EPISODE HOTEL:: Royal Leamington Spa Review

Our exams finished last week so we took a weekend away in Warwick (totally random, I know!) and initially, we planned this trip as a spa weekend but decided to do some sightseeing instead. Our friends came across a really good offer on Wowcher for a 2 nights stay in a 3-star hotel with breakfast for £99 (for two people!) - it was originally £200. You also receive £10 off spa treatments with a minimum spend of £40! Upon arriving at the hotel, we were very impressed by the exterior and were even more impressed by the interior as we had come across many reviews complaining about the rooms not being refurbished etc.

The entrance:

Once you enter the building, the atmosphere is surprisingly very calming which I think is super important if you want a relaxing weekend away. As we checked in, I snapped photos of the interior as it had this 'shabby chic' look which I really love. There were little chalk boards with offers written on them and a beautiful ball-shaped chandelier looking thing hovering above us! The bar and restaurant were to the left so I took a peek through the glass and noticed the suede sofa-looking seats around wooden tables - it was too good to be true!

As you enter:

We had booked a deluxe room with a double bed. Our room differed a little from our friend's room in terms of its layout but the furniture and television etc were pretty much the same :) We had a shower and our friend's room had a shower and a bath, but we had a fancy headboard compared to theirs so I guess it balanced it out haha ;p

Our room:

Our bathroom:

(excuse my jacket hanging there!)

Our friend's room:

I think the only downside was the amount of noise that you could hear as the walls were super thin! Also, the keys were actually quite bulky but I guess for a 3-star hotel you can't expect electronic key cards (yet!).

The breakfast included in this package had:

two slices of bacon, a sausage, an egg, fried bread, a whole tomato, a mushroom and black pudding.

I actually didn't end up eating most of it so the next morning, the staff were very helpful in allowing us to swap some of the items :)

As we arrived on a Friday, we thought we'd take advantage of the 'steak for £25 per couple' deal but they'd ran out by 9:30pm (restaurant closes at 10:30pm) with only one steak left. So in the end, Tim ordered the steak, I ordered a fish and chips and our friends ordered a burger and chips.

Tim's steak:

My fish and chips:

Earrings: Miss Selfridge (on sale)

Hoodie: Beezbo

(they're doing 2 for £20 on their website and it's only £7 in their store in the West Orchards Shopping Centre in Coventry)

T-shirt: New Look

Our friend's burger and chips:

We were so full afterwards and the service was brilliant considering we were the only ones in the restaurant! They had 'closed' the restaurant by the time we'd arrived and re-opened it and assigned a waitress for us so definitely a 5-star rating for their service! Although I should probably point out that they don't have a wine menu so you'd have to ask about what's available and they're less flexible with changing some items around (e.g. swapping chips to mash).

I think the hotel is more suited for young couples (like us!) and older couples who are looking to get some relaxing time-off from their busy lives. The town centre is about a 10-minute drive away and the Warwick castle is about a 15-minute drive so it's very convenient! The area is relatively quiet, possibly a retirement area so you won't have any trouble with youths etc. Parking can be a bit of a nightmare in the evening as the car park only has about 12 spaces so I recommend coming back to the hotel a little before 7/8pm! Otherwise, you'll end up parking in the streets outside.

Overall, we had very good first impressions, the service in the reception and restaurant were great and the rooms were also very impressive. There are some reviews on the net about their food tasting funny ("The egg tastes like rubber.. The toast tastes like cardboard") but actually, we had some really good food so maybe we were lucky in the hit-and-miss! I would definitely recommend having a look at their spa treatments as there's something for everyone (even manicures for men!) and although they're a little pricey, you could always wait on some vouchers which also come with discounts for treatments :)

Best of luck and let me know what you think if you've visited!

♥

YESSTYLE/YESWALKER:: Zip Detail Shoulder Bag Review

Hello everybody! Firstly, happy 2013! (Although that is a little delayed , oops!)

