Brighton Mini Adventure

One of my favourite places to visit in England is the lovely sea side destination Brighton. I'm lucky enough to have a ton of friends who live there and never have to spend out money on hotels...so thank you friends :) ... I realised that it had been forever since I'd actually made it down to the sea front and the pier so I made a special effort to take in the sights like a proper tourist. My first stop was for a lovely brunch at beach front cafe Lucky Beach the menu wasn't loaded but they had a enough tasty options to pick from. I opted for the Light & Posh, an organic egg with the best tasting bacon ever all on top of toasted bread. To go with my breakfast I tried the Maple Syrup infused Iced Latte and it was amazing. (Check out the foodie section for more in depth look at my meals in Brighton).

Next came a walk along the pier, I'd actually forgotten how long the pier is and there's so much to do from arcades, food, bars and quite a decent little fun fair at the end. For anyone from families to couples this is a great little weekend getaway that wont cost you an arm and a leg.

After meeting up with a few of my friends we went for a lovely lunch to celebrate one of my bestie's dad's birthday. The restaurant was called 24 St Georges situated at the top of Kemp Town. Offering a range of amazing dishes and great wine. As it was a celebration we naturally started with some pink champagne, after our meal I opted for cheese and crackers and the most divine espresso Martini. (foodie)

We walked to the beach to watch the sunset before heading back to get ready for a few evening drinks at The Cow bar on Dyke Street. A great bar for us to all catch up and relax. My only regret of the weekend is not getting myself an ice cream and some doughnuts on the pier but there's always next time.

Brighton is the best place to visit if you have one day or a whole weekend. There's definitely lots to see and do. I managed to get my hands on one of the Kelloggs 'An Adult Goes Free' voucher for the Merlin attractions. We used ours at Brighton Sealife, the UK's oldest aquarium. Apart from it being stupidly hot inside but I guess that is for the fish, it is a lovely little place to wonder around and the tunnel was amazing. They had sharks, large sea turtles, an octopus and lots of other exciting things to visit. They also stamp your hand and allow you to come back and fourth all day, which is ace because its so close to the pier and the lanes for shopping.

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Duty Free Haul - Naxos Bound

Duty Free, its got to be one of the highlights of waiting in the airport for your flight, that and being ably to have that cheeky alcoholic drink at silly o'clock if you have an early take off. The one thing I always go for in Duty Free is perfume, I once read that you should find your perfect scent by the age of 30 and stick to it, at the age of 31 I have found said scent in Chloe's Signature.

Wondering the isles looking for my beloved Chloe I came across a set of miniatures, it was cheaper than the 50ml so I decided to take the risk and buy the set giving me a chance to sample Chloe's other scents without having to commit. Having saved money only spending £39 instead £60 I naturally had to treat myself to a new lipstick and Mac's Jubilee called out to me...how could anyone resist?

Chloe Miniatures

The cute little bottles only contain 5ml each which for the money probably isn't a lot but I did find I only needed a few dabs to get the desired level of scent but I think in the future I will just go for the full size of Chloe's Signature or Chloe's Love Story. All of the scents have light floral and feminine notes but aren't too sweet which is great for me as I prefer a more masculine touch to my perfumes. The only one I found to be slightly less light was L'eau De Chloe.

Mac - Jubilee (Lustre)

Always on the look out for the perfect nude, it was my first port of call when perusing the Mac lipsticks. As soon as I saw Jubilee I fell in love, its a great nude shade not too dark or light, a 'your lip colour' but better.

If you are a lover of make up I don't need to tell you how great Mac lipsticks are. Jubilee is a Lustre and its creamy texture glides on to the lips with ease, the colour is quite pigmented so you only need to apply one coat to get the desired affect. This also means it lasts longer so..yay! The other thing I love about this lipstick is its smell, almost like candy, I must admit if a lipstick doesn't smell good I do think twice about buying it. The bonus to buying Mac in Duty Free is you only pay £12.90 instead of £15.50 on the high street #winning.

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My Country Walk Style

 After getting back from Naxos and the thirty degree heat I had a mixture of feelings when getting dressed for a walk along the Kennet & Avon canal on my way in to Devizes. I'm a lover of autumn and getting wrapped up in layers but I wasn't quite ready to put on the big coat and boots. It was a 2 mile walk into Devizes along the beautiful canal path so I thought I'd better dress appropriately with my H&M jacket and Zara Boots, I teamed it with a striped body from Forever 21 and my favorite Topshop Baxter jeans. It may not be the shorts and bikinis i had been used to over the last few weeks but as soon as I had the outfit on I was happy cracking out the Autumn style for my country walk.

My bag is from a vintage shop in Cornwall.

I love my Marc Jacobs watch so thought i'd give it a shout out :)

The Zara boots were great because the chunky heel meant they were easy to walk in along the canal path but it also gave me some height and they're more stylish than wellies. Topshop Baxter jeans are my all time favourite and my holy grail and this light blue colour works well the black boots and the grey of the H&M coat. To top it all off I added my beloved red Topshop hat, a great way to cover the bad hair days.


