Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Matte Revolution Lipstick Review & Lip Swatches

Charlotte Tilbury has just launched two new shades, 'Pillow Talk' from the matte revolution collection and 'Valentine' from her K.I.S.S.I.N.G collection. These are exclusive - I'm not sure if they are limited edition or just out for Valentine's day but either way I'm super thrilled that she has brought out the cult favourite 'Pillow Talk' in lipstick form. I adore the lip cheat lip liner in that shade!

Charlotte describes Pillow Talk as a "nude-y pink that mimics and enhances the natural hue of your lips, so you can cheat a perfect pillow-y pout in seconds."

From first glance and first swatch, it's leans more towards the nude side - slightly brown, which is interesting as I find the lip liner to be a bit more pinkier toned. Perhaps they decided to make it a little darker than the lip liner as it pairs well? Either way, I'm liking it!

On the lips it does look like more of a pinky-nude. But as mentioned above it does adapt to the hue of your lips, and mine are very pinky so this probably explains it.

I do love the colour, it's very natural and is the perfect every day shade. However, I think I'll always favour 'Bitch Perfect' over anything, but I do think I'll get a lot of wear out of this as it's super pretty and easy to wear.

The longevity is incredible. I applied this at 11am today, had lunch and a hot chocolate, done a few errands and it's still on my lips at 6:00pm! Yes it has faded and does need a top up, but how brilliant is that.

 (I've paired Pillow Talk Lip Cheat Lip Liner and Pillow Talk Lipstick above)

Overall, I'm really enjoying this shade and I'm super impressed with it. I think this is going to be a real hit in the blogging world. 5 stars from me!

And it goes without saying how much I adore the packaging. Art deco inspired, rose gold, hell yes.
I also just want to say how beautifully packaged it came (as I ordered online), I love the little details of the receipt in the envelope and the rose gold embossing of the logo on the envelope - super chic.
It was also lovely receiving a few samples inside too... can't wait to try out the goddess skin clay mask and Charlotte's magic cream!

Also, I do really want to try 'Valentine', but from first glance on the website I think it's too much of a light pink for me. I think that shade would suit blondes really well.
Although when I next pop by a Charlotte Tilbury counter, I'll have a little nosey and who knows I may like it in person as it's always tricky to tell online.

If you're interested in my other Charlotte Tilbury reviews... Here is one gigantic haul. Here is another lipstick review on 'Kiss Chase' and 'Between the Sheets'. Another on 'Stoned Rose'. And last but not least, my all time favourite, 'Bitch Perfect' lipstick review.

Right, time to get offline and watch Harry Potter whilst making pizza's with my hubby. Hope everyone is having a great Saturday! As always, you can follow me on Instagram: @zoeyoliviablog or tweet me: @zoeyoliviablog. I'm forever responding and interacting on those platforms :).

Favourite Reads... a little Hygge Obsessed!

I have been getting into reading a little bit more recently, it helps me to detach myself from the digital world every now and again.

Sometimes there is nothing more enjoyable than escaping into a book. I'm usually a big fan of fantasy books but I also love reading biographies and books that help when you're in a bit of a rut with yourself. 

I've picked my favourite reads of 2016 that some what may be an interest to you too.

1. #GirlBoss. This book is huge in the blogging world and it's no surprise why... every girl dreams of being their own boss and Sophia Amoriso, Founder and CEO of Nasty Gal shares her experiences and advice. This book gives you a little kick up the bum to reach your potential. Really really good read. 

It also has lots of great quotes through-out the book. I love this one by the one and only Estee Lauder - "I never dreamed for success, I worked for it."

2. The 500 Hidden Secrets of LONDON. Joe bought me this little gem for Christmas! I've lived on the outskirts of London all my life and I still can't get enough of eating out and exploring here.
There's so much to do and experience and this little book helps whenever I'm struggling to find an interesting place to eat or for things to do.

3. The Little Book of Hygge. I think everyone on the interwebs has this book as the hygge lifestyle seems to be trending massively. The reason why I wanted this so badly is because Denmark as a country really inspires me. It is often said to be the happiest country in the world and that's because of 'hygge'. Hygge has been translated as everything from the art of creating intimacy to cosiness of the soul to taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things.

