CITY BREAKS - ROME RECOMMENDATIONS, TIPS & TRICKS

I visited Rome in May this year and thought I would share a few of my best recommendations and tips. I posted some of my favourite photos that I took here. Italy has to be one of my favourite countries to explore and I continue to go back again and again.
001. Firstly, wear comfortable shoes - you will be walking everywhere. The one regret I had was only taking flat sandals/ballerinas. The cobbled streets don't make it any better on your tired tootsies, I was thankful that our hotel had a rooftop Jacuzzi to rest our feet before going out again for dinner. Also make sure you cover up. You can be turned away if you’re wearing clothes exposing legs and shoulders in holy places like St Peter’s Basilica, The Sistine Chapel and The Pantheon.

002. Research what you want to see before you go - We planned out the major things we wanted to see before. I’m so pleased we booked tickets for the Vatican to avoid the hellish queues in the sun. We also booked a tour of the Colosseum which meant we got to see underneath and the top floor which is out of bounds with a general ticket. This ticket also included entrance to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. I used an app called Tripomatic which I found really helpful to create an itinerary and locate the main places we wanted to go.

003. Use public transport - We used the coach service Terravision which costs 4 euros one way to the main train station. This saved us the hefted 30 euros if we wanted to get a taxi. We also used the metro every day for 6 euros, which was very easy to use. We also used a bus service to go further afield, we hopped on for free to escape the city. This can be daunting in an unfamiliar city, but download a Rome map/metro map on your phone and you'll be well away. Our Hotel, Hotel Pultizer was 10 minutes metro ride from the Colosseum, so it was really handy to nip back and fourth.

004. Do things you wouldn’t normally do - We went to see the Opera La Traviata at the Salone Margherita Bagaglino which is right near the Spanish Steps. I really enjoyed this and can now say I’ve been to the Opera in Rome. It was an experience; it was split into three parts and they served complementary pasta during the intermission. We also went to see the Catacombs of St.Callixtus which is the first Christian cemetery of Rome and houses the remains of 9 popes and saints. We then went to the Museum and Crypt of Capuchins, it contains bones of hundreds of years of monks decoratively arranged into specific themes, designs and geometric patterns. I was overwhelmed when I walked in, I would really recommend it if you are into your history or looking to do something different. 

005. Avoid eating at tourist restaurants/cafes - Sometimes this is unavoidable. My favourite meal of the holiday was along the side streets near the Trevi Fountain called Baccano. Use Trip Advisor reviews to find the best places to eat.

I hope you find this somewhat helpful if you are visiting Rome in the near future, or any city breaks that might relate. I didn’t get to see everything as there is so much to do, but I did throw my coin into the Trevi Fountain so hopefully this will mean I will return.

What are your City Break recommendations?

BIRCHBOX JUNE 2014 - GLOBAL STRIKERS

I am still quite new to Birchbox, but I have really been enjoying what their boxes have to offer. June's box was based around the World Cup, but still keeping it girly of course. I love the Brazil inspired colours of the packaging. I’m not a big football fan, but the products inside can be from any of the countries competing, which I think is a nice touch. I subscribed to Birchbox when they had an offer, so I only pay £10 a month for four products instead of the normal £12.95 price for five products plus a lifestyle product.

BeautyBlender and BlenderCleanser Solid, £26.00 – I was very excited to see this beauty tool in the box. I have always wanted to try this but have been put off by the price and instead have tried out dupes like the cosmopolitan and real techniques cheaper versions. This is great to buff in base products including foundations, BB creams and concealers. You use it by wetting it first and squeezing out the water. It’s great at getting to the hard to reach places and smaller areas brushes might not cover. It also comes with a cleanser which means you can use the blender over and over again and it goes back to its normal shape. I still like to use my brushes but I find this is great for putting on concealer around the eye area.

OPI Nail polish, Sets from £14.50 – Following the theme of the World Cup, OPI have introduced a Brazil collection featuring many vivid hues inspired by tropical rain forests and warm sandy beaches. I received a sample of the shade ‘I'm Brazil Nuts Over You’ a bright summery, chilli pink. I love the formulation of OPI polishes, these mini bottles are so cute!

Caudalie Divine Oil from £18.00 – This is a product I have used before and loved. I find this oil really moisturising and the scent is lovely, it sinks in really fast and a little goes a long way. It can be used on the body, face, nails and hair so it is a great multi-use product. I have also used the scrub and candle in the range which also have heavenly scents. Also a great sized sample, but not so great for travelling because of the glass bottle.

Coola Classic Face SPF 30, £26.00 – Day to day I do admit I don’t go out of my way to apply SPF. I normally rely on SPF in foundation and use face SPF when on holiday or when the weather ever cheers up. As I have fair skin I do worry about being in the sun for too long, so this is a handy sample to have for travelling or to have in my handbag. It leaves no white residue and has a lovely, refreshing cucumber scent.

