RICCI'S TAPAS & CICCHETTI - LEEDS

December 04, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

Ricci's Tapas & Cicchetti can be found on the corner of Infirmary Street, in the heart of the financial district in Leeds in a Grade Listed II building, this restaurant is easy to get to and offers small tapas-style dishes using fresh local produce and unique artisan ingredients from around the world!

I had recently been invited along to try out some of their dishes and prior to the visit I had always known of Ricci's as a 'hotspot' in Leeds and that it was the place to eat so I was rather excited beforehand. As a complete novice to both the restaurant and to tapas-style dishes, I had no idea what to expect! The menu was rather expansive and from the menu I chose:

Italian Meatballs
Slow Roasted Local Belly Pork
Sweet Potato Wedges
Fish Masala
and to finish off with I had the Dark Chocolate Tart!

The Italian Meatballs were incredibly delicious and were easily my favourite dish out of the ones listed. Each of the dishes/portions were small, which I found was a great way of trying out new dishes that I wouldn't necessarily choose had they been 'regular sized'!

The whole vibe of the restaurant itself had a chic and upmarket yet laidback feel to it. A perfect place to unwind with a wide array of choices to choose from whether they be your go-to favourites, or if you fancy trying something new, then this is ideal!

Ricci's Tapas & Cicchetti has the adjoining bar of 53 Degrees North with the secret basement gin bar below, The Vault. Unfortunately I was unable to visit both these bars, but will be visiting very shortly!

Have you visited Ricci's Tapas & Cicchetti before? If so, what did you have? Are you a fan of tapas-style dishes? Have you visited either of the two bars; 53 Degrees North or The Vault before? How did you find it? Do let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to click the 'like' button!

PROVERB SKINCARE RANGE

December 01, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

'Get out what you put in.'

Proverb is geared towards men who lead an active lifestyle and believe that they get out what they put in! Using only clean, active, natural and organic ingredients within their skincare products such as; proteins, anti-oxidants and enzymes, all of which have been formulated for lab proven results.

I have spent the past month or so trialling out each other the products from the range and I must admit, I am impressed! I received;

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SKIN RESISTANCE TRAINING SUPPLEMENT

I took two capsules as instructed each morning with water and out of the range, I found these supplements to take the longest to notice any sort of change. I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of taking supplements for anything anyway so I was a little biased beforehand. However, having had these I have noticed my skin appeared brighter and with both Vitamin C and D within these capsules, I knew that these would be more beneficial for my health! You can purchase the Skin Resistance Training Supplement here.

CLEANSE & SHAVE NUTRIENT MUD

Prior to using the Cleanse & Shave Nutrient Mud, I dampened my face and then began to massage the mud into my skin. The texture of the Mud is rather thick but managed to absorb into the pores of my skin rather well and I particularly liked the citrusy scent! I noticed almost immediately afterwards that my skin felt smoother to touch and appeared hydrated! This product also doubles up to be used whilst shaving also, but as I sport facial hair, I was unable to use it for that reason. You can purchase the Cleanse & Shave Nutrient Mud here.

STRENGTHENING SKIN SERUM

I used this serum in the morning after using the Cleanse & Shave Nutrient Mud, and applied a small amount of the serum over my face. The texture of the serum was very smooth and was easily absorbed into my skin! Over time, my face felt firmer and more nourished. You can purchase the Strengthening Skin Serum here.

SKIN DEFINITION FACIAL SCRUB

Designed for all skin types, the Skin Definition Facial Scrub is a gentle exfoliator and I used this at night-time by massaging into my face, and later rinsed off with warm water. The texture of the Facial Scrub was rather light and didn't feel as rough or 'bitty' given that it is an exfoliator! I particularly like how smooth and fresh faced my skin was afterwards. You can purchase the Skin Definition Facial Scrub here.

HYDRATION PRO MOISTURISER // OIL BALANCE PRO MOISTURISER

Depending on your skin type, whether it be normal, dry or oily, you have these two moisturisers to choose one which suits your needs best! As my skin type is normal/dry, I used the Hydration Pro Moisturiser as it tackled my issues. I found that the Moisturiser had a slight shine to it which for me personally was slightly off putting as I favour a more 'matte finish' to my face, however, despite this, my skin did look healthier and had a nice glow to it! You can purchase both the Hydration Pro Moisturiser here, and Oil Balance Pro Moisturiser here.

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Overall, the range from Proverb has a high end, premium feel to it and with the ex rugby pro & model; Thom Evans being the ambassador, it isn't surprising to see why! You can experience the Proverb 4 x 4 x 4 x 4 programme in which Thom Evans demonstrates the different products and the different movements maximising the full experience of each product! To view the programme, click here.

To view the full range, and to learn more about Proverb, click here!

Have you tried any of these products by Proverb before? Will you be trying any of these out? Which sounds most appealing to you? Do let me know your thoughts below, as I would love to hear from you! Also, don't forget to click the 'like' button below!

*Please note, this post has been sponsored.

