Estée Lauder – The New Range

Estée Lauder – The New Range

Estée Lauder the new range has recently launched, and Freddie and I were lucky enough to be invited to see the range in action at Princesshay Debenhams.

Estee Lauder The New Range

I really like make-up and wear it every day including the days my babies were born. Wearing make-up makes me feel like me and is essential for me as putting on underwear.

I don’t wear a lot and don’t have an extensive routine every day, but it does make me feel like ‘me’.

I am a bit of a magpie, so I like nicely packaged make-up but what I like and what I can justify buying are two different things.

I first used Estée Lauder double wear foundation about three years ago on the recommendation of a work colleague, and I’m not sure that I would go back to anything else now.

Estee Lauder The New Range

The Event

We all sat within the Estée Laude Counter and watched Laura transform Ellie from barefaced to looking pretty stunning with a dewy but polished natural look.

We were shown the Advanced night Repair Serum which works to replenish the skin by hydrating and tackling signs of ageing. I’ve tried face oils previously and these were always very oily and made my skin quite spotty. This serum absorbed into the skin almost like water on my hand, not leaving any residue at all and didn’t have an overpowering smell.

Estee Lauder The New Range

An eye cream was recommended which I’ve never really bothered with but as I’m older with a small baby, maybe I should start to consider this.

My first want was the primer which was a shimmery pearlescent colour which is applied after you moisturise, underneath your foundation.

I’ve been wearing the Double Wear Foundation for a while now and can honestly say that at this point I’m not sure I would even consider using anything else.

I was quite intrigued by the Perfecting Loose Powder which I can only describe as feeling like ‘fairy dust’. Mentally my shopping list was growing with each and every product that was used on the model.

Estee Lauder The New Range

The magpie within my came out when Laura showed us the Bronze Goddess Summer Look Palette which looks so pretty inside and out. It includes eye shadows, a highlighter and blusher and looks too pretty to use.

The end result was a gorgeous glowy but natural look, something that I’m not sure I could achieve myself.

As I’ve just had a baby my skin is particularly dull and I have dark circles under my eyes from the lack of sleep. Here are Laura’s five top products to get your mum face sorted in the morning without spending a decade in front of the mirror.

5 Top Products to achieve your ‘Mum Face’

Advanced Night Repair Serum – This is applied before you go to bed and works it’s magic as you sleep. This helps to hydrate your skin and helps give you a smoother looking skin whilst reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Double Wear Foundation – This lightweight formula is easy to apply and comes in a ridiculous amount of shades to suit your complexion. This foundation really does last the day and gives you a flawless but finished look.

Pure Colour Envy Lash Mascara – Open up your tired eyes with this mascara which adds volume and length to your lashes whilst conditioning.

Bronze Goddess Palette – Bronzer can instantly give you a more wide awake and alive appearance even when you’re living on coffee and doughnuts.

Pure Colour Envy Lipstick – Available in loads of gorgeous colours these lipsticks stay put as well as giving your lips some much needed moisture. I either wear lipstick or put on lip balm and then add in a bit just for a bit of colour.

We had a lovely time looking at all the different products and stocked up on some more foundation and we also got a tip-off that Black Friday is a good day to pop into your local Estee Lauder counter to pick up a few treats.

Estee Lauder The New Range

What top five products are your go-to products in the morning?

Whilst the Estée Laude brand is quite expensive, they do have a lot of offers that you just have to keep an eye out for.

Lisa x

#SchoolHols2017 – River Cottage Summer Festival

#SchoolHols2017 – River Cottage Summer Festival

Not sure what to get up to this weekend then head to the River Cottage Summer Festival. Running from Saturday 26th – Sunday 27th August 2017. There are loads of things for both kids and adults to take part in all set beautiful surroundings. Day tickets and weekend tickets

What’s more under 16’s get in FREE when accompanied by an adult.

River Cottage Summer Festival

What is there to do?

