No. 7 High Shine Lip Gloss and swatch

Seeing as Boots/ No. 7 kept throwing vouchers at me recently, I decided to treat myself to some lip gloss. I’m more a fan of lipsticks really but I wanted to try something different. The No. 7 High Shine Lip Gloss stood out to me as there was a great range of colours on offer. This product costs £8.50 normally although with my £5 off voucher, it only cost me £3.50.

The lip gloss comes in a sleek looking bottle. It is made out of a hard plastic which means it can withstand quite a bit bashing about in a handbag. The bottom half of the tube is mostly clear plastic with the No. 7 logo printed on and the name of the product. The lid is black plastic and twists off to reveal a long handle which has the applicator at the end. The applicator is thick and comes out covered in lip gloss.

The applicator is fairly large and pointed slightly at the tips. I really like the applicator as it has a large enough part to cover the thicker parts of your lips but the pointed tips make it possible to use the applicator as a sort of lip liner.  With this, you are able to outline your lips in the gloss and then fill in the middles which gives a very even application.

This range from No. 7 has a total of 15 shades on offer and I bought Plum Blush, which is a mix between purple and a dark pink. This is very much like the colours of other lipsticks I have from both No. 7 and other make-up brands so I knew I was going to like the colour regardless. You can use this on top of lipsticks and on its own which gives great but different effects as it can make the colour look very different.

The No. 7 High Shine Lip Gloss claims to be collagen boosting, meaning it gives you thicker and fuller looking lips. I am quite happy to say that yes, it does do this. My lips are quite thin and after using this, they did look a lot fuller. This also claims to be moisturising but I haven’t felt the effect of this claim too much.

While this lip gloss looks great on, it doesn’t last very long. Unlike a lipstick, this doesn’t last through eating, drinking, smoking etc. It only took an hour or so for every bit of lip gloss to wear off on my lips and I don’t like having to reapply so often. If this product had lasted longer on my lips, I would have liked it a lot more. I will probably only use this when I know I only need it on for a short amount of time. 

Wetherspoons The Bell Hotel, Norwich

Due to being on a pretty tight budget at the minute, Wetherspoons is one of the first go to places when it comes to going out for lunch or dinner. The Bell Hotel in Norwich is a branch of Wetherspoons I hadn’t been to though until very recently. Although the boyfriend and I had spent the whole day shopping and spending quite a bit of money, we wanted to skimp on dinner and headed here.

The Bell Hotel is situated right in the middle of Norwich, close to all of the shops and shopping centres so it is easily accessible by foot or bus although as far as I could tell, there is nowhere to park. However, if you are coming into Norwich by train there is a different branch of Wetherspoons just around the corner from the station which would be a better and easier option.

Address

5 Orford Hill

Norwich

Norfolk

NR1 3QB

Contact

01603 630017

Staff and service

The staff at The Bell Hotel are by far the nicest I have come across in any Wetherspoons. Maybe this is Norfolk thing though as everyone here seems pretty damn friendly. When ordering our food and drinks at the bar, the staff member serving us was very friendly and helpful when it came to answering questions we had about our meal. I didn’t want any sauces on mine and as it doesn’t state anything about that on the menu, we were assured that there would be no sauces on the sausage but instead, there would be a pot of mustard on the side. We were also shown where the other sauces were should we want any.

Even though there were quite a few people in the pub at the time of our visit, our food only took 10 minutes to come out. The same guy who took our order brought our meals over to us, asked if we needed anything else and left us to enjoy our food. Something that I hate in restaurants is the waiting staff coming over within a couple of minutes of the food being brought over and asking if everything is ok. Here at The Bell Hotel, we were given a good amount of time before this happened and we were also asked in a wonderful, polite manner and then left to enjoy our food.

After finishing our meals, the table was cleared within a couple of minutes and again, we were asked if everything was ok with our food. Even though we were quite full at this point, we still wanted dessert. Again, we headed up to the bar, where there was no waiting time to be served and placed our order. Back at the table, I glanced over at the bar and could see the staff having good old chats with the customers placing their orders and those stood drinking at the bar. It was so nice to see bar staff having a genuinely good time at work and also making the customers feel so welcome.

I really think that the staff here are some of the best in any pub, let alone a Wetherspoons branch.

