Scottish Scran | West Brewery

West Brewery Menu

West Brewery Jager Schnitzel

West Brewery Slow Cooked Beef Cheek with Creamed Potatoes, Carrot Puree and Gravy

West Brewery Black Forest Gateau

Hi everyone,

As you may know it was my partner, Liam`s 30^th birthday in May but he was sadly working until the end of the month so I organised a few surprise days out for him for every weekend he was home including dog racing at Shawfield Greyhounds with our friends and family, paintballing at Delta Force with his closest friends and then a little day out with me at the West Brewery in Glasgow. This is a German/Scottish brewery which came to Glasgow nine years ago after being dreamt up by the beautiful Petra and let me tell you, those Germans know what they are doing when it comes to beer, I don’t even like the stuff and I still managed to drink a few and appreciate them.

I had never heard of the West Brewery but if you’re from Glasgow then you will be familiar with the Templeton Building in Glasgow Green which is where this hidden gem is situated. We went along for lunch at 1pm and we were gobsmacked at how beautiful the restaurant was. It was very spacious with a gorgeous piano in the middle of the bar area and a lot of seats to park bums. Lunch was mind-blowing and was quickly served by the friendly staff. We skipped starters and went straight to the mains; I had the jager schnitzel which was a pork dish with a gorgeous mushroom sauce, fries and salad. This dish was marvellous! It was so tasty and filled me up quickly. If you love pork and mushrooms then I would definitely order this. Liam ordered a meal from the specials board which was the beef cheek dish, he devoured this and claimed it was one of the best meals he`s had so I would say it was a 10/10 dish. For dessert I had the black forest gateau and ice cream and Liam had the apple strudel, both were inhaled within minutes!

After a few drinks in the bar we then went along to the beer tour (£11.50pp) which lasted 45 minutes and was so informative. Liam has a brewing kit at home and tries to make some beers every so often but he learned a lot from our tour guide, Klaus, as did I. All of their beers are brewed in strict accordance with the time-honoured traditions of the 1516 German Purity Law, meaning that every WEST beer is the product of carefully sourced barley, hops, yeast and water, and absolutely nothing else. After seeing how they brewed their gorgeous beers we went back up to the bar area and tried four small glasses of their beers including the Munich Red (4.9%), West 4 (4.0%) and St Mungo (4.9%). I actually surprised myself as I loved the Munich Red and West 4 due to the pungent taste. I normally hate beer but I would order both of these again.

During the beer tour we met a few people who we ended up drinking with for the duration of the day. It was a great day out and Liam thoroughly enjoyed his birthday treat so if you have someone in your life with a birthday or celebration coming up I would suggest booking the tour and lunch as it is a great experience. They offer tours for small numbers or for large groups and it is different and fun! The food is exquisite and inexpensive, they have a wide range of drinks to suit everyone`s tastes, a gorgeous atmosphere, amazing staff, beer garden and a touring option! What’s not to like.

Have you ever been here before?

Would you ever go on a beer tour?

Have you checked out my latest post featuring A New Sheet Mask? 

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Timeless Truth | The Multipeptide Calming Revitalising Mask

Hi guys,

All of us girls really want to slow down the aging process don’t we? I mean I am happy to grow old gracefully and I don’t see myself reaching for the Botox anytime soon but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to have younger looking skin in my older years so I tend to use anti-aging products that will prevent me from looking like a shoe by the time I am 50. As I am all about the anti-aging products at the moment I decided to try out the Timeless Truth Multipeptide Revitalising Mask* (£4.90) which promised to improve elasticity, moisturise levels, revitalise my skin and help combat wrinkles. As well as this, it is also beneficial to sensitive skin, something I am all about.

