My Travel Diary: Germany 2019

This year, James and I were lucky enough to be able to spend 16 days in Germany visiting my family and shopping and exploring different parts of the country. If you want to see a vlog about it, part 1 is live on my YouTube already. You can see that via this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7OrD31LfJE&t=15s.

To listen to the playlist I was listening to while I was away, click here:


Day 1: We arrived in Hamburg on our first day, and went to see the lovely church 'Der Michel' before heading into the city centre to do some shopping. I have seen a lot of the famous sights of Hamburg before, and James and I both did a tour last time we visited so it wasn't so crucial to us to do something 'cultural' while we were there this time. We also only had half a day there as our flight only landed at lunch time.

Day 2: We weren't in a rush to do anything as we had 16 days of holiday, so on the second day we spent some time getting settled in and unpacking before heading into the local town (Bad Bevensen) for coffee and cake in this cute little riverside cafe.

Day 3: My Oma had a doctor's appointment in Luneburg, so we went with her and went into the town after. I love Luneburg, it's one of my favourite places in Germany. We walked around the old part of the town and had lunch in a restaurant which had been built in a converted cinema. Then we went to Uelzen where my aunt works as she had a meeting and we went to get an ice cream.

Day 4: My aunt showed us this amazing cafe that had been built in an old water mill. It was a short walk through the woods to get there, which was really pleasant in the hot weather we had while we were there! We also went to my great-aunt's for a barbecue in the evening which was delicious (poor James had to cook it, but did an excellent job).

Day 5: Sundays in Germany are always a very relaxed affair, shops and restaurants aren't usually open like they are in the UK. We spent this Sunday at a pottery market in Bevensen, and then we went river walking which is supposed to be excellent for your circulation.

Day 6: Berlin!!! We got an early train into the city and after dropping our stuff off in my aunt's flat, we headed to the zoo. I love the zoo, and as the summer holidays in Germany were already over it wasn't too busy. When we were done there, we met my uncle for a drink and a walk through the Tiergarten park. He knows so much about Berlin so it was really fascinating hearing what he had to say about everything around us. After he went home, we did a little shopping and then went to dinner at a Chinese where my uncle apparently once met Barbara Streisand.

Day 7: In the morning, we took the train out to Potsdam to visit the palace. We walked through the gardens which were beautiful, but when we reached the palace itself we discovered it was closed so we had lunch and then headed back to Berlin. We met up with my uncle again, who showed us Clarchen's Ballhaus and the Hackesche Hofe (both of which I highly recommend visiting). When he had to go back to work, James and I visited the museum island and the 'Neues Museum' before going back to the flat for tea.

Day 8: We went shopping on the Kurfurstendamm before catching our train back to my Oma's other house.

Day 9: We went to Arendsee, which is a sweet little historic town in what used to be East Germany. It has a ruined monastery which we loved exploring before going for a walk along the lakeside. When we were younger, my brothers and I often swam in the lake there but James and I decided we'd rather go another time and swim in an actual pool (much less cold).

Day 10: James and I went to play mini golf. We were both completely useless but it was so much fun!  We of course had an ice cream after (the ice cream in Germany is just phenomenal) and went for a walk in the park.

Day 11: We went to an event that my Oma's friend had got tickets for. It was at a riding stable, and it was a picnic followed by horse shows followed by a classical concert. The weather was lush and the horses were beautiful. Classical music isn't my favourite, but the musicians were extremely talented and the atmosphere was good so I can't complain.

Day 12: We had a family brunch and then spent the day reading, painting and playing scrabble.

Day 13: James and I returned to Luneburg to do some shopping and visit some of the sights in town that we didn't have time for last week. The highlight was having coffee and cake in a cafe that overlooked the town square with a gorgeous view.

Day 14: We went for lunch at Mr T's burger shop in Uelzen (I had a chilli cheese burger which was excellent), and then did some shopping. I also had a bright blue ice cream which tasted disappointingly of vanilla.

Day 15: We spent the day helping my aunt with some gardening jobs she had to do. After all that hard work, we decided to go for an evening swim at the local spa pool which is lovely and warm due to the thermal spring that earned Bevensen its title of a 'Bad' (Spa).

Day 16: We spent a lot of our last day at my Oma's, cooking lasagne and watching films but we also went to Deerberg which is a unique independent store which is in the middle of one of the tiny villages near my Oma's house. I got some snazzy purple jeans, and James enjoyed his free drink and free wifi from there.

We had a great time, and it was nice for me to be able to see all of my family who I normally don't get to see very often or for very long. Looking forward to my next trip already!

August Beauty Favourites

Before I started blogging, I had a few favourite beauty products that I never wavered from. I still adore those and use them often, bit that is for a different post. These are products that I have discovered or used for the first time in August (and loved).

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Foundation. I don't often wear foundation, and it has to be said this felt too heavy for me. However. I was so impressed by the range of shades Rimmel is currently offering across this and the Match Perfection range that I still had to mention it in my faves. Finally a foundation that isn't either scarily white or orange!

