Mimi and Weesse EAT...... Cafe Cossachok

I am well and truly enjoying my year out of my body-building diet and as a result visited one of my favourite restaurants which just happens to be Glasgow’s (nay, Scotland’s) one and only Russian restaurant, Café Cossachok. The King Street eatery offers the most popular ethnic dishes of Russian and Eastern European cuisines. I first visited the restaurant last year after fawning over the silk scarf-laden lamps and Persian-style rugs in the window. The décor really does pay tribute to traditional Russian and former Soviet Union styles. I particularly appreciated the 1970's Soviet movies projected on the big screen, and the sheet music of Tchaikovsky violin concertos pasted on the bathroom walls.

Not sure what Russian food entails? Think good, honest hearty food, presented beautifully. The stand-out starters include their soups such as Borscht (a traditional Russian soup with sour and spicy notes, thanks to it’s beetroot, tomato and garlic base, and comes with delicious syrupy dense rye bread and a dollop of sour cream to lighten the mood). And how can you go wrong with meat, potatoes and veg? The eatery’s shashlik (chicken, pork or lamb) are definite crowd-pleasers. On my most recent visit, I had my first ever taste of monkfish and was not disappointed; pan fried, in a mussel and white wine sauce, served on mash with seasonal vegetables.

We booked through 5pm and got 2 courses for £15.95 (some supplements apply to some courses). If I had any room left I could have taken advantage of one of their many honey-based desserts for an extra £3. Considering we visited on a Saturday night, this was particularly good value for money. Even so, main courses (including steak) range from a mere £9 to £15. BARGAIN.

My review would not be complete without commenting on the excellent service we received. The staff are friendly and look genuinely delighted to hear that you are enjoying your meal. There is a real sense here that it’s a family run establishment and the staff put their heart and soul into your experience.

So next time you are in the City Centre and are looking for a bite to eat, whether a snack to share with a coffee or a cocktail (there’s many a Stalin and Putin-punned cocktail) or a full slap-up, rib-lining meal, skip past the usual generic chain eateries and give this place a go. I guarantee you’ll be RUSSIAN back.

Yes, I did just say that. 

Mimi x

CAFÉ COSSACHOK

10 King Street

Merchant City

Glasgow

G1 5QP

We Ate..... at The Grapevine, Bothwell

Hey y 'all

We thought it may be nice to get blogging about any restaurants, cafés etc we've recently visited & enjoyed, as well as any recipes we've tried & tested.  We're both foodies & enjoy trying new dishes & new food haunts so should be a regular post on 'ere! 

At the weekend, hubby & I had the pleasure of our friends Mich, Fraser, Lu & Tom's company at Bothwell-based restaurant The Grapevine. Mich had spotted an itison deal which couldn't be missed, with 2 courses for 2 people at £14 !  Wowzers!! 

Was super difficult to choose what to have from this scrummy Market Menu (which is normally their Pre-Theatre deal menu) but eventually opted for the scallops & crab to start, then the salmon (always end of having salmon!). 

The scallops were cooked to perfection & the apple salad went beautifully with the dressed crab. The salmon was just so moist & tasty along with the herb potato mash. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their lunch wiping the plates clean. 

I was good & didn't go for a sweet (stole a little mouthful of Rob's icecream) & had coffee (ultimate fave after-dinner treat) but the sticky toffee & bread & butter puddings looked so morish! 

We practically rolled outta there, all suitably stuffed & a little snoozy from our foodathon! 

Beautifully presented, tasty food in a nice, chilled, relaxed setting.  Not your pub grub, no- The Grapevine is a little more special & certainly a great option for an evening meal or a special lunch. We just took advantage of the amazing deal but be sure to check out their website for future deals they may have on offer.  

http://grapevinebothwell.com/menus/

Writing this has made me hungry!! I'm off to raid the fridge! 

Nom nom nom .......

Weesse x

Weesse's SEPTEMBER FAVES

Hey

It's Weesse here with my September Faves! Each month I'll give y'all the low down on any purchases I've made, whether it be beauty products or some fashioney bits & bobs & pop the links on here to anything I'm loving right now for you check out.