COUNTING DOWN 'TIL CHRISTMAS WITH HOTEL CHOCOLAT

December 01, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

Every year without fail, I had always treated myself to an Advent Calendar from Hotel Chocolat and this Christmas was, of course, going to be no exception, only this time I had been gifted the Advent Calendar by Hotel Chocolat!

I am much more of a 'dark chocolate' person as opposed to 'milk chocolate', so I had been gifted with their Dark Chocolate Advent Calendar! This year there is a much wider selection of Advent Calendars to choose from such as their;

Milk
Chocolate
Caramel
White
For 2
Up to Snow Good
Supermilk
100% Ecuador
The Grand Advent Calendar

As today is the 1st December which officially marks the beginning of Christmas, I cannot wait to open up each door and count down the days until Christmas with each dark chocolate treat! For more details and to get inspired by their Chocolate Gifting, click here and to purchase any of the Advent Calendars mentioned, click here.

Have you shopped at Hotel Chocolat before? If so, what did you buy? Did you buy your Advent Calendar from Hotel Chocolat? Which one did you choose? Did you manage to get your Advent Calendar in time, or will you be playing catch up!? Do let me know your thoughts as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to click that 'like' button below!

SUKHOTHAI - LEEDS SOUTH PARADE

November 13, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

I had recently been invited along to Sukhothai in Leeds to choose a meal of my choice, alongside some drinks!

Sukhothai is a Thai Restaurant and was first officially opened back in 2002. Based in North Yorkshire, there are currently 4 restaurants;

Leeds - Chapel Allerton
Leeds - City Centre
Leeds - Headingley
Harrogate

I visited the Sukhothai restaurant situated on South Parade in Leeds City Centre, an area best known for its bustling nightlife with many chic and stylish bars/restaurants! The decor within the restaurant was very grand and opulent and despite being rather busy, it still had an intimate feeling and wasn't too loud.

From the menu I selected Poh Pia Tod for my starter which were Thai Style Spring Rolls with mixed vegetables served with a sweet chilli sauce. They were absolutely delicious! For my main I chose to have the Gang Kiew Wan which you can choose from Chicken, Pork, Beef or Lamb to go with your Thai Green Curry with coconut milk, bamboo shots and courgettes. I found the portion size to be a little too large for me, but admittedly I have a small appetite regardless so perhaps I would advise to visit Sukhothai when you are absolutely ravenous! From the drinks menu I then chose the Phuket Beach which was a gorgeous, fruity cocktail. Overall, the service was very attentive and the food came out very quickly!

If you are based in North Yorkshire, or you're a visitor who's a fan of Thai food, then I would strongly recommend Sukhothai!

Have you visited Sukhothai before? Which one did you visit? What did you eat/drink there? Do let me know your thoughts as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to click that 'like' button below!

DELBOY?

November 12, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

One of the many reasons as to why I love the Winter season so much is predominantly due to the style and fashion. I find that all of the clothing both online and in stores seem to be much more polished, sleek and really allow you to experiment with different styles whilst keeping warm! Especially with coats... I managed to find this gorgeous Shearling coat from LoveTheSales and what drew me to the coat was how bold and statement grabbing it was!

I have found this coat to be incredibly versatile and can be worn with anything, head to toe in black, or with a smart shirt and trousers. For this shoot, I opted for a white turtleneck sweater with some light grey trousers and white trainers. I wanted to keep the look very fresh and show a different side to dressing for Winter as opposed to the standard dark, heavy colours!

Myself and Matt McCormick shot this look on a rooftop in Leeds and I have to say, once again, I am in love with how these turned out! Very different to my previous post with the Moss Bros coat, and I have been told by various people that this coat is very 'Delboy' from Only Fools & Horses... Do you agree?

WHAT I WORE:

ASOS | Shearling Coat

ASOS | Weekday Trey Turtleneck Jumper

TOPMAN | Light Grey Marl Skinny Fit Suit Trousers

NEW LOOK | White Canvas Trainers

Would you wear this coat? What are your thoughts to it? Have you shopped with any of the brands mentioned before? If so, what did you buy? Do you like the images we took? Let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don’t forget to click that like button!

KEEPING WARM WITH MOSS BROS

November 07, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

Moss Bros are best known for their premium tailoring such as their slick and suave coats alongside their luxurious suits, all of which are designed and tailored to the highest quality.

I had recently been contacted by Moss Bros, and was given the opportunity to select a new coat to feature. Naturally I was ecstatic and I went along to the Harrogate Boutique to select one and was stuck between a simple, plain grey coat, or this Moss London Slim Fit POW Check Overcoat which is ultimately what I chose in the end.

I chose the Moss London Slim Fit POW Check Overcoat because it was different to any coat I had had before, and I loved the speckled effect with the different colours all woven together and I particularly liked how the textured wool felt. I also felt that it was versatile and true to form, it fit like a glove. Myself and Matt McCormick went to Roundhay Park in Leeds to shoot this and this is without a doubt one of my favourite shoots! I loved the different lighting that we got to play around with and I am thoroughly pleased with the results.

