Borough Market

My eldest sister recently turned vegan and made it her priority to visit Borough Market whilst we were in London for our annual festive weekend.  Prior to the trip and during the journey my younger sister and I were laughing and teasing her for making us go all the way to London to do her grocery shopping. We were expecting to visit Winterville, Somerset House, Harrods and obviously Oxford Street not stare at stalls of vegetables and fruit!! Surprisingly we actually had an enjoyable time exploring the market and before we knew it hours had gone by!  Once the sister had purchased her 'himalayan salt' (don't ask!) and many many spices & herbs, we wandered around the different stalls and indulged in all the free samples on offer! There were stalls of fudge, chocolate, nuts, fresh selections of bread, coffee, patisseries and not forgetting the incredible cheesecake stand!!

There was no way my sister was leaving empty handed and surprisingly we didn't too!!  Being an avocado devote, I purchased 5 avocados for £1, a bargain right?! A large bag of homemade Mini Magoo granola with blueberries, which would go perfect with some homemade almond milk (ok, my sister's ways may have rubbed on me), a selection of fudge for our mother, and some homemade brownies to takeaway for the afternoon to fuel us up! Walking away with bags of stuff perhaps was not our wisest move before enduring a long day exploring London! We did manage to do everything on our christmas list, thank god!  As much as I loved the market, nothing beats the West End, shopping & tourist attractions in London at Christmas!  

To end our time at the market and because we hadn't eaten anything since 7am we decided to have brunch at Rabot 1745.  Located within the market and having a warm cosy feel interior, it seemed like the perfect place to fuel up before heading into the city!  We took a table on the terrace which overlooked the market.  We were provided with free blankets and outside heating, something every restaurant should do! Brunch was lovely, my little sister and I opted for the farmer's breakfast and the veganister went for a bowl of mocktail fruit and some spoonfuls of our lentil dip & avocado slices. When we finally dragged ourselves away from the blankets & heating we went on to have an incredible weekend and now it truly does feel like Christmas.  Happy Holidays everybody!

ON A FITNESS THING

I have always enjoyed participating in activities and sports from a young age as I am the kind or person who hates to sit still. I like to be on the go 24/7 and get things done. It has only been in the past two years however where I have been going to the gym and eating slightly healthier  (I love my treats okay!), but I am one of those people who stops and starts. One week I am eating no junk, only clean food and constantly exercising, then two weeks later I have lost all motivation and sat in bed with a pack of Digestive biscuits and tea.

I have a lean body which somehow appeared when I had my growth spurt, I shot up in height and lost my baby fat. Since then I have been maintaining my figure by regularly working out and eating healthy majority of the time.

Now I am trying something different, I am calling this a new lifestyle change. I do not want to get stronger by only eating protein and exercising because I know I will get bored of the repetitive meals, instead I want to eat healthy, clean and balanced as well as continuing to work out.

I have learned that preparation is key. To maintain a healthy lifestyle you need to put the time in, prep your roasted vegetables, freeze homemade soup, have your leafy greens washed and stored in glass containers and even ensure you have prepared raw treats for those days you may feel peckish.

Below is my updated fitness regime which I have been doing for about a week now and hoping to stick by it. On the days I am late for the gym classes I will instead go for a 5K-10K run.

MONDAY- HOME WORKOUT
A Fitness Blender youtube workout
OR
5K to 10K run (uphill & flat roads)

TUESDAY- GYM

20 minute run (changing speed and incline)
10 minute rowing machine (level 10)
Arms and leg machines ( X3 of 15 reps on each machine)

WEDNESDAY- KETTLEBELLS

8KG/ 12KG Kettlebell

THURSDAY- 30 MINUTE ABS BLAST

12KG Kettlebell
10KG weight plate
Mixture of squats, planks, burpee's and movements with the kettlebell

FRIDAY- YOGA

SATURDAY- REST

SUNDAY- BODY BALANCE OR REST DAY

Yoga and pilates moves to stretch the body

MAKE FITNESS STYLISH:

Style Runner

Sweaty Betty

Nike

H&M

The Locker Room

Oysho

Lululemon

OYSHO LOVE: GYMWEAR

Combined Fabric Leggings (Mesh and Grey)

Combined Fabric Leggings (Mesh and Navy) 

Half Zip Running Sweatshirt

Silicon Glass Bottle

I came across Oysho last year whilst on the search for Christmas PJ's, they have now launched a new gym wear collection; Gym Mountain. As the Black Friday sales hit, I could not resist making a cheeky order. I would definitely recommend this website for gym clothes as they are great quality and value for money whilst still looking very unique and fashionable.