Food and Drink

As we were only here for dinner, we didn’t get to sample much from the drinks menu. However, like most Wetherspoons, The Bell Hotel offers a large range of drinks from soft drinks, Alco pops, cocktails and a whole load of spirits and beers. As pubs go, Wetherspoons is one of the best when it comes to value for money as they always have offers on and are very competitive with other chains.

When it comes to food, Wetherspoons pretty much offer everything you can think of. Open over breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu is pretty extensive and there really is something for everyone. If we normally go to a Wetherspoons to eat, both John and I usually opt for the burger and drink offer but this time, we wanted something different. The Bell Hotel has a fantastic range of food to offer a hungry customer. As well as the burger and drink offer, you could have a curry, salad, jacket potato, sandwich or a steak along with much more. Something I had never seen on a Wetherspoons menu before though was hot dogs, which is something I am quite picky about. I hate those thin, watery hot dogs which don’t really taste of much. Still, both John and I decided to give Wetherspoons’ hot dogs a try seeing as neither of us had ever had one before.

Like the burger deal, you can get a hot dog with chips and a drink for roughly £4 which is what I had. John opted for the gourmet hot dog which had added chilli and cheese and came with both chips and onion rings. The gourmet hot dog cost just over £5. With this offer, you can have a soft drink or choose from a list of alcoholic drinks such as a pint of lager or vodka and coke for a slightly larger price. As our meals were at such a good price, we weren’t really expecting much. However, when our meals were brought over to the table, we were both quite shocked.

The hot dogs were double the size of what we were expecting and they came in lovely, fresh baguette buns with a side of chips and were served on long, rectangular plates. My plain hot dog did indeed come plain with no sauce or anything but there was a side pot of mustard on the plate as well. John’s hot dog was absolutely loaded with chilli that had a generous dollop of cheese on the top. Both meals looked amazing and we couldn’t wait to tuck into them.

As hot dogs go, these were pretty great. Now, the best hot dog I have ever had was from a street vendor in Toronto and nothing has ever come close to that but this does now come in second place. The hot dog is made from pork and was steaming hot on arrival. The bun was soft on the inside with a slight crunch to the edges. The chips were very lovely and fluffy on the inside with a crispy outer layer and the two items went really well together. These hot dogs are also a very filling meal and are well worth the money.

When it comes to desserts, I always have chocolate fudge cake from any Wetherspoons which comes with ice cream and costs just over £3. John had an ice cream sundae which came with warm brownie chunks, Belgian chocolate sauce and cream. This also cost just over £3. It only took a couple of minutes for our desserts to come out which is probably the quickest service I have ever had in any branch of Wetherspoons. I don’t know why, but desserts always seem to take ages. My chocolate fudge cake was the same as always but it always tastes great to me. John’s ice cream sundae again, was much bigger than he was expecting it to be. This came in a large sundae glass, filled to about three quarters high with brownie chunks and ice cream while the top had a lot of whipped cream. I can honestly say that he thoroughly enjoyed his dessert as much as I did.

Overall

As branches of Wetherspoons go, this is one of the best I have been in. With a great food and drinks menu (which I know are pretty much the same everywhere), the friendly and welcoming staff really helped to make our visit so pleasant and because of that, this branch is one I would go back to any time I am in Norwich.

Ecotools Foundation Brush

While I have been really impressed with the foundation brush I have been using from Superdrug, I had to go to Boots for a new one as there was no other options close by at the time. To match the other brushes I bought that day, I got the Ecotools bamboo foundation brush. Like the others, this brush is made from eco-friendly materials which make it better for the environment than other make-up brushes. This particular brush costs £7.99.

The brush comes in a green, eco-friendly package which has a press button at the back to close it. The casing has a plastic front so you are able to see the brush inside and it also has on it the Ecotools logo and the fact that it is made from natural and recycled materials. The pouch is reusable which is a feature I like very much. Foundation brushes especially get clogged up with liquid easily and can get messy when carrying them around.  This packaging means I have somewhere to put my foundation brush when travelling without my make-up bag getting covered in foundation.

The brush itself comes with a handle made from smooth bamboo. Holding the handle is extremely comfortable and it fits well in my hand. The handle is also long enough so make sure you have enough leverage over the angles you can use it at and its ease of use. The long handle makes it possible to angle the brush so you can get right underneath your eyelashes and the corners of your eyes with ease. Above the handle is an aluminium piece which connects the handle to the brush part.

The bristles on the brush are extremely soft but this one is a little smaller than my other foundation brush. However, I like this size much more as it means I can get into smaller parts of my face easier. By using one side of the brush to apply the foundation and the other side to blend it in, this brush helps to create a flawless finish. Obviously, this part also means having a decent foundation too though.

