SEAHAM HALL

Seaham hall, one of my top 5 spa's & its based in the north east - winning.

The reason its so good? It has such a lush entrance - I know that sounds daft but you feel so special when you're in the grounds of the hotel & spa. Anything that makes you feel special, carry on doing it.
The spa is huge but you're still made to feel welcomed throughout the whole day. The staff are so attentive.
It's modern but with a far eastern feel making you feel tranquil and calm.

The reason I visited Seaham Hall was because I got wind that they now stock Temple Spa & creating treatments with the Temple Spa products. ( Plus I was lucky enough to be invited!)

Temple Spa is one of those brands that you may not necessarily recognise by just mentioning it, but you may if you seen the logo & recognise it because its normally the brand in hotel rooms & in spa's.

They're the kind of products that you want in your bathroom because they smell like spa's!

So the reason why i'm excited by this news? I'm a spa addict - GUILTY. But when I'm at the spa I love to look around the shop section & if I see a brand I recognise I instantly feel at ease that I know if I buy anything from the brand I know it will be amazing. Plus I like when spa's do treatments with Branded products. Thats not me being a snob thats just me feeling at ease that I'm getting what I paid for.

So whilst I was at Seaham Hall I obviously had to spend the full day basking in the sun because it was a glorious day which is rare but if you are ever bored in the summer I highly recommend going to a spa when its sunny because theres something amazing about being in a spa in your swimwear & dressing gown being able to have massages, eat & sunbathe. Plus they have the most unreal outside space that you need to make the most of - with a cocktail in one hand.

FOOD

Still in our gowns, we headed to their pan asian restaurant located in the spa - the ozone restaurant.

Its so nice to have a restaurant that is not your usual food so we tucked in, ordering about 4 starters as picky bits because I didn't feel like eating a big meal in my swimsuit so the best option was to order little plates so you get to try everything. It was also nice to eat outside on their terrace in the restaurant because its sheltered by lots of greenery so its nice and private.

TREATMENTS

As I have mentioned - Seaham Hall now do treatments with Temple spa products & theres loads of new treatments to cover your every need.

My need was my back - its needed some TLC with some hot stones so I went for 'ROCKS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN' which was bloody fantastic. Plus I have to say, if you're going as a couple then they have the most gorgeous couples massage rooms with floor to ceiling doors which were open because it was such a nice day so instead of spa music we had our very own birds singing soundtrack.

The spa has such a huge verity of treatments that its almost hard to chose but it just means no matter how many times you come theres always a new one to try! Click HERE to view their Temple Spa treatments.

Have you been to Seaham Hall before?   

Laura xox

When I first started my blog, I’d just completed a photography degree. So it was created to carry on my photography but also love for all things fashion & beauty. I could spend hours taking product shots creating the kind of shots that I thought brands would want to use on their instagram. I feel like the reason my blog done well was because the photography was professional which gave a stronger look on my website, because lets face it, I aint no Shakespeare - I type like how I speak and we all know i talk like a silly Geordie so its not the best writing. 

So here is some tips I’ve gathered over the years of blogging which I thought would be nice to share because I know when you're trying to take images its hard to come up with some creative ideas. I'm not saying I'm amazing but these are what have helped me over the years and I quite like my style of photography. Everyone has a different style so make it your own.

First off lets talk about equipment.. I mainly use my Olympus pen E-PL7 with the 45mm lens as that lens creates a shallow depth of field which is the blurred background which makes the subject/product stand out more. (See depth of field bullet point for more info)
But I also use my iPhone 7Plus for easy & accessible images, plus the portrait mode is amazing. 

Lighting - I would say this is the most important factor in photography. If its too dark, its not going to be sharp plus it doesn’t look good. There's also nothing worse than a yellow image so switch off the light. Flash is too harsh and too unprofessional. Natural light is gonna be your best friend. Create your set right next to the window so your back is to the window, the light needs to go through the camera, not photographing into the window - away from. I never use lighting equipment for my beauty blog photos because you get the ring light circle in products with mirror like packaging plus it makes the image more yellow-y.

Set-up - If you haven’t got any plain white walls then buy some A1 white card or coloured whatever fits with your theme. If you haven’t got the set, then create your own. The amount of different coloured bits of card I’ve bought from The Range is taking up most of the spare room. Then just create a box like set up so you don’t get anything else in the shot. I don't have a spare corner of a room that I can use where its totally plain so I have got to set up either on my bed by sitting with the window behind me and putting card up (with pillows behind so they stay up) so you cant see the background. Bedcovers also make for good backdrops. 

