Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid

Whilst in Madrid we were staying at Playa de Mayor which is off one of the main squares. On the first day we went for a little wander around the local streets, and within a very short distance we had found a small bustling area surrounding a market hall. In the guide book it did mention that there are lots of little markets dotted around the city. We were definitely ready for food after an early start to get on the first plane to Madrid that morning. Mercado de San Miguel was the perfect place for us to get our first taste of what food they had to offer, and I have to say it definitely did not disappoint.

This market is just a food market, which for three girls who love their food our eyes instantly lit up at all of the different stalls. It was great as the stalls had different type of tapas, and instead of having to buy one big meal a lot of the food was sold in bite size canapes. Everyone took a plate, and filled it up with food from all of the different stalls making it like one big buffet.

   

 I started with eating with ham croquettes which tasted so nice, the texture was the perfect combination of crispy and smooth. I then choose a parma ham and cheese baguette which was a little bit smaller than your average baguette, however this made it not too filling and the ham was delicious. I then finished up by eating a crepe with lemon, sugar and strawberries which was the perfect finishing touch to my delightful dinner. After we had all eaten we decided to have our first taste of sangria, we chose the strawberry option and it tasted sensational.

On the last day we made a second visit to the market as there was so much more food we wanted to try which we had seen on the first day. I just had to get two more of the croquettes from the stall from the first day. This time I got one cheese and one ham to see if the cheese was just as good as the ham, and I can say it was just as delicious. On the first day one of my friends had tried the vegetable paella and said it was gorgeous, therefore I took the plunge and tried the chorizo and chicken paella and it was honestly the best I have ever tried. It was very filling and was only 5 Euros. I also picked up a fruit smoothie, which tasted lovely and they had all different flavours on offer. We were all really impressed with the prices of the food and drink, as nothing was overpriced and it was great as you was able to try a variety of foods without the spending a fortune.

This market is definitely worth a visit and is in a central location which is easy to get to by public transport. It is open for the early morning into the evening, so depending on what time of the day you go you will definitely be able to find something to eat and drink.

Lucy
xoxo

4 year Blogiversary

I cannot believe I started up my little old blog 4 years ago today. I remember sitting in my room at university and thinking I am going to do this. It is so funny when I look back at my old posts, as I honestly thought you had to blog everyday. I remember being so busy but always getting home to put up a new post on time, for obvious reasons that only lasted a few months. I would use my wooden desk at uni as mt background, and my phone to take my photos. This was all way before the days of marble and rose gold backgrounds!

I have definitely had some ups and downs whilst blogging, but the good definitely out way the bad. When I first started I felt as though I would never, ever belong within the blogging community but I started joining in chats and before I knew it I felt as though I had a few online friends. I have definitely had times where I have felt like giving up, once being earlier this year where I literally thought about writing a goodbye for good post. However, I picked myself up and started remembering the reasons why I started blogging, and the joy it had bought me and before I knew it I was back in the game.

Attending events especially the Bloggers Blog Awards the last two years has made me realise the amount of amazing and talented bloggers which are out there. I have met some truly great people and I love that blogging has allowed me to do this.

I have got some big plans, which I literally need to just put into action. I want to buy my own blogging domain, it is definitely about time. I also want to have a little rejig of my blog design and incorporate a bit of colour into it, instead of the black and white theme which I currently have.

As I have already said I go through phases of loving and hating blogging. I am currently in the loving stage and I really want to try and broaden my horizon. My blog has always been beauty based, and I think that is why I felt stagnant with the direction it was going. I have enjoyed speaking my mind in lifestyle posts, and sharing my holidays and expanding the travel section of my blog recently. I still want to post more fashion posts, I always put outfits together and want to share them. However, I never want to ask my mum to do a little photo shoot and I just haven't really got the confidence for it either. It is definitely something to work towards.

I am so happy I have managed to get to 4 years of blogging, and I am a little bit proud of me self for sticking it out, and dedicating a lot of time to a hobby which I do (most of time!) thoroughly enjoy.

