SLIDER

FASHION: Jeans From GAP, Romford

Monday 29 February 2016


I have never had a pair of  jeans from a proper jean shop before, I always bought mine in Primark and changed them every 6 months when they start to fall apart so when GAP at The Brewery, Romford invited me along to pick myself out a pair, I definitely wasn't expecting it to be such a big job! It took a long time, although finding the perfect pair was pretty rewarding in the end plus there was 20% in store that day which was pretty helpful..

Andrew and I went down to Romford a couple of weeks ago and spent a good hour picking out the perfect pair. I actually didn't realise GAP specialised in jeans (am I stupid?) but I was a little overwhelmed by the choice as soon as we walked in - there were so many different styles and different colours, different shapes and different sizes.

We decided that a good place to start was to work out what size I was, apparently I'm at 26 whatever that means but they seemed to fit best. I did pick up a pretty pair of black ripped girlfriend jeans but I'm a skinny jeans girl at heart so I grabbed a pair in every colour. Black jeans are me all over but Andrew convinced me to try something a bit different so it came down to two pairs - blue or khaki. After trying them on three times and walking around the shop in my socks for ten minutes I found my pair in these light blue ones - they won me over with their perfect fit and pretty shade of blue.

They got their first wear this weekend - we popped to Westfield for change a Victorias Secret bra that I somehow managed to pick up in the wrong size and a cheeky Nandos! I am all about the basics at the moment so I just stuck on a grey tee and my fresh new grey Nike Roshe Runs from Foot Locker. I am a major fan of the Roshes, I love the design plus they are totally lightweight and very comfortable - so pretty practical for trying to navigate Westfield on a Saturday afternoon! 

Things | Feb 26th

Friday 26 February 2016


So my monthly things seemed like too much time from one to the next so I have changed it to Things. That way I can post when I have a few thing rather than waiting until the end of each month!

Pancake day

So we originally planned to have pancakes for dinner but Juanita decided she wanted some for lunch too so we popped off to Snowflake Gelato in Soho. They were doing pancakes just for the day and we just so happened to arrive just as they were practicing their first lot which mean we got the first batch on the house as official testers. They were pretty good for the first attempt of the day, I wish I could say the same for my own attempts. I had lunch with me so (as well as the free pancakes) I just had some gelato on the way back to work but Juanita ordered these incredible looking waffles complete with strawberries and milk chocolate gelato. *Drools*

My Hotel Chocolat Valentine

Its cute when brand get in touch and ask you to send a little treat to a blogger friend isnt it? Hotel Chocolat asked me to send a secret Valentine’s gift to another blogger and of course I picked Juanita. After spending most days with her for the past 6 months, I have come to learn that she is literally obsessed with Hotel Chocolat, we often spend a lunch hour in there where she ends up spending more than most on chocolate, so I knew she was going to love the surprise. 

Juanita picked The Valentines Sleekster and they also kindly send me The Hearts & Truffles Box
 which kept my company on Valentines day since I wasn't able to spend the day itself with Andrew.

Work
I didn't realise when I started working here but apparently, brand and publications love to shower us SEO types with treats and it kinda makes arriving at the office each day a little bit exciting. For Valentines day, last week we had Metro pop by for the morning to hand out heart shaped chocolates before lunch and in the afternoon. Instagram arrived with an instaprinter and a huge pic'n'mix table.

Doing Something Crazy
OK so it's not crazy for everyone but I am super proud of myself for doing it. I went to a super event with Murine last week (more to come on that) but basically we started at a Superdrug in Marble Arch and finished at The Sky Garden. And how did we get from the first place to the second at 6pm on a Thursday evening? Motorbike. Obvs. I was totally freaking out from the moment I found out until I got on the bike but I am so glad I did it. It was an amazing experience and one I am glad I can say I have. Being able to see London from that perspective, with the wind blowing in your face was amazing! We weaved in and out of cars and up and down little side streets that I didnt know existed.