Props - I’ve once spent £50 on fake flowers just for photography props because they can make a photo look so much better. You can lay whatever your product in amongst all your flowers to create a cute backdrop. Or use the flowers to create a camera effect. Have your set up then when you’re ready to take the photo, get some flowers and hold them close to the camera but only so they’re in the corner of the shot which creates this white blur. I find this makes it look more professional. Plus if you're doing a flat lay then you need loads of random bits so I like including magazines, a tray & some accessories. Trays, mugs, sunglasses etc also make for good props.

Depth of field - The depth of field is basically how much of the image is in focus. I went to college and uni and didn't really learn about this so I’ve learnt more off youtube so if you’re not sure what this is then go watch some youtube videos on it. To make it simple, the lower the F number then the more blurry the background will be. It also means that only a small part of the image will be in focus and it makes the product stand out more. How to get a small depth of field - you need the settings on a low F stop. This may depend on the lens you're using as some only go as low as 3 but for a blurry background you need to be on an f stop of about 1.8-2. So when you're buying new lens's for your camera and you're after a blurry background lens, check out how low the f stop goes - it should tell you the lowest F stop.

Portrait mode is amazing for this on the iPhone plus's though! 

Framing - the framing of the image is super important too because the way you frame the product could be the difference between a professional image and an amateur. Framing is where you frame the product within the shot, the middle of the shot is the most important place which makes it more focal. If the main product is more over to one side of the shot it means its not as important because when you first look at an image you're eyes are drawn to the middle of the photograph - always. Angles can also help, try to move about to see what works best.

hope this helps guys! Whats your main photography tip?

Laura xox

If you follow me on instagram (if you're not then why the hell not? go do it now - girltalkwithlaura) then you'll know I had a bit of a hair nightmare last year. My normal go to salon that i've been to for about 4 years left me feeling gutted when it wasn't worth the money I pay. So I was left in limbo. I had searched high and low to find this salon so thats why I had stuck with it for so long, so I asked you guys on IG and you all came through!!! So many people suggested Gallery108 so I checked it out and I was blown away by their balayage skills.

So I booked up and went to in for a consultation with Georgia and obvs took about a million photos for inspo because thats what I do, I spend my life on instagram searching hashtags like #balayage #blondehair #extendedroot before heading in because explaining it is just so hard. Anyway we decided to take the unwanted orange and yellow tones in my hair balayage was the best option because that way you can choose which bits you want to paint over. Plus I wanted more brown and an extended root just to add some depth which we had the option of permanent or semi permanent - my hair doesn't hold brown for too long so I was sure I wanted permanent.

 So the day came for the hair change and I was so excited! Its such an easy to find salon on Gosforth high street and its super cosy inside so I was put at ease that my hair will be okay - its nerve racking going somewhere new!

The roots were first and I have to admit, when you've been blonde for so long and you get brown dye put on and you have to sit there staring at it getting darker and darker, it makes you start to regret it. I was SHITTING myself to say the least. But then balayage started by the amazing Georgia and I was super impressed the way its done, its like they're creating a bit of art and I love that idea because it makes it more personal. She knew exactly where to put the icy blonde and where to add the brown to break it up.
We used smart bond because we wanted an icy blonde and obviously want to protect the hair as much as we can when dying it so I highly recommend smart bond (which is like olaplaex).

After the balayage process it was time to wash it out and add a toner (which helps to take away all the yellow tones) and the final step of the smart bond which leaves it feeling silky smooth. Then it was time for the big reveal which is the best bit. The cut was perfect and didn't take too much off as I said I was growing it but took the dead ends off which made it feel thicker.
The blow dry was a no fuss blow dry, quick easy and it actually lasted!

So the final look, and I love it! Who would have thought I'd love my roots so much?! It just adds that bit extra plus because we have colour matched it to my own root colour so when it grows it will be less work and hopefully cheaper!

The blonde was the perfect blonde as there was no yellow in sight and thats the way I like it. But its still got loads of tones in which look lovely when you tie your hair up. So here I am, a massive fan of my new hair, my new salon and I'm super thankful for all the people who suggested Gallery108. We can all agree that Georgia has done an amazing job!

Laura xox

When a beauty blogger uses a full product to the point its totally empty, well that means that they bloody love it enough to pick out of their whole collection ( which is huge.) It says something when a blogger has an empty product! This isn't to show off like ooo I have a massive collection but it just shows that I must have really liked using these or seen a difference after using these products and actually need to have them in my collection at all times.
Most of the time when a product runs out, I move onto the next product to try. So I thought it would be interesting to show you what I've actually used until its empty and what I will need to re-purchase.