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette. I love every single product by Too Faced that I have every tried, and this is no exception. Beautiful nudes that smell of chocolate, give great pigmentation and instructions for fantastic looks using them.

Maybelline New York Great Lash Mascara. I bought this for only £4! And it's a really good quality mascara. Thicker, longer lashes with no clumps. If you are on a budget, buy this.

No7 Perfectly Bronzed Mosaic Bronzer. It's summer, so I want to look like I have a healthy glow. This product allows me to achieve this without being cakey or muddy. It is also good for contouring, so I will be able to use it in the winter too.

Natural Collection Liquid Concealer. I haven't found a lot of concealers that work, so I tend to stick with my trusty No7 one. However, I am very pleased with this. It is good for under eye circles and I use it as an eyeshadow primer too. It is also super cheap! Definitely a bargain.

Rimmel London Brow This Way Eyebrow Pencil. This gives a good colour payoff, easily makes precise lines and comes in a variety of shades. The only fault is it doesn't have a brush element.

No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Me Me Me. Anyone who watches my YouTube channel will know that I loveeee these nail polishes. This colour was new to me and I just think it's so fun and summery. Great on my toenails.

No7 Instant Results Revitalising Peel-Off Mask. This made my face feel fantastic, and was really easy to use. It smells good and is a lovely gold colour too. Plenty in the tube too so great value for money.

(Other than the Too Faced Chocolate Bar (which I bought on ASOS) all of these products can be bought at Boots).

Disclaimer: This is not an ad! None of these brands have paid me in goods or services to mention their products.

Holiday in Germany

I recently got back from visiting my grandmother and my aunt in Germany. It was lovely and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! Up to thirty six degrees Celsius (ninety seven Fahrenheit). We spent a lot of time at the house just relaxing, playing scrabble and painting which was such a nice way to wind down after two hectic weeks of summer school. I also loved cuddling my Oma's dog, Rudi!

We even managed to squeeze in a festival! The Uelzen Open R was so much fun, we saw Tom Gregory, Michael Patrick Kelly and a-ha performing. They were all wonderful and we spent the whole night dancing and eating bratwurst and drinking (I was driving so in my case it was ice tea). The finale of 'Take On Me' was spectacular and I loved the rainbow lights.

On the final day we went into Lüneburg (a small historic town) to do some shopping! We discovered this beautiful cafe and bought some really cool stuff. To see what I got, check out the YouTube haul I did of it here.

We all had such a lovely week and are excited to go back at Christmas!

The Hunt for the Perfect Bikini

This is a bit of a rambly post so if that's not something you enjoy I'll warn you in advance!

Every year I seem to need a new bikini. Either I have grown out of my old ones, or realised they gave me annoying tan lines, or just decided I don't like them anymore. This year was especially difficult as I had something specific in mind. I wanted a high waisted bikini, as I am self conscious about my belly recently and I wanted it to be under £20, and it couldn't be plain or boring. This was extremely difficult. It took me 3 months of scrolling through various websites (and trying millions on!) before I finally found the right one.

I looked in all of the places recommended to me, Primark, New Look, Misguided, Pretty Little Thing, Debenhams and many many more. I finally got this one on ASOS but I had been on the website a few times before with no success. Part of the problem was that I had restricted myself price wise, part of it was that sizes varied too much and part of it was simply that I was too fussy!

When I finally found the one I was so relieved, and I'm so pleased with it so I wanted to share it with you all for that reason really! All my lovely ladies out there (and occasionally men), just because one bikini makes you look awful doesn't mean that's how you are! It's just not the one for you, so don't give up.

My Trip to Greece

My boyfriend and I just got home from a (very lovely) holiday in Greece. We stayed in a small town called Hanioti, which is in the North East of the mainland about an hour away from Thessaloniki. The weather was obviously beautiful, sunshine all week and no rain or clouds! It was also really quiet, probably because the school holidays won't start for another month yet.


The hotel was a set of beautiful villas with huge, minimalist rooms and a gorgeous pool. There was even a spa in the basement of our building which offered cheap but amazing massages, a gym, a jacuzzi, a sauna and a steam room. We were very impressed with the high standard of the rooms and the quality of the bar and breakfast options available. We were surprised quite how good it was since we booked the holiday really cheap (thank you EasyJet!). Even the restaurants we ate our evening meals at were excellent quality for a very small cost. One of our favourites was an outdoor place called 'The Garden' (pictured below) which offered delicious food and was just gorgeous. Such simple and comforting decorations.

The beach was again, stunning but me and my whiter than white skin couldn't take the direct sun during the day so we visited in the evenings instead. This meant that we got to witness spectacular sunsets like this one so it was a win win really. During the hotter hours we stuck to the shaded sun loungers surrounding the hotel pool. It was so relaxing and allowed me to catch up on some reading.

