Tag Archives: Reviews

A Day In Bloomsbury | Travel & London Gems

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Out of all of the boroughs in London, Bloomsbury is one that holds a special place in my heart. It is a classy, beautiful borough with a very special touch, an air of sophistication and lots of great independent shops. It also has culture at The British Museum.

We headed to Store Street to eat, drink and be merry.

Our first stop was The Life Goddess for lunch.

The Life Goddess is an amazing Greek deli which also sells lots of amazing Greek produce. We started with an amazing platter which had lots of great dips, cheese, olives and vegetables. (a tomato is actually a fruit but you get my point), and then for mains we had Roasted Vegetables in a light tomato sauce and a pork belly with potatoes in an amazing sauce. We didn’t have time for dessert as we had to head to The British Museum. The food was good and reasonably priced.

We also had some really good white wine and a rosé. We really liked The Life Goddess. It has great food and a relaxed atmosphere. I would also recommend the Life Goddess for vegetarians. The platters are great and the roasted vegetables dish I had was amazing. And that is coming from a carnivore.

29 Store St, London WC1E 7BS
020 7637 2401, @TheLifeGoddess

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Beyond El Dorado exhibition at the British Museum.

I love the British Museum and was very excited to go to the Beyond El Dorado exhibition. With 200 artifacts from Bogota’s ‘Museum of Gold’, it was more bling than Jay-Z, Beyonce, Elizabeth Taylor and J-Lo combined. El Dorado means– literally “the golden one” and the magpie in me was in heaven. The exhibition was brilliant, if a little busy. People were queuing round the block. (which isn’t a complaint as art should be seen by as many people as possible)

The exhibition is full of wonderful models and masks made of gold and wonderful literature to read on the walls. This is an eye-opening exhibition not just because of the objects on display, but also because of all of the facts, videos and information. The connection of gold and cocaine (mixed with lime!) in Colombia was also interesting. It would seem decadence was the order of the day in ancient Colombia and we were rather shocked but glad to have had a glimpse of it.

We also managed to catch a glimpse of the Rosetta Stone. Something no one should go to London without seeing at least once.

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Next up was dinner at Busaba Eathai.

It is quite shameful that we had never eaten at Busaba Eathai before, and, jeez, had we missed out. The food is amazing, the drinks are amazing and the entire place is first-rate. The manager was knowledgeable, friendly, generous, funny and was known and liked by a large amount of the diners. There was a lot of regulars.

We started off with the selection below. Yes, started. One of Busaba Eathai‘s most popular dishes is the Thai Calamari with ginger and peppercorn. It’s the one at the top of the picture. It’s amazing. One of the best calamari dishes I have ever had. We also had fishcakes (yummy and with a great sauce), pandan leaf chicken which falls apart when you open the leaf and a great yellow bean dish which had a good kick to it.

Our mains were equally amazing, I had a curry that was specifically made milder for me. For drinks we also had one of the best prosecco’s I have ever had, an good beer and excellent non-alcoholic cocktails. I had an amazing Grapefruit mojito with vanilla, mint, lime and chilli.

Busaba Eathai is a brilliant restaurant and I will join their large following of regular customers. It is also possible to have a great meal without blowing your budget here. There are many branches in London so check out their website below.

foodthai

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We finished with tea and biscuits.

@busabaeathai

http://busaba.com/

Address: 22 Store St, London WC1E 7DF
Phone:020 7299 7900
We were incredibly impressed with how beautiful Store Street was. You can spend an entire day there, eating well and taking in the atmosphere, along with some boutique shopping. A real London gem.

Other places to check out on Store Street are One Alfred Place, Frost’s first ever restaurant review (oh, the nostalgia) and the Store Street Gallery.

@storestreetwc1

What do you think?