FASHION: LFW Style With Boohoo

Tuesday 23 February 2016


It's that time once again - Fashion week has been here for the past few days and everything is a little crazy around here. Working on Tottenham Court Road means that going out for lunch this past week has been a bit more exciting than usual to say the least. People are giving out all sorts of cool stuff of the streets and Juanita and I even got interviewed by BBC3 on Friday. Sadly, we didn't have time for any shows this year, but my actual favourite part of fashion week is seeing what everyone wears anyway and I have twitter, instagram and snpachat for that! I have actually loved watching everyones snaps this year, I dont think snapchat was as big last season. 

So what I'm not going to any shows? Boohoo challenged me to put together a would-be outfit for fashion week and heres what I came up with. I have loved the look of this dress since it went online but was really stuck between black and white. Black would have been easier but the white just stood out abit more for me. Once I decided to go with it, I knew exactly how I wanted to style it, I had the whole image in my head! Only problem was, I've never ever worn a hat before and had no idea if I would be able to pull it off.

I was toying with the idea for a couple of days but after this weeks Take Me Out (not that I am looking for a new boyfriend) and so many of the girls looking so good in a black hat, I was inspired to try it out and I think I'm pretty pleased with the final look.

FASHION: Saving Money

Monday 22 February 2016


I dont make a habit of buying anything full priced. Most of the time, I'm pretty sure that if you spend enough time looking, there is always a way to get a bit of money off and having to pay fully for anything makes me sad. That goes for everything, not just clothes.

Voucher sites are great for free delivery and 10% off here and there, as is my brothers Unidays account which has been a huge help since he started uni in September. When it comes to food and going out for dinner, I love real life paper vouchers and drinks? Happy hour is my favourite thing. 

 If I want clothes, then it's either a matter of finding a sample sale for whichever brand I am looking for, otherwise I usually wait for sales (unless its something that is very unlikely to go down and that I am desperate to have - like my Michael Kors bag)


Do I sound a bit stingy? My mum thinks I am which I really don't like but seriously, why pay more than you need to? If I ever go out with her, she encourages me to buy things like crazy but I get no joy out of paying full price for something before I've done a little bit of research.

I recently came across Love The Sales online and I can already tell its going to be a great addition to my tactics. Love The Sales is a site that collates all the different sales on all over the internet together in one place. I also love that it shows you how much money off they are currently up for. You then click on he product and it take you straight through to whichever site is it on so you can go ahead and buy it!

Here are my top picks:

BEAUTY: Barry M SS16 Daylight Curing Polish & Giveaway

Friday 19 February 2016


I was lucky enough to pop into the Barry M SS16 showcase a couple of weeks ago to see what they are offerings up for Spring Summer!

They have a new range of Gellys and Speedy Dry colours but today I wanted to show you (and hopefully give one of you) the new Daylight Curing range. I posted about the last set they brought out here and here are the four new colours - All The Things She Red, Bug a Blue, Pinking Out Loud and Empire State of Mint. And rather than the usual pastel spring launches, they are all lovely bright colours ready to transition from now all the way until the summer.

I put on Bug A Blue on Sunday and have so many compliments on the colour it's unreal. Application was easy as per with the new Barry M brushes, they are shaped perfectly to the nail and have been a really good improvement if you ask me. They also seem to dry quite quickly which is always a plus.

These polishes are meant to be as good as a gel mani but without the lamp. You apply it like normal nail polish but must use the special daylight curing topcoat to get the full effect. I definitely got asked more than a few times if they were shellac just because of how shiny they are! I was very pleased with that. 

It seems the nothing ever lasts as long as a gel mani on me which is a shame, they did last longer than what I'm used to with a polish thought so I was still pretty impressed!

Things in January

Wednesday 17 February 2016

Ok this is going up much later than planned guys! Sorry.

Family & Films
I seemed to have time for films this month which was nice! My dad and I went to see The Theory of Everything last year so were both really eager to get the the cinema to see The Danish Girl too! I really enjoyed the film although he wasn't convinced Eddie was as good as last time. We were both shocked by the ending though, totally didn't expect that! We finished off the evening with YO! Sushi which seems to be where we always end up haha yum!

