Most of London... Day 2

 

On Saturday, we decided to see some more historic sites of London, starting with St. Paul's Cathedral. Like other churches and bell towers, we decided to climb the dome. Only 528 steps and three different viewing galleries, and we got to see an amazing view of the city. After eating at GBK, Great Burger Kitchen, a really good (chain) burger place, we made our way back towards Trafalgar Square via a double decker bus, to see the changing of the guards at the Prime Minister's residence, then to the Churchill War Rooms, which was an amazing museum with a really good audio guide. Since my brother and his friend were exhausted, we really didn't get our day started until noon, but we still saw amazing sites. Here are some pictures from Saturday!

 View of the dome from the Whispering Gallery, the first gallery. You can look down and see the rest of the church, 257 steps below. If you whisper with your mouth close to the wall, you can speak to a friend on the opposite side of the dome. Though if there are a lot of people, you probably can't hear your friend, or you can hear others conversations. 

 



Looking 350 feet down from almost the top of the dome. A little scary, but super cool.

 



A view of the London Eye, and some parts of Parliament from the top of the dome.

 

 

Changing of the guards.

 

 

 

Favorite figurine ever.

 

After the Churchill War Rooms, which was the actual bunker during WWII. This was an awesome museum, and I would highly recommend it to anyone walking between Trafalgar Square to Westminster Abbey. Saturday wasn't too busy, but we still got to see some good sites!

 

 

 

 



(Most of) London in 3 days... Day 1

So much of London, in 3 DAYS! My backpacking brother and his friend came to visit for the weekend, and since they are used to fast tracking every European they have been to, they decided that we would go everywhere... Beginning Friday, we went to the British Library, British Museum, Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, Big Ben, and Westminster. Though I had already visited these sites, it was good to see them again, especially with people who haven't been to London before. I loved getting to see some of these sites again, especially the National Gallery, which was not crowded at all when we went at 7pm. By the time we walked down from Trafalgar Square to Westminster and Big Ben, there was barely anyone around, therefore we were able to get lots of pictures and just relax with few passerbys. Here are some of the many pictures I took while out and about!

 

British Musuem

 

The Rosetta Stone at the British Museum

Burt's Bees, on our walk from the British Museum to Trafalgar Square.

 

 

 

National Gallery

 

Trafalgar Square

 

 

Big Ben

 

Westminster Abbey- we didn't get in to see the inside, but just seeing the outside was good enough after viewing three museums.

 

If you are spending a minimum of three days in London and are willing to walk around or learn how to use the tube and bus system, stay tuned for my next two posts about our adventures on Saturday and Sunday. We really got to see the whole city, and hit major points-- thanks to our Rick Steve's book. Though we didn't see everything, well they didn't, we got to get a sense of what London is like, from the tourist point of view.

 

 

 

Shopping & Cookies

 

Sorry for the cell phone pictures, I really didn't want to take out my camera with the on and off rain today. It was a pretty busy Thursday. Started off at the office, then had a meeting with the Georgian Group, then headed down to Oxford Street to go shopping. I didn't buy anything (yet) but I love having a Zara store nearby again! I went in to tons of shops like Top Shop, United Colors of Bennington and Clarks. I will definitely go back soon to actually make some purchases! But I did buy a cookie from Ben's Cookies-- and it was delicious. I got a double chocolate nut cookie, simply amazing! I can't wait to keep exploring the city this weekend, especially since my brother and his friend are visiting!

Had to take a picture, it was just calling my name!

 

 

This was so delicious, I am definitely craving cookies right now. It also makes me think of all the gelato I am going to eat in Rome in another month. I can't wait- but one city at a time!!

 

 

Crazy Sunday

 

Another adventure packed day today. I started off by going to the Wellington Arch (above) to see an exhibit called Carscapes. I am really interested in urban history-- on top of architecture and preservation-- and this was an awesome exhibit by English Heritage! It was very relatable to what I have been doing research on at school (urbanization, suburbanization, decline of urban centers). After the exhibit, I walked through Hyde Park, down Oxford Street and made my way to the British Museum. This museum is full of archeological artifacts, including things from the Rosetta Stone, Cleopatra, and statues from the Parthenon. The museum focus on ancient cultures, so it was a nice change from the modern day effects of the automobile. After this, I went to the British Library to see hundreds of documents, including lyrics written by The Beatles and the Magna Carta. Overall, I got to see a lot of interesting artifacts and explore more of the city, not too bad for a Sunday right? I am going to head back to Oxford Street tomorrow (get a cookie) and do some shopping if I am up for it in the morning.  So enjoy some of the pictures from today below!

 

This was on a tiny side street off of Oxford Street. I did a double take and almost bumped into a few people getting down this street to take this picture.

 

 

Abroad... again.

