This isn't fashion or beauty related at all but I've just got back from Crete (specifically Malia) and I wanted to share my holiday experience with you.
So firstly let me get this clear, I'm not the typical 'girls holiday' or 'girls/lads on tour' type, actually I was dreading this holiday, we booked it on a spur of the moment, it's never going to actually happen kind of thing last December.. but then July came and we were getting on a plane.
The journey was fine, other than getting up at 2am to get to Manchester airport for 5am to fly at 7am. But we all made it and arrived in Heraklion airport about 1pm, Greek time. I love flying and especially the getting off the plane, hot air in your face feeling, it didn't disappoint.
When we arrived in Heraklion we got in a taxi to take us to our hotel at the top of the Malia strip, Aegean Sky. My review of the hotel is that it was pretty good, especially for the price, including flights our whole trip cost us about £400, not bad for a week in Crete. We were greeted with 'welcome shots' and shown our room, it was comfortable, reasonably sized and cool. However the only downside, as we were self catered we expected there to be some means of cooking food, no such luck (unless you count a kettle.) Other than this minor annoyance everything was fine.
Our first day (and pretty much every other day after that) involved us going to the beach, Cretan beaches (even the lad ridden, alcohol soaked ones of Malia) are beautiful, slightly ruined by the hundreds of sunbeds, but still beautiful just the same.
The Malia strip consists of (as you'd expect) bars, clubs and restaurants with a few tourist shops and other shops dotted around. Walking up and down the strip is a dangerous game (not really) what with all the quad bikes and cars that almost see humans as a target rather than something to avoid, surprisingly we got through the week without major injury.
Going out in Malia is (again, as you'd expect) cheap, not as cheap as I thought, but comparatively very cheap to the UK. The 'PRs' are annoying, there's no getting away from that (or them!) and they will try literally anything to get you to try their deal (5euros for 2/3 drinks, 2/3 shots and 2/3 fishbowls depending on the bar and the amount of people.) Trust me, they're all the same, make sure when you're buying shots you get proper alcohol and not the juicy 'shots' which I'm pretty sure are 99% orange juice (positive side being that they taste much nicer than the tequila/sambuca/vodka, negative being that they won't have any affect on you whatsoever.) I'm not one to get completely paralytic on a night out, nor am I one to get off with/go home with any random stranger who looks my way, if you're up for that, there's plenty of opportunity, if you're not then it's not obligatory, in fact it's easier than I thought to make it clear that that's not happening, a nice surprise for me to be honest.
Eating in Malia is fine, okay, but not necessarily... nice. The food is average and very typically 'Brits abroad' kind of thing, you can get roasts/ sausage and mash/ fish and chips pretty much anywhere. If you're looking for good quality, genuine Greek food.... good luck, I really wanted to try some proper Greek food but I didn't see any Greek restaurants anywhere in Malia, perhaps if you look further afield you'd find some great places but our transport and budget for getting around was limited so we stuck to Malia's offerings. If you are looking for good (albeit not Greek) food, try Gringo's at the top of the strip, it's Mexican but proper home cooked Mexican (make sure you try their nachos, they're so good, especially the homemade guacamole.)
I can't give any opinion on 'booze cruises' as I really didn't fancy one, tacky expensive and dirty is the reports I've heard back (the girl we sat with on the plane home said they really weren't worth the money but it wasn't too bad.) We did go on a more family orientated boat trip that took us to Port Sisi/Sissi (I saw it spelled both ways) which is a lovely little port, full of nice restaurants/cafes and little tourist shops, more appropriate for a family holiday than the noise and madness of Malia.
