Ever since moving to Leicester eight and a half months ago I have got to know the city pretty well. While I had visited the city a few times before, you never fully know a place until you live there. Leicester is a nice medium sized city in the East Midlands known for it's links to King Richard III, Kasabian and the underdog Leicester City Football Club. As well as good links to Nottingham and Birmingham it has plenty to offer itself, including the city's main shopping centre: The Highcross. With over 120 shops the Highcross is well known for it's shopping but thanks to the lovely guys at the Highcross* I spent the day learning what else the shopping centre has to offer.
Next we headed on down to the beauty department where John Lewis have opened their brand new &Beauty Nail and Brow Bar. The beauty bar that opened in the store just a few weeks ago offers everything you could imagine for your nails and brows from a classic manicure to LVL Lash Enhancement all at really competitive prices. While I was at &Beauty I had a gel manicure and my eyebrows threaded and I was so impressed with the service I received.
I was a bit worried at first that the treatments wouldn't be very relaxing as the &Beauty Bar is quite visible in store so other customers can see you having the treatments done but it was so relaxing you soon forget where you are. The girls created a luxury spa like atmosphere through the use of Pink Boutique products such as their Cuticle Oil, Crystal Sanitiser and Massage Oils. Not only do the products smell gorgeous but they are all non toxic, organic, vegan and cruelty free! So unlike other nail salons the girls do not wear face masks and you have peace of mind knowing that the products are good for your nails and skin.
The OPI Gel colour took 45 minutes and I had my cuticles trimmed, nails shaped and buffed as well as 4 coats of colour to make sure my nails were ultra shiny and opaque. They are so confident at &Beauty that your gel manicure will last two weeks that if they chip before then you can go back and they will fix them free of charge!
I also had my eyebrows threaded while I was there which was very quick and only took 15 minutes! I had never had my eyebrows threaded before so was a bit nervous as I like my eyebrows to look quite thick but they did such a good job at defining my brows without making them look thin. Firstly she removed my makeup around my eyebrows before threading and then trimming them. While it did make my eyes water quite a bit it wasn't too painful and definitely something I would get done again!
For more information on prices and &Beauty click here
We then headed to GBK for a late lunch. Myself and Karl are both big fans of Gourmet Burger Kitchen having been quite a few times before. No matter which GBK I go to I always know I'm going to get great food and service, and GBK in the Highcross was no exception. Both of us had a classic GBK Cheese & Bacon Beef Burger with Skinny Fries and they were delicious. If you have never had GBK's skinny fries before you seriously need to try them because they are amazing.
Not only is GBK delicious but each restaurant has such cute retro decor, featuring scrabble wall art, industrial furniture and beautiful lights. They also have a loyalty app so if (like myself) you go to GBK quite often you can earn rewards and get special deals!
Have you visited the Highcross before?
Eleanor xx
* While this is not a sponsored post the Highcross did pay for all of my food and beauty treatments. This in no way affects my opinions and all opinions are my own. For more information please see my full disclaimer.
First on the itinerary was a cake and a coffee at 'The Place to Eat' in John Lewis. Shopping can be surprisingly tiring so I often find myself looking for somewhere to go for a refreshing drink and a delicious cake. While Leicester has lots of great independent coffee shops, they are a bit further out of the centre so the convenience of a café in John Lewis makes 'The Place to Eat' an instant winner. Not only is it convenient but the cakes are delicious! I had a cookies and cream cheesecake that was to die for while Karl had a classic chocolate cake, delicious!
Next we headed on down to the beauty department where John Lewis have opened their brand new &Beauty Nail and Brow Bar. The beauty bar that opened in the store just a few weeks ago offers everything you could imagine for your nails and brows from a classic manicure to LVL Lash Enhancement all at really competitive prices. While I was at &Beauty I had a gel manicure and my eyebrows threaded and I was so impressed with the service I received.
I was a bit worried at first that the treatments wouldn't be very relaxing as the &Beauty Bar is quite visible in store so other customers can see you having the treatments done but it was so relaxing you soon forget where you are. The girls created a luxury spa like atmosphere through the use of Pink Boutique products such as their Cuticle Oil, Crystal Sanitiser and Massage Oils. Not only do the products smell gorgeous but they are all non toxic, organic, vegan and cruelty free! So unlike other nail salons the girls do not wear face masks and you have peace of mind knowing that the products are good for your nails and skin.
The OPI Gel colour took 45 minutes and I had my cuticles trimmed, nails shaped and buffed as well as 4 coats of colour to make sure my nails were ultra shiny and opaque. They are so confident at &Beauty that your gel manicure will last two weeks that if they chip before then you can go back and they will fix them free of charge!
I also had my eyebrows threaded while I was there which was very quick and only took 15 minutes! I had never had my eyebrows threaded before so was a bit nervous as I like my eyebrows to look quite thick but they did such a good job at defining my brows without making them look thin. Firstly she removed my makeup around my eyebrows before threading and then trimming them. While it did make my eyes water quite a bit it wasn't too painful and definitely something I would get done again!
For more information on prices and &Beauty click here
We then headed to GBK for a late lunch. Myself and Karl are both big fans of Gourmet Burger Kitchen having been quite a few times before. No matter which GBK I go to I always know I'm going to get great food and service, and GBK in the Highcross was no exception. Both of us had a classic GBK Cheese & Bacon Beef Burger with Skinny Fries and they were delicious. If you have never had GBK's skinny fries before you seriously need to try them because they are amazing.
Not only is GBK delicious but each restaurant has such cute retro decor, featuring scrabble wall art, industrial furniture and beautiful lights. They also have a loyalty app so if (like myself) you go to GBK quite often you can earn rewards and get special deals!
Have you visited the Highcross before?
Eleanor xx
* While this is not a sponsored post the Highcross did pay for all of my food and beauty treatments. This in no way affects my opinions and all opinions are my own. For more information please see my full disclaimer.
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