I used the mask after I had taken a long soak in my bathtub and cleansed my face so my pores were wide open and ready to receive the goodness from this mask. I did look like something from Silence of the Lambs when I applied it and Liam was on hand to take pictures of me to no doubt show his friends and work mates what he has to "deal with". It was drenched in serum and went on so easily so I didn't really care about all that. One side of the cloth mask was laced with a pink powder, this was the side that I placed on my face as it infused onto my skin and helped to increase circulation and relax facial tension. I left this on for 30 minutes as I was also using my Doll White UK teeth whitening strips (£19.99) too. It felt like it was tingling ever so slightly but that may have been my imagination. It instantly made me feel relaxed as I lay back on the couch with a nice book and let it work its magic.

When I removed the mask the remainder of the serum absorbed into my skin fairly quickly. My skin looked radiant, looked brighter and due to the Vitamin E on the mask, my skin felt baby soft to the touch. I did add a little moisturiser onto my skin just to sandwich in the goodness and let me tell you, my skin was stunning the following day.

Even though I was gifted with this mask, my review is 100% honest and I can safely say that this is one seriously good mask. I recently used the Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Masks (£19.99) and this completely blows them out of the water as it has more product, made my skin feel and look better and is more reasonably priced too. I will be loading up on these for my holiday so I can whack them on while I am on the plane and also if the sun dries my skin out. They do have a lot of masks on offer for all different skin types and all different problems but I am happy with these ones as they are easy to use, really work and leave my skin feeling exquisite.

Find Timeless Truth Beauty on Twitter to ask them questions about what product would suit you best.

Have you tried these masks yet?

Would you try them?

What other masks would you recommend for moisture?

Have you checked out my latest post featuring Younique Fibre Lashes? 

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Younique Moodstruck 3D Fibre Lashes

Hello lovely ones, 

You have probably heard of Younique by now as there seems to be huge amount of Facebook “friends”, followers and readers who bombard me with emails, DM’s and friend requests so I’m certain you have probably had the same thing happen to you. I have been inundated with offers to start a business but it’s really not for me, I will stick to buying and reviewing products rather than sell them as I just don’t have enough energy to get out there and try to be honest. Power to all those amazing woman and men who are making a living by selling something they believe in, I respect you and wish you all the best in the future with your business. 

Younique was started by Derek Maxfield and Melanie Huscroft, a brother-and-sister team and have been around since September 2012. The work they have done in 2 1/2 years is just phenomenal, I haven’t heard of a company doing this well and reaching an audience like this other than Makeup Revolution who are only 1 years old. Younique`s biggest selling product is the Moodstruck 3D Fibre Lashes* ($29) which promises to take your lashes from okay to oh wow! They are supposed to be water-resistant but wash off easily and with statements like these, I was intrigued. 

Included in the pack is a case which is the same size as a glasses case with the company logo. Inside is a larger tube which holds a transparent gel and a smaller tube which holds the most important ingredient, the fibres. On first use I was a mess, I had fibres all over my face, eyelids and in my eyes. It was a nightmare. I removed, which was surprisingly easy as it glided right off, and then I sat down and tried again. The second time was a little better although not 100%. It is a little tricky as you need to apply the gel and then go in with the fibres, being careful not to go too close to the eyeball and then you have to cement them in place by adding another layer of transparent gel. Phew! Is this really worth the time and effort I hear you say, and to be honest, it’s not.

Yes my eyelashes were nice, after the 5^th attempt when I finally got a handle on the situation, and yes they looked more natural than falsies but why would I stop using regular mascara that takes less time and causes less hassle to use this product? Well first off all, for a daily mascara routine I wouldn’t, it did make my lashes look ok, it added a whole lot of length but it took me fifteen minutes to apply which is not something I am keen to do every day.  This is a mascara that I would only wear for a night out or a special occasion as it gives the look of false lashes without the effort of trying to apply them and let me tell you, for me, applying falsies is worse than this so it will be great for that.

I didn’t really like the brush that came with the transparent gel as it felt bulky and wasn't small enough to fit in the inner and outer corners of my eyes. For the first couple of tries I felt as though I had a lot more product in the middle of my eyes which isn’t a look I am going for. After a few hours I noticed the lashes started to come away from my eyes and left a horrible residue both under and above my eyes. This is a huge no-no in my book. I want my mascara to last on my eyes all day with no seeping in the corners or smudging on my eyes. For this reason, and the reason it takes too long to apply, I wouldn’t recommend.

