FOOD // URBAN KITCHEN

To celebrate a friend's 25th birthday a group of us headed to Urban Kitchen in Town for some drinks and food. It was the first time I had ventured into the resturant that serves a great choice for breakfast, lunch and dinner all for a reasonable price  It's based on the former site of The Royal Hotel in the heart of St Peter Port and despite the rain that day it was bustling with customers.

As we sit down with the menu, the interior and design of the place really gives off a relaxed and warmed atmosphere - plus there's nothing quite like feeling cosy inside when you can hear and see the rain trickling down outside. I took a few pictures while we were there before we headed off for some mojitos... 

 I fancied the chilli and lime tiger prawns that came with tomatoes, flat breads and a delicious mango and turmeric yoghurt dip. It's only been in the past year that I've got into prawns but these were amazing and especially with the dip I was in food heaven. 

Some of the other girls went for sandwiches and here's one with roasted red pepper hummus, caramelised onions, rocket and goat's cheese and you can't forget the chips - delish!  

The following day and nursing a (slight) hangover I went for a walk in the small Guernsey lanes. I came across this beautiful flower stall and lovely rural scene.  Thought it was worth a picture!

If anyone else has been to Urban Kitchen and can make any good recommendations let me know. 

Love Nic x

NEW PURCHASES

So the other day I popped in Town to get my friend a birthday card and came home with a few extra things... I don't know if it's just me but the sunny weather is making me want to replace my entire wardrobe and what better way to start with some sunnies, a t-shirt and pumps. I have also been watching lots of icovetthee videos at the moment and picked up some extra goodies in Boots that Alix mentioned...

So the first stop was Next, our store in St Peter Port is quite small, but it was packed with  spring clothes and I just couldn't resist. Right now they have a great range of casual t-shirts in a wide variety of fresh colours. I picked up this blue stone washed number and it looks great with some jeans and maybe even some flip-flops when the weather warms up a bit. Other colours they had were yellow, lime, grey and a red/orange all for £14. 

Next up I have been on the look out for some casual pumps that I can just throw on. When I went into Sports Direct I saw these right by the till I just had to try them on, and let me tell you, they are so comfy and only £6! They have so many colours and I might have to head back and pick up the sandy/white colour. I think these type of shoes are great when it's not quite sandals weather but you want something light on your feet. Great for walking too! 

Finally sunglasses, I picked these up at Accessorize for £12 and think they look great for my round face shape! One thing they are not great at blocking out the sun so I think I might need to invest in some good ones especially for when I'm driving. If anyone can suggest a good pair for a round face that would be great. 

Boots was my next stop and I headed straight to the L'Oreal counter to pick up the Infallible 24H-Matte Mattifying Foundation. I purposely try and stay away from matte foundations because I really like a dewy and fresh-looking finish. But after watching the icovetthee video I knew I wanted to try it. It claims to last up to 24 hours be waterproof, steam proof, and produce a perfect coverage without a cakey look. I picked up the colour 12 Natural Rose but they have a variety of colours to choose from. I applied it using my fingers and I was really impressed with the result. It looked flawless, as you would expect with a matte foundation, but it also had just a really glowy and fresh finish. It was easy to blend in and it didn't cling to any of my dry patches I have at the moment. Being a medium coverage it does give you that airbrush look while also being comfortable to wear at the same time. 

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Next up I had a No 7 voucher to spend and I was immediately drawn to the Stay Perfect Shade and Define pencils which come in eight shades. I wanted quite a simple base colour that I could quickly put on in the morning for work. This Cool Mink shade is perfect and is a subtle taupe colour. It claims to be soft, creamy and long-lasting and it was exactly that. It was so easy to apply while really giving a good base of colour. By the time I got home from work it was still there. I think I will have to try some of the other colours. Plus it has a pull-out sharpener at the end - all great for £8 or £5 when using the voucher.

If you have some of the other colours in the collection let me know and post a picture!

