Dining Out: Aubaine

For my second and last birthday meal out Matt took me to a French restaurant named Aubaine and we went to the branch in Wimbledon. Although there are a few locations, we liked that it doesn't feel like a chain restaurant, rather more boutique. We had been wanting to go there for a while so it was really nice surprise :) Inside it is modern with a rustic French twist and the service was very friendly and quick. 

When we first sat down I was surprised with a bottle of wine awaiting us with a little note from Matt, which is kind of a tradition as he normally does this when we go out to eat for a special occasion. It definitely set off the evening in a lovely way!

While choosing what to eat we were given a variety of tasty bread in a cute little bucket, as you can see above. There were lots of options to choose from, all quite simple, but for starter Matt had the caprese salad which was amazing. In his words, if the chefs can make something simple taste exquisite then you know you've gone to a good restaurant! I went for the squid which was flavoured with chilli and coriander and served with a lime aioli. It was a great combination of flavours and I also thought the way the lime was cut was pretty (I'm easily pleased as you can tell). It was good to have light starters so we had lots of room for main and pudding!

I opted for sea bass with tomato compote and roquette which was so good - I loved that they had got the skin nice and crispy. The quality of the ingredients as with all the dishes was great which is a necessity when providing more simple dishes. I also ordered some broccoli as a side to share (gotta get those vitamins in!) and it was cooked just right so it still had some crunch was nice and buttery. Matt went for the mussels with chips which is always a winner and one of our favourites.

Dessert was most definitely a highlight of the meal. We were presented with a slate platter that had a selection of delicious patisseries - I wish we could have had all of them! Matt had a salted caramel and pecan cake and I had a giant vanilla macaroon because they are one of my favourite things.

Overall we had such a lovely experience, with great quality food and service. We will most definitely be going back!

Have you tried Aubaine before? Do you like French food? xxx

Inside The Beauty Bag Of... #1

Most of my posts consist of products geared towards my skin type, hair type and personal make up taste so I thought it would be a nice change once in a while to delve into other people's beauty bags in order to offer a different perspective. For the first installment of this new series I delved into the make up and skin care preferences of my best friend Sophie.

Skin type: Dry and sensitive. 

Skincare regime: Sophie has a really simple routine which consists of all Garnier products! She swears by Garnier's Soft Essentials cream cleanser and rose toner followed by the Moisture Match moisturiser for dry to very dry skin.

Everyday make up: Sophie starts with Rimmel's Fix and Perfect Primer (something I really want to try) followed by MaxFactor 3in1 Facefinity foundation which as it isn't too heavy. For under eyes she uses Benefit Boi-ing concealer which she got in a set for Christmas and has fallen in love with and luckily doesn't need anything to cover up blemishes as she rarely gets any. Her base make up is finished with a small dash of  L'Oreal Blush in 'Wild Rose' and Rimmel Clear Complexion powder. Moving onto eyes her favourite liquid eyeliner is by No 7 as it is hypoallergenic which is great for sensitive eyes, although she is trying out Barry M's Wink Black Marker at the moment. For below the lash line she prefers a pencil liner that won't run at the moment one from Rimmel that features a nifty twist feature. Finally a slick of Maxfactor's Masterpiece Max mascara (one of my favourites) finishes her look.

Overall favourite make up brand: Overall Maybelline as they provide a light base which is non cakey that is perfect for dry skin. She also loved Define A Lash mascara by the brand before it was discontinued because it was long lasting and had a rubber wand which is her favourite over a bristle applicator.

Favourite make up item of all time:  Maxfactor Masterpiece Max mascara.

Worst product: Rimmel foundations - they are too thick for Sophie's liking!

Favourite nail varnish: Pretty much anything from Barry M, in particular their dark red from the original line.

First make up item: mascara of some sort .... (she thinks!)

Favourite make up look: Vintage glamour.

Beauty muse: Millie Mackintosh for her simple, fresh make up.

Best beauty tip: use an older mascara for bottom lashes so it won't smudge or go gloopy.

Top of the lust list: YSL Touche Eclat to brighten up under eyes.

I hope you enjoyed the slight change in post. Let me know if you have any product suggestions suited to Sophie's needs xxx

Review: Real Techniques | Expert Face Brush |

Real Techniques - Expert Face Brush - £9.99 - Available at Boots

Real Techniques brushes are one of the most talked about budget brush brands and for good reason. I have the core collection and starter eye kit and both are of fantastic quality and contain multi-functional brushes. For a really long time I have wanted to add to my collection by purchasing some of the stand alone brushes so I was really pleased when I finally caved and picked up the Expert Face Brush.

I never thought I'd say this but I think it has replaced my beloved Buffing Brush as my favourite base applicator. The synthetic taklon bristles are densely packed and stiff, unlike the buffing brush which is quite flexible so I found it a bit difficult to get used to at the beginning. However, this design delivers a flawless base with minimal effort. Normally I take a long time buffing in my choice of base to make sure it is all blended in but this brush cuts that time in half and basically does all the work for you. I've also found I use a lot less product as the Expert Face Brush works it into the skin so flawlessly you don't need as much to even skin tone or cover redness. It works really well with all cream and liquid bases, from light to high coverage, but my favourite at the moment is with Estee Lauder Double Wear, which I mentioned in this post recently.

The light weight and tapered middle design of the handle is another plus point which makes it easy to maneuver and grip, again aiding application. The brush is also really easy to clean which was a surprise as the bristles are so dense I thought product would get easily trapped in between them.

The Expert Face Brush leaves you looking naturally airbrushed and it just a winner all round - a great value product which you won't regret having in your arsenal.

What is your favourite Real Techniques brush? xxx