Lucy
xoxo

My Jo Malone Cologne Collection

I have wanted to write this post for months and months now and I finally got around to it (horray!). I recieved my first Jo Malone perfume over 3 years ago now as a present, and ever since I have become obsessed with the brand. Since joining the blogging community 4 years ago, it is clear that bloggers love Jo Malone and it is all for the right reasons. I can hands down 100% say that Jo Malone is my favourite brand of perfume. I sometimes wear these fragrances to work, and I always feel a little bit more fancier. I often have people compliment me whenever I have just got to work, on how nice I smell which is always lovely. The best thing about these perfumes though is as they are all colognes, they all have fabulous longevity powers.

Nectarine blossom & honey was my first introduction to Jo Malone, my parents bought me this for my birthday a few years ago and it is such a beautiful scent. You will notice that there is a running theme throughout this post that I like fruity scents. I like something light and refreshing on the skin, and this is exactly what this fragrance is. It is the sweetest of the three perfumes, you can definitely pick up the sweet nectarine which adds the softness and all round fruity aspect to the scent. There are also notes of honey and blossoms which adds the smooth and knits everything together, along with the cassis which I had to do a little bit of research on. It is a type of blackberry which definitely adds a more intense juicy scent, but it keeps the fragrance from being too sweet with just the orange and honey tones. I have currently just received my second bottle of this for my birthday in July, so the original 30ml bottle lasted me a long time.

Blackberry & Bay is the one which I reach for the most; therefore I would say it is my overall favourite. This one is not as sweet as the first, and it is a perfume which I would wear on any occasion day or night. You can definitely straight away pick out the blackberry scent in this, which adds the slightly sharp tarty part to the perfume. I have always been able to smell a more woody aspect to this, and though this would be due to the bay leaves. However, this is actually down to the cedarwood within the notes of the scent. I think the bay leaves role is to blend everything together, and keep the fresh and light part to the cologne which is actually what I love. I hate anything too overpowering or too dark and musky and this is a perfect balance. I have also recently bought myself a second bottle of this, after I smashed my original bottle on holiday. Thankfully, there was only a tiny amount left in the bottle.

English Pear & Freesia is the latest addition to my collection; I had wanted to add a new fragrance from them to my collection for a while. However, I was really struggling to find one which I loved enough to spend my money on. I got this for Christmas last year, after spending some long at the Jo Malone counter with my mum trying to pick a scent. Everyone keeping trying to get me to try Pomegranate Noir, but it is just not to my liking. This is different to any fragrance which I have ever owned, as it does have some floral aspects to it. Jo Malone still puts this into their fruity collection due to the pear scent, which is a mallow but still quite juicy scent. It also contains freesia which is a type of flower, and patchouli which adds the woody notes to the cologne and also enhances the longevity of the fragrance. Out of all the fragrances, this is the one where I struggle to pick out each element as everything is blended together so well.

Heads up if you travel frequently or know someone who does, definitely check to see if there is a Jo Malone in your local airport. At Manchester Airport unfortunately only at terminal 2, they have a Jo Malone shop and I was seriously shocked at the discounted price of their products. The 30ml colognes are usually £45, whereas in the airport it cost me £35. This is a great saving and like I say the discount is tax free plus a little more and is across the whole of their line.

Which scent should I pick up next?

Lucy
xoxo

Earrings for Autumn

I have been looking for some new 'going out' type of earrings for ages. A few weeks ago I bought some from New Look which were similar to these new black ones in the photo. However, I wore them to the Bloggers Blog Awards and the main part of the earrings were flower shaped and a majority of the jewels fell out, so I returned them as faulty and was back to square one.

Earlier this week, I went on a little shopping spree into Manchester as I really wanted some new earrings to wear this weekend for my friend's birthday. I have seen these black tassle ones (currently sold out online) which I purchased on lots of different Instagram's, and I love how they looked. Heads up though, they are selling these in H&M where I purchased them from for £8.99. However, Topshop have an almost identical pair but are charging £15. These must have sold well in H&M as they had them in at least eight different colours including navy, red, rose gold and white. I decided to go simple and pick up the black pair as they will go with any outfit. I think they will finish this weekend's outfit off perfectly.

