How to be Parisian..

My pal bought me this book for my birthday and as a bit of a new style of blog post for me I thought I would feature it on here!

Parisian women just get it right. They are chic, all the time, and as someone who feels far from that I was interested to hear what tips they could give me!

The book is so funny, full of smart quips, recipes, and random bits and bobs! I really enjoyed the book so if you are looking for something fun to read for yourself or a gift then definitely buy this! :)

Manchester Eats: Revolution Parsonage Gardens

Revolution Parsonage Gardens

I had the pleasure of visiting Revolution Parsonage Gardens in Manchester last night to sample their new menu! It has been ages since I have visited that particular bar and I was very pleasantly surprised by the decor, open, relaxing with nice quirky touches and alot brighter than it used to be!

Me and my pal ordered a round of Pornstar Martinis to get going (hello 2-4-1 during happy hour) and looked through the menu. Filled with a real mix of foods, I opted for butterfly prawns to start and cherry cola glazed chicken wrap and sweet potato fries for my main meal! It was gorgeous!!!

My guest had garlic bread to start and a burger for her main. We were both way too full to have dessert (an excuse to go back!) but I rounded off my meal with a jelly baby frozen cocktail!

I think for a bar/restaurant, Revolution has created the perfect balance of a fun and relaxed eatery alongside a great drinking location!

We will definitely be back :)

Thank you Revolution for inviting me!!!

The Art of Waxing

BRAZILIAN WAXING COMPANY MANCHESTER

We are nearly in JUNE. My god where has the year gone?! It's well and truly holiday season now and I know I harp on about waxing but I am well and truly converted to it since my first trip to the Brazilian Waxing Company in Manchester!

This month's post is alllll about the different options you have when it comes to bikini waxing, everyone who I speak to about it have such different opinions and personal space boundaries that I thought I would clear up any confusion...

Bikini for Beginners: Their basic bikini wax is a good place to start if you're a wax virgin. They remove any hair showing on the outside of the knicker line and upto 2 inches on the inside. It's worth bearing in mind that at Brazilian Waxing Company they tend to do what other salons would call an "Extreme Bikini" as their standard Basic Bikini.

Brazilian: Some women like to have hair left behind because they don’t like the idea of being completely bare. You can choose to have a traditional ‘landing strip’, a square, a triangle or even a shape. Many women have hearts, stars and thunder bolts! You can even choose where you want the hair to be left. Bang in the middle, floating higher up or even off to one side so you can dye it a different colour! Please note that at BWC, a Brazilian wax is not far off a full Hollywood as they remove the hair along the area that you might call the 'inner lips'. Don't worry though as this is actually the least painful area to have waxed.

Hollywood: For those who dare to bare, the Hollywood wax removes absolutely everything. From front to back you'll be super smooth!

Pinky Minky: It may sound funny as you won't of heard of this anywhere else due to it being exclusive to Brazilian Waxing Company. Some girls like to have abit of hair left on that area so that you don't feel completely bald.. well why not dye it? So they wax you a normal brazilian, bleach the hair then add the pink and voilà! There you have it your very own pinky minky!


Feeling embarrassed?
BWC wax so many Brazilians and Hollywoods everyday that they've seen it all! We're all women at the end of the day and they have a lot of experience when it comes to shy customers.

I have to say that my experience at BWC was really great. I was a shy customer and I was made to feel so comfortable and at ease that I can't recommend them enough!

If anyone has any questions feel free to message me on Twitter! @sweetiesal :)

Think Money Blogger Meetup

THINK MONEY BLOGGER EVENT FEAT: TIRED MUMMY OF TWO // SHE MIGHT BE LOVED // MISSPOND // POLKADOT PINK // CHARITY SHOP GOLD // SWEETIESAL

On Sunday I was invited to Pizza Express as a guest of Think Money to network with other Bloggers in the North West area. Feeling slightly worse for wear after a late Saturday night, this was just what the doctor ordered as instead of spending the day feeling sorry for myself in bed, I got to spend an afternoon with some pretty damn cool people!

