Beauty Blogger Meet | Sheffield Adventures with Lauren (PorcelainQueen1) and Marissa (Mambomelonx)

From left: Lauren, Me, Marissa

A lot of you will completely understand when I say; since I've been blogging I have met some pretty amazing people. A lot of you will also have met some of these lovely people during your blogging life. So when I got the opportunity to meet some of my favourite girlies, I didn't turn the opportunity down!

Let's start off with the girl I've know the longest +Porcelain Queen (blog link here). This girl has been like my rock in blogging world. She's the devil on my shoulder; telling me to buy all sorts of products, and I'm sure it's the same when she talks about me. Her blog is pretty amazing. She has the ability to lure you in, and you end up buying everything. Not only is her blog flawless, so is her face! I'm not even joking - when I saw her I was like 'Oh my god, you're so pretty!' The first thing Lauren said to me was 'Oh my god! you're so tall!' Hahaha!

Next to turn up was the beautifully stylish Marissa +Marissa Hunt (blog link here), Well I thought Lauren was petite - JEEZ! Give a girl a break ladies! Marissa is all about style, this girl oozes it! I don't think there been a single day where I haven't 'liked' her outfits or posts on Instagram. She's all about colour and knows how to work them well together. Not only that she's got a pretty cute blog and I adore her photos! She's so good at adding props! Jealous... Basically this girl is amazing!

Needless to say, as soon as we all met, we hit it off straight away!

Working the Vegas Vault from MAC

So our first port of call was TGI Fridays where Lauren basically put a gun to our heads and told us we were going there no matter what! This girl means business when it comes to her burger...in particular The French Canadian Burger. Of which, when we sat down, we were told they no longer did it! Hahaha, gutted was an understatement. So after the burger issue we sat down and talked for ages; I learnt that Marissa hated cheese...I know! How can someone hate cheese?! I'm sure we could have sat and talked about our lives and make up for hours but we had shopping to do!

We headed off to Illamasqua as I wanted to show the girls Hydra Veil and potentially purchase it too. However when we got there, we were told that they were out of stock. Needless to say we hadn't gotten off to a good start at all! We roamed around the counter taking photos of their stunningly opaque lip glosses, nail polishes and new Glamor line. We got talking to a lovely lady who worked there, who asked us if we wanted to go to an Illasmaqua Blogger Event in May! Hello?! Stupid question!

Next door was Urban Decay. I'd heard a lot about the All Nighter Long Setting Spray and thought I'd give it a try...at the same time I think I persuaded Lauren to invest in the same thing. Terrible, I know! We looked around and swatched eye shadows, eye pencils and the new eye shadows sticks that match the naked pallets. I wasn't too impressed with these but each to their own. Also the woman on the counter looked pretty scary! She had half finished eyebrows...

YSL no.19 - Obviously when I got home and pulled my hair back!

We moved swiftly on to YSL, one of our favourite brands! I had mentioned in previous posts that purple lipsticks do not suit me, so when we got to the counter Lauren and Marissa pointed out this pinky/purple shade and told me to try it. At first I wasn't diggin' it as I'd had such a bad time in pulling purple off before. However after walking around with it on and basically getting bullied into it, I caved and purchased it. I absolutely love it! Thanks ladies :)

So where do I begin in MAC? We were all like kids in a candy store! We must have swatched pretty much every eye shadow in there between the 3 of us. It got to the point of craziness where Lauren was having to check back on previous blog posts to find out what she'd bought before! We also went a bit spoolie mad, and everywhere we went, we took a spoolie! Marissa and I couldn't get over how wet the wet wipes were..I know..call the people in white coats! We ended up purchasing some eye shadows and god knows what else.

From MAC we ventured over to Laura Mercier where I believe I got suckered into buying this kit! The guy on the counter was a true sales man and wowed me with words such as 'limited edition' , 'reduced' and 'you must get it'. So I did. At the same time I did take a sneaky photo of the new range LM have just brought out. It's so pretty!

Benefit was our next stop and to be honest, since my last review of their products I've lost faith and I'm not willing to try anything new until I've seen some amazing reviews. Their stuff does look pretty though.

The new Velvet Lip Laquers from Bourjois

Lauren in action!

You can't go make up shopping without stepping foot into Boots! They had their 3 for 2 offer on again,
however I was strong and refrained from buying any drug store products as I've still got loads to review from my previous haul. Marissa went a little bit mental though! I was umming and arghing over the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturiser, of which is a firm favourite of mine. However I'm currently trying to use up the massive amount of moisturisers I have at home. Therefore my only purchase at Boots was my YSL Lipstick which I decided to get from here, because I wanted the points. We did get an inside look into the brand Bare Minerals, however it just doesn't give me enough coverage as a foundation would. Shame really, as their pigments are pretty good!

