ICEBAR London Review #BloggersBelowZero

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ICEBAR LONDON is one of those places we all hear raving reviews about but some never find the courage to go! I was lucky enough to bag myself a space on the recent bloggers below zero event hosted by ICEBAR London and organised by the amazing Lauren (blonde_vision/ LDNMeetup).

The London ICEBAR changes its theme every 12 months or so was recently transformed into an awesome rock'n'roll themed icy paradise. The time and skill that must go into making each masterpiece is fascinating, with so much precision down to the little details. The photos really don't show just how amazing these icy creations are!

Okay so to clear up a few misperceptions, you don't spend your entire time in the actual 'ice bar' area, you get 20-40 minutes to admire the art and sip a cool cocktail or two ...which come in ice glasses of course! At -5 degrees you will find that 20 minutes is more than enough.

You also don't need to dress particularly warmly. I made the mistake of wearing a jumper, coat and over the knee boots and I was BOILING. You are given a thick cape and gloves, and if you're short like me the cape will pretty much touch the floor! The only other advice I will give on outfit choice would be wear covered shoes and avoid dolly shoes/sandals as you may end up with no toes!

 

The ICEBAR itself is tucked into a cute little side street abundant with restaurants and bars just off of Regent Street.

On arrival we were greeted by smartly dressed waiters and waitresses with trays of delicious cocktails and appetisers in what would usually be the bar/restaurant area - on this occasion all the tables and chairs had been moved away to make room for 60 odd bloggers! While waiting for our turn in the Ice bar we all started with an icebreaker while being waited on hand and foot with all the drinks and appetisers we could possibly want and the staff were so polite and really couldn't do enough for you.

 

Tom, the lovely marketing and sales manager gave a speech about the details of the ice bar and also his passion for writing. It really opened our eyes to how much work goes into both the making and the running of the ICEBAR London.

 

Finally my groups' turn in the Ice bar had arrived, we all donned our fur hooded capes and gloves then made our way into the bar.

I have seen pictures and videos before but it is truly breath-taking in reality - not just because it is cold! What was once a simple square room, had been transferred into a rock'n'roll themed icy palace. The attention to detail really is mind blowing, everything is perfectly carved and sculpted by hand. 

We were all offered a rock themed cocktail served in an ice glass from a deliciously tempting menu of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. I chose 'We Will Rock You' which was made with Absolut vodka, passoa, passion fruit puree, lychee juice and lemon juice, it was hands down one of the best cocktails I have ever had made even better by the ice glasses! We also got to chat with Tom about the ICEBAR, his experience and his passion for writing. It is always so nice to meet people who share the same passion for writing.

         I would honestly highly recommend ICEBAR London to everyone! It is such a unique and fun experience that is both beautiful and well run by such passionate people, whether you're just popping in while being a tourist in London or making a night of it, it is a must-see!
I can't wait to return again soon!

Until next time...
Essex Beauty Queen xxx

Rose Gold Christmas Nails

Rose gold has recently become one of my favourite colours, especially with the festive season fast approaching, So obviously at some point I had to have Rose gold nails so why not for Christmas!

Sadly not many brands actually do a Rose gold shade polish so finding the perfect shade was a little tricky until I stumbled upon the Max Factor stand in Superdrug (I was buying dry shampoo but naturally was drawn to the make up isle!).

There it was, the perfect metallic Rose gold nail polish! I had never used a Max Factor nail paint before but after hearing good reviews I decided to give it a go and definitely wasn't disappointed!

This shade is part of the Max Factor Glossfinity range - a collection of bold colours with a shimmery metallic finish.
The polish is a dream to apply and only requires one coat (although I prefer two coats for a longer lasting finish). Be warned it does take a little while to dry, especially if you're doing more then one coat so have a hairdryer on hand if you're in a rush!

For best results apply a clear top coat once the polish is completely dry for a long lasting 'fresh out of the salon' nails.

Until next time...

Nicolahearts xxx

The perfect Christmas party dress!

