Friday 30 September 2016

TONY MOLY PANDA'S DREAM WHITE MAGIC CREAM REVIEW

I've had this sitting on my makeup shelves for a few months now but since doing my review on the most talked about mask of the moment, the bubble mask, I felt I needed to give my lonely Korean beauty items that have been neglected a go. This little guy looks adorable, and looks too cute sitting on my bedside table. I'm a sucker for Korean products mainly because of their enticingly cute packaging! The adorable packaging aside, the product has as many hits as it does misses. I can't let the cute exterior sway my judgement, although it easily could! 
This is my second pot of this after giving my first one away, and after seeing pictures of it again on the web, I wanted it back on my shelf! After testing it out again, I now know why I never reach for it. It's a creamy gel consistency which I really like, and it has a bold floral scent which I also surprisingly liked. When rubbed into the skin, it's really, really strange. A little goes a long way, and it takes some work getting into the skin. Because it leaves a white cast on the skin it can appear streaky if it's not buffed in well enough. Because I'm so pale, this really evened out my skin tone, but anyone with darker skin, this could give a white cast making you look a little ghostly.
I'm unsure if this is made to use alone. as by itself it makes me look ill. However, as a makeup base I really like it. It evens out my skin for a perfect base for foundation. As nice as it is as a base, it doesn't give extra longevity to my makeup, so I'll probably still reach for a primer to really fill my pores for a flawless finish, unlike this product.
The unique thing about this product is the finish it gives and it really makes my foundation glow once applied on top. Unfortunately because it takes a while to blend into the skin and isn't a quick application for me, I don't think I'll be using this as much as I'd like. Is it shallow of me to want to make this work just because of the cute panda? I'll continue to give this a go but I don't think I'm going to change my mind on it - But it has happened before!

You can grab this from Yes Style
here for £10.
Thanks for reading!

Tuesday 27 September 2016

MAKEUP REVOLUTION ULTRA BLUSH PALETTE GOLDEN SUGAR 2 ROSE GOLD - REVIEW AND SWATCH

I had this palette for a few months now, and it has quickly become my favourite palette for highlight and blush. It has every shade for every look you're after. When I first got it I used it a little and then forgot about it, and now I've started using it again I have no idea why I stopped. It's now my most used and most raved about blush palette of the moment, and I constantly get compliments. 
Makeup Revolution is one of my favourite brands for affordable and quality makeup. Being constantly on a budget, Makeup Revolution is any girls best friend. This palette is a bargain at £6, which works out at £1.33 a blush, which is crazy value. How could you say no?
My Radio 1 Big Weekend top reflected in the palette.
Ooops.
The metallic shades in this palette are perfect for a highlight. All you need to do is lightly dip the brush into the pan and pick up the tiniest bit of product. If you're using this palette for the highlight you'll be using this for a long, long time. I've been using this daily for a few months, and there's not a dent in the pan to be seen. The first blush in this palette, the first swatch below, is beautiful. On my pale complexion it's gorgeous. It has a rosy, natural sheen to it that looks fresh on the skin. I then dust the third blush in this palette lightly on my cheek bones, nose and brow bone for a subtle champagne highlight. I love this for highlight, and it's my most reached shade. The bottom row are more rich in colour and looks gorgeous on the lid. The third one in from the bottom gives my eyes some serious bronze sparkle, perfect for the autumn/winter seasons.  
Overall, I love this palette. There's not a shade in here that I don't like. There's also some matte browns for contour, I loved wearing them in the summer, sunny days. It's an all round great palette, and perfect for travel. There's blushes, highlighters and contour shades, as well as some versatile shades for the eyes. For £6 it's an absolute steal.

You can grab this beautiful palette 
on the Superdrug website for £6 here.
What's your favourite product from Makeup Revolution?

Saturday 24 September 2016

FIRST LOOK OF FALL - VAMPY LIPS AND AUTUMN EYES

Fall is officially here, so for me, so is dark lipstick. I'm the kind of girl who'll wear dark lipstick all year round, but I've been delving more into the summer colours to change it up. However, now autumn is here I can say hello to my dark lipsticks again! I haven't posted any makeup looks in a while, so I thought I'd do a quick post on my first autumnal look of the season. It's a very simple look and needs little time and effort to do, so this look will be a staple look for me. Plus, I love a grungy look and I feel this has a grunge edge.
The eye makeup is very simple. Just a standard wing using Maybelline Master Ink Satin in Luminous Black. It's a liner I've sworn by, and nothing compares. Because I have hooded eyes liner usually transfers onto the lid, but because of its glossy finish there's no transfer! It's a god send for me, and its inexpensive. Then in the corners and blended into the crease is Bitter from the Vice 4 Urban Decay palette. This is one of my favourite Urban Decay matte shades ever. Because of its reddish brown hue, it makes my blue eyes pop. I love that's it's a grungy alternative to a standard brown, and gives me eyes a fall feel. I also blend this out after applying it heavily under the eye. I finish off with mascara and a pair of false lashes.
On the lips I have Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Rockstar blended out with Mac's Diva. This gives Diva a punky edge. I love Diva and it's one of my most used shades from Mac, but I also love giving it some depth with a darker pencil. I usually dust my lips with some translucent loose powder to keep it set all day which means little or no reapplying! Hurrah! I then apply a little contour, my eyebrows and then I'm good for the day ahead. See below for a full listing of products used and where to find them. More autumn looks coming in more depth soon!

Thanks for reading!


Click on the links where available to purchase the item.
Urban Decay Vice 4 palette.

