I'm very lucky that I get to work from home every damn day but also that I have the opportunity to travel up north and visit my work colleagues at our office in Lincoln. Before I started working at this company, never even visited Lincoln before and I was surprised just how beautiful it was! If you like places that hold a lot of architectural history then you must go and have a visit.
Considering I have been there a few times now, I thought I would just share with you my top 5 things to do in Lincoln starting with...
A Visit to the Cathedral...
It's a bit of an obvious one really isn't it? Lincoln is known very well for it's absolutely stunning Cathedral which you can get up close and personal to. It's very much a tourist hotspot but it is so vast that you don't feel surrounded by people, it's actually hard to take it all in but honestly, it is so beautiful! However, one thing that isn't beautiful is the bloody walk to go and see it, oh yes, you have to walk up a delightfully named hill call Steep Hill...It's a killer!
Browse the Independent Shops...
Whilst you are walking up that fabulous Steep Hill what you will discover is a variety of independent shops to keep you occupied should you need a little break. There are some really cute shops filled with little treasures and some are filled with yummy treats! I stopped a fudge shop that just smelled like heaven and purchased some delicious salted caramel fudge. The boyf on the other hand found a really cool draft beer place called The Crafty Beer that had a fantastic range of beers and ales, so something for everyone really.
Afternoon Tea...
Aside from all the cool independent shops, there are actually loads of little tearooms and it would be rude quite frankly, there are lots of different places to have some afternoon tea but it's a really lovely moment to just sit, have a bit of a relax and a cup of tea and prepare you for the rest of the afternoon.
Brunch at The Cardinal's Hat...
I'm not gonna lie, I love a bit of brunch and The Cardinal's Hat do a bloody good one if meats and cheeses are your kinda thang! As you can see this was quite a hearty platter, served with 5 different meats, 3 chesses, 4 different types of bread and some olives and nibbly bits, I was in my element! This pub actually do an amazing range of beers and ciders too, plus the atmosphere an decor in this place is really cool! It's the kinda place you can have a quite little drink or meal by yourself in the corner or invite a whole bunch of pals down for a few drinks!
Live Music at Rouge Saint...
The weekend me and the boyf visited Lincoln there was a 90's Music night at the Rouge Saint we both love a bit of live music and we all know the 90's had some utter JAMS in that time so we went a long to see if it would be any good! I was SO impressed with the band, I can't even remember their name but they play some brilliant songs and added their own twist to it! Not only was the music great, they make some brilliant cocktails, I strongly recommend the Singapore Sling if you do venture here.
There we have just a few suggestions of things to do in the lovely Lincoln. Have you ever been to Lincoln before?
Ok so before any one says anything yes I know, an ocean of black but genuinely black is my happy colour, I like styling it up with bright coloured accessories so now that's out of the way we shall continue to talk about some of my fashion faves at the moment! Most of these items are nothing ground breaking but so me these kinds of things are more of my everyday/essential items of clothing that personally I think everyone should have in their wardrobe!
The Wrap Dress...
I must admit this one took my by surprise because I never really thought about adding a wrap dress to my wardrobe until everyone and their damn dog had one this year! I have always liked the wrap dress but struggle to find on that really suits me but I stumbled across one from New Look in the sale for like £9 and bought it on a whim! The one in the picture is similar but not the same, this one is a Topshop wrap dress. When my dress arrived honestly, I fell in love! The shape is so flattering and mine has little frills on it which gives it a little movement! There are a LOT of different wrap dresses out there right now so you should definitely try some on and add one of these to your wardrobe.
Black Jeans...
I have needed some new jeans for a while and as my arse has become decidedly bigger it was about time I went on the dreaded jean shop! I haven't shopped in Topshop for year but basically the only reason I went in was because I knew they did jeans and I ended up with the Topshop Jamie Jeans slightly high waisted, claim to be ankle grazers but I got them in a long length so can't really tell the difference to normal jeans to be fair! They're quite a nice fit, I do like them and I honestly feel no wardrobe is complete without some black skinnies!
Puma Trainers...
I frickin love the style of the Puma Creepers and I even bought a pair of the Rhianna Fenty X Puma ones and I think they are bloody gorgeous! I really like the creeper style and you can get a lot of different colour ways but I don't think you can ever go wrong with black on black but let me tell you where you can go wrong...THE MATERIAL! I got the velvet ones and they do not wear well at all, they started to crack and now they look so rough but I have had a lot of use out of them but it's time I bought some more and I shall definitely be buying the creeper style again!