Burn’s Night At Seven Park Place By William Drabble Review

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Situated in the luxurious St James Hotel and Club, Seven Park Place is a Michelin-starred venue with all the class you would expect. I joined a fun and varied group of women for a Burn’s Night Preview; a six-course meal with matching wine that finishes with a glass of Highland Park 18-year-old whiskey. This is what we had:
haggis ravoli Seven Park Place
scallops(Sorry about the pictures. They were taken on my Blackberry so I could be discreet)
Uig Lodge smoked haddock soup with whiskey
Seared hand-dived Scottish scallops with garlic puree and parsley oil
The wine we had with these courses: Solo Quinta, Cramele Recas, Romania, 2012
I have never had soup with whiskey before but what a clever idea. This soup is just stunning, with perfectly cooked smoked haddock. I love scallops and these seared scallops with garlic puree and parsley oil were perfect on every level.
scottishfood haggis
Poached Scottish langoustine with buttered cabbage, foie gras sauce and truffle
Ravioli of haggis with confit of turnip, whiskey and thyme jus
The wine served with this course: Riesling Trocken Qba, Sybille Kuntz, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany 2010
The poached langoustine was just superb, one of my fellow diners called it a ‘posh prawn cocktail’. It just tastes like some sort of heaven. The ravioli of haggis is a stunning invention from William Drabble. It is such a smart idea and it tastes amazing, as does the sauce which sounds like a weird combination but really works.
venison
Saddle of Scottish highland venison with beetroot
Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon Royale, Koyle Estate, Colchagua Valley, Chile, 2009
The venison is perfectly cooked and the whole meal just works amazingly.
cheese
Selection of British cheese by Paxton & Whitfield
A wonderful selection of cheese. Very tasty.
souffle
Souffle of Scottish raspberries with dark chocolate sauce
Wine: Coteaux-Du-Layon Saint-Aubin, Domaine Des Barres, Loire Valley, France, 2012
This souffle is impressive not just because it tastes delicious, but also because it was huge and arrived from two floors down still  beautifully risen. It is the best souffle I have ever had and the dark chocolate sauce is perfect. The texture of the souffle is great. A wonderful dessert. Seven Park Place is a Michelin-starred venue and even if you didn’t know this before you went, it would soon be obvious. The food will be some of the best you have ever tasted and the imagination of the chef is truly impressive.
truffle
Chocolate and Apple Truffles

These truffles were unbelievable. And the one in the middle was like a very posh apple fruit pastel. I could eat these everyday and not even care if I got fat. Wow and wow.

And to finish….
highlandparkwhiskey
A glass of Highland Park 18-year-old Whiskey
What to say? Great whiskey: true luxury.After the meal we got to have a chat with William Drabble and I promptly made him an honoury Scot. I complimented William on his cooking and he swept away the compliment by saying it was the good, Scottish, ingredients. He is far too modest and also said that the food is simple as you have to realise that the other people in the kitchen cannot cook as well as you. William manages to make food heaven in a small kitchen, two-floors down, with a staff of only six. Both impressive and surprising. Williams mantra is, “Make it simple, think about it and make it idiot-proof.” Sounds like the perfect system. In the kitchen they drink tea in the morning and water to clean their palette so they can taste the food properly.During the evening sommelier Marco Feraldi told us about each wine. Marco really knows his stuff and every single wine was amazing. I am very fussy about wine but I loved it all. Especially the Solo Quinta, Cramele Recas, Romania, 2012. I had never tried Romanian wine before but I am now hooked.I had a wonderful evening, the food truly was stunning. The perfect place for the perfect Burns Night.

You can catch the Burn’s Night Menu at  Seven Park Place between January 20-26.

Seven Park Place, St James Hotel and Club, 7-8 Park Place, SW1A 1LS.

£72 or £126 with paired wines. (£13 supplement for cheese selection) Phone:020 7316 1615

stjameshotelandclub.com

Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Serum Review

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Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Serum ReviewIn the years I have been a lifestyle writer I have rarely come across something that actually changes the texture of my skin, and rarer still to see a visible difference in just two days. Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Serum is this wonder product. My skin had been going through a rough patch when I started using it. I had had a breakout, was ill, red and blotchy. I am in my late twenties and noticed a faint line. I had never been unhappy with my skin so much. The night after I noticed a difference in my skin, by day two I was amazed at the difference, I have been using this for a few weeks now and there is a difference in the texture of my skin. My pores look like their are 16-years-old and my spots have completely cleared up, the line that was developing has been stopped in its tracks. I have sensitive skin and cannot normally use products that promise anti-aging or smaller pores but this serum did not irritate my skin.

