Caravanserai - A taste of the Middle East in Leeds

I have no idea how I've been working in Leeds City Centre for the last 5 years and I've only just come across this gem of a place recently. Especially given my love for Middle Eastern/Lebanese food. Thanks to Trinity Kitchen I was introduced to Caravanserai. The owner had a temporary food stall there and when I enquired about rice dishes he told me they had them at their permanent location near the Corn Exchange.

Fast forward a couple of weeks later and I finally managed to find someone to check the place out with. Tucked away just behind the Corn Exchange, Caravanserai looks pretty unassuming but a closer look finds a magical corner food stall with tempting, exotic dishes displayed behind the window. It all looked so good and I knew then I'd be making a few trips here to make my way through the menu...

We had planned to sit inside. I heard from a friend that there's a small space to eat upstairs and I was surprised to find it to be like an Aladdin's cave filled with Persian rugs, shabby chic furniture and a long communal wooden table. Who would have thought a place like this exists in Leeds?!

As for the food, for next to nothing we got a feast of succulent chicken wings, tasty Persian rice, baba ganoush, hummus, olives, spicy potatoes and warm Lebanese bread to mop up what was left of all the dips and sauces. We were even treated to fresh mint tea and my absolute favourite, Baklava.

This is a perfect place for meeting up with friends for inexpensive, delicious food. The kind of food where you're so full but you just need to keep eating! I highly recommend it if you've never been before, you'll be glad you went.

Just love

Rina xoxo

Casino night at Leeds White Cloth Gallery

Last Thursday I got invited to a casino themed blogger event by bgo. The event took place in the White Cloth Gallery in Leeds which you should definitely visit if you haven't already been. It's a cute little place that's tucked away near the train station and is a great location for after-work drinks as well as exhibitions.

The professional croupiers helped us warm up first by teaching us how to play Black Jack and Roulette. My favourite was definitely Roulette. It was difficult to pull myself away even though I didn't really know what I was doing! Thankfully there was no real money involved!

It was a fun evening and it was lovely to meet and chat with other bloggers including Hayley from Tea Party Beauty, Alex from Cl0uds in Violet Haze and Amy B.

Oh and I took a real creepy picture with a life size cut out of Vern...kinda weird, right?

To see more about what happened on the night check out bgo's post.

Just love

Rina xoxo

Thank you to Emily Bailey who made me feel like a celeb and acted up as my personal photographer all night. You can see some of her beautiful fashion and beauty photography on her website.

The Body Shop - Wild Argan Oil Launch Event

Last Thursday my friend and fellow blogger, Belinda and I attended the launch event for the new Wild Argan Oil collection at The Body Shop in Leeds. The event was a great way to introduce the collection to a crowd of beauty enthusiasts as it gave us an opportunity to look at the new line outside of trading hours.

The theme for the event was of course all things Moroccan. All the sales assistants were wearing middle eastern inspired hair accessories and they had sweet mint tea and my favourite, Baklava for refreshments. As well as the opportunity to try out the new products, they also had professionals doing sample back and hand massages. They did a really great job of letting everyone indulge in a bit of luxury and they were all very clued up on the line and how the new range came about.

A presentation was delivered telling us all about the collection, where the oil comes from and how it is made. It was clear that The Body Shop really invest their efforts into where they source their ingredients from and more importantly how they source them.

Their Wild Argan Oil comes from the foothills of the Atlas mountains and the kernels that the oil comes from can only be extracted by hand cracking the nut with a stone! This is all done by the Berber women of the Taraganine cooperative who are experts in doing this. Beauty with Heart is what The Body Shop call their collections that are made with Community Fair Trade ingredients and their Wild Argan Oil suppliers in Morocco are the latest to partner up with them.

The collection itself includes eight products all containing the luxurious 'Queen of Oils' as the Moroccan women call it. Rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids the range is great for all skin types as it deeply hydrates, protects and nourishes the skin. My favourites in the collection are the Radiant Oil and of course, the Body Butter. It's a great luxury addition to their current product line and is perfect for anyone who wants to indulge and achieve beautiful skin. As the Moroccan women say: 'When your skin is glowing it's a reflection of a peaceful soul' and anyone who knows me knows I'm all for a peaceful soul!