And secondly, I'm so sorry I haven't been able to post anything since Christmas - exams were absolutely hectic and then I had deadlines looming all over the place!

However, I do have some very exciting news to share with you all :)

I actually did a small collaboration with a very popular fashion retailer called Yesstyle, who are introducing a new sister website called 'Yeswalker'. I have a lot of friends who purchase from Yesstyle as they are constantly updating their products so there is always something out there for everyone (and for every occasion!). Their styles are very Japanese, Korean and just generally Oriental/Asian-inspired - which I absolutely love! Although most of the clothing is best suited for warmer climates, they have jackets and coats for those who live in colder climates (aka. England!!).

Yeswalker is very similar to Yesstyle, but they specialise in bags, shoes and accessories. They were very kind to send me a beautiful bag which I absolutely adore! I don't usually purchase black handbags because if you've seen me around, I like having a pop of colour to my outfits and usually, my bags do the trick! And although this bag came in brown as well, I thought I'd try and style a black one. 

What I love most about this bag is that it is two-toned! The leather on the sides and the back are toned down by the suede panel at the front and the gold zips give a really edgy and chic feel. It also comes with a gold chain and a leather shoulder strap so you can wear the bag in so many different ways! I've worn it with the leather shoulder strap for uni and it's really handy because I can rotate between having it on my shoulder and carrying it by hand :) I've accessorised the bag with the gold chain but you can also use it as a strap which would look stunning for dinner in the evening! 

Oh, and it gets better! In addition to the usual small pocket compartment inside (where you shove all your lipsticks and tissues etc!), there's an extra zipped pocket plus two small open pockets for your smaller items (like your phone, pens, keys etc)! This is extremely useful for someone like me as I tend to pack my whole house with me whenever I go out haha ;p

Anyway, enough talking, here are some photos of the beauty!

So the package arrived in about 2-3 weeks because of the crazy Christmas post and I still get excited about their packaging (even after so many purchases!) because it looks so professional and it keeps the product in perfect condition. Also, the bag looked exactly like the photo on their website (that's always something I worry about haha) so I was super impressed! 

Here's the photo from their website:

They look the same - yay! Hehee ^^

Here's how I styled it :)

Outfit 1:

Snowflake jumper: Boohoo (on sale)

Studded checked shirt: Boohoo (on sale)

Leggings: H&M

Suede boots: Peacocks (on sale)

Gold spike bracelet: Present from my sister

Tory Burch inspired wrap bracelet: eBay

Outfit 2:

Studded leather sleeve camouflage jacket: Missguided (present)

Loose white tank top: Select (on sale)

Same boots and jewellery as outfit 1 :)

You could totally rock this bag to school/uni/shopping or you could dress it up and use the gold chain as the strap! I've already used it so many times for shopping (to hide the ridiculous amount of things I buy from my boyfriend and my mum!) and I am so in love with it!

If you wish to purchase this bag, please click here and feel free to have a look at the other products that they're selling because they have something on there for everyone and the product looks exactly like how they've been advertised so they really are worth the investment! :)

Thank you for reading and hope you are all enjoying 2013!!

Comment if you've made any purchases and your first impressions :)

♥

JANUARY SALES:: Coupon codes

Hey everyone! I hope you guys had a lovely Christmas with your friends and family, got absolutely stuffed with delicious food and was spoilt royally! No matter where you are on the planet, there will be people queueing up for high street sales hoping to grab everything that they couldn't buy at full retail price. Personally, I try and avoid mad sales as it becomes a war-zone with a  life-or-death situation so I have been doing a little bit of shopping online (hehe!)

I just wanted to drop in a few coupon codes that I have found for shopping online (which make all the difference when you're a student!) . One top tip I would advise before checking out the items in your basket is to google some discount codes - even if it's only 10% off or free delivery, it really does make all the difference! 

H&M

Enter 1304 for £5 off your order (£11 min. spend)

Enter 0307 for free delivery (works on sale items too)

They can both be used on the same order!!

