Amsterdam, August 2015!

I've been wanting to post about my recent trip to Amsterdam for quite a while now, but for whatever reason, it kept slipping my mind. I'm so happy to finally be able to sit down and share such an amazing experience with everyone, and perhaps even relive the trip myself through this post!

As I have mentioned before, my friends Lena and Zoe are half Dutch, and Zoe now lives in Amsterdam. Lena visits often, and was kind enough to invite Tanishia and I to join her for a week during the Summer. It was so lovely to be able to go with people who know the city well, as it enabled them to show us all the hidden treasures of the city that aren't so stereotypical.

Naturally, we did also visit the cliché tourist attractions, and they all exceeded my expectations. I've always loved the look of Amsterdam in any pictures I've seen, but is so much more beautiful in person. I didn't expect to feel so calm and at peace there, but it truly is one of the most relaxing places I've visited. 

I think one of my most favourite parts of the trip was taking a bike ride around Amsterdam, full-dutch style. You may or may not know that cycling is one of the most popular ways to travel in Amsterdam, as the land is so flat, and so it's very easy to cycle everywhere. I rode a Dutch bike which meant to break, I had to pedal backwards, which was weird at first but I quickly got the hang of it. I really loved the bike ride, just because it enabled me to get a real feel for the city, and see parts of it which I would never have even considered otherwise.

I filmed the whole trip, as I often do, so be sure to check out the video below of my trip to Amsterdam! 

What cities do you enjoy the most?

Top 5 Summer Essentials

We may be approaching the colder months of the year here in England, but for many, the sunny holidays on white sandy beaches and city breaks accompanied by glorious sunshine will continue. As most of us eagerly make a desperate attempt to thrive of of what's left of the summer, it makes sense to be prepared for when the sun does decide to eventually make another appearance here in Britain, or better still, be prepared for when you hop on a plane to somewhere hot and sunny to revel in bikini clad days, sun kissed skin, and the warm breeze beside the sea.  

Below are my must-haves and essentials for any summer activities you may have planned, whether it be a day at the beach, a stroll around the park or simply an afternoon relaxing in the garden. It's a good idea to always keep these items on hand because you never know when the sun might decide to pop out and inspire a beach day or a dip in the pool.

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1. Sunglasses 

Fairly obvious, but sunglasses are a necessity when it comes to summer. It's important to keep them handy, even when there's a chill in the air, as UV exposure can damage your eyes. I personally keep sunglasses on me all throughout the year, because even when the sun fails to make an appearance, I love to wear them on my head to keep my hair out of my face! I often find it difficult to find sunglasses to suit my face, so I love it when I come across stores who offer a wide range of sunnies which makes the search so much easier for me. I have recently discovered a great company called Salt City Optics who offer a large range of stylish prescription sunglasses from Ray-Bans to Oakley glasses. The company have recently released a new range of Oakley glasses, so be sure to check out the new arrivals here!

If you are someone who does have to wear glasses on a day to day basis, it's especially important to protect your eyes from the sun, so it is worth checking out the prescription glasses on offer and finding the perfect pair of sunglasses to suit your lifestyle. Alternatively, for those of you who do not require prescription glasses, I recommend Ray-Bans - I love their classic styles at affordable prices.

2. Sunscreen

Although I've not always been one to follow the sunscreen rule, it is SO important to protect your skin during the warmer months. I often underestimate the strength of the sun, and end up very red, and very sore, so it is worth keeping a good sunscreen with you at all times in the Summer, even if it doesn't seem particularly warm. 

I personally love the Hawaiian Tropic range. It smells absolutely beautiful with its blend of coconut and mango (my two favourite scents), but it also comes in a tanning oil formula, so you can be a bronzed goddess whilst protecting your skin. The range offers a variant of strengths from SPF 6 to SPF 30 and it will be sure to leave your skin moisturised and glowing with a lovely fragrance. 

3. Make-Up

Unfortunately, I wasn't blessed with beautiful skin, and I often suffer with very bad breakouts, noticeably more in the summer. Because of this, I try to wear a lot less make-up when it is hot to let my skin breathe, however, I still like to ensure that I am concealed and my blemishes are hidden. For many who are in the same situation, I recommend using a primer to stop your make-up from coming off throughout the day as it most likely would otherwise due to the heat. If you are on a tight budget, I recommend Max Factor Facefinity All-Day Primer. At £10.99 per bottle, it is great value for money and lasts a long time and leaves your skin feeling velvety as well as controlling any excess oil on the face. If you are willing to spend a little more, Smashbox Photo Finish Primer is amazing. It is more expensive at £25.50 a hit, but it is very much worth it for what the primer does. It gives a lightweight and silky feel, leaving you with a smooth base, and is particularly good if you suffer with bad skin, as it enables you to use less foundation because it evens out your skin very well.

