The worlds halted to a stop and its a tad scary and strange,

But I have seen little benefits that have come with this this sudden change,

We're more grateful for the little things like quality family time,

All of a sudden video technology has become a life line,

My nanas figured out facebook and my mams a computer whizz,

We all keep our spirits high though our weekly family quiz,

We also miss the little things like going to nans house for our tea,

But just think how great it will feel when you finally get to meet,

Children will surely look back on this in the years to come,

and be thankful for the time they got to spend with dad and mum,

We have finally seen the importance of our nations health,

We've seen those who prop up society and its not those with all the wealth,

I hope we continue our gratitude towards the people in our healthcare system,

It's not just during a pandemic that we truly couldn't cope without them,

I hope we remember this loneliness that we currently feel,

And channel it into kindness when the world finally starts to heal,

I hope we continue to cherish the little things that we so often take for granted,

That we continue to radiate positivity no matter whatever cards were handed, 

I pray we remember the little things that really kept us sane, 

I hope that in someways things don't go back to being the same.

Renovating your Kitchen for under £200

This is something a little different for the blog, but at your request via instagram I'm about to tell you how you can improve your kitchen on a very small budget. Before this whole quarantine malarkey my husband and I had priced up a brand new kitchen at B&Q. We were quite surprised at how affordable the quotation was. Then the world kinda of went crazy and that idea went right out the window. But my desire for a new kitchen was still very strong. I love to cook and the kitchen is very important to me, yet in our new home it was the one room I disliked the most. To put it plainly it was just outdated. So one night I plied my husband with a bottle of pinot and made him watch kitchen renovations with me on Youtube. Next thing we know, we have drunkenly ordered all the items to get the project on the go. Call it a moment of madness, but its actually the sanest thing we have done. We have saved a fortune DIY'ing the kitchen.  It came in at just under £200 but that included wall and skirting board paint of which we have plenty to do other rooms with.

I'm going to section of each part and list the products used incase you want to focus on a specific area! We purchased a lot of materials from amazon and wickes! unfortunately I can't link specific items as they have sold out!

Kitchen cabinets
Our old cabinets were those shiny laminate kind... yuck. They were outdated and the colour made the kitchen look so cheap. I was concerned that the plastic like coating would be an issue with painting but it was actually not that bad. You just need a bit of patience and some elbow grease.
You will need:

• Good quality sandpaper
• wood primer
• wood paint
• clear finish (optional)
• New handles (optional)
• Bodge or polyfiller (if your changing your handles) 

Remove handles if your replacing them. Fill your holes left from your handles with polyfiller and let set.  Sand till smooth and flat with door. Then you can move on to sanding the door itself. Good quality sandpaper is the key here. We at first used cheap finely milled stuff and it took ages. You need quite strong stuff to scratch off all of that protective finish. If you have an electric sander even better you will get through this process a lot quicker! Once you have roughed up the surface you then need to go in with your primer. This will give a better texture for your paint to attach to and will also just help achieve a more even finish. You may need to take the doors off the cupboards to reach all of the nooks and crannies. After creating a good base you can then go over with your choice of colour. Finish by sealing with clear protective finish and then reattach the new handles. 

Tiles

• Tile paint
• protective finish

This step is pretty simple, if you want to change your tiles you can simply use tile paint. A much less stressful experience than retiling and a hell of a lot quicker. It will take a few coats if your tiles are dark and make sure you get a finishing coat if you want them to be shiny. We also looked into stick on tiles, which is also a great option and can transform your kitchen in a few hours but paint was the more affordable option.


Worktops

• Vinyl wrap
• spray bottle 
• stanley knife
• squeegee
• Hairdryer

The principle of changing the work tops is a lot easier than the execution. We bought some marbled vinyl wrap but it comes in all different colours. This is a two person job, probably possible on your own but just easier with team work! To start spray your benches with water and fairy washing liquid in a spray bottle. This helps you move your vinyl around so it doesn't stick in the first place you put it. Because trust me it takes some moving around. Next is to map out your vinyl, we placed ours on the bench and ran the squeegee against the edges of the benches so we had creases in the vinyl as a guide. I did the same for around the stove and cut out this section leaving an inch gap from the actual marking of the edge. We then placed the vinyl on the bench and smoothed with the squeegee. When your happy with placement you can cut off your excess with the Stanley knife. We found it was also helpful to heat the edges with the hairdryer so they clung to the bench more firmly. If you get any creases you can heat them up with the dryer and for bubbles a small pin prick should solve the issue. 

This was probably the most striking part of our renovation and the cheapest three rolls of vinyl only set us back around £15. But remember you have to be careful it will scratch and mark easily, its also not heat proof. 

I've included larger pictures of before and after below. We are super pleased with how it turned out and we hope we've inspired some of you to get your DIY on during lockdown and be as productive as possible during these strange times! We still need to buy some black sockets and to paint our radiator black then the kitchen is complete. But I already have my eye on our next project and thats to up-cycle a pine wine rack we have that the dogs chewed to death! Please let me know if you enjoy these types of posts and if you'd like to see more!

stay safe,
Kels x

Femme Luxe UK collaboration - Party Pieces

Tonight I have something new for the blog, a little collaboration with https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk. I actually hadn't tried anything from the brand before they approached me, but after looking at their website, I knew that they fit my style perfectly. It was actually pretty hard to choose what I wanted to try! They have so many gorgeous dresses! I also found their website incredibly easy to navigate, the price of the clothing incredibly reasonable and they also have next day delivery for us impatient or unorganised gals (you know who you are). But every girl can relate to getting overexcited about clothes coming through the post, so naturally I couldn't wait to try these few items on. I went for 3 going out options, in a pretty neutral palette. You know that I love simple colours, less is more in my eyes!  SO I chose a one shoulder jumpsuit, a V neck midi and a One shoulder Knit dress. All very minimal and classy just how I like my outfits! 