This lightweight and refreshing overnight serum doesn’t just do what it says on the bottle, it does much more: product of the year. A must buy and for a product that works so well, and makes such a difference, it is a bargain £14.99.

They also don’t test on animals.

This is what Nib + Fab say:

Introducing Glycolic Fix Serum, an innovative overnight serum with 4% glycolic acid to retexture the skin’s appearance.

This highly effective formua contains powerful glycolic acid to smooth the appearance of fine lines + wrinkles while improving skin texture.

Designed with pore refining ingredient PoreAway, the size of pores are visibly reduced for a more refined, even looking complexion.

Glycolic Fix Serum contains:

  • 4% glycolic acid smoothes the appearance of fine lines + wrinkles
  • PoreAway minimises the appearance of enlarged pores
  • aloe vera soothes + calms

Glycolic Fix Serum can be bought here and from Boots and Selfridges.

This Is Where I Am by Karen Campbell | Book Review

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ThisiswhereIambookreviewI seem to be on a bit of a winning streak when it comes to reviewing books. The last three have all been fantastic pieces of literature. This Is Where I Am is a stunning book. Definitely in my Top 10 of all time now. This story about a Somalian refugee and his daughter fleeing war and immigrating to Glasgow, and their mentor who helps them integrate into society is a book of life, reality, grief, death and hope. This makes it sound like a sad book, in many ways it is, but, like life itself, it is intertwined with happiness and the beauty of life itself, of human connection.

This book by Scottish writer Karen Campbell also made me rather homesick. Although I grew up in the Scottish Borders and have now lived in London for over seven years, it made me miss Glasgow as I lived there for a good few years. The book is also written partly in Glaswegian. You don’t have need a dictionary to read it and I quite like the poetry of it. It adds to the atmosphere of the book. Each Section is a different month and tourist place in Glasgow, with a little bit of historical facts at the beginning. To get you started on some Glaswegian here is a quick guide:

 

Heid – Head
Flair – Floor
Greet – Cry
Messages – Food shopping
Wee – Little
Juice – Cold drinks, not tea
Canny – can’t
Bahookie – Bottom
Tae – to

The brilliance of the book is that you see Glasgow fresh through the eyes of Abdi, the refugee, and Deborah, the Scottish woman mourning her dead husband who mentors Abdi.

The story is brilliant and the difference between white British Middle Class life and that of refugees in Somalia gives an accurate glimpse of the unfairness of life. How circumstance is all the difference between a good life and a terrible one. On the day I finished reading this book there were stories in the papers of displaced women in Somalia, proving that the travesties of war have long-term consequences.

This book is 467 pages long. It is so good I read it in a few days. This Is Where I Am can take its place as a great Scottish book, but also as a great story about human rights. A must read.

This Is Where I Am

Festen Theatre Review

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FestenTheatre ReviewA word of warning: Festen is not for the light-hearted. It will leave you sickened, violated and shocked and this is by no means a criticism but credit to the cast for pulling off such a raw production.

 

The title itself conjures up thoughts of a happy, joyous occasion and the audience in the intimate Space theatre almost feel a part of the 60th birthday celebration.

 

Successful patriarch Helge marks his special day with his closest family and friends but the evening itself becomes a platform for the party to confront ghosts of the past. 

 

As eldest twin, son Christian, stands before his proud father, we note there is no personal contact when they greet each other, only an exchange of words and then we learn that Christian’s twin sister, Linda, committed suicide.

 

Helge asks his son to say a few words at dinner as he fears he may be overcome with emotion if he has to give a speech.

 

During the first course, Christian stands before his relatives and gives his father a choice of two speeches; one in a yellow envelope and one in a green envelope.

 

As he picks the green envelope, Christian says he’s made a good choice as he recalls happy memories of the family. But then he reads out: “And do you remember when you continuously raped me and Linda on the green sofa?”

