Lifestyle | Splendid Kitchen Manchester

On Wednesday I turned 23, and as always for each of our birthdays every year, we always try and go eat at either a favourite or new place. 

This year, I really fancied trying somewhere we hadn't been before and I had heard nothing but amazing things about Splendid Kitchen, so it was an easy decision to go there. 

Based right in the City Centre, on John Dalton Street, it really is easy to get to and let me tell you I am rubbish with directions and I found it perfectly fine. The restaurant itself is small and cosy, with an almost pop-up shop feel to it, which we both loved. There are booths which are nestled neatly into the far side, and the rest of the restaurant is filled up with old tables all of which have different chairs around them, which only added to the homely feel of the place. 

I had already looked at the menu beforehand online so I was pretty sure that I knew what I was going to have but I gave the menu a look anyway. It is filled with what I would describe as American Home Comforts with Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Burgers and Hot Dogs to name just a few. I decided to go for the Fried Chicken and Waffles, with a proper Cherry Cola Cocktail. 

The portion sizes are humongous. They are simply huge and I didn't think that would be able to manage it all but it was so good, that I was willing to put myself into a food coma to finish it all. The Waffles were perfectly fluffy yet crispy at the same time and the chicken was cooked to absolute perfection. It was so juicy and tender in the middle but with the most delicious crispy coating, and just the right blend of spices. All of this was topped with candied bacon which complemented it all so well, and the cutest little jar of maple syrup to pour over the top. Oh and the pizza fries. Just heaven.

Everything was just so amazing about Splendid Kitchen, we will definitely be returning. The service was great as the staff weren't too pushy but attentive and they were so quick with everything. I would definitely say that it is a must visit! The menu has something for everyone and on different days there are different deals, such as Wicked Wednesday or their lunch menu! If you're out and about in Manchester, you should definitely try here!

The Melt Crowd | August

At the end of June I signed up to my first ever monthly subscription box which was The Melt Crowd from Flamingo Candles. I had bought a few candles from Flamingo Candles before so I knew that the quality was incredible, and I didn't need much persuading to get the Melt Crowd. 

The August box is my second month and I'm absolutely in love with the offerings. Each of the scents reminds me of a different summer favourite activity and I can't wait to fill my home with these gorgeous smells.

This box features a Melt Crowd preview which is Circus Doughnuts. This really does smell the sweet and sugary doughnuts that you can buy at the seaside and is probably my favourite from this months box.

There are also two Melt Crowd exclusives scents which are Fresh Cotton and Dahlia. Fresh Cotton is just so simple and stunning, I am smitten with this scent. It smells exactly like a fresh load of washing and is so crisp and clean, I love it. Dahlia is a soft floral scent that is a little perfume like. It's one o those scents that lingers four hours and smells lovely when melted.

I always love a good fruity scent and there are two featured in this box so I am thrilled about that. Pomegranate Cider is a really fresh scent with a little bit of sweetness to it. This reminds me of drinking fresh juice on the beach in the Mexico last year. Green Apples is such a zesty scent which I adore. This is also my fiancés favourite, and my dad loves this too so it's definitely one that appeals to males too.

Finally, everyone loves a good cocktail every once in a while so the Kir Royale and Champagne & Strawberries and lovely editions. Kir Royale smells so luxurious that I think I'm going to save this one for a special occasion. Champagne and Strawberries is such a British summertime staple and this is perfect for a hot summers day, with a perfectly mix of sweet and fruity it really is lovely.

The Melt Crowd Subscription is a bargain price of £10 per month including delivery and you can sing up here. 

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Sunday Share #3 A Catch Up

Well hello there! Remember me? It's been a little while since I've posted on here but I have to say that a little break has been lovely and refreshing. I've been making the most of my weekend off, as they are such a rarity for me that I always try my best to pack them full of exciting things....

Happy Thoughts...

1: Family Spending time with family and friends is always so lovely. I always get so excited at the thought of going back to Leeds to see them. This time was extra special as we had my Fiancés family with us and we showed them our wedding venue, which everyone loved.

2: Wedding Excitement A couple of weeks ago, my Grandma, Mum and I went out for a very exciting day of shopping for my wedding dress. I've definitely found the one and I'm so excited to wear it on the big day. As a side note, have any other brides felt trying on dresses was completely overwhelming?