Black belted shoulder jumpsuit - Evelyn

I'm having a real moment for one shouldered pieces as you will see further down. You probably know that I'm also a little sucker for a 70's vibe so a flared jumpsuit is also right up my street. About the actual jumpsuit, the material is pretty thick and stretchy which is really nice on a fitted piece, because it kind pulls everything in! Also it makes the boootay pop, which were all game for. I paired this with a pair of Dalmatian print heels. I think this is the best kind of outfit for winter, its still super figure hugging and sexy but also super warm! so if you are braving winter weather maybe consider this cute little number.  RRP £35.98 but they currently have a sale so you can pick this up at £15.99!!

https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/products/black-belted-one-shoulder-jumpsuit-evelyn

 White ribbed V neck midi dress - Regina

Next on the line up this gorgeous figure hugging White V neck midi. Once again he quality of this item is really nice, its thick and form hugging around all the right places. I really like the neckline its very flattering and the straps sit really well which is always something I look out for.  I can imagine wearing this at so many occasions, but I think its great for this time of year if your hitting the town because its warm but still dressy! I wouldn't feel out of place going for dinner or clubbing in this with a statement shoe! I also think this is a fab dress for the summer too which is always good, when you get to use an outfit all year round. RRP £31.98 currently on sale for £11.99!

 https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/products/white-ribbed-v-neck-midi-dress-regina

White knitted mini dress - Macie 

Last but certainly not least, my absolute favourite item! A one shoulder ribbed knit dress. (Yes another one shoulder) Perfect for the winter season! There are so many ways you can wear this dress, want to stay warm on a night out? add some killer heels. I have worn this out for my boyfriends birthday with a navy duster jacket and knee high grey suede boots. Which was such a power outfit. We had a meal in a pretty laid back restaurant and then had cocktails in a pretty classy joint. The outfit was perfect on both occasions because it can be dressed up or down! Its so versatile. I have to say its deffo a white underwear only dress but that's not a massive no no for me. RRP £29.99 but currently on sale for £10.99! 

https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/products/white-knitted-ribbed-one-shoulder-sleeve-bodycon-mini-dress-tessa

Overall I'm so in love with the items I received they are all true to size, good quality and absolute steal prices at the moment! I will 100% ordering from them again, in fact I have a tab open as we speak perusing the bargains! I hope that you liked the outfits as much as me. If you happen to get caught up in the sale and make any purchases please let me know what you think. I love seeing your purchases!

Bottomless Brunch @ Sohe Jesmond

No surprise that I leaped at the chance to go back to Sohe for another delicious meal! Another visit another amazing deal.  Me and Nath were invited to try their bottomless brunch; that's 90 minuets of free flowing drinks, a sharing starter and a main for £25.95pp.  I think that a great price regardless but coupled up with the relaxed atmosphere of Sohe it's unbeatable. Every time me and Nath go to Sohe I instantly feel relaxed, the dim lighting comfy seats and smell of gorgeous food instantly makes you feel at home.  We settled into our nice plush booth and order our first (of many) drinks, I started off with a classic glass of Prosecco and then moved on to try their Yuzu spritz which I loved! If you like tarte drinks you'll adore the spritz! Nath was on the beer of course.

We then tucked into the sharing starter which consisted of: Chicken Satay, Veggie spring rolls, prawn crackers with tamarind dip and salt and chili squid. The dip that came with the crackers was a firm favourite of mine (only complaint is that I didn't want to share with Nathan) I also really enjoyed the chicken satay the sauce was so creamy! There's plenty food there for two, in all honesty I was actually pretty full. I then went on to have the Lamb Massaman curry, which I have to say is one of my favourites that I have eaten at many restaurants. This was definitely up there with some of the best and most authentic, I absolutely love crispy shallots sprinkled on my Massaman, the lamb was cooked to perfection it pretty much fell apart in the bowl! Certainly a dish I could wolf down again and again. Nath was so impressed with our last visit he ordered exactly the same meal King prawn vermicelli, he is a creature of habit after all. Nether the less he was more than happy with his meal! We had such a laugh, good food and we were never without a glass. It's available Friday and Saturday 12pm-5pm, so pretty much ideal for a girly lunch date fuelled by prosecco and gossip  Make sure you book a table if you fancy a tipple!

Visit https://www.sohe.co.uk/special-offers

Parichat @ Sohe jesmond

Is it completely shallow that the first judgment I make of a restaurant is its interior? I think its fairly common with the selfie generation to pick places based on it's 'insta hotspot photobility.' Before you exit this blogpost, I'd like to point out that I am mainly influenced by the menu but I'd be lying if I didn't say a good photo opportunity doesn't lure me in. I'm happy to point out that Sohe has the ability to boast both strengths; a beautiful menu that's  complimented by it's chic interior. 

Last Saturday I found myself seated in a beautiful beau window with the sun beaming in, sampling the set menu at Parichat at Sohe (as well as the cocktails). Purely on first impressions glancing around the room, I thought 

I am actually surprised these guys do a *happy hour* type menu and it's so reasonably priced. The decor feels very luxe and modern that you would naturally expect a luxe price tag. Yet three courses for £15.95 is incredibly reasonable, especially considering the quality of the dishes I experienced. 