WHAT I WORE:

MOSS BROS / Moss London Slim Fit POW Check Overcoat

NEXT / Burgundy Roll Neck Jumper

ASOS / Black Skinny Jeans

JEFFERY WEST / Helter Skelter Chelsea Boots

Have you shopped with Moss Bros before? If so, what did you buy? Do you like my choice of coat? Do you like the images we took? Let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don’t forget to click that like button!

WINTER FRAGRANCES 2017

November 02, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

It is that time of year again where I bring you a few of 'Must Have' fragrances of the season, and in this Winter Guide I will be covering the key aspects of all fragrances, and telling you why you these are serious contenders this Winter!

The key aspects I will be covering are;

Notes featured within the fragrance
Longevity
Sillage
& my overall experience and thoughts on the fragrance itself!

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BYKILIAN - SINGLE MALT

Top Notes: Plum
Middle Notes: Wheat
Base Notes: Cedar, Vanilla, Tolu Balsam

I had the pleasure of visiting the ByKilian Boutique earlier this year in London and I vividly remember 'Single Malt' being my favourite due to its powerful sillage and how the fragrance really did capture the essence of Malt Whisky!

Single Malt begins with a strong and fruity opening which then dries down into a deeper, rich scent which for me begins to fade slightly but seems to be powerful to others around me due to many compliments even hours after wearing this with the sillage being heavy and the projection being loud!

I would recommend wearing Single Malt in the evening/nighttime as it is bold and sensual, and will definitely get you noticed.

You can purchase ByKilian - Single Malt here.

EMPORIO ARMANI - STRONGER WITH YOU

Top Notes: Cardamom, Pink Pepper, Violet Leaf, Mint
Middle Notes: Sage, Melon, Pineapple
Base Notes: Vanilla, Chestnut, Cedar, Amberwood

Armani's newest fragrant pairing offers two different scents designed for those which are equal in strength and come in the form of Stronger With You (Men's) and Because It's You (Women's).

For my Winter Guide I will be talking about the Stronger With You fragrance! The fragrance opens up with a sweet burst of the Vanilla note. Whilst I found the fragrance to be a clean, well rounded fragrance, I did find it to be a little synthetic and the fragrance quickly faded from my skin.

I would recommend wearing this during the daytime and I found that the sillage was medium and its projection medium.

You can purchase Emporio Armani - Stronger With You here.

ACQUA DI PARMA - EBANO

Top Notes: Petitgrain, Bergamot, Resins, Red Pepper
Middle Notes: Ebony, Honey
Base Notes: Patchouli, Vetiver

A woody and smokey fragrance that feels like an old classic! Ideal for the colder, Winter periods.

The opening of Ebano opens with the strong note of Honey which becomes more spicy with the Red Pepper note kicking in and the dry down feels woody and rich.

The longevity lasted for up to 5 hours on my skin and its sillage was medium to heavy. Not too overpowering and is best suited for the evening.

You can purchase Acqua Di Parma - Ebano here.

PACO RABANNE - PURE XS

Top Notes: Ginger, Green Accord, Thyme
Middle Notes: Vanilla, Cinnamon, Leather, Liquor
Base Notes: Cedar, Myrrh, Sugar

Pure XS by Paco Rabanne opens up with the sweetness of the Vanilla note which quickly fades down into a smokey and spicy fragrance.

The longevity of Pure XS was slightly disappointing as it only lasted for up to 3/4 hours upon my skin, however, I gained a few compliments from having worn this! I would recommend wearing Pure XS during the nighttime and its sillage was light-medium.

A little side note, the packaging of Pure XS comes in a divine suede effect box making it the ultimate luxury present!

You can purchase Paco Rabanne - Pure XS here.

CALVIN KLEIN - OBSESSED

Top Notes: Grapefruit, Sichuan Pepper, Cardamom
Middle Notes: Cedar, Labdanum, Leather
Base Notes: Black Vanilla Husk, Patchouli, Ambroxan

One of my personal favourites! Fronted by the iconic Kate Moss shot by Mario Sorrenti, Obsessed is rather similar to the Armani Campaign in that there are two versions of Calvin Klein; Obsessed. One for the men, and the other for women.

Obsessed is one of my personal favourites as I love how sweet and sensual the scent is! The fragrance opens up with the Grapefruit note which remains prominent throughout and during the dry-down, the scent becomes musky and spicy.

In terms of the longevity, Obsessed lasted on my skin for up to 5/6 hours and the sillage was light-medium. I would recommend wearing this during the daytime leading into the early evening.

You can purchase Calvin Klein - Obsessed here.

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I hope you have enjoyed my Winter Fragrances Guide and I would be very interested to know if any of your favourites have made it into this Guide! I do hope that is has helped and informed you on making some choices when it comes to updating and refreshing your fragrance choices, and perhaps it's given you some thoughts on a potential Christmas Gift?

Have you tried any of these fragrances that I have featured within my Winter Guide? If so, which ones have you tried? Which is your favourite? Least favourite? Which worked for you, and didn't work so much? Do let me know, as I would love to hear from you and don't forget to click that 'like' button down below!