The Blogger Made Me Buy It Tag...

I came across this tag on Cat's blog What Cat Says and thought I'd give it a go as it's pretty relevant and I have definitely fallen under the "blogger spell" when it comes to some products I have recently bought!

1. Who are your most influential bloggers?

I could easily list pretty much all the blogs I follow but I often find myself extra tempted by the likes of Lily Pebbles, Pearls and Poodle, Essie Button and I Covet Thee. My wishlist always increases after I read these ladies latest posts!

2. Do you buy products solely as a result of one review from your favourite bloggers or do you look for more reviews from other bloggers?

I use reviews from my favourite bloggers as a way of getting an initial idea of a product but I'll always try and do my own research/make my own mind up on something before I part with my money. It's definitely easy to get swept up into craving for a product from reading great reviews from other bloggers and I've made the mistake of buying without knowing enough before!

3. What is your favourite item that you have bought as a consequence of blogs?

I think this would have to be my Real Techniques brushes as they're super soft and have completely changed the way I apply my makeup. My Rimmel Stay Matte powder is also a god-send for my long days at work!

4. What is your least favourite item that you have bought as a consequence of blogs?

This definitely has to be Mac Studio Sculpt foundation. This was the first product I bought as a result of reading blogs and I got very much swept up in being new to blogging and lusting after the first product I read a review on. I find the foundation really heavy and don't like the feeling of it on my skin - it did make me learn pretty early on not to get carried away and swept up in blogger hypes. 

5. Name 5 products you have recently bought as a result of blogs?

Bumble & Bumble Salt Spray, Rimmel Scandal'Eyes eyeliner, Superfacialist Rose Hydrate Cleanser, Lush Lip Scrub and Topshop Lip Crayons.

6. Have you ever given into blogger hype? If so, what?

I'm quite good at resisting the temptation of blogger hypes but a few things such as Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer, Nars Orgasm/Laguna and Benefit They're Real mascara have found there way into my collection to name a few.

7. Have you ever avoided blogger hype? If so, what?

In general I'm not that much of an eyeshadow wearer so I've avoided the whole Naked Palette hype but that's purely because I'd have no use for that many eyeshadows! 

8. Is everything you buy based on blogger reviews, or are there some items you buy without checking a review?

I definitely don't buy everything based on blogger reviews but I do use them more and more as a way of researching something that I'm thinking about getting - they're a great way of seeing how a broad range of people find a product.

I tag you... Let me know if you do this tag as I'm really nosy and love to see what things others have been 'hyped up' into buying.

Delightfully Delicious Diet-Breakers...

I'm not really one for New Year diets and when my sister suggested we make a batch of homemade flapjack, any fleeting chance of me trying to stick to any "healthy" eating went well and truly out the window! To make these gorgeously gooey treats, we mixed 125g of melted butter with 125g sugar, 3 tablespoons of Golden Syrup and 250g porridge oats. We then bunged it in the oven for about 20mins and in no time at all we were tucking into scrummy flapjack. In my opinion you can't beat a homemade treat, especially one that is this simple to whip up!

What sweet treats tempt you on these cold January evenings? Are there any other simple recipes you think I should try?

Your Food Will Be With You Inamo...

On Friday, Ben and I decided to make the most of the little time he has left before going back to uni by heading to London after work for a chilled evening. We wanted to try somewhere new for dinner so I enlisted the help of trusty Google to find a place that would have good food and wouldn't break the bank! After a little searching, I found Inamo. 

It doesn't look very fancy from the outside, but once in, it is one of the quirkiest places I have been to. Inamo is an interactive restaurant, the tables are essentially giant computers that you order all your food and drinks from. They also have an "extras" feature; you can change the background of your table, see your food being made via the Chef Cam and keep yourself entertained with a game of Battleships whilst you wait for your food to arrive. One of the best bits was getting to see what the dishes would look like on your plate by hovering the mouse over the dishes on the menu. 

 

The food comes out as it's ready so it's a good idea to make sure you order at the same time as everyone else on your table! I'll definitely head back to Inamo again, the Oriental flavours were amazing and how can you not love a bit of Battleships alongside your dim sum?

We rounded off the night by heading to W Hotel for a few cocktails before making our way home through a rainy Leicester Square.