(Side note: I really recommend 'Then She Was Gone' by Lisa Jewell if you like psychological thrillers!)

Overall I had a really lovely time getting some R&R and would definitely go again! Although next holiday will be another cultural visit I think.

10 Summer Party Ideas

Summer is my absolute favourite time of year. I just love all aspects of it, hot weather, barbecues, beer gardens and road trips. But most of all I love spending time with my friends and family, and I've come up with a few fun things I want to do this year and I thought I'd share some of them with you.

• Decorate biscuits! This is ideal for a small group, and you can either buy the biscuits yourself or make them if you're feeling fancy. My boyfriend and I recently did this together and it was so much fun, the results may have been a bit wonky but they still looked cute.

• Make cocktails. If everyone brings the ingredients for a different cocktail then it isn't too expensive and you still have a lot of fun new drinks to try! The more you have the more challenging they are to make too ;).

• Have a Mexican themed do. There's no better weather for enjoying a buffet of fajitas and nachos while rocking a sombrero and maybe even a fake moustache. Also, how much fun are piñatas and tequila??

• Have a pool party. No pool? No problem. Just fill a paddling pool with warm water and it'll be almost as much fun as a real one! Just be sure the dog doesn't get it's teeth stuck into it...

• Have a fancy tea party. I know not everyone will enjoy this, but I love dressing up and sipping coffee while I scoff my face with tiny cakes and sandwiches. It's so lovely, especially if it's sunny and you can sit outside and soak it up!

• Have Tapas! Get everyone to bring a different dish, and everyone can pick and choose which ones they want. Kind of like a buffet but more fun. (I highly recommend tomato bread or cheese croquettes).

• D.I.Y. Pizzas. Lay out the ingredients, hire a pizza oven and let your guests feed themselves! This is especially good if you have fussy eaters or people with allergies in attendance. Just make sure you have plenty of toppings!

• Have a henna session. If your guests are brave enough that is! Lay out templates and some drinks and make sure you only draw on areas that can be covered easily at work. Have fun but be practical!

• Have a book club. This may not be great for a wild summer party but it can still be fun, especially if you're a book worm like me. 

Whatever your style, I hope that some of these ideas have inspired you for this summer! Whatever you do, I hope you have a wonderful time :)

A Summer Makeup Look

This is a post I love doing, and one of my close friends requested this the other day (hi Ellie-Mae!) so I thought I would do a summer makeup look using my new eyeshadow palette. You can read about how to do it here, or go and watch a tutorial on my brand new youtube channel!! Link here.

I began with concealer. As I don't like a heavy all over coverage in the summer, I don't use foundation or anything like that so this is the only method I have for covering blemishes. Luckily I have quite good skin so this tends to be enough for me but by all means use foundation or whatever you're most comfortable with! I am really pale so cool ivory is the shade for me, but in Boots they will help you find the best shade for you. I blended some under my eyes and covered my spots before moving on to my eyebrows. I find eyebrows such a personal thing, but the pencil pictured on the left is the one I use if you're interested!



After I had done my concealer and brows I moved on to my eyeshadow. I began with the shade 'Nectar' and brushed it over my eyelid up to my brow. This gave a goos base for my eyeshadow and also highlights the underside of the brow. If you don't have this palette, any pale nude will do for this stage of the look.

Next I used 'Just Peachy' to define the crease of my eye, blending it upwards with a very soft eye shadow brush. Any light pink shade will do for this, if you are attempting this look with a different eyeshadow. Please ignore my eyebrow in this photo it really needs plucking haha.



Next I brushed 'Candied Peach' over the inner half of my eye. This is a very peachy colour (salmon pink maybe?) for those of you attempting to find replacements. Then I added 'Summer Yum' to the outer half, a darker but similar colour. I then blended them together in the middle of the lid.

Finally, I blended 'Delectable' into the outer crease and lower lash line. This is a deep purple colour if you are trying to find it somewhere else! Then I added the L'Oreal False Lash Superstar X Fiber mascara, using only side one on my bottom lashes and both sides on my top lashes. I decided against eyeliner though.

I then used a powder brush to lightly bronze over my cheek bones and contour areas. (No.7 match perfect if you want this one! I like it because it's not too dark). As it is a summer look I just wanted to look a little more tanned! I then added highlight, choosing to use elf shimmer in shade gold. I just brushed that over my cheekbones to add to the bronzer.

 I finished the look with a lipstick from smashbox. In case you can't see the image of it, the shade I used is called 'Be Legendary' and it's a lovely quite dark nudey pink. It's a matte lipstick but it's not liquid which I like because it dries my lips out way less! I still recommend putting lip balm on before hand though!




So here is the finished look! This is a close up of the eye makeup (left) and below is a selfie of the full look! I hope that this has been useful to at least some of you, and Ellie-Mae I hope you enjoyed it! Go have a look at the video of this on YouTube too if you want to see more of how I did it :)