March Favourites

It's nearly April and that scares me. I know everyone says it but seriously, where is this year going? I feel like you blink and skip a month. Madness. Anyway, aside from my anxiety over time I am back again for another monthly favourites. I really love these posts as it's a little insight into what people have been loving recently. So lets get straight into it.

Starting off with some cosmetic favourites. Recently I was sent some products by Charlotte Kidd to try out and share my thoughts on them. I received a full size tube of  'AP24 Whitening Fluoride Toothpaste' and a tester pot of a clay face mask. I have never been a believer in whitening toothpastes as I have never really seen results. However, trust me when I say this after two days I immediately saw a difference. My not only looked whiter but felt so much cleaner. I took a photo from the first time I used this and it is crazy to see the results.

The mask is also fantastic. As you have probably seen all over the internet there is this new craze with peel off blackhead masks. Now they may be effective but I wouldn't like to think what damage they do to your skin. This mask is a mud mask, so it dries really quick and completely pulls out all the dirt in your pores. I got about two uses out of the pot and it worked miracles! You need very little product and just focus on your oily areas. I couldn't get over how clean my skin felt after. Thank you to Charlotte for sending me these products to try out! 

Here are Charlottes links if you want to know more about the products:

Instagram: @charlotterebeccakidd

Email: nuskinck@hotmail.com

Now onto food or rather drink. Admittedly this category was tough as I have been eating out a lot recently with going home for the easter break. However, I recently bought this pot of hot chocolate by Green & Black's and honestly it is amazing. With most hot chocolate powders you are left with a artificial taste but this one is pure, rich chocolate. I absolutely love it!

 

For literature, I unintentionally chose something food related. I got this cookbook given to my for Christmas and have never really gotten round to using it. However, I took it back home with me to try and get some use out of it. It is essentially all classic, authentic, New York recipes. The photography is absolutely amazing too. I made the 'Eggs Benedict' and the classic 'NYC burger' which both were amazing! 

For footwear I have chosen to go for a pair of trainers that I have gotten so much wear out of recently. These are the Adidas Superstars and nearly every person owns a pair but they are just so easy to pull off. You can pair them with jeans for a casual vibe or smart trousers to add a little relaxed vibe to a smart outfit. I wore them religiously throughout March and probably will for the coming months.

Click here to shop.

Now, this candle had to be featured in my favourites. It is by a brand called 'Earl of East' and they are a London based candle company that produce the highest quality natural candles. I got the chance to make my own candle at an event I attended at the start of the month with Arcadia. I named mine 'Oxford Fresh' (terrible name I know) but we made it just off Oxford Street and it smells really fresh to me. I probably wont get a job in candle names however it smells amazing nonetheless.

Click here to be taken to their page.

And finally, a TV favourite. 'Toast' was aired on the BBC about seven ago. I remember when I first watched it, I was amazed from start to finish. Netflix have recently added it and I am very pleased to say the least. It is all about a young Nigel Slater, who now is a TV cook and author and his battle with his love of food and parents who are stuck in their ways. It has some fantastic actors in it too. You will laugh, cry and have serious food cravings after watching it. I can't recommend it enough.

So there we have it, a round up of everything I have been loving throughout the month of March. I hope you have enjoyed reading my favourites and getting to see everything I have been loving throughout March.

Thank you so much for reading,

Luke. 

January Favourites.

I figured I'd give something new a go on my blog. I love hearing about what people have been enjoying recently. It's always great to find out about a new product or a TV show that you haven't heard of before. I think I really enjoy favourites because I am secretly a little bit nosy...

I have split this months favourites up into categories. Food, Drink, Fragrance, Technology, Shoe, Clothing, TV/Film and Book. I think that pretty much covers everything, but feel free to comment down below if there is something you would like to be featured next month.

So...without further adieu, let's get to it.

Food: Crosstown Doughnuts  - Locations across London  
https://www.crosstowndoughnuts.com/
I have been a fan of crosstown doughnuts for a while now. I went to the store in Soho back in July 2015 and have been a regular ever since. They regularly change their flavours to fit the seasons. Since returning to London one of the first things I had to go do was visit Crosstown...priorities I know. I always try to go for something different every time. This doughnut was their 'Black Forest" flavour which uses their cake dough recipe rather than their traditional sourdough and it was THE BOMB. Give Crosstown a go for an epic sweet treat or just to get a cheeky Instagram because all of their doughnuts look insane.

