#nyLDNmeet

Last Saturday, I made my way to a blogger event in London, otherwise known as #nyLDNmeet . As the event was due to begin at 1pm and I live some distance away, I was up bright and early, and got myself onto the first train so that I'd arrive in the capital with plenty of time to spare. Whenever I go to London, I always like to have a bit of a browse in the shops, and on this occasion, it seemed to be inkeeping with the theme of the day.

While some people hate travelling by train, I personally quite enjoy it, as it means that I get a bit of me-time in which to read, listen to music and just generally chill out. Thankfully, the other passengers were all fairly considerate on the journey up, so I was quite happy to sit back and watch the world go by. There was Twitter talk of snow in London, so when I passed through Reading and caught site of a covering of white, I began to worry somewhat about my choice of high-heeled footwear.

The train arrived in London at around 11.30am, and top of my agenda was a quick trip to Liberty. I took the tube as far as Oxford Circus, and from there it was simply a case of popping across the road. I had a few items on my mental shopping list, but wasn't intending to buy much as I'm currently doing my best to save the pennies, so when I approached the Nars counter and they didn't have the palette I'd had my eye on, I was - in some ways - a little relieved. I'd also been intending to pick up the Creamy Concealer, but as my shade was out of stock, I gave it a miss, deciding instead to replenish my stock of the infamous Eye Primer.

After a quick scan for the Charlotte Tilbury counter, I was told that I'd need to go to Selfridges, so I picked up a bottle of Pixi Glow Tonic, before heading out and back up Oxford Street in search of the department store.

Although it wasn't snowing, the weather definitely wasn't on my side, as it was raining heavily all the way. For a moment, I was relieved to have brought my umbrella, but it wasn't long before I realised it was actually broken. I did my best to keep under the shelter as I hurried along, and managed to get away virtually unscathed before taking shelter inside Selfridges.

It was with more of a browse in mind that I headed for the Charlotte Tilbury counter, but when I asked if I could try out one of the eyeshadow quads, I found myself being swept into a chair for a full-on makeover. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy about this, as it meant that I got to try out a full face of Charlotte Tilbury makeup from start to finish, but I was a little bit pressed for time so had my fingers crossed that it wouldn't take too long. Luckily, it didn't, but seeing all of the products in action had me hankering to whip out my bank card and pick up a few pieces, so I ended up treating myself to the Golden Goddess Luxury Palette, Filmstar Killer Cheekbones and the Rock 'n' Roll Barbarella Brown Iconic Liquid Eye Pencil. Oops.

After my makeover, I rushed to the event, Citymapper acting as my guide the whole way. It wasn't far, but unfortunately for me, the rain was now even heavier, and by the time I arrived I was soaked through, boots included. Feeling a little bit flustered and desperate to get to the bathroom and sort out my hair, I made my way into the venue - a little Soho cocktail bar called Bittersweet. The event was already packed, and I got talking to a few bloggers I hadn't met before on my way in.

There were lots of activities already underway, with the lovely Henna (by name and profession) doing some amazing henna designs and the guys from Fordham Soho on hand to sort out everyone's hair. Moo Goo, an Australian skincare brand that provides natural and safe products for people with skin and scalp problems, were also around, introducing everyone to their range and to their brand new Dusty Girls mineral makeup line. Personally, I'm a huge fan of natural and organic skincare and do my best to avoid unnecessary additives wherever possible, so I'm really looking forward to trying out the samples I received - I will, of course, update you on how I get on.

Another highlight of the event was the cocktail making, and after missing the announcement for our slot, Laura and I found ourselves waiting at the bar, eager to get in on the action. It was the first time we had met, though we had been chatting on Twitter prior to the event, and were pleased to find that we were both equally as short as each other. Why? Because it's not often you come across someone else who just about makes 5ft, and while at my age I'm no longer bothered by my inheritance of the short gene, it was great to meet someone who shares the same shopping and photo dilemmas!

After chatting over some cocktails at the bar, we finally got the chance to make our own, so we snapped and laughed our way through a recipe that consisted of gin, cucumber, sugar syrup and prosecco. At some point, Philippa came to the bar to buy a drink, and though we had never met she was happy to play paparazzi as we brandished our cocktail shakers and pretended we knew exactly what we were doing. I didn't catch her name, but the lovely lady who gave us our lesson was brilliantly patient and accommodating, so a big thanks goes to her and all at Bittersweet.