To start I had Spring rolls with a homemade sweet chilli dip. My fella 

had the Steamed pork and spring onion dumplings which were accompanied by a soy, chilli oil and coriander dip.  Both were incredibly flavoursome, I had some of Nathans... purely for research purposes only of course. With five starter options in total,;I think its a brilliant set menu with plenty of variety. In fact it was quite hard to decide which one I wanted to try. I guess that just warrants another visit! 

Then along came the main meals, I chose Pan fried Sea Bass filet with a smoky curry sauce, Pak Choi and jasmine rice. I most definitely stand by my choice, I'm pretty sure Nathan had complete food evny over my dish. The smoky spiced sauce with the crisp salty skin of the Sea bass was an utter delight. The fish just fell apart if was so beautifully cooked and the accompaniment of my favourite chinese vegetable Pak Choi added a lovely crunch. I love a mix of textures in my food it adds so much to the experience. A dish that I would order again in a heart beat and honestly haven't really been able to stop thinking about since we left. Once again there was a nice variety of options meat, fish and a vegan dish.

In between courses I was obviously sampling the gorgeous cocktails. I love elaborate designs and fancy glasses when it comes to cocktails. Theres something about it that just makes you feel like you are in the lap of luxury, maybe that's just me? I have to also point out that these drinks are not style over substance they tasted amazing and were all made with quality ingredients. The drink in my first photo in the amazing glass is called Destination Unknown which was a gorgeous Gin tipple. I also sampled Noh Aku Aku which is Rum based and as I've heard a customer favourite. It's not hard to tell why, it comes in the most amazing novelty glass shaped like a face. Lastly I knocked back a drink called find your zen, which was another fruity number that came with a slice of watermelon and a sprig of lavender. I mean all are worthy of appearing on your instagram grid. 

Lastly we had desert, Nathan's favourite course. He had Salted caramel and peanut ice-cream which I didn't get a photo of because it was half way down his neck before I could even open my mouth. Apparently it was just too good to wait. I had Rum and Chilli roasted pineapple with coconut sorbet, which was just a lovely balance of sweetness and spice and a lovely way to end the meal. 

If you fancy a gander at the menu its available on their website under special offers  but you best be quick as this spring menu will not be around for long! Set menu is available Mon - Thur 5pm - close, Fri - Sat 12pm- 6pm and Sunday 3pm until close.  2 courses £13.95   3 courses £15.95

Moda In Pelle: Launch at Fenwick Newcastle

I still pinch myself that I get invited to these kind of events! What a dream to browse a gorgeous range of shoes from Moda In Pelle ( Prosecco in hand) and then get to pick out my very own pair. The event was to celebrate the official launch of Moda In Pelle in Fenwick Newcastle. I have to admit that I didn't know much about the Moda In Pelle before the event, but I always love discovering new brands!

A little Back story: The brand was was founded in 1975 by Stephen Buck, they have been crafting beautiful leather shoes for over 40 years! They aim to bring together British design and Italian quality.

Looking around the store I was quite impressed at what a diverse age range this brand catered for, they do everything from glitzy sandals, comfy trainers to going out heels. I could line up every single woman in my family and there would be something to offer her here! At one point I was wishing I had a 9-5 job with a suit and such, just so I had an excuse to wear their gorgeous brogues and loafers.

There were quite a few shoes that stole my heart so choosing a pair to take home was quite a task. So I decided to photograph my absolute favourites! I think my top picks show just how diverse of a range they have! First up we have the trainer. Now I am not stereotypically a trainer kinda gal, but these screamed all kinds of Gucci vibes at me. These are just the chicest little pair of trainers I ever did see. Black with a leopard print pop and a stripe of red, also the chunky sole is so on trend! AND if you aren't obsessed with animal print are you even in 2019.

Second runner up were these gorgeous Valentino-esque heels, completely more my usual style.  Not only do they resemble a very popular design of shoe, the colours are just insane. I'm really into a statement shoe and these would certainly turn heads. The only reason I didn't end up with a pair in this style is because I have a few shoes similar in shape (not colour) and I wanted to go for something a little different to what I already own.

Here we have it, the raining champion... the boldest pair of shoes in the store! A gorgeous glossy pair of patent leather orange heels, with a block heel featuring a gorgeous metallic finish. Not only do they look amazing but oh the comfort.  They have a full leather padded sock which means you can dance the night away and still be able to walk the next morning. I was inspired to buy these after speaking with Leanne who was running the event, she mentioned that Moda In Pelle want their customers to be bold, to try something they might not usually lean to. These shoes are most certainly bold and I feel like they really capture my style I can see a 70's influence in the block heel and the metallic has a very 90's vibe.

I'm going to link the website here so you can all browse their shoes https://www.modainpelle.com But if you can why not pop into Fenwick Newcastle because the shoe's really are worth seeing in person! To wrap this up I really just want to say one last Thank you to Moda In Pelle and Fenwick Newcastle and another Huge thanks to Leanne for organising the event and being a such great host!

Sometimes life just gives you Lemons.

Steal my style, as always items are linked. 

Bikini by Missguided

Light weight knit Pretty Little Thing 

Old favourites & New found loves

I'm just going to put it out there, I keep my makeup way longer than recommended. Basically if it doesn't smell or look yuck, it gets to live another day. Expect mascaras and eyeliners, nobody wants an eye infection. So when I do these 'old' favourites posts, some of these items have genuinely been with me forever. (No shame) My Mac skin finishes were an obsession, when I first started really loving makeup. I own lots of Mac powders, but these two are ones I still reach for. I feel like Soft & gentle has a place in a lot of ride or die Mac fans hearts. This to me was the original highlighter before highlights became such a thing! I clearly have loved mine to death as I have hit pan. There are truly very few products I ever use that often, so its a real testament to how much I adore this. Golden Globe is another amazing skin finish by Mac, but seeming underrated. This when your tanned and summery just takes your glow full JLO. Forever a summertime / fake tan anytime favourite. 

