Dinner at Shackfuyu (Soho)

Recently I've really been enjoying trying out new restaurants and bars. There are so many great places in London and it seemed a shame to be going to the same few favourites over and over again. Whilst searching for Asian chicken wings we came across Shackfuyu, the latest addition to the Bone Daddies empire. The menu sounded really tempting and after reading Miho's review, we were convinced to go there for dinner:

Shackfuyu - Bone daddies punch

Like most new restaurants in London these days there are no reservations in the evening, although they have a cosy little bar downstairs where you can enjoy a drink (or two) whilst waiting for your table. I opted for the Bone daddies punch, a fruity blend of rum, passionfruit and pineapple. Refreshing and delicious, my only complaint was that it came pre blended rather than freshly made.

 Shackfuyu Korean fried wings - crispy, sweet and savory
 with just enough of a kick from the spicy chilli, very moreish!

Cauliflower with orange miso ponzu

Tinger prawns with jalapeno ginger dressing

Hot stone rice with goma tare, chilli and beef

Korean fried wings

  Aubergine with 4 miso and bubu arare -  soft salty melt in your 

mouth aubergine with a delicious crunch from the rice cracker balls 

Kinako french toast with soft serve ice cream - crispy on the

 outside with soft cake batter inside, perfect with matcha ice cream

The menu consists of a selection of sharing dishes, perfect for someone like me who likes to try a little bit of everything. We opted for 6 dishes which was definitely more than enough for 2. Each dish was perfectly prepared and although it was more fusion than authentic Japanese they were all delicious. I particularly liked the chicken wings and miso aubergine. The beef rice was a lovely accompaniment and that matcha ice cream was just heavenly. 

Overall I really enjoyed the food and atmosphere at Shackfuyu and would definitely return for a quick lunchtime snack or for some post drink nibbles. I've already got the prawn toast and beef picanha on my list of dishes to try next time! 

Shackfuyu, 14a Old Compton Street, W1D 4TJ

Have you been to any of the Bone Daddies restaurants? Where are your favourite places to go for dinner?

Spring skincare refresh

With the weather getting warmer and my skin less dry, not to mention that fact that I was getting rather bored of my current routine, it was time for a much needed Spring skincare refresh. Having tried various lotions and potions I've introduced 4 new products into my daily routine: 

Spring skincare refresh

Did you know that in Korea some girls have up 11 products in their daily routine?! Mine's nowhere near that complex but I do like the new Erborian herbal energy lotion 30%. With a blend of traditional Asian herbs it's quickly become the last step of my cleansing and the first step of moisturising routine. My skin always feels cleaner after using this and I like that it's both soothing and hydrating on my combination/dehydrated skin. Plus it smells nice and refreshing, which is always a bonus.

As I've gotten older my skin needs more than just a moisturiser and recently I've been loving the new Origins original skin serum. Specifically designed for 20 something skin, it helps to de-stress, smooth, delete dullness, shrink pores and minimise flaws. Since using this I find my skin generally looks more healthy and used in combination with the Erborian toner it's become less dehydrated too. The serum is light and quick sinking, so doesn't overload the skin and makes for a nice base under moisturiser/BB cream.

As we go into summer I like to step up my SPF and I'm currently using La roche-posay anthelios XL cream in place of my usual moisturiser. My skin tends to react to SPF but with the Origins serum underneath this seems to be absolutely fine. I like that it's broad spectrum thus helping to prevent both skin ageing and burning. Some sunscreens can too rich but this is actually lighter than my usual day cream. I like that it doesn't leave a white cast and once powdered my skin looks no different to normal.

Finally on days when I don't want to wear too much make up I've been gravitating towards Erborian CC creme. It's very sheer in terms of coverage but does a good job of evening out the skin and making it look more radiant. The creme comes out as a white fluid which turns into more of a neutral shade as you start blending it into the skin. Because of this I prefer using my fingers over a brush. Once applied it leaves my skin with a nice dewy glow and come summer I can see myself reaching for this lot more.

Have you tried any of the products above? What are your current skincare favourites? 