I recently saw on Primark's Instastories that they were finally getting in some new earring styles. Primark are usually pretty on it with trends, but I feel like they have been a bit behind with this one as big out their earrings have been in since the start of the season. Anyway, they did not have anything to similar to the chandelier type (the name I have given them!), but they did have these two pairs which I picked up. The first pair are the white feather earrings, which also come in black. These were just £2.50, and I am definitely going to get a lot of wear out of these. The second pair I picked up are these daintier rose arrow plaited earrings. These were only £1.50, and I am very excited about wearing them as they are much more subtle. I am hoping that they add the finishing details and dress up different simple outfits.

I am very happy with my purchases and I already know that all three of these pairs are going to be worn frequently especially leading up to the festive period.

Lucy
xoxo

My Favourite Four Concealers

I have tried many concealers over the years, but I currently only have these four in the collection as I use them all on regular rotation. They all belong in the budget to mid point price bracket, and I think with concealers you definitely do not need to break the bank in order to get a decent all round product.

I could not, not include the Collection lasting perfection concealer in this post as it is a firm favourite amongst many beauty bloggers. I must have purchased over five of these since my teenage years, as they cost just £3.99 and do exactly what I want it to. It offers a high coverage and I use this to cover over my blemishes and then set it in place with some powder. The only problem with this is its shade range. I am guessing that this is one of Collection's best selling products, so for it to still only come in three colours all these years later baffles me. It comes in light, medium and dark. I have used both light and medium over the years, but at the moment I am using medium as I still have a little bit of tan left from my holidays.

I read about this Seventeen stay time concealer on a beauty bloggers blog about a year ago, and at the time I thought I might as well give it a go. I use this in the shade fair as an under eye concealer. I think this works well at brightening, and best of all it offers great coverage. It is nice and budget friendly at just £4.49, and I have bought three of these over the past few months. It is great for those days when you are really tired and you are going to be out and about all day long, but you still want to look fresh and awake.

I bought this after another beauty bloggers recommendation for under eye coverage and I have not been disappointed. It is the NYX HD concealer which costs £6, and this is really great at brightening. I always notice a visible difference in my under eye area when applying this. It is lightweight and moisture rich meaning that the creamy formula is easy to apply without any creasing or cakeyness. A great option if your skin is slightly on the drier side of the scale.

The Sephora high coverage concealer is the latest and most expensive (£14) addition to my concealer collection. First of all, I really like the applicator it is a flat wand which makes adding the product easy to apply. This comes in lots of different shades, I went for the shade 22 natural and it is a very good match for my skin as it has a slight pink undertone which is exactly what I need. This is a full coverage concealer which has a fluid consistency which makes application very easy. I will always opt for a fluid type consistency over a thicker, creamier texture as I find that they blend in so much better and do not dry out my skin. I have been using this over my blemishes and it has been working really well, and I have been impressed with its longevity.

What is your favourite concealer?

Lucy
xoxo

Autumn Lips

Left to right: stoned rose, ibiza nights, magic wand, calypso, saint.

Two of my favourite lip products come from Charlotte Tilbury which is not a surprise as I love her brand. The lipstick which I have chosen is stoned rose, which is a gorgeous warm toned terracotta rose. I love the formula of these as they are creamy, pigmented, and feel comfortable on the lips despite having a semi-matte finish. Every time I take a little trip to one of her counters, I have to resist buying another to add to my collection as these are differently a treat purchase at £24.

I am not a big lip gloss wearer really and this is down to the change in lipsticks formulas. Due to lipsticks now coming in all different forms and finishes these days, and they being so well formulated and long wearing I never really reach for a lip gloss. However, when I want to wear one ibiza nights by Charlotte Tilbury is what I always reach for. It is sheer, shimmering gloss which is ideal for layering over any lipstick no matter what finish it is.

It is no lie that I am a huge fan of Colourpop Cosmetics and magic wand was one of the first liquid lip products I bought from their ultra satin lip line. This shade is a classic mid tone nude, the undertone to the product is more on the orange side of the scale and I really like it for this reason as I own no other product like it. I think this would look great on all different skin tones, as it really is an all round shade to wear throughout all of the seasons.

For me autumn is all about those berry toned shades, and calypso also from Colourpop does not disappoint. This is once again from their ultra satin line which is my absolute favourite from them. It is a semi matte finish which I love as you still end up with the product being matte to the lips, however it contains moisturising emollients so it does not completely dry your lips out and stays comfortable all day long. These are highly pigmented and with one swipe your lips are completely transformed. This is a mid toned rose shade, with some reddish undertones adding the berry element which I love.