After the initial introductions, we headed into the Pizza Parlour to learn alllll about the art of pizza making, including the surprisingly hard dough flipping!!! After we all made our bases, we were able to select a choice of toppings and then we moved things up a notch and mastered Calzones.

A chef will have approximately four minutes to perfect a Calzone and let me tell you, it is actually quite fiddly and there is a definite skill to it! Once we had finished with our pizza making class we headed back to our table to chat and get to know each other whilst we awaited our cooked pizzas to arrive. I think the only time there was silence was when the pizzas were presented to us and I am pleased to say each and every one of us could have earned a master chef award for our finished culinary masterpieces.

After we had eaten as much pizza as we could fit in, plus the gorgeous cupcakes that had been laid on for us, we did a quiz which was hilarious! I am normally quite good at pub quizzes but I think the lack of sleep meant I was far from being on my A-Game on this occasion...

It was so nice to spend an afternoon where the focus wasn't so much on the brand and more about finding out about Bloggers, what makes us tick, how we incorporate blogging into our lives and alongside other commitments and I think that Think Money have set the bar very high in terms of a genuinely really enjoyable event. We will be working with Think Money moving forwards and introducing other bloggers to the network so please let me know in the comments below if you wish to be put forward! It was so nice to meet bloggers who I have never met before and I really like the concept of the Think Money project.

Thanks to Think Money, Pizza Express on South King Street in Manchester and to Laura, Emma, Charlotte, Georgina and Donna, along with Bryony from Think Money for a really lovely afternoon :)

My ASOS Saved Items..

I ruddy love the ASOS saved items option on site. I like to create a wishlist and also if I know of an event coming up I like to get a few options on my saved items and then make a decision nearer the time!

Here are my current faves;

Iridescent two part dress in rose gold - this is a potential for a summer wedding I am going to but at £95 it ain't cheap!! Another perk of having the items stored safely in saved items is that I can be ready to act if a discount code comes along!

I love the colour of this simple baby blue shift dress. It's another maybe for the wedding..

I am going to Marbs in September so I am loving these lace beach trousers! I would most likely never wear them apart from on holiday so I have sneakily kept these in incase they get reduced.

Popcorn necklace - enough said. I love the stuff, so why not adorn myself with a tribute to my favourite snack?

Pineapple socks, I am totally on board with the pineapple craze and I feel I need these pineapple socks as another avenue to showcase my love for them.

This Freya Bra was a sale find, reduced to just £18. I love Freya Lingerie and this print is super pretty!

The Nude Backless Dress is another potential for the wedding.. I'm not entirely sure if the colour would suit me though.. another perk of saved items is that I am quite indecisive at times so having it in there for me to go back to and look at helps me make a decision!

LOVE this sheer floral jumper!

The khaki pom pom shorts are high up on my wish list. I am such a shorts fan and seem to have them in every colour way possible. They are my go to item for nights out and summer!

As I mentioned previously, I am off to Marbs in September and if the diet is successful I am really liking this cut out swimsuit!

Like a magpie, I am drawn to sparkly stuff and this embellished top is no exception.. I love everything about it!

Finally I have some simple gold pull through earrings in the mix, love the simplicity of these in a big way!

What are you loving on ASOS?

Thumbs Up #1

Yes to Coconuts Facewipes - ASOS // Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess // Models Own Festival Nail Polish // SweetieSal Notepad - GettingPersonal.co.uk // Pain au Raisin Yankee Candles // Charlotte Tilbury Foundation // Rimmel Brow Gel in Blonde

Hey there pals!