The two Chanel items are complete happy accidents. The lippy my dad got me for Christmas because the colour I wanted was limited edition and out of stock and this one was similar! I actually think I prefer this to the one I chose! Its the shade Sourire, its very sheer with a light pink glittery cast! Very cute. The Coco Noir perfume my boyfriend bought me for Christmas, after becoming confused in the perfume store and picking this up thinking it was Tom for Black orchid (which I wore at the time). I really love the smell of this perfume and its not something I think I would have picked up for myself! So I'm pleasantly surprised, after all that he could remember was 'it comes in a black bottle' it could have been a true disaster. 

My newest found love are the Makeup revolution Pro brushes which I picked up for under £3 each. I'm truly impressed with the quality of these brushes for the tiny price point. They apply my foundation really nice and are much easier to clean that my other goat haired brushes. Don't get me wrong I'm not about to throw away my brush roll full of mac brushes but they certainly are a brilliant alternative if your on a budget! I can't really justify spending £20 plus on one brush these days, especially when there are such great cheaper alternative around! 

I'd love to know what your die hard favourites, maybe its a new obsession or a long term affair! Let me know!

Insert heart eyed emoji

Silver/lilac hair compliments of Bleach London

Veganuary at Wagamama

If you recently had a gander at my instagram, you will have seen that on Wednesday I had the pleasure of sampling the Vegan menu at Wagamama at Intu Metrocentre. What perfect timing as we are currently in the midst of Veganuary! (Something that I wish I knew was a 'thing' before the middle of Jan, because I would have certainly took a crack at it). For those that are unfamiliar with a vegan diet, you essentially do not consume anything that is a by product of an animal or that contributes to their suffering. Whereas a veggie would avoid meat, vegans would also not consume dairy, honey and eggs etc.

To start the event off we were taken upstairs in Wagamama where we could dine in private. We were first given some samples of vegan canned drinks to try and a menu to peruse. I was truly impressed that Wagamama dedicates an entire menu to both vegetarian and vegan food, most restaurants I eat in, asterisk three options on the menu that are suitable to vegetarians, which is just a bit crap. The drinks were Cucumber & Mint and Mango & Ginger. I'm not a huge fan of Mint so the Cucumber can was a bit of a write off for me, but the Mango & Ginger was really tasty. I love anything spicy and this had a lovely kick of warmth after you had a sip of sweet Mango.

After a little chat with James the manager, the starters were brought out for us all to try. There were four vegan options, Edamame, Wok fried greens, Yasai gyoza and Mixed mushroom & panko aubergine hirata steamed buns. That sounds a little overwhelming so let me give you a run through. Some of you might know what Edamame are, but if not they are steamed beans with seasoning poured over the pods (you only eat the bean). I have actively avoided these in the past, but I'm so glad that I tried them because they are actually really tasty! A perfect little snack that you can just pick away at. Moving on to my favourite dish of the entire night, the Wok fried greens. I am a total garlic fiend, so this dish won me over from the get go. It is tender stem broccoli and Bok choi (Chinese cabbage) in a soy and garlic sauce. What a taste sensation, I'm truly ordering this every time I visit Wagamamas now. Yasai gyoza is essentially a vegetable dumpling, pleasant enough but I'm not a massive fan of dumplings. Lastly the Mixed mushroom & panko aubergine hirata steamed buns. It looks like a little burger with panko crumbed aubergine and mushrooms on top. I actually really liked this dish, it was pretty filling and it had a nice texture to it. The crisp of the aubergine complimented the soft texture of the bun and mushrooms. I also thought I hated aubergine until I tried this, which just goes to show it's always important to step out of your comfort zone.

After indulging so much on just starters we had a little food break and a chance to chat with the team about the restaurant itself. If you haven't eaten at Wagamama before the most unique thing about it, is that they cook your food fresh there and then, this means that your orders can come out at different times, but the beauty of this is that your food is never left sitting there waiting, it's as fresh as it gets. I actually learnt that every morning the chefs sit a prep the fresh ingredients for the dishes and that they barely use any oil. So not only is it really fresh its also pretty healthy! I was also impressed to see that they have a separate part of the kitchen to prepare vegan options, so there are no cross contamination of animal products.

Stepping away from the food for a second I was truly impressed with the general ethos of Wagamama. I found that their values are instilled in every staff member and that health is so important to them as a company. Not just your diet, but your well being too. Wagamama employees are all given a log in for a meditation app, that helps them in everyday situation for example walking up or dealing with a stressful day. I really love that mindfulness seems to be at the core of everything they do. I was also really impressed to see that they are partnered with the charity Mind, which focuses on mental health. For every Power of Super Green juice (image above) purchased, 25p is donated to Mind. This made the entire experience of drinking a super healthy juice feel enriching for my body and soul.

