October Favourites

Hello everyone, 

This month was a good month for trying new products and here is my picks for the month:

Products

Middle - Lush R & B Hair Moisturiser
Clockwise from the top - Yves Rocher Hydra Vegetal,  Lacura Anti-Aging Hyaluronic Gel,
L'oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint,  Lola Marc Jacobs.

Lush R & B Hair Moisturiser
Claire and I got given a sample of this when we attended a Lush Event a good few months back. I fell in love with the scent immediately as soon as I opened it. Once I finished my sample I bought a full size straight away. This stuff is great at taming fly aways and a little goes a very long way. You only need a dab of this other wise it is really easy to end up with greasy looking hair. You can also use this on wet hair too for blow drying to 'lock in the oils'.

Yves Rocher Hydra Vegetal
I got this in a beauty box a while back and this stuff is great! Really lightweight and moisturising and doesn't leave my skin feeling oily. This lotion also contains Hyaluronic Acid - which I am obsessed with at the moment! Not sure if I would buy this again though just because it's not the easiest to get hold of. 

Lacura Anti-Aging Hyaluronic Gel
This has been a favourite of mine for a couple of months now. This is really cheap from Aldi and only comes in every now and again. If you see it don't buy just one of them, buy two. Otherwise you'll regret it once you fall in love. It's more purse friendly than the Indeed Labs Hyaluron and it only around £5. Hyaluronic Acid is the latest IT product at the moment in terms of moisturisation and anti-ageing and for good reason - It really is a wonder ingredient! I'm rationing mine out at the moment because I don't want to run out as I haven't seen it in my local Aldi for a while. The serum itself sinks in really nicely and very quickly. My mam has also been using this too and her skin is looking visibly younger and smoother.

L'oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint
When I first tried this I thought it was a bit weird. At first test it seemed to be like a oily water type liquid which wasn't getting me very excited at all. I haven't tried or seen a product anything like this - like the advert says it really is lighter than water! After giving it a good shake I applied a drop to my finger following the directions on the back of the bottle and applied it to my face using only my fingers. I was really surprised to see that it dried semi matte and blended really nicely. It's a very very light coverage but creates a lovely sheer wash of colour which does well in evening out the skin.

Lola Marc Jacobs
This is my first fragrance from Marc Jacobs and I absolutely love it! I'm rubbish at describing fragrances so I'm not going to bother. Have a sniff in boots next time you're in!


Eats

Mid-week dinner - Avocado, Grass Fed Feta Cheese, Spinach Salad with a homemade mayonnaise dressing.
Paleo Scotch Egg and homemade caramelised red onions.

Paleo weekend breakfast - Fried Egg, Kohlrabi 'hash' and liver and bacon.

I've been adopting a Paleo/Primal way of eating at the moment. Paleo is dubbed the caveman diet as it bases itself around to only eating what was available during Paleolithic times. I'm taking an 80/20 approach to the diet at the moment - allowing myself some 'cheats'. For example in the first dish I used grass fed feta cheese which isn't strictly Paleo and I've been opting for gluten free options whenever I can. If you want to learn more about this diet a quick google search will bring up loads of great resources for you. I really enjoy reading the blog nomnompaleo.

Next month I'm looking forward to...

• Getting closer to putting the Xmas tree up!
• Finishing off my Xmas shopping so I can relax for the rest of the month.

Bryden x

Brew Dog - Afternoon Tea For Punks

Claire and I were very excited to see an invite to Brew Dog's Afternoon Tea for Punks to drop into our mail box and jumped at the chance to attend. Personally, Before this event I had no knowledge of what makes a good beer as I usually grab a vodka and diet coke when I'm out in town. Because of this it's always a bit daunting visiting the bar in Brew Dog as I have no idea what the pick. Thankfully the staff are a friendly bunch are always on hand to give tasters and advice. 

Amazing wall art

Another piece of amazing wall art

We started off the evening with a tipple of Fake Lager while we waited for the night to start. I found this easy to drink and wasn't too hoppy. After our drink we were presented with a meat and cheese platter which was paired with 5am Saint and Jackhammer IPA. I'd been eyeing up these platters on previous visits so it was nice to finally try one. Our host Sarah was on hand to give us some information on the beers and which food it paired well with. My favourite of all of these beers was the 5am Saint.

Meat and Cheese Platter

Now it was time for dessert! The girls from Pet Lamb Patisserie had baked up a storm and supplied some gorgeous beer baked treats for the event which were to be paired with the beers they were inspired by. All of the desserts contained the beer they had been paired with too. 