Love Nic x

REVIEW // COLAB DRY SHAMPOO

So surely nothing can beat Batiste when it comes to dry shampoo right...? Well after trying the Colab Dry Shampoos I stand corrected. Created by model and fashion blogger Ruth Crilly, it claims to have a revolutionary, sheer & invisible formula, available in five fragrances. It is said you will have no fear of white residue and longer clean hair.

I decided to buy the £10 travel kit from Feel Unique, so that I could try all the different scents and let me tell you, they weren't lying about the amazing fragrances. Unlike Batiste these dry shampoos smell so fresh and it almost feels as if you're wearing perfume. My personal favourite is the class scent London - great for work. 

I put the product to the test on 2nd day hair and as per the instructions focused on spraying it onto the root and massaging into the hair after a few minutes. It did not feel heavy and it was still so easy to run my fingers through my hair while adding a bit of volume at the same time. I didn't get that thick sticky feeling when I use Batiste and plus it really was invisible. 

This will definitely be my go-to dry shampoo from now on and for those who want added volume, there is also the Extreme Volume range. 

This travel kit includes five 50ml fragrances:

Paris: Floral fragrance, an enchanting floral bouquet of jasmine & rose with a touch of patchouli. 

London: A classic yet contemporary fragrance of bergamot, musk & magnolia.

Rio: Tropical fragrance, a carnival of tropical notes with papaya, pineapple & a heart of cassis.

Tokyo: Oriental accents of orchid & mandarin with an aromatic base of sandalwood. 

New York: Fruity fragrance, a fresh and fruity scent of apple & melon with a light amber finish.  

What's your favourite fragrance? Also let me know if anyone has tried the Extreme Volume range?

Love Nic x

FOOD // THE ROCKMOUNT

With the evenings becoming lighter and the weather warming up over here in Guernsey, it's no surprise that The Rockmount is busier than ever. 

Based on the island's west coast, diners can expect great food, a homely and relaxed atmosphere and most importantly a divine view, which lets face it many of us islanders take for granted.  

Having recently undergone a refurb I just love and I know it's a short post but I thought I would share what it with you all.

And here it is... my delicious pea, mint, new potato, feta and chicken salad! Maximum flavour without the guilt -  I would totally recommend. 

 And finally who can complain about the view...

Who else is looking forward to the summer and enjoying more nights like this?

Love Nic x

APRIL FAVOURITES

First up, a big shout out to Origins. Unsure of what products to buy I contacted the live team via email on their website to ask what night cream would be best for my skin type - normal - and for something to hide fine lines around the eyes... yes ladies I'm 24 but already seeing wrinkles :( The next morning I had an email from one of their consultants giving me a list of recommendations, including the High Potency Night-A-Mins Mineral-enriched renewal cream. I bought the cream from our Feelunique store in Guernsey and while I have only used it for a week I love it. It gives your skin all it needs for a great night's sleep, as well as renews and resurfaces the skin overnight to reveal brighter looking skin. You can also get the oil-free version but I love the essential oils that are perfect for bed time.

Another night time ritual I'm loving at the moment is the Lush Yuzu and Cocoa bubbleroon. Now I'm not overly keen on really sweet smells but this has such a fresh and uplifting smell it really is a treat. It has an orange chocolate fragrance, with exotic tropical undertone and a grapefruit note. As a bath-over-a-shower kinda girl you should have seen my smile when the I was covered in fluffy white bubbles. It also has extra virgin coconut oil and shea butter so I came out the bath feeling super soft.

A more recent purchase of mine has been the My Burberry fragrance. I'm such a sucker for nice packaging and Burberry did not disappoint. It is light floral scent with notes of sweet pea, bergamot, golden quince, freesia, geranium, rose and patchouli. Now again I really don't like super sweet floral smells but this is totally different to anything else I have smelt before. According to Burberry it is supposed to capture the fragrance of a London garden after the rain. It is really light and fresh and I love to wear it for work.