 

I think this is the first LimeCrime lipstick which I have featured on my blog. This is the darkest shade of my autumnal favourite lipsticks in this post. I am not a massive lover of dark shades as I think they wash me out as I have fair skin, but saint is a gorgeous dark purple grape shade. However, with a dark, smokey eye and this on the lips it can create a beautiful combination. This comes from their matte velvetines collection which is a matte liquid lipstick line. Saint definitely has the most matte finish from all of these lipsticks. I have been impressed as this is highly pigmented and once again only needs one swipe across the lips. The only negative to this lipstick is they dry down very matte, and if you have quite dry lips it can be slightly uncomfortable.

What are your favourite lipsticks for Autumn?

Lucy

xoxo

Vichy Dermablend Foundation

Six weeks ago I made an on the whim purchase (which I do often!), and bought the Vichy dermablend fluid corrective foundation from LookFantastic. I have tried a few Vichy skincare products over the years and I have always been impressed. Their makeup line is something which has always appealed to me as it offers high coverage products for troublesome skin types.

I decided to make an order and purchase the foundation. I have to say I was very impressed with the service from LookFantastic, I placed the order late in the afternoon and it was with me the morning after. I opted for their standard free delivery service, so I was super pleased at how fast they got it to me. They also had a promotion which is currently still on at the moment, where the foundation was on offer from £20 to £15.

The shade range in this collection is limited as they are currently only offering seven shades. I bought this after my holidays so went with the shade 25 nude, which is the second to lightest shade which they sale. I think for my natural skin colour minus a holiday tan, I would need the lightest shade 15 opal.

I have learnt over the years that fluid foundations work with my skin type the best. I started trying this foundation with both a buffing brush and beautyblender, and after usually both a number of times I definitely prefer using a sponge over a brush. I use a damp beautyblender as I find it creates a much more flawless finish. I have also found with this product that unfortunately you can't skip the skincare and priming stage before applying the foundation. As it has quite a thick consistency once on the skin, having the skin prep stage first definitely contributes to a more perfect finish. Once applied to the skin the foundation definitely allows you to build to a full coverage, without having to add multiple layers. This has a lightweight fluidity which does instantly blur into the skin helping to hide my acne. Once or twice, I have added a bit too much and I have looked a little cakey, so it is definitely best to apply one layer and then build on areas which need more coverage.

Longevity claims to be one of its main selling points. I am the queen of having to wear foundations for a long time and when I say I put them to longevity test, I really do. On a standard day at work my foundation is on my face for 15 hours. For the purpose of this post, whilst at work I would check up at different times of the day on how it was performing. Before lunch which is usually 5 hours wear the foundation looks amazing still. When I am approaching the 8-9 hour mark, I definitely see wear and usually it is over my chin area. By 14-15 hours when I am getting home from work and have eaten my dinner, the foundation has worn over my entire face. I am however still yet to find a foundation which lasts for 10-12 hours without any wear in the slightest. Overall, it does have good longevity, and lasts the same amount of time without budging as my other favourite foundations. I just wish there really was a foundation out there that does not budge for my entire shift.

To mix things up on a few occasions, I have added a blob of L'Oreal's true match foundation and they actually work really well together. I have been very impressed as they have effortlessly blended together and once again have produced a natural, radiant finish. I like to often mix foundations as if you have a foundation which has a great glow element for example, but does not have your desired coverage you can create your own combination. I am yet to find the absolute perfect foundation which does everything I want, so mixing is a great way of trying to achieve this.

Something which I will say is that this is a 30ml tube and it is not going to last me too long. I apply two blobs of this onto my sponge, which is the amount I apply for any foundation. However, after using it 3-4 times a week over the last 6 weeks the tube is near the end. This is something which I am not obviously impressed with, and I am unsure to the reason why I have gone through it so fast as any other my other foundations are also 30ml. Therefore, within the next month I am going to have to repurchase another tube.