// First up // Laura Mercier Silk Creme Moisturising Photo Edition Foundation ( I wear shade Cashew Beige) 

This foundation came into my life around a year ago now and I've only just ran out. I don't use it everyday because its a shade that I can only use when I'm more tanned but the consistency of it and how it makes my skin look and feel when its on makes me think I need it in all shades so I can wear it all year round. Its that dewy foundation that us dry skin lovers NEED in our lives. It has an luminous finish which makes it photo ready and it lasts a long time, which is normally hard for dewy foundations because they normally have more moisturising agents in which normally make it easier to slide off your face - but this one, doesn't.

// Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate //

If you're a skincare lover then chances are you'll have heard of this product. If you haven't then I don't know where you've been but I do know where you should be and thats in the queue in Kiehl's with this in your basket. Its a night oil which adds moisture and helps to repair your skin overnight. This bottle has lasted me one year, ONE YEAR!

// Elemis Peptide4 Night Recovery Cream Oil //

My nighttime skin routine is very thorough and I have a lot of products that actually go on my face. Including this one when I feel like I don't need an oil as this is a cream & an oil together so I use this and then my moisturiser rather than a serum, then an oil and then a moisturiser. I have went through this so quick mostly because I have used it a lot! It makes my skin a lot more hydrated.

// BENEFIT GIMME BROW //

I couldn't live without this, ever. I use it on all days no matter if I'm having a casual brow day or a more defined brow day. It add colour to all hairs which makes them look fuller and its amazing for those who have tattooed brows that don't need much doing to them but need their actual hairs to look darker and fuller.

// PRECISELY MY BROW //

This I use on more defined brow days because it has that smaller nib which allows more precision and more hair- like strokes.

// HELLO FLAWLESS OXYGEN WOW BRIGHTENING FOUNDATION //

This foundation always get forgotten about but it shouldn't. To be honest I have only been loving it since my skin is hydrated because I used to have really dehydrated skin so whatever I used to wear it would drink up my foundation but now my base is good, this foundation goes on like a dream. Its buildable and dewy - what more could you ask for. I use it more for work foundation because you can wear it quite light and thin.

// CAUDALIE VINOPERFECT RADIANCE SERUM COMPLEXION CORRECTING //

This is probably my most favourite skincare product of all time. BOLD STATEMENT I know. Since I have been on a mission to correct my acne scarring I have been after products like this and I have tried a lot but I feel like this one has been the only one to actually make a difference. It helps to hydrate but also gets rid of redness and scarring. MY HOLY SAVIOUR.

// DARPHIN HYDRASKIN INTENSE HYDRATING SERUM //

Confession - I didn't used to wear serums up until a year ago because I thought they were pointless because once they were on the skin they would disappear. But thats kind of the point because your skin drinks them straight up. And when I first tried this I was like omg its like water its so pointless. But again, my skin drank it up. I liked to wear this during the day before my makeup because it was light enough to wear this serum and a moisturiser just to keep hydrated during the day.

// DARPHIN CHAMOMILE AROMATIC CARE //

You all know I love a face oil and this one is probably my favourite because of the smell and texture. It makes your night time more relaxing & you have a better sleep when you wear a face oil with calming scents.

// LA MER THE EYE CONCENTRATE //

I have fallen in love with the most expensive eye cream there is..typical. I was given this little sample and god I have made this little sample last. I know this is £155 for a 15ml pot but you guys know I believe in investing in your skin, it will thank you. Especially an eye cream!

 // SPORT FX DRY SHAMPOO //

Since having had my hair done and my roots extended then I needed a dry shampoo thats not going to make my brown roots white. So I found this in my drawers and realised its a clear dry shampoo which is brilliant especially since the brown Batiste dry shampoo's are always more expensive!

// BENEFIT GOOF PROOF BROW PENCIL // 

When im having more of a lazy I cba day, this comes out because its thicker and a quick one two three and thats your brows done. The Benefit brow collection is the only things I use because they are so easy to apply and last all day even through the gym!

I hope this is interesting for you and an insight into what I use daily!

Laura xox

LORD CREWE IN BLANCHLAND

If you're from the North East, then chances are you'll have heard of this hotel. Maybe not because of the hotel but because of the food. When you pass through Blanchland which is a cute little village you think that this building cant possibly be a hotel. From the street it looks like a small pub, AREN'T YOU FOOLED!
Entering you come into the reception which is based in front of a fire - cosy with some seating to make yourself at home. You instantly get the cosy feeling, even though the whole place is very medieval with the decor.