 

Abroad Round Two has officially started. After working my butt off since January contacting, researching and finally hearing back from several historic preservation organizations and architecture firms, I complied a huge proposal for an award at my college. I wound up getting the award (yay!) and now I will be in the UK for about six weeks, and in Italy for four weeks. Super, super fun! I have started my adventure in London, and will be making my way to Bath and Cambridge too. So for the next five weeks now, I will be living in London! I think that the travel bug really got me since my semester abroad, because I could not have spent a whole summer away from Europe. Today I decided to walk around London, in the super tourist areas. I started in Lambeth, made my way toward the Thames, and crossed over to see the Big Ben, Westminster, Trafulgar Square, the National Gallery, and Buckingham Palace. So much to see, and I felt like seeing it all today. Obviously I have more places to go, but it was fairly nice outside and I didn't want to stay in and watch Netflix all Saturday (that's what Sunday is for...). So here are some of my, uh 368, pictures that I took today!

 

 

Several people have asked me what my favorite part of London is. My obvious answer is this blue chicken that sits in Trafulgar Square outside of the National Gallery. Who wouldn't love this thing?! London is an awesome city, it is really extensive, but a lot of good attractions are in the same area, so that explains my multiple places in one day. I also really love the National Gallery, there is everything in it. I got to see things from my beloved Italy in a special exhibit on the architecture of Italian Renaissance paintings (how perfect is that?). After spending almost three hours in the museum, and walking around taking a billion photos, I am exhausted but ready to head out to Oxford Street for some shopping-- as well as a cookie from Ben's Cookies which was recommended to me (not by Rick Steve's this time!). Keep checking back for updates of my adventures back abroad!

 

 

My Favorite Clinique Products

I haven't posted anything in.... awhile, but trust me I will be start up again... soon. Unfortunately school is starting up again, so posting will be limited. But I wanted to at least update you all with my favorite Clinique products I have been using lately. I have really fallen in love with Clinique because it is gentle and really does what the bottles say it will do, though some products can be pricey, it is worth the investment. Now I have very oily skin, but recently with acne products I have been using, my skin has become very dry. Here are some of the products that I really enjoy to help keep my skin looking great!

• Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream SPF 30: Now BB things were huge in the past, I even had the Clinique BB cream that I used while in Rome last year, but the CC cream is even better! This cream is very hydrating and has a great medium coverage, which allows me to wear less product on my face, but still get a flawless look. This comes in several colors, and is sheer enough to blend in with your skin while covering up troublesome areas too. If you have dry, or combination skin, this is a great product to keep you hydrated throughout the day. Definitely a must for the dry winter season!
• Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clarifying Concealer: I wouldn't rely on this concealer to clear up your skin, unless the pimple is fairly small. I have the green color, which helps minimize redness of my acne, a real problem for me. This will dry out the blemish, because of the salicylic acid, so if you are using other acne products, be careful, you may over dry the pimple and irritate the skin. If you are looking for something extra to help treat and hide your acne, this is a great concealer, just remember to dab the product with your ring finger, and set it with powder. 
• Clinique Airbrush Concealer: I have very purple under eyes, I was even asked in middle school and high school if I was sick, tired, or had a black eye. This is a very light concealer that helps illuminate my under eye area, and get rid of that dreaded purple. I normally have no preference to using this before or after foundation, and either way I chose, it ends up looking great. Again, make sure you dab the concealer into the under eyes, and set it with an illuminating (preferably) powder. 
• Clinique Moisture Surge Intense: I never had dry skin, but after I went to the dermatologist and was given different acne creams, my once very oily skin became very dry. I love this moisturizer! It is super hydrating and makes your skin so soft! I originally only used this moisturizer in my PM skin care routine, but have added it to my morning routine. A little goes a long way with this product, and it is expensive, but trust me, it is worth it. 
• Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner: Lining your lids is a great way to emphasize your eyes and make your lashes appear thicker. I love this cream liner and I use it daily. I use an angled brush from Sephora, not the brush that it comes with, to line my upper and outer third of my lower lash line. Some makeup artist say that you should set cream/gel liner with a powder liner, but it isn't necessary with this product. It stays on all day, even if other parts of your makeup wears off. It is also blendable, so if you desire a less harsh line, you can achieve it! It comes in black, brown, and Clinique's famous Black Honey.

I have fallen for Clinique, I love all their products, and use many of them. Their makeup and skin care lines are amazing, and great for all skin types and sensitive skin. I have tried various high end and drug store brands, and Clinique is one of the best brands out on the market that sells both makeup and skin care. Obviously this is my opinion, and I am not in any way a skin care specialist or makeup artist, but these products have worked for me and made my skin look and feel better. 

I hope you guys enjoyed my first post in a long, long time. I want to know what are your favorite Clinique products? Or do you have any other brand preference? Let me know by commenting below!