at night. It was absolutely pouring down and unfortunately we couldn't go outside so I didn't get very good pictures. But the view was gorgeous, it was particularly nice to see the Empire State all lit up. Such a beauty! I think I preferred seeing the city at night with all the twinkly lights showing off. I had the most bizarre experience in Time Square that night. We were walking back from dinner in the rain and then all of a sudden it started snowing! SNOWING! We had gotten sunburnt the day before in the park. It was madness! I've got to admit the city's a lot better in the sun!

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NYC - Part one

Looking back at these has made me want to jump on the very next plane back to the Big Apple. I need to go back!

We crammed in so much in just a week and it still wasn't enough. There's so much more I want to see and do. In the first few days we caught a ferry over to Liberty Island where we saw the awe-inspsiring Statue of Liberty before we stopped off at Ellis Island. It was a shame some of it wasn't open (it's still recovering from Hurricane Sandy) but it was still interesting and mind-boggling reading about the sheer number of immigrants that came on those shores. I got to catch my first game of Baseball and I can't say I was overwhelmed. It's very stop and start meaning there are many times throughout the match when no one is playing. It was an experience i'm glad I had but I much prefer seeing a football match!

The view from the Empire State was insane. Up there with one of the best views i've seen hence why i'm grinning like a cheshire cat in the first picture. Like I said I loved Chelsea Village/Meatpacking as it really was picture perfect New York. It was just how I imagined what the city would look like. Rows and rows of brownstones lining the tree filled streets. It was also home to Chelsea Market which i'd love to go back and explore in closer detail. The vintage on sale was just asking for a rummage!

Finally I fulfilled a bucket list wish and rode in a horse and cart around Central Park. We had a charming Irish chap who reeled off random but interesting tibits. It was a tad smelly being sat next to the horse's behind but it was a lovely way to see the park. Pick a sunday like we did as no cars are allowed in the park!

Stay tuned for part two. I took a hell of a lot of pictures!

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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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Washington DC

As we  were in New York for a week we decided to plan a little day trip out of the city. Washington DC was only 3.20 hours away by train and how often are you ever going to see the White House? It's a not a place you'd ever really go on holiday so we decided to visit.

After catching the train bright and early - it seemed like a good idea to book ourselves on the 7.20am train when we booked it at home! We caught up on our beauty sleep and before we knew it we'd arrived in DC. British trains could learn a lot from our US friends. They were fab!

Deciding against an open top tour bus as everything looked close together - schoolboy error! - we set off on our merry way.

I've got to be honest and say I was disappointed with the White House. With Buckingham Palace you can get quite close but here it felt like you were miles away and it was underwhelming. But I was blown away by the Lincoln Memorial. It was huge and had such a presence. I kept expecting it to get up and move around like it does in Night at The Museum!

It was cool to see the Washington Memorial and the Reflecting Pool as Forest Gump is one of my favourite films. I couldn't get over how tall the memorial was! We kept thinking how near we were when we were trying to find it but it was teasing us because it was so tall!

After a few recommendations we decided to stop for lunch in the historic Georgetown. It was very pretty and reminded me of an English chocolate box village. It's a shame we didn't have longer there. Out of pure chance we managed to stumble upon Thunder Burger and Bar which was voted the best burger in the city. It was fate! I opted for the Buffalo Stomp bison burger with sweet potato fries. I'm going to be bold and say they were quite possibily the best sweet potato fries i've had!

We ended up walking a total of 10 miles! Alas given the amount of food  I consumed during the week it didn't stop my waist from disappearing before my eyes.

Have you ever been to Washington? What did you think?

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