Restaurant Review: Bryon

Hi honeybunches!

Today I thought I’d do something I’ve never done on my blog… write a review on a restaurant I’ve been to! The restaurant I’m going to be writing about is Byron and I’ve eaten there a total of 5 times now!

The décor of the restaurant always reminds me a bit of an American diner and you can often see from where you’re sitting the chefs cooking the food. In one Byron restaurant we ate at they had pictures of the Byron family and my dad and his finds were in fits of laughter googling them.

Byron is a burger restaurant which does proper hamburgers. When you order your burger you can choose how well cooked you want your burger (I always go for well done as I like my meat to be properly cooked). Byron even does veggie burgers! Depending on the season, they always have a “special burger” which is exclusive to that season (Byron’s current special is the B and A). However they don’t just do burgers, they also do salads and you can have burgers without a bun (AKA a skinny burger). As well as the mains there is also a good selection of sides to choose from.

Every time I’ve been to Byron, I’ve never been disappointed as the food there is always well cooked, tasty and the staff are always really friendly, for example the first time we ate at Byron was when there were 16 of us and we couldn’t fit in the first restaurant so the staff found us a sister restaurant which could seat us all.

Whenever me and my family go to Byron we always order nachos to start, which have sour cream, salsa and guacamole on them and we always enjoy them (my favourite is the sour cream dip, as I love sour cream and nachos!). They don’t just do nachos for starters, they also do buffalo chicken wings and olives. The last time me and my family ate at Byron we also ordered buffalo chicken wings for starters . They had a bit of heat to them but were very tasty to eat!

For the main I always the classic burger (AKA your typical hamburger) and a side of French fries. Whilst the burger I have is fairly simple it is always well cooked and tastes delicious. 

In fact me and my family enjoy eating at Byron so much, my brother received a Byron cookbook for his birthday and he has started to cook meals from the book.

If you are ever wanting to eat at a burger restaurant, I would recommend Byron to you! Have you ever eaten at Byron before?

Review: Benefit Roller Lash mascara

Hello lovelies!

For ages Benefit’s cult mascara was the famous “They’re Real” Mascara, until a year ago when Benefit introduced the Roller Lash Mascara. The Roller Lash Mascara then became Benefit’s newest cult mascara and there was so much hype surrounding this product!

The other day I was in Boots and I picked up a mini version of this mascara for about £10 and I was really excited to try this mascara out, as I’ve wanted it for ages. Here’s my review on the mascara!

Information:

According to Benefit, this mascara is inspired by hair rollers, even the lid of the mascara looks a bit like a hair roller! This mascara is supposed to have the same curling effect on your eyelashes that hair rollers have on your hair.

The wand itself is a “Hook and Roll” wand which is designed lift and curl the lashes as the product is applied, giving your eyes a dramatic and eye opening look.

The Roller Lash mascara is made from B5 and serin, which are supposed to be great for conditioning your lashes.

My thoughts:

Firstly, I loved the packaging of this product as it looked really classy. The packaging is made out of pink cardboard with the text in black, there is even silver sparkles down one side of the packaging!

As soon as I applied the mascara I fell in love with this product. I only need to apply a little bit and it instantly gives my lashes lots of length and volume. I definitely noticed how much more uplifted and curled my eyelashes had become once put the mascara on

The wand is flexible which makes it easier to apply the mascara. Whilst this has a fairly wet formula, it doesn’t smudge and best of all it leaves your lashes free from clumps! This also helped making the mascara really easy to apply.

I loved the overall finish the mascara gave my lashes as they looked so much longer and gave me that “wide eyed” look.

If you are looking for a new mascara I would definitely recommend this mascara to you (it’s now one of my favourite mascaras!) Have you tried the Roller Lash mascara, what are your thoughts on this product?

A day out: Thorpe Perrow

Hi!

I hope you all had a brilliant weekend. Yesterday me and my family went on a day out and we went to Thorpe Perrow Arboretum, so I thought I would tell you all about it!

Thorpe Perrow Arboretum

Thorpe Perrow Arboretum is located in the south of Bedale, not far from Ripon (for those of you who don’t know where that is, it’s in the Yorkshire Moors) and it’s a bird of prey and mammal centre! We last visited Thorpe Perrow a few years ago and I really enjoyed visiting here.

Thorpe Perrow has all kinds of different birds and mammals such as: meerkats, wallabies, ferrets, hawks, falcons and owls. They even have some unusable birds such as a pair of kookaburras and a cara cara bird.

Although we didn’t do it this time round, Thorpe Perrow hold flying demonstrations at 1:30pm and 3:30pm. Last time I was lucky enough to take part and I got to hold a lesser buzzard! They also do a “Meet the Owls” at 11:30am where they tell you all about the different owls they have there.

