Forget Cloud 9, i'm on Cloud 23!

Hello everyone,

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Hope you are all fine and dandy!

Update 22/10/2013

I was recently contacted by Destinology, who have some rather exciting news if you are a huge cocktail fan like me...

Destinology are currently running a series on their blog about world famous cocktails, their origins and recipes. The first cocktail is the classic margarita and Matthew Soares, head bartender at Cloud 23, has helped us put together the recipe as well as some background on the origins of the drink



Sounds delicious doesn't it?! I've just arrived back from a late holiday to Turkey, and the sound of this cocktail is reminding me of all the tasty cocktails i've consumed over the past week!

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A few Saturdays ago i braved the busy train and ventured down into Manchestaaa! The sun was beaming down and it seemed like the perfect day for good food, great company and a whole lotta shopping.

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At 2pm we (My mum, sister and i) met my sister-in-law and her mum at The Slug and Lettuce

and had some munchies and drinkies, if you are interested i had the Grilled Chicken Wrap, which was super yummy, with a side order of Chips. I've never been to The Slug and Lettuce before but i really enjoyed the atmophere, the food was lovely and the staff were very friendly too.

After our lunch we had a quick look around the shops including Zara and Urban Outfitters, a lot of oohing and ahhing commenced but unfortunately i didn't find anything that screamed 'Buy Meeee!' theres always tomorow, eh . . .

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At 5pm we made our way to the next destination, the infamous Cloud 23. If you are not aware of what the heck Cloud 23 is, then i'll happily divulge some information and my experience there.

Cloud 23 is a luxurious bar situated on level 23 (...hence the name ;)) of The Beetham Tower/Hilton Hotel. At 23 levels high the bar boasts breathtaking views of Manchester with its floor to ceiling length windows. The venue is so indemand that when we went for a sneaky cocktail at 5pm there was already a queue along the lavish red carpet to get in! After a little wait we were ushered into the lift and whisked up to level 23. After my ears had stopped popping we exited the lift and were greeted by a handsome male waiter who showed us to a table with spectacular views of Manchester, we could even see Coronation St from our table, embarassingly that got me a bit giddy . . . or was that the cocktail . . .

the view . . . .

After nearly fainting at the prices of the bevvies we finally decided what our choice of drink would be, we all chose a cocktail each - i chose Cottonpolis which was 'An explosion of fresh English fruit flavour. Spiced Pear and Elderflower play with the citrus tang of Tanqueray Gin. Finished off with a splash of Soda' It came beautifully presented and tasted equally delicious! After finishing our drinks and taking a few snaps we paid the bill and left via the lift we arrived in.

my cocktail . . .

If you are in Manchester i would definately recommend visiting Cloud 23, the prices are quite steep BUT for the view and atmosphere which the venue demonstrates i defintely think it evens the prices out. Admitedly i did hope to bump into some form of celebrity but i guess i was at the right place at the wrong time! :(

My experience at Cloud 23 was fabulous and if you have the opportunity to visit then i'd definately encourage you to go!

So, after a cocktail infused evening we swiftly made our way to Picadilly Station and caught a train back home and back to reality after a taste of the high life (literally!!) . . .

Felicity xo

VICHY Normaderm Tri-Activ Hydrating Care

Hello,

Today i'd like to introduce to you, Vichy Normaderm Tri-Activ Hydrating Care.




The sciencey stuff . . .

LHA A Loreal patented acid helps micro-exfoliate the surface of the skin for a smoother surface and uniform complexion.


Salicylic Acid Targets the pores helping to breakdown blackheads and whiteheads by gently micro-exfoliating the top layer of skin and clearing blocked pores. Salisylic Acid also has antiseptic properties to cleanse the skin to help stop recurrence of blackheads.


Glycolic Acid The most common of the AHA's is an all-natural derivative of sugarcane. Glycolic acid naturally exfoliates the skin and helps reduce the bacteria causing imperfections.


These three acids work in conjunction to target blemishes, blackheads and open pores.


Women 25-45 years with imperfection prone skin require a hydrating texture and for the first time Vichy has been able to create a texture that targets imperfection without drying out the skin.


A combination of Glycerin and lightweight Emollient Oils enrich the day care to offer a highly hydrating 24 hour texture.


Finally the texture is enriched with Anti-Silice to help mop up excess sebum for an instant matt finish.


Vichy Thermal Spa Water also helps to hydrate and soothe the skin in order to fortify the skin's natural protective function.


So, what do i think?

I have to admit, Vichy is a brand which i have never been aware of before, so before i used the product i decided to do a bit of googling to find out about their other products and the brand itself. I soon discovered that Vichy are a brand which are focused on Skincare and their products and services highly reflect this. Vichy carry an array of products and also offer a skin health consultation which can be carried out at your nearest Vichy Pharmacy.


After researching Vichy i knew i was leaving my skin in good hands. You may have noticed that this Vichy product is in my previous favourites post, so that in itself speaks volumes! I really rate this moisturiser very highly.

The packaging is great, the bottle is pleasing to the eye and the pumpbased bottle allows you to easily release the product with minimal mess.


The product itself comes out as quite a thick white cream but when the product is applied to the skin it feels quite silky on the skin and sinks in very quickly, leaving you with a matte finish.


I've used this product inconjunction with my normal skincare routine and i can see the benefits that this moisturizer has given my skin. I have Oily skin so consequently i'm prone to spots, i get them mostly on my forehead and chin however this moisturiser has minimized my spots and has evened out my skin tone quite significantly.


