Jamie's Italian Edinburgh Review

Hello Everyone!

Today we are discussing one of my favourite things, food. Glorious, glorious food.

The lovely people at Jamie's Italian invited me along to try their Super Lunch Menu and if you know anything about me, you'll know this was a no brainer for me, I love Jamie Oliver (especially when he does those Christmas cooking shows, yes Jamie, yes!) and I have a fair few Jamie Oliver cookbooks (Shout out to Jamie's 15 Minute Meals) but mainly, yes I love food.

Now before we get into the good bit (the food) let me just mention that the decor inside Jamie's Italian is very much how you would imagine a gorgeous little Italian bistro in the heart of Rome would look, very intimate with atmospheric mood lighting... Unfortunately, I wasn't expecting the mood lighting and thus I made the error of taking my small camera without all the flashes and so some of the interior shots are a little darker than normal, so should you be blogging a visit, don't make my mistake, take your professional camera!

So, as I said earlier I went to Jamie's Italian in Edinburgh to try the Super Lunch Menu with Mr Sparkles of Light and Baby Sparkles of Light.

Mr Sparkles and I decided to go for the three courses from the Lunch Menu:

Meanwhile, mini me was treated to the kid's menu:

From the gorgeous looking lunch menu I couldn't wait to try the Truffle Tagliatelle because I'd recently tried truffle oil for the first time and really enjoyed it so the sound of truffle butter and truffle shavings sounded heavenly to me.

Seriously, all the noms, every last one. My mouth is watering looking back and remembering this now.

Mr Sparkles opted for Fritto Misto, which was sustainable fish and squid fried in fennel spiced flour... again, all of the noms, I of course sampled his too because... I'm a professional ok? 

*Disclaimer, I really tried everything that came to our table because I'm a little greedums*

 The main meal choices were just as difficult to decide on, it didn't help that we could see food flying out the kitchen and everything going by looked fantastic but finally I picked Penne Alla Norma which was a penne pasta with a spicy tomato sauce, aubergine and olive sauce and was absolutely delicious, I will be definitely having a go at recreating this at home.

Mr Sparkles finally settled on steak and fries which was cooked in a herby garlic butter and served with fresh rocket and parmesan.

 I have to admit, I was a little envious of Mr Sparkles when I saw his steak (which was cooked to perfection) so what's a girl to do? Yeah I demanded a share situation.

After the #ShareGate, it was time to pick our puddings, for me there was only one viable option, Epic Brownie, if ever there is some form of chocolate cake or brownie on the menu, no other dish will get a look in.

My brownie came with salted caramel ice cream and caramalised popcorn (I know right? I bet you're drooling now).

 Mr Sparkles had Strawberries and Frozen Yoghurt which came looking like a party in a glass, I was really impressed and managed to not eat any of his... absolute lies, I ate that too.

 Now let's not forget Baby Sparkles, she had her pick of the kids menu and she wanted the 'Jamie's Proper Picnic Box' and just look how it came:

This was such a cute idea for kids and the presentation was fantastic, most of it was eaten and Baby Sparkles made her mummy proud, she stole our food too, ah mini me.

I absolutely loved Jamie's Italian in Edinburgh, I'll definitely be going back soon as there was so much I wanted to try, everything we had was really tasty and moreish, the waitress we had was lovely and even spoke to my little one which gained her some brownie points in my book.

Overall I couldn't recommend this place enough and I'd love to hear how you get on if you do go (or if you go to one off the other Jamie's Italians up and down the country).

Where do you like to eat out?

Rosy xx

The Wrong Knickers by Bryony Gordon | Spoiler Free

Hi Everyone,

Today I'm going to be bringing you another quick book review and this time we're talking about one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year - The Wrong Knickers by Bryony Gordon.

The Wrong Knickers follows Bryony Gordon's life journey through her twenties when she realises that life doesn't go to plan. Instead of the perfect London flat, the fantastic glamorous job and the gorgeous boyfriend she ends up living in a squalid shoe box or two, the dream job turns out to be misadventures dressed as novelty characters and relationships produce boyfriends more dysfunctional than a Jeremy Kyle regular.