3: Reading I've just finished reading Gone Girl and I was gripped right from the start. I've been trying to make more of an effort to read as it's something that I love doing. Using my commute to read has made me get through things so much easier, and I'm now looking out for another recommendation to try.

This Weeks Loves...

I have become completely obsessed with Orange Is The New Black. I've almost finished and I'm already counting down to the next series. I have binged watched so many episodes at once and it has made me lose track of time. Oops.

I'm also on a mission to get healthier, and part of doing so has been attempting to lose some weight. I've really been enjoying using the Slimming World Fakeaway book for yummy and filling meals, which are better for me and kind on my purse.

How has your week been?

The Melt Crowd From Flamingo Candles | July

A couple of weeks ago I was having the busiest few weeks I've had in a long time, which also explains the extreme lack of blogging for a while! During this busy time, I was having a quick scroll through Twitter and I saw the new Melt Crowd box from Flamingo Candles. Candles are a huge weakness of mine and I'm actually over run with them, but does that stop me buying them? Hell no!

The Melt Crowd box features eight wax tarts, and your first subscription comes with an adorable little tart burner which is great for those who might not already have this. I try and use wax tarts for as long as possible, to get the most out of their scents. My brand of choice was Yankee Candle tarts but I found that I could only use these 4 times at the most before their was no scent left. With the Flamingo Candles ones I have been burning them all day every day and they still as strong as they did when I first opened the package. 

Each box comes with a menu card with an image of the tarts and their respective scents, along with use and safety instructions. The eight scents featured are Raspberry and Salted Caramel, Cucumber and Melon, Mojito, Lemon Curd, Oriental Lotus and Rose, Pink Lemonade, along with two box exclusives, Green Tomato Leaf and Island Breeze. They are all stunning scents and there isn't one that I dislike. I've been using Island Breeze during this lovely warm weather we've been having and it fills my apartment with the perfect fresh air that you get when on holiday somewhere tropical. 

At £10 a month including postage, this is one subscription box that I think everyone will love! It would make a lovely gift for a candle fanatic or would be great for building up a candle collection. You can find out more and subscribe here.

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Adventures In Madrid

A couple of weeks ago, we spent the most amazing couple of days in Madrid. I have always had a love for everything Spanish and have always wanted to travel the country. My fiance and I decided that we would do city breaks at least once a year and this year decided that we would finally travel to Madrid. 

We had so many things planned but as we were only there for three days we had to try and fit all of this in. Now that we have done it I thought that it might be nice to share all of the things that we did incase any of you are thinking of travelling there yourself, or are wanting a bit of inspiration for a new destination to try.

We flew from Manchester to Madrid with Ryanair - link as the flights were insanely cheap, which made our little break away much friendlier on our pockets.

Top 5 Places to visit:

Royal Palace of Madrid

This is so easy to get to and is such a beautiful building it is well worth a visit. We went both through the day and at sunset, and it was beautiful at both times. If you are an EU Citizen, then make sure to take your passport along with you as after 6PM you can enter the palace for free.

Almudena Cathedral

Right next door to the Palace is the stunning Almudena Cathedral. This isn't something we would normally do but we walked round and it was stunning. There are quite a lot of stairs but the views from the panoramic platforms at the top were just breathaking.

Estadio Santiago Bernabeu - link

As someone who is regularly a football widow, I knew there was no way that I was going to go Madrid and get away with not going. Well I eat my words now as it really was a great experience. The behind the scenes is really interesting and they have quite a lot of interactive areas for the young ones and big kids. My Fiance loved it, and the best part was that it was self guided so you could go at your own pace. 

Retiro Park

If you want to relax in the sun and watch the world go by then this is the place to do it. Imagine Hyde Park in the sunshine and there you have it. We sat by the lake, where you can hire little rowing boats. We sat here and planned our next moves and just had a few moments to relax our feet and catch a few rays. They have quite a few little cafes and monuments in the park too which all just adds to the laid back atmosphere.

Gran Via

Our hotel, Best Western Hotel Los Condes was based just off this street and was ideally located. Gran Via is the Madrid verion of Oxford Street with plenty of hotels, shops and restaurants on it. We could not have asked for a better location and I would definitely recommend having a little roam around on here.