Ok back to pigging out! On to the main courses. Pictured above is Yasai Yaki Soba, this is a noodle dish with the egg removed from the noodle to make it vegan. It is jam packed with lots of delish veg and garnished with shallots, ginger and sesame seeds. I love a good veggie stir fry and its was certainly very flavourful! I then tried two tofu dishes, which I was sceptical about but I had nothing to worry about. The Yasai samla curry is the thicker looking one which was coconut and lemongrass. The tofu in this was kinda spongy and not my favourite texture but by no means not edible just different. I much preferred the tofu used in the Kare Burosu ramen, This was silken tofu and it had a lot creamier softer texture. The Ramen dish is a veggie broth with vegan noodles, tofu and lots of veg! Very tasty I really recommend giving this one ago.

I am not a vegan, I have dabbled in vegetarianism multiple times but never committed fully. So tasting this menu was a complete new experience for me, one which I would urge even the most committed meat eater to at least try. I believe there are misconceptions of vegan food, some of which I think I was guilty of thinking before I got to the event. Will I still be hungry? Will it be bland? Will I feel like something is missing?  To all of which the answer is NO. I don't want the purpose of this blog post to try and convince you to give up meat, I think I'm just aiming to try and get people to try something new! I really want to stress that you don't need to be vegan to enjoy vegan food.

A massive thank you to the staff at both Wagamama and Intu Metrocentre for putting together this event! I really enjoyed a new experience and found foods and flavours I had never tried before. We also received a lovely goodie bag that I showed in my instagram stories, containing some lovely little gifts like bath bombs, herbal teas and a gorgeous notebook that fit the ethos of Wagamama perfectly! Hope you have all enjoyed this lengthy post, well done for making it this far. I just had so much to say!

Urban Decay On The Run

Last Friday I got the chance to get a little sneak preview of three brand new palettes launched by Urban Decay named the On the Run palettes. Pictured above is Bailout a lilac themed palette. The other palettes are Detour which is green themed and Shortcut which is blush themed. All the palettes contain four mattes and four shimmer shades and they are all inspired by the very coveted Born to Run palette (hence the name). It was a hard decision of which palette I wanted to buy and honestly at £24 a pop I nearly bought all three! Yet sanity prevailed and my bank card cried in relief as I only came home with the one little beauty.  These palettes will be officially in store come Tue 15th of Jan, I seriously recommend you go in and at least have a swatch!

The girlies at UD did a little demo for our group using the blush palette and the results were stunning. They created such a pretty look and the steps seemed pretty easy to replicate! It was great to see the shadows in action and how they complimented each other! I've inserted a little shot of the look below.

I actually learned a fair bit about Urban Decay that I didn't know before the event. They are consciously trying to become a vegan brand around 79% of their products are currently vegan but all are veggie and cruelty free. I also didn't know that they make the darkest black mascara on the market, its called perversion. Which I will most definitely be trying.

It's not a secret that I love UD. I've used their products for years infact my first ever eyeshadow palette was from UD, so it's an extremely nostalgic brand for me. It was a little bamboo palette with a swivel hinge and bright colours in, it was completely ahead of it's curve, no other brand was doing bold colours like UD. I still think that they are. They always produce bold and different colour stories and these three palettes are no different. The shades are wearable but they all have a daring shade to turn your look into something unique.

I'm just gonna pop a few pictures in from the event itself! Please let me know if you purchase one of these I'd love to know what you think / love to see what looks you create!

IntuMetrocentre Bloggers Event!

I'm quite excited to write this post, because last Thursday I went to my first ever blogger event... and my god have Intu Metrocentre set the president for events to come. If you are from the Newcastle area (which majority of my readers are) you are probably well acquainted with the Metrocentre. It's my first stop for shopping, it has so many brands under one roof, free parking and it's indoors so no rain! Which is obviously a big component when you live up north! If things weren't good enough they've just opened four new stores, which our little group of bloggers were lucky enough to get a tour of!

Firstly we all met for food and drinks and had a little mingle to get to know one another. The food was provided by Fattoush Lounge which is a new Lebanese restaurant that has just opened in the cube! Which I had already tried prior to the event because your gal is partial to a shawarma wrap... We then set off on our tour and by gosh did we travel in style! we all got escorted around in the Metrocentre mini train, which was too cute but I have to say my carriage exits weren't to dignified! It was such a fun way to travel around and a good way to get to know everyone because the carriages were certainly snug!

Our first little trip was to Hotel Chocolat, we didn't actually depart just sort of passed by and handed samples through the window, I ain't complaining who doesn't love sitting on their but and eating chocolate. Did you guys know that they did ice-cream! It was bloody delicious! They also gave me a little box of choccy Santa's which I've pretty much demolished! Since then I had a little browse on their website and their Christmas collection is adorable, go on their website and search a posse of penguins or the reindeer slab... too cute!

Our first official stop was  actually the Jack Wills pop up shop! It's only around for a limited time because the Metrocentre is actually getting a permanent store!! Word on the street is that it is opening in the platinum mall this Wednesday! They had some brilliant stock in the popup, I actually picked up a couple shirts for my fella in the black friday sale! What's even better is that the new store will stock the full range!! I can't wait to have a snoop around! We were also gifted some very cute red socks, which were very festive (I've just uploaded a pic on my insta) and a roller ball of one of their scents. So a massive thanks to Jack Wills and Intu Metrocentre for the gift!

Next on the agenda G-Star Raw. Now I'm not going to lie, I wasn't overly excited about visiting this store. It's a brand I associate with menswear, but after actually being introduced to the clothing I realised that is simply not the case. I actually liked a lot of the clothing in here, shout out to the orange sweatshirt below. ↓

After listening to a representative of the brand talk about the company, I learnt that they are one of the few brands that provide sustainable denim. And by god do they have a lot of choice just walking into the store you can see the entire back wall is covered top to bottom in women's denim jeans. If you're looking for an investment piece of denim its certainly the place to come. G-Star gifted us all a little denim tote which I will be now using as my bag for life (if I honestly ever remember to take it with me, anyone else do that?) and a cute little rhino keyring. The rhino is a key symbol for G-star because rhino's can't walk backwards (fact of the day) and this is a motto the company stands by, they only ever want to move forwards.

