You had me at 'dinner?' I love to follow creative Instagram pages that inspire me to cook something interesting during the week, (or maybe just make me feel really guilty about a mid week takeaway)
If you are a sucker for great photography or just like to eat, check out these amazing foodie Instagram pages that will have you shopping for quinoa in no time! 

Cute matchy breakfasts from a quirky couple in London 



Sharing food from the foodie community worldwide 

Endless images of delicious 'foodz'

(Now Starving)

Yummy recipes you will want to make at home...that same day





Recently the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) released a 'reminder' (more like a disguised telling off) to Bloggers reminding them of the rules surrounding sponsored content, advertised youtube posts and paid for blog posts. This has caused a massive fuss in the blogger community and it seems that all of the 'big' bloggers are on their tip toes, reminding their followers that most of their posts aren't actually sponsored and that they basically, need to do some sponsored content to keep the blog alive.

Why Now?

With the rise of bloggers seemingly taking over the world, such as Zoella who has over 6 million followers, Tanya Burr who has released a constantly sold out beauty range and Pixiwoo who created the (amazing) Real Technique Brushes , the youtube and blogging world is in the national media at least once a week. Check out this recent article in Stylist for a recent example and more info. So understandably its more important than ever for them to have their legal stuff in line!

The ASA have said that its because they have been inundated with emails from bloggers asking them to clear up what the standards are for blog posts and Youtube posts. They now have to put on the post whether it is a paid for advertorial or if they have been gifted the products. Here is an example of an advertorial.

From A Bloggers Perspective...



Sponsored content is crucial to full time bloggers to keep their blog alive, advertisers place relevant links to be placed in the sidebars of the blogs and in turn, bloggers receive money per click and also a small fee for any items sold through the link on their page.

It also helps bloggers to come up with new and interesting content that their readers will enjoy and it gets pretty expensive buying products to write about each week, so of course if your favourite store offers you a sample for free it makes sense to accept it and write a post you were going to do anyway!
This also doesn't mean that bloggers are forced to write a positive review so it can be a win/win situation for bloggers that want to make money from blogging and for brands that want to reach out to that particular bloggers readers, and get coverage on their product.

From a Brand/Advertiser's/PRs Perspective...



As a PR myself, the whole point is to get coverage for your brand without paying people to talk about. This makes the brand more credible, gets honest feedback and people are more likely to want go for a product that people haven't been paid to write about. a PR will send a sample to a blogger they admire and this gets coverage for the product and this is instead of forking out thousands for advertising.

Why do the bigger bloggers get all the free stuff? you might ask... Well as a PR it is all about return on investment, so the more followers you have, the more coverage your product/brand will get and this in turn proves to the owner of the product that they have invested well in a PR rather than an advertiser!

How to get PRs to notice you? - To avoid this being a super long post I'll do this separately, grab a piece of paper and pen! 


image source: http://www.stylist.co.uk/life/how-to-start-a-vlog-yourself-youtube-tips-advice-zoella-anna-saccone-joly-tanya-burr-louise-sprinkleofglitter
http://emuprssa.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/pduuwib7nddmrjn6fv1r1.jpg
http://entouraaj.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Piggy-bank-isolated-on-white-background-e1345028023798.jpg

 


Anyone that knows me, knows that steak is at the centre of all of my favourite meals. I have had many good ones but this one at the Malmaison was great! 
Not for the faint hearted, this steak was 1KG, pretty much a small child.
For a sumptuous steak and delicious sides, I highly recommend the Smoak Bar Grill.


Image Courtesy of malmaison.com 
The atmosphere was busy due to the fact it was the restaurant of a hotel and considering it was halloween night in the centre of Manchester, it wasn't all hustle and bustle. The only thing that let it down was that for a classy restaurant and a steak that cost £70, the staff were in fancy dress which slightly ruined the appeal. 