Make Up Look:

Eyeshadow - Sleek Au Natural Palette

Mascara - Rimmel Wake Me Up in Black

Eyeliner - Collection Extreme 24hr Felt Tip Liner in Black

Eyebrows - Barry M Brow Kit

Base - Olay Essentials BB Cream Complete Care in Medium

Bronzer - Rimmer Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze

Blush - Bourjois Blush in Ashes of Roses

Lips - Collection Lip Butter in Perfect Plum

Nails - Barry M Speedy Dry in Lap Of Honour

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Sun Loving Make Up Review

If you are anything like me when you are on holiday you want to have that natural look but you still need some minimal coverage. Whilst in Naxos the heat was intense so I knew there was no point me taking my usual bag of make up, instead I opted for 4 items that I had never tried before and they have now become my four essentials.

Base: 

Olay BB Complete Cream with Max Factor SPF 15 - Medium

 It was a perfect light weight formula that blended into the skin with ease. It gave a natural flawless coverage and also covered the redness on my nose area which is always a plus with me, it also comes in Light & Dark shades. As this BB Cream is SPF 15 I would generally put this on in the morning and it would last all day on the beach, only removing after my shower and then reapplying for the evening. My only tip would be if you are likely to be going in and out of the sea/pool then make sure you have an extra sun lotion with you just to top up on those places that are likely to burn. I love the multipurpose use of this item meaning I didn't need to take away endless bottles with me, also great if you are only taking hand luggage as it is less than 100ml. I will now be taking this item away with me for every trip in the sun.


Eyes:

Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara Waterproof - Black

Waterproof mascaras often get a bad press as not being as good as the normal version. I did not find this with this Maybelline waterproof mascara, it did exactly what it promised to do by lengthening my lashes and giving them a nice colour. The shape of the brush helps to add volume to the lashes and also means its easy to apply to the bottom lashes too. I would wear this during the day on the beach often popping in and out of the sea and it still stayed put and I didn't get those horrible smudge marks. Similarly to the BB Cream I would use this in the evening too, I found the product to be the perfect thing for the evening heat of Naxos.


Maybelline New York Color Tattoo 24hr - Pink Gold

I didn't want to take away endless eye products and palettes away with me so when I saw this little pot claiming to have 24hr staying power I thought I'd give it a go. I was skeptical at first having used products in the past that claim to have all these super powers and they generally never deliver. So I was shocked when I first used this in Naxos on an evening out and didn't get home until the early hours and looking in the mirror to see the lovely pink gold colour still on my lids. It is easy to apply, I usually just used my finger, it goes on smoothly and the colour is very pigmented so you really don't need to use a lot, which means the pot lasts longer so win win. I can't wait to add to my collection and get the rest of the colours in the range.

Lips:

Nivea Sun Protect SPF 30

During the day there was no point wearing lipsticks so my go to essential on the beach and sightseeing was this lip balm by Nivea. Its easy to apply and goes on to the lips with a moisturising texture but you never feel like you have something heavy on your lips. Handy little tube that I took everywhere with me and reapplied as often as needed. It lasts a long time as after nearly 3 weeks abroad I still have loads left. 

Please feel free to leave me a comment about your own favorites and anything you think I should check out :)

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i heart ostria bar

Hands down one of my favorite places to hang out in Agia Anna was the Ostria Bar & Restaurant. Mostly due to the absolutely delightful hospitality offered by Niko and Christine a brother and sister team who run the place. Always friendly and eager to help and after 15 days I can honestly say they have become friends.

         

The bar sits on the Agia Anna beachfront with amazing views of the ocean and the nearby island of Paros. I used to think that Ibiza had the best sunsets but as I sat watching the sun go down at the Ostria Bar I realised Ibiza definitely had a contender. The restaurant area is open plan with no walls to block your views of the surroundings. Its the perfect place to just sit and have a drink watching the world go by as well as having your evening meal there with family and friends. You can also make use of the many sunbeds out front which includes table service so you don't even have to stop your sunbathing to order a drink or snack.

                    

The menu has an extensive range of local dishes as well as familiar favorites. During the day I would opt for their toasties or savoury & sweet crepes with Niko always happy to let you create your own fillings instead of just sticking to the menu. Their breakfasts are also lovely varying from just toast with jam to a full English (Naxos style) all breakfasts come with extra toast, jam and honey and freshly squeezed orange juice so you'll never go hungry. And their strawberry milkshakes are to die for!

        

 

The Ostria Bar & Restaurant also has an extensive drinks list including my beloved Pina Coladas and Mojitos, these are slightly cheaper than the cocktail bars at €6 each. The place attracts many regulars, locals and tourists so it isn't hard to meet people and make friends. The staff work really hard to make sure their guests are catered for and I think you will fall in love with this place as much as I have after your first visit.