We then got treated to a little bit of pampering by Clarins, who gave me the most incredible hand massage! It's not a brand that I have ever really explored but after that treatment I was so impressed I wanted to know more. I was lucky enough to be given a sample box of some of their products and I am sooo hooked on the lip oil! It is my new obsession, legitimately going to order one immediately. Straight to Boots I go!

The next stop was at Couture Club a brand I had never heard of and honestly probably would have never stepped foot in, if I hadn't been taken inside. I'm just so uncool. Street style is not my thing, I love it but I just can't pull it off! However, I absolutely fell in love with some of the pieces they had in store. Especially a light wash denim jacket with the red Couture logo on the back. I was surprised how reasonably priced it was and even more surprised that there were actually things I really liked, even with my old biddy taste in fashion. They were kind enough to gift us a cap and T-shirt. I love the T-shirt the material is so thick and good quality, I threw it on with some mom jeans and loafers the other day and I actually loved my look. Maybe there's hope for me to dress casual after all...

This was not on the official tour but Quiz were kind enough to let us pick out some clothing! How amazing! I honestly can't get over how generous they were! I picked up a banging green satin bodysuit, some serious sexy elf vibes going on. I don't know if that's a thing, but let's roll with it. Keep your eyes peeled for an insta post coming soon!

On to the final event! I'm pretty sure every girl in driving distance of the Metrocentre was overjoyed when it was announced that we were finally getting a VICTORIA SECRET! We have been deprived of gorgeous underwear and cute pjs for to long. If you haven't had a look around the new store yet, it definitely won't disappoint. In true VS style the store exudes feminine luxury. The gorgeous design is all part of the shopping experience, that makes VS so special. I've included a few photos from both VS and Pink, because I'm obsessed with the decor. I think it is the perfect place to pick up a Christmas gift, whether its undies, pjs or their amazing range of smellies! You can't really go wrong, all women love that little pink striped bag! I usually tend to get my undies from Vs and lean towards pink for both pjs and gym wear. My favourite underwear range has to be the dream angles, they are always ultra feminine, delicate little pieces. Our last surprise was that we were offered fitting and then allowed to take home a bra of our choice! How bloody lucky am I, it's not every day you get given a bra from VS. No guesses which range I chose from either, look out for a more in-depth post on my gorgeous gifted bra!

Lastly I want to just briefly say a massive thank you to everyone involved in the event, I'm  still so honoured to have even been invited! It was lovely meeting all the fabulous ladies who blog in my area too! I also have yet to mention the incredible goody bag, jam packed with products that I can't wait to share with you over on my insta! Hope you all enjoyed this post and will make a journey to check out these fab new brands in the Metrocentre! Oh and side note keep an eye on my instagram for little snapshots of some of the gifts I mentioned! it's  @kelsreaay and why not give @intumetrocentre a follow too for shopping inspo and the latest news!

Dior Airflash Backstage Pro's

I am so obsessed with having leaves in my images at the moment... I don't know why I'm just feeling it.  I'm also going to add a new little feature to my reviews a pros and cons list for people who don't have time to read my lengthy reviews... scroll to the bottom. Now that I've gotten that out the way lets get onto what you came here for, my thoughts on the Dior Airflash foundation. 

Foundation and face products are my favourite part of makeup. I am OBSESSED with creating a beautiful base, it is for me the most satisfying part of doing my makeup. So I guess you could probably say that I am a bit of a foundation junkie. I buy and test lots of different kinds from different brands in search for the perfect finish. Truthfully I don't think I will ever stop testing foundations purely because I love trying new things too much! I must say that this foundation is the only one in a long time that has made me consider not trying anything else. So there's a little clue on how this review is going to pan out.

So let's get a feel of what this product is and what it claims to preform like. I'll insert the information from Boot's, which is where I purchased this product.

 'An iconic spray foundation that delivers an airbrushed effect with precision and ease, now available in new shades. Enriched with light-diffusing pigments, this foundation instantly smooths the look of skinned boosts radiance for a perfect complexion that lasts all day, even on the runway. The unique micro-diffusion system delivers a fine mist of foundation to provide a soft, velvety complexion. The water-resistant formula ensures up to 12 hours of hold and colours that stay true. It's ultra-fluid and ultra-fine texture allows for buildable, custom coverage to suit any skin tone and texture. The Airflash range has expanded to include new shades that adapt to the cool tones or warmer tones of any skin colouring, imparting flawless coverage and a long-lasting finish for a radiant, glowing complexion. Mother of pearl pigments even skin tone and diminish the appearance of skin irregularities and fine lines, leaving your skin glowing with optimal radiance.'

So that's quite a write up by Dior, you can't argue that they have written an impeccable little paragraph, that would pretty much persuade anyone to give it ago. So here I am actually trying the product so you can distinguish whether these claims are more than just fluffy advertising to get your money. Which by the way would cost you £35.00 for this foundation. Let's start with packaging an essentially useless part of the review but we would all be lying if we said that it did not impact our purchases. This like every other Dior product exudes luxury, the beautiful silver lid paired with the glossy finish of the can looks so elegant. It is the quality you would expect of a Dior product. My only gripe is that the silver lid gets smarmy with finger print marks but that's just me being a little obsessive.

