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Review of the mitre restaurant in Oxford

A quick review of The Mitre restaurant in Oxford

My trip to Oxford was a year ago now, but I found this review in my notebook, so I thought I’d type it up as it could be useful to someone visiting Oxford. Just to fill you in, as part of my Christmas and birthday presents, I had a little two-night stay in a lovely hotel near the city, all by myself. It was heaven! Anyway, you can never go wrong with a Beefeater restaurant, so I tried the one on Oxford High Street called The Mitre….

Boots No 7 LIFT & luminate Day cream review

For me there’s a fine line between looking young and dewy, and looking fat and sweaty. This is the problem of having a round chubby face, and I’ve always gone as matte as possible with my make-up to avoid the second scenario as much as possible. However, as Boots no7 changed the formula of their Protect and Perfect Day cream, and I wasn’t as impressed as I was with their older version, I thought I would try out this one, which is part of their new Lift & Luminate range…..

Negotiating lipstick with piercings and a wonky mouth!

I have never really worn lipstick. In my mind, it just hasn’t suited me – I have a very thin top lip and and a very fat bottom lip and overall my mouth is very lop-sided. I could happily go on being self-critical, but I won’t! I also think part of the problem is I was trying the wrong colours – brown was very much the fashion in the ’90s when I was playing around with make-up, and although I never really thought lipstick fashions were a thing, I have noticed that brown lipsticks are back….

Review of the L’Oreal Voluminous Superstar Mascara

February 15, 2017

On holiday in America in 2015 I bought the L’Oreal Beauty Tubes mascara. This was amazing, but when I went back last year, I couldn’t find it again. Instead, L’Oreal had this mascara, called Voluminous Superstar. It is one of those mascaras with two ends – a white coat first to lengthen your lashes and then the actual mascara to go over the top. This was just what I was looking for as I’ve liked those kind ever since I bought the Maybelline XXL volume mascara. (See my review here from 2005)……

10 ideas to help you get through the day

January 29, 2017

I’m writing this on the dreariest January day ever with rain pouring down and freezing cold hands; it’s barely surprising that we are likely to feel depressed at this time of year. Some are lucky enough to only feel low in spirits every now and then, while others suffer with melancholia so bad they lose hope of never feeling that way again. The best way to deal with those times is usually distraction. By all means, take a little time to yourself if you need it, but then I think the best thing to do is find something else to keep your mind occupied. Here are some ideas…..

Jonathan Creek Christmas special, Daemons’ Roost

January 23, 2017

All too often I circle programmes excitedly in the Christmas double issue of the Radio Times, only to get carried away with goings on with the family and totally forget to look at it. If you’re the same, then one of the programmes you might have missed is the Christmas Special of Jonathan Creek. I don’t normally review telly, but this one was due a mention……

Matte eye shadow palette comparisons and reviews – Boots No. 7, Ulta, e.l.f. & Hard Candy

January 22, 2017

I don’t know whether it’s my age or personal preference, but although I think shimmery eye shadow looks great on other people; I don’t feel it suits me, so I’m always on the look-out for eye shadow palettes in matte – particularly if they’re not nude colours. As make-up is usually a bit cheaper in America , when we were there on holiday in summer, I bought a few to try …..

The Beauty Bargain you need to know about today!

January 7, 2017

I am a fan of Boots No 7 beauty products – on the whole they work very well for my skin, so I was pleased to spot this gift pack in the Boots January sale called the No 7 Beautiful Skin Collection. Originally £14, it’s now half price at £7, which makes this a real bargain. It contains small size tubes and bottles of Radiance Exfoliator; Day Cream; Night Cream and Cleansing Lotion. But the main one to note is the full size bottle of Overnight Revitalising Eye Balm. The same size retails normally at £12, so if this is a product you’re likely to use, then the whole pack is an absolute steal. I’ve just bought two packs! My local Boots had stacks the other day, but only a few today, so get out quick to grab this while you can! Or I’ve just found it online. On a side note, they’re also doing a three for two on Boots No 7 beauty products in their usual price range at the moment and you’ve got one more day to use the £5 off beauty products and £3 off make-up vouchers they’re handing out at the till. (You’d have to work out if the three for two is better value as you can’t use both offers at the same time.) So there you are – just a very quick beauty tip I thought you might like to know about!

Exposing a fireplace and other renovating adventures

January 6, 2017

Some of you have been following the renovating side of this blog since we moved in eight and a half years ago; so I thought I’d do a quick update of a couple of the smaller jobs that we’ve done recently. The first clue that there was an old fireplace in our bedroom was the hearthstone that we found when lifting up the beige carpet to reveal the Georgian floorboards. The second clue was the obvious difference in sound when knocking on the wall. The third clue was the whacking great hole behind the plaster when we hit it with a hammer….

Is it time to start making an effort?

November 23, 2016

Fashion and Beauty are terms that generally go hand in hand, particularly when describing the genre for some bloggers. However, whilst I am always interested in what’s on the catwalk, I can’t honestly say I’m all that bothered about ‘beauty’. I like looking at the craftsmanship of couture clothing, but I’m not rushing out to buy the latest eyeshadow primer. I suppose my interest has increased in the last six months or so when I’ve started blogging and making You Tube videos and my image is out there a bit more; and it got me thinking about how I’ve thought about beauty products over the years and how it’s changed…..

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them review (no spoilers)

November 20, 2016

This is just a quick extra post because I went to watch this film last night and thought it was absolutely fantastic! As Harry Potter fans, we were very excited in this household and the kids and I dressed up for the occasion in 1920’s style outfits! We ate a meal first at the Frankie & Benny’s opposite the Cineworld cinema in Yeovil (which, by the way is hugely improved from last time we went there – I think they’ve employed new kitchen staff) and sneaked pudding, in the form of chocolate buttons, in my bag into Screen eight!….

The romance of a well

November 18, 2016

I was pretty much brought up on Enid Blyton and it instilled in me a desire to live in a cute cottage in a countryside village. A well in the garden would be an added bonus. Well, although more of a farmhouse than a cottage, I am lucky enough to have fulfilled that dream. We were told by the previous owner that the well in the garden used to also serve the farmworkers’ cottages opposite. The path leading from the well to an iron gate half way down the garden would suggest that’s true. We live at the top of a hill, and as far as I’m aware, the only other well at the top of the hill in Somerset is in a small village called Kilmersdon, which is famous for the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme. Wouldn’t it be cool if that’s a mistake and it was actually our well? Haha!….