Drink: Oatly - Oat Drink (Tesco £1.40)
http://www.oatly.com/
Bit of a random one, however I have been really trying to cut down on dairy recently. There is just something about it that doesn't sit right with me. I have tried a lot of dairy free milk options and this one by far is my favourite. It's by a brand called 'Oatly' and honestly guys it's the one. There is no dairy in sight and is packed with nutrients. I really do love almond milk however this one has less of an impact on the flavour of foods and drinks. I highly recommend. I've noticed a huge difference in my skin too since cutting down on dairy - it's a win win.

Fragrance: Giorgio Armani Code Profumo, Parfum Pour Homme (Debenhams 60ml £66)
http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_117024900999_-1
I received this fragrance for Christmas after testing it when it was first launched. I am a huge fan of Armani fragrances. They are always classy, sophisticated and refined. I have the Aqua Di Gio and it is my all-time favourite fragrance. The best and simplest way I can describe Armani Code Profumo is woody and almost smoky with top notes of citrus. It is an all rounder, you can wear it throughout the day for a casual scent or pair it with a crisp shirt and it will give you that perfect evening scent. I have wore it none stop and had a lot of compliments on how nice it smells. Nice one Armani.

Technology: Lava Brightsound 2 - Speaker & Light (Amazon £39.99)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lava-BrightSounds-Portable-Lantern-Bluetooth/dp/B01HTKLRCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486143491&sr=8-1&keywords=brightsound
This little gadget is awesome to say the least. My flatmate got this speaker for Christmas and after walking in kitchen and hearing the sound quality I knew I had to get one. I was expecting it to be super expensive for the quality of sound, but for under £40, value for money is insane. It has a certain richness to the sound, handling a variety of music really well. It also doubles up as a lamp to keep by your bed for night time reading etc. The design is brilliant, with the e carry handle being perfect for moving the speaker around with you. They also come in a variety of colours to match any interior or taste.

Shoe: Adidas Tubular Grey (JD Sports £75)
https://www.jdsports.co.uk/product/grey-adidas-originals-tubular-shadow/241389/
Admittedly I have a thing for trainers. So it's no surprise that I have welcomed a new pair into my collection. These were advertised on JD's Instagram and I immediately knew I had to have them. Again, I was expecting them to be priced in the hundreds but for £75, I didn't even think twice. They are very 'Yeezy' esque dividing opinion that they are dupe's of the famous trainer. However with Adidas making Yeezy's it's no wonder they have a similar look to them. They are honestly so comfy and really nothing like I have in my collection. I have wore them none stop since ordering them and I can see them being a firm favourite in the coming months.

Fashion: Black leather shearling jacket (Zara £89.99)
http://www.zara.com/uk/en/man/jackets/biker-jacket-c586542p4238056.html
This jacket has by far became my favourite thing in my wardrobe. I've had my eye on it for a while now, seeing bloggers and people on Instagram wearing similar styles and absolutely killing it. The thing with shearling is that it's so warm you don't really need many layers underneath making it perfect for the transition seasons. I picked this up in Zara and was surprised at the price considering the quality. You can fully zip the jacket up to the neck for those colder days. It just fits so well and makes any outfit look that little bit more classy.

TV/Film: A Series of Unfortunate Events - Netflix 
https://www.netflix.com/browse
So...this will probably divide some people's opinion. But I have to feature this in my favourites. Since moving to London I am watching a lot less TV purely down to lack of time. But Netflix is still very much used on an evening. I loved the original film version back in 2007 so when I heard that Netflix were making a spin off series I was very interested. Now I know people are saying it's predictable and not very much like the books, however I still think it has very quirky and funny element to it. Neil Patrick Harris plays Count Olaf, the horrid guardian of the Baudelaire family. Although he isn't a patch on Jim Carrey in the movie, he still fits the role really well. Give it a go and see if you get hooked like I did.

Book: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two (Amazon - £9)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harry-Potter-Cursed-Child-Production-x/dp/0751565350/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486143521&sr=8-1&keywords=harry+potter+and+the+cursed+child
I know I am hugely late to this book. Calling myself a Potter fan and not actually reading this book for months is an outrage I know. I finally took the plunge and purchased this book at the back end of December. I am about three quarters of the way through and so far it is brilliant to say the least. It is written as a play so it does take a while to get your head around it and the which characters are talking etc. However you soon get into it and it becomes enchanting. JK Rowling is a genius and this book is no exception. I really am desperate to see the play in London however the tickets are crazy expensive. So for now, the book will do just nicely!

So there we are. Just a little round up of the things that I have been loving throughout the month of January. Bit of a random selection but none the less some great mentions. Feel free to leave a comment if you have enjoyed this post or anything you have been loving recently.

Thank you so much for reading,

Luke.