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? 

Red Lipstick - are you a (wo)man or a mouse?

I absolutely love red lipstick. It can brighten up any look, from daytime in the office to a night out with friends. I’m always on the look out for a good new lipstick with staying power that is not too shiny, or conversely, is not too matte and drying.  One that I would definitely recommend is ‘Red-y to Wear’ by Clinique. It has great pigmentation, long lasting colour, and is the perfect red on olive or tanned skin. 

If you have fairer skin, I recommend using a lipstick such as ‘Lady Danger’ by MAC, for around £15. If you want to treat yourself to a little piece of Chanel, why not try Rouge Coco in ‘Gabrielle’, which is a hydrating crème lip colour, for £25, which I shall be buying on payday!

However, wearing red lipstick can be daunting. There are so many worries  - have I crossed the fine line between classy and trashy? Does this look even suit me or do I look like I’ve been playing with face paints? IS IT ON MY TEETH? We’ve all been there. Therefore a tinted lipbalm is a great alternative. My current favourite is Babylips by Maybelline New York, in ‘Cherry Me’, which has been around in the USA for ages but was only released in the UK last month. 

This product claims to hydrate, moisturise and give baby soft lips in a week, and is enriched with shea butter and other lovely ingredients. It has a mouth watering cherry smell, and with the price of £2.99, this is such a bargain. If you don't mind spending a little extra, then Chubby Sticks by Clinique in 'Chunky Cherry' or 'Whooping Watermelon' are very good, at £17. 

In the last few weeks of summer, why not give a bright red lipstick or juicy red lipbalm a try?

Yaasica Lucia XXX

What great lipsticks or lipbalms have you tried recently? 

Eating Out in East London

Since moving to East London, I am beginning to explore the local area, and luckily I have not been disappointed, as it is full of great places to eat and drink. I love the cobbled streets and views of the Thames in Wapping, juxtaposed with thought provoking graffiti and up and coming clothes shops of Hoxton and Shoreditch. 

A great place to go for brunch is Hoxton Grill, which can be found at 81 Great Eastern St, a five minute walk from Shoreditch High Street tube station. The place is smart casual, with red leather sofas and booths, and a pretty outdoor courtyard seating area with comfortable chairs to relax on. Without a doubt, I can say that this venue made the best pancakes I have ever had. They were served american style, thick and fluffy, topped with crispy, streaky bacon. The best part is that they give you a bottle of maple syrup to add to your own taste. My brunch date had a beautifully poached egg, resting on top of BBQ beans with bacon, on sourdough toast, which was also delicious. We also shared a peanut butter milkshake which was so big, you only need one between two! I would definitely recommend coming here - we were there for nearly 2 hours, and you don't really want to leave as it is so chilled. The lunch and dinner menu looks great, especially the Mac & Cheese with jalepenos and bacon, which I will definitely be trying on my next visit there. 

Bottega is an Italian restaurant, bar and delicatessen that has just opened up in a converted warehouse along the cobbled streets of Wapping. When you arrive, you are greeted with the gorgeous smell of Italy; garlic, herbs, olive oil, the slight spiciness that comes with Italian cured meats. Being a new restaurant in a fairly quiet area of London, the menu was relatively small. However, what was on there did not disappoint. Highlights included a seafood linguine with mussels, prawns and clams, homemade gnocchi and other gorgeous looking fare. To start we ordered a traditional Peroni, an italian lager that has a taste that is distinctive from your usual can of Stella. It was smooth, light and very drinkable. 

When eating Italian, especially in a deli style restaurant, I love to choose a few starters and a sharing platter to maximise the amount of different foods to taste, similar to tapas or a mezze. To start we had a delicious slow roasted pork belly with crackling, served with a tangy pickled red cabbage salad. The pork was melt in the mouth and the crackling was perfect. We also had some tempura prawns with a lemon mayonnaise, with a light a crispy coating which was very similar to the "Hairy Prawns" that can be found at Yo!Sushi. Then for the main course we ordered "Burrata". A platter of Parma Ham, spinach, grilled courgettes, mushrooms, roasted onions and tomatoes, italian flatbreads, pickled cabbage, celeriac, and crowned with a milky, fresh, creamy Mozzarella. It was amazing, and extremely filling, leaving no room for dessert! Overall, the restaurant was lovely and had a warm, buzzing ambience that made me want to go back again. 

I love food from all around the world, and one of my favourite cuisines is Chinese. Luckily, there is a cute little restaurant called "River View" which is only a minutes walk from Wapping tube station (turn right when you walk out, its at the end of the road).The food was great, not greasy, as some Chinese food can tend to be. As well as the classics such as sweet and sour chicken and crispy chilli beef, we also ordered Roast Duck in a ginger and spring onion sauce, which I had never tried before. The duck was cooked beautifully and I was pleasantly surprised.  Sitting right on the Thames with gorgeous views, especially on a summers evening, this place is one to visit. 

There will be more reviews soon on different places to eat and drink around London. 

Yaasica Lucia XXX 

Have you been to any great places in East London lately?

The East Coast Diner : a world away from Jersey Shore

When I was younger, I went to New York for my mother’s 50^th birthday, and ever since, I have been itching to get back there again. I love American food and culture, everything from burgers and chilli fries to Maybelline New York cosmetics. I love the way that everything is so much bigger, brighter, and more exciting than the small town that I grew up in. When the East Coast Diner opened in Woodbridge, Suffolk, I simply had to go back to check it out.

Rather than having red leather booths and a jukebox, there were scrubbed wooden tables and chairs, high stools and a pretty little courtyard outside for nice weather.

The menu was brilliant. From gourmet steak burgers, big apple hotdogs, nachos and thin crust ‘posh pizzas’, to milkshakes, Brooklyn lager and cocktails – there was a lot of choice. Firstly, we ordered a Peanut Butter Malted Milkshake and a virgin Mojito, which were both delicious.

Then, I had a ‘Pimp Steak’ Hotdog which claimed to be all beef and all tasty – it sure was. Cooked in a way that still gave a satisfyingly crispy skin, and topped with fried onions, ketchup and mustard, this hotdog was a great alternative to the usual pork sausage ones found on the UK high street. I loved the way it was served in the traditional American way - in a basket with a grease-proof paper lining. My companion had a ‘Howlin’ Hot Burger’ which was made from 100% steak and topside mince, with cheese, jalepenos and chilli jam, a soft brioche bun and a cute little bucket of skinny fries. This again was totally different to your average cheeseburger.

Last month, I was thrilled when ShakeShack, a rapidly growing business from the USA that started as a hotdog cart, opened their first flagship restaurant in Covent Garden, London. I couldn't wait to go with a friend who is as much of a food lover as me. Again, the food was brilliant, using Aberdeen Angus beef and rare breed pork, which shows the transferability of the brand from USA to UK. The crinkle cut fries were perfectly cooked, very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I would recommend it if you want something a little higher end than Mac D’s but don’t want to break the bank at Burger & Lobster.

Yaasica Lucia XXX 

Photo courtesy of Louisa Innes 

Have you eaten at any brilliant burger joints recently?