Moving on to hair products, there are two items I have been loving this month, the Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish and the Wella SP Luxe Oil. Firstly the dryspun spray claims to create instant fullness and texture and that's exactly what it does. I have quite fine hair and I'm constantly on the lookout for products that will add volume. Once I have dried my hair I spray this wherever I want a lift and airy texture. I would describe it as giving you that effortless hair/beach/just got out of bed but I'm rocking it look and I love it. I've nearly finished the can but I totally will be re-purchasing.

Finally the Luxe Oil has been a total fave of time. Once I've washed my hair I put about one pump on my fingers and massage into the ends of my hair before blowdrying. You can instantly notice a difference and my hair feels so much softer and smoother. With a blend of three luxurious oils it is also supposed to protect, define, repair and recondition the hair. It is quite expensive but I know it will last me a good few months.

Who else has tried some of these products? 

Love always, Nic xxx

SUNDAY BAKING!

If you're in the mood to bake... you have to try these! 

So after spending all morning watching TV and Youtube videos, I felt like I had to do something productive... the answer baking of course.

Compared to some of my friends I am quite the amateur when it comes to baking, but ever since I was given a Hummingbird Bakery cookbook for Christmas two years ago, I would say their recipes are pretty fool proof and ALWAYS deliver on taste. 

So with some unwanted bananas leftover in the fruit bowl, I thought I would treat the family to these little goodies!

For those who want to try the recipe out for yourself I have posted it below. Enjoy x

Recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days makes 12 -16 cupcakes

For the sponge:                                                  For the topping:
80g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened                    500ml (18fl oz) whole milk
280g (10oz) caster sugar                                    1/2 tsp vanilla essence
240g (8.5oz) plain flour                                      5 egg yolks
1 tbsp baking power                                           100g (3.5oz) caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt                                                           30g (1oz) plain flour
240ml (8.5fl oz) whole milk                               30g (1oz) cornflour
1 tsp vanilla essence                                           100g (3.50z) tinned caramel
2 large eggs                                                         200ml (7fl oz) double cream
2 ripe bananas                                                     Shaved or grated chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 190C (375F), gas mark 5, then fill a muffin tin with muffin cases and line a baking tray with cling film.
2. Using a hand-held electric wish or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, flour,baking powder and salt on a low speed until the ingredients  are well incorporated and have the texture of fine breadcrumbs.
3. In a jug, whisk together the milk, vanilla essence and eggs by hand. Pour three-quarters of this into the dry ingredients and mix well on a low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are all incorporated. Increase the speed to medium, add the rest of the milk mixture and beat until the batter is smooth, then peel and mash the bananas and stir in. 
4. Divide the batter between the paper cases, filling each one by about two-thirds. Any remaining batter can be used to fill up to four more cases in the second tin. Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until the sponge bounces back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool completely. 
5. While the cupcakes are cooking, start making the custard cream topping. Place the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla essence and bring to the boil. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornflour to make a paste, adding 1 tablespoon of the hot milk to loosen the mixture if it seems too thick. 
6. When the milk has boiled, add 4-5 tablespoons to the paste and stir together, then pour this back into the pan with the remaining milk and return to the heat. Bring the mixture back up to the boil, whisking constantly and continue to cook for a further minute to ensure the flour is cooked. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the caramel. 
7. Pour the caramel custard into the prepared baking tray, cover the top with cling film and set aside to cool for 30-40 minutes. Once cooled, tip the custard into a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon to break any lumps. In a separate bowl, whip the double cream to soft peaks, then fold the whipped cream into the caramel custard. 
8. When the cupcakes are cold to the touch, pipe the caramel cream on top of each cake, or use a spoon to do the, if you prefer. Decorate with shaved or grated chocolate. 

Let me know how you get on baking these! Also if anyone has a good recipe for cupcakes let me know and I will try.

Love Nic x