Here are the bits and bobs I have been loving recently.. thought I would chuck a few of my HuggleUp pics on there too just to jazz up my photo :)

Yes to Coconut Facewipes - Ok I know the beauty bloggers amongst you will be like Sally noooo facewipes?! Really?! These facewipes smell AMAZING. Like suncream!!! When I just need a quick cleanse, these are my new go-to wipes. I got these on ASOS and I have serious amounts of love for them so please don't judge me and my lazy skincare.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess - I think this will forever be my absolute favourite scent of all time. It's just summer and sunshine in a bottle and one sniff makes me happy!

Models Own Festival Polish - I am a sucker for anything festival related as I am so excited for Parklife! This will be on my toes imminently and is part of the Festival Collection that Models Own have just launched. It took a lot of self control not to come away with the spray in hair colours aswell.

SweetieSal Notepad - The lovely folk over at GettingPersonal.co.uk sent me this lovely notepad and a matching mug all to fit in with my blog branding, feeling so profesh right now!!!!

Pain au Raisin Yankee Candles - Oh my god. Be still my beating heart. Part of the new cafe culture collection, pain au raisin is one of three new scents from arguably the worlds best candle company. The smell is amazing, not too sickly sweet, just welcoming and gorgeous!!!

Charlotte Tilbury Foundation - Now THIS, is worth every penny. I have never found a foundation that I have loved so much. This is literally the best of the best for me and it has made me so much happier with my skin and helps me achieve the flawless look that I have always wanted. Now at £30 it is a luxury, however a little goes a long way and the longevity of the product is incredible. I have to touch up my make up far less now and because my skin has always been something that I have been quite sensitive about, I am willing to pay the price!!!

Rimmel Brow Gel - This was something that I popped into my basket on ASOS as it was reduced to £2 and I had a voucher so I managed to get a good few goodies for £3 worth of spend! I am VERY pleasantly surprised by this as I have been using a clear brow gel for ages now, alongside my Benefit Brow Zings. I do like that product but it is quite dark and can sometimes make my brows look a bit too 'done' if that makes sense. I got the blonde version of the Rimmel Gel and it fills in the gaps and tames my brows very naturally. Plus, the price is so so cheap!!! I would really recommend this and the colour is a perfect match for me too.

What have you been loving recently?

It's OK.

I love posts like this where you can find out what quirks people have and feel a sense of relief that others are exactly the same.. here is my 'it's ok' list!

1. It's ok to bulk up your fruits and veg intake by making a smoothie with greens powder and feeling holier than thou when you drink it.
2. New stationery and a pinterest worthy desk? It's ok. People are often motivated by a nice, pleasant working environment so it's really for the good of your colleagues isn't it?!
3. Ordering a Festive Drink with accompanying limited edition novelty cup just cause it's so instagram worthy. Who care if you don't really like the taste of gingerbread?
4. Snapchatting a nice sunny action shot when you are out for a run. No one needs to know that you have literally spent the rest of the day on the sofa or in bed, ok?
5. To gleefully buy inspo-quote pictures to hang in your room, when you know damn well that everyday isn't *really* a new adventure. I mean yes you will probably encounter a variety of weirdos on the bus but you haven't exactly embraced yoga or done anything remotely exciting.
6. You have a drawer full of nice little pjs but for the most part you wear something baggy/comfortable/you'd rather no one saw ever for bed.
7. It's ok to own 20 odd lipsticks but only actually ever wear 1 or 2. 
8. Get into bed at 9.30pm and not even be sorry that you are happy to be there at that time and the long night of sleep ahead of you.
9. Before you have even been somewhere you know you will love it. For me, this was Paris. I knew I would love it before I went and it did not disappoint. So there.
10. To go out of the house in the morning smelling like a fruit cocktail because you have cherry shower gel, coconut conditioner and citrus scented perfume. What? I like to smell nice!!!
11. To listen to a song over and over just because it GETS how you feel. You can also do that staring into the distance feeling all the feels and not be guilty about it.
12. To feel a sense of organisation pride when you have matching tupperware. So profesh.
13. You buy the special versions of bottles that a designer has co-designed just because you like the bottle. Hello Versace for Disaronno bottle, I am looking at you.
14. Listening to Beyonce on the majority of your car journeys just to arouse a certain sassiness from within that will assist with whatever life throws at you when you reach your destination.
15. If your idea of styling your hair includes surf spray and rocking the beach hair look, despite living no where near a beach.
16. New gym gear? You are OWNING that gym girl!!!
17. You feel a sense of absolute disgust when you are cruising instagram and someone posts a selfie saying new necklace or something mundane when it's CLEARLY a way of showing off cleavage or not wearing a great deal. Have some class please?!
18. To love your long hair but then see a picture of yourself and think ok this sheet of hair needs taming. Pronto.

