North East - Urban Night Feast, Newcastle

Last night myself and my lovely friend Paul went on for an unconventional dinner at the first Urban Night Feast in Newcastle's Stephenson Quarter.

The Urban Night Feast has attracted street vendors and chefs from as far a field as Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham, as well as foodies from all over the North East. Last night there was a positively international array of stalls selling culinary delights from Mexico, Vietnam, India, Lebanon. Italy and France, as well as a fantastic seafood stand from local Whitburn Seafood Deli Latimer's. There was also a make-shift bar selling hand-crafted ales from the Wylam Brewery and wines from Passione Vino.

 Open 6pm till Midnight, we arrived about 7pm to be greeted by an enormous but thankfully fast moving queue. Once inside The Boiler Shop, part of the old Stephenson works where one of the first ever steam locomotives was built (bit of local trivia) the atmosphere was that of a bustling street market with music, steam, delicious smells and the noise from hundreds of happy diners filling the cavernous warehouse!

 After much deliberation (and after Paul had purchased a much needed pint (£3.50), I was unfortunately in the driver's seat so no very expensive vino for moi!) we decided on Lebanese Lamb Koffa Wraps with Cous-Cous, fresh Mint and Coriander for £4 (sans Coriander for me) which we delicious! We followed these up with some yummy local seafood, Paul opting for a smoked Haddock and Leak pasty (£2) while I went for outrageously good Salt and Pepper Squid (£4) cooked in seconds before my very eyes! After a bit more wandering and a shot of coffee from the Ouseburn Coffee Company we decided to call it a night...then I spotted the Pizzette camper van complete with wood-fired stove and just had to have a Sweet Thing mini pizza with Sweet Ricotta, Chestnuts and Chocolate (£4.50). Happy Lou!

 Hopefully this will be the first of many Urban Night Feasts, for more information or to sign up for the newsletter check out http://www.urbannightfeast.co.uk/  

North East seafood lovers should visit http://www.latimers.com/

Old Friends, Autumn Boots and Anna Karenina

Have you ever noticed how its always your oldest and dearest friends that you spend the least time with? At least it is for me! So last night, with a little get together long of due, my oldest friend (who just happens to be the lovely Hannah of Raspberry Kitsch-fame) and I decided that a trip to the cinema (and a good old gossip) was required! This seemed the perfect inaugural occasion for my latest Topshop purchase, a gorgeous pair of heeled ankle boots, perfect the oncoming Autumn weather!

As fans of a good costume drama, we opted to see the latest adaptation of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, staring Keira Knightly and Jude Law (sporting some very un-sexy hair).

   I'm not going to lie, Anna Karenina isn't the best film you'll see this year, basically its depressing in a way only great Russian literature can be! However this movie is lavishly and beautifully filmed and the costumes are outrageously gorgeous! In fact, the picture above makes me want to hunt out Mama C's vintage furs and wait for Winter to arrive...if only I had the diamonds too!

Topshop MIGHTY Black Leather Zip Boots, £45. Available from http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=5934280&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208544&parent_categoryId=208492&pageSize=20

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Review - Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish and Liz Earle Signature Foundation

Confession - I am addicted to my Double Wear! I've been using this Estee Lauder foundation day in day out for about two years and I absolutely love it! The full, super long-wearing coverage is perfect for seeing me through a busy day in the kitchens at work and I'd highly recommend it for any oily-skinned ladies out there! Now though I'm on the hunt for something a little lighter and fresher for those downtime days. So over the past week I've been road testing three new foundations - Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation and Liz Earle Signature Foundation.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua was first under the microscope. This 'new-generation' water-based foundation with SPF 15 comes in nine shades and promises an 'ultra-fine fluid texture' with 'second-skin perfecting results'. I'd heard amazing things about this product and although I was worried it would be a little sheer for my oily, blemish-prone skin I was excited to try it for myself and so dropped into the beauty hall at Fenwick Newcastle (my spiritual-home) to pick up a sample!  I'm so glad I did! Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua is exactly what I was hoping for - light and fresh but very buildable! I used Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector as a primer and applied the foundation using a Real Techniques Stippling Brush to achieve a medium coverage (I did this with all foundations tried). It glides on to the skin, has a lovely fresh scent and once set with a light dusting of powder, stays put all day with only a couple of touch-ups with pressed-powder! And I got so many lovely compliments about my glowing skin! One little niggle, this foundation is very liquid and if like me you want to build your coverage in places then a 30ml bottle might not last very long and at £32 for 30ml, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua isn't cheap! This is such a beautiful foundation though, I think it might be worth it!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua SPF 15 30ml - £32

Over the years I've tried lots of Bobbi Brown products and have never been disappointed...except with their foundations. Despite the extensive range, I've never managed to find one to suit my bothersome skin but this new formulation promises long-lasting wear with a natural looking finish so I thought I'd give it a whirl! Like Chanel Vitailumiere Aqua, this foundation has a lovely fresh scent, silky-smooth texture and lovely buildable coverage. As with all Bobbi Brown products, the colour range is fantastic and the yellow-toned base of my sample looked really natural. While not as glowy as Vitalumiere Aqua, this foundation gives a lovely, your- skin-but-better finish and once set with powder, lasts exceptionally on the skin! In fact its staying-power is so good I might have found a rival to my beloved Double Wear!