I was also sent to little pack of goodies to have a movie night in - from Gracewell of Chingford, a care home not far from me! This time it was with Andrews family! The idea is that everyone of all ages enjoys a good film and its one of those things that different generations can enjoy together! Of course they're right, Andrew and I watched this together with his parents one evening over a cheeky takeaway and we all loved it!   

Sheesh
This place seems to pop up in my roundup posts quite a lot and that's because I really do love it there. Andrew and I were originally going for an Indian but after driving past on the way to my house, we both got Sheesh cravings. I wore my new Motel dress again - I think you guys can tell this has become a favorite recently. I love the floaty shape and the velvet material.

It was packed as usual and we were pretty lucky to get a table! This place has the best atmosphere and of course the food is incredible! We ended up with four starters which were all delicious, its nice to try something new every now and then and I'm pretty sure we will be ordering them next time - the Shrimp Saganaki were our favourite - juicy prawns, tomato & feta mmmm. Andrew went all out and got a mixed grill while I stuck with my usual - chicken legs.  

After dinner, we decided to go up to the bar for a drink - prosecco for me of course and and a girly looking cocktail for Andrew as usual! The had a live band and saxophone player so we spent the rest of the evening in a comfy chair, people watching - which is all the more exciting when they are all reality stars! We even ended up in the background of one of Jessica Wrights instagram photos hahah!

Dirty Martini
I seem to have spend a large portion of January in one Dirty Martini or another! We actually started the night before NYE with dinner at burger and lobster and on to DM St Pauls for a double date with our friends! Rachel and I got through quite a few cocktails swapping back and forth from the passionfruit martini to the chocolate one all night, while the boys had a bottle of prosecco each! Dirty Martinis chocolate cocktail is my favourite one around! We then went again mid Jan because 10pm happy hour was just too good to refuse! This time we met Stefan after work and went straight to the Hanover Square branch.

#BloggersBelowZero 
I havent really been to many bloggers networking events before but with and invite to the ice bar on a miserable monday night and the opportunity to meet some new bloggers was kinda hard to turn down! I was one of the few bloggers who had actually been there before, (twice) so it was super to be able to go with Juanita who hadn't seen it before plus she would have gotten lost if I didnt walk her there from work hahah. 

I have reviewed the Ice Bar London before and as well as the actual bar itself, I actually the rest of the place. It was great to mingle downstairs and get chatting to everyone - I even came across a couple of girls from Essex too!

After about an hour and a half it was time for our session in the ice. The blue cloaks went on and the cameras came out - it was selfie central as you can imagine. We both went for a mocktail as its one of the thing I remember and love about each visit to the bar, they are so good. We had our drinks, took our photos and explored the cool new Rock theme they have going on there until we decided that we were too cold. Apparently we were only in there 8 minutes hahah.

LIFESTYLE: 5 Experience Days I'd Love To Do

Monday 15 February 2016

Before I met Andrew, I'd never been on an pre-bought type experience day but soon enough his mum realised my love of the finer things in London and we were getting afternoon tea and hotel stay gift experiences every Christmas. I think its great, I would pick an experience over a gift any day, especially is its something that I have never done before.

Intotheblue have just set up a new competition and asked me to write an accompanying post! They want to know what experience day you would like to see if money, and indeed reality, was no object. You can tweet you ideas with #impossibleexperiences and the best will win a £200 gift voucher to spend on real experiences on. If I were to win, heres what I'd spend the voucher on:

So, I'm not hugely the action adventure type but this looks like so much fun and is one of those really unique ones. I always wished I could fly when I was a kid and skydiving looks so incredible but I just think I'd be too scared to do it for real!

Well obvs. This one is much more usual me and with a description like "spend a whole day immersed in a world of high-end chocolatiers, tantalising truffles, and everything cocoa related, as an expert guide takes you to some of London's best chocolate hot spots!" it was never not going to make my list.