South Manchester Eats: 39 Steps

39 STEPS RESTAURANT STYAL

On Tuesday evening I had the absolute delight of going for dinner with some fellow bloggers at the gorgeous 39 Steps Restaurant in Styal Cheshire.

It's a real foodies haunt with some absolutely amazing sounding dishes on the menu, and for just £22.95* for a 3 course meal mid week it is really good value for money!

I started with smoked haddock with leeks, followed with chicken and vegetables and rounded off with the piece de resistance, white chocolate rice pudding with poached apricots.

That dessert is the stuff dreams are made of!!!! We also sampled some peanut brittle and some petits fours to finish up, turkish delight and fudge.

I think the main attraction of the restaurant for me is that it is fine dining at it's absolute best but the restaurant has a great atmosphere and isn't stuffy.

If you want a date location or a place to take your parents or pals then definitely book in at 39 Steps!

Thank you to Ledigo PR for arranging such a lovely evening :)

My Missguided Hot Picks :)

MISSGUIDED

Well hello there Missguided.. be still my beating heart! Missguided is absolutely killing it at the moment and will undoubtedly be my go-to shop for some bargainous summer beauties.

I love the looks they have on offer and I will definitely have to pick up some bits and bobs for Parklife and my summer in general from on site! Clothes wise, I am loving the prints and sheers, paired with some staple pieces such as this amaze green trench coat on the end.. please make your way into my wardrobe...

I was spoilt for choice on shoes and am drooling over the iridescent sliders, festival appropriate boots, THOSE lace up gladiator sandals, the stunning blue courts and some sunshine coloured lemon wellies :)

Hands up who is also fighting a love affair with good old MG?

Manchester Eats: Urban Cookhouse

URBAN COOKHOUSE MANCHESTER

On Sunday, I was invited to sample the newly opened Urban Cookhouse in Manchester. Situated on Princess Street (just across from the Gay Village), Urban Cookhouse is a Manhattan style bar and restaurant, serving unique takes on classic dishes.

I was very pleasantly surprised with how lovely it was inside, really cool and relaxed, atmospheric music playing, but not so loud that you can't talk!

I opted to sample their Espresso Martini seeing as I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur when it comes to the delightful pairing of espresso and kahlua. This one did not disappoint and I think there was also some baileys in there which was a lovely spin on the usual recipe.

For starter I had the halloumi stack with tomatoes, basil and croutons. It was delicious, the entire menu sounds so good and I have to say I was quite torn between all different things on there as everything sounded amazing!

I then had the whiskey chicken, served with coleslaw and sweet potato - it was SO GOOD! I could eat it again now!!! I then finished off with Carrot and Orange cake and my plus one (my friend Lauren) opted for the caramel trio which included liquid popcorn?! I have no idea what that actually was but woahhhhh it was good!!

I have to say that I really was extremely impressed with the menu, the food was beautifully presented, portion sizes were perfect and all in all the service was great. I would highly recommend Urban Cookhouse as a really nice restaurant. I'd say it's perfect for group meals where you might not want a night out as such but a relaxed busy restaurant with a lively atmosphere. It's also not very expensive too.

Thank you very much to Urban Cookhouse for inviting me. I will definitely be back!