To get around the city we walked mostly but did use their underground system which was incredibly easy and cheap. I would definitely suggest planning your journeys before hand as we found that walking was just as quick and easy, Definitely pack comfortable shoes as they are definitely an essential as we found out. 

There are a million and one places to eat in Madrid and they are all pretty cheap. Our favourites were Tommy Mels Diner on Gran Via and Choclateria San Gines for the best churros and chocolate I have ever had!

Out of all of the city breaks we have been on, Madrid is by far my favourite! We absolutely loved it and I know that we will definitely be returning!

Where is your favourite city break destination?

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*The Post Adventures in Madrid first appeared on RetroLove Blog*

Nip and Fab Dragons Blood Cleansing Pads

I've been going through a phase of wanting to buy all of the skin care products that I could possibly get my hands on. I have been on a major skincare mission in a bid to get super soft glowy skin in time for my weeding next year, and also to prevent premature ageing.

One thing that I would love to have is fuller looking skin without the need of fillers. I need something which will renew the skin without the need for too much effort because I will admit that I am lazy. This is why my skin care routine has been less than perfect in the past. Enter Nip and Fab Dragons Blood Cleansing Pads.

Thy sound scary I will admit that. I told my mum about them and she just couldn't get her head around it. The Dragons Blood is actually a resin from the Croton Lechleri Tree, more commonly known as the Dragon Tree. It has been used in numerous products over hundreds of years, particularly for its renewing properties.

Each pot of the pads contains 60 circular pads which are ever so slightly textured. They feel a little oily and tacky at the same time which is some thing that I continuously struggle with because it feels so strange. This feeling doesn't last long on the skin but it is something to take into account if you're not a fan of that sort of thing. 

My skin instantly felt a little plumper after using these, and I especially noticed an improvement around my eye and cheekbone area. My fine lines had reduced quite considerably and my skin felt smooth and hydrated. I did have a little hormonal breakout on my chin too and it cleared those pesky little blemishes right up, which was pretty amazing to see them gone after only a few hours. 

I absolutely love these little pads of magic and they are a staple in my routine now. I was worried that they would be like the old pads that were popular when I was a teenager, the Clearasil ones which used to feel like thy were ripping your face off. I will definitely be using these for the forseeable future.

You can purchase these from Superdrug for £9.95 for a pot of 60 pads.

Face B4 : A New Holy Grail

A while back now, I was contacted by the lovely people over at Face B4 who asked me if I would like to take part in their Face B4 Skin Clinic. I jumped at the chance as I'm really tying to a better effort with my skin in preparation for my wedding next year. 

The Face B4 Clinic included using two products, which were the Anti-Bacterial Face Wash and Anti-Bacterial Serum. I used both of these together daily for around 6 weeks and was really impressed with the results, especially from such a simple routine!

The Anti-Bacterial Face Wash features a duo pump system which provides both a cleanser and a toner. Before using this, I removed my makeup with a regular cleanser first and then went in with this. The consistency is a lovely soft foam which feels extremely gentle on the skin. The instructions say to leave this on the skin for a minute or two before rinsing off, but in all honesty I found this a little to do because the foam tickled my face, but I did leave it for around 30 seconds. Once I had done this, I rinsed with warm water and patted my face dry.

My favourite product of the two was by far the Anti-Bacterial Serum. Quite often after cleansing my skin can feel a little tight, but this wasn't the case after using this. I applied one pump of this to my finger tips and then applied to my face in upwards motions. It doesn't feel greasy unlike other serums and sinks into my skin beautifully, rather than sitting on top like some other products I have used in the past. 

 These pictures were taken on the first day of the trial, half way through and after 6 weeks.

After using both of these, I have noticed a hug improvement in my skin. A lot of the redness has gone down, and my blemishes are pretty much non existent, aside from the odd pesky one that everyone has to deal with every now and then. I've found that my skin is much smoother, meaning that my makeup sits much better on my skin and looks much nicer. These really are game changers, and are definitely products that will be in my routine for a long time.

You can buy this product here from their website and from Boots. You can also find them on Twitter.

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*This post features a PR Sample. All opinions are my own*