Leather Skirt...
This is another item I never knew I needed until I tried it on! I frickin' love this New Look Faux Leather Skirt . I'm fortunate in the sense I have an hour glass shape but I don't often wear things to show it off but this skirt really pulls you in at the waist and the flares out so lovely over the hips! Even though it's faux leather I don't fine it too restrictive and coupled with a black bodysuit it looks really good, which actually takes me nicely onto the...
Bodysuit...
I must admit, I never really thought about wearing a body suit at all until I got that damn leather skirt and I kinda new what look I wanted in my head so I had to buy the Asos Tall Bodysuit, I opted for a tall version because I really wanted it to fit nicely!
Bralette...
Not quite for your wardrobe but lets say your underwear drawer, I have to say that if you have big boobs it's gonna be hard to find one that actually fits good! I have quite a small back which means I can wear some high street bralettes but not all because I need larger cups! I think this one fro H&M is really cute but I think Primark have some fantastic ones as well! I think these are a great addition to your wardrobe because on those days you wanna dress super casual wearing a no padded, lacy little number underneath can change the whole thing!
There we have a few of my fashion faves that I personally think should be in everyone's wardrobe!
What items do you have in your wardrobe that you just love?
It's been a little while since I have done a foodie post and that is purely because my pictures have turned out crap for all of them! That said, today I am talking about this bloody delicious meal from Homemade Burger Co in Lincoln, I mean, doesn't it look good! There are a few Homemade Burger Co dotted around the UK but when I was in Lincoln last this was the first time I'd ever bloody heard of it! All you need to now about the restaurant can be found in the name alone, purely and simply they make handmade burgers, so if you are a bit of a burger fan like me, then you're gonna need to check them out!
The Handmade Burger Co menu is actually pretty extensive and do offer veggie options as well as gluten free options so they do accommodate dietary needs! The burger pictured is actually from the Pit Range which is a few select burger inspired by BBQ and you guys bloody know I love a BBQ! This one is Buffalo Chicken Burger and I'll be honest with you, I picked it because it had onion rings on it, I mean, whats not to love about a burger AND onion rings!
The Buffalo Chicken Burger has a smokey but slightly spicy sauce drizzles over the chicken that was more spicy than I was expecting but still not too bad! Sometimes with chicken burger the chicken can be a little dry but this one wasn't at all and personally I thought you got quite a lot it was like 2 mini fillets which I prefer to just one slab of chicken. Plus with a bit of bacon thrown in for good measure you really can't go wrong with this burger!
Moving onto the sides, well, when I saw they did halloumi fries you best believe I had to order a portion! Personally I thought they were a little stingy with how many you got, I literally got 4, 4 is definitely not enough because I bloody love halloumi. This said, they did taste delicious, the batter was light and crispy and the cheese are a nice thick chunk so if they would have given me another two, I wouldn't have grumbled! Moving onto the chips, Handmade Burger Co actually do a lot of different style chips with different toppings and we opted for just the normal chips which as you can see did NOT disappoint! They actually reminded me a little like chip shop chips which are my fave and the portion was bloody big , we actually had to leave some behind much to my heartache!
I really enjoyed my meal at Handmade Burger Co, it's the perfect place for the perfect burger!
What burger places do you love to visit?
I have this problem with Lush and it's mainly that when I walk in, I cannot walk out without buying at least one thing! I usually opt for the bath bombs but this time I was browsing the solid shampoo bars, just a heads up guys there are LOADS of them! I was drawn to the solid shampoo bars because I have heard quite a few good things about them so I was rather intrigued by them.
I had to ask one of the lush employees how the hell you use the damn things though because I wouldn't know where to start and she advised you can use them two ways. The first way is to lather it up in your hands and then massage into your scalp and the second way was to rub the bar actually on the roots of your hair and then work it into a lather. This said, because I know my hair is very fine and my scalp gets greasy quite quickly I thought I would probably try the first method. Whilst I was chatting to the Lush gal, I mentioned my hair type and she suggested the Montalbano bar because it has lemon in it, it's quite light and fresh on your hair! Also, a fund fact for the blondes out there lemon is a natural lightener and works wonderfully on your hair.