Our bedroom was based in the main building upstairs which is very handy because it means you don't need to walk far for breakfast or dinner. We stayed in the Tom Forster room which is a double 'canny' room which if you don't know the Geordie slang Canny then it means a dead nice room. The views are what make the room as you have the views of the gardens. The rooms are just as cosy as the hotel decor with their old worldy details like binoculars and bedding. The bathroom and the view were the best bits (as well as the complimentary fudge & biscuits) plus the bed was so comfy!

After we had checked out our room we decided to go and explore the rest of the hotel and surrounding. They have the best bar ever as its so quirky with its arch ceilings & candle style ambiance ( they have a wide selection of gins too so winning). It was only 3pm so we decided a shandy would be best so we took it outside as it was actually sunny for once plus they have nice seating areas outside in the back gardens and out the front of the hotel.

Depending on how long you have here there is lots to do if you want to leave the hotel such as shooting, cycling, walking, fishing, Hadrian's wall, high force waterfall etc. But since we didn't have long here we just had a little wander, a shandy and now its time to get ready for our meal tonight in their restaurant which I was very excited about because the food is meant to be amazing! 

The meal was amazing and the food is just something else! We both had steak and I said it was the. best steak I have tasted in a long time. The gins were flowing, the sourdough bread was flowing - what more can you ask for. Plus the ambiance was the best because it was a cosy setting, it wasn't too big so the customers were forgotten about and the staff were very attentive.
The next morning I was super excited for breakfast because you all know I am obsessed with breakfast. It was based in the same room we had dinner in which is upstairs and I feel its the best place to eat because you've got views but the decor is also my favourite. They have all my favourite bits in the centre of the room such as pastries and fresh orange juice etc.

If you ever stay over on a Saturday night or you're thinking about what to do on a Sunday then you need to have Sunday dinner here because I've seen the pictures it looks like the best Sunday dinner you could ask for.

Have you been here before?

Laura xox

OUTFIT

JEANS / PRIMARK

SWEATSHIRT / PULL & BEAR

JACKET / H&M (NOT ONLINE)

TRAINERS / GUCCI 

BAG / KURT GEIGER

SUNGLASSES / PRIMARK

Grab yourself a cuppa, its a long one! 

When I think back to how I used to be and how I am now, I am super proud of who I am as a person. I pride myself as being honest, friendly & funny. But I never used to be. At school I was quite and shy until I really knew someone, I wouldn’t go first at anything & I certainly wasn’t confident. Now, I’m loud (good thing or bad thing?), I’m brutally honest, I love my own company & I’m super confident. I put this all down to the type of people I surrounded myself with around the ages of 18-21 which are the MOST IMPORTANT ages of your life. They shape who you are, where your life is heading to & what qualities you will have for the rest of your life. 

Growing up, I had one best friend which we done everything together. If she wasn’t going, I wasn’t either. She was confident so I didn’t need to be. She’d go first at everything so I always followed. I was happy with that but its not a good quality and this soon changed which I’m so glad of.

We fell out around the ages of 15, like major fell out. Yes, obvs it was over a boy. What argument isn’t over a boy at that age?! Our relationship wasn’t ever the same after that which MADE me make new friends. I kinda got taken under the wings of the type of girls I didn’t want to hang around with but at that age you cant be picky with friends because it was seen to be a loser if you had no friends so I went along with these new girls. One of them was a billy bullshitter. I knew I HAD to bin her off asap as I cant stand people who bullshit for the shits and giggles and to make her look popular. CYA. 

Next it was a loud but popular girl, she was funny, outgoing & very pushy. I actually really liked her because she brought me out of my shell a little bit. She laughed at my jokes which made me think I was funny so I stuck with her for a bit. Then I realised she was a little bit of a wrong one and I wasn’t afraid to bin people if I knew they were wrong for me. One good thing I’m glad of! 

So then it was about the age of 16/17 I was kind of friendless. I had friends but not people I wanted to hang around with all of the time so out I went again looking for new people. ( I wasn’t that much of a freak I didn’t actually go searching in the playground for people to become my new friend haha!) 

This is when I realised I preferred boys to girls because they were SO much easier to get on with. They didn’t go in a mood if you spoke to THE ENEMY, they just took the piss and thats what I’m good at. But obviously girls take this the wrong way, they see you laughing and joking on with the lads and they think - she’s a slag. No, mate they’re just better crack than you. 

Fast forward a few years and I became a part of a bit group of girls, I dunno how but I rather liked having a big group, it meant if one pissed you off you had other people to still hang out with. It was good because we were all different type of people, we all had different traits. One was posh but so lovely - she’s the girl who always had parties because her house was big enough. Another was the girl that everyone takes the piss out of but she doesn’t mind because it’s always funny (theres always one of these in every friendship groups!), a girl who was like me & took the piss out of everything - the laughing fits we used to have went on for days, I could honestly just look at her and we would burst out laughing & this is the type of girl you need! Then there was the drama queen (eye roll), the sporty girl who got on with EVERYONE, the girl who was so blunt and honest, the girl who everyone fancied, the moody girl & then just the normal girls who didn’t add anything to the group. FYI I am still friends with most of these and they’re my best friends and have been ever since. Obvs binned the drama queen because at this age who needs drama?! Some of them just fizzled out but the most important ones I kept! 