When you remove the lid you are presented with a spray, this is essentially an aerosol can. I was worried that this product could be potentially gimmicky... something I don't associate with Dior but in the name of curiosity I was willing to give it ago. Dior recommends that you apply it in one of two ways, for a light coverage you spray the foundation directly to the skin in a Z motion 20cm from your face. For a heavier coverage it is recommended that you spray the products onto a kabuki brush and apply in circular motions. I have personally applied it directly to my skin in a Z motion and I do agree that this is affective IF you wear a headband that covers your hairline and expect for it to cover your lips. I then pat the foundation into my skin with a Beauty blender to ensure my entire face is covered. You could just spray it on and go but I think you achieve a more precise coverage if you then go over with your sponge. This method provided quite a light coverage, it looked very natural but at the same time very flawless. It seems to have a blur effect and smooth out skin texture, the only thing I think it failed to cover with this technique is redness around my cheeks and nose. I have not applied it with a kabuki because personally I don't really like using brushes as I find they create streaks and apply to heavily. But another method I tried to get a fuller coverage was spraying the foundation to specific areas of my face and then spreading it around with my beauty blender. I felt that this improved the coverage of the foundation and it still had the blurring and smoothing effect. So essentially I think this foundation can achieve a light to a very good medium coverage. I'm not too sure about full because that's not really a look I go for.

Moving on to colour match. A common problem I have moaned about on my blog is finding a good colour match. I have massive issue finding a foundation with undertones that suit my skin. Everything is so pink or yellow and my skin is almost neutral with a touch of olive green. Quite a difficult undertone, because foundations only ever cater to this skin tone in deeper shades. I have light olive skin! Apparently companies just ignore my existence. I bought the shade Almond which is a light foundation with a cool undertone which isn't perfect but it's still a pretty good match! I picked this shade online because it looked like the most neutral light shade. I will say that this shade also did not oxidise which is brilliant! So the shades are true to colour. There are 18 shades which sounds impressive but essentially its a lot of light and medium shades and one dark shade. Which lets be honest is not diverse at all. It goes from dark beige shades to one Mocha shade on the boots website. So although there might be more options in terms of undertone it seems that is only applicable if you are of light to medium skin tone.  This is obviously not an issue that effects me, but in the wider beauty community is something that is continually a problem for many and I think it needs to be mentioned until we achieve complete diversity in the beauty market.

The finish I would describe as semi Matte. It is certainly a matte foundation but the blurring effect adds life to the skin and makes it more skin like... does that make sense? I really like the finish I think it makes your skin look very flawless but at the same time still like skin! That's essentially what everyone wants out of a foundation to look like we have naturally beautiful skin. I find that the lasting power is pretty good, I have oily skin and I find that I have very little breakthrough. I think this is attributed to the alcohol in the formula that makes the spray dry pretty quickly. I think 12 hours is a bit of a stretch but I do often touch my face so I wouldn't expect it to last forever. The staying power is good, nothing extraordinary but I would say that its oil control is brilliant.

Overall I really like this foundation. Which is not something I say very often. I feel like the colour, coverage and oil control are really good! I believe you receive some benefit from the spray function as it allows you to achieve a very light coverage. It disperses the perfect amount of foundation to achieve an almost airbrushed effect.  I have been pairing this with my YSL Touche Eclat primer and I think that this just takes this foundation to the next level. It adds extra radiance to a brilliant foundation and I honestly think these two products are something that everyone should have in their beauty arsenal.

Quick overview for you busy folk! 

PROS

• Buildable coverage
• blurring and smoothing effect
• good range of undertones
• quick application once you have a hang of it
• chic packaging as always
• semi matte finish that looks airbrushed
• Great oil control
• Reasonably long wearing 

CONS

• Can get in your hairline and gets on lips
• Needs practise to get used to spray function 
• Poor shade range for darker skin colours

Caseapp Collaboration!

So firstly a huge thank you to the team at Caseapp for arranging this collaboration! I absolutely adore the items I have received! (ps Discount code down below!) 

If you haven't heard of Caseapp they create custom phone cases and laptop skins. You can choose from a variety of gorgeous pre-made designs or you can unleash your creativity and design your own. I decided to try out both services, so I ordered two pre-made pieces and I designed my own phone case. If you don't know by now, I'm a pretty creative little soul so the thought of adding my own design was so cool. I spent a few hours having a browse on the interweb for inspiration and producing my design.  I made a few mocks and the Llama design is the one I stuck with! I think it's pretty cute! Caseapp do cases for iPhones, Samsung and iPads. They also produce skins for a range of brands Microsoft, Google, HTC, Apple, Nokia and Samsung.  You also have the option to choose a matte or glossy finish, personally I love glossy finish, I think it stays cleaner for longer!

I also order this super cute floral parrot print for my Mac book and another phone case.  It was truly hard to pick a print because they have some beautiful options. There really is something for everyone, cute animal prints, chic patterns, sassy cases, cutesy cases you name it they got it. And if they don't, make your own! Another option is to customise their marble collection with your name, possibly even your blog name that would be cute! Perhaps that's my next purchase. Overall I'm really impressed with the quality of the cases and the delivery was super fast which is always a bonus!
So if you feel inspired to get a new case or jazz up your laptop with a personalised skin you can access the site here: https://bit.ly/2N8BfTJ    and use my code LIFEOFKELS20 to receive 20% discount!

Happy shopping! 

The Wonky Wand.