Another highlight of the event was finally getting to catch up with Lola and Behold's Laura, who I have known via Twitter for the past few years but have never quite had the chance to meet in person. I had never realised that Laura was just as small as we were, so once again, we pleased to be able to exchange notes on living the short life!

Towards the end of the event, Lauren, Tamsyn and Amy held a charity raffle, in which a number of generous prizes were given out, although sadly, I wasn't one of the winners! By that time, it was gone 4pm and the end of the event was upon us, so we headed across the road to Byron for some gourmet burgers. Though there were over sixty bloggers at the event, many had to leave to begin the journey home, but there were around ten of us at the restaurant where we enjoyed a much needed meal after the cocktails that had been sunk earlier in the day. I had a chilli burger and courgette fries, which were a great novelty - I have long been replacing chips with the likes of sweet potato, so this is another lighter alternative I'll be trying at home.

After the meal, we took a few photos and caught up with some of the other bloggers we hadn't managed to speak to, and then the two Lauras and I had a wander round the Oxford Street shops again before it was time for all of us to say our goodbyes and head home.

I'd like to say a huge thanks to Lauren, Tamsyn and Amy for organising the event and for all of the hard work that went into it. I know they were feeling a little bit flustered on the day due to one or two things not going according to plan, but I want them to know that nobody noticed a thing and that we all had a fabulous time. Thanks girls - very much looking forward to the next event.

Also, a great big thank you goes out to all of the brands involved, and for their generosity in contributing to the raffle prizes and the amazing goodie bags we were each lucky enough to walk away with. Keep an eye out for some product reviews, coming very soon!

If you didn't make the event this time around then make sure that you're following @LDNmeet on Twitter - there are more meets in the pipeline, so I'm told, so stay updated - I'd love to meet some more of you next time.

Lauren - Blonde Vision
Tamsyn - Peach Pow
Amy - Beauty Glamorous

Laura - Loved by Laura
Laura - Lola and Behold
Philippa - It's just Philippa

xx

A Long Weekend in London, Part 2

If you read the post entitled A Long Weekend in London, Part 1, then this one won't seem quite so out of leftville as if you haven't, but I'll fill in the blanks for you nonetheless.

A couple of weekends ago, the husband and I decided to head up to London for a long weekend, as not only do three of my best friends live up there, but it was also our wedding anniversary. If you're interested in what I got up to in the first two days, then please do head over and read the first installment, which went up last Tuesday, but today's post is to round off proceedings with a quick run-down of our final day and night.

Monday was our anniversary itself, so we got up bright and early, wanting to make the most of the day. After several cocktails and a fairly late night the evening before, we would have been forgiven for feeling a little bit hungover, but somehow, we had both managed to avoid that fate, and were raring to get out and about as soon as we could. The weather was still bitterly cold, so we wrapped up warm and headed out in the direction of Patisserie Valerie for a spot of breakfast. I had already looked it up on Citymapper and established that there was a branch fairly nearby, and after a quick stroll in the sunshine, we found ourselves outside.

Breakfast, at the weekends or on holiday, is my absolute favourite meal of the day, and I eagerly went ahead and ordered my favourite - Eggs Royale, to be washed down with a pot of English Breakfast tea. The husband plumped for the Full English, and as we waited for the food to arrive, we chatted about our plans for the rest of the day. 

The food arrived quickly, and certainly didn't disappoint. Mine was served on brioche instead of the usual English muffin, and suffice to say, I'm an absolute convert! All Eggs Royale should be served like this from now on, and I'll be very disappointed if it isn't. We ate quickly, enjoying every bite, and treated ourselves to a slice of lemon cheesecake to share. Granted, it wasn't quite lunchtime, but if you've ever visited Patisserie Valerie yourselves then you'll know how impossible it is to resist. That, coupled with the fact that it was a special occasion, somehow made it an acceptable choice, and a delicious one, at that.

Once we were suitably fed and watered, we paid the bill and headed outside, meandering through Queensway in the direction of Kensington Gardens. It was a beautiful day for a stroll, and as we were heading towards Kensington anyway, it would have been rude not to go via the park. There were ducks, geese and other birds all over the grass, and given the proximity to some royal digs, the obligatory swan sunning itself on the lake. Rather than cutting straight across the gardens, we decided to have a little bit of a nose at Kensington Palace itself, though we didn't go in, content to observe from the outside. The squirrels were remarkably tame, and we were surprised to see how close they would edge to the people around them, in hope of a few crumbs. We even saw one that was so unafraid, it was taking pieces of cracker from a woman's hand and casually perching to eat them nearby. Incredible!