Lucy
xoxo

Stoned Rose

I have owned this Charlotte Tilbury lipstick for a good year now, and whilst applying it the other day it came to me that it is yet to make an appearance on my blog despite the fact it is in my top 5 lipsticks. Stoned Rose is a beautiful warm toned coral rose. It is the lipstick that everyone needs in their life, and I would define it as the ultimate my lips but better, and makes them look more plump and defined shade. This is from her K.I.S.S.I.N.G line which was different from her original line which was all matte formulas. This is a soft, full coverage, highly pigmented lipstick which has a buildable formula and dries down into a comfortable cream finish.

Charlotte Tilbury is no doubt a high end brand, and this lipstick costs £24. It is definitely a payday treat, or something to add to your birthday/Christmas list, as paying for this just about broke my heart. However, every once and a while we deserve to treat ourselves and this was definitely worth the money. I own two other shades from her collection in Very Victoria and Sexy Sienna, which are bought from her matte revolution line. I find all three of the lipsticks long lasting and comfortable on the lips. I have my eye on the shade Pillow Talk which is currently sold out online, but I swatched it in store the other day and it made my heart skip a beat. It is once again very much an everyday shade but is more pink rather than nude toned in comparison to Stoned Rose.

Lucy
xoxo

Colourpop x Kerreuche She Palette

Shades from left to right:
- Ladylike, Babe, Dainty, Chic
- Mademoiselle, Gal, Empress, Filly
- Dear, Missy, Damsel, Duchess

I was excited about the release of this palette as it looked beautiful on their site. Prior to this I have never tried any pressed eyeshadows from Colourpop, I had only tried their super shock shadows which I totally adore. I could talk for days and days about them, and I have done many posts about them as I always pick up some new ones whenever I make an order. I have read some fabulous reviews regarding their pressed eyeshadows. This palette is in collaboration with Kerreuche and is named the She palette.

When it arrived it was a lot smaller than I thought it was going to be. Most of my other palettes which I already own are much bigger, but this is actually a really good size for travel and I took it to Amsterdam for that exact reason. I was super happy by the price tag attached to this as well as it was only $16 which is approximately £12.

So down to the nit and grit of the palette. I have used this numerous times now since purchasing it and I have been really happy with the colour pay off in particularly. I usually expect that in order to get good quality eyeshadows I am going to have to pay £30+ for a decent palette. I have tried many high street palettes over the years, and I have to say I have become a bit of a snob as I have spent many tenners here and there and I have never been impressed. I decided to buy a few really good quality palettes which are going to last me a while and give me excellent value for money.

The shade range is great and contains eight metallics and four mattes. The theme of the palette is different rose toned shades, which you can use individually or collaboratively to correct a wide range of looks. There are peachy, pink and purple shades in different finishes which I have really enjoyed using. When I think about pink shades I always think back to those bright dark pink shades that I used to use as a teen, and my mum would always say that my eyes look bloodshot. My eyes are blue and I think that with the right tone of pink shadow it can really look great on me.

I have been reaching for the soft champagne and light peachy tone shadows on the top row to create a base. I have been loving using Mademoiselle which is a metallic rose gold blended all over the lid. When I went on a night out recently, I blended Filly which is darker copper toned shadow in to the outer corner and it looked really beautiful. To my surprise, I have also been enjoying using the matte shades as I wouldn't usually reach for them. In particularly, I have liked using Dear and Duchess which are both coral toned shades on a day when I want something simple on my lids with just a dash of mascara.

There are endless looks both simple and more smokey which you can create with this palette. I am definitely wanting to try more of their pressed shadows as I have so far been very impressed with them. Time and time again, whatever new product I try from Colourpop I have never once been disappointed. Their brand offers such a wide range of products and always for such great prices. On this occasion it has gone to show I did not need to spend £30 on an eyeshadow palette.

Lucy
xoxo

Having Me Days

I go through phases of loving and hating my own company. If you read my blog during my last years of uni, you would know that I practically lived on my own in my last year and I hated it. I hate long periods of time of my own company. But as I have got older in the last year or so since finishing uni I have learnt to love my own company just a little bit more.