To clean the brush, I tend to use shampoo as I like the bristles to be kept nice and soft. The brush does build up quickly with foundation so it will need cleaning every 1-2 weeks. I like to have a sink full of really hot water and shampoo then let it soak for a while before rubbing the bristles with some more shampoo to get the rest of the foundation out. It doesn’t take long to clean the brush properly but it is a bit of a pain when having to do it so often.

Overall though, this is a great foundation brush and a better one than I had before. 

Sleek i-divine Original Palette and swatches

I have been coveting a Sleek i-divine palette for quite some time now and I decided to treat myself as a finishing university present. I must have stood in Superdrug for ages trying to decide which one I wanted. After a lot of consideration, I decided to go with the Original Palette. Each Sleek i-divine palette can be bought from larger Superdrug stores or online and costs £7.99.

All Sleek palettes comes in (for lack of a better word) a very sleek looking black box. The box is rectangular in shape and has the Sleek logo imprinted into the top of the lid. It is made from a black plastic but is extremely smooth to the touch and both looks and feels nice to hold. Although the box is plain black, and should look quite boring, I don’t think it does at all. For me, the box looks more expensive than what the product cost and while there is nothing fancy or colourful to it, it is a nice box for eye shadows. Obviously, as a cheaper palette, you don’t get all the fancy add ons like you would with something from the big Urban Decay palettes but as this is going to sit in my handbag mostly, I am glad for the simple design.

As you flip the lid open, you can see the 12 wonderful colours of eye shadow, as well as a large mirror on the inside of the lid. In front of the eye shadows, there is a long compartment where a double ended applicator sits. The reason I chose the original palette because the range of colours in this palette were more every day colours compared to some of the others. I wanted something I could use a lot and something I could take on holiday with me later on in the year.

On the top layer (from right to left) you get black, purple, dark blue, light blue, a teal kind of colour and dark green.

On the bottom layer (from right to left) you get a soft gold, light pink, slightly darker pink, brown, copper and a dark olive colour.

The eye shadows are made from a pigment which means the colours not compact like other eye shadows. These come away quite easily once you put a brush or applicator to them. I have used the applicator provided but I prefer to use my own, softer brushes as they tend to give a smoother application. As these are pigmented eye shadows you do need to be careful when putting the brush to the colour. If you press too hard, the colour will break and you’ll end up with a messy box of powder on your hands.

When applying, it is best to start off with a little amount and to build up the desired colour. For instance, the purple could either end up as a soft lilac if you only use a small amount or it could also be a rich violet if you add a couple of layers of colour. I really like the diversity you get in just one palette and also the fact that the colours go really well together. This is a well thought out palette as you can use some of the colours as base colours while using some of the others as highlighters.

As these are pigmented eye shadows, it is highly advisable that you use some form of primer before applying them. Pigments are loose and by using a primer, it makes sure the powder sticks to the eyelid rather than it coming off over the course of the day. I use a Benefit primer underneath my eye shadow and this makes it last the whole day without any creasing whatsoever. Before buying this, I was very loyal to Urban Decay in regards to eye shadows but considering the price difference and colours available, I may now be a Sleek girl through and through.  

Derren Brown: Infamous Tour

This year for Valentine's Day (which I know was WAY back now), my wonderful boyfriend bought me tickets to see Derren Brown at the Norwich Theatre Royal. Although not a typically romantic gift I couldn't have been happier. I was dying to see his tour last year while it was in Nottingham where I was at university but it sold out so fast so I didn't get the chance. 

Derren Brown is one of those people that never fails to amaze me. He has done such a range of things from theatre shows to television specials and they are never the same. Before heading to see Infamous, I had no idea what to expect. It really could have been anything considering what his other theatre shows (which I saw on TV) have been like. My boyfriend hadn't really seen many of his shows so he was even less prepared for what we were about to see but we were both super excited. 

Now, I have to say I cannot say too much about the show, not specifically anyway. During the show, Derren asked everyone to not give away secrets, to not tell others what actually happens in the show either while talking to other people or reviewing the show. So, because of that, I have to respect his wishes and I certainly wouldn't want to ruin any surprises for others who are planning to see it later during the tour. 