There is a wide range of activities to get stuck into including:

  • Performances by Swamp Circus and Rainbow Gecko Giant Bubbles
  • Play Art Junk Modelling for the artistic amongst you
  • A foraging tour with John Wright
  • Baby Massages
  • Kids Yoga
  • The Hands-On mud kitchen – Awesome!
  • Play in the sandpit
  • felting and flower workshops
  • Marine Monster Making
  • Pottery
  • Jewellery making
  • Clay modelling

River Cottage Summer Festival

Take some time out to appreciate the stunning countryside with a guided geology walk with local butterfly experts, and take part in star gazing after sunset.

Masterclasses are also available in sushi making, cooking over a wood fire and for the little ones there are pizza making and ice cream sundae making.

Of course lots of food will be available street food style from local artisan producers. Experience the Farmhouse Feast with a two-course sit down meal served in the iconic Farmhouse for just £20 with a fantastic menu using fresh, seasonal and local produce from the farm, garden and local suppliers.

There will also be a selection of bars located across the Festival serving a variety of sumptuous drinks from Chase Vodka cocktails and English sparkling wine from neighboring Castlewood Vineyard to locally sourced beers, ciders, wines and seasonal cocktails.

A team of chefs and experts will be on hand to share their culinary tips throughout the two-day weekend on the Garden Stage hosted by Steven Lamb. On the Saturday, visitors can enjoy a mix of chefs, speakers and activists including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, forager John Wright, Bake-Off star Chetna Makan and herbalist Katie from Pukka Teas. On the Sunday, award-winning blogger Ed Smith will take to the stage alongside Satish Kumar, Michelin-starred Adam Byatt and Hugh.

River Cottage Summer Festival

Festival goers can enjoy music throughout the weekend with a variety of brilliant musicians on the line-up. There is live music from midday until 10pm on both days, with entertainment for the whole family. On the Saturday, Sound of the Sirens will headline alongside The Jack Daniels Band, Them Voices Poor, Sadie Horler, Hungry Bentley, Nicky Swann and DJ Diggz. On the Sunday, visitors can enjoy music from The Travelling Band, Mr Tea and the Minions, Melissa Bel, Mark McCabe, Tori Reed and the Troubadours and DJ Diggz.

How much does it cost?

There are various ticket prices available which you can look at the options on the River Cottage website.

How to get there?

Have a great weekend!

Living in the South West or visiting for the holidays then have a look at our oodles of suggestions for #southwestdaysout – Whether you’re looking for local attractions or fabulous beaches and walks.

Lisa x

Teignmouth Beach

Devon Beach Days – Teignmouth Beach

We lucky in the South West that there are oodles of amazing beaches to visit some of which could easily be mistaken for being abroad. As part of the #SchoolHols2017 I thought I would share some of the beaches that we visit. First up we have Teignmouth Beach.

Teignmouth Beach

What do you do at the beach?

The beach can be totally FREE if you want it to be or it could end up being an expensive day out.

FREE Activities

  • Pack a picnic and invite friends
  • Take a ball/frisbee/bat and ball etc and make a day of fun games – split into teams and keep score
  • Take a portable BBQ – go late afternoon and stay until the kids are knackered.
  • Play park – There’s a great playpark which you could easily spend a lot of time in
  • Bucket and Spade – It’s amazing how many buckets, spades, shapes and rakes that accumulate from having kids. Pack it all up and let them loose to make sandcastles. Decorate them with pebbles, sea shells and bit of seaweed
  • Crabbing – take a bucket and a net

Other Activities

  • The Pier – Theres loads of amusements and things to do on the pier. Be prepared to have lots of change
  • Fish and Chips – Having fish and chips at the beach can be a real treat.
  • Crazy Golf – This used to be Ryan’s thing. Wherever we went we played crazy golf!

How to get there:

Living in the South West or visiting for the holidays then have a look at our oodles of suggestions for #southwestdaysout – Whether you’re looking for local attractions or fabulous beaches and walks.

A Tip Top Big Mac – Your New McDonalds

A Tip Top Big Mac – Your New McDonalds

A Tip Top Big Mac is what I made at McDonalds even if I do say so myself.

Your New McDonalds

Myself and some fellow bloggers were invited to take a look around one of Plymouths City Centre McDonalds where some pretty impressive changes have been made to improve the service that customers receive and streamline the whole McDonalds experience.