This is something I have wanted to do for years. I had my first ever sushi making class last (read about it here) and I had such a great time, learning about how its done and giving it a got myself. I love YO! Sushi for its tasty food and its fun concept so I would really like to go down to their sushi school and have a class with them.
Again, this is something I have already had a little taste of with my blog (check it out) but I would love to go along to the actual cafe, which is incredibly pretty by the way, and have a full length class with them. I finished my last biscuit from them tonight and I am in desperate need to stock up again, I dont know what they do to them, but they are so delicious.
I didnt think flying experience really interested me until I saw the title of this one. You guys know I have a huge love affair with my city and after my motor bike ride through London last week (more on that soon) I am really enjoying seeing it from a different perspective so this would be amazing.
Images from Google. Please let me know if you want credit for them.

BEAUTY: LUSH Valentines Range 2016

Thursday 11 February 2016

I have just a few new LUSH products to share with you today in the lead up to valentine's weekend! Andrew and I actually have our big plans next weekend because it was half the price so this week we just have a nice meal booked which hopefully means lots of time to have a pamper and a nice bath beforehand! 
I have three products from the brand here. Firstly there is the Lover Lamp bath bomb which is brand new for 2016! Its one of their £3.95 big, round bath bombs which is totally white apart from a few big red cocoa butter hearts which are embedded inside it.There are also lots of little red paper hearts hidden inside which come out later on. As the bath bomb fizzes away in the water, the cocoa butter hearts come flying out and melt adding a touch of moisture to the water. The bath bomb is made with Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute and Sweet Brazillian Orange Oil which makes it smell just like a terry chocolate orange. Perfect. 

The Kiss lip scrub is back again this year and is a  lip scrub. It's a super bright pink colour and also has little love hearts in it. Cute. Made with fine sea salt, caster sugar and Fair Trade cocoa butter and a touch of almond and mandarin oils. I am a big lover or citrusy scents so I love this. Use it to exfoliate you lips keeping them smooth. 

Lastly I have the Roses All The Way bar of soap which is so pretty and kinda interesting with its swirly design. Based around Alice in Wonderland, the pink exterior fades to white as you start to use it. It's subtly rose scented but very delicate. Super moisturizing and starts to melt in the heat of your hands if you hold it for too long. It also contains rapeseed and coconut oil to keep your skin soft and smooth.

Are You Stocked Up For This Weekend?

LIFESTYLE: Valentines Day Shopping At Brent Cross

Monday 8 February 2016

Last week, I got an email from the team at Brent Cross inviting me along for a day of Valentines shopping which was really super exciting! 
Where I went to school, it was a mix of Essex or North Londoners so you either spend your weekends at Lakeside or Brent Cross. Obviously for me, I grew up going to Lakeside so I was actually really excited when I got Andrew to agree to drive us there this weekend. Funnily enough, it  took exactly the same amount of time to drive there as it does lakeside and as a spoiler I actually liked it just as much.

We started our trip by having a little wander around, not buying anything just yet, I wanted to see what the place had and I was very pleased to spot all the usual suspects in New Look, Topshop, River Island, LUSH ect but I was also very pleased to spot a rare Victorias Secret, Yankee Candle and even the Bad Brownie Co stand.
I've never been to a Fenwick before so I didn't really know about all the cute little places to eat inside! It wasn't exactly a food hall but with a Cafe Nero and Patisserie Valerie along with THREE, it was pretty well equipped for a little hour break from shopping. THREE was all done up last year and it was still looking very fresh, clean and as good as new from what I could tell. After I saw the menu, I was very excited to eat there so we stopped off for lunch.
You might know that last week, I went a bit crazy for avo toast, I had already had it twice but this time, I had my avo toast with smoked salmon which was a nice change, not just because I haven't done it with salmon recently but also because of the incredible quality of it there. Ask Andrew, I am super picky when it comes to smoked salmon and if it's not perfect, I just wont eat it, but I finished off the whole plate - it was delicious. As for the avo? Creamy, chunky mixed in with chopped tomato for that extra freshness - super! 
Andrew (like Juanita) is also very predictable (and easy) when it comes to breakfast. Scrambled eggs.
I was pretty stuffed from all the food but after I spotted this strange hot chocolate menu, I couldn't not try one! I went for the raspberry dream. The whipped cream and marshmallows were a treat but I'll be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the drink, it tasted a bit to herby for me and I just didn't get the hit of raspberry that I was hoping for.
After fueling up, we were ready to take on the shops. The center is small but seemed to have everything I needed, there was a really good selection of shops which also meant Andrew went for a good 5 hours before he got bored and started moaning. There was also alot less hustle and bustle than what we are used to with other London shopping locations. It was nice to be bit more relaxed as we wandered around rather than jumping out of the way and spending 20 minutes in line at every shop.