So, overall I did enjoy my holiday, came home with a tan and a smile on my face but I wouldn't go again, it was an experience and it was a fun one but I don't see myself as the target audience for these kind of holidays and as I rarely spend time in an all girl group, I found the 'girls holiday' aspect of it slightly annoying (and shriek-y.) It's a fun night out, a really pleasant day and you easily make friends there but at the same time, you feel for the locals who put up with 3-4 months of British teenagers and young adults only up for sun, sex and alcohol all on the cheap and yes tourist income really helps them stay in jobs and food but the price is a little high for them, in my opinion. Honestly, it's what you make of it, I had a good time and it's really not my scene, I imagine if you love that kind of holiday it can be the best week of your life. All I can say is go with an open mind, there is still something for everyone, it feels a very safe place and going on holiday with friends (be it Malia or somewhere else) is an experience I found useful before going to university as a taster of complete independence.
Thanks for reading, sorry it's so long!
Clare
xxxx
Saturday, 20 July 2013
Thursday, 4 July 2013
And.... 2 years later
Ooops!
So it seems I didn't stick to things, having recently finished my A levels and therefore left school I wanted to start a blog (yet again!) I thought I'd forgotten my passwords etc but in the end I managed to recover my old blog. So this is a quick note to say I'll be back and hopefully writing regularly this time as I really want to make a go of this! I have some ideas for my next blog posts, some of them reviews, hauls etc.
See you soon!
Clare xxx
So it seems I didn't stick to things, having recently finished my A levels and therefore left school I wanted to start a blog (yet again!) I thought I'd forgotten my passwords etc but in the end I managed to recover my old blog. So this is a quick note to say I'll be back and hopefully writing regularly this time as I really want to make a go of this! I have some ideas for my next blog posts, some of them reviews, hauls etc.
See you soon!
Clare xxx
Monday, 11 April 2011
Mascara Review: Maybelline One By One
Hello!
Haven't posted in a while but I'm back now. So, I bought this mascara about 3 weeks ago because I finally gave in and decided I needed a new one! My friend recommended it to me and she said she thought it was definatly better than the Maybelline Falsies, so on her recommendation I bought it.
I think this mascara is actually really nice, I also got it on offer for £7.99 which I thought was also pretty good! I looked on their website and it claims to:
Give bold volume without any of the bulk.
• Patented Lash Catcher™ brush has 3 bristles per lash to make every lash count
• Catches, coats and de-clumps each lash to make them all fatter and flirtier
• Instant clump-free volume
• Contact lens safe and ophthalmologist-tested
• Washable, also available in Waterproof formula
So, firstly 'gives bold volume without any of the bulk', although this is more than an advertising slogan than an actual scientific feature, it does volumise well and feel light on the eyes. 'Catches, coats and de-clumps each lash to make them all fatter and flirtier' again a bit advertising-y but it doesn't clump and each lash is lengthened individually so again it does this. The third promise is like the second and I've already described this. I don't wear contact lenses however my friend who reccommended it does and she hasn't had any trouble and so I'd agree with this again. My eyes are very sensitive so I have to be careful with mascara and eye liner and I've had no trouble with this at all. It comes off easily which I see as a good thing although it may not be the same for you. It does come in a waterproof formula and I wish I'd bought that however at the time I didn't see it and was in a rush.
Overall, I would reccomend this product for its quality and for its price. It's available in the UK and America, not sure of the pricing in America though.
Thanks for reading :) xxxxx
Haven't posted in a while but I'm back now. So, I bought this mascara about 3 weeks ago because I finally gave in and decided I needed a new one! My friend recommended it to me and she said she thought it was definatly better than the Maybelline Falsies, so on her recommendation I bought it.
I think this mascara is actually really nice, I also got it on offer for £7.99 which I thought was also pretty good! I looked on their website and it claims to:
Give bold volume without any of the bulk.