My favourite part of Thorpe Perrow is the mammal section as they have my all-time favourite animal, MEERKATS! I’ve always loved meerkats ever since I was obsessed with Meerkat Manor back in Year 9 (Yes, I was such a nerd!). This time I spotted 5 meerkats and I spent a good 5 minutes watching them and taking lots of photo’s. 

Another mammal I really like are wallabies and I’ve loved them ever since I was little. Thorpe Perrow has a section called Wallaby Woods, were you can see all the wallabies. It was quite a warm day when we went, so they were all tucked up in the shade. 

As well as the bird and mammal centre, Thorpe Perrow also has the gardens (100 acres!), which is basically a woodland walk. It’s very scenic and picturesque!

If you want a day out I would definitely recommend Thorpe Perrow to you, especially if you love birds of prey and mammals!

3 books that accurately represent mental health

Hola!

Mental health is so important in today’s society, yet it still remains a taboo subject. It certainly isn’t helped when the media inaccurately portray mental health issues, leading to stigma and stereotypes for those who do suffer from mental health problems.
However, mental health is slowly becoming more recognised and slowly the media is starting to accurately portray mental health. With being a bookworm I have discovered 3 books which accurately show what it’s like for people to suffer from mental health issues.

Finding Audrey- Sophie Kinsella

Plot: Audrey, a teenage girl, suffers from Social Anxiety Disorder and, as a result, she won’t leave her house. She soon meets Linus, her brother’s friend, and as they become friends, Audrey starts to feel like she can do things again.

This was the first book I read that I thought did a really good job of showing what it’s like living with a mental health issue. Through Audrey we see what it’s like for someone to suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder and how it can affect their lives on a daily basis. This book also shows what the journey of recovery is like for someone who is battling a mental health problem. Overall I really enjoyed this book and its definitely worth the read.

It’s kind of a funny story- Ned Vizzini

Plot: Craig gets into his dream high school but the pressure soon becomes too much for him and ends up nearly killing himself. He ends up in a psychiatric hospital where we meet his new neighbours, who are all trying to overcome their mental health problems. Craig eventually learns to control the sources of his anxiety.

For me, there is so much stigma and negativity surrounded by those who have to go to a mental hospital. I like how this book truthfully shows what it’s like to be a patient at a mental hospital. Also this book shows what that the other patients in the hospital are just people, with their own lives, issues and back stories as too often we only think of a patient at a mental health hospital in terms of their illness rather than them as a person. Whilst the book does deal with a sensitive topic, it is enjoyable and I found it funny in places.

All the bright places- Jennifer Niven

Plot: Finch is battling depression and is having suicidal thoughts, Violet is struggling to get over her sister’s death. Finch and Violet meet for the first time on the ledge of the school bell tower and end up working together on a school project. It’s through this that Finch helps Violet to overcome her grief even though his struggle with his own mental health is getting worse.

Firstly I thought the book was beautifully written and I like how it’s split into Finch’s and Violet’s version of the story. This book deals with mental health problems such as grief, depression and suicide. The book does a very good job of showing what it’s like for someone to be dealing with grief. It also has a realistic representation of what it’s like for someone to be having suicidal thoughts and what it’s like to lose someone through suicide.

Not only do all this books accurately represent mental health but they also have really good plots as well, I recommend you give these books a read. Are there any books you think represent mental health accurately?

Recent lipstick purchases

Hello lovelies!

6 months ago, I barley owned any lipsticks. However over the months my lipstick collection has slowly grown and I’m now happy with my lipstick collection.

Looking for lipsticks can be “trial and error” as there are so many to choose from. However after reading reviews and thinking what would suit my skin tone, here’s what I’ve been purchasing.

MUA Matte lipstick- Fawn Fancy

This only cost me £1! For its price tag it’s definitely worth purchasing. It’s one of my favourite lipsticks that I own. I’ve been looking for a nude lipstick, that would suit me, for a while now and this one is perfect. This lipstick highly pigmented and with being matte, it lasts for a good few hours, however it doesn’t dry out your lips.

MUA- Shade 11

Again this lipstick only cost me £1 and it was another shade I was eager to get hold of. This shade is a lighter nude compared to Fawn Fancy. Whilst it’s not matte and isn’t as pigmented as Fawn Fancy, it’s really easy to apply and it gives your lips a lovely shine. For someone who suffers with dry lips, I found this lipstick really moisturising. The only thing I would say is if you wanted to make your lips pop with colour, you would have to build the colour.

Essence- BFF

After reading a review BFF I was curious to try it out, plus I loved the colour of the lipstick. BFF is part Essence’s “Sheer and Shine” lipstick range. This was another lipstick I found really easy to apply and it made my lips feel really soft. However this was the most disappointing as when applied to my lips the colour barley showed and I don’t think it the colour would last long. Having said that, I’m willing to give it another go and I’ll try building up the colour to see if that makes a difference.