You can see the Wild Argan Oil collection by clicking here.

Have you tried the Wild Argan Oil products yet? What do you think of the collection?

Just love

Rina xoxo

Pastille Beauty Bar Celebrates It's 1 Year Anniversary!

I can't believe I’ve only just discovered this gem of a place recently. I have walked past Pastille on numerous occasions on my way to work admiring the pastel décor and airy, cute interior and thought it was time to lose my Gel Mani virginity!

The salon is located in the Granary Wharf area of Leeds neighbouring coffee shop, Out In The Woods and restaurant, Fazenda. What I love most about this place is the distinct neighbourhood atmosphere which a lot of chain nail bars struggle to achieve. You go in and everyone is so friendly and down-to-earth. It’s easy to understand why appointments are always booked up and most of the local residents and city slickers come here for their Mani Pedi’s on their lunch breaks.

The girls of Pastille definitely have a lot to be happy about. They were celebrating their 1^st Birthday and to as a thank you, customers got a goodie bag including treats and vouchers from many supporting local businesses. Showing their support for other local businesses is what has helped Pastille become the ‘neighbourhood beauty bar’ it is today and as a big supporter of Leeds I definitely recommend a visit to this place.

The Gel Mani is most definitely the most popular treatment here and they can also do some pretty awesome nail art too. Check out their Instagram page for ideas and inspiration. I played it safe on my first go but i'm definitely considering something a little bit more exciting for my next foray.

On this visit I had a Gel Manicure and was inspired by a post all about the white mani by Bustle. I opted for a pearly, white colour in ‘Snow Bunny’ by Gelish and I absolutely loved it! It’s as bad-ass as red but in a completely different way and makes my nails look fresh and really healthy. My favourite reaction to them so far was by my friend Maddie at work – ‘I f***ing love your nails!’ Says it all really…

Pastille do all kinds of nail treatments as well as lashes and brows. Full list of treatments and prices can be found on their website.

What do you think to my white mani?

Just love

Rina xoxo

From Milan to Leeds - Kiko's New Store!

Kiko Make Up Milano opened its doors in Leeds city centre last week and I spent the best part of an hour in there feeling like a kid in a candy shop! It's the only Kiko store outside of London, it's located within the Trinity Centre hub and yes, that's right, I said store. Standalone store to be precise and quite a large one too.

I like stores because I always feel that you get a better shopping experience in them. Aside from Illamasqua and now Kiko, there are no other make up stores in Leeds. Only concessions in department stores. I have always felt that it's difficult to source particular beauty product shops outside of London. Especially when it comes to pro products so I think it's great that the north of the country is finally offering more options for professional make up artists as well as make up lovers.

Another reason why I like a store over a concession is for choice and stock. There’s nothing more frustrating than going to a make up counter, falling in love with a lipstick and then finding out that it’s not in stock. Standalone stores have more control over their stock levels and because stores are usually bigger than most counters they tend to stock more products and have more choice of products.

This was definitely the case in Kiko. The store has plenty of space to mill around and play with products. I guess at first glance it can be quite overwhelming. They have a lot of products. The nail varnishes alone could have you stood there pondering over which one to choose for ages. But as a lover of choice I was definitely spoilt. They do everything from skincare, make up and manicure items to brushes, empty containers and hygiene equipment.

The staff were really enthusiastic and helpful and I found out loads of facts about the brand; all their products are cruelty free, it’s all shipped out from Milan, most of their products are produced in Italy and France and the best part of all – products are realistically priced.


I spent £51 on nine products and they included skincare, make up and a make up brush. I have spent the same amount of money on one product before. I’m yet to test these products out to see just how good they are but so far I am loving their nail varnishes and their Ultra Tech Mascara.

So a big thumbs up from me. I’m sure I’ll be making many visits to Kiko in the future. I definitely recommend a visit if you’re make up junkie or if you’re looking to get some good make up at affordable prices.

Kiko products can be bought in their store on Albion Street, Leeds or you can buy their products online by clikcing here.

Have you visited a Kiko store? Which products do you like?

Just love

Rina xoxo