Health Kick Cocktail

If like me you have over indulged over Christmas and are craving some goodness, try this lovely Health Kick Cocktail to help get you back on the straight and narrow:

This recipe will serve 1
You will need:

• 1/2 a fresh pineapple
• 1 medium avocado
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 cup of orange juice
• drizzle of honey to taste

Chop the pineapple, and then peel and slice the avocado (remove the stone)

Throw everything into a blender and blitz until smooth

That's it. Easy peasy, ready in 5 minutes and delicious. You can't really taste the avocado but it does give it a smooth creamy texture and is full of goodness. Enjoy!

Life Lately

One of the things I love about this time of year is the opportunity to hibernate.  Sometimes I just love shutting out the rest of the world and getting some me time, which is exactly what I did last weekend. 

To thoroughly enjoy a lazy day it's important to be prepared. Get all necessary supplies (food/books/wine) in advance so you don't have to leave the house.

 I also decided to indulge in a bit of home cooking...

Salmon Pasta

Including a roast

And the most enjoyable part. A boiling hot bubble bath complete with almost an entire box of bath salts. Bliss

 

November Empties

A quick post of all the beauty products I have got through this month:

Dove Winter Care Nourishing Body Lotion

Mitchum Advanced Control Deodorant

Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Shampoo

Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner

Boots Essentials Intense Hand Cream

L'Oreal Pure Shine Control Moisturiser

Nivea Diamond Touch Shower Cream Oil

Nars Pro Primer

Maybelline Dream Matt Mousse

Maybelline Falsies Mascara

It's hard to pick a stand our product from this lot as I really liked them all and would buy all of them again.

I ♥ Scotland

Last weekend I visited Scotland for the first time and I absolutely loved it and can't wait to go back. Reason for this little jaunt, this was birthday celebration number 3 for our dear friend whose actual birthday was FIVE weeks ago. Talk about dragging it out! I thought I was bad insisting on a birthday week but I've been trumped. Just goes to show that boys are bigger divas than the girls. Uh huh, yeah I said it.

Saturday morning the 4 of us headed to Kings Cross to catch the 8:00 train to Edinburgh. Starting as we mean to go on, it was beers all round by 9:00, which was probably the reason for this behaviour.

Me and my Bestie, Lady Lop

The plan for the weekend was to have a nice lunch, visit Edinburgh Castle and see Chase and Status at The Liquid Rooms. We managed 1 out of 3. 

Rather than stay at a hotel, we rented a 2 bedroom apartment for the night at The Cannon Court. Priority on arrival was a booze run so we sent the boys to Tesco for supplies. Didn't quite expect them to return with a trolley! (they did take it back the next day)

James, Mickey 'Birthday Binge' Coletti, Kirsty

Me and the boys

Having stocked up we decided to venture out and explore Edinburgh via a mini pub crawl.
Next time I visit I would like to do it slightly more sober as I didn't fully get to appreciate the beautiful architecture, although I did manage a few snaps...

I'm childish and I know it.

The rest of Saturday is a bit of blur, but we did meet up with the Scottish contingent (as our friends will now be known) and here we all are at The Liquid Rooms, getting our skank on to a night of drum n bass

On the way home to London we stopped off for few drinks at Edinburgh station and to say goodbye to our friends.

I ♥ Scotland

Outfit Post #2 - Party Dresses by New Look

Every advert on TV at the moment seems to be Christmas themed. Now that bonfire night has been and gone, there is no getting away from it, the festive season is on it's way. My work Christmas party at the beginning of December so only a few weeks away. Time to start thinking about the all important party dress. New Look have pulled out the stops with party dresses that won't break the bank. These are my favourites under £45

Clockwise from top left

Gold Sequin 3/4 Sleeve Body Con Dress £39.99 

Lili Sequin Peplum Body Con Dress £39.99

Chi Chi Black Multi Sequin Strapless Dip Hem £44.99

Blue Embellished Assymetric Prom Dress £29.99

Parisian White Baroque Side Panel Dress £29.99

Green Sequin 3/4 Sleeve Body Con Dress £39.99

Secret Santa Gift Ideas

If you work in an office, chances are you'll be getting involved in the tradition of secret Santa this Christmas. Secret Santa can be a bit of a minefield, especially if you end up getting someone who you don't know too well. These secret Santa gift ideas, all £10 or under.

Outfit Post #1

I absolutely adore these boots and have styled the rest of the outfit around them. I could see myself wearing this for dinner and cocktails with the girls.

Top - Topshop £38

Earrings - Asos - £30

Boots - Topshop - £80

Jeggings - River Island - £35

Bag - Topshop - £42

Money Saving Tip

When I used to have credit cards, if I saw something expensive that I wanted like a new handbag or sunglasses I would stick it on the plastic without even thinking about it. Since getting rid of credit cards a few years ago I have become a lot more frugal. This little tip is great for saving for those expensive treats. I like to call it the £2 challenge. Every time a £2 coin comes my way I don't spend it, it goes straight into my money jar. I find that £2 coins aren't as common as £1 coins so I don't feel too short changed (pardon the pun) but they do stack up quickly enough to make a difference. When the jar is full, if I still want that item I can but it guilt free. Give it a go!