Another point about this moisturizer is its mattifying properties. As i stated earlier when the product is applied to the skin the moisturiser delivers a matte finish. This has been a big plus for me as it has kept my oily skin at bay throughout the day, i've even been leaving face powder out of my make up routine recently!


This product has really impressed me, and i suggest thinking about buying this if you have oily/combination skin as it has definately improved my skin.


RRP : £11.50

Available at : Selected Boots and Pharmacies.


Felicity xo

I was sent this product for review purposes.

♥ My Go-To Products ♥

Hello :)

I never normally do favourites posts, for one reason; I tend to like a lot of products each month, so it'd take me aaaageessss to reel them all off into a post. Yup, i'm one of them people who likes to use different products each day/week by doing this i discover products i once loved and regenerate my adoration for them . . . . . however the month of August was a tad different, i stuck to a daily routine so obviously these products must be my favourites. :)


1. GOSH Professional Art Make Up Brush
I'm not sure which GOSH brush this is as it doesn't say anything on the brush and its not on the website either, which is very helpful! I got it for Christmas a couple of years back so it may have been discontinued or something . . . Anywho, this month i've been using this brush for a multitude of things, the brushes slightly curve in the the tip of the brush which is fab for contouring, i also use this brush for applying blusher to the apples of my cheeks and applying face powder too. Its a fab all in one brush for me and makes my make up application much quicker in the morning, rather than chopping and changing brushes every minute!

2. Maybelline New York Eye Studio 05 Glamour Browns
I love my neutral eyeshadows, i find they suit my skintone more than vivid rainbow colours, so when i was struggling what to buy for the 3 for 2 offer at Boots (i think this deal has ended now :( ) i saw this quad and headed over to the till with my other 2 products. To be fair i didn't expect much from this quad, how wrong was i?! Its fairly pigmented for the price (£6.99) all 4 colours when applied create a sultry brown smokey eye, the staying power is also really good.

3. Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light
Sleek is a brand which i would of probably strolled past in Superdrug if i wasn't a beauty blogger. I think its very much underestimated by people who are not beauty bloggers, which sucks for them as they are missing out on a fab brand!

The Contour Kit is simply amazing, there are 2 products inside - a matte brown contour colour and a shimmery highlight. The contour is highly pigmented and i would say its definately on par with the quality of Benefit's Hoola, the only difference is the price tag - Benefit Hoola £23.50 Sleek Contour Kit £6.99 . . .

The highlight is also very pigmented, and i mean VERY, i put a swipe of it down my nose and it was just a visable streak of shimmery-ness, so apply with a light hand!!

4. Topshops Creme Blush in Neon Rose
When Topshops MU range was released it was all systems go in the blogging world, and i too bought 2 lippies and a creme blush. The lippies are gorgeous (review hereeee!) but the blush took some getting used to seeing as it was my first creme blush. However now that i've got the application down to a T i've been using this blushe everyday! It lies on the skin as a coral pinky colour and when blended in you are left with a subtle coral glow. Next on my list is an Illamasqua creme blush, need to start saving my pennies!!

5. Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara in Black
I'm not going to deny that i'm a bit of a mascara addict, i think i've tried most on the drugstore market but i always return back to my trusty Sexy Curves. The curved wand gives my lashes lots of length and quite a bit of volume too, but the one thing that i love the most about this mascara is that it doesn't clump! You see, i have quite a lot of lashes which all sit quite close together and most mascaras unfortunately just gather them all up together into a clumpy mess, but the Sexy Curves defines each lash and really emphasises them all.

6. Vichy Normaderm Tri-Activ Hydrating Care
I was sent this product to review during August and have used it everyday since i recieved it. I'm not gonna say too much about it as i'm currently writing up a review on it, however i will say - it makes my skin feel SO soft after using it, also i use it under my foundation so my skin is left with a dewy glowy look.

7. Elle Magazine (random fave!)
This magazine has never been far from my side, i loved the D&G interview and there are some b.e.a.utiful photoshoots in there too, go chekck it out if you haven't already!

Hope you enjoyed this post :)

Felicity xo

http://www.formspring.me/felicityi

Ramble & FOTD :)

Hello :)

Firstly i'd like to say hi to my new followers, i get a big smile when i see the number creep up! So thank you. :)

I've got quite a few Reviews coming up and i'm going to start doing FOTDs and OOTDs, as i LOVE reading them!

So, i'll start as i mean to go on . . . .

MAKE UP

Revlon Photo Ready mixed with Clinique Superfit Foundation

M&S Pressed Powder

Hoola Bronzer

Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara

Maybelline Amber Rose Lippie

HAIR

I've been flaunting my hair au natural lately, basically i step in the shower, shampoo and condition then i simply towel dry my hair briefly and apply my everfaithful Label M Volume Foam and my sisters GOSH Salt Of Mine Saltwater and after some vigorous scrunching i simply leave it to dry and voila i have beachy wavy hair - with no heat ruining my lockes! Winner. ;)

Oh, and as you can see in the photo above, i've been opting for a centre parting recently too, very Kim Kardashian!

CLOTHES

Vest Top from H&M

Skinny Jeans from River Island

This is my first FOTD so please leave lots of reassuring comments for me to read!

Hope you are all well!

http://www.formspring.me/felicityi

Felicity xo