I had also earnt £10.00 worth of points by reviewing my past boxes so was able to redeem these in the Birchbox shop. I chose to buy one of the new Benefit lip balms in Posiebalm, so it only cost me £4.50. Another way Birchbox lets you try new products at a bargain price. I've really been enjoying this product this month.

YOU BEAUTY DISCOVERY BOX - MAY CEW UK EDITION

I have subscribed to many beauty boxes, Glossybox, Birchbox and Latest in Beauty naming a few. I really like the concept of sampling products before you commit to buying the full-size. You Beauty Discovery Box is a bit different; it allows its members to choose two products from a theme shortlist of skincare and make-up at an affordable price of £6.95 every month. They deliver your box between 5-7 days and P&P is always included in the price. I have been a member since the box was first released, as the months have gone on, the box has become more popular and choosing your products has become more competitive as only a limited number of each product are available. I like the idea of choosing my own products to receive and try but this does come at a cost of waiting up till 12am to choose my selection to make sure I receive what I want. The shortlist is available on the 1^st of every month, with a preview being emailed a couple of days before hand.

May’s shortlist was based around CEW UK beauty award winners. There was a large range to choose from and found this May's shortlist to be the hardest to pick yet. Brands included Glamglow, Batiste, Carmex, Philip Kingsley, Oriflame, Manuka Doctor, Lola Cosmetics, Fake Bake, Dr. Organic and Burt’s Bees. In the end I chose the following products;

Margaret Dabbs Foot Cream – This cream is formulated to address common complaints relating to the skin of the feet. Great for general foot hygiene, you can apply this product twice weekly and it restores beautiful feet by warming a small amount of cream in the hand, and then applying all over the feet and nails. The cream is a thick balm texture and is really effective and quick-acting. It contains a combination of ingredients include Benzoic and Salicylic acids to treat, as well as Emu Oil to promote skin renewal and hydration. This is a full-sized product at 100ml and is retailed at £18.00.

Percy & Reed Hair Shine Spray – This product acts as a multi-tasker, it is a hair fragrance and a shine spray in one. The scent is rose, you spray it over your locks and it leaves you with a glossy shine – it’s the perfect finishing spray. The product can be used by holding the can 10cm away and misting onto dry, styled hair. Salon Secret: Mist a blusher brush with Eau My Goodness Shine & Fragrance Spray and sweep over the surface of dry hair for a finish that radiates shine. I have enjoyed Percy & Reed products in the past and the packaging of this is lovely. It is a good sample at 50ml and I would go onto purchase the full-sized product of 100ml for £22.00.
As the Margaret Dabbs foot cream had a slight delay, they also gave me an extra gift which was a nourishing nail and cuticle serum. I was really pleased with the customer service and have loved discovering a new brand. Overall I think this is a great box to be subscribed to. You get great value for money, you can choose what you receive and most of the products are full-sized. It’s a refreshing change from the 5 sample beauty boxes that have flooded the market.

WHEN IN ROME - ITALY MAY 2014

Last week I visited more of my favourite country, Italy. I thought I would share some of my favourite snaps. We crammed a lot into the short week we were there including; The Colosseum, The Roman Forum, The Spanish Steps, The Trevi Fountain, The Vatican, The Opera, The Catacombs, Sephora, lots of carbs and of course a couple of gelato's to name a few. Venice and Verona are next on my Italy list, it's such a beautiful country I would recommend everyone to visit at some point.

ORIGINS GINZING REFRESHING SCRUB CLEANSER

Origins formulate some of my favourite skincare products, including the energising Ginzing range. When I saw online that a new product was coming to the Ginzing family, I knew I had to try it for myself. I have enjoyed Origins cleansers in the past, both Checks and Balances and Zero Oil being my favourites. I have reviewed the Ginzing moisturiser and eye cream on my blog here.

The Origins Ginzing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser is a two in one cleanser and exfoliator. The formula is packed with radiance-boosting panax ginseng and caffeine meaning this is great for morning cleansing as it really awakens the skin. It also contains jojoba and carnauba wax which is really moisturising, as well as the natural essential oil blend of Grapefruit, Lemon and Spearmint which are very revitalising. This cleanser is suited to all skin types, it smooth’s and brightens the skin and also helps to unclog pores.

It’s a clear gel consistency which contains exfoliating beads in it which are gentle and natural to the skin. The product produces a lot of lather, so a little goes a long way. The scent of the cleanser is a lovely citrus fragrance to accompany the moisturiser. The cleanser is priced at an affordable £18.50 for 150ml.

I would say this product is more of a cleanser as it’s great for gentle daily exfoliate, but if you want a weekly version I would pick up Never A Dull Moment, also from Origins. This product isn’t great around the eye area, so I like to use a creamy cleanser first to remove my make-up and then go on to use this for a mild daily exfoliate and pick me up.

The Ginzing trio is the perfect way to start the mornings. This has become a staple in my morning skincare routine. Have you tried the Ginzing range?