Real Techniques sculpting set

I remember back in the day when good quality meant spending £20+ on an individual brush. Luckily these days there are some great options on the high street and the latest one to catch my eye is this rather gorgeous pink Real Techniques sculpting set:

Real Techniques sculpting set

Real Techniques sculpting set review

Having already tried their starter set and more recently the retractable kabuki brush I had high expectations and I'm pleased to say the new sculpting set doesn't disappoint. Inside you'll find 3 brushes, all instantly recognisable with the Real Techniques signature pink and black handle and duo fibre brush heads. There's a sculpting brush for contouring under the cheek, a setting brush for smaller areas such as the nose and a fan brush which is perfect for a light dusting of highlighter. 

As with everything I've tried from Real Techniques the brushes are super soft and hold their shape well after washing. Two of the brushes in this set are multi purpose too. I've been using the sculpting brush to buff in foundation and the setting brush does a good job of blending out under eye concealer too. Overall another great value brush set from Real Techniques and one that I would definitely recommend if you're also trying to master the art of contouring and highlighting.

Have you tried the new Real Techniques sculpting set? What are your contouring must haves?

Joules currant leaf bodycare and fragrance collection

There's no denying I'm a city girl through and through but sometimes its nice to get away, explore a new area and enjoy some fresh country air. Recently I've been using the new Joules currant leaf collection to bring a touch of that countryside chic into my London home:

Joules currant leaf collection - hand lotion, candle and reed diffuser

Joules currant leaf hand lotion

With it (supposedly) being spring I've been gravitating towards lighter fresher scents and with notes of cassis leaves, jasmine, vanilla and cedar Joules currant leaf couldn't be more perfect. The combination of floral and woody notes always reminds me of being out and about in the country. I can practically smell the fresh flowers and green fields, just what I need sometimes after a day commuting in central London.

Thanks to the simple colourful design Joules currant leaf looks suitably high end and the 3 products look lovely sat on my desk. I particularly like the reed diffuser which releases a subtle fresh fragrance throughout the day and the hand lotion which is moisturising without being greasy. There's also a matching hand wash which I think would make for a nice little duo and with it currently on sale for just £7.96 each (normally £9.95) I definitely need to get a set for the bathroom!

Have you tried anything from the new Joules bodycare and fragrance collection? What are your favourite scents for spring?

April beauty favourites

As you can probably tell from the lack of blog posts April was one of those crazy busy months were time just seemed to disappear. As a result I've been gravitating towards beauty products which were either time saving, quick and easy to apply or just simply really lovely to use:

April beauty favourites

 April favourites - Benefit roller lash mascara and Clinique chubby stick

Bliss multi-'face'-eted all in one anti-ageing clay mask

Living in London my skin often feels congested and this all in one clay mask gets to work in just 5 minutes. I like to apply it as I'm getting ready to shower, leave it on to work then wash it all off at the same time as my hair. It really is multi purpose with quartz, glycolic acid, jojoba oil and carbon to smooth, exfoliate, nourish and detoxify. There's a slight tingling sensation as it gets to work and afterwards my skin looked and felt visibly smoother, more radiant and deep cleansed.

Batiste dry shampoo in Neon lights and Heavenly volume

For haircare I've gone back to an old favourite albeit in 2 new scents. Neon lights is a lovely mix of pomegranate and jasmine, the perfect spring/summer scent and heavenly volume a more powdery floral which helps to give extra lift at the roots. As always they're great for soaking up any grease, ideal for second day hair and a must have for when I'm running late or having a lazy day.

Escada Taj Sunset EDT perfume

Although this was a limited edition release a few years ago, Escada Taj Sunset is one of my favourite Spring/Summer perfumes. The blend of mango, raspberry, coconut and sandalwood is just so intoxicating and whenever I use this I can't help but feel like I'm on holiday somewhere exotic. We were lucky to have such beautiful weather in April and I can't wait to use this more as the weather gets even hotter and sunnier. 

Benefit roller lash mascara

The latest launch from Benefit cosmetics and this really does live up to the hype. A dark pigmented mascara which really helps to lengthen and lift, even on my super straight eyelashes. I wouldn't say it's the most volumising but you can certainly build it up after a few coats. This mini sample from Elle magazine has come in particularly useful and it now sits proudly in my handbag for those emergency desk to bar situations.

Clinique chubby stick in mighty mimosa

Finally my go to lip colour from the creators of the original lip crayon. Mighty mimosa is a really gorgeous rosy pink shade that goes with just about every single look. I like how it adds enough colour to lift the face whilst at the time being super moisturising. It doubles up nicely as a lip balm and like the Benefit mascara it's quickly become one of my handbag staples this month.

Have you tried any of the products above? What were your April beauty favourites?