Have you tried any Younique products yet?

Have you checked out my latest post featuring A New Makeup Trend? 

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Beauty Trend | Strobing

Hi guys,

I was browsing the internet a few days ago and came across an article about strobing. I don’t know if you have heard of this term yet but it’s the new "in" thing. It’s basically just another word for highlighting the high points of your face to make them stand out. Thanks to the likes of Kim Kardashian, everyone and their mother have been rocking a contoured look. Some aren’t so great and some are out of this world. I prefer a subtle contour though so I won’t like a Kardashian anytime soon. The sales of contour palettes really speak for themselves when discussing how popular it has become. If your anything like my friend Siobhan then you will be armed up to the eyeballs with a contour brush, contour palette while running towards a makeup artist screaming "contour me damn it!!" but strobing is about taking a step back from all of that and more about leaving the skin glowing and dewy rather than matte. 

When I think of the word strobe I think of lights and that’s exactly what this technique does, it highlights all the high points on your face to make it look radiant and healthy. The way I go about it is to cleanse my face, use a hydrating moisturiser and then give a little spritz of my MacFix+ Spray (£16.50) before adding my Laura Mercier Hydrating Primer (£29). Once I have worked these into my skin I then work in my Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (£9.99) as it gives a gorgeous dewy finish and then carry on with concealer to cover blemishes and dark circles. I wouldn’t go mad on the foundation and concealer, you want a flawless, weightless finish so don’t use a lot of product.

I then finish off my makeup with mascara, brows, eyeliner, blusher and lipstick and then get onto the good part...highlighting! I use the Mac Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish (£23) for this as it gives a gorgeous natural highlight to the skin. I use this like I would a highlighter but I add it everywhere including my forehead, brow bone, inner corners of my eye, down the bridge of my nose, tops of my cheekbones and on my cupids bow. I then set my t-zone with my Paese Cosmetics Bamboo Silk Powder (£9.99) and that’s me finished! 

I love the finished look that this creates and I think I will be rocking this look all through summer as it is so easy and gorgeous. I could not get a great picture of myself with this new look as the sunlight was nowhere to be found in Glasgow. I promise I will post a picture as soon as possible so you can see it in all its glory.

Would you try this look?

Do you prefer contouring or strobing?

Have you checked out my latest post featuring The Perfect Concealer? 

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Urban Decay | Naked Skin Weightless Concealer

 

Hi guys, how is everyone? 

As you all know, I was invited along to the House of Fraser Beauty Confidential event a while ago and while I was there I decided to have a look around for a good concealer. I ended up settling on the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer (£17.50) after a long and lengthy search as I loved the feel of it and it also doubled up as a highlighter due to its very light colouring.

This concealer is paraben free and would be fab on mature skin as it contains anti-wrinkle peptides to improve skin’s youthful appearance and elasticity. It also includes Japanese Green Tea which helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, Lychee Fruit Extract which protects against dehydration and sodium hyaluronate which retains moisture.

The concealer does exactly what it says on the tin; it gives complete coverage and can be built up to give the desired effect, it almost feels like a second skin and it lasts all day without any touch ups. I am very pale; it might not look like it as I add in a lot of colour due to contouring and blusher but I am so this shade is perfect for me. As I say, it does give a gorgeous highlight too so if this isn’t what you are looking for you should look for the shade nearest to your foundation or a shade lighter. What I really loved is the fact that it didn’t settle into the fine lines under my eyes, which most concealers tend to do and it felt very creamy and blended in beautifully.

With eight shades to choose from, there is definitely something for everyone as it ranges from fair neutral to dark neutral. If you like a demi-matte finish that feels weightless and blends perfectly then this is for you!

Have you tried this concealer before?

What other concealers would you recommend?

Have you checked out my latest post featuring A Detox Tea? 