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Beep Beep Who got the keys to my jeep?

Whilst in Naxos we were lucky enough to be accompanied by someone who knew the island well. As a result we all hired jeeps and went on a little adventure over the winding mountain "roads" to the opposite side of the island. Now, this is not for the fainthearted, if you have any fear of heights you probably wont enjoy the sheer drops of the mountain roads. 

 I use the word road loosely as they were more dirt tracks and were extremely bumpy, however this added to the fun and thrill of the jeep ride. We all had open top jeeps with a convoy of 5 vehicles. 

Often stopping to take photos it is definitely a great way to take in the beauty of the island. There are perfect views down to the ocean and rustic hillsides with the odd church or farm dotted here and there. What was astonishing about this journey was that these mountain roads were used regularly by the local farmers and there was often a hair raising moment where we met oncoming traffic with nothing but a sheer drop beside us. Still adding to the fun we tried to convince ourselves.

    

   

As we came closer to our final destination we stopped in a little village hidden away in the mountains and had a well earned refreshing iced chocolate beverage, exploring the little shops selling Greek pottery and local produce such as olives and oil. We also had the opportunity to visit the local church where some of our group lit candles for their loved ones.

         

We continued our journey down the mountain to the other side of the island and came across our final destination a lovely beach front restaurant & hotel offering use of its pool. We enjoyed a mass feast of local dishes including moussaka, seafood and feta cheese. Once our bellies were full of food and good wine we relaxed around the poolside allowing ourselves to warm up in the sunshine before jumping into the pool to cool down. 

As the evening was starting to draw in we climbed aboard our jeeps once again and made the journey home, this time using the main route with less bumpy roads.

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Island Cocktail Time

Agia Anna may be small but it still had quite a lively night life. My two favorite places to visit after dark were the Island Bar and Kahlua Bar. The one we frequented the most was the Island Bar with its trendy beach interior with white sofas, wooden dance floor and candles adorning the place added to its cool atmosphere. There are also amazing views looking out over the lit up ocean.

It may be slightly on the expensive side for Agia Anna as the cocktails cost around €8, but it is certainly made up for in the measures, with one of the strongest Mojitos I've ever tried. It certainly doesn't take long to get in the mood to dance like you've never danced before, which we often did.

The DJ usually starts off the evening with pop and hip hop tunes but as you cross over midnight the vibe becomes more 'dancey'. You could easily forget you were in this small village in Naxos and instead feel like you were in Ibiza.

The other bar was Kahlua, a small walk from Agia Anna this cocktail bar was situated in Agios Prokopios. Again it opted for a similar decor to Island Bar, with white sofas, candles and wooden floors. It too was on the beach front but with a less pretty view of the beach compared to Island Bar.

The cocktail list is perfect with lost of variations of the common favorites. I'm a sucker for a Pina Colada but when I saw they had a Banana Colada I had to try it and I wasn't disappointed, the cocktails are about €8 also.

Kahlua also has its own DJ and played well known club classics and songs all night. Like most European countries the nightlife doesn't get going to well after midnight, so if you are looking for a packed dance floor this happens in the later hours. But they are bothperfect places to sit and chill during the early evenings and watch the sunset. 

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Poolside in Plaka

When I was first told that there would be no pool at the little apartments that I would be spending the next 15 days at my heart sunk a little. I was never usually one for swimming in the ocean as I was always a little scared of what might be swimming below my feet, but as you will see from my previous post those fears soon disappeared. However, when I was told that there were pool bars further along the beach I secretly jumped for joy. A short walk from Agia Anna beach will bring you to another little village called Plaka, it consists mainly of beachfront cafes, the odd supermarket, hotels and of course our favorite the pool bars.

After walking in the Greek heat the Peppermint Pool Bar & Restaurant beamed out at us like an oasis. The decent sized pool looked inviting and the rest of the bar could have been mistaken for a trendy cocktail bar in Ibiza. It was sleek and comfortable with white cushioned sun loungers under palm leafed parasols. 

Of course the first thing we did was order ourselves a cocktail and set up on one of the sun loungers. The place wasn't packed at this time probably due to it nearing the end of the season but this was perfect for us. As the waitress brought over our cocktails and complimentary nibbles to our sun loungers we felt very VIP.

Similarly to the sun beds on the beach as long as you purchase a drink or food you can stay uninterrupted basking in the sun and dipping in the pool all day. It was also the perfect location to shoot outfit and location shots and I became photographer for the day for Jess (www.coppergarden.co.uk).

       

Even though my Pina Colada wasn't as creamy as I would have liked it was still nice and the food was definitely worth the visit. I ordered my self the Club Sandwich which was huge and also came with chips and it only cost €6. I will definitely be going back to Peppermint on my next visit to Naxos.

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