This week I have received a gorgeous new addition to my wardrobe courtesy of a little online clothing Boutique called Clothes and Compliments.

I love discovering new clothing and beauty boutiques like Clothes and Compliments as it can make a nice change from the usual high street styles.

After searching through the Clothes and Compliments collection, debating between a number of dresses I settled on a gorgeous wine coloured asymmetrical dress, perfect for the fast approaching holiday season.

This dress is ideal for your Christmas party's! It's can be dressed up or down depending on how formal or flirty the occasion!

 Style with some strappy heels and a sparkly clutch and you're ready to go!

This piece is made from light, high quality fabric and fits perfectly. I found the dress to be true to size, so flattering and I can't recommend Clothes and Compliments enough for this seasons wardrobe staples and party wear!

Instagram: clothesandcompliments
Website: www.clothesandcompliments.bigcartel.com

Party Season - Khaki Lace Up Dress

Khaki is my absolute fav colour this Autumn/Winter season - my wardrobe is full of it!

The latest edition to my khaki collection is a gorgeous dress from Stephanie's Closet, an online clothing boutique featuring beautiful pieces perfect for the winter season, ranging from perfect casual wear to stunning party wear!

The Khaki lace up dress is a bang on trend lace up front, bodycon dress that can be worn as an everyday dress with tights and boots (even over the knee boots!) and a cape cardigan or for parties/nights out with barely there strappy heels. I chose to wear the dress for a night out as its so gorgeous I wanted to show it off!

The dress is made from high quality fabric (no 'see-through' disasters here!) and has a zipper on the back to make getting the dress on so much easier without ruining your tan or makeup.

As well as being great quality the fit is flattering and I love the lacing detail on the front! It gives the illusion of an impressive cleavage, even without a bra! (add a little bronzer to define your cleavage for that extra wow factor)

If any of you ladies are stuck with what to wear to your Christmas party I recommend you pay Stephanie's Closet a visit as there are so many gorgeous outfits to choose from!

Instagram: @mvcsteph
Website: stephaniescloset.co.uk

Until next time...
Xxx

Cocoa Brown Instant Tan Bronzing Gel Review! #TanningTuesday

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I LOVE fake tan and have soft spot for Cocoa Brown tanning products, so naturally when I saw they had launched new tanning gels I obviously had to buy some immediately!

The Cocoa Brown Instant Tan Bronzing gels come in matte or shimmer and with Christmas approaching I decided to go for the shimmer gel.

I am a total sucker for anything sparkly and this product certainly doesn’t disappoint! I have had previous experiences with other ‘shimmer’ tanning products where by the time you have applied the tan the shimmer is unnoticeable ..booo!

The gel is a rich brown colour with a golden shimmer mixed in giving you the best of both worlds for the holiday season and to make it even better, unlike some tanning gels, the Cocoa Brown Tanning Gel does not have that typical orange tinge and also smells delicious!

Application:

I started with my usual pamper regime (see previous post for details!) to make sure my skin was silky soft ready for the tanning gel. I then used a standard tanning mitt from the Cocoa Brown range to apply small amounts of gel at a time.

Starting with my feet and worked my way up my body squeezing 50p sized amounts on to the mitt at a time – if you put on too little it can take ages to apply and make it hard to blend but if you squeeze out too much it can end up going everywhere you don’t want it (floors, clothes ..you get my drift). 

As with all fake tans do take care around areas that are typically dry eg elbows, knees, apply smaller amounts of the product lightly and wipe off immediately if too much is applied or it becomes too dark on those particular areas.

You also don’t have to worry about the gel drying fast and becoming hard to use once you have begun working it onto your skin, as even if the gel does dry just apply a little more and it becomes damp enough to rub in again meaning no streaks!

If you do happen to have a major disaster the gel also washes off relatively easy which means if you need to you can start again, although this product is super easy to apply so even tanning beginners should find this fake tan easy to work with!

Top marks to Cocoa Brown once again!

My pre-night out beauty regime ft Cocoa Brown!