First up we had Punk IPA and Passion Fruit Cupcakes which also were paired with Punk IPA. Our host advised us that this was one of their most popular beers. Described as a fresh, full flavoured natural beer this is Brew Dog's tribute to the classic IPA's of yesterday. 

Punk IPA and Passion Fruit Cupcakes

Secondly, we were given a thick slice of their Dead Pony Club Citrus Loaf which, you guessed it, was paired with Dead Pony Club. Described as a huge hoppy Californian pale ale Sarah told us that this beer was particularly popular with the ladies. Funnily enough this was always the beer I was recommendation when visiting the bar on previous visits too. This cake was Claire's pick of the bunch. 

Foreground - Dead Pony Club Citrus Loaf

Last but definitely not least was the Cocoa Psycho Brownies. These were incredibly rich and fudgy. We were given this door stop sized brownie with the Cocoa Psycho Stout. The pairing was absolutely perfect. I particularly enjoyed taking a small bite of the brownie and having a sip of the Stout at the same time. It really brought out the rich chocolate taste. Cocoa Psycho is described as a 10% decadent and indulgent imperial Russian Stout and definitely isn't for the faint hearted! Sarah explained this stout is made with real chocolate and coffee and you can definitely pick up these notes. It's incredibly rich. Something I could only drink as a dessert.

Cocoa Psycho and Cocoa Psycho Brownies (half eaten.. I couldn't contain myself...)

The event was brilliant and helped me work out what type of beer I liked. As previously mentioned before I had only ever been recommended Dead Pony Club in the past at the bar and took that every time. I now know that I prefer a more malty beer. My favourite of the night was 5am Saint.

Thanks Brew Dog for an absolutely brilliant night. Big thank you to Sarah for our invitation too. 

It reminded us of when we were 'punk'. Here's a picture of us and our friend Julia in t-shirts featuring bands from our youth:

How young do we look?!

Bryden x

Mobile Montage - August

I had this scheduled to post and blogger just decided not to do it so here's a really late mobile montage for August... 

It's still just Bryden at the moment while Claire is waiting to get her internet installed (late news now as she now has it...).

August has been a great month and we were very excited to be invited to Brew Dog, Newcastle for Afternoon tea for punks (Post coming soon). We had an awesome time tasting all the different types of beers, cake and their meat and cheese platter. Yum!

1. Henna / 2. Party Face / 3. Robocup

4. Sausage Tray Bake / 5. Ami and I / 6. Tamago Maki

7. New Bike / 8. Ryan Gosling Bed T-shirt / 9. Saving an old friendly heirloom from the bin (BAD JULIA!)

10. Brew Dog Chalkboard / 11. Brew Dog / 12. Brew Dog Empties.

Bryden x

Mini Living Room Makeover

I recently decided to give my living room a mini makeover. I was sick of the drab furniture that came with that flat so I bought a few items to brighten up the place. Imagine this shot with no ornaments, no rug, no coffee table and no flowers. The place was pretty depressing. It's not a drastic change but it has made me feel loads better about the place. There's a lot of work left to do.

I picked up this hydrangea from Lidl. I love hydrangeas! They're supposed to be kept outside but I've been alternating between keeping it inside and outside. There's been a few downpours recently and I really don't want it to drown!

The rug is from Ikea and was only £55. It's one of the nicest cheapest rugs I've seen. Some of them are ridiculously expensive and way out of my budget. You can get cushions to match too so I'm saving up for these at the moment. 

Our coffee table was a found item. It's alright for a freebie! You can tell from its appearance that it had been outside for quite a while but I like its weathered look. But, I think it looks much better than a plain pine table would. 

I have used jars as 'ornaments'. This might be a little controversial but I like the way they look and I like to pop tea lights in these on a night time. I spray painted a few of the jars and popped them on top of the fireplace too along with my shoddy jar I painted with some glass paints. My candles on the coffee table are from Primark were really cheap. The owl tea pot (charity shop) and tea cup candle (etsy) are things I've had for a while. 

It's not perfect by any means but the place is so much brighter then it was. I can't wait to have my own home so I can decorate it entirely myself. 

Bryden x

The Redhouse, Newcastle.

Steven and I have been to The Redhouse twice now. The first time we went we decided to go on a Wednesday where the meals are two for £10. This is a great deal and leaves some spare cash for a cheeky shared pudding afterwards.

Mince Pie, Mustard Mash, Meat Gravy and Mushy Peas.