My birthday is in September so between some lovely gifts & my birthday money splurges, I feel I've been buying left right & centre. Not at all complaining of course! Even made some Autumnal purchases whilst holidaying in Portugal! 

BEAUTY PICKS 

In terms of beauty recommendations for September, two of my faves are from URBAN DECAY. My mate Kelly had recommended their SUBVERSION lash primer & PERVERSION mascara duo & having never really found a mascara that I absolutely love, I was particularly eager to try these out, especially when I mistook Kelly's lashes for falses! Those bad boys were looking good! 

   So far, I'm really liking this primer meets mascara scenario. The wands on both are a decent size & easy to use which I like & I really do notice a significant difference in using the primer prior to the mascara. I apply the white primer (looks a tad weird but hey, it's not like you're going out with just that on!), allow it to dry & then layer up the mascara on top. The biggest difference I've noticed has been on my lower lashes which rarely look very defined. This combo seems to making them far more fuller & fluttery (word?). I wonder if the primer or the mascara alone would do the trick. Which one is the magic ingredient or is it really this specific combo that's making it all happen? I will have to use the primer with another brand of mascara I guess...and will report back on my findings! 

My next beauty fave is from Benefit & it's another primer! Maybe I'm just in the prime of life, eh? Badoomtish! Their POREfessional makeup primer is super silky on the skin & you need very little of it to get maximum coverage. I've never been one to use a primer before applying my foundation but had heard so many good things about this one I just had to try it. So far I'm loving it & that extra layer on the skin can only serve me well to achieving a very even coverage & flawless application of foundation. Always love Benefit's packaging & the handy sized tube is great for storing it in the old makeup bag.

FASHION PICKS

Moving swiftly on to my first fashion find of this month, it has to be from my Zara hit in Portugal. Yes I'm the gal who goes all the way to sunnier climates & buys a jumper & scarf from a store we have here at home. Had to be done as when I spotted these beauties I had to have them immediately. I always admire Zara's Autumn/Winter scarves as they're always beautiful patterned, a great size for wrapping yourself up on & uber soft to the touch. I swithered between quite a few in this year's collection (and may purchase another) but finally opted for a mixed of greens, greys, blues, red & black thinking that this would go with all of my winter jackets (and any other future purchases). I can't wait to as it's super snugly! No cold necks here! I'm not sure this exact pattern is available in the UK but there's plenty more to choose from.....which I'll probably end up doing again....well a girl's gotta have options, right?!

My second purchase from Zara was this thick knit, black jumper with leather trim around the neck. It was this detail that sold it to me. Love a lil' bit of leather so I do & I reckoned that black was a stylish, timeless option.  Also available in grey which could squirm it's way into my wardrobe before November!

Finally, I'm in love with this bag from H&M- a gift from Mimi herself! It's THE perfect shade of grey, an ideal size for everyday use & it's sturdy fabric gives the bag a fixed shape which I particularly like. Phone, makeup bag, diary, perfume, notebook, magazine, space for my scarf & a bottle of water....it's all getting in there & they won't misshapen the bag to boot! Result! Ideal Autumn/Winter purchase & will seriously go with anything! 

Photo credit: H&M UK

ET AL PICKS

It's a 'GOOD READ' pick this month with Sophia Amoruso's #GIRLBOSS being an absolute corker of a book. From humble beginnings on eBay, Nasty Gal has reached dizzying heights in a mere 8 years, selling clothing & accessories online worldwide to the tune of over 100 million dollars! This frank, witty account of her troubled teen years, the struggle to pinpoint her path in life as a young adult & then finding her passion for selling vintage treasures (like the Chanel jacket, bought for $8 & sold for over $1K!) online is a joy to read! I devoured this book on my week in sun. It's inspiring, funny, honest & motivational. A must for any budding #GIRLBOSS indeed! 

So peeps that's us for September! 

Me and my winter woollies and primers are off to do our thang and  I'll be back with an October Haul soon!

Peace out! 

Weesse x

REVIEW: House of Fraser Glasgow Urban Decay Event

Hi there!

Mimi here, completing my first blog entry for the Mimi and Weesse blog! Hope you are enjoying our posts so far. If you would like us to cover anything or review any products or services, please get in touch (totes not a hint to send us free stuff).