On my days off like today as I start to write this I have been starting to enjoyed what I have named "me days". I love having the mornings to myself in the house, to write my own blog posts in my own time without rushing, to catch up on all my fave TV shows without a care in the world. Today I took myself off to the Trafford Centre to treat myself to a bit of lunch and a trip around the shops. I have something to confess, I hate eating on my own. You would never, ever catch me in a restaurant on my own. I would usually go to Subway, get my food and eat it at home. I plan my days around either eating before or after going out, and it can make my day quite chaotic. I think people will think I am lonely, which I know is daft but that's how my brain works. I would be willing to get something quick from a food court, but would not enjoy the eating on my actual own part.

Today I wanted to really treat myself and rather than grabbing a KFC or McD's, I decided to take myself off to Yo Sushi. It is one my favourite places to eat and I thought it was a great place to start as you can sit at the bar, and I often see other people sat on their own enjoying their dinner in there. I actually felt okay, and by the end I wondered what else all the fuss I had been making about. I am hoping these me days help me to feel more confident to just get out the house, and go and do things I want to do.

There is no denying I love spending time with my friends and family, but I found myself getting a little bit lost in myself. It is so important to not lose your identity around everyone else and stay true to yourself. I find myself talking about this with my friends quite a lot, at uni I always had something to do if I wasn't at placement or work, I was doing uni work or doing the food shop. One year into my job, and I very much appreciate my days off and that fact I do not have to be rushing around like before. I have more time to blog, go to the gym, and do things in a more leisurely time frame. At first this made me feel a bit lonely, and it is very easy to get into the routine of being cooped up in the house on my own whilst everyone else is out at work. It is definitely something to work on, and many of my friends have agreed with me on feeling this way.

I have vouched to dedicate one day a week to a me day, and that might just be something very simple. It is something which I will enjoy doing, even if it is going to have eyebrows done or buying something which will put a smile on my face. I think being single you appreciate your time more, actually I am not sure about that as I have never been in a relationship which has been serious enough to have to consider it. However, in a relationship or not we all need time for ourselves and enjoy a little bit of self love.

Let me know what you get up to on your me days!

Lucy
xoxo

Fenty Beauty Highlighter

So when Fenty Beauty by Rihanna was first announced the beauty world took a big turn. New makeup gets released on a daily basis, and it can be hard to keep up with. But this was new and dynamic, and also shook the beauty market with excitement. She was releasing something which has been needed for a long time, a range of diversity makeup that caters to girls of all different colours and creeds.

It was released on a Friday morning as I was flying to Amsterdam. I was watching lots of beauty bloggers online who was at the event, and their swatches and first impressions were all positive. I managed to restrain myself and just order online one highlighter as it is not cheap. I prayed that everything would be in stock when I finally managed to get myself into Harvey Nichols after I got back from my holiday. When I finally went in store to pick up my killawatt freestyle highlighter duo in Girl Next Door/Chic Phreak, I dragged my mum around the counter for a full in depth look. I was really impressed and I have got my eyes on the foundation, I am just not sure about the matte finish.

As soon as I was home I could not get into the package quick enough. I was so happy when I opened it up as the colours were stunning. I instantly wanted to swatch it but the good blogger I am, I put it back in my drawer after staring at it and uploading a few insta stories with lots of heart emojis until I was able to take photos. As soon I had a day off to take photos I did it straight away, and then I instantly started applying it to my face.

For £26, I did have high expectations as it is a lot of money to spend on one makeup item. I own a few drugstore highlighters which are all fab, so I wanted this to really wow me. It takes a lot for me to fall in love with a product and I am half way there with this. I wanted to become obsessed with it and be wearing it everyday. So, I do like this, I really like it. The pigmentation is beautiful there is no doubt, a little goes a long way and it feels smooth on application and does not have any kind of chunky glitter in it. The only thing I have to be careful with this is that I wear a lot of pink toned blusher and the Girl Next Door which is the shade on the left, the lighter of the two can sometimes mesh in with my blusher and does not give me quite that pop that I want over my cheekbones. It is still a lovely soft pink sheen which has the perfect amount of shimmer and adds lots of radiance to my skin. The other shade Chic Phreak is a darker shade which has more peachy tones to it and contains more shimmer, meaning it creates a more intense highlight.