Primark Manchester is one of the first UK stores to launch their new beauty bar, 'Love Beauty' and I have to say, I'm impressed. When it comes to my eyebrows it always seems to be a bit hit and miss to me,  but I decided to get my eyebrows neatened up at this shiny new salon!


Dressed in Clinique style uniform, it is obvious that Primark aren't taking their branding lightly and the look and feel of the pop up salons doesn't reflect the price. (Check out the price list above!) I had my eyebrows shaped rather intensely, first threaded, then plucked and then followed by some trimming, I didn't think so much could be done with such little hair.

And voila, the result. 



I went to Primark, Market Street, Manchester
http://www.lovebeautybymonikamohindra.com 

I suggest you get pampered primark soon!



When I arrived in Paris to celebrate my 21st and visit my friend, I was adamant I wanted to eat somewhere quintessentially French on the first night, and Lês Têtes Brûlées, not too far from Paris Nord train station was just the spot! 


                                            

Arriving at the restaurant (of course in the middle of happy hour) we got all of our cocktails in at just 5 Euros each, a good bargain for saying we we're slap bang in the middle of Paris! The event was filled with laughter as people retiring from work went straight out to enjoy happy hour and smoke on the cobbles. Why can't I have such glamorous nights after a long day at work?



                    



The menu was minimal but I wanted everything. But we settled for the Beef Steak with fries and salad. Possibly the best steak I've ever had. The waiter was oh so French and made our experience want to come back for more.

If you want to visit whilst your in Paris, I highly recommend it....

The address is, 21 Rue de Turbigo, Paris  and it is open from 7am - 2am everyday. I'm thinking breakfast, lunch and dinner! 

    
                     






                                 





                             


This summer I had a glimpse of what cuisine the Costa Del Sol has to offer... Paella and praline were on the menu during this indulgent weekend.


                               

First up, A buffalo mozzarella salad with cherries, pesto and a basil ice cream. Yep basil ice cream! It was a strange taste at first, a savoury ice cream with cheese.... But it was amazing and had the after taste of pizza... Not the most sophisticated description but I'm sure you're craving pizza now.

The mozzarella was fresh and full of flavour and balanced out well by the basil ice cream that I completely finished. Definitely an original to this amazing restaurant, La Terraza Laurel at La Cala Resort. 

                             

After a very filling traditional Paella, we indulged in a sweet and fluffy Praline. Such a great way to balance out all of the fishy flavours of the paella, the praline tasted like the best quality chocolate you could think of, topped off with a strawberry coulis and washed down with a cold white wine. 

I would definitely recommend light dishes when abroad, but finished off with a satisfying and calorific dessert, because you are on holiday to relax and enjoy! 















It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Park life was eventful!
From losing my friends, to raving in a huge muddy pit with strangers, I'd still do it again.
This week I am feeling so under the weather though, not sure if it was all my adventures or just the crazy hay fever that everyone seems to have. 

Are you going to any festivals this year? Comment below, id love to hear of some more. 


On one of my first days here in Manchester a friend took me for a little tour of the Northern Quarter. On one sunny sunday, I ventured out to see what foodie places I could visit, none of these pretentious portions though, I wanted a real meal.
Right on my door step, unknown to me was a haven of culture where it seems any flavour burger or beer would be available.  
We enjoyed a filling, fancy breakfast at Home Sweet Home, the cutest american style cafe. Waiters were dressed in 50's style clothing with skater skirts and scruffy converse it felt like we had been transported to an episode of Man vs Food!



The amazingly creative menu offered meals that only a mad man could think of, (or maybe just an American) I decided to go with the Chicken and Waffles with maple syrup. I don't eat bacon and it was easy for me to order my meal without it. The weird and wonderful cakes included, cookie monster muffins, one direction cakes and I particularly liked this lollipop cake below, (I'm a serious sugar addict) they also do cereal topped milkshakes with lucky charms!!

So if you're looking for yummy and filling food, that's definitely worth an instagram post. Check out Home Sweet Home in Manchester!