In The Wrong Knickers, Bryony talks candidly about the often hidden realities of being a single girl about London (including bailiffs at the door and picking up a date at an STI clinic) and she manages to do all this in an actual laugh out loud way.

Picture Bridget Jones' Diary crossed with Lena Dunham's Not That Kind of Girl (which you can read my review of here), The Wrong Knickers will make you laugh, it might make you cry too but it will certainly deliver a fun and enjoyable read.

Have you read The Wrong Knickers?

Rosy xx

New In | Beauty

Hello Everyone,

Today I've got an interesting beauty post for you all, let us take a look at what's new in the beauty world.

Now I'm sure that like me, you can get a little bored of seeing the same products pop up again and again on various blogs (remember when Urban Decay released the Naked 3?) but this post should avoid that and introduce you to things you've possibly never heard of.

I'll start with DECIEM, an exciting company with more than 10 brands under their belts, they look for 'good beauty brands' to distribute and after speaking to a lovely woman called Laura from their PR Team (albeit, a little sporadically due to me being all over the place with bad wifi and missed emails), I was happy to try out some of their products recommended my Laura herself.

The first two products are from an anti ageing skincare brand called Hylamide, the two products I tried were:

HA Blur Finisher:

This is a groundbreaking product, throwing aside the standard silicone base in blurring products, Hylamide have created this blurring product using a new form of Hyaluronic Acid powder (which if you're big on skincare, you'll know Hyaluronic Acid is big news in anti aging products), this product claims to be compatible with all skintypes, over and under makeup for a gorgeous HD skin finish.

I really liked this, I'm all about the blur if I'm honest so anything offering these promises will always draw me in, I liked how this made my skin look and I even noticed a difference when worn alone.

Photography Foundation in shade Transparent:

That's right, a transparent foundation... I know.

This foundation is designed to make the face look better on camera (perfect for little old blogger/youtuber me) and also designed to blur away imperfections in real life.

The idea is that you pop this on and go, or you use it before your foundation, I have been enjoying photographing my face (standard) whilst wearing this, obviously being transparent it doesn't really offer anything in terms of major pigmentation and so, for me personally, I like to wear a foundation on top, I do feel like I've been looking a little more polished in my Insta selfies lately.

The second brand I was introduced to is called Hand Chemistry and the product I was so kindly sent was:

Hyaluronic Body Mist:

 This is a body mist that hydrates below and on the skin's surface with Hyaluronic Acid, Purified Mushroom, Tamarind and Corn derivatives.

Laura advised me to keep this mist in the fridge to make it extra cooling and I'm so glad I listened, I've been liberally applying this all over myself during this weeks heatwave and I love how quickly and easily it sinks in leaving my skin feeling soft.

I've loved trialing these products and there are so many other products on the DECIEM website that sound amazing too, check out the 10x Hyaluronic Molecule Food Supplement, the Volume Support Shampoo and the new Glow Oil which are all drawing me in.

Now, next up we have part two of this 'New In' write up: Secret Scent Box.

Secret Scent Box is a monthly subscription box that offers 30 days supply of 3 fragrances for £15 a month.

The idea is that this small box fits through your letterbox with 3 x 3ml of fragrances, you then use these fragrances throughout the month.

 I received Vera Wang Princess, Jimmy Choo Illicit Flower and Armani Diamonds and I liked all three scents (I used to have a bottle of Vera Wang Princess so this scent was a blast from the past).

I like the idea that the box is small and fits easily through your letterbox so you don't have to wait around for the postman.

I don't wear perfume everyday so it will take me a while to use these up even though they're only small but I'm not sure how quickly you'd get through them if you're a perfume junkie.

You can choose to receive either a male or a female box depending on what scents you're looking for or who you're buying for.

So that draws us to the end of this post, if you made it to the end, well done, it was a long one!