"You know hygge when you feel it. It is when you're cuddled up on the sofa with a loved one, or sharing comfort food with your closest friends. It is those crisp blue mornings when the light shines through your window."

4. Hygge, The Danish Art of Happiness. You can tell I like this hygge thing right? Another great read on what really matters in life. Also I'm super excited that I'm going to be travelling to Denmark soon!

5. The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k. I love this, it's possibly one of the best books that I've read in 2016. In a nutshell it basically tells you to stop giving a f**k, to stop worrying so much and to do the things that truly make you happy.

I've always been a worrier and I used to care so much what people thought of me, and I'd do anything to please people... and people would literally walk all over me that I fell into a trap of exhaustion and unhappiness. All that energy and dedication that I gave was often overlooked which honestly broke my heart a little.
Anyway, I've learnt to focus on me a little more recently. Self love and making yourself a priority is important. If only I realised this sooner eh...

6. New York Through a Fashion Eye. Another book Joe bought me for Christmas! A beautifully illustrated book by Megan Hess. This book is so aesthetically pleasing to flick through. And there are some great places to visit in New York. If I am lucky enough to return to the big apple, I'm taking this book with me! 

So there you have it, 6 of my favourite reads of 2016! If there are any other similar books that you think I'd like to read, then please leave them in the comments below. I'm always up for new reading material. As always you can reach me on social media. I have Instagram: @zoeyoliviablog, and twitter: @zoeyoliviablog.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Pink Pepper & Mint Limited Edition REVIEW

Today I'm reviewing an old favourite cleanser of mine. The cult, award winning Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. This one is a limited edition version, 'Pink Pepper & Mint'.

If you haven't heard of the infamous 'Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser', it's a gorgeous silky smooth formula enriched with cocoa butter, rosemary, chamomile and eucalyptus to moisturise, sooth and purify the skin. Sometimes they bring out limited edition formulas, such as the Pink Pepper & Mint Christmas edition.

The packaging is designed so that you can pump the correct amount of product to cleanse with - genius if you ask me. As well as this, it comes with muslin cloths to lift away dead skin cells leaving your skin super soft. The idea behind the 'hot cloth cleanser' is that anyone, no matter what age or skin type can use this. As well as being a super easy way of removing make-up and cleansing at the same time.

Using this takes me back to the days when I first started taking my skincare 'seriously'... Back in 2011, I used to use this religiously.
Ahh, the days when I would enjoy cleansing my face morning and night with the gorgeous Liz Earle scent and rubbing this creamy formula onto my face. And then swiping away every bit of make-up with a steaming hot muslin cloth, so so divine. And so unbelievably satisfying! If you've tried this before, you'll know what I mean.

Anyway, I was in desperate need of a new cleanser over the Christmas period, so I popped into John Lewis and I saw this on offer for £15.50 (the same price as the 100ml). I was curious to try it again and the 'Pink Pepper and Mint' edition sounded fancy so I thought why not, eh!

This version is slightly bigger than the standard one, it's 150ml and came with two muslin cloths. It's such good value for what it does to your skin. And it lasts ages!

My skin feels so great at the moment, it feels so smooth and silky - which I think it due to the cocoa butter in the formula. I also adore the scent, it's so calming and lovely to use. Normally with heavily fragranced products they can irritate your skin, but this one doesn't irritate my fairly sensitive skin at all.

I also like that the muslin cloth gently exfoliates your skin, which I never do anymore... not through sheer laziness but because I was using harsh exfoliating cleansers a few years ago and it was ruining my skin a little bit, so I had to strip back to just using a cleanser, toner, moisturiser and weekly face mask. Anyway, it's nice that the muslin cloth gently removes dead skin cells without doing any damage to my skin.

I need to remind myself to buy muslin cloths more regularly because there honestly is nothing more enjoyable than using a brand new muslin cloth. And they are great for the skin! Win, win.

Hope everyone is having a great week. As always you can reach me on social media. I have Instagram: @zoeyoliviablog, and twitter: @zoeyoliviablog. I post daily on those platforms :).

