JO MALONE CHRISTMAS 2023

November 19, 2023 by Mr Luke Christian

I had recently been invited to the Jo Malone boutique in Harrogate, to take a look at this years Christmas range and as a big fan of Jo Malone already having reviewed many items across the brand before, I wasn’t going to turn this down! Plus, with seasonal cocktails provided by Slingsby Gin, this didn’t exactly make it too difficult to pass up…

I arrived with my friend and caught up with other bloggers there that I knew, and I immediately made a beeline for their fragrance Myrrh and Tonka which I have previously reviewed here. I forgot how stunning this scent was as admittedly it had been a while since I last smelt this, and a sales assistant suggested I spritz the ‘Orange Bitters’ fragrance on top of Myrrh and Tonka and well, what a dream!

A new addition to this years Christmas line-up is their fragrance - Ginger Biscuit.

Top Note: Ginger
Middle Note: Roasted Hazelnut
Base Note: Tonka Bean

which is available in

Sadly, I am not a huge fan of ginger as it is so this fragrance wasn’t for me, but I did appreciate how well-rounded the fragrance was and its projection I found felt quite light and soft, so perhaps this scent would better suited for those who like their fragrances closer to the skin and not so overpowering.

Christmas for me isn’t complete without their Pine and Eucalyptus candle which I treat myself to every year as I love how the scent captures the cold, frosty pine notes and its throw is powerful too! I also treat myself to Orange Bitters 30ml every Christmas as well, and this year was no exception.

Orange Bitters is one of my most complimented fragrances each time I wear this and if you haven’t had a chance to smell this yet, now is your chance! However, I was told during the event it sells out quite quickly so don’t hang around for too long… Thank you to the team at Jo Malone for inviting me along, I had a wonderful time and the cocktails provided by Slingsby Gin certainly went down a treat too!

Have you smelt Ginger Biscuit before? If so, what are your thoughts? Have you tried Orange Bitters or Pine and Eucalyptus? Let me know down below in the comments section as I would love to hear from you!

YORKSHIRE BLOGGER AWARDS 2023

October 04, 2023 by Mr Luke Christian

Earlier this year in June, I received an email from Yorkshire Blogger Awards notifying me that I had received a nomination in their ‘Disability/Mental Health’ category. The news of this completely took me by surprise as I’m the first to admit I hadn’t been as consistent with my blog or social media up until then.

Just a few days later, I received another email from Yorkshire Blogger Awards this time sharing the news that I was in fact shortlisted and up against 5 other influencers/bloggers in the ‘Disability/Mental Health’ category!

I remember at the time of receiving my email that I was shortlisted, thinking ‘Oh it’s all the way in September, I’ve got ages!’ And before I knew it, it was the night before the Awards. The Yorkshire Blogger Awards were held at Queen’s Hotel in Leeds City Centre on Saturday 30th September in the Queen’s Ballroom and the dress code was ‘Smart’ and I opted for a ‘Wine/Oxblood’ Velvet Blazer, a crisp white shirt, black trousers and black boots from Jeffery West.

I began getting ready for the evening at Park Plaza Hotel which was situated just across from Queen’s Hotel so in terms of location, it was ideal! The event then started around 7pm where we were shown to our tables and I was introduced to my BSL Interpreter who was available for me to translate the English spoken word into British Sign Language. I find that when I go to busy, noisy events that it is often overwhelming and can be too loud for me to follow what is being said, so having the BSL Interpreter there meant I could easily follow what the host and winners were saying which made this event accessible for me and any other deaf attendees. We were seated for a 3 course meal which was delicious from start to finish and after we had eaten, the categories and winners were then announced.

With each passing category, I could feel myself getting slightly nervous before my category was read out and then when it came to my category, it’s safe to say my palms were slightly sweaty! After each name was read out, it was down to the winner to be revealed and guess who won? Me.

It took me a moment to absorb what was happening and as I went up on stage, Chloe, the host, asked me why is it important for me to use my platform to raise deaf awareness and I froze having not had anything prepared because I genuinely did not think I would win let alone be given an award! I then made my way off stage for a quick photoshoot before resuming at my table to watch the other winners take their place. After the official Awards Ceremony, there was a live band and singer playing iconic songs which put everybody into good spirits and after a Monkey Shoulder (or 3), I then headed back to my room on a complete high. What an incredible experience and evening, and I am so grateful to have been nominated, shortlisted and also to have won the ‘Disability/Mental Health’ category.

The biggest thank you to the team at Yorkshire Blogger Awards for this incredible evening and for my award, and I look forward to seeing the event grow with each passing year!