You know when you accidentally have a fresh start without realising? That's pretty much what happened to me yesterday. I'm so happy to have been offered a placement with a PR Agency in Cheshire, so I'm here, living in Manchester for a year! I study Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations, but have always wanted to do PR as it really is all about networking, writing and being passionate about brands. (and it can be pretty glamorous) 

There are so many different sectors of PR that you can go into, However  I am going to be representing Luxury Hotel and Lifestyle Clients from destinations including Spain, France, Barcelona and of course the UK. Now that I'm not a student for the year, and I am entering the big wide world of work, I will be keeping an 'intern diary' or whatever we are going to call it! 

I am living right in the heart of Manchester for the summer, in a perfect location for bars, restaurants, theatres and shopping and then hopefully moving to a student house later in the year, but it will be interesting to see how I grow throughout the year, mentally, socially and hopefully in my career. 

PS. I have changed my blog URL from mayamarierose.blogspot.co.uk so keep note! 







I have been transitioning for nearly 2 years now and have discovered a lot about my hair on the way. Firstly, everyone is different. It is important to realise that you have to find what works for you and not what someone who appears to just have the same length hair is using.
We all have different hair types. It depends which interpretation you use, 
but refer to the chart below for guidance:


Moisturising natural hair is the main thing you need to worry about when transitioning. The difference between the thick coils and the straight relaxed hair has a lot of tension which means your hair is likely to break. This is called the line of demarcation and holds a lot of problems for people like me that are transitioning. By trimming you hair regularly and moisturising it with these core products you can minimise any damage! 


THE BASICS

Raw Shea Butter
blend or melt to apply to hair because it is very stiff!
Almond Oil
or any oil that has natural protein 
Castor Oil
smells awful but is amazing for growth. Use it sparingly because it is very heavy. I only use it on my edges, but you can also use it on problem areas of the skin
Shea Butter Leave In Conditioner -
 use after shampooing on towel dried hair or for use during styling
TRESemmé Shampoo and Conditioner -
Tresemmé products are often underrated but I find that the shampoo and conditioner leave my hair really soft and easy to comb out. 

Comment below with your blog links and follow me on bloglovin! 




 I thought it would be appropriate to go back to basics, start from the bottom... So here's whats on my face on an average day. It seems a lot, However its all in moderation! I like to look made up, yet natural. I apply my makeup with The Real Techniques Core Collection.

Lately I have been big on enhancing my natural eye lashes. To show off the length as much as possible I use Miss Sporty Studio Lash, I have found I always use miss sporty mascara as they use a comb instead of a soft brush and it really pulls the eyelashes out from the root. This mascara is very black, more Jet black than a soft black so I would recommend it if you naturally have dark hair or if you are doing a smokey eye look.

Because I prefer to have my eyebrows quite natural looking and not too 'artistic', I have been just using a pencil, as opposed to an powder and a brush and it is much quicker for an everyday look, for work or Uni, and doesn't rub off, in the same way a powder does. Im currently using a dark brown pencil from Beauty UK.

When I am on the go, I find using a highlighting concealer underneath my eyes and just above the balls of my cheeks makes my face appear brighter and more fresh. I have recently purchased Mac Select Cover Up Concealer in shade NC42 which is just one shade up, for an under eye concealer. I also clean up my eyebrows with this concealer...

MAC Studio Fix is hands down the best powder EVER! I always use this without foundation underneath, it gives you a nice glow especially when you're in a rush my shade is NW45. For a full coverage I also use the MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW47, however its no longer my favourite and I'd like to branch out and try something else.


MAC Taupe is a new purchase and is my everyday nude lipstick. I think having an everyday lippy is so handy. It is described as a 'reddish brown' so I recommend this for Asian, or black girls especially.









 















MAC Raizin is the perfect blush, It is a very deep reddish brown so it's sophisticated and not too bright, It's also perfect to use as a contour colour, especially on brown skin.






Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy my recommendations! For more, click the link below and follow me on bloglovin! 
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All photos my own. Taken by: http://jennishaanne.blogspot.co.uk