After we were done with the gardens, we went for a long walk, via Knightsbridge, until we arrived at the Science Museum. We spent a couple of hours wandering round inside, as though I had been before some years ago, my husband never had. One of the things I really love about London is the sheer number of cultural and educational activities you have right on your doorstep, but better than that, the fact that many of them are absolutely free to partake in.

By the time we left the museum, it must have been nearly four, and conscious that we had a special meal booked for early that evening and that we'd need to get ready, we decided to take the tube back to Bayswater. Before returning to the hotel, we stopped off for a drink or two in a pub along the way, and were astonished to find that drinks were half the price than anywhere else we'd been! I wish I had taken note of the name, as although it was a little bit tired looking, it's places like this that can make expensive weekends away that little bit more doable. I'm going to try to find out, and if I do, I'll be sure to share it with you.

A couple of games of pool later, we were still in the pub, and it soon became apparent that we wouldn't have time to go back and change before our meal. Instead, we decided to make the most of the situation and have another drink, before getting the tube to Piccadilly and making our way to the restaurant. We were lucky enough to be going to Gaucho, an upmarket Argentinian steak house, after a work colleague had very kindly donated me a £50 voucher he had been given, and as soon as we arrived, we wished we had found the time to go back to the hotel and spruce ourselves up a bit. Usually, we'd never go out for a meal without making the effort, so we felt a bit silly to have made such a faux pas on this occasion!

While we were studying the menu, a waitress appeared with a board bearing several cuts of raw meat, and proceeded to explain each one to us in a bid to help us in making our selection. In the end, we both opted for rare sirloin steaks, with sides of roasted field mushrooms and baked sweet potatoes.

The steaks on their own were around the £25 mark each, with side dishes charged at £5 each and drinks costing around a tenner, so it certainly isn't a cheap option, but given that we had our voucher in hand, we were fairly relaxed in treating ourselves.

The steaks were superb - there's no other word for them. I'm not the hugest fan of red meat, and it's very rare that I select it when given the choice, but having tried steak Gaucho style, I'm absolutely a convert. Yes, they're expensive, but you definitely get what you pay for. The restaurant itself looks impeccable, and the service was outstanding - I've never had better.

We were keen to enjoy the evening after our meal, but were conscious that we had a long coach journey home the next morning. I'm not sure whether I mentioned this before, but while travelling by bus takes a fair while longer than train, it's also a great deal cheaper. I doubt this is news to the majority of you, but for anyone wondering, you're looking at £30 return versus £95 on the train. Given the choice, I'd go for the train every time, as it gets you there in 3hrs 40 rather than the five and a half on the coach, but when you're paying for two it does tend to bump the cost of a weekend away up much further than I'd like. So, on this occasion, we went for the cheaper option.

As we were nearby, we made our way to Soho, which is only a short walk from Piccadilly on foot. Our luck was in, as we managed to find a couple of bars - including Gem - which had half price cocktails on offer, so we sipped our way through a couple each before admitting defeat and getting the last tube back to the hotel.

All in all, we had a fantastic weekend, and definitely squeezed the most out of it we could. A long weekend in London is never enough though, and I'm certain we will be back for more, very soon indeed.

You might have noticed that I haven't included any evening photos here, which is largely down to the fact that I didn't want to carry my good camera around at night, so I'll be popping up a few of my Instagram and phone photos over the weekend of anything you haven't seen yet.

What are your favourite things to do in London?

XX

A Long Weekend in London: Part 1

It's always a pleasure visiting London, but each and every time I do, I have a list of things I'd like to see, do and eat that is as long as my arm - if not longer. It's one of those places that is permanently buzzing with activity and newness, and I suspect that even for those who live there, it's difficult to keep up. There are the pop up shops and the new restaurants, and then there are the up-and-coming areas that two years ago, no one would have set fut in. It's forever changing and evolving, and that's just one of the many reasons I love it.