KIEHL'S POWERFUL-STRENGTH LINE-REDUCING & DARK CIRCLE-DIMINISHING VITAMIN C EYE SERUM

April 02, 2020 by Mr Luke Christian

About a month or so ago I attended the launch of Kiehl’s latest product; Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing & Dark Circle-Diminishing Vitamin C Eye Serum, and despite the name being a little bit of a mouthful, it does exactly what it says!

The launch took place in the Pegasus Room in Selfridges London and I was completely taken aback by the mesmerising statue/feature of the horse which dominated the whole restaurant and was adorned in glitter head to toe. We were escorted to a private room to learn more about their latest product whilst tucking into our delicious three-course meal along with sipping on a specially crafted cocktail for the event (or 2!)

KIEHL'S POWERFUL-STRENGTH LINE-REDUCING & DARK CIRCLE-DIMINISHING VITAMIN C EYE SERUM

Kiehl’s latest product had been formulated specifically for the eye area and contains powerful, potent ingredients such as:

Tri-Peptide Complex
Hyaluronic Acid
10% Pure Vitamin C

and the formula has been clinically demonstrated to reduce lines, crows feet, puffiness around the eye area and visibly reduce the appearance of dark circles.

As a big fan of all things Kiehl’s naturally I was excited to try this out, especially as their ‘Creamy Eye Avocado Treatment’ is my all-time favourite eye cream so I was keen to see how the new launch would stand against the previous Creamy Eye Treatment. Since I’ve launched a business it can be a little stressful at times which results in lack of sleep, therefore, resulting in my eyes looking puffy and tired so this came at rather a good time!

I applied the Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing & Dark Circle-Diminishing Vitamin C Eye Serum with my ring finger as this places the least amount of pressure within your eye area as it’s such a delicate area. Once the serum had been applied, I almost felt a slight warming sensation to this which we had previously been told at the Launch in London that this is due to the active ingredients within the Eye Serum which means it’s working! The sensation wasn’t uncomfortable nor did it make me feel the need to scrub it off so don’t panic…

I’ll be honest as I always am, I didn’t see any results immediately however, that’s to be expected! After applying this for 6 consecutive nights I began to see that my eyes looked a lot less puffy and that the discolouration of my eye area was beginning to lighten in colour too. Overall I was impressed with this Eye Serum and found that the texture was a lot finer and smoother than my original favourite of the Creamy Eye Avocado Treatment. I also liked the hint of the orange scent coming through too!

For more details on the Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing & Dark Circle-Diminishing Vitamin C Eye Serum, head over to their website and be sure to read more of my reviews on Kiehl’s below:

You can also read about the three events that I went to with Kiehl's:

Kiehl's Pure Vitality Launch | Kiehl's On Wheels; Manchester | Kiehl's Boutique Store Opening; Manchester

Have you tried the new Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing & Dark Circle-Diminishing Vitamin C Eye Serum? If so, what did you think to it? Have you tried any products by Kiehl’s before? Which one? Let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button!

eSHORES TRAVEL EVENT

October 07, 2019 by Mr Luke Christian

I recently went along to eShores travel event at Lambert’s Yard in Leeds and despite not having heard or known much about eShores before, I knew I was in for a treat when the e-vite stated that the evening would be filled with ‘glamour, flair and magic’, and they certainly lived up to it!

eShores are a team of travel consultants based in Manchester and are an online travel agent/tour operator who can offer anything and everything that is currently available both online and on the high street. Specialising in Multi Centre Holidays where these type of holidays allow you to tailor make your own holiday so that you can get the very best out of it by combining the beach with the city, culture with landscapes, the list goes on! The eShores website has a list of recommended itineraries ranging from their most popular destinations and holidays, to their more bespoke, unique packages.

The evening at Lambert’s Yard began by enjoying a cocktail (or three…) from a menu which had all been inspired by their most popular American destinations:

SAN FRANCISCO COCKTAILS

Wall Banger – Vodka, Mango & Pineapple Juice, Mint & Galliano
San Francisco – Vodka, Cherry Brandy, Lime & Sugar
Pornstar Martini – Vanilla Vodka, Lemon, Pineapple Juice & Passionfruit syrup
Californian Ginjito – Gin, Mint, Apple Juice, Lime, Sugar & Soda

After mingling and hearing from the founder of eShores, we then headed upstairs where we enjoyed a 3 course meal!