I like the combination of both of the shades as they are so different. Sometimes in duos the shades are so similar and you can barely notice any difference between them, but this has two completely different shades. For everyday wear I have been trailing wearing a little less than normal blush, and then adding Girl Next Door to the tops of my cheekbones to add an extra pop of shimmer. Chic Phreak is just as gorgeous, and it is definitely going to be my go to shade when going out as the colour pay off is beautiful and it really adds a more in depth and stand out highlight to my cheekbones.

I am really impressed by this highlighter and I do not regret buying it one bit. It is so easy to get sucked into a new big release, and buy before reading any reviews. I definitely do this all the time but I did have a really good feeling about this line, and I am impressed by what I have seen and tried so far.

How you picked anything up from Fenty Beauty?

Lucy
xoxo

The Summer Slump

I am currently facing what I have named as the summer slump. This is basically realising that summer has actually gone, and I know longer have a reason to eat unhealthy and not bother to exercise. Before I went to Barcelona at the end of July, I was exercising regularly and eating somewhat moderately healthy. I honestly do not know how people who travel often actually manage to not to just treat yourself on a daily basis, and have two naps a day.

It is so crazy how time flies away, and before you know it you haven't been to the gym in 8 weeks. This is exactly what has happened to me. I had a fabulous time eating endless tapas in Barcelona, I then got home and had a week of continuous work and then flew to Italy for two weeks where as you would expect I ate nothing but carbs, carbs and more carbs. When I returned back for Italy, it was two of my best friends birthdays so we went on a big night out. I then was already in a 5 week slump, and I just carried on with it and had no interest in the slightest of putting on my gym gear and stepping into the gym. I have been going to ballet since the age of two, and if I am not at work I will always go to my ballet lesson no matter what. Therefore, I was fitting in an hour's ballet session here and there where I could. I was also slowly getting back into the routine of eating healthier at work.

At the start of September was my dad's 60th birthday which meant lots of celebrations and cake consuming. We then headed on a surprise trip to Amsterdam where we ate lots of delicious food. By this point, I was also continuously eating lots of cake which is in our staff room on a daily basis. I also did not enter the gym for another two weeks. This is where I find myself are now.

I did manage to somehow drag myself to a body attack gym session last Saturday morning, and I hated it. After about 10 minutes, I wanted to grab my bag and go. When I got home and after hopping in the shower, I weighed myself and boy was I stunned. I knew I had put on a few pounds, but I was surprised at the vast amount I had gained. This is when I realised things needed to change. I need to integrate my gym routine into my weekly routine, and make it as fun and exciting as possible. I need to make food which is healthy and yet I still love eating. I need a fresh mindset. Before this summer slump hit, I was enjoying going to the gym and eating healthier. I wasn't pressuring myself and I was okay with my weight. I have to say me adopting a better lifestyle is also to help my mindset. I have found myself feeling very lethargic and all round crap. I have made a lot of excuses, and I genuinely want to change. I am going to get myself back into it slowly, it is amazing over eight weeks how easy it is too loose your stamina. I realised going back into gym classes without doing any work in the gym was the reason why I hated it. I was unable to fully join in as I was so tired, my entire body ached and I had zero energy. If I am going to the gym I want to actually achieve something by the end.

Just as I write this, I have just watched Carly Rowena's latest YouTube video called beginners guide to getting fit. It was just what I needed as she states how you need to get yourself back into it slowly and not go full steam ahead, as that is more than likely going to end in being back in the slump in approximately two weeks. This is actually my own goals as I want to just gently get back into going to the gym 2-3 times a week like I was two months ago. My mindset had changed even in the past few days, and I am feeling more motivated to at least try. I know that October is just around the corner and my theory is if I am doing well with my little new routine, by the time the start of December comes I will not fall off the bandwagon again. Everyone knows Christmas is the worst. I work in a hospital and people are generous all year round, but at Christmas we get given stacks and stacks of chocolates. I want to enjoy my festive season, but also still include my little routine so when January comes I do not have to face another slump and be back to square one. This is all just my theory, and the little conversations my brain has.

So here is to the next few weeks of getting back in the gym, discovering new healthy foods, and learning to resist everything that lives in my staff room! If anyone has had a summer slump, please let me know and we can encourage each other to get back to it slowly but surely.