Last weekend, we headed up for a long weekend, the first night of which was to be spent staying with friends. Upon our arrival into London, we headed straight for their place, and after a good catch up and plenty of tea, we decided to take a trip down to London fields and Broadway market. This was a first for me, and in spite of the biting chill in the air it was a joy to walk the narrow streets, taking in the sights, sounds and smells. There was vintage clothing and home-cooked food, and it was tempting to empty my purse right there and then. After a meander down to the end of the market, stopping to browse the stalls and sample homemade veggie scotch eggs and oysters, we ducked into a nearby pub for a glass of prosecco and the hance to warm ourselves up. There was a one man band putting on a fantastic show on his double bass, and despite the fact that it was still only around 3pm, most people were entirely on board, drinking, dancing and having fun.

After a while, we decided to head back to the flat and prepare ourselves for the night ahead, and it was there that I was met my the best of surprises - another of my friends was visiting from Manchester, and they had all kept it under wraps just to see the look on my face. It's very rare that we all get to see each other, so suffice to say, it must have been a good one.

That evening, we went for tapas in Stoke Newington at a restaurant called ....., washing them down with yet more prosecco, before heading to a nearby pub for more drinks and games. The plan was to end up at a club called Oslo, but our luck was out that night as we arrived to find it wasn't open to the public. The result? Much walking around, looking for somewhere to go. Eventually, we found a jazz bar and popped in for a drink or two, but the cold had been a bit much for us all, so we soon decided to call it a night.

The next day, after an amazing cooked breakfast courtesy of our hosts, we packed up our bags and travelled across London to the London Premier Notting Hill hotel, where we had booked in for two nights to celebrate our anniversary. I've found that although London hotels can be really pricey and a quick search of Booking.com can turn up nothing affordable, it's well worth scouring the site a few times in the lead-up to your planned trip, as they do sometimes drop when you least expect it.

The Premier Notting Hill is a four star, but we got it for a really good price - if you've got a trip on the horizon then keep an eye out, as I'll be reviewing the hotel soon.

After checking in and dropping off our bags, we took a walk down to Portobello Road and perused the market stalls, taking in the beautiful vintage crockery and Banksy artwork and once again trying not to open our wallets. I could spend hours wandering round the London markets, and it's another case of never getting to do them all. There are just so many to choose from, and I love the variety they offer. There's a certain charm about them that is so much more than you could ever get from simply walking down the high street.

We stopped off at a pub and ordered a Bloody Mary for me and a pint of cider for him - we were both in need of a hair of the dog after the night we'd had, and a charcuterie and cheese board was just the job to accompany our drinks.

In the evening, we decided to head for Shoreditch, but unfortunately it was easier said than done due to the fact that it was a Sunday evening and several of the tube lines were being worked on. Eventually, we figured out that we'd have to get to Liverpool Street and walk from there, but we ended up getting completely lost in the freezing cold night. Before long, I began to notice that there were a lot of Indian restaurants around, and suddenly cottoned onto the fact that we were actually on  Brick Lane - I remembered it from last time, but it definitely wasn't where we had been heading for! We actually relied quite heavily on an app called Citymapper while we were away, and for the most part it is excellent - all you have to do is pop in your current location and where you'd like to go, and it'll map out a route for you, telling you how you can get there by bus, tube, car and on foot. It was pretty much our saviour, but there were times when it wasn't quite up to date with the goings on with that day, which did throw a spanner in the works once or twice.

Eventually, we did find Shoreditch, and we decided to walk on to Hoxton and have dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant called Cyclo. We shared sweet potato and prawn fritters to start, both opting for a monkfish dish for mains, and all of it was delicious - not to mention surprisingly affordable.

Once we'd finished, we headed into The Shoreditch to make the most of happy hour (actually, it went on all night), before finally ending up in a little club called Cargo where we danced and laughed until we had no energy left. We managed to get a night bus home, and fell straight asleep when we got in - if there's one thing that's a certainty about London, it is that is has the power to exhaust anyone in a day or so!

I've got lots more photos of the trip, and another couple of days to share, but rather than make this post any lengthier I'll leave the rest for another day this week. There aren't any night time photos in this one, as I didn't fancy carrying my decent camera around that late, but I did take plenty of snaps on my phone, which will come in an Instagram updates blog post at the weekend.

What are your favourite London haunts? I'm always keen to get recommendations, as there are just so many options that it's often difficult to know where to go!

xx