Cahoots: A quirky hidden cocktail bar in London

Cahoots, cahoots, cahoots! The boy did good, he took me here for my birthday last year (on Halloween) and we had a great time. 

If you're unsure what Cahoots is or have stumbled across here looking for reviews on the place, then you've come to the right place. I shall go into detail about our experience further down. But let me start by saying how fun and cool this place is!
It's a hidden bar inside Kingly Court, just off Carnaby Street. A cocktail bar designed around the 40's era. It's really really cool. A hidden gem if you ask me.

Outside there is a sign, 'To the trains' with an arrow pointing, this is where it's located. It's quite easy to miss it, so keep your eye out for the sign.

We went around 4pm on a Friday night and it was pretty quiet surprisingly. Joe didn't book and thankfully there was no queue. Anyway, we were lead in by a quirky chap on the door, who spoke a bit of 'cockney', 'apples and pears',  'trouble and strife' and so on. At first, he caught me off guard and I mumbled to Joe 'where have you taken me'...

The entrance is rather cool, you go down the stairs like you would at a train station, and you lead into a dark bar whilst you wait for someone to take you to your table. The ladies and gents were all dressed in 1940's attire which is a nice touch.

We got to sit inside a train carriage which was pretty awesome. You get two glasses of water and popcorn in a vintage can on arrival. As well as a newspaper menu, which has SO many cocktails to choose from, as well as food options.
It took me quite some time to pick one! But I was happy with my choice. I ordered a gin cocktail (of course), I can't remember the name of it though, so sorry! It came in this quirky mug with dolly mixture sweets on top. Delicious. And, Joe had some sort of martini, nice and manly!

Also, the lady assigned to our table came over and took our order which was nice, rather than typically going up to the bar and ordering. She checked on us every now and again.

One thing I did notice was the service was a little slow towards the end of our stay, maybe they were understaffed or it got a bit busier, but when we asked for the bill, it took fifteen minutes for us to ask again, but she may have forgotten. So instead we ended up walking up to the bar and asking to pay as we had to be somewhere else at 7pm.

Other than that little hiccup, we had a really enjoyable stay here. We will definitely come here again and try some more delicious cocktails. And perhaps we will try the food next time too.
So, if you're near the Oxford Street area and you're a little thirsty after shopping, do give this place a try. You will not be disappointed.

As always you can reach me on social media. I have Instagram: @zoeyoliviablog, and twitter: @zoeyoliviablog. Have a great weekend all!

Where to eat in London: Dirty Bones Review

I know I'm so long overdue posting this, but two of my best girl friends, Hanna and Fee, treated me to Dirty Bones over my birthday weekend in October last year. And I just wanted to type up my thoughts as we had such a lovely time there.

We went to the Kingly Court restaurant and I had a beautiful steak dish, 'Flat Iron Steak' on the menu. My friends had burgers, I remember one of them had the mac and cheese burger. Food was incredible! As well as the cocktails and service.

We had some really interesting fun looking cocktails. I had a lavender martini and my friend had a 'fab lolly' inspired cocktail. Both were amazing. I highly recommend them.

I've had a lot of cocktails in my time and my lavender martini was one of the best I've tried. My other favourite cocktail places in London are the Blind Pig and London's Cocktail Trading Club.

Also, a big shout out to the lovely lady and the two guys that served us all. I can't remember their names, I'm so sorry... But I remember one was ginger and had a beard, and the lady was blonde and I think American? Awesome, awesome service. Made us girls laugh all night. 

So if you're in the London area... perhaps you've done a bit of shopping around Oxford Street and fancy a bite to eat. Then head to Kingly Court. There are some incredible restaurants there. And do try Dirty Bones, it's amazing!

As always you can follow me on social media. I have Instagram: @zoeyoliviablog, and twitter: @zoeyoliviablog. 

Turning 27

Turning 27. 

I don't know why, but turning 27 was a pretty big deal to me. I'm slowly edging towards the 30 year old mark and I have so much to accomplish in three years. 

So, in this post I wanted to mention the things I've accomplished and the 'things' I would like to do before I turn 30. This is going to be quite a personal post by the way. 