• Patented Lash Catcher™ brush has 3 bristles per lash to make every lash count
• Catches, coats and de-clumps each lash to make them all fatter and flirtier
• Instant clump-free volume
• Contact lens safe and ophthalmologist-tested
• Washable, also available in Waterproof formula
So, firstly 'gives bold volume without any of the bulk', although this is more than an advertising slogan than an actual scientific feature, it does volumise well and feel light on the eyes. 'Catches, coats and de-clumps each lash to make them all fatter and flirtier' again a bit advertising-y but it doesn't clump and each lash is lengthened individually so again it does this. The third promise is like the second and I've already described this. I don't wear contact lenses however my friend who reccommended it does and she hasn't had any trouble and so I'd agree with this again. My eyes are very sensitive so I have to be careful with mascara and eye liner and I've had no trouble with this at all. It comes off easily which I see as a good thing although it may not be the same for you. It does come in a waterproof formula and I wish I'd bought that however at the time I didn't see it and was in a rush.
Overall, I would reccomend this product for its quality and for its price. It's available in the UK and America, not sure of the pricing in America though.
Thanks for reading :) xxxxx
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Quick Post- My favourite youtubers
Hey!
I know I said I'd do a fashion-y post but I really haven't had time recently, I have spanish and french speaking exams this week, both of which are 30% of my final GCSE grades which is slightly more important than blogging however I will blog again next weekend when they're over!
Anyway, today I'm going to post my favourite youtubers, some of which are very well known others only have about 50 subscribers. I don't have a youtube account and therefore I don't subscribe to them however I do watch all their videos. So people you should check out are:
http://www.youtube.com/user/fleurdeforce?blend=1&ob=4 (also have a look at her blog channel, Fleur de Vlog)
http://www.youtube.com/user/SuperBeautyNerd
http://www.youtube.com/user/bubzbeauty?blend=1&ob=4
http://www.youtube.com/user/rachi20x
http://www.youtube.com/user/missglamorazzi?feature=chclk
These are my favourite beauty/style youtubers
Sorry, this post is shorter than I thought but I have to go now
Bye xxxxxxxxxxx
I know I said I'd do a fashion-y post but I really haven't had time recently, I have spanish and french speaking exams this week, both of which are 30% of my final GCSE grades which is slightly more important than blogging however I will blog again next weekend when they're over!
Anyway, today I'm going to post my favourite youtubers, some of which are very well known others only have about 50 subscribers. I don't have a youtube account and therefore I don't subscribe to them however I do watch all their videos. So people you should check out are:
http://www.youtube.com/user/fleurdeforce?blend=1&ob=4 (also have a look at her blog channel, Fleur de Vlog)
http://www.youtube.com/user/SuperBeautyNerd
http://www.youtube.com/user/bubzbeauty?blend=1&ob=4
http://www.youtube.com/user/rachi20x
http://www.youtube.com/user/missglamorazzi?feature=chclk
These are my favourite beauty/style youtubers
Sorry, this post is shorter than I thought but I have to go now
Bye xxxxxxxxxxx
Monday, 21 March 2011
Body Lotions review!
Hey!
It's been about a week since my last post so I thought it was about time to do another post. I couldn't do anymore fashion ones because I've not bought anything since my last blog post but I probably will this weekend depending on whether I go into town (Nottingham) where I live or if I go to Bristol with my parents. So anyway I needed a different type of idea and I thought reviewing would be another thing to get into. So these are the body lotions that I have at home- I don't have a knowledge of every single product out there obviously so these are by no means the best on the market however I will review the one's I have for you.
The first one is one of my absolute favourites, it's from the body shop and it is really nice! It's part of the body butter range and I LOVE the satsuma flavour (not sure that flavour is the right word) but it smells absolutely gorgeous! I'm quite upset really because I've nearly finished it. They describe it on the website as 'An intensive creamy all-over body moisturiser, with hydrating, zesty and invigorating Satsuma essential oil. Also containing Community Traded melon seed oil plus shea and cocoa butter for up to 24 hours moisturisation.'