Your New McDonalds

What’s New

Self Service – If you’ve been into your local branch recently it may be one of over 50% of restaurants that have the touch screen self-service points in addition to the usual counter and drive through services.

You may have even already visited one of the restaurants that have table service on offer. Fear not as these services will be rolled out nationwide in the near future.

The self service points where you order and pay for your food are a really quick and convenient way to order food. It displays the whole menu with size options and meal deal options.

Using the screens couldn’t be simpler. All the food is displayed using pictures and gives you various options (including dips for meals that include this). The touch screens are so easy that you could let your children use the screens to pick choose and order their own food. The best thing about the screens is that the menu is visual and there are options on there that you may not even know is available.

Table Service – This has probably been a long awaited addition to the McDonalds restaurants and will make ordering so much easier for the vast majority of us.

As a parent, standing in the queue and ordering the food and then finding a table can be such a pain in the butt, and then you forget to get the straws or napkins.

These days are long gone. The self-service machine allows you to choose table service. They have plastic table number plaques which are Bluetooth enabled that you pick up which are all numbered (I’m sure they have an actual name). You tap this number in and once your order is placed the server will be able to find you via the number plaque. The server comes armed with a toolbelt loaded with napkins, straws and sauces so there’s no need for you to leave your seat.

Behind the Scenes

We got to have a nose around behind the scenes which was quite impressive.

We started off in the staff room where we were given our very own McDonalds apron, hat (plus hairnet) and name badge. I was totally sold by this point but I am quite easily pleased!

Your New McDonalds

The kitchen, whilst busy was very orderly and everybody was going about their work like a well oiled machine.

I’ve always been quite impressed by the number of staff that are working in any restaurant at any given time. There are approximately 40 staff on at any given time and more at peak times.

Your New McDonalds

We had a look at the walk-in fridges and freezers at all the fresh ingredients that are delivered almost daily and YES they do use fresh eggs!

Tablets

Some of the restaurants have a seating area where tablets are available. I always assumed that these were just for children, but as well as games available you can use the tablets to get news updates, check your emails and log-in to your social media sites.

Rest assured that the tablets have strict blocks so that unsavoury sites are not accessed by our kids.

You can also keep up to date with all news that is McDonalds including calorie content and community projects that McDonalds support.

The Best Bit

We got to make our very own Big Mac’s.

All of the burgers are made specific to McDonalds. There are clearly labelled charts above the work station to ensure that all burgers are made the same.

You can watch my video but this next bit is completely from my memory.

  1. Get your bun ready
  2. Pop it into the three sections of the special bun toaster
  3. Get your box ready
  4. Put the bun in box
  5. Shoot the Big Mac sauce gun at both parts of the bun
  6. Add lettuce
  7. A sprinkle of onion
  8. A slice of cheese on one side
  9. Two slices of gherkin on the other making sure that you separate so you get pickle in each bite
  10. Add a burger on each side
  11. Put the middle part of the bun on top of the bottom bun
  12. Shut the box
  13. BOOM the Big Mac is good to go

I totally aced my Big Mac making skills as you can see in my video.

Your New McDonalds

Cool McDonalds Facts

  • They use fresh ingredients. Contrary to what many people think where possible fresh ingredients are used and delivered to the restaurants daily.
  • No food is sat around – The burgers are freshly prepared to order
  • All waste is recycled. This was the biggest surprise for me. All food and packaging waste is separated and recycled including the oil used in the fryers
  • McDonalds aim to have a ‘Zero Waste Policy’ in all restaurants by 2020
  • To reduce the carbon footprint, delivery lorries deliver and pick-up at the same time so that no empty lorries are driving around
  • Since the introduction of the self-service touch screens more salads have been ordered. This maybe since the entire menu is visual on the screen it’s much easier to see what’s on offer
  • McDonalds work with local councils and volunteer for litter picking with the Love Where you Live campaign
  • McDonalds support local community projects and sports clubs

I bet you’re just a little bit impressed as was I. We like to take Isabelle to McDonalds for a treat and we allow her to choose her own meal whether it be a burger and fries or fish fingers and a fruit bag. It’s all about moderation!

As they say *whistles* ‘I’m Loving it!’

Lisa x

Your New McDonalds