So what have I accomplished so far? I completed a degree at the University of Arts, London, back in 2011. And, I have a job that I bloody love. I'm a digital designer. An illustrator. A social media wizz kid. A digital marketer. A blogger. A vlogger. And, a video editer. I love the digital world. And, I love art and design.

Apart from my job(s), I have travelled the world a lot. I have been to over 80 different cities in my life time. I have travelled a lot of the UK - especially when I was younger as I used to play tenpin bowling (random, I know) professionally. I've been up and down the country playing tournaments. I used to play for Hertfordshire and also England when I was around 16.

My favourite parts of the world are Thailand and Canada. However, I'd love to visit Iceland and Scandinavian countries as I'm all about that 'hygge' life. I can see myself falling in love with the lifestyle, beautiful scenery and culture there.

I have the most incredible loving and supportive partner, he is also my best friend. We recently got married which is a huge deal for me as I've never believed in marriage and saw it as a signed piece of paper... But things change, feelings change as you get older. So I guess getting married is an accomplishment?

I also passed my driving test! Late to the game I know, but I put my fears aside, took a short course last year and passed first time. It's weird to think that I've been driving almost every day for the past six months now. London drivers are crazy, but you get used to it. For me that's a huge accomplishment.

So, what's in store for me next?

I'd like to travel more. This year I'd really like to explore as much as I can. Once a month, or every other month, go somewhere different. Experience new things. This could be in the UK or close by.

I'd really like to up my game and become a 'Senior Digital Designer' or something similar. When I think of the experiences I've had and what I have achieved since graduating, I'm really proud (not in a braggy way). I really do put my heart and soul into anything and everything and I now have the experience to achieve my goals to becoming one step further into a senior position.

It's not often you can say that you've had complete freedom and control on what goes up on company social media channels, as well as planning, writing content and designing email marketing campaigns. I've come a long way and I have so much more to give :).

I'd also love my blog and YouTube channel to grow. I want to have enough of a following that my content truly inspires and is somewhat helpful. For me, it's not about having an enormous following, I love underrated unknown bloggers and vloggers just as much as the bigguns'. I love those who are different and have a cool editing style. 

I'd really like to get to 25,000 subscribers in the next three years, but I'd really need to up my content to reach that goal.

In regards to content, I think I may do some more wedding videos as I know you guys have been enjoying my wedding blog series or so that's what you tell me :). And, maybe I'll do some life advice videos, but not sure if I'm confidant enough to talk about those subjects just yet.

I will of course continue to make video diaries of my travels, look-books and hauls (Primark and High Street stores) in the next three years too. Although, maybe less frequent hauls as I'm trying to save and trying to not let the consumer treadmill get to me. 

My YouTube is currently more successful than my blog. But, I do love writing as well, so I will never give it up.

Other than career and travel plans. I'd like to finally own a home. I'd really love a cute little cottage house nearby, but London house prices are just sky high and we simply can't afford that. I would also like a sausage dog but as me and Joe both work long hours, this is something that will be quite difficult. It wouldn't be fair to leave a dog at home for long periods of time. But maybe things will change in the near future or we find a way to make this one work.

So there you have it - an insight into what I'm thinking. Obviously things change and ideals change too. So who know's what will actually happen in three years time. 

As always, you can reach me on social media for daily updates. I'm regularly Instagramming, follow me @zoeyoliviablog. I'm also on Twitter, @zoeyoliviablog.  

Favourite Moments of 2016

 
I thought I would do something a little different this time around. I've put together a little montage of some of my favourite moments captured on film this year.

I really enjoyed making this and hope you enjoy seeing it too :). Here's to a wonderful, happy and healthy 2017!

As always you can reach me at @zoeyoliviablog on Instagram and Twitter.

Birthday Treat at Bob Bob Ricard

Bob Bob Ricard is one of those dream-boat restaurants that I've had my eye on for a while. I had practically been begging Joe to take me here for either our anniversary or my birthday for years, no joke. And he finally took me for my birthday!

The restaurant is located near Regents Street and Carnaby Street way, situated on Upper James Street. It has the most gorgeous art deco inspired design work and the interiors are to die for! It's very 1920's, great gatsby styled, so if you like that era then you'll love Bob Bob Ricard.