LOS ANGELES INSPIRED FOOD

Starter: Out of the vegan or meat option, I opted for the ‘Hawaiian’ tuna poke which was tuna fillet, macadamia, sushi Rice.
Main: Easily the most tastiest dish on the menu, the abigaile fried chicken sandwich, it was so tasty! Chicken, maple syrup sage biscuits, julienne potatoes and no bread.
Dessert: Served in a glass, I had the ‘Vegas’ Greek Yoghurt Martini, raspberry and pomegranate.

VEGAS ENTERTAINMENT

Photography by https://www.elouisageorgiou.co.uk/ — *Photography by* *https://www.elouisageorgiou.co.uk/*

As we were tucking into our food, a magician; Sebastian Walton was on hand to provide us with some entertainment and tricks and I must admit, I usually don’t think too much of magicians or illusions but he was incredible. Completely stole the show and left us all wondering ‘Eh, how on earth did he do that!?’ (Fun fact, he was also on Britain’s Got Talent a few years back!)

The evening was great fun and a great insight into finding out more about eShores and the services that they provide. As a little gift to you, my readers, I have been provided with a whopping £100 discount when you book a holiday with them! All you have to do to get this discount is to quote ‘USA/Leeds Event.’ Who knows where you could be flying to?

Have you used eShores services before? If so, which holiday did you go on? Have you ever flown to America? Where would you recommend flying to? Let me know in the comments below as I would love to hear from you and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button!

MANAHATTA - HARROGATE

September 06, 2019 by Mr Luke Christian

Last night I had the pleasure of being invited along to the grand opening of Manahatta in Harrogate!

Before Manahatta arrived, the location was previously home to ‘The Pit’, a bar where I had spent many nights in, dancing away, having far too many rum based drinks and I won’t mention the countless times of being carried out of the venue for being a little too ‘merry’ shall we say… Moving on!

Manahatta was inspired by a trip to New York, where the chic and modern decor appealed to the team at Arc Inspirations and the team wanted to bring a fresh, upmarket cocktail bar where people could enjoy delicious food, relax with their friends and have a wide range of gorgeous cocktails to choose from, all of which were inspired by New York.

As I walked into Manahatta, I was immediately drawn to the decor where a wall had been covered in gorgeous purple flowers! We were given a quick tour around Manahatta (including the ladies toilets which I must say, pure Instagram goals!) As we were being shown around, straight away the mood and vibe of Manahatta immediately felt more grown up and sophisticated, gone were the ‘rocky’ vibes where The Pit once was although structurally, nothing has changed.

With that being said, as we walked up the stairs, a fresh, brand new cocktail bar was waiting upstairs! The new upstairs bar is a new addition to the venue and solves that annoying problem of having to go up and down the stairs all the time to get a drink which you previously had to do at The Pit!

The decor with Manahatta is all stunning and completely ‘Instagrammable’. My particular favourite were the industrial looking lights and of course, the disco ball! We then got to sample some delicious food and if I could recommend trying something, then you have to try their Eton Mess… You can thank me later. I then got the chance to make my own cocktail and I chose to make the Rum based ‘Sailors Punch’ which contained the ingredients: Sailor Jerry spiced rum, Caribbean pineapple, ginger, maple syrup, lime, pineapple. I think I did a rather good job if I do say so myself!

The whole evening was a great way to get a better insight to Manahatta and is the perfect addition to the Harrogate nightlife, I’m already planning my next trip!

Manahatta officially opens this evening (Friday 6th September) so what are you waiting for!? For more details, click here.

Will you be visiting Manahatta? Have you been a Manahatta before at another location? If so, which one? I would love to hear your thoughts so leave me a comment below and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button!

LIZ EARLE AND THE IVY: VICTORIA QUARTER LEEDS

June 30, 2019 by Mr Luke Christian

I had recently been invited along to The Ivy for afternoon tea in collaboration with the skincare brand; Liz Earle. The two brands had teamed up within Victoria Quarter in Leeds to bring together a package that allowed you to get pampered with a treatment by the team at Liz Earle, followed by afternoon tea at The Ivy!

Despite having never tried anything from Liz Earle before, or ever having visited one of their boutiques, I still knew quite a bit with regards to the brand and I knew that Liz Earle was one of the first skincare brands to really champion and hone in on ‘active ingredients’. I also knew that Liz Earle had become a wellbeing, lifestyle guru so when the chance came up for me to be able to experience a luxury treatment, naturally I was intrigued and keen to find out more…

I arrived at the Liz Earle boutique and was taken upstairs to the very top where they had several treatment rooms. I filled out a consultation form which covered the basic questions such as any skincare problems you may have, what treatment you feel best suits you and ultimately, what you’re wanting to see results from! I was then greeted by a lovely beauty therapist and we went to a private treatment room. The treatment room itself was incredibly peaceful, the lights were low which instantly created a tranquil environment and I had been told to undress and get into the treatment bed. I am fully aware how that sounds, but it was all innocent!