Our final stop was at Victoria Secrets, where we became teenagers again! It was also where we realised Lauren has no sense of smell at all. I'm not even joking. There was an amazing offer on the Body Sprays where you could buy 3 for £24. They are normally £16 pounds each, so go figure! We decided to get 1 each and treat ourselves!

At the end of the day, I was really sad to say goodbye to these beautiful ladies! I'd gotten to love them as much in person as I did through their blogs. I strongly recommend having a look at their posts and trust me; you'll love them as much as I do! Bring on the 10th May ladies, when they come to Nottingham for some serious shopping madness!

I hope you've enjoyed this installment and if you're keen to read the next one, keep up to date with me on twitter, bloglovin and instagram so not to miss out!

As always guys, It's been a pleasure!

Char

xXx 

Afternoon Tea at The George in Stamford

So on Saturday I took my lovely Mum to The George in Stamford for Afternoon Tea. This was her mothers day treat and By George (see what I did there!) was this a treat and a half! This post will be quite picture heavy, which will make nice change from my usual waffling...

So quaint x

I was so relieved it turned out to be a beautiful sunny day because in the morning it looked a bit groggy! It takes us normally about 45 minutes to get to the beautiful town of Stamford, however because my Sat-Nav decided to have a hissy fit it took us a bit longer. Should have listened to my Mum but oh well, I was the driver! Haha. Anyone else get like that?

These houses were so cute, I wanted one!

Some of the cute window displays

I wanted pretty much everything in here!

Cinderella shall go to the Ball!

Found these little gems in a Deli here, these tasted SO good!!

So now on to the main event - The George. This is our most treasured restaurant and hotel to go to as a family. We've been fortunate enough to stay in some of the best hotels around, however this holds a special place in our hearts as it's somewhere the family have been coming for decades! Every Birthday or special event we come here, and I can honestly say the service hasn't changed since the very first time we visited.

The hotel and grounds are stunning, very well maintained and a pleasure to walk around. I've seen numerous wedding marques here over the years and this venue is certainly on top of my list whenever Luke decides to pop the question...7 years is far too long don't you think?!

Exterior

Real Log Fire - Adds that extra bit of character and charm to the Hotel.

I love all the attention to detail; mixing old and new styles together.

The Afternoon Tea Menu

Mother - |Posing!

Because it was a treat for Mothers Day I told my mum that she had to have the option with the Champagne, of which she didn't dispute. Quel Suprise.

I don't think words can actually describe how good this was! Needless to say my Mum was seriously impressed and started making inappropriate noises when devouring the sandwiches. Highly embarrassing. However I would have to agree that every mouthful was a delight and tasted fabulous.

The sandwiches were seriously mouthwatering. My favorite were the egg mayonnaise and the cucumber and cream cheese. I could have happily devoured another plateful! I liked the fact every sandwich was different not just in taste, but in texture too. You had soft white bread, brown bread and a dark rye bread. Of which they all tasted heavenly. 

The middle section of cakes was incredible, as you all well know - I have a terrible sweet tooth. The first pudding that caught my eye was the bakewell tart. This was quite possibly the best I've ever tasted. The sponge was lovely and moist, the cherry really came through and I loved the almond crust on top. I wouldn't change a thing. The strawberry tart was a mouthwatering delight. So fresh, sweet and gone in pretty much one bite! Finally was the carrot cake, I do love a good carrot cake and this was super yummy, the only thing I'd change is a little less cinnamon and a little more cream frosting.

Finally, the pièce de résistance - The Scones, served with clotted cream and home made strawberry preserve. A-MAZ-ZING. They were warm, soft and oh so delicious. I would however like to be given an option between fruit scones and plain scones..however if that's the only fault, then I'm not complaining!  

As you can see Mum and I did a pretty good job of stuffing our faces with hands down the best Afternoon Tea we've ever had.

On a side note, always ask for a box to take away any cakes you don't manage to eat. They've got them on standby as I think it's a regular request!

Well goodbye for now The George and no doubt the Thompson family will be back soon! 

Mother and I xxx

I hope you enjoyed this little foodie review, and rest assured if you visit Stamford, this is somewhere to certainly visit! Their lunch and dinner menu's in both the Garden  Room and Oak Paneled Room are magnificent and will not disappoint.