If you find a friend who you like their qualities then keep a hold of them, if they’re not qualities you want in a friend then bin them! 

So then I left school and went to college. I feel like this is when I feel like it happens the most because you’re growing up & these qualities that people bring out in you are the ones that shape you. 

College brought me closer to a girl who I really like & she’s actually the reason why I don’t do small talk. You know the type of chat that goes like “hiya how are you, yeah great thanks, what you been up to today, the weathers nice isn’t it” blah de blah. I don’t really care how you are because I only say hiya to you but I don’t really like you. She was a very awkward kind of person but she was great. I am also very awkward in that situation because I literally don’t speak because I don’t say small talk so it just silent. Whats more awkward, I don’t know but thats just me now.

Then I went to uni & this is when my school friends started to fizzle out, I realised that I didn’t need the moody friend because who can even deal with people that are still moody at the ages of 19. GOD not me. 

This is when I met the girl that has probably changed me the most. She is the type of girl that you wouldn’t ever put me with because she is so loud and confident and I wasn’t at the time. Her qualities that I enjoyed the most were that she’s so loyal. If you cross her once then thats it. Trust me - we fell out (Adams fault) and it took me ALL OF SUMMER to win her over. Honestly I had to bloody send her cards and text her all the time to say I was sorry, I actually made the effort because she was a friend I wanted in my life. 

She was hilarious, but she didn’t realise it. She can make me laugh without even trying. This is where my funny side came out. She made me funny because she was just so funny. If you know me then you know that I cry laugh every single time I laugh, like I mean cry when I laugh and I stopped wearing mascara around her because she made me laugh so much. She was loud - like I mean really loud I could legit hear her through the walls. This made me more outspoken, more willing to get my voice heard. 

She was confident - always so confident with however she spoke to. Confident singing at the top of her voice even if she couldn’t sing. GET SOMEONE WHO TEACHES YOU TO SING LOUD AND NOT GIVE A SHIT.

FYI I wouldn’t DARE sing out loud when I was younger because everyone told me I cant sing, I don’t give a flying fuck if I wanna sing I’m gonna sing bitch.

She was also very honest. If something didn’t look good, she’d say. We clashed heads so much because we were both so honest that we would bicker all the time & our other friends used to laugh because we were so alike.

Anyway enough about this girl but yeah find someone like this. 

Uni friends are friends for life. They’ll always be there for you because you went through the best time, the toughest time & the craziest times together. There was friends that I thought were wrong for me at that time because I know they weren’t in the best place & it would have been lethal to stay friends so we parted but I still speak to her now because she’s in a better place and I am in a stronger place. 

Then a girl who I still love to death because she’s so not confident that I made it my mission to get her to be because she has a heart of gold and she just needs to be tougher. 

Moved back home which by now I was shaped into my new self. My new confident self. Now it was the time that this big friendship group started to whittle down even more. Because we were at the age where we knew we could choose who we hung around with, people stopped associating themselves with people they couldn’t be arsed with. Like the drama queen, the one who caused drama wherever we went, the one who you had to be careful with what you said incase you stepped on eggshells. I realised she was toxic & I didn’t need that friendship in my life so deleted off FB (which is the ultimate goodbye) I felt so much better!!! 

So now, I’m in the place where I can rely on my best friends because I know they’re good for me, we add something to each others lives ( I bring beauty products & brutal honesty). We have all gained each others trust over the years we’ve known each other. When you’re older and you have your own life, its hard to keep that friendship alive because you start to not have time for each other. Everyone works different hours, everyones got their own commitments but in the end the only thing that matters is that no matter how long we don’t see each other for, when we do, its like we’ve never been apart. I mean one of us lives in NZ for gods sake and group chats keep us together. 

But the whole point of this blog post is to make you aware that the people you surround yourself with around the crucial ages of 18-21 are going to rub off on you, so if you have a toxic friendship, bin it. You can always get that friendship back when you’re both more secure people. But to those that don’t bring anything to your life other than grief then wash that person right outta that hair. It feels good. Also to those younger girls who are maybe stuck with the wrong crowd, have some balls and make some new friends, your future is in your hands so take control and shape your life by choosing the people you have in your life. 

Laura x