Essence Velvet Matte- Shade 23

When Essence released their velvet matte range I instantly fell in love with this shade and I was eager to purchase this lipstick. I’m really happy I eventually got to pick this lippy up as it certainly didn’t disappoint me. This lipstick is nicely pigmented as whilst it’s a pink nude, it suits me really well. I loved this lipstick so much that I ended up wearing it to my 6th form prom.

Revlon Lip Butter- Sweet Tart

Whilst I’ve previously only owned 1 lip butter (peach parfait), I love the Revlon lip butters. When I was looking through a cheap make up stall I came across this shade (It’s not sold in stores, but I’m sure if you look on stalls and beauty outlets, you’ll come across it). The reason I love these lip butters is that they are highly pigmented, very easy to apply and keep my lips moisturised. Sweet Tart is a brilliant shade as it gives my lips a pop of pink.

Rimmel- Berry Rose

Like Sweet Tart, this is another lipstick I picked up from the cheap makeup stall. This lipstick is part of Revlon’s Moisture Renew range. Berry rose is a lovely plum shade and I adore plum shaded lipsticks as they really suit my skin tone. I found this lipstick to be pigmented and it gave my lips a burst of colour. The formula of the lipstick is lightweight, making it really easy to apply and gives your lips a lovely sheen.

Rimmel Kate Moss- Shade 107

I really wanted a red lipstick and when I heard this one was great for us pal gals, I purchased it. This lipstick is a lovely wine red colour which is very pigmented, when I want to wear a bold lipstick, this is the one I instantly reach for. Whilst it’s a bold lipstick is it perfect for people with a pale complexion as it suits the skin tone. With it being a very bold colour and being highly pigmented, the colour lasts for ages.

Maybe next time you’re out make up shopping you might be tempted to pick up these lipsticks. What are your favourite lipsticks?

Review: I love cosmetics bath/shower gel

Hello everyone!
               Today I want to share with you a review.

*This is not a sponsored post, I purchased the product with my own money*

I love cosmetics raspberry ripple bath/shower gel

I was really excited when Superdrug introduced a new range of I love cosmetics products. Besides the usual bubble baths and body butters they've now even introduced bath fizzers!

Anyway I choose the raspberry ripple one as I love the smell of raspberries and anything pink.

My first initial thought was I like the simple yet cute packing on the bottle. The shower/bath gel itself is a lovely pink colour and smells like raspberry ice cream! (I was really excited to use it as a bubble bath as it would feel like I was bathing in ice cream)

However for a bubble bath I was really disappointed with it. You have to use loads to get a decent amount of bubbles (I like really bubbly baths) and the bubbles begin to disappear after a short while. I felt this really let the product down, especially as it smells so lovely. I've also used other bath/shower gels by the same brand and they've produced plenty of bubbles.

I haven't used it as a shower gel but one day I will and hopefully it will create a nice lather and smell just as good.

Rating: 5/10

Have you used any I love cosmetic products? What are your opinions on them?

My favourite TV shows

Hello everyone!
               It's been rather cold and rainy where I live, however this afternoon we had sunshine and it was warmer for once.

Today I thought I would share with you my favourite TV shows (after reading this post it might tempt you to watch them!)

Sailor Moon

I first starting watching Sailor Moon a few years ago and I'm currently up to Season 4, it's also the only anime TV Show I've ever watched. Sailor Moon is also "Neo Queen Serenity" and she and her friends (the other sailor scouts) fight evil on planet Earth to protect the future and obviously Earth. I got into Sailor moon after reading a couple of the manga books and I loved the TV version (although there are a few differences). There are lots of cliff hangers, interesting plots and incredible plot twists! There is even a new series out called Sailor Moon Crystal.

Switched at Birth

I first saw my mum watching Switched at Birth and it looked really interesting so I decided to watch it for myself and I instantly loved the the programme. It's about 2 girls who were switched at birth (daphne/bay), Daphne is deaf and comes from a poor background and Bay lives with a rich family. Not only did the programme have so much drama which kept me entertained but I also learnt so much about deaf people/ the deaf community and it was very eye opening (it inspired me to take up Makaton after school). I spent my summer watching Switched at Birth and I'm so sad because Season 5 came out in America but it hasn't been aired in the UK yet *SOBS*.

Pretty Little Liars

Firstly I apologize as I'm very behind on the PLL bandwagon (I'm only halfway through Season 2 as I don't have Netflix so I watch PLL on DVD). I love PLL as there are so many mysteries and clues that I'm desperate to be revealed/find out about. I also love all the relationships the characters have with each other and the more series I watch the more interesting it gets.