I got this as a present but I looked it up and it's £5.00 from The Body Shop as I previously mentioned. So, I would highly recommend this product, I use it all the time and considering that it lasts quite well. If you don't like the satsuma one then there are plenty more choices as well. 10/10 for smell
9/10 for moisturing quality
9/10 for price
The second product that I have is Boots Natural Collection passion fruit shimmer lotion. There are good points and bad points about this product it has to be said. First good point is, it does what it says on the tin. It does moisturise and it does make the skin shimmery. However, when applying it it makes your hands feel sticky and not very nice. It doesn't do this to wherever you put it i.e. your legs but you have to wash your hands after using it because it's not really a very nice feeling. The way it makes your skin shimmer is very nice though and it also smells quite nice too- the smell isn't as obvious as the first one and personally this doesn't bother me but some people don't like overly perfumed body lotion. The price from Boots is £3.56
So, 7/10 for smell
6.5/10 for moisturising quality
10/10 for price
Also, the packaging has changed a little from when I got it but this may be because I got it in a pack with some spray and lipgloss - both of which I think are nicer products and better quality than this one. I wouldn't not reccomend this product however you could buy a nicer product.
My third product is another Boots product only this time one from the Sanctuary range. However it's not on the Boots website, I bought this at christmas time because it was for my Mum and then it was £10.00 (ish) and I thought this was a bit pricey. Products most like this that I can find on the Boots website are Sanctuary Kyphi Nourishing Body Butter. This is £9.18 and I think it would be quite similar. This 'body souffle' is nice however I don't believe it is worth the amount they charge. The pot is large and it has a nice but very subtle smell.
I would rate this product:
7/10 for smell
9/10 for moisturising quality
4/10 for price
I've decided I'll stop there because I really just want to publish this post cos I feel bad for not posting in a while!
Next post will be a fashion-y one, I've been shopping! Haha
Thanks for reading xxx
It's been about a week since my last post so I thought it was about time to do another post. I couldn't do anymore fashion ones because I've not bought anything since my last blog post but I probably will this weekend depending on whether I go into town (Nottingham) where I live or if I go to Bristol with my parents. So anyway I needed a different type of idea and I thought reviewing would be another thing to get into. So these are the body lotions that I have at home- I don't have a knowledge of every single product out there obviously so these are by no means the best on the market however I will review the one's I have for you.
I got this as a present but I looked it up and it's £5.00 from The Body Shop as I previously mentioned. So, I would highly recommend this product, I use it all the time and considering that it lasts quite well. If you don't like the satsuma one then there are plenty more choices as well. 10/10 for smell
9/10 for moisturing quality
9/10 for price
So, 7/10 for smell
6.5/10 for moisturising quality
10/10 for price
Also, the packaging has changed a little from when I got it but this may be because I got it in a pack with some spray and lipgloss - both of which I think are nicer products and better quality than this one. I wouldn't not reccomend this product however you could buy a nicer product.
I would rate this product:
7/10 for smell
9/10 for moisturising quality
4/10 for price
I've decided I'll stop there because I really just want to publish this post cos I feel bad for not posting in a while!
Next post will be a fashion-y one, I've been shopping! Haha
Thanks for reading xxx
Sunday, 6 March 2011
My recent buys!
Hello again!
I've not been shopping really recently (as in this weekend) but I have over the last couple of weeks and thought I may as well fill you in with my purchases instead of doing my french or english homework that I should be doing.
My first new item is this really nice vest top from River Island,
it's cream and lacy and see through (so I wear a black or white vest underneath) but really pretty and the detail on it like the beads and ruffles on the front and the buttons on the back are really nice! This was £24.99
My second new item are my new red skinny jeans. Normally I wouldn't go for bright coloured jeans but I really fancied them and they do look really good, although I was a bit worried that they'd look a bit weird but they just look nice, normally I wear them with a white top so I don't overload all the colour.They're from Next and are £30 but they're very skinny and tight so not ones I wear to just hang about in- you can't really tell this from the photos because they're really creased, sorry!