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation SPF15 30ml - £30

I'm a massive fan of Liz Earle products! I couldn't live without my Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and I love the Daily Eye Repair so was very excited when a sample of the Signature Foundation landed on my doorstep! This brand new foundation promises buildable-coverage with a radiant, natural finish. Perfect. Alas, I was a little disappointed! Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad foundation! It has a lovely velvety texture, applies smoothly, has medium buildable coverage and lasts well on the skin - I wore it to the Decoro Spa and it survived the humid conditions beautifully! But...I just didn't love it! I was hoping for the promised coverage and radiance but I found this foundation quite flat. If like me you're in search of a glow-giving foundation then this probably isn't it but if you're looking for a lasting, matte finish this could be for you!

Liz Earle Signature Foundation 25ml - £21

If you hadn't already guessed, I've lost my heart to Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, but depending on your foundation-needs, these are all lovely products and trying them has opened my mind to a world of foundation possibilities so if your stuck in a skin-base rut then why not pick up some samples and give something new a try!

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Practice makes perfect - Cheese Scones

In the interests of time-saving its been decided that, from Monday, I'll be in charge of scone making at Biz R, the cafe at which I'm baker/shopper/waitress/pot-washer/cleaner and general multi-tasker. Despite being a passionate amateur baker, I haven't made scones since Home Economics class at secondary school and in spite of a master-class from my boss, this new little challenge fills me with dread! Biz R's scones are insanely popular and I fear the scone devotees may well form a lynch mob if I mess them up! So in the interests of saving myself I thought I'd have a go at some cheese scones, a trial run if you like! As they say, practice makes perfect!

The recipe I used was from the classic Be-Ro book (bible for first time bakers) and can be found at http://www.be-ro.co.uk/recipe/showrec3.html

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North East - Spa Day: Longhirst Hall, Northumberland

Its been a pretty stressful summer in the Cooling house so this week Mama C and I decided to treat ourselves to a little R&R with a day at Longhirst Hall's recently opened Decoro Spa!

About thirty minutes drive from Newcastle city centre and set in the stunning Northumberland countryside, Longhirst Hall was built by famous local architect John Dobson in the early nineteenth-century. Housed in its own little building, the Decoro Spa is small but perfectly formed with facilities included a sauna, steam room, spa pool, aromatherapy room, monsoon shower, foot spas, treatment rooms, relaxation lounge and informal dining room. The spa offers a range of treatments and packages, Mama C and I went for the Decoro Chill Out Day, including full use of the spa facilities, a choice of two treatments each, plus refreshments and use of a robe, slippers and towel throughout the day.

The spa was lovely and clean and beautifully designed - elegant, understated and soothing! I especially loved the William Morris style touches! These are echoed in the lovely Natural Empathy products used in the spa treatments. Not only do these look, feel and smell divine, Natural Empathy is a local Northumberland-based skincare brand that uses lovely organic, locally-sourced ingredients in all their products.

Mama C and I put all of the facilities through their paces and loved everyone of them - favourites included the spa pool (above) and the eucalyptus-scented aromatherapy room. The treatments we had were fantastic too! I opted for a relaxing back, neck and shoulder massage, while Mama  C went for a facial and head massage, we both had a file and polish mini pedicure using Leighton Denny products.

 Mama C and I were feeling a little peckish after all our relaxation so ordered lunch. Our chicken and avocado Caesar salads and lovely desserts were brought over from the hotel restaurant, which prides its self on using locally-sourced produce. Everything we had was delicious, particularly my vanilla crème brulee and home-made shortbread! We rounded off what had been a fantastic day with afternoon tea in the relaxation lounge. Darjeeling and a good book - perfect!


The Chill Out Day package cost £65 per person through http://www.spabreaks.com/ For more information on the Decoro Spa at Longhirst Hall visit http://www.decorospas.com/ For information on Natural Empathy Skincare visit http://naturalempathy.com/

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Cardigans, Catch ups and Caramel Shortbread

With the stress of dissertation finally behind me I'm at last able to attend to my much-neglected social life and enjoy catching up with some equally neglected friends! Today I met my lovely friend Ciara for a cuppa and cake catch up in Newcastle's Cafe Royal.

I'll admit I'm a bit of a cafe snob (I do work in pretty much the best cafe in Sunderland after all!) but Cafe Royal never disappoints and is by far my favourite cafe in Newcastle! I love love love this place! The decor is chic and understated, all white walls, lovely one-off prints and dark leather banquettes.The staff are super friendly and service is prompt without making you feel rushed, we stayed till closing time but there was no pressure to leave! The cafe menu (there's also a lovely bistro upstairs) is extensive, offering the usual array of teas and coffees, plus smoothies and freshly-squeezed juices, a range of hot and cold sandwiches and a positively mind-boggling and doubtless waist-expanding selection of cakes, scones and pastries. Today I was torn between the Pear and Chocolate Frangipane Tart and the individual Apple and Blackberry Upside-down Cakes but in the end went for my usual - one of the out-of-this-world Caramel Shortbreads!  Along with a pot of Earl Grey tea this came to just under £6, so not greasy-spoon prices but not the Ritz either! 
Cafe Royal, 8 Nelson Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne  NE1 5AW, open Monday - Saturday 8am till 6pm. 