This post is a review of an Itison event I attended last week. House of Fraser in Glasgow were running their 'Beauty Confidential' event, which comprised various elements including demonstrations and discount offers. I purchased a ticket for the Urban Decay launch for the Thursday at 5pm and couldn't wait!

I arrived at Urban Decay and was greeted by the lovely Dionne. Orange juice in hand (pink fizz was also available) I was shown to a seat and so my 45 minute personal consultation/makeover began. The Urban Decay area was absolutely buzzing with various other ladies all getting tips and advice from the reps.

The event marked the opening of an UD area in Fraser's, with the only only one in Glasgow being at Debenhams, so Dionne was keen to talk me through various products while she asked me what kind of "look" I wanted to go for that afternoon. I have a confession to make: I LOVE getting my make-up done. Like, love it. I find it crazy relaxing. I even love watching people do their own make-up (see when people do their make-up on the train? Could actually send me to sleep it's so chillin'!). Therefore, it really didn't matter to me what Dionne done to my face, so long as she stroked it with lovely expensive make-up brushes and I got to smell lipstick I was happy :)

In spite of my indifference, Dionne was keen to keep me involved in the process and she showed me various different foundation samples and primers, asking me what kind of skin I had and what make-up preferences I had (heavy all the way baby). She started by prepping my face with their Vitamin Spray, which smelled just like Watermelon, followed by their Primer placed on my oiliest parts (forehead, nose and chin). She then buffed in their loose powder which, although a powder, contains tiny beads of water which add moisture and hydration. Right away my usually shiny forehead was matte.

After choosing a foundation shade (I was shade number 1), she contoured my face just so with a contouring palette. I was amazed at how little she used and the effect it gave me...this, I was told, was due to the high pigmentation levels in the product. A little really went a looong way!

Once my base was complete, we moved onto eyes. Now, UD is famous for their shadow collection, the NAKED Palettes. She showed me their NAKED2 palette which was full of gorgeous shimmering metallics and browns, as well as more matte neutrals. 

After prepping my eye with Eden (and eye-shadow primer is ESSENTIAL so I am told) she asked me to select my 3 favourite shades and got to work blending those bad boys together. After a precisely applied flick of black liner and light coat of mascara (according to Dionne I have good eyelashes anyway) all that was left were the brows.

Now, brows are a big thing to me. Like a BIG thing. Like MY thing. I like to think when I die, my tombstone will read "Emma Corcoran: brows were her thing". We had a long chat about our mutual brow appreciation and how they are most definitely a personal thing. I have not been blessed with symmetrical brows, nor are they dark in colour. I also have the odd bald patch meaning filling them in on a daily basis is A MUST. I normally use Boots' Natural Collection's eye-shadow in Walnut mixed with Illamasqua's Sealing Gel which gives me a nice liquid gel consistency pigment to paint on. Dionne however showed me how to use UD's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, warmed up on the back of the hand with a  small angled brush, to create a long-lasting defined line. Now at first, the shape wasn't me. It was good, just not "me". But, after taking a photograph I realised she had actually attained some symmetry between my brows and that the shape actually suited me, even if it wasn't what I was used to (more curved than straight). It was conclusive...brows were definitely still my thing.

After applying a slick of a gorgeous matte nude lipstick, my 45 minute (which was in reality 1 hour) makeover was complete, and I was delighted! For a measly £5 I had been given a whistle stop tour of UD's best products, as well as a few of the newbies on offer, all while chatting to a really genuine and friendly rep. There was no pressure to buy any full size items and I even left with a couple of sample-sized products to boot. RESULT!

A quick takeaway order in Yo Sushi and a visit to Zara later, I snuck into the changing rooms to take this selfie of my makeover.

Moral of the story: get your make-up done once in a while. Even if you're not going anywhere (I wasn't). It's relaxing, usually cheap and you deserve it, right, okay?!

Second moral of the story: Try something new. Reconsidering my brow-filling regime as a result of Dionne's advice. She MUST have been good.

So go check our Urban Decay's new store in House of Fraser in Glasgow- great selection of products, and if you have never tried the brand you don't know what you are missing!

Mimi x

PS- That tan leather skirt behind me in my selfie? Bought it and I loves it. Here's a link :)