Jonathan Creek

I first started watching Jonathan Creek a few months ago with my parents and I've been hooked ever since. Jonathan Creek is a kooky detective who solves what seem to be impossible mysteries (or as he would say "implausible but not impossible"). My favourite part is where he reveals the mystery and how he solved out. However I must admit I'm sad with Jonathan Creek as he companion (the girl in the picture AKA Maddie) is no longer in the show and he has a new companion now.

Do you watch any of these shows? What are your favourite TV shows?

Current Beauty Favourites

Hello!
      Over the past couple of months I have been trying out some new beauty products and they have slowly become some of my beauty favourites. 

Here are my current beauty product favourites and why I like them so much

Current Beauty Favourites

L'Oreal Conditioning Protect Spray

Many of you will be aware that I recently dyed my hair ginger, so I was looking out for hair products that would maintain the colour and keep my hair looking healthy. I received this as a "secret santa" (AKA my mum) and i love this spray! You can use it in between washing your hair or just after you've washed your hair, personally I use it every other day and use it before I go to bed. It is literally conditioner in a spray form! It's does a fab job of leaving my hair feeling conditioned and prevented the colour from fading. If you have coloured hair, I recommend using this!

Nivea Double Effect Eye Make Up Remover

As much as I love my Clinique make up remover, it really stings when taking off eye make up. My friend recommended using the Nivea make up remover and I was eager to try it out. I'm glad I bought this as it didn't disappoint me. The thing I like most is it's very gentle and doesn't sting at all when removing my eye makeup. It also does a great job of removing all my make up in just a couple of seconds. I will definitely be repurchasing this! 

Carmex Lip Balm

Carmex is my most trusted lip balm. Some lip balms dry my lips out and make my lips even more chapped. However whenever I have dry/ chapped lips, Carmex soothes my lips, helps them to feel moisturized and doesn't dry my lips out. If you've had the same problem as my, why not try using Carmex.

Well those are my current beauty favourites, what are yours?

❤April Favourites❤

Hello everyone!
               Wow its the 1st of May already which means it's 10 days til my exams (ahhh :( ) and 21 days until they are all over ( YAY :) ). 

I know this post is a day late but here are my april favourites

Carex Strawberry Laces Hand Wash

This is one of my favourite hand washes, mainly because its pink. This hand wash smells amazing and it lasts as well. Also it lathers really easy and leaves my hands feeling soft afterwards. I'm definitely going to buy some more when I run out.

Strawberry Cupcake Hand Cream

I saw this hand cream being introduced in Superdrug so I decided to pick on up and see if it was any good (I also managed to buy it at the introductory price as well). The packaging is really cute and pretty. The actual hand cream has a really sweet smell and does a great job of moisturizing my hands. They feel really soft and smell lovely.

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush
Body Scrub

I got this in the big Soap and Glory gift set for Christmas. This has a sharp fruity smell to it (which reminds me of lemonade floats). This does a great job of exfoliating my body and I've been really pleased with the results so far.

Dove Gradual Tanner

I used a gradual tanner last year and it went patchy and gave me orange hands (yes I accidentally forgot to wash them after apply). However I wanted to give it another go as I have very pale skin so I picked up this one. In just a few days it gave me a tan that looked great and natural at the same time without going patchy. I apply it evenly on my body just after a bath or a shower.

Aussie- Shampoo and Conditioner

I'm on a misson to find the perfect shampoo and conditioner and after hearing many great reviews about these two I decided to pick up some mini ones to test. These have made a massive difference to my hair. My hair feels much more softer and silkier and it also smells fabulous. I loved these I actually bought the big bottles as well.

Well those are my April favourites.

❤March Favourites❤

Hello!
      Its the last day of March and the weather is being very temperamental where I live. One minute it's sunny and the next its pouring with rain. 

Anyway here are my monthly favourites, for this month

Clinique- Take the day off
cleansing milk

This is one of the best make-up removers I have used. Its a cleansing milk which means its not harsh but gently removes make-up. You apply to your face, leave for a few minutes and then wash off. Also this make-up remover stops your skin from drying it, an added bonus.

Bourjois- Smokey eyes
eyeshadow palette 

Recently I have changed how I do my eye make-up so I started using this. I use the bronze coloured eye shadow (top left) which makes my eyes stand out and gives a glow to them.

Superdrug- Strawberry and
Raspberry shower gel

This shower gel smells just like sweets and its pink! It lathers very quickly and leaves your skin feeling clean without feeling dried out. Its strong smelling (in a good way) which means you can still smell it on your skin afterwards.

Soap and Glory- Hand Cream

My hands have been quite dry lately and this has done a super job of moisturizing them. Its smells really nice as well.

Well those are my monthly favourite products