My pre-night out beauty regime 

 

Looking and feeling great for a night out is always important! My theory is, that the better you feel about yourself, the better your night will be ..or quite honestly I think this goes for everyday as well! 

A key part to feeling great is a little pamper time, whether this be before a night out or just in general when you could do with a little boost!

Start with a nice relaxing bath, using some of your fav bath products ( lush is always a winner ) and feel free to add a glass of wine to your regime, I find that always helps set the relaxing mood, right?

 Once you have had a little soak use a body scrub to remove all dead and dry skin, I always reach for Soap&Glory Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em Body Buff as it never fails to leave my skin silky smooth and smells fab! Also if your planning on shaving your legs I would advise you shave them first then use body scrub, but be careful and don't scrub too hard as this can hurt and leave you with red, blotchy legs!

While you're scrubbing use a little of the body buff on a foot file and use on the soles of your feet to remove any rough skin and leave them feeling soft again after a hard weeks work! 

Using body scrub is also key if you're planning on applying fake tan. Every girl knows that rough, dead skin plus fake tan is just a disaster waiting to happen! Which leads me to my next time... 

Once you have plucked up the courage to leave your lovely warm bath and dried off use a light moisturiser all over your body to keep that silky smooth feeling for longer. I choose to use Cocoa Brown Chocolate Whip oil free moisturiser as it smell like chocolate - meaning you smell like chocolate ..and who doesn't like chocolate?!

Once the moisturiser has dried completely it's fake tan time! If you have read my previous post you will know Cocoa Brown 1 hour Tanning Mousse is my absolute fav and to make it even more perfect they have now brought out a dark version, I can't recommend it enough!

I apply the mousse using a normal tanning mitt all over my body. Because of the versatility of the product you can choose to leave it on 1-3hours and shower off to leave a gorgeous summer glow or leave it on all night, the tan works brilliantly either way!

It really is like a spray tan in a bottle and I absolutely love the darker colour! The original gave a nice natural glow but the dark version gives you that dreamy holiday glow all year round. 

Finally to top off my pre-party pamper session I give my fingers and toes (nails obvs) a fresh coat of paint. My current fav is China Glaze's Barbie pink shade 'Don't mesa with my heart' 

And there you have it ..a perfect little pre-party pamper regime! 

Halloween Mermaid Nails in 4 Easy Steps

So my mermaid obsession is still in full swing, so much so that I have  decided to be a mermaid for Halloween because ..well why not!

I had previously created a similar nail design and decided to step it up a bit with more colour and glitter!

I used stencils from a company called Nail Mail rather than try and paint on the scales myself (so much harder than I imagined) 

To create the design I used a mix of Barry M nail paints because I love the quality and finish of the nail paints, I haven't had a bad experience in the years I have been using them! I chose the metallic gold (for the base coat) the mermaid themed range in a blue shimmer shade and blue and gold glitter nail paints. 

Step 1 - I painted my nails with one coat of the metallic gold, then painted a clear coat over the top then left to dry for 15 minutes - this step is essential to stop the stencil pulling off the base coat later on.

Step 2 - I then applied the stencil to all nails on both hands (it helps if you have quite narrow nails to cut the stencil in half that way you have less waste meaning you have stencil left over for next time!) and applied each one using tweezers to position it exactly where I wanted it. Make sure the stencil is completely stuck down to the surface of your nail to avoid paint getting underneath the stencil and ruining the design. 

Step 3 - I used the shimmery blue shade to create the blue scales looks then I used a small sponge and tweezers to dab on each colour glitter to give a slight gold to blue ombré effect rather than just using one solid colour.

I found it is better to paint one nail at a time then peel the stencil off straight away while the paint it is still wet to avoid the paint drying and the stencil pulling off some of the paint potentially ruining the effect or getting the stencil stuck into dry the paint so you can't remove it at all. 

Step 4 - Finish with a nice shiny clear top coat and voila ..perfect mermaid nails! 

You can use literally any combination of colours to create this effect, the possibilities really are endless!

Stencils - £3.95 from Nail Mail

Nail paints - all from Barry M and range between £2.99-£3.99