Do any of these products entice/interest you?

Rosy xx

*All products in this post are PR Samples

Top 5 Movie Moments In Real Life Situations

Hello Everyone,

Today we are back with another light hearted Top 5 post, this time we're talking movie references that apply to real life... often.

My last movie reference was when I casually mentioned that I tend to go a little Liam Neeson whilst in certain driving situations and that led me to think about the other times movie references pop into my head in daily life.

Without further ado, bring on the movies:

Titanic - I'll Never Let Go:

That Romantic moment when Rose releases a newly expired Jack into the deep dark sea whilst whispering "I'll Never Let Go" (which, by the way, makes no sense as she says it whilst she's letting go and watching him sink) but this moment plays in my mind every single time I use up some Limited Edition makeup, that packaging was so pretty, that product is no more and as I take it to the bin and say my last goodbyes I'm forever thinking of this scene.

An Officer and a Gentleman:

Forget being carried off by a military man in uniform, hell no, I have this moment when I find something amazing in a sale, the last handbag with 60% off, I walk like our friend Richard Gere clutching his beloved right up to the till and pay... I even expect a round of applause.

When Harry Met Sally:

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the fake orgasm moment in 'When Harry Met Sally' but this is literally me with food, any food... just food.
I often think of this moment when I'm reading one of the delicious foodie posts by Ellie from The Elle Next Door's blog (seriously, take a look at some of those photographs and tell me you don't do this too)

The Sound of Music:

Let's be 100% real here, I live in the countryside far away from any towns, I have a small child, I have many pets, all of this adds up to not a lot of time to myself to shop, but, on those rare occasions I get myself some alone shopping time, I head straight to Waterstones to browse the new releases and as I enter the doorway to the lovely quiet bookshop I'm overwhelmed with the freedom of it all and it is all I can do not to burst through the doors screaming "THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCC" sadly I sometimes fail to stop myself and I'm now banned from most Waterstones in the country.

Jaws -You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat:

You know the drill, you've had a bad month, you've watched a few hauls online, you had a glass or 24 of a wine and got a little click happy online shopping, the postman arrives and just like Brody in Jaws (when he finally realises how effin massive that shark is), I walk backward in shock to my husband as the postman starts getting his crane out to deliver my cargo... Mate, we're gonna need a bigger boat.

I hope you enjoyed these movie moments, which movies ring true with your lives?

Rosy xx

All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker | Spoiler Free

Hello Everyone,

Today I have another book review for you all, this time we are talking about All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of a good psychological thriller, in fact, it's the genre I read most often... And yes, I am that person who tapes all the crime and mystery dramas that my Sky+ has to offer in addition to my reading addiction, what can I say? I like to terrorize myself.

All Is Not Forgotten was kindly sent to me for review and I couldn't wait to get stuck in, I was hopeful I would enjoy this book due to the fact that there have been talks of a movie in the works already, and I'll tell you now my friends, I wasn't disappointed.

I can't go into too much detail without spoiling the twists and turns that this book will take you on, what I can do is lay out a basic plot for you:

Jenny is a teenage girl in a small town in Connecticut where not a lot seems to go wrong, until one night at a party when Jenny is viciously raped to the point of needing corrective surgery.
To try and minimise the impact this attack will have on Jenny's life, she is given a controversial memory erasing treatment and so they can all move on happily ever after right?
Wrong.
Jenny has a hard time with her emotions and feelings surrounding an attack she can't remember but has all the facts of, her mother, Charlotte, wants to pretend nothing happened and carry on as before and her father, Tom, becomes obsessed with trying to find Jenny's attacker with the fear that he may be one of the community.

This is a story that explores a family falling apart whilst trying to keep everything together and explores the areas of family bonds, secret pasts, morality, sexual violence and everything you can imagine that would come with these trigger areas.