I also popped into Urban Outfitters while I was in Newcastle and fell in love with these lovely woolies! Perfect for Autumn, plus they were in the sale! Yay!

From top: Pins and Needles Ivory, Black and Green Over-sized Cardigan, was £48, now £20. Sparkle and Fade Fine knit Cardigan in Wine, was £38, now £18.

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P.S. I also got a sample of Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua and Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation which I'll be trying this weekend so check back for reviews very soon! :)

Here's to having my life back: Hotpants, Pink Hair and Fifty Shades!

On Thursday I handed-in my Masters dissertation and for the first time since last December, I can legitimately do what I want with my time and not feel that niggling sense of guilt that I'm not working! Whoop! With this in mind, I thought I'd dedicate a little of my newly found free time to my much-neglected blog and tell you about some of the things I've been loving (and not loving) since my last post!

Another gorgeous production from the BBC! Adapted from Ford Maddox Ford's acclaimed novel, Parade's End is, according it's star, Benedict Cumberbatch "an essay on the death throes of the aristocracy before and after the First World War." And Mr Cumberbatch is probably right (he's Sherlock Holmes after all!) Parade's End is with doubt a social commentary and can be viewed as such. But it's also at its heart a good old fashioned love triangle between Cumberbatch as Christopher Tietjens: a brilliant, honourable, infuriatingly decent government statistician, his scheming socialite wife Sylvia, played by the insanely-beautiful Rebecca Hall

and Adelaide Clemens' spirited suffragette Valentine Wannop.

 It's all unrequited love, unsuitable marriages, sexual tension and potential affairs...when put like that Parade's End sounds like Eastender's but with posher accents and corsets! However, Downton Abbey this is not! Parade's End requires you to think and getting up to pop the kettle on is not an option! However its gorgeously filmed, brilliantly acted and worth watching if only for Queen-bitch Sylvia and her witty one-liners! Parade's End is on BBC One, Friday 9.30pm.

My Pink dip-dye, courtesy of Directions Flamingo Pink -  because who wouldn't love having pink hair?! Also modelled in the above picture is my latest MAC purchase, Morange! LOVE!

The downside to pink hair - dry ends! I know this is a slightly random thing to be loving but in recent weeks I've rediscovered VO5 Hot Oil Treatments and I absolutely love them! I'm pretty abusive to my hair, I (or rather my fantastic hairdresser Lisa) bleach it, dye it pink, curl it, roll it, back-comb it and am generally mean to it! These little babies sort all that out in a little over a minute once a week! If that weren't awesome enough, they're super cheap, only £4.29 for 4 treatments, available from the most highstreet chemists! (I don't know whether these ore available internationally, sorry!)

Sticking with the beauty theme, I've also been loving Clarins skincare. As you can see I use a tonne of Clarins products, favourites include the Hydra-Quench Bi-Phase Intensive Serum, Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner and the classic Beauty Flash Balm! Clarins products are definitely not cheap but I believe in investing in your skin and all the products I've tried really work on my oily, breakout-prone skin! They have ranges to suit all skin-types too, Mama C has super dry 50-something skin and she swears by Clarins! For stockists see http://www.clarins.co.uk/on/demandware.store/Sites-clruk-Site/en_GB/Stores-Find

Probably not so nourishing or so good for me as the above, I still love love love a cheeky Sloe Gin Fizz or two in Popolo! I have to confess that in recent months my social life has been pretty barren what with dissertation, work and the fact I've largely given up drinking but on the few occasions I've venture out and about, Popolo, on Newcastle's Pilgrim St has been my destination of choice! Cafe by day, bar by night, Popolo is what I imagine bars in New York to be like (one day I'll cross the pond and test the theory) - all leather booths, high steel chairs, curved bars and old movie posters! The atmosphere is invariably jumping and they have a cocktail menu to die for, my favourite is the Sloe Gin Fizz! 

High-waisted hotpants: cute, summery, retro! Happy face! (Clockwise from bottom left: Topshop, Topshop, Primark, Primark, Primark)

And now for a bombshell...I really did not get Fifty Shades of Grey! I know its out-sold Harry Potter and pretty much every book ever written and a lot of people will want to hunt me down and beat me for not loving this book but I just didn't! I hated the neurotic unrealistically-naive Ana and the serial-killer-in-the-making Christian and all their frankly boring sex! I kept waiting for a plot to arrive but it never quite did...in nearly 500 pages! If you're after clever, funny, sexy escapism, lots of dashing-moneyed men and a good old romp then I don't think you can't go wrong with Jackie Collins, Jilly Cooper or my personal favourite, Fiona Walker - available at all good book stores! 

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