SHOP HERE

VICTORIA BECKHAM X NAILS INC

ph: google

She's at it again. This time our favourite fashion and beauty god VB is collaborating with Nails Inc to bring us two exclusive nail shades inspired by her Spring Summer 2015 Japanese collection. The colours include Judo Red and Bamboo White, available in stores on Monday! If you're quick you can get these exclusive shades in time for Christmas, making it a great gift.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING: Scandinavian Inspiration

ph: pinterest

This is the year I have been greatly inspired by the idea of a Scandinavian Christmas. I like to go all out at Christmas time however after nights on end scrolling through Pinterest I have grown fond of the simplicity and plain colour scheme of a Scandi Christmas- it describes me to the t. Others on the other hand: "What is that?, that's not even a tree, it's a branch".

I was not only inspired by the Scandinavian 'Christmas tree' but also the food, table settings, tree ideas, decorations and all things festive.  

NEW BEAUTY PURCHASES

Origins Modern Friction Face Exfoliator

I've been looking for an exfoliator for ages now and after many trial and errors I have finally found the one. This product is the brilliant for my skin type because it is soft but still has the grit and roughness that you want in an exfoliator in order to get rid of any dead cells.

La Roche Posay Dermo Cleanser

Disappointing, this is the one word to describe this product. I bought this product hoping it would give my skin that deep cleanse that it needs, however it did the complete opposite. I applied this after exfoliating and it did nothing to my skin, it felt as if I wasn't applying anything to my face. I would recommend using the Oskia renaissance cleansing gel as it works wonders.

Rituals Magic Touch Body Cream

Rituals products smell incredible and after finishing two bottles of the blossom water spray I decided to try out a body cream. The sales assistant in the store advised me on which creams to get and this was by far my favourite, it is part of the blossom water spray collection and it just smells divine as soon as you open the tub. When applying the lotion you only need a small amount because the texture is quite thick but it very easy to apply to the entire body.

DECEMBER BEAUTY STOCK UPS

Finally got round to stocking up on these beauty essentials.

Aesop Handwash

This product not only feels incredible but also smells sensational. I don't even feel guilty for spending £27.00 on it because the bottle is huge and you only need to use one pump.

Bio Oil

For people who have scars or stretch marks this product is perfect for limiting these issues, it also makes your skin soft and glowy. I use this product for a curlers burn on my leg and slowly it is fading but in order for it to work it has to be used twice a day everyday.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo

I have raved about this product in previous posts and I still stand by my word, this skincare product is amazing. It helps get rid of any spots or upcoming ones, it removes any marks on your face and just keeps your face looking clear and fresh. I highly recommend it!

Nars Sheerglow in Syracuse

This foundation makes me so happy! I can't believe there is a product that makes my skin glowing but not appear oily as well as still giving me that natural full coverage look. It depends on your skin tone but for me this product is the one! Even the smallest amount makes a difference and it blends so well into the natural skin colour. Syracuse is perfect shade for me because I like a tanned, golden and olive colour on my face however it alters depending on your skin type and colour.

NEW IN: CHARLOTTE TILBURY

K.I.S.S.I.N.G Fallen From The Lipstick Tree- Love Bite (£23.00)
If you're looking for that perfect shade of bright, bold yet classically elegant red this is the lipstick! I can't believe how beautiful this colour is especially against my skin tone.

Lip Cheat Lip Liner Kiss 'N' Tell (£16.00)
This is a great combo with the lipstick because it makes them lips bolder and bigger than what they are and it's great to line the lips with the same colour in order to prevent bleeding.

Lip Lustre Colour Lasting Lacquer- Red Vixen (£16.50)
I love this product because it works wonders with the two other lip products. The glossy hollywood 'bombshell' look is created by this product being used on top of the lipstick and liner, by doing so it also lasts longer!

Light Wonder Youth Boosting Perfect Skin Foundation SPF15 9-DARK (£32.00)
Since discovering the Nars Sheerglow foundation I have not tried any other foundation because I didn't think any other product would be able to give me the full coverage yet lightweight look and feel I want to accomplish. However when my MUA at the Charlotte Tilbury counter tried this foundation I fell it love, it felt very lightweight yet still gave me that glowing full coverage I wanted. He did recommend for me to go purchase number 8 as it matched my skin perfectly but I opted for number 9 instead as I wanted a more tanned and olive colour to my face as I think it makes my skin look more radiant. The best thing with this foundation too is only a little needs to be applied and hardly any concealer is needed either!