I explained to the beauty therapist a few of my skincare issues and the main one for me was how dry my skin was. I had been going through a bit of stress at the time and for me, the biggest problem is forgetting to hydrate both my body and skin! The treatment that was gifted to me was the ‘Speedy Lift Facial’.

SPEEDY LIFT FACIAL - 30 minutes / £45

Designed for those who are short on time but want an instant complexion boost, this facial workout features deep-tissue sculpting techniques to visibly lift, refresh and tone.

The treatment began with a gentle cleanse, followed by toning of the skin then finishing off with a moisturiser. As the treatment progressed, the movements of the facial became more vigorous which I enjoyed, but prior to the treatment you do get asked if you would like the movements to be gentle, medium or hard so don’t panic. The treatment is catered to your skincare needs after all!

After the treatment, I could immediately see that my skin had a glow, it looked radiant and healthy. My skin felt soft to touch, well moisturised and nourished! I liked that my skin didn’t feel to gloopy or sticky despite the amount of products that had gone into it. The treatment was over as quickly as it started and despite the movements being fast paced, I felt incredibly relaxed and almost nodded off at one point…

Once the treatment had finished, I had then been given some skincare tips and hints on how to look after my skin and not let the stress get to it too much! I had been advised to cleanse, tone and moisturise twice daily, exfoliate twice weekly and use a night oil instead of a moisturiser 3 times a week, and perhaps the most important advice? Drink more water!

After my treatment, I then popped across from the Liz Earle boutique to The Ivy where I opted for

Smoked salmon on dark rye style bread with cream cheese and chives
Raspberry cheesecake
Latté

all of which were utterly delicious! When going along for Afternoon Tea at The Ivy, please note that the timing for this menu is between 3pm-5pm.

I had a wonderful afternoon, the perfect way to unwind and relax! I had also very kindly been gifted some products from Liz Earle and have been implementing my new tips and advice into a skincare routine which I will be reviewing very shortly so do check back for that soon!

Have you used any products by Liz Earle before? If so, what have you used? Have you had any treatments by Liz Earle before? Which one? Will you be treating yourself to a luxury pampering session? Have you visited The Ivy for Afternoon Tea yet? Let me know below as I would love to hear from you and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button!

BYREDO LEATHER COLLECTION

June 23, 2019 by Mr Luke Christian

About a month or so ago I had an e-vite come through from Byredo. Now, I will confess that I had an absolute ‘fan-girl’ moment as Byredo is one of my favourite brands when it comes to fragrances. Ever.

The event took place at the Byredo boutique in Soho, London and was to showcase the new leather goods. I was greeted with champagne (always a good sign) and I was taken upstairs where the leather goods had been displayed. As I walked around the room, I was immediately drawn to the ‘Blueprint’ collection. A series of beautifully crafted leather bags which can be hand-held, shoulder held or worn across the body in a range of designs such as:

Embroidered Black Leather
Overstitched Black Leather
Printed Black Leather
Black Leather and Painted Python
Black Anaconda
Black Python
most of which are available in other sizes and colours

My personal favourite? The Black Leather and Painted Python - so chic.

I then noticed another display in which several bottles of Byredo fragrances and candles had been encased in leather! These leather cases were designed for the traveller in mind, for those who want to be able to take their favourite fragrance and candle away with them with the comfort of knowing that their glass bottles will be protected. I had also been informed that with every leather fragrance and candle purchase, you get a free bottle of your choice. Ideal!

Another collection that caught my eye was the ‘De La Sac’. My particular favourite one was the Red Leather bag. The shade of red was so striking and the detailing was so precise which really stood out amongst the rest!

Other pieces from the Leather Collection are:

Eazy Bag
Umbrella Wallet
Credit Card Holder
Wallet Clutch
Circuit Bag
Travel Perfume Case

To read more on the Leather goods from Byredo, click here! Shortly after this event, I was then invited along to the launch of the new fragrance ‘Sundazed’. Check back soon for the review on the fragrance!

In the meantime, be sure to check out my other reviews on Byredo such as -

Gypsy Water Fragrance / Baudelaire Fragrance / Bibliotheque Fragrance and Home Scent / Seven Veils Fragrance / Ambre Japonais Home Scent / Chai Home Scent

Have you visited the Byredo store in Soho before? What do you think to it? Have you tried anything from Byredo before? If so, what have you tried? Have you managed to see the Leather Collection? Which is your favourite piece? Let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button below!