However, what I can say is that my mind was completely blown. Even though I didn't know what to expect in the first place, I was still in shock at what Derren managed to achieve during his show. While watching things on television of his, I always sit there and think if I was there in person, I would be able to figure some things out. That was not the case though. For the most part, apart from things that were actually explained, I was completely baffled and there is no way in hell I will ever figure out what that man does or how he does it. 

Not only is the show spectacular in the ways of what is done, Derren is also such a great showman. Audience participation is needed throughout the show and in this one, it was more than normal I would say. I loved seeing people a row in front or behind, or a few seats away, get picked at random even if I was really jealous that it hadn't been me. Real people get to be involved in a Derren Brown show and I cannot think what those people must have been feeling like after the show itself as they were a big part of it. 

Having seen a range of things at the theatre, from ballet, opera and musicals, Derren Brown is by far my favourite. I really doubt that I will ever see anything amazing as one of his shows, unless it is whatever he does next. I cannot recommend seeing Derren Brown enough. 

Asda George Stud Embellished Blouse

As I have had to buy this year’s summer wardrobe on a budget, the first place I headed to was Asda. I think George do some fantastic clothes and at great prices too and there is always a lot of choice. I ended up buying quite a bit but one item was the Asda George Stud Embellished Blouse. This one comes from the Moda range.

The blouse is made from sheer material (100% polyester), which makes it perfect for summer. Although the blouse is quite see-through, I wear a top underneath to stop my bra being on show. The material is very soft and it fits quite loosely. I really like how the top fits because it is not too tight anywhere. I don’t like anything that fits skin tight so for me, this is a really flattering and comfortable blouse.

The colours of this top are quite different for me as I tend to stick to darker colours even in the hotter months. Made up of tan, peach and black, this blouse has both a striped and spotted design. While this sounds like it could be too busy looking, it isn’t. The lines are bigger towards the bottom of the blouse while there are more spots towards the top. I think this kind of design puts the attention in the right places while making the body look longer and slimmer towards the bottom.

The blouse also has a studded button detail on the front which stops just below the bust line. Although I have generally worn this so far with the buttons being completely done up, I think it would be great to have them open once the weather gets warmer. This will make it possible to make the blouse even cooler when it does get hot. To match the studded buttons in the front, there are also 9 of the same on each shoulder which is a lovely detail.

Costing only £12, this is a fantastic piece for summer and it has quickly become one of my favourite tops. It is comfortable and can be worn both dressed up or down, depending on what else you wear it with.

You can find this top at: http://direct.asda.com/george/womens-shirts-blouses/stud-embellished-blouse/G004295686,default,pd.html

Boots No. 7 Moisture Drench Lipstick

A while ago, I used to wear lipstick all the time. After the majority of them running out/ me being too tired to care due to work and uni, I stopped wearing lipstick for a while. Now that I have finished university and am looking for a new job, I thought it was about time I put more effort into my appearance like I used to. No. 7 is one of those brands that I know have a fantastic reputation so it was where I headed to buy myself a new lipstick. What I bought was the Boots No. 7 Moisture Drench Lipstick. This lipstick costs £9.50. I chose Romantic Berry as plums/ dark pinks suit me the most.

No. 7 claim that the ‘No7 Moisture Drench Lipstick now has a new and improved formula that nourishes your lips, making it our most moisturising lipstick. It keeps them smooth, soft and full with colour.’

The lipstick comes in a sleek, black plastic tube. The No. 7 logo is carved into the tube revealing a metallic silver colour which contrasts nicely with the black. The tube is extremely plain, with the colour of the lipstick on the underneath along with it stating that this lipstick is SPF 15. Although the lipstick packaging is quite basic, it still looks really nice, especially if you have more than one of these products.

This lipstick applies really well. I don’t use a lip liner and as I bought a semi-dark colour, I was a little worried about it bleeding. However, the lipstick glides on with ease and by using the pointed part of the lipstick, I found that a lip liner was not needed anyway. Not only does this glide on easily, coverage is very even and smooth. Some lipsticks can end up looking darker in places but this one has a very even colour all over which is nice.

While this is not said to be a long lasting lipstick, I find it lasts a good few hours and that’s without using anything like lipcote on the top. I smoke and drink quite a lot throughout the day and this lipstick lasts really well though all of that. On a long day at work, this has lasted me a good 3-4 hours before I needed to reapply. Even then, there were still hints of colour and it just looked a little faded by this point.

This lipstick now stays with me all the time in my handbag and I wear it daily. I’ll definitely be trying more colours from this range at some point.