LATE TO THE HYPE

Via: give me that thing // tumblr

INDIAN WEDDING OVERLOAD

From Left to Right 

Thursday- Black salwar kameez

Friday- Navy blue and pearl beaded sari

Sunday Morning- Navy blue and grey salwar kameez

Sunday Afternoon- Nude Needle and Thread dress (ASOS) with colour matching pajami (tight leggings)

If you know what an Indian wedding is like then you know how long the celebrations go on for and how much preparation is done for the big day. Recently my first cousin got married and let's just say it was not a one day celebration, it went on for over a weekend, which means different outfits for each day! I couldn't blog that much as I had an important role in the day so instead here are a few snaps from the weekend. 

Outfits/ Jewellery

As you can see from the pictures we do not like bling when it comes to Indian outfits, we are very simple and elegant. We try to choose outfits that look different and we are more about the print and texture rather than then bling. 

Sunday's evening outfit was my favourite as it is not expected as an Indian outfit, many think because you're very closely related to the bride or groom you should be dripping in flashy outfits and jewellery. However I opted for a laid back relaxed look, I wore a small round bindi, Swarovski studded earrings and no arm jewellery. I also kept the whole outfit nude, including my shoes. Never have I made a better decision, I was much more comfier and many complimented me saying they haven't seen an outfit like mine before.

Makeup

Friday's hair and makeup was done by the lovely Charlotte Tilbury team and Umberto Giannini girls in the Birmingham Selfridges store. I have heard great reviews about the Charlotte Tilbury products so I decided to get my makeup done from their counter and see what they can do. I was overall happy with the outcome with only a few small amendments, Vaz did my makeup and he was lovely so I definitely recommend getting your makeup done from this counter! My hair on the other side I was less impressed with, I wanted that glossy hollywood curls where the hair is parted to one side and falls behind the ear. However what I got was a backcombed beehive with loose curls, as the night went on my hair did settle but it was not how I wanted it. If you wanted a curled blow dry this salon is the best to go to however for updo's I recommend going somewhere else.

Sundays makeup and hair was done by the Asiana Bridal team located in Walsall. Indian makeup and hair artists come to your house in the early hours on the day of the wedding to glam you up for an entire day. At first I was not impressed with my makeup as it felt caked on, my face had so much concealer and foundation on that I did not even recognise myself. However as the day went on my makeup settled and looked a lot better plus my images came out flawless, which is great! My hair I had no issues with, somehow they managed to put my thick and heavy mane into an lowish bun without it looking too bulky.

YSL LIPS

A few months back I did a post on a YSL lip product that I was obsessed with but I never had a good enough reason to buy more colours, especially when I don't even wear half of my collection. However when my sister told me she was going to Estonia immediately I thought DUTY FREE! It was the perfect excuse to buy some more colours because lets face it, it is slightly cheaper and if it's discounted it has to be bought. (Enters covers eyes emoji)

I like colours that add a tint and glow to your lips without it looking like there is too much product on them, that's why I went for the two subtle options and then a brighter red for when I feel like making more of an effort.

1. Ysl Rouge Volupte Shine 62K501 (3)
2. Ysl Rouge Volupte 62K601 (17)
3. Ysl Rouge Volupte 62JN01 (17)

The Ainscow Hotel

Last weekend was spent at the new fully refurbished Ainscow Hotel in Salford, Manchester. After a lovely weekend I thought why not write a informal review about the hotel.

I discovered the four star hotel after browsing laterooms.com (a hotel service provider) a week before my visit. After several page turns on their website this boutique hotel appeared with a gallery of images that looked very chic and perfect for a girls weekend. Once looking at the room details in more depth I discovered it was quite cheap for what I was getting. For a double, two story room with WIFI I paid £125 which in my opinion is quite reasonable especially compared to the standard hotels such as Premier Inn and Holiday Inn which, cost around £150-£200. Not only that it was a decent amount for what the rooms looked liked! If you know me I like quality in what i'm buying, i'm all about the presentation, if something doesn't look appealing or presented in a certain way I'm not as interested. So I booked it without a doubt and added breakfast to my order (an extra £10 per person).

Upon arrival I was quite impressed, the hotel looked exactly like the images, very modern yet still classically elegant. The staff were very helpful and welcoming, and not only that, the city centre was a 5 minute drive or 10 minute walk away. The only issue I had with my stay here was the lack of long mirrors, how's a girl meant to get ready without a long mirror?!

Despite my vain need for a long mirror I definitely recommend this hotel, it is perfect for a weekend away whatever the occasion!