The Bow Bells: Becoming an Eastender

They say that you are a true cockney if you live within the sound of the Bow Bells, which are situated in a church in the City called St Mary-le-Bow, near Cannon Street, which it turns out is only a few minutes walk from my office in St Paul's. Obviously I was delighted, being a massive fan of the BBC series Eastenders. Recently, I moved to the East End of London, living in a townhouse with an old school friend who is also a uni graduate living on a budget. Of course, I had to check out what the new area had to offer. Victoria Park has a buzzing community and is near Mile End, Bethnal Green and Stepney, with pubs, delis, cute cafés and restaurants.

The first place I went to was 'Spit Jacks' which is to the north of Victoria Park. The little restaurant had a French countryside feel, and specialised in rotisserie - meat slow roasted on a spit. We chose spit roasted chicken which was delicious, with crispy skin and tender meat, accompanied by French fries. We also had roast leg of lamb with tasty little roast potatoes and salad. Another highlight was crunchy corn on the cob, in a chilli and lime butter which I will definitely be replicating at home. It was all washed down with a carafe of cheap but highly drinkable table wine. The cosy and rustic setting is one to be enjoyed by friends and couples alike. 

To the south of the park, near Mile End tube station and Bow Road, there is a brilliant restaurant called Greedy Cow. Specialising in burgers, they have a lot of different meats; the standards such as chicken and beef, along with some more exotic choices such as kangaroo and wild boar. I had the Mexican - a beef burger cooked to Medium, with salsa, sour cream, cheese and jalepenos. We also tried the beer battered onion rings which were probably some of the best I've tried (and I've worked in many quality pubs that also serve them). 

Another great place in the area is the Royal Inn on the Park which does a brilliant Sunday roast, served very quickly. The pub also serves Aspall Cyder from Suffolk which is one of my favourite drinks and complemented the pork beautifully. After lunch, you can take a leisurely stroll in the park, which has lakes, gardens, play areas, a skatepark and little cafés to get a hot chocolate to warn you up in the rapidly cooling autumn weather. Parks like this are often underrated with people choosing to visit the obvious ones such as Hyde Park, Regents Park, Hampstead Heath etc. However for a bit of a change, along with Vicky park, why not try out Battersea park which is next to the Chelsea embankment, or Brockwell park in South London which holds a country show each year and has one of the city's last remaining lidos. 

Another great reason for coming to this area is that it's only a short journey away from one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe - Westfield Stratford City. Being a shopaholic and beauty addict, I'm yet to decide whether this is a blessing or a curse. However, not only are there brilliant shops ranging from Mulberry and Primark, there are also some great restaurants. My new favourite is Cabana Brasilian Barbeque which is part of 'The Street', the outdoor shopping area. When inside you feel like you are in the centre of Rio, with Latin American music playing, bright decorations and the sound and smell of sizzling barbecued meat. We ordered marinated chicken and steak skewers which were smoky and flavoursome. However, my favourite dishes were the starters. One was Barbeque pulled pork in a cheesy dough ball. The other were magnificent king prawns in a Malagueta sauce, which was sweet, spicy and bursting with chili. If you're a fan of street food, I'd definitely recommend visiting here after a hard day's shopping. 

East London is becoming more and more popular, especially since West and Central London are becoming even more exclusive, with tiny apartments selling for a million pounds and cocktails costing 20 quid each. All the more reason to give the East End more than a passing glance. 

Yaasica Lucia XXX 

Go West!

"You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." - Samuel Johnson, 1770's. 

The trouble with living and working in London is that you fall into a routine. For most of the week, the only areas I really see are around my office in St Paul's or on the way home from the Tube Station in Mile End. As much as I love working in the heart of the City, sometimes it's easy to get stuck in a comfort zone and not really venturing out of it. Therefore, when some friends from university came to visit for the weekend, it was a perfect excuse to go and explore the West End. 

The first place we went to was Vista, a rooftop bar overlooking Trafalgar Square. The views were breathtaking; from the crowds around the fountain, to Nelson's Column, the London Eye, and the Houses of Parliament to name a few. The only drink to fit the occasion was a cocktail. I went for the 'Vista Boulevard'-  an enticing combination of watermelon liqueur, fresh lemon juice and agave syrup, charged with vodka and topped with ginger ale and a marshmallow. The cocktails there aren't cheap, so I recommend getting a 'long' drink and making the most of it. Another great place nearby is Searcy's at the National Portrait Gallery, again with amazing views, along with a chance to browse the fantastic works of art. 

Next, we headed into Soho. There is so much variety here, from the theatre district at Leicester Square, to Chinatown with the beautiful red and gold decorations lining the street. However, we decided to head to Kettners, a place that is so much more than a bar. There's lots of different areas - a brasserie, a cafe in which to have champagne and cupcakes, and a cosy seating area with antique furniture and booths that can be booked for large groups. I had two cocktails here, the first was Lilly's Lemonade (pictured). However my second one, Kettners KP, was amazing. It involved tequila, pear, almond syrup and lime, and the glass came with crushed almonds around the rim rather than salt - this is the best variation of a Margarita I have ever had. Again, this place isn't cheap but at the same time, it's not the Ritz; I recommend visiting straight after payday. 