October Empties

Here are all of my October empties, and it's mainly the essentials that I have used up this month.

Luster's Pink Glosser - This is an oil spray that also acts as a heat protector. I only tried it because I had trouble tracking down my usual oil spray, and this one is stocked in Boots which is quite unusual for afro hair products. It was an okay substitute but to be honest my hair needed something a bit stronger.

Original Source Mint & Tea Tree Shower Gel - I love this shower gel. It gives a lovely tingly feeling on the skin which is amazing for waking you up the morning after the night before.

Dove Silky Nourishing Body Cream - I quite liked this moisturiser. You can see a full review of hit here

Neutrogena Concentrated Hand Cream - I didn't think much of this one. It has quite an unusual texture for a hand cream. You only need a small amount and it does the job but I didn't think there was anything particularly special about it.

Superdrug Lipbalm - You can barely see the label on this one as it has worn off over time. A very basic lip balm that was nourishing and only needed to reapply once or twice throughout the day. No fragrance or colour, but just a good basic.

Garnier Pure Anti Blackhead Deep Pore Wash - You can see my comments on this one here

Mitchum Advanced Control Deodorant - I am a big fan of the Mitchum deodorant sprays. They smell nice, don't leave white marks and leave you feeling fresh even the morning after a big night. Result.

Beauty Review - Dove Silky Nourishing Body Cream

I have quite dry skin and combat this by using a body moisturiser every day. During the summer months a light moisturiser works well but as the temperature drops I find I need something a bit more hard core. I quite liked this body cream by Dove. It is half way between a moisturiser and a body butter so just right for this time of year. It doesn't feel to heavy, absorbs quite quickly and only has a very light fragrance so wouldn't interfere with perfume. Lovely for autumn.

Health Tip - Echinacea

There are lots of things to love about autumn. Halloween, fireworks, Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha's (which sound gross but are totally yum by the way). One of the things not so great about this time of year is the dreaded lurgy that seems to travel around the office and infect everyone. I used to be sceptical about herbal remedies until I started taking echinacea, and it is just amazing. I start taking it the minute I start to notice the first signs of a cold. Usually a scratchy sore throat and a runny nose. If I start taking it early enough, I can sometimes avoid a cold completely. If not, I find that echinacea can cut the amount of time I feel ill for. You can get it in tablet form but I prefer this effervescent tablet from Boots. Dropped in a glass of water it looks like prosecco and tastes like elderflower. As with any medication you should always read the label beforehand and check with a pharmacist or your GP.

September Beauty Empties

L'Oreal Nutri Soft 24 Hour Velvet Body Lotion

Mitchum Deodorant in Waterlily

Maybelline Falsies Volume Effect Mascara

Nanoblur

Organic Shea Butter Moisturising Serum

I haven't got through many beauty products this month. I'm in between flats at the moment so practically living out of a suitcase and only really using the bare essentials. I wasn't overly impressed with nanoblur and won't be buying it again. There was a lot of hype when if first came out but I haven't noticed any benefits to using it. I really liked the Organic Shea Butter Moisturising Serum and found it did a great job of protecting my relaxed hair from the heat of blow drying and straightening. I did try to repurchase but can't find it anywhere! This is the 2nd afro hair product that I have come across, loved and then couldn't find anywhere! What is going on? The stand out beauty product for me this month was Maybelline Falsies Volume Effect Mascara. My eye lashes are short and stubborn, and have been known to scratch my eye balls on occassion. Maybelline Falsies Volume Effect Mascara does exactly what it says on the tin, you look like you are wearing false lashes. Love it and have already re-purchased. An instant classic I will be using for ever.

Blue Marlin Ibiza

On my recent trip to Ibiza I visited Blue Marlin which was a little bit of heaven. If you are ever heading to Ibiza, Blue Marlin is simply a MUST on your to do list. Blue Marlin is billed as a lifestyle concept with its own magazine and radio station as well as gorgeous venues in both Ibiza and The United Arab Emirates. 

This beautiful beach side venue is open from 10:00am until 4:00am during season and attracts a roster of top international DJ's. Reservations have to be made in advance. I booked a sun lounger for €65 which included €50 redeemable against the bar. If you are travelling in a group you might want to upgrade to the deluxe loungers which are about the size of a king size bed. Or if you're feeling really flush, book the VIP!

Cocktails are priced at around €15 and are totally worth it. They look beautiful, taste amazing and are seriously strong!

Blue Marlin is perfect for sunbathing through the day and partying through the night. I am definitely going back next time.

Holiday Snaps

I've just returned from a lovely break in Ibiza so thought I would share a few snaps. I hadn't had a holiday in over a year and I definitely won't be leaving it so long next time. There are lots of ways to do Ibiza. It's a great destination for all night partying but there is a real mix bag of people on the Island at this time of year. I stayed in San Antonio, and as well as the hard core clubbers, I spotted young couples, families with young children and older couples enjoying a break. I mixed it up with a few nights of partying and LOTS of sunbathing. I have really caught the sun and will need to buy a darker foundation to get me through the next few weeks while my tan fades - like I need another excuse to go shopping!