Forever 21

Enter HOLIDAY50 for an extra 50% off sale items (ends 31/12/12)

They have a bunch of extra cute accessories on there!

Boohoo

20% off if you're a student studying in the UK and you sign up with UNiDAYS here:

http://www.myunidays.com/r/CRqoAfPw

Enter FREE1 for free UK super saver delivery (ends 31/12/12)

Motel Rocks

Enter UNIDAYS for 20% off

Plus your usual student discounts at New Look etc.

Good luck and Happy New Year everyone!

I look forward to seeing you all in 2013!!

♥

ST ALBANS:: Waffle House Date

My boyfriend and I hit the 34 months anniversary line today (woo!) so we chose the waffle house in St Albans (Hertfordshire) for a lunch date as I have this mad sweet tooth problem! I came across some pretty good reviews about the restaurant (food and service-wise) but as it appears to be popular among families, customers only ever complained about noise levels from baby cries and young children. Unfortunately, that is true but we weren't too bothered and I guess it really depends on the time and day you choose to go. Besides, the food and the service totally makes up for anything that might cause you to rate them lower! :)

The restaurant is located on a 16th century watermill so they've done a brilliant job in conserving the vintage feel in a more modern scene. We opted for seating inside as it was quite chilly but outside seating is available underneath the canopy when the weather is not so great (as in our case!). Old photographs and maps of the area and watermill are hung on the walls which I absolutely love!

We ordered waffles because we'd already had a quick bite. If you have a sweet tooth like me or even if you're just in the area, I would definitely recommend dropping by! The waffle itself was not sweet (which makes sense because the toppings were!) and it was so incredibly soft.

Cappuccino and apple juice

Tim's make-shift heart! ♥

How adorable is this cutlery pot?!

Fresh banana waffle with ice cream!

Hot dutch apple waffle

Leaving :(

See you later waffle house! We'll definitely be coming back for more! ;)

♥

SALLY HANSEN:: No More Breaks, Healthy Cuticles Now & Insta-Brite

a few months ago, moneysupermarket had an amazing sally hansen deal

where you could choose 3 products for the price of £6 (plus £3.99 del.)

and there were three different sets to choose from..

(really really sorry i didn't tell you guys earlier!)

the option with the dry-quick polish sold out super quickly

so i chose the set with these three products:

- healthy cuticles now

- insta-brite nail whitener

- no more breaks natural nail strengthener

i couldn't use them for a while because i had my acrylics nails

(and because they didn't arrive till about 2 weeks later!)

but now that they've finally decided to come off (except the ring fingers)

i've tested out the 'healthy cuticles now!' cream 

and the 'no more breaks' polish.

my nails were very weak after the acrylic nails had fallen off

and my cuticles were extremely dry and rough.

but after having only using this product twice a day for three days,

my cuticles are now moisturised and healthy-looking

and my nails are definitely stronger and thicker.

i would definitely recommend grabbing one of these

if your nails are: dry, weak, brittle and thin;

and if your cuticles are: dry, rough and unhealthy.

it retails for about £7 in boots and superdrug which is a little pricey,

but you get instant results and you don't have to use it twice daily

(although it is recommended if you want to see results quickly)

so you can just use it whenever you feel they need it.

i have mixed reviews about the 'no more breaks' polish

mainly because my nails are in such terrible condition

that they're not physically keeping any polish on the surface.

you can apply them to dry nails as a clear protective shield,

or you can wear them as a base or top-coat.

however, the product is a green mixture so your nails will have a green tint.

so i would prefer using it as a base coat rather than a top-coat

(unless you're digging a greenish tint at the moment!)

but as i mentioned before, my nails don't have an even surface at the moment,

so the polish just cracks and peels off :(

i will definitely try it again when my nails have healed and i'll let you guys know!

also, i haven't tried the nail whitener yet because i don't want to overload

my nails with too many products for the moment (poor things!)

sally hansen products usually retail for just under £10 which is a little expensive

but they actually do what they say so you won't be disappointed.

if your nails need some care, it's worth looking into :)

for now, here are some piccies! :)

Sally Hansen: Healthy Cuticles Now!