Friday 23 September 2016

GIGGLING SQUID - NORWICH REVIEW*

Before I get stuck into the review, this will be a post with many photos. The place and the food are incredibly gorgeous, so I had to take as many photos as I could. I had to seriously condense the amount of photos that I wanted in this post as there were so many photos of the stunning restaurant. Giggling Squid in Norwich is located in Tombland, one of my favourite places in Norwich. I love all the book shops and of course the cathedral, so I was happy to hear that Giggling Squid had made its home here. Giggling Squid is a family owned restaurant, and proudly serves authentic, rustic Thai food. You can read all about the history of Giggling Squid on their website here.
As soon as I walked in the staff were lovely and welcoming, and there was a calm and chilled atmosphere. It's lovely to go to a restaurant that's busy but not loud, so you can actually have a calm conversation without having to talk over music. The waiter - who was lovely - asked us what wine we preferred. My guest also pointed out that they were vegetarian, to which they bought out a vegetarian menu which was brilliant. It's nice to not have to filter through a whole menu to find the veggie options, so this instantly gave the restaurant some serious brownie points.
We began drinking our wine as we decided what to eat. The wine was gorgeous - It was way too easy to drink! We asked for a white wine so they bought over a Sauvignon Blanc, which was really, really lovely, going perfectly with the food. We settled on the Vegetarian Sharing Platter, Vegetable Tropical Jungle Curry and the Sea Bass Pad Cha. While that was all going through, the lovely waiter said I can pop up stairs to take some photos, even though it wasn't open to the public. The upstairs was as gorgeous as I expected. With lovely hues of beige and brown, delicately decorated with flowers and pops of colours from books, this restaurant is one of the most chic place to eat - day and night.
 All of the above - Vegetarian Sharing Platter.

The Vegetarian Sharing Platter came out pretty quickly, and it was amazing! The platter consisted of fried tofu, Thai corn fritters, vegetable tempura and vegetable spring roll. These also came with three dipping sauces, each as scrummy as each other and each with a different heat kick. This was a great idea as you could change how much heat you wanted depending on what you were eating. I had never tried tofu before, and the fried tofu almost tastes like a fried bread roll, which is lovely dipped in some sauce! The spring rolls were beautiful. I couldn't stop going on about how amazing the roll itself tasted, and the tempura vegetables were a great accompaniment. The highlight of the platter for me, which was a toss up between this at the spring rolls, were the Thai corn fritters. They were amazing. If I only ate that for the rest of my life I wouldn't complain. These are a mix of sweetcorn, which I never usually like, red curry paste and lime leaves which give it a slight sweet tint, and dipped into the sauce - perfection.
Tropical Jungle Curry with Sticky Rice.
Sea Bass Pad Cha.
Coconut Rice.
Sea Bass Pan Cha.

My Sea Bass Pan Cha was beautiful. The fish was soft and melted in my mouth, and was packed full of flavour. This dish is so aromatic with all its herbs and spices, the sauce and vegetables tasted amazing and never left me bored. Each mouthful was as adventurous as the next. If you love fish and some heat, you'll love this. The Coconut Rice went with the dish perfectly and tasted gorgeous with some vegetables and the sauce from the dish. This was a dream to photograph as the colours look divine - It really does taste as good as it looks. I tried a bit of the Tropical Jungle Curry and it is HOT. I can handle a bit of spice, but even that was pretty hot. That said, I could still taste the flavours with the sticky rice - But I wasn't the one eating the whole dish! If you're a fan of hot food, this is the one to go for as it's not just hot, but bursting with flavour. Instead of having it with vegetables you can have it with either beef or chicken. I love that a lot of the dishes you can choose between chicken, beef and vegetables. It means you can really personalise the dish for yourself and make it perfect for you. There really is a Thai dish for everyone on the menu and you can view the full Norwich menu here.
Chocolate Feuillantine.
Mint & Lychee Sorbet.

All the ice cream and sorbet are made in a tiny Brighton shop at their request, which is lovely knowing that it's made specially. I went for the Mint & Lychee Sorbet, not just because I'm a huge lover of sorbet but I felt the idea of it be a refreshing way to end a meal. It was fruity from the Lychee but fresh because of the mint, so it was a beautiful thing to finish on. It was sweet but not too sweet so I was able to eat it without feeling like I'd eaten too much! I also had a little bit of the Chocolate Feuillantine which was super yum! It's a rich mousse that's chocolatey and soft. I find that rich chocolate mousses can be bitter, but this was perfect! It had the perfect amount of chocolate and the fruit was a lovely side. It also looked stunning - Look at that presentation!
Americano.
Flora "Flowering" Tea.

I went for the Flora "Flowering" Tea to finish the evening off which is made of a handmade lotus flower and jasmine green tea. This ended the evening perfectly, It was good to unwind with a beautiful tea and debrief from the meal and the long day previous, I popped in the little sphere of dried flowers into the teapot and it opens up to reveal a beautiful pink flower. It looked stunning in the teapot and I couldn't believe that it was actually tea! The tea was refreshing and calmed me down, making me feel at ease.
Flora "Flowering" Tea.

I don't need to point out that the food and the restaurant look phenomenal. The staff were one of the stand outs of the evening. Good food is nothing without amazing waiters, waitresses, bar staff and chefs, and the Giggling Squid should be proud of the knowledgeable and approachable staff that they have. Every person I approached that evening was lovely, and a special thank you to the man who served us most of the evening - I wish I had gotten his name! He knew everything there was about everything on the menu, and genuinely seemed  interested in talking to me, which made me feel welcome and eager to come back again.
Overall, if you are wanting to treat yourself or another to a lovely evening meal, Giggling Squid will be highly recommended from me. They also have a lunch menu and tapas, which I am dying to try out (I love tapas!), so there really is something for everyone. 

You can find more information on the
location and opening times here,
or if you want to treat yourself in the comfort
of your home, grab a takeaway here.
Thanks for reading!


*Inivited for review.