I'm obsessed with making flatlays, I find the whole process from arranging, photographing to editing so cathartic. I don't know why but I love making pretty things.

Today's post is clearly about the L'oreal Unlimited mascara, or as I have so loving dubbed it the Wonky Wand mascara. As I always take products at face/packaging value lets start there. This packaging sucks, in the sense of design. It looks cheap and simply uncreative. I know that this essentially means nothing and adds no value to the quality of the mascara in the tube, but I like a bit of production value! When I buy any makeup I want to look at it and feel like it's a treat or a luxury and this says neither. In comparison to Paradise mascara in its pretty pink and rose gold packaging with its beautiful cardboard outer, this looks like the very ugly sister. In terms of looks this does not tick any of my boxes but I'm trying not to be shallow, so lets dig a little deeper. 

I know you're probably thinking, if the packaging repulsed you so badly why did you buy it? Well I'm looking past the frankly LAZY packaging because I'm so intrigued by the wand and its ability to move to a 45 degree angle. I was curious, is this a gimmick or does it actually improve mascara application. So I've used this every day for around a week to try and figure out if this wand is the way forward for the mascara market. So my first impressions were that the unique angle of the brush did seem to help get right to the root of the lashes with ease. I felt like it was easier to coat the very end lashes at both the inner and outer corner of my eye. The biggest benefit that I noticed was that it was a lot easier to apply to my left eye, I don't know why but it just felt less awkward than usual. Not that it is a daily struggle or anything but it can be difficult applying mascara to the eye that's not on the same side as your dominant hand. I usually find myself swapping the wand around a lot more to try and get into the corners on my left eye than my right. Strangely enough I didn't find myself doing that with this mascara. 

Maybe we should compare my thoughts to what L'oreal claims this mascara should do : Taken from the Boot's website

- Bendable mascara wand for precise application  - Reaches every last lash, from corner to corner - Lengthens, volumises, defines and separates lashes - Intense black finish for high-impact lashes - Longwear formula 

Well the wand is certainly bendy, so were off to a good start. As stated above I do agree that it is easier to reach the lashes on the inner and outer corner, which is why I really like this wand. I feel as if the mascara itself lengthens very well and definitely defines and separates the lashes. I do however feel that it's not a great voluminous mascara. In comparison to Paradise (which I really like hence the constant comparison) this barley adds any volume to your lashes. I really like chunky, thick lashes and I don't feel like this mascara achieves that very well. That however is personal preference and not a fault of the mascara at all. In terms of colour it's very dark just how I like it and the longevity was very good. I can suffer from transfer of mascara from my lashes to my brow bone or eyelid and I noticed none with this mascara. Most importantly I didn't get that weird crumbly thing either. 

My final verdict is that I really like the shape of the wand, what I'm not blown over by is the brush... Am I just picky... probably. This mascara is excellent if you want long separated and defined lashes. If that's your thing go for it. For me I'd prefer this if it was more of a thickening mascara with a chunky brush. Similar to that of Paradise. Basically I want paradise brush and formula with this wand. A girl can dream right?

Hello Happy Foundation

One of the first foundations I ever used was Benefit's playstick in the shade paper dolls. I distinctly remember loving this foundation, from the shade to the little cylinder cardboard outer packaging.but I'm pretty sure they don't even make it anymore but for many years it was my pride and joy. I wish I could say that my romance with Benefit had lasted a life time (or at least the 23 years I've so far existed) but apart from their brow products there's very few items that have taken my breath away. I hate to sound mean but I always feel like the brand is style over substance, beautiful creative packaging wrapped around average products. Harsh! I hear you cry, but read it back I said average I didn't say poor. A lot of the products I've used from benefit have been good, but not good enough for me to uproot my old faithfuls from my makeup bag and make their products permanent residents. So because of my ill feelings towards the brand... perhaps manifested by the longing for a product that no longer exists... I usually skip over their new releases. To put it blankly it's not a brand I have on my radar. 

I honestly only picked this up out of sheer impulse. My cousin wanted me to order it for her and I just had a mild moment of spontaneity and ordered one for myself. I had pretty much no expectations, other than it would look super cute in a flatlay. I think they are ultimately the best purchases, when you're not really expecting to love something and it ends up being something you really like. Yes cats out the bag, I like the foundation. For once I feel like the beautiful packaging matches the quality of the product and I couldn't be more happy that I spent my hard earned coin on this. Why do I like this foundation.. let me count the ways:

1. Lightweight but great coverage
2. Matte but not heavy or caked, skin still looks like skin!
3. Great oil control 
4. Good longevity 
5. Small amount goes a long way.

So I had a little looksee on Benefits site to see what they claimed this product does: ''This lightweight foundation evens out skin tone and blurs imperfections with soft-focus optical blurring spheres. With a natural-matte finish and light-to-medium coverage, it looks like skin and feels like nothing at all. Happy looks good on you!''.  For once I pretty much agree with the overall description of this foundation, I think the foundation is very light, but offers good coverage and has a beautiful matte finish that still looks like skin texture and has a life to it that some foundations just lack. Matte usually makes me cringe, I really hate looking like you've got a mask of dull foundation on. I don't know how but this foundation has got the right balance. For an oily girl who needs shine control but doesn't want to look dull and loose the skins natural luminosity, this is your best friend. I feel like this foundation was hand made for me...that annoying girl who's like ' I have oily skin, but I hate matte, oh but also I don't want to be tooo shiny.' I know only a hand full of you will relate to that, but if you do just know that your time has come! I'm leaving this review here, I think its clear that it's secured a spot in my makeup bag, how about yours?