Sally Hansen: Insta-Brite Nail Whitener

Sally Hansen: No More Breaks

before:

after:

what do you guys think?

would you invest in any of the three?

and if any of you have used the nail whitener, let me know!!

P/S: sign up to the moneysupermarket deals (i think they're weekly/fortnightly)

if you want amazing cosmetic bargains or cheap getaways!

♥

CHINATOWN:: Acrylic Powder Nails

i'm so so sorry for being MIA for so long!

i am now back at uni and the workload is just piling on at 60mph!

whenever i finish a piece of work, there's always something else waiting for me :'(

but i thought i'd just give a quick post about a little experience of mine.

i was shopping with my best friend around china town about a month ago,

and we spontaneously decided to get our nails done 

in the nail salon in china town market.

we decided to get the acrylic (powder) nail set 

which was priced at £30 on the sign outside,

and i'd never had my nails done before so i was next to clueless!

as we were close to finishing, they encouraged us to get designs

but they "forget" to inform you that a 3D design per nail is an additional £5..

thankfully, we'd read the price list beforehand so we decided to get 

3D designs on just our ring fingers.

major tip: 

make sure you agree on a price before getting anything on your nails!

and make sure they stick to it!

we ended up paying £45 each even though they'd quoted £40 beforehand,

they charged £35 for the full set and £10 for the two ring fingers.

the woman that was doing my nails decided to stick a small diamond 

on my pinky fingers and apply gel polish (permanent) 

which would have originally costed at least £60 -

even though i had not asked for them.

there were two members of staff in the salon.

although they were both friendly at first, i was wary of one of them.

if i picked up a phone call, she'd ask me, "do you want to finish this or not?"

which i just laughed off but that's not something everyone else can do!

you just get the feeling that if you mess with her, 

she'll definitely mess up your nails! :s

the quality of the nails are relatively impressive as it lasted for about a month

but the diamonds on the Chanel 3D design started falling off after 2 weeks.

nonetheless, this was my first try so i can't make comparisons yet.

as they peeled off, my nails were in horrible condition - dry, thin and brittle.

so i definitely wouldn't recommend having false nails applied 

if your nails are already weak.

i'm not sure as to whether or not i would recommend this salon

solely because of the service that i received 

and the way they presented themselves.

but if you're daring and willing to try something new,

then i would definitely recommend googling some local nail salons

which charge reasonable prices for good quality nails.

read reviews from other customers because every experience is different.

here are some piccies of our nails!

my nails:

carmen's nails:

have you guys had your nails done before?

do you have anywhere you could recommend?

♥

FOREVER 21:: Earrings

i've visited forever 21 a few times now but have never actually bought anything

so i decided to dedicate a few hours to the store on oxford street

with the aim of buying at least one outfit for uni..

i was actually quite disappointed with what they had for this season,

there were a lot of blacks and whites along with some sharp colours

like royal blue and red which i thought weren't the best choices for autumn.

and although their sales racks were jam packed with clothes and people..

unfortunately, i didn't find anything that i wanted :(

i ended up leaving the store with two pairs of underwear and two pairs of earrings.

the earrings were retailing at £3.15 each so i spent about £12 in total

which i thought was a little more than what it would usually cost

if i were to get these items from another store (eg. h&m/claires?)

but i have been on the look out for some really cute flower earrings

so i thought i'd grab myself a light blue pair (which matched my nails at the time)

and a crystal silver pair which i thought would be perfect for dinner dates! :)

i'm definitely planning on making another trip with the hope that i'll find stuff i like

as i always hear such great things about the store in america etc :)

what are your opinions on forever 21?

do you guys buy from there?

let me know!

♥