Lucy
xoxo

48 hours in Amsterdam

My lovely dad turned 60 at the start of September, so as a surprise me, my mum and sister booked him a family trip to Amsterdam for the weekend. It is a city I have always wanted to visit, many of my friends have been and have always come back with positive reviews. 

We flew out at 5pm on the Friday night and the flight was surprisingly very quick. We only took hand luggage so it was very easy on the other side once we had left the plane. The airport is huge, probably the biggest I have been in. They have fantastic public transport at the airport - trains, trams and buses. We took a train (which was double decker and I was super excited!) to our hotel which we a very simple journey. The station which we were staying near was called Zuid. Once we had vacated the train, it was a short three minute walk to our hotel. We was staying in the Crowne Plaza, which was a beautiful hotel. It was all bright and white, and the rooms were lovely.

On the first evening, once in our hotel we went for a few drinks in the hotel lobby and then settled down for an early night. On the Saturday morning we got up bright and early, headed down for breakfast in the hotel which was offered a great selection of food. We headed on the tram to the Anne Frank Museum, which we had booked online before we set off on the trip. Heads up, that if you want to visit this museum unless you have booked a head online, you can only visit after 3.30pm. This is a must see for me, me and my family all have a huge interest in history and this was a real eye opening and spine tingling experience. As you would expect the place was packed with tourists, however at some times as some of the rooms are very small and there is thin ladders into different sections of the house and it was quite claustrophobic. This was my favourite museum of the trip hands down. 

We then headed into the main section of the town and ended up at the Cheese Museum. It is no hidden fact that my family eat a lot of cheese. This shop had every cheese under the sun that you could think of, we you go in you have a taster stick and you can try every cheese available in the shop. It was fabulous there were so many different varieties. By the end of it we didn't need our dinner! We did come out with two different types of cheese after a big family discussion which took place in the middle of the shop. A must visit if you are a cheese lover!

We decided to eat that night at Pancakes at Amsterdam Centraal. You can't go to The Netherlands and not have dutch pancakes. As well as my love for cheese, I also share a lot of love for pancakes, I should just move to Amsterdam it is meant to be! We had to queue for quite a while to get a seat in here, but it was worth it. The pancakes were incredibly tasty, and they had a huge amount of variety of the menu. They had lots of different pancakes already made up on the menu, but you also had the option of building your own which is what I did. I optioned for the traditional pancakes over the american version. I added strawberries and cream to mine, nothing too spectacular but boy did it taste like heaven.  

On the Sunday we decided to go on the Amsterdam hop on hop off tours. We were in Amsterdam for just 48 hours meaning we did not have a lot time to explore the entire city. We have used the hop on hop off buses in other cities and we always enjoy using time. I think they are great way to get a snap shot of a city. We saw the main central places within the city on the bus, but we also saw the outer parts of the city. I learnt a lot regarding when the city was built, we saw the only surviving windmill, and I learnt the fact that a lot of the buildings are wonky due to the sinking of the land over the centuries. With the ticket we also got to go on a river cruise which was great and once again educational. I loved going down all the smaller canals as well as the grand canal. We got to see the ballet and opera house, and I loved seeing the city from an outside view looking in over the city. 

Our flights on the way home were at 8pm meaning we really did get a full day on the Sunday. We spent the rest of the day doing a spot of shopping around the city. I did not realise how big the city really was, and the bus tour really opened our eyes to it as once we had eaten some dinner we ventured out into the depths of the city to the streets we had seen on the tour. Me and my sister are huge shopaholics and it definitely did not disappoint. There was a 5 floor Primark, Abercrombie and Fitch and lots of our other favourites stores. Our cases were definitely full to the brim and needed assistance closing on the way home. Before heading back to the airport, we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for our final dinner. The burger I had was amazing, and it finished the break off perfectly.

Overall, I had a fabulous time in Amsterdam and it was the perfect destination for a quick city break. The flight on the way home only took an hour which was great as when we landed back in Manchester it was not too late. There are lots of other aspects of the city we could definitely explore if we were to ever return. The most surprising part of the trip was realising just how beautiful the city is. There is over 250 canals and they are all lined with flowers and blooming trees. The houses and buildings are all still in the traditional dutch style with the wooden outskirts and are so beautiful to look at. One of the best city breaks I have ever been on.

Lucy

xoxo