I loved this book, I was gripped from the very start, I've not been so into a book that I lost hours of my time since I read The Girl on the Train last year and I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys a crime novel or a psychological thriller but perhaps I'd shy away from this if sexual language and detailed descriptions of rape would offend you, personally I'm able to read these areas but I know that for some, they can be a bit traumatic.

If you've read this book or have any recommendations along the same genre line please let me know,

Rosy xx

Women's Summer Fashion Wish List | Sponsored Guest Post

Hello Everyone,

Today's post is a sponsored guest post from Catalogues247, Read on, enjoy and I'll see you in my next post 

Rosy xx

Summer has arrived. If the weather doesn't indicate this, the fashion shows, runways, and designer fashion trends you've been seeing must have given it away. So, what are the top styles and looks women are going for this year? These are a few of the many items on every woman's summer fashion wish list this year. 

The swimsuit - 
One piece, tankini, bikini, a combination of these things, you must have the right swimsuit. Vibrant colours, bold prints, floral patterns, are a few of the must have styles which have been making their way to the forefront of beaches and local swimming pools this year. 

The jewellery - 
Dangling pieces, bold metallic finishes, and large, ornate items are in. Whether it is a large dangling necklace, the perfect dangling earrings, or any other piece of jewellery, you have to have the right accessory, to match the perfect outfit you have planned. 

Sunglasses - 
The larger the better. Cover your entire face if you want to. Designers are making a comeback with aviator frames, larger round frames, and with bolder accent colour designs. 

Block heel - 
Yes, the wedge or block heel is another summer time staple. Many designers have a variety of styles from which women can choose, some slim, some thicker, all offering their own unique style and design. 

The sandal - 
It isn't summer without your favourite flip flops. New gladiator sandals, low heel flip flops, open toed, you make the choice. With several beach days ahead of you for the coming months, you need the right beach foot wear to add to your closet this year. 

There are always new trends, fashions, and staples every woman is looking for as summer time approaches. These are a few of the many Women's Summer Fashion Catalogues wish list essentials which you should already have in the closet, waiting for the perfect day or night time event to be worn.

Is The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation Really Magic?

Hello Everyone,

Today we will be discussing the age old question: What came first, the chicken or the egg? Is the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation really magic?

Well, the answer is a double edged one my friends, yes and no.

I bought this foundation for several reasons, 4 of them being CHARLOTTE TILBURY, all in caps and bold, over and over.
The other reasons were slightly more sane, I needed a new foundation as my favourite YSL Foundation had ran out and I fancied a little change up and I settled on this Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation after hearing it was fantastic.

As usual, the packaging is gorgeous, just like Charlotte herself, Charlotte Tilbury packaging just looks polished and chic.

This is what Charlotte Tilbury has to say about her Magic Foundation.

My Magic Foundation is a miracle in a bottle that transforms skin for all ages, skin tones and skin types. I have worked with laboratories for five years to create a “hyper-intelligent” formula that gives full-coverage yet feels completely weightless, with all the anti-ageing and protective benefits of a luxury skin cream. It conceals imperfections, glides on like a dream, and literally feels like a second skin. Whether your skin needs just a bit of perfecting, or you struggle with a frustrating issue like acne, melasma or rosacea, my Magic Foundation will give you a perfect looking skin day, every day!

So will you be happy or disappointed? Well friends, that depends on just what sort of magic you're looking for here.
If you're hoping for a good makeup day, nice complexion, medium (buildable) coverage and a natural finish, then girl, Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation has your back, now I can't speak for more oily skin types or those prone to outbreak etc but I have 'normal' skin (I bloody hate that term, almost like any other skin type is abnormal, it annoys me... but that's a total side note rant) and I have been really enjoying this foundation.

However

If you're looking for another kind of magic (I'm talking Harry Potter shizz here) then you'll be sorely disappointed. I asked it to conjure up a few things and had no response. I also attached it to a teeny broom and winged it out the window - No Flying Skills

Overall this is a lovely foundation and I love how it magically transforms my face into a more polished version of myself, but please be aware, this foundation isn't actually magic.

Rosy xx