Between us we have tried 4 of the pie varieties now. Steven has tried and chicken and gammon and the steak pies and his favourite of the two was the chicken. I have tried the mince and the sausage, onion and apple pies. I can't choose a favourite as I loved them both equally.

If you haven't been to Redhouse before the concept is quite easy to follow:

• Choose a pie - Steak, Mince, Chicken, Sausage, Cheddar/Potato/Onion, Sweet Potato/Goats Cheese/Spicy Tomato or Spiced Mutton and Apricot.
• Choose a mash - Creamy, Mustard or Cheddar.
• Choose your peas - Mushy, Minted or Pease pudding.
• Choose your gravy - Meat, Red Wine or Parsley Liquor.

With loads of combinations to be made you're bound to be able to find something you will love.

Chilli Vinegar.

We were excited to find chilli vinegar on the tables. This was new to me but I gathered this was to be used on their pies so I doused my pie in chilli vinegar. I am so glad I did. This stuff is amazing! Who would have thought pie + gravy + chilli vinegar would be so delicious! I found myself adding more and more. I am currently trying to replicate this at home by steeping some dried chilli's in some malt vinegar. 

Apple Crumble with an Oaty Topping

The pudding we had was pretty good too. After ordering this though we noticed the couple after us were eating a lovely slice of cheesecake which wasn't on the menu so it might be a good idea to ask at the bar if there are any other puddings available. We noticed they sometimes have pudding pies from the Pet Lamb girls to offer but they didn't have any available when we visited.

Back - Steak Pie, Mustard Mash, Minted Peas and Meat Gravy.
Front - Sausage Pie, Mustard Mash, Pease Pudding and Meat Gravy.

Notice the Chilli Vinegar lurking at the side there...

If I had to give this place a score I would give them a 10/10. I can't fault the place! You can even 'double up' on your pie if you're particularly hungry!

After writing this I am absolutely dying for a pie now. I think it's time to try and convince Steven we should go next week...

Bryden x

July Favourites

Hello Everyone!
Claire's still sorting her house stuff out at the moment so it's just a monthly favourites from myself again this month.

Products

Top - Left - Aldi Lacura Aqua Complete Multi Intensive Serum.  Right - Tresemme Liquid Gold Restorative Complex.
Bottom - Left - Mac Blush in Melba. Right - Maybellie Eye Studio Mono in Silken Taupe.

Tresemme Liquid Gold Restorative Complex
Another month... another hair oil... 

I always use a hair oil when drying my hair and this has been the one I've been reaching for this month. I got this on a 3 for £10 offer at Asda so it's great value for money. Works just as good as the more expensive oils I've tried. I really rely on these products to keep the split ends at bay.

Lacura at Aldi Aqua Complete Multi Intensive Serum
I originally tried my mam's hyaluronic acid serum which she got from Aldi which is absolutely amazing. It has really improved her skin. It showed visible results in 1 month which I was really impressed with! Unfortunately I was unable to get some of this for myself but picked this serum up instead as it also contained hyaluronic acid. This serum is only £3.99 and boasts an incredible ingredients list. It contains hyaluronic acid and amino acid complex, glacier water and aloe vera. I've found it's great to use under my anti-shine moisturisers and really quenches the skin. My skin looks smoother and I've noticed its really evened out my skin tone. For the price you really can't go wrong.

Mac Blush in Melba
I've had this for a while, hence the really scruffy packaging! I've brought this back out to use as the weather has really heated up recently up north. It's really pigmented so I need to use a light hand with it. As I'm really pale it gives a lovely peach flush to the cheeks and I find it really warms my face up without having to use a bronzer. 

Maybelline Eye Studio Mono in 610 Silken Taupe
I remember buying this a few years ago to satisfy my craving to buy Mac Satin Taupe when my local Mac store didn't have this in stock. I've been wearing this most days for work. It's not the most pigmented eye shadow in the world but it just looks really pretty.

Eats

Top Left - Mocha Crumble Starbucks and Krispy Kreme Lemon Drizzle Cake Donut. Right - Redhouse Pie.
Bottom - The Brandling, Gosforth. Reuben Burger.

Starbucks and Krispy Kreme in the garden
I bought a Groupon voucher for Starbucks so I've been enjoying using that lately. I usually get a frappacino coffee light but I decided to have a go at their new mocha cookie crumble frap. The Metro Centre Drive thru Starbucks is right next to Krispy Kreme so I decided to pick up a donut as well.