Right from the first use of this product I was in love, I foamed it up in my hand and the scent was incredible but once you put it on the scalp it literally doubles in foaminess, like it's quite impressive really! Once washed it out and blow dried my hair I was amazing how soft my hair was after! Citrus works really well on my fine hair so this bar definitely didn't weigh down my hair at all,even my boyfriend tried it out and really liked it!
I also wanted to try out the Honey I washed My Hair shampoo bar even though the Lush gal advised it might be a little too heavy for my hair, the thing is my hair is really fine but is also is quite damaged and whilst this may be a little heavy on the roots it may actually nourish the ends of my hair! I can't help it, I like the scent of honey and I just needed it in my life so I bloody bought it anyway! It definitely is a different consistency and oddly enough it adds a lot of volume to my hair which I wasn't expecting at all!
The only thing I would say is these bars are a little difficult to store as personally I don't like leaving them on the side near the shower but I just have a little plastic container to keep them in, it's just something to bear in mind.
I am obsessed with both of these bars but the Montalbano shampoo bar is literally a game changer and will be something I will repurchase again and again!
Have you tried solid shampoo bars before?
Every now and then it's nice to remember those little moments throughout your day that truly make you smile, no matter how small, they are a delight! I thought I would share with you just a few of my life's little pleasures....
*An espresso in the morning
*A thunderstorm after the sunshine
*Apples from the fridge
*The first sip of prosecco
*The hug you give your pal after not seeing them for so long
*Being outdoors when it's sunny
*Sitting on the grass
*Dinner with a loved one
*Chocolate
*When your bf holds your hand
*Cry laughing
*When your cat head butts you
*Exploring a new city
*Giving gifts
*Buying something online
*Trying out a brand new product
*Crunchy peanut butter on a warm bagel, but to be honest, peanut butter on everything
*Reading a book in bed at night
*When you favourite song comes on
*Butterflies and bumble bees
*Fresh flowers in a vase
Tell me a few of your life's little pleasures...
I rarely ever do a monthly favourites style of post but I just feel like I have discovered some real gems this month so I wanted to share it with you guys with a combination of skincare and make up!
Let's start with the Melting Gel Cleanser from the B. range that I recently wrote about in my cruelty free skincare blog post, this cleanser definitely took me a little while to get used to because it's a different product, it goes from a sticky gel to a smooth oil and washes off to a milky kinda fluid but I have noticed over time my skin is actually looking really good! It's a product that's very easy to use too much of, but once you get used to the quantities it's a dream! This product leaves my skin looking so fresh, you really do notice a difference after a couple of weeks or so. I tend to use this gel before using The Body Shop's Pure Resurfacing Liquid Peel which is a product that I have HAD to include in this monthly favourites because it's so bloody good!
The Pure Resurfacing Liquid Peel is a bit of a game changer for me, it's a unique product in the sense that it kind of clumps up on your skin but from the first time I used the product I noticed a difference immediately, my skin is so smooth just after one use! I tend to use this product 2 or 3 times a week and it is bloody fab! I wasn't even going to buy this product but it was more of an after thought but I am so glad I did!
Keeping with The Body Shop, how could I NOT include the Polynesian Monoi Radiance Oil, to say I am obsessed is an understatement, trust me! I think the scent plays a very big part in my obssession with this oil but more than that it's the way my skin feels after using this oil! In all honesty, I think it has moved me away from using creamy moisturisers just because the oil nourishes my skin in a completely different way to other moisturisers!
Moving onto make up, I have to mention this Barry M Lip Paint, I actually haven't written a review about this lipstick before because it's something that goes at the bottom of my make up bag and just forget about it! That said, this month I have found myself reaching for it a lot more because it's not a matte finish which means it's a little kinder on the lips! This is a very nude shade with orange undertones, I like to apply it by just dabbing it on my lips and almost patting it into them. It builds up a much better colour for me as this product is very pigmented.
And finally we have the NYX Stay Matte but not Flat foundation which at first I remained fairly on the fence about, it was nice but that was kind of it, that was until I tried it with my Sleek CC Cream....! So I bought the wrong shade in the cc cream which was fine when I was a little more tanned, now Ive gone back to pasty pale it's just a tad too dark so I thought I would mix a little of this NYX foundation and boom, glorious coverage that still leaves me looking a little dewy and not TOO matte! Love it!!
There we have my monthly favourites, what are yours?