To soak up all this alcohol, we walked through the buzzing streets of Soho and on to a Mexican restaurant called Wahaca. The chain was created by a previous Masterchef winner, and focuses on street food rather than your average Tex Mex. There were 7 of us in total and so we went for a huge array of tapas (small dishes) rather than a main meal each. Highlights included soft tacos with slow cooked pork, in a Yacutan marinade, topped with pickled red onions; grilled steak tacos with chipotle salsa and cheese; chorizo and new potato quesadillas; smoky caramelised chunks of sweet potato.

Overall, the weekend exploring Soho was fabulous. There are art galleries, museums, bars, clubs and restaurants. However, for me, it's a once in a while thing as you definitely pay for the location. Sometimes, its totally worth it.  

Yaasica Lucia XXX

Vamp it up for Autumn

With fashion weeks happening all over the world and autumn thoroughly upon us, it's time for the transition between summer and winter make up and clothing. As much as I love summer, I'm sure I'm not alone in delighting over the thought of wearing warm winter coats, leather boots and cashmere jumpers. Foundation and eyeliner may actually last the whole day rather than slipping off the face in protest of the heat.  And of course, the pictures of Starbucks' seasonal drinks have already started cropping up on Instagram (mine's a grande skinny salted caramel mocha). 

In terms of beauty, a look I am absolutely loving is 'vamp' - deep, blood red, wine stained lips. There are some great colours out there and my personal favourite is 'Beguiled' by Topshop, which has a satin matte finish and so is a perfect texture in the sense that it isn't shiny but does not dry the lips out either. 

As you may have read in my previous blog about lipstick, I'm not the most confident in bold lip colours. However, so long as you remember to blot, check your teeth and try not to smudge it down your chin, you should be fine. If this colour is a little dark, I recommend 

Revlon colour stay Ultimate Suede lipstick in backstage 035 (left) or Bourjois Rouge Edition lipstick in 18 (right). 

This look works really well with gold jewellery and accessories. Paying rent in London on a graduate budget means that of course, I have costume jewellery rather than solid gold (or even gold plated). All high street shops do a great variety, but recently Primark (yes really) have been nailing the statement necklace trend. 

All of these necklaces were under £5 which is ideal, and (I hope) shows that you can achieve a good look without breaking the bank. To top this look off, add a parka or a faux fur coat in either black or dark brown, keeping other clothing simple, and you're good to go. 

Yaasica Lucia XXX 


What hot Autumn looks are getting you excited? 

Reaping the Benefits - is it worth it?

Benefit Cosmetics, originating from San Francisco, has been around for a while now, becoming more and more popular in the UK over the last 10 years. With gorgeous packaging and witty slogans, such as 'Dallas: an outdoor glow for an indoor gal', its easy to see why Benefit now has some of the bestselling beauty products on the market at the moment. However, being a graduate on a budget, especially since making the move to the capital city, I find myself increasingly unwilling to pay as much for cosmetics as I previously have. I always wonder - is the extra cost really worth it? 

One of my favourite Benefit products was one of the Box o' Powders, perfect 10, which was a highlighting and bronzing duo. 

Needless to say I was gutted when I realised that it had been discontinued, as has the dupe by W7 called Double Act. 

Another of my favourites is Dallas, a blusher/bronzer combo that is great for my skintone. 

So, you can imagine my dismay when I went to buy it and was told that they rarely get it in stock anymore, and that Dallas was also going to be discontinued - I suggest if you are a Dallas fan, stock up from their website as it still has it on sale. Luckily, the girl on the counter was lovely and offered a free makeover using newer products from the line. 

First, primer was applied to my face which gives a great base for foundation, and keeps it in place for longer which is great if you work long hours and still want to look half presentable towards the end of the day. The POREfessional is the number 1 selling primer in the UK, and it has a lovely texture and made the skin smooth to the touch. Then, That Gal primer was also applied. 

When I asked the make up artist which was better to use, she suggested using both, which she also suggested to a few other people browsing. As much as I love the products, at £24.50 and £22.50 respectively, there is no way I would dream of spending nearly £50.00 on something to go under my normal foundation. That's CRAZY. If you want to use Benefit primer, just choose the best one for your skin type. If like me, you're on a budget, I recommend using Rimmel Fix & Perfect Perfect Primer in 002 which at £5.99 is a lot more reasonable. 

That being said, I still love the brand and believe that some of the products are genuinely worth paying more than the usual prices of drugstore brands. For example, the newest mascara, They're Real, is a great investment and for £19.50, you get a full sized item and also a mini item worth £9.50, for free! It's a brilliant product and is long lasting and waterproof, with a unique wand, and true black in colour. 

Rockateur is the new Box o' Powder on the block, and I have to say, I'm in love. It's a rose-gold blush with bronze undertones, and very little has to be applied in order to create a gorgeous effect. It also smells great and comes in 'provocative' packaging of gold, snakeskin and lace print. These boxes last for so long and so at £23.50, you won't have to buy another blusher/bronzer again for many months. 

Benefit Cosmetics have brilliant branding and gorgeous designs, with some great products. However, my advice is to choose key investment pieces and be sensible and realistic about buying your entire makeup collection from them. 

Yaasica Lucia XXX

What are your favourite Benefit products?