Inside is filled with gorgeous brass gold beams and beautiful velvet curtained tables.  I especially love the little details like the 'Press for Champagne' button. Also the room smelt like 'baies', from Diptique, my favourite candle scent.

Anyway, when we entered we were greeted with a smile and lead out towards our table. The waiter was super efficient and friendly. And, I loved their outfits, so cute and stylish.

We indulged and treated ourselves to the famous Beef Wellington for two (most expensive thing on the menu, oops), truffle mash and roasted vegetables. As well as of course a few glasses of pink champagne and cocktails.
We even had room for dessert... I had the most amazing chocolate bombe and Joe had a trio of desserts. Divine.

When we received our bill at the end, it was pretty darn shocking, but it was a special occasion and was a one off treat (... although I'd like to come back and try some other desserts). It was one hundred and ten percent value for money. Everything that we had was absolutely incredible and I'll always remember our time here as it was a week before our wedding too.

   

If you are planning on dining here, I'd always recommend booking in advance. And please do ensure you are wearing smart clothing. Joe is normally a t-shirt and trainers kind of guy, so it was also an excuse to see Joe looking dapper in a shirt and his brown DM's, he looked really lovely.

Overall, we had a fabulous experience from start to finish. Everything was beautifully designed and amazing, incredible outstanding food and service. Definitely worth visiting if you're in the London area and fancy something a bit special to eat. The beef wellington was truly out of this world, as well as everything else. Perfection really.

Anyway, moving swiftly on... below is a snap of me being an excitable loon on my birthday as Charlotte Tilbury's marketing team got in touch with me on Instagram and asked to use some of my photo's for marketing use on their website and social media. The excitement was real. It was honestly one of the best day's I've had in a long time. And, I adore Charlotte Tilbury and her marketing team, they are so inspirational and everything they do is incredible. So for them to contact me was a huge huge huge honour!

Hope everyone has the best weekend! Must beat these January Blues and not let being ill get me down! As always you can reach me on social media, Instagram: @zoeyoliviablog and Twitter: @zoeyoliviablog. 

My holy grail perfume, Jo Malone's Wood Sage and Sea Salt!

I can't believe this is my first blog post of 2017. Happy new year everyone!  Hope everyone had a great New Years Eve and a super chilled New Years day. I know I did...

Anyway, over the Christmas period I decided to visit a Jo Malone counter and pick up the 'Wood Sage and Sea Salt' cologne. This retails at £43.00 for the 30ml and £86.00 for the 100ml.

It's something I have been eyeing and sniffing for the past year, but if I'm being honest the price tag has always put me off. Anyway, I felt like I deserved a little treat. I'd been working really hard and I thought you know what... I can't stop thinking about that fragrance, so I'm gonna get it (I know that's really sad). And now it's now forever by my side.

I believe this is a fairly recent Jo Malone fragrance, I think it launched late 2014. It was designed and created to evoke the feeling of freedom, pleasure and to escape into nature. Inspired by the "unique character and quality of British beaches".

I love the scent, it's so unusual and different to all my other perfumes. It's refreshing, a little salty and woody, and it really reminds me of the lakes in Canada, although I know it was inspired by the British ones. Anyway, I always feel great whenever I wear it, I feel like I'm ready to take on the day and venture out.
It's become my holy grail - favourite scent of the year, even though I know I haven't had it too long.

I also have to mention the stunning packaging. The lady at the counter wrapped it all so beautifully with a checkered gold and black bow. I'm not sure if they do these details this all year round, but I think they should. I also love the gorgeous cream box it comes in, very chic.

Any who, I think I may have started a little obsession with Jo Malone as I want to go back and buy more. I was eyeing up the Earl Grey and Cucumber one as well as the Velvet Rose and Oud fragrance. To be honest, they are all really beautiful, unique scents and they are worth every penny!

Hope everyone is having a great week, it's almost Friday, yay! If you're interested in seeing what I get up to daily you can follow me on Instagram: @zoeyoliviablog or Twitter: @zoeyoliviablog :)!