Darbaar

I was invited to the opening of Darbaar, a new Indian restaurant near Moorgate in London.

We grabbed a blue cocktail and had a wander around. The interior is really welcoming – warm and ornate without being overly flashy. We had the opportunity to try lots of the food – it was delicious – prawns in a coconut curry sauce, stunning samosas and some gorgeous spiced chicken were my favourite dishes.

There was a stunning private dining room that would be perfect for events. I think Darbaar would be the perfect place for a mid-week dinner in the city; I’m sure they will do incredibly well.

Manchester Break

Much as I love London, sometimes it’s fun to get away. I’ve been to Manchester a few times lately, mostly for work, and I always enjoy the energy of the city and its nightlife. I decided to treat my boyfriend for a birthday weekend away.

I chose the Malmaison for its cool design and sexy vibes (ooh-er). We had a gorgeous double room and there were some lovely extras laid on for us – crisp, juicy apples and more cosmetics that I could ever have dreamt of. The Malmaison is perfectly positioned – a stone’s throw from Manchester Piccadilly train station and the town centre.

After dropping our bags, we went for a walk into the town. A friend had told me about a print fair at the People’s History Museum so that was our first stop. It was great – we even got the chance to screen print our own art. A spot of shopping was next on the list – we headed to the Arndale Centre. The Northern Quarter is famous for its bars and restaurants so it would have been rude not to sample a cocktail or two in Bluu bar.

Back at the Malmaison, we showered and got ready. I wore the Kate dress by Little BlackDress and blowdried my hair simply. I’d been told that when it comes to getting dressed up in Manchester, there’s no such thing as ‘too glam.’

We had dinner at Artisan, which came highly recommended by my Manchester friends. We had a gorgeous meal – we both went for the Dirty Burger for our meal, which didn’t disappoint. 

After dinner, we intended to go and try some more bars but we got too comfortable in Artisan and stayed there until late – the cocktails there are gorgeous! The people-watching was also excellent – we watched a seemingly endless stream of glam ladies stream into Neighbourhood – the lingering paparazzi told us that it was the venue of choice for footballers and Hollyoaks stars alike.

After a gorgeous night’s sleep in the Mal, we got up late and had a stunning breakfast. Unfortunately, the rugby was on, so we went to watch that before heading back to the train station.

We had an absolutely amazing time in Manchester, I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a UK-based weekend break. Mad fer it.

Lovely hotel room

Tasty bites

Loved the tartan backdrop!

Gorgeous treats to steal away

Love their goodies

It's hard to resist the wine

Awww

Artisan

I'm wearing the Kate LBD

Tasty cocktails...

Candy Yum Yum by Mac

I think winter is the most wonderful time of the year for make-up. You have longer to spend doing it (the weather’s shite, who wants to be out there?) and there are more parties than you can drunkenly shake a cocktail sausage at. Although it feels wrong to transition from cocktail sausages, here goes.

When you’re tired of your usual wintry crimson lip, why not buck the expected colour palette and go neon pink?

I’ve long-loved the eye-hurting brightness of Mac’s Candy Yum Yum shade – the lipstick is matte and so pigmented that reapplication doesn’t feel like an endless chore. My only gripe is that it can sometimes feel a bit dry. I recently tried the gloss version which feels great on the lips and is a bit more wearable for daytime. I also like mixing pure Candy Yum Yum lipstick with the Cyan Lipmix to create a surprisingly flattering bright violet hue.

I’ll post some good Mac combinations soon, but in the meantime here are some pics of a look with the Candy Yum Yum Tinted Lipglass.

With such a bold lipcolour, I like keeping the rest of the face quite neutral. In this case I prepped my skin with a primer, used a light foundation with some pink contouring and filled my brows in with a combination of Mac Lingering and a mid-brown powder.

Happy Halloween – Gothic Glam Make-up

I love getting dressed up for Halloween. This year, I’m off to Gustav Fring’s funeral (Breaking Bad fans know) as Lydia Rodarte-Quayle.

Lydia

If you’re avoiding the madness and just planning a few spooky cocktails, I have the perfect make-up look for you. I debuted this one at a recent Little Black Dress party. The dress is the Diana and the choker is this season’s New Look – it only cost £12.99 but it gives enough goth to be more than convincing, in my opinion. I only realised afterwards, but it reminds me of Bond girl Severine’s look in Skyfall (topical).

 Severine

Me!

Here’s how to get the make-up look – let’s call it ‘Gothic Glam’:

-Cleanse, tone, serum, moisturise (I love this Vichy range at the moment)

-Use a dewy, fresh foundation like Clarins Skin Illusion – my shade is Honey – all over

-If they get oily, prime your eyelids – like much of the UK population, I like Smashbox primers

-Sweep a warm mid-brown over the entire lid and define with a cooler, darker, more earthy tone. I used Mac eyeshadows in Cork and Brun

-Line your waterline with a black kohl pencil and use black liquid liner into and above the upper lashes

-Curl your lashes and apply lots of volumising black mascara (and lashes if you fancy)

-Define your eyebrows with something a shade or two darker than your natural shade – mine is Lingering by Mac

-Use a peachy/pink blusher to stop the look from looking too flat. I like Orgasm by Nars

-For the lips, I used Mac’s Film Noir, a deep chocolaty shade. If you know you will only wear this once a year (ahem) then maybe use a dark brown eyeliner over the whole lip and follow with a light gloss to stop your pout from getting too dry

-Finish by powdering away any shine from the T-zone

Voila – go and enjoy your Bloody Devil, you earned it…

Here's my face enjoying itself at the Little Black Dress party with mate Saz

And here it is, along with the rest of my body, with the lovely LBD girls