If you fancy keeping up to date with my whereabouts and what I'm up to, follow me on Twitter, Instagram & Bloglovin.

As always guys, It's been a pleasure!

Char

xXx

Food For Thought | Easter Chocolate Recipes

Okay all you Chocolate lovers, this is one for you! I was thinking up ideas for Easter and what better way than chocolate treats. These don't necessarily have to be for Easter - they can be eaten at anytime of the year! Trust me.

Chocolate Brownie Cookies - Level: Medium

So these are rather indulgent and not for the fainthearted. If you are a dark chocolate lover or know someone who is, then this is the recipe for you! One thing you have to remember is that these are not cookies, they are brownie cookies so they are going to be thick, gooey and ever so rich.
I got this recipe from the Waitrose Magazine from March which features these on the front cover, and to be honest I don't think I'm far off. Except I did forget to save a bar of chocolate to make chocolate chips and the drizzle...Oh well, they still tasted immense. If you don't want to take my word for it, Sophia - Tattooed Tealady (check out her amazing blog here) was my guinea pig when it came to these and I got her approval.

Ingredients 

Method

Start off by melting your chocolate 3 bars NOT 4. 

Cream together your butter and sugars for a good 2 minutes until smooth.

Mix together all your dry ingredients.

Combine the two mixtures and add your treacle, egg & vanilla extract.

Once you've got a nice thick mixture add in your melted chocolate.

Once everything has been mixed, roughly chop your remaining bar of chocolate and fold into your mixture. 

Roll the mixture into a sausage shape (which does look rather odd I agree)

Leave to chill for 4 hours or overnight. 

Once ready, slice into 1cm thick 'patties'

Place on a baking sheet and cook for about 7 minutes. Fan 195° Gas Mark 5.

Leave to cool. Then Enjoy.

  

As much as a love and adore chocolate, dark chocolate is my least favourite. I stuck to the recipe (or so I thought, until I got carried away with melting all 4 bars of chocolate instead of 3!) as I wanted to give a good honest review of how easy it was to achieve something out of a magazine and all in all I found it quite simple. Obviously we aren't all the same, and everyone's cooking techniques and skills are different but I honestly think even if you just melted the chocolate then just shoved all the ingredients into a food processor - you wouldn't be far off. Don't let Mary Berry catch me saying that for god sake! 

I will make these again as they've had such a good reception, however next time I will use milk chocolate and perhaps white chocolate and see what I end up with. I have a terrible sweet tooth so no doubt I'll end up with sodding toothache! Also if someone could remind me not to melt all the chocolate that would be great.

Note: A cup of tea or glass of milk is definitely required to accompany these!

This is what they are supposed to look like, and I don't think I'm too far off?!

What do you think?

No Chocolate - Chocolate Rice Krispie Nests - Level : Easy

Okay, if ever you're in the mindset that you want something sweet, but don't know what to have...then realise you have nothing sweet to eat in your kitchen. Look no further!!! This is something I 'knock up' on a regular basis for the boyfriend and when ever we forget dessert or have friends randomly pop over or just generally in the mood for chocolate.

This takes about 5 minutes to cook and 5-10 minutes in the FREEZER. Got your attention yet? Good.

You'll need 50g butter, 2 tbsps cocoa powder and 1 tbsp Golden Syrup and of course 100g Rice Krispies.

Melt the butter in a pan and mix with the cocoa powder. 

Take off the heat and mix in the golden syrup.

Stir in the rice krispies - you may want to add more until you've got a thick mixture.

Spoon into the cases and add mini eggs to to top to decorate.

Place in fridge or freezer for 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy.

I hope you've enjoyed this new series and let me know down in the comments your thoughts! If you create any of these yourselves, tweet me a picture!

As always lovelies, It's been an absolute pleasure.

HAPPY EASTER!

Char

xXx

Crabtree & Evelyn | My Little Bit Of Heaven

Following on from my March Favourites post, I had a lot of people ask about Crabtree & Evelyn. In short, they are one of the best natural body and hand-care companies out there. That's a pretty big statement but just go with me, you won't be disappointed! Not only that but they've branched out into food too - their biscuits are seriously scrummy! 

So, Who Are Crabtree & Evelyn? 

One of the many things that I love about this brand, is that it's quite English Heritage. Everything from it's name right down to the packaging is rather British looking. You may be wondering what British looking means and in truth, there isn't an exact definition in my book, it's just very simple, very quaint and very classic. I've done my research and this company was founded in America however the whole British concept was inspired by an English gentleman named John Evelyn. 

