I always fall back on these two products to keep my skin in check before things turn ugly.

The Melvita Rose Extraodinary Water smells amazing (the scent isn't too heavy that it goes into granny territory), and I love the texture - it's a watery gel that sinks into the skin almost immediately. I tend to layer this under a moisturiser as it contains hyaluronic acid, which helps prep my skin for the next step. When I first started using this, I noticed that it really made a difference in the texture of my skin. 

If I feel like I need something stronger, I'll reach for the Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum. I first tried this last year when I started getting dry patches around my face and my skin was feeling very taut and slightly itchy. It has a milky consistency that is so soothing on the skin, and leaves it hydrated and super soft.

The Caudalie is definitely more expensive and I want to weep every time I buy a new bottle. But because it has made such a difference to my skin, and I haven't found anything as effective, it's definitely worth the investment. 

Labels: Beauty, Review

I don't think I've ever met a person who's been to London and didn't love it. Seriously, there's something about this city that just has us all coming back for more. I've visited a handful of times over the past 10 years or so and there's always something new to see and do. And, always, something new to eat (yay!). Apart from the usual touristy sights, here's a short guide on my top 3 things to do in London:

#1 Watch a musical or play
You can get cheap tickets online or by visiting Leicester Square. That area is swarming with shops selling half-priced or discounted tickets, and it's where the official TKTS booth is located. If you plan to purchase from TKTS, I would suggest that you go early right before they open, so that you can get the best tickets. On my most recent trip, I caught Les Miserables and managed to score the best seats in the house for £39.50 only.

If you're not sure on what to watch, I would highly recommend Wicked, Les Miserables and Let the Right One In.

#2 Visit a food market
Borough Market is a massive foodie heaven. Ever since its early days, it has grown massively and attracts foodies and tourists alike. It's open for lunch only on Mondays and Tuesdays, so if you want the full market experience you can can visit on Wednesdays to Saturdays. Don't be like me and visit on a Sunday when it's closed ):

It gets insanely crowded during peak hours, so go early to get first dibs on all that good food. Also, do drop by Konditor and Cook for some seriously good brownies. I love it so much that I always get 3, and only for £5!

Maltby Street Market is a fantastic way to spend all your money pigging out on a weekend afternoon. I love the African Volcano beef burger, which is one hot mess to eat but worth the greasy, sauce-covered chin that happens after that. Please, don't even bother using a fork and knife. This is why we have hands, people! To shovel burgers into our waiting mouths!

Located at 41 Maltby Street, it's only a 15 to 20 minute walk away from Borough Market. Go early so that you can grab a custard donut from St John's Bakery before they run out. I've tried the jam filling and while the doughnut is deliciously fluffy and not at all oily, the custard one is still the best. It reminds me of the Japanese cream puff by Beard Papa, but the St John's one is so light and fluffy that you almost believe it doesn't contain 1298371928371 calories. Seriously, buy one. No, buy two. Heck, just buy all that they've got and hoard them in your bag for whenever you get the munchies.

If you're short on time (and cash), I would recommend you zoom around Borough Market to take a quick look, then walk over to Maltby Street Market to grab a bite. Do note that Maltby Street Market is only open on weekends while Borough Market is closed on Sundays, so best to go on a Saturday. 

#3 Visit Shoreditch
Apart from Spitalfields Market and the nearby Brick Lane, there are a lot of cool shops and eats around the area that are worth checking out. Give yourself some time to wander around - there's some pretty amazing street art going on - and do visit Boxpark, a pop up mall with shops on the ground floor and food and drinks on the second level. If you're up for another donut or something more filling, you can visit St John Bread and Wine. Also, I would highly recommend the buttermilk fried chicken with pine salt from Upstairs at Ten Bells. It's absolutely delicious. It's amazing. It's a party in the mouth.

Labels: Guide, London, Travel

It feels strange to be back and settled down, after traveling around for 6 months. During my time away, my tiny room in Mont-Saint-Aignan become home for three months and even then I was usually gone, traveling round the region during weekends. 

Although I'm thankful for all that I've seen and experience, and do not regret embarking on such an adventure, I never thought that traveling would feel so tiring. I swear, travel fatigue is not to be underestimated.

Oh, and I definitely missed my wardrobe. Having lived out of a duffel for three months with only 4 shirts, 2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shorts and a button up shirt, it feels good to be able to pick and choose. 

Also, did I mention my bed?

So after an extremely long break (2 years and one day, to be exact), I'm back!

During these two years, I've tried drafting a post but always got stuck at what to say. After such a long disappearance, what exactly does one say? Say hi and pretend that hiatus didn't happen? Well, it wasn't much of a hiatus since I barely started anyway. But after lots of thinking, I've finally decided to whop my ass into shape and really get this thing going.

I've always wanted to start a blog, since I started reading them like what, 6 years ago? Wow, now that I've written that out it really is quite a few years. Then, when life finally slowed down awhile in 2011, I got my sister to do up a design and I created this blog and wrote my first post. I was so proud of myself that I even celebrated the occasion by treating myself to a Magnum. But I guess I wasn't quite ready and this space got abandoned for awhile. Lots of things have happened in between those two years, but I'm finally back!

First post!