As for Valentines Day shopping, they have that covered, lets just say they are very well prepared for the big day. The shops either had their own Valentines Day ranges all set up with hearts like LUSH, LOLAS & John Lewis for example and the others settled with Valentines Day picks from their current range which really did make shopping for it really very easy.


 I spend most of my time in Victoria's Secret and ended up spending a cheeky £100 just in there but I am very please with my new purchases. VS is seriously the perfect valentines day gift. I also picked up another box of Charbonnel truffles and with them being in a red box, I had a great excuse to try a new flavour and I couldn't help myself when I found the Kate Spade stand in John Lewis as well.

 I'm hoping just to get a cute photo of what I bought so maybe I can show you guys what I got in my February roundup post later this month!
Anyway, very successful shopping trip if you ask me. When I can convince Andrew that the ten minutes of traffic that we hit of the way home really wasn't such a big deal, I'm sure we will be back for our next splurge.
Dress / Converse / Michael Kors Bag

Huge thanks to Brent Cross to providing a gift card for some shopping and THREE for the complimentary lunch. All Opinions are 100% honest and my own

LIFESTYLE: How I Celebrated #NationalBreakfastWeek

Thursday 4 February 2016

So you guys know all about my snack drawer but did you ever wonder what I keep in the other two drawers? Well one if them is quite practical, it has contact lenses, two pairs of spare shoes, an emergency tote bag and all sorts of stuff like that but the bottom one? 
That's full of cereal! On a work day, breakfast consists of a cup of cold water, a cup of hot water and a packet of choice with almond milk but with National Breakfast Week last week 24-30 January 2016, I managed to squeeze in a couple of exciting breakfasts too!

Bills

 I took Andrew out for breakfast before we went to our hotel last week. He hadn't been to Bills so seeing as there was one of the same road at the hotel, it was the perfect time to visit! I'd never heard of St Martins Courtyard but it was the cutest little space away from the hussle and bussle of Covent Garden. I can find poached eggs in Essex but finding them with avocado is much harder but it's cool, Bills had that covered! Andrew went for his usual salmon and scrambled eggs!

We finished off with a chocolate brownie milkshake and a peppermint tea!

St Martins Lane

Although I only stayed here one night last week, I actually ended up having breakfast here twice. Maybe you remember my first one from this post? Breakfast was included in the stay so we had the whole works brought up to the room. Fruit salad, granola, juice, toast, tea and of course eggs! Andrew had his with bacon and of course I had mine with hollandaise.. oh and spinach.
So that was that, but later in the week, I was back at the hotel for the Barry M press day and they had a lovely continental spread. Look how pretty these platters were?!


Saucer & Spritz

A new Oasis store popped up on Tottenham Court Road recently and I walk past it everyday on my way to work, but this isn't a normal Oasis, it has a hair and nail salon upstairs as well as a cute little restaurant and bar!

Juanita and I popped in for brunch this week and fell in love with the place. Downstairs is a normal shop but upstairs is the cutest little cafe you have ever seen! It had a bit of a kitsch feel to it with mismatched chairs and tables, neon lights and cute little throw pillows but seriously, it was the loveliest place to spend a lunch hour.

As for the food, we are so pleased we have finally found a place nearby that we can get our eggs. Juanita only ever talks about getting her scrambled eggs and I have the same deal with avo and poached so it was really the perfect place for us. We will definitely be back for more.

and yes, we went back two days later and ate the same thing all over again..

How Did You Celebrate?

Bloglovin Twitter /  Instagram / Youtube / Facebook
© Georgina Does • Theme by Maira G.