Wednesday 14 December 2016

Stila Launch at Harvey Nichols Birmingham

Forget diamonds, this year I'm asking for Stila for Christmas!

I was lucky enough to be invited to Harvey Nichols recently to celebrate the launch of the new counter, have my makeup done by pro artist Sascha Jackson and also take a sneak peek at some of the new product launches, just in time for Christmas.


Heading to the beautiful new Harvey Nichols store, I sat down to see Sascha and talk through some top trends for AW16, what she's been up to this year and also try out some of the fabulous new products.


First off, we caught up and I discovered Sascha has been a busy bee travelling to New York for the M&S Beauty Conference, and to make up the models for the Alice and Olivia shows.


At AW16, skin was flawless and dewy, with a real focus on graphic eyeliner and glitter eyes, with plenty of colour!

Back to the makeover. Sascha started off by asking what kind of look I wanted, and I opted for something bronzed with a very seasonally appropriate lip.


To get the look, Sascha used Correct and Perfect All in One Colour Correcting Palette to correct the skin followed by the new Aqua Glow Serum Foundation and Aqua Glow Serum Concealer. Perfect for dry skin, this moisturises and hydrates. The concealer has all the same benefits of the foundation, but in a thicker consistency, with light reflecting pigments.


Next, products from the newly launched Perfect Me Perfect Hue Eye and Cheek Palette in shade Medium Tan were used on the eye to create a beautiful bronze look, with shade Curious as the base, Feisty in the crease, Magnetic used as a wet liner blended in with more Feisty and the same shade underneath.




The eyes were finished off with Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Colour in Medium and Huge Extreme Lash Mascara in Black.

Back to complexion, the same palette was used to blush, and Stay All Day Bronzing Powder in medium was used to buff over the face.


Finally, the lips were lined in Stay All Day Lip Liner in Cabernet and finished off with Stay All Day Matte'ificent Lipstick in Framboise.

I adore what Sascha did and especially fell in love with the lip colours she picked for me; these are going to be perfect for Christmas!

How beautiful are all the products used too? These make such perfect presents, especially the palettes which start at £28 for Perfect Me, Perfect Hue.






With such beautiful packaging and standout products, any girl would love to receive some Stila for Christmas! Have you tried any Stila products before? 

Thursday 1 December 2016

Event: Nosh and Quaff First Birthday

Nosh and Quaff is already an iconic part of the foodie landscape in Birmingham. Famous for it's lobster, Nosh and Quaff recently celebrated a whole year of trading with a party. Although there were no paper hats, there was food and drink aplenty, a band, and a party atmosphere that made it a fun night.


After a reception drink at the bar, we were led through to our tables or in our case, booths, and presented with an almighty platter of everything from wings to ribs and burgers.

The reception drink was a Pornstar Bellini; good choice.


Onto the platters; there were some serious gasps at the table when these bad boys arrived. Full to the brim and fully loaded, our platters included burgers, pork ribs, beef ribs, hot dogs, chicken wings with stilton mayo, coleslaw and fries.

It's at times like this that I wish that a gym membership came as standard for any food blogger!

Blooming Onion

Mini N&Q Burger, ribs and salted fries

Mac and Cheese

Beef Ribs, Pork Ribs, Mini N&Q Cheeky Burger, Mini Apple Dog, Chicken Wings, Coleslaw


Most of the above food wasn't suitable for me as I'm gluten free, but I was able to try the Sweet Potato and Chickpea burger (minus the bun) as a replacement. As you can see, it came served with salted fries, tomato chutney, onion, tomato and lettuce.


For dessert, there was Rocky Road all round, although I couldn't try this as it contains brownie pieces. It did however look amazing and I could hear plenty of appreciative noises.


Now it was time for a nightcap. I was able to try an Espresso Martini in a shot glass, which was extremely moreish.


Nosh and Quaff is a great place for Southern style food. From ribs and wings to hot dogs and burgers, it's a really great spot for indulging in your favourite treats.

*With thanks to Nosh and Quaff for inviting me to dine as part of their birthday celebrations.