My next two items are both shoes, one flat pair I wear for school but I still think are really nice are from Barrats and they were £20 which is a bargain considering they're cute and comfy! The second pair are some heels which are plain black but they have really nice detailing around the foot which is cool and these are also comfy, especially seeing as they're 4in high!
That's basically what I've been buying recently and I've actually worn all of them which is quite an achievement for me as I often buy something then won't wear it for ages if ever, I really should start taking things back!
Thanks for reading,
Bye xxxx
I've not been shopping really recently (as in this weekend) but I have over the last couple of weeks and thought I may as well fill you in with my purchases instead of doing my french or english homework that I should be doing.
My first new item is this really nice vest top from River Island,
it's cream and lacy and see through (so I wear a black or white vest underneath) but really pretty and the detail on it like the beads and ruffles on the front and the buttons on the back are really nice! This was £24.99
My second new item are my new red skinny jeans. Normally I wouldn't go for bright coloured jeans but I really fancied them and they do look really good, although I was a bit worried that they'd look a bit weird but they just look nice, normally I wear them with a white top so I don't overload all the colour.They're from Next and are £30 but they're very skinny and tight so not ones I wear to just hang about in- you can't really tell this from the photos because they're really creased, sorry! 
My next two items are both shoes, one flat pair I wear for school but I still think are really nice are from Barrats and they were £20 which is a bargain considering they're cute and comfy! The second pair are some heels which are plain black but they have really nice detailing around the foot which is cool and these are also comfy, especially seeing as they're 4in high! 
That's basically what I've been buying recently and I've actually worn all of them which is quite an achievement for me as I often buy something then won't wear it for ages if ever, I really should start taking things back!
Thanks for reading,
Bye xxxx
Welcome to my new blog!
Hello!
Firstly, I already do another blog about my life but I want this one to be a bit like all the youtube videos on fashion and beauty (Fleurdeforce and Bubzbeauty to name some famous ones) but as well as beauty I do want to have a look at the clothing side of it. Basically this is my life and my views on my own fashion and beauty combination. Let’s start with today:
OOTD (outfit of the day)
Well today I’m pretty chilled out, I’m not going out just staying at home chilling really so I’m not particularly dressed for outside, but my long shirt is from White Stuff, I think it was about £40 but I got it a year or so ago so I could be wrong on that figure, my leggings are full length and plain black and from Primark so they’re not the best quality however they are good for what I use them for and seeing as they were only about £2 they’ll do me fine! Also you can see the top of my slippers, if you’re interested they’re from New Look, but I got them for Christmas so I’m not sure about pricing. You also can’t really see it but I have a navy T shirt underneath my shirt and that’s from Next it was about £12.
Makeup and other stuff: 
Today I am wearing makeup and I have straightened my hair because even though I’m not doing anything special, I don’t like to look like a mess so today I’m wearing my MaxFactor Xperience foundation in number 75 Brown Hessian. I really like this foundation, it looks quite natural and it goes on well. I got it for £9.99 from Boots and I think it’s worth that, I used to wear a Loreal one but I wanted to try a new brand. I’m also wearing a bit of face powder it is Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder which was cheap actually (£4.99 I think! From Boots) and I like it, especially because my cheeks are quite red anyway it makes them look a more natural skin colour. On my eyes I’ve got a cheap ‘eye souffle’ from Primark which actually I do love! It was cheap (£1) and you defiantly don’t need a lot on to look good, but it’s a really nice product! I’m also wearing some No7 mascara ‘Intense Volume,’ I do like this mascara however not as much as I liked my falsies but I’m not letting myself buy any more of that until this one has ran out so I’m not wasteful! On my lips I’ve got a clinique lipstick in ‘Pink Whisper’ which I really like, normally I would wear lipgloss but this is really hydrating for my lips and also is a really pretty colour!
So, this is the end of my first post. I’m going to try and keep this blog reasonably anonymous because I quite like giving my opinions and my thoughts without anyone knowing who I am.
Bye xxxx
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