 

In a split second, the clean man, the man of steel, Helge, has his reputation shattered. Festen, as well as reminding me of a celebration, also brings to mind the word ‘fester’. And for Christian, the suicide of his sister and the painful memories of his childhood will no longer fester in his thoughts – he’ll vocalise them at his father’s 60th birthday.

 

The family attempts to continue the celebration but the moment has been lost forever. And just when we think there are no more surprises or incredibly awkward moments, Christian re-enters during the main course and reads out his sister’s suicide note. She couldn’t bear to continue her life anymore as her father had started to take her again.

 

The servants seem to forget their place and congratulate Christian for standing up to his father and finally revealing his monstrous character which he has hidden for so many years.

 

At breakfast the next morning, the family attempt to come to terms with the truth and as soon as Helge enters, the atmosphere becomes ice-cold. Michael, another of his sons gets up to take his baby girl away from the grips of his paedophilic, incestuous father.

 

Festen reveals how behind a loving, successful family, there are painful truths and soul-destroying secrets. The expert pauses of silence round the dinner table enabled the audience to breathe each breath and watch the family’s eyes dance round the room as the gripping storyline took hold.

 

There were also some incredibly uncomfortable scenes. First when Michael and his wife Mette have sex following a violent argument. Then the moment Christian reveals to the family that his father raped him and his twin sister when they were children and finally when Helene, another daughter invites her black boyfriend to dinner. Michael jokes that a monkey’s joined the party.

 

Rowan Finnegan who plays Christian was simply fantastic. We saw all his emotions in stages, from the calm demeanour as he greets his father; to his singing and dancing round the table to celebrate his birthday to the stern look as he reveals the sordid past and smashes his fist on the table in anger.

 

There are some plays you enjoy and there are some you’ll never forget. Festen is certainly one which had me gripped and will be remembered for years to come. It’s another notch to The Space Theatres brilliant production list.

How To Find And Play Great Games Online

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If you’re anything like me, then you’ll be pretty addicted to the Internet – from constantly checking your social media accounts, catching up on the latest current affairs, finding the latest deals on the latest fashions, and even, playing online games to help and cure your boredom on a rainy day.

But, I often find that it’s enjoying the latter that often leaves me in a little bit of a predicament – I never know where to find the best games.  Whether I’m on my lunch break, or looking for a little bit of entertainment in the evenings or at weekends, I always have trouble finding a great game that leaves me captivated and enthralled. The Internet has so many capabilities these days that anyone can create games at the touch of a button, often meaning that gaming fanatics such as you and I are left to try and trawl through all of the spam just to find a fun new game.

Well, to help you on your quest to find great games online, here are a few tried and tested ways to help you wade through the spam sites, helping you to find – and play – those great games straight away.

1. Read Forums

If you’re looking for an amazing new game to try out and are open to new suggestions on what games to try, then gaming forums are a great place to start. Gaming forums are quite often filled with a plethora of gaming fanatics just like you, all eager to trying out the latest new games, express their thoughts to them, as well as give other users hints and tips to help them get the most out of a particular game – so you can see exactly what other people think about new games that are released, and from them you can determine whether or not the game is worth giving a go.

2. Check Out Reviews

Now, I bet if you own a smartphone and you happen to love games then there’s also a high chance that the app store on your mobile phone has become one of your best technological friends. Why? Because aside from letting you download games at your fingertips, it’s one of the best platforms for being able to quickly see what games have newly been released. And what’s more, with many app stores featuring their very own top charts, they also allow you to see what games are good, and which ones aren’t – thanks to their user review and rating system. Now, although I’m talking about using your mobile phone to find great games here, it’s a great way to make sure you’re not running into those pesky gaming spam websites – because other users will have done all that work for you. Simply download the top rated games from your app store’s charts and you’re guaranteed to have endless hours of fun! If your mobile phone’s display is just a little too small for you to fully enjoy your chosen game, then many apps nowadays allow you to connect online and download the app on your tablet, and even, on your laptop.

3. Subscribe To A Popular Gaming Blog

I love to find out all of the latest news when it comes to technology and gaming, and one of the best ways that helps me to do this is through gaming blogs. As well as regularly checking them online, many blogs allow you to physically subscribe to them. By simply entering your email address into the blogs system, the site will proceed to email you with any new blog posts, articles or news updates, so you can stay updated whenever you are. So, if a new blog post comes in about an amazing new game that’s been released, you’ll get notified straight away so you can download it as soon as you get home!