Redhouse, Newcastle Quayside
Steven and I tried the Redhouse pie eatery on the Quayside this month and it was awesome. We opted to go on a Wednesday where it is 2 for £10. 

The Brandling, Gosforth
The Brandling have a massive burger menu at the moment with loads of Man Vs Food style combinations. This one is the Reuben burger. I'd recommend this place to everyone who wants a big meal or to defeat a hangover.

Room with a View Sharing Starter - Garlic Prawns (in the pot), Sweet potato mini soups with clams, Smoked Haddock fish cakes, Potted Crab and Prawn and Cream Cheese Pate.

Room with a View, Aberdour
This is the restaurant we visited on our recent trip to Scotland. My Dad and I shared this sharing starter and it came beautifully presented in a picnic basket. Every thing was amazing! We were exited to hear that the chef who works there is also a fellow Geordie! I can't wait to go back to this restaurant.


Other Stuff

Claire - Ready for battle

Left - Looking like a Christmas reindeer with my stag shirt
Right - Getting ready for battle

This month we were kindly invited along to our own Stag do by Eclipse Leisure who specialise in organising Stag do's and activities. They wanted to see if Stag activities would be enjoyed by girls on hen nights so we were invited, along with some other bloggers including our friend Carla of Messy Carla, to test the water. 

We went paint balling and quad biking. After a few teething problems at first with the paint balling (we were originally put in a huge group with a bunch of IDIOTS who ended up getting chucked out of the venue) we started to have fun. Claire's competitive side reared it's head and she got really into it!

I liked the quad biking the best but Claire liked the paint balling. 

We decided that these activities would be good for hen nights but only in a small group of girls. We started to have the most fun when we had a few games of paint balling in our own group. 

Massive thanks to Eclipse Leisure for inviting us along. We probably wouldn't have ever considered doing these activities if it wasn't for them!

Next Month I'm looking forward to...

• Going Camping - Steven and I are going camping instead of Leeds Festival this year (boo hoo). We're going to be camping in Keld which is near Darlington so it's not too far to travel. We're going with a big group of friends so it should be fun!

Hope you're all well, 

Bryden x

Nelly High Heels Tour.

Regular readers of our blog will remember, we were recently giving away VIP passes to the Newcastle event which was part of the Nelly.com High Heels Tour. On the promise of a girly night and a free pair of shoes, we went along with local bloggers Ray, Laura, Carla and our best buds Kaite, Sarah and Nicki; not really knowing what to expect.

(Photo taken from Nelly.com, such awkward turtles!)
We arrived at Perdu to be greeted by cases of some amazing shoes and a Swedish guy telling us to choose a pair, enter our details into a near by computer and our shoes would be sent out to us. OK, Swedish guy! No problem!




Now I know obviously we got shoes for free, but we would never big something up just because of free stuff. Before the event we extensively browsed the site to get more of a feel of this brand which is new to the UK. The shoes are affordable and come in a excellent range of styles and colour. There were quite a few Jeffrey Campbell 'inspired' shoes too, available at a way cheaper price than the real thing.


We would definitely order from the site in the future, although we have heard some people have had problems with delivery times. Hopefully these are teething problems, which will be sorted out.

Overall, we had a great night and it was lovely to meet up with some local bloggers. It's a shame there isn't more of these events up in the North East so we could all hang out more :(

Anyway we'll leave you with a photo of Claire making a fool of herself, as usual....

Taken from Nelly.com
Has anyone else attended any of the Nelly High Heels Tour events? Which shoes did/would you pick?

Claire & Bryden
x

GIVEAWAY! VIP passes to Nelly.com High Heels Tour event in Newcastleupon Tyne

Apologies for being rubbish bloggers lately, to make it up to our lovely followers we're having a little giveaway. Nelly.com have very kindly offered us two pairs of VIP passes to give away for their High Heels Tour event this Saturday at Perdu in Newcastle upon Tyne. There will be goody bags and free shoes for the first 150 girls through the doors. Yes, that's right- FREE SHOES!



Nelly is a brand we've been seeing and hearing a lot of good things about lately and after having a good lust over the shoes on their site today, we're very excited for the event on Saturday!

If you'd like the chance to win a pair of VIP passes (and hang out with us, which is obviously the big selling point here!) to the event all you need to do is be a follower of our blog and enter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
All entrants must be over 18 years of age and able to attend the event in Newcastle this Saturday 30th of June which starts at 7pm. The winners will be announced on the blog at 12pm on Friday and we'll be keeping you updated on our Twitter account too.

Good luck!

Bryden & Claire
x