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Slendertoxtea | 14 Day Teatox

Hi guys,

I was recently sent a 14 day supply of Slendertoxtea* (from £9.99) and as the summer is due upon us soon I decided to give it a go to shift some weight and detox my body. Included in the package was a 14 day supply of Daytox tea to be taken every morning and Sleeptox tea which was to be taken on alternative nights.

The Slendertoxtea Daytox teabags contain hawthorn grain, red bean, sterling bean, radish leaf, camellia flowers & seeds, green tea and fennel seeds to cleanse the colon, increase energy and promote a healthy change. The Sleeptox teabags contain the same ingredients with the addition of valerian root which aids sleep.

I started this on my first day off from college and as I knew I would be off for four days and I thought I would be ok to get the first few days out of the way before heading back on the Monday morning. I couldn’t have been more wrong! The first day went well; I made my brew by pouring freshly boiled water into a cup and left the teabag to infuse for 3 minutes before removing. The taste was very simple, it didn’t really have a flavour to be honest, I could taste a subtle hint of green tea but that’s all. I felt fine all day and had healthy food throughout the day along with water and herbal teas. When night time came around I had my Sleeptox and had a great sleep. The next morning was a different story... WARNING: Gory detail ahead!

I awoke with the worst pains in my stomach and felt as though I was going to burst so I ran to the toilet and sat there for the better part of 40 minutes before I dared move. After washing the sweat off of my face and being thankful that I didn’t turn inside out, I headed to the kitchen and had a glass of water. It literally took me an hour to get over the shock and to talk myself into having another tea but I eventually did and then felt better. The next couple of days involved a few trips to the toilet, as I expected, it is a colon cleanse after all so I would be daft to think that this wouldn’t happen. I didn’t feel any real pain or discomfort again until day 5 at night time when I had my tea a little earlier than usual (big mistake) at 8pm, and ended up spending the night in my bathroom with no sleep whatsoever. I felt as though I had stomach flu and it would never shift but eventually it did at 4am! I finally got a few hours’ sleep until I was back up at 7.30am. This first half of my day was a write off as I felt so weird, and had an awful feeling in my stomach. I stuck to water, tea and herbal tea and didn’t even look at food because I was so scared of sitting on the toilet again to be honest. This was the day that I wanted to give up but I pushed on as I knew I obviously had to get rid of everything in my system and it would benefit me in the long run.

After the 14 days I weighed myself and was happy that I lost 8lbs, considering I had a few nights out with friends and family and I had a cheeky McDonalds, 8lbs was great. I did feel like rubbish on a few days but felt fine for the other eleven so it wasn’t all bad. A huge plus side for me was the energy that the tea gave me, considering I only got three hours sleep on Day 5, I still managed to go out for Liam’s birthday (minus the eating part) and stayed up till late without falling asleep. I can’t complain about how I felt on the tea as the tea actually worked and done what it said it would so it would be bad of me to write a negative review. If I were to buy this tea again, I don’t think I would leave the tea to infuse for the full three minutes, I would leave it for maybe two so it wouldn't be as strong and then maybe have a better experience.

One thing that pissed me off about this product is the fact that so many celebrities endorse it, but if they actually used it, they wouldn’t be promoting it without informing people what it actually does. I feel this is very irresponsible of them as their fans will buy this due to their pretty faces holding up a mug and pouch without knowing what it will do to them.

For anyone who has a nut allergy I would advise you stay away as it may have been packed in a factory that handles nuts so you don’t want to flare up your allergies.

As I say, I am glad I done this as I felt it really cleaned me out, gave me energy and I did sleep really well with the few odd exceptions. If you are thinking of doing it, maybe have a few days were the teabag is left for two minutes and no longer to take away any discomfort. If you want a bit of a detox then this is for you as it works wonders, just beware that you may want to cancel weekend plans or take a couple of days off of work to get the first week out of the way as my body did take a bit of a hit with it.

Have you tried this tea yet?

Have you tried any other brands of a detox tea?

What other products would you recommend?

Have you checked out my latest post featuring Nars Tinted Moisturiser? 

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