Crabtree & Evelyn has been going strong for 40 years and is a much loved, sought after brand for all ages! I know I only came across this brand from my Mum and then realised I'd got my friends hooked on it too! It started off as a small family-run business and is now a renowned brand in over 500 stores worldwide. I won't bore you to death with all the historical details but I think it's gorgeous that the name Crabtree originated from our very own British Crab Apple Tree's and this is what they use as their company logo. If any of you have ever tried crab apple jelly or jam you will know that it has quite a unique taste, thus being the perfect logo for a unique company such as Crabtree & Evelyn.

Packaging?


You can't tell me you don't find the packaging absolutely beautiful. From the actual product to the box it comes in; the attention to detail is second to none. Even the standard Hand Therapy creams look beautiful sitting on your dresser or desk. I'd just like to add, they aren't standard by any means but hopefully you get my drift. The colours, designs and even lids offer that bit of luxury and added value that make others green with envy. I have my Hand Therapy in Iris sat on my desk at work (in it's box - as it's too pretty to throw away!) and the amount of usage it has gotten over the past few months has been ridiculous. Everyone automatically assumes it's this luxurious expensive hand cream because of it's packaging. Well, they are half right! So naturally when I tell people the actual price they are online browsing the site to get their dry, flaky fingers on them!

Formula?


I'm a stickler when it comes to non-greasy hand creams, and I know I'm not the only one. How many times do you buy a hand cream or hand wash because it smells amazing then find out once you've got it home and smeared it all over your hands that it's really greasy and leaves a horrible 'film' over your skin? We've all been there. I've found with Crabtree & Evelyn that this is never the case. The ingredients are so natural and a lot of them we've all heard of, they are all paraben free and don't contain any nasty chemicals. They use nutrient-rich shea butter, macadamia oil and myrrh; these soothe, condition and restore softness to your hands (not only that, it leaves them smelling fantastic!) Also the myrrh helps maintain your cuticles too which is always a bonus.
When it comes to their hand wash they certainly know what they're doing. They aren't drying in the slightest and some even condition at the same time, which you may wonder how, but it works and does exactly what it says on the tin. They use a pH balanced formula which doesn't dry out your skin. You normally find with amazingly scented products that they are quite abrasive and the scent normally over compensates for the rubbish formulation. Again, not the case here. Which leads me nicely onto my next point.

Fragrances?

Oh. My. God. If you're like me, and a bit of a kid in a candy shop when it comes to this sort of thing - you will not be disappointed. They have scents for everyone! You've got floral, sweet, spicy, fragrance free and more. I actually spend a good half an hour floating around the store smelling every single fragrance - my boyfriend will confirm this is the truth. Poor him. Oh well - I have to traipse around Game. 

I like all sorts of fragrances, I'd say my favourite scents are floral and sweet however I have recently smelt their Indian Sandalwood and drooled. yes, drooled , it's for men however I still thought it smelt pretty damn good! So for me this is the perfect place to shop! Just the thought of their latest fragrance Caribbean Island Wild Flower gets my heart racing and I can not wait to visit their store in Meadow Hall this week, as I shall certainly be taking a sniff! I will also be dragging my fellow blogger friends with me too! 

Website & Stores?

Well, is this just not an attractive looking site to you? It certainly is to me - I love the layout and it is so simple to use. Not only that, you get FREE SAMPLES with every order - hello???!! Is that not what every beauty obsessed person craves? breathe Charlotte. Also you get free shipping when you order £30 or more, so that's easily achievable and worthwhile. I've also just noticed you get a free gift when you spend £35 or more so really it is a no brainer. Get online now! It's definitely advisable to register as you constantly get told about all the new scents, discounts and offers. Not only that, I love adding items to my wish list, so the boyfriend and family members know exactly what I'm after, because I always seem to forget when they ask! I'm not the only one surely?

The website may be great, however you can't beat walking into a store and sniffing around! The staff seriously know their stuff and can answer any question you throw at them. I've experienced some of the best customer service at Crabtree and I'm not easily impressed! I'm one of these people who doesn't tip unless you've gone above and beyond expectation. Not only that, their stores are so pretty and inviting you can easily loose track of time.

Oh well - it's seriously worth it.  

-

If you've enjoyed this post let me know down in the comments and also your experiences of this brand, or alternatively let me know what brand you prefer as I'm always on the look out for new exciting companies!

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As always guys, It's been a pleasure.

Char

xXx

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