And, what’s more, subscribing to a popular online gaming blog will mean that the blog will also physically do all of the sifting of the spam sites from the good sites, for you too. For example, many gaming blogs will feature only the highest quality casinos, games and apps, so their readers can be rest assured that they’ll only ever receive updates of the highest quality entertainment and sites.

This article was contributed by Stuart Harrison, an experienced gaming and casino writer. You can find more about Stuart, here.

OXY’s skincare range | Beauty Reviews

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I don’t have ideal skin, it can be very temperamental and sensitive. Frankly, if it was a guy we would break up. Luckily I don’t tend to get spots too much now, but the occasional hormonal break out always comes at the worst moment.

I try to keep my skincare as natural as possible and recently tried OXY’s skincare range, which contains naturally active seaweed and is free from parabens, alcohol and SLS.

Apparently it now has a new clinical trial behind it to prove that it really does work, which is published in Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, an official journal of the British Association of Dermatologists. The trial is the first cosmetics clinical study in acne to be published in an official dermatology journal.

The new clinical trial on OXY, showed that the number of spots fell by 64 per cent and blackheads by 60 per cent after just eight weeks.

Dr Gill Jenkins, a GP with a special interest in acne, said the combination of seaweed extract and zinc directly affected the formation of spots, rather than the oil-producing sebaceous glands. The zinc-oligosaccharide complex used in this study produced a significant reduction in mild acne compared with control without causing irritation.

As a result of this study, I would suggest that for many people with mild acne, opting for these OXY products could be beneficial since they have been clinically proven.

Also, the functional ingredients in OXY offer measurable benefits in reducing the formation of both inflammatory spots and comedones, as well as helping to regulate sebum production.

So did it work for me? Yes. The first time I used the wash and balm it seemed to dry out the spots without drying out my skin. It smells divine and you only need a tiny amount, so it should last for a long time.

I replaced my normal face wash with the Oxy face wash and it made my skin feel ‘cleaner’ and cleared up my skin. The balm also goes on well. I had acne in my youth and I wish this had been around then. It really does work.

City women hitting new heights

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A website that set out to be a “little black book” for professional women in London, providing professional development, networking and lifestyle information, is celebrating after achieving a new record of over 60,000 unique visitors and 1.6 million page views in May, up 47% on the month before.

WeAreTheCity.com was founded by Vanessa Vallely, considered to be the most connected woman in London, voted one of the 100 most influential women in Banking globally and a Pearly Queen of the City of London.

“The website was started three years ago to provide the connections and insight that I felt was lacking for London women” Vanessa (39) said. “I’m passionate about empowering women in all aspects of their lives, driving diversity in the workforce and encouraging celebration and sharing of our successes, which women are notoriously bad at. I’m thrilled at how quickly We are the City has become a much-loved part of so many women’s lives.

Vanessa provides content and PR for the website in her spare time alongside a small team, with husband Stewart responsible for technical development of the site.

“Our events listings get 600,000 hits a month so we have just launched an entirely new micro site dedicated to development and lifestyle events specifically for women in theLondon area – events.wearethecity.com ” Stewart commented. “Over the next three months we have a host of other new features coming online including the launch of our Female Job Board, where we intend to partner with Corporates and Recruitment agencies that are passionate about increasing the opportunities available to talented females across the UK. On the lifestyle side, we have celebrity female bloggers, a gallery of user photos sharing snapshots of London living, and tried & tested reviews.”

The celebrity bloggers already lined up include award winning Garden Designer Kate Gould, Entrepreneur and charity fundraiser Charlotte Hogg and Made in Chelsea star Gabriella Ellis.

“We are looking for more women to join our team of “City Guineas” to test and review products, gadgets, technology, fashion and beauty products, bars, restaurants and networking events, providing unbiased reviews back to other women” Vanessa finished. “Anyone interested in volunteering their time or writing for our site should email pr@wearethecity.com to register.”