4. Accessories

When it is hot and humid, you don't want to be spending lots of time putting an extravagant outfit together. I much prefer to stick with a very simple, light weight outfit such as a play-suit or a maxi dress (very handy for if you're particularly lazy when it comes to putting outfits together as it doesn't require finding a top and bottom that go together). You can then jazz it up very easily by teaming it with a statement necklace or a headpiece such as the head chain I wore in my previous post to spice up your outfit with a bohemian, summery vibe.

5. Entertainment

Last, but not least, I recommend you keeping some sort of entertainment with you, especially if you are intending to spend the day relaxing at the park/beach/pool rather than walking around lots. This could be either a good book, some magazines or simply just a music device. I love nothing more than relaxing in the sun listening to some chilled playlists on Spotify, or laying back on a sun lounger to tuck into a good book. Spend some time making a playlist of your favourite summer music and discovering some popular books of the moment to prepare yourself for your relaxing day in the sunshine! See below for my top 5 songs for this summer!

Not Letting Go- Tinie Tempah ft. Jess Glynne

Where R U Now - Jack U ft. Justin Bieber

House Every Weekend - David Zowie

Cheerleader - OMI

Show Me Love - Sam Feldt ft. Kimberly Anne

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So there we have it! I could probably go on forever talking about my summer must haves (bikinis, smoothies, hair products, fake tan, shoes etc.) but if there's anything in particular that you can't live without during the summer, please comment below! We could all use the extra knowledge and inside scoop on what's good when the sun is shining! I hope you've all had a wonderful summer, and enjoy what's left of it! 

What are your summer essentials?

What's your favourite thing to do during the summer?

This post was brought to you by Salt City Optics. 

Uni Planning: The University of York

As some of you will already know, I am currently at the oh-so pleasant stage of trying to decide what I want to do with my life for the next 4/5 years. I've been sifting through University prospectuses now for what feels like a lifetime, and although I am pretty much set on the course that I would like to take, trying to decide exactly where I would like to study seems impossible. In the past month, I have managed to visit three Universities around the UK, and although it has been super useful for helping me decide on which Universities I do and do not like, it's also been so much fun to explore parts of my country which I have never seen before. I absolutely love travelling and seeing new places. The first University I visited was the University of York, and it was the most beautiful place I think I have ever seen. As my family live up North, I'm so surprised I've never been to see the charms of the city before, but whether I get into York Uni or not, I will most certainly be visiting the city again.

The day began with a gruelling 4.30am start, as it takes around 3 and half to 4 hours to drive up to York, and we had specific times that we had to be at the Uni for. My Dad, Lena and I made it to the newly built campus at around 10am, and I felt like I was sold on the Uni as soon as I saw it. It seemed to be secluded from everything else, and was surrounded by lakes and greenery, with modern, homely buildings. It was everything I dreamed it would be, especially as York was always my favourite University just from reading through the prospectuses. 

We then proceeded to take a short bus journey to the main campus, which was slightly older but nevertheless, still very beautiful. I particularly loved how the University was surrounded by lakes and beautiful parks. I could so easily imagine myself sitting down to read and do work on the grass next to the lakes. It all just looked so perfect. 

We attended various seminars on different topics such as accommodation, finance, the History course itself etc. and the more I was told, the more deeply in love I fell with the University. I also loved having my Dad attend the open day with me, as he was pretty much clueless about all things Uni until then, and was quite sceptical about me going to Uni, but it put his mind at ease, which I was so thankful for. 

Once we had done everything we needed to at the Uni itself. we took another bus ride into the city centre, and I don't think I can quite put into words how incredible it is. It featured everything I love about historical cities, and seemed to tick every single box. It was stunning. 

We strolled round the city for the next 2 hours which included a visit to a Church converted bar (which I highly recommend visiting if you ever find yourself in York - it's called 'The Parish' and is awesome!)and a visit to the mighty Cathedral before taking a wander over to the cliché attraction of the Shambles and taking a walk across the huge wall which surrounds the city centre and has stood since the age of the Romans. I think that the city was the cherry on top of a perfect cake for me, especially as I want to study History, and the city features so much background itself.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that I will be able to study at York, especially as it does have high grade boundaries which I am not sure I will be able to meet, however, the city will always hold a piece of my heart, as I fell so deeply in love with it, and I will be sure to visit again sometime soon!

Stay posted for my blog post on my weekend visiting Southampton and Portsmouth Universities which will be available to read over the next week!

(SHOUTOUT TO MY DAD FOR BEING A FAB PHOTOGRAPHER/TAXI DRIVER FOR THE DAY)

What cities do you treasure?

I must not forget to apologize for my absence and lack of blogging over the past month or so! I wish I could say I have been up to lots and that I have many stories to tell, but in all honesty, I have quite enjoyed winding down and doing nothing much at all! I will be sure to make up for it, and have lots planned to write about! :) 

Berlin 2015 | Vlog

Back in February, I went on a school History trip to Berlin to expand on my learning about the Cold War. I can honestly say it was the most fantastic experience of my life, and especially with it being my first time ever flying (I know, what have I been doing for the last 17 years?), it will forever be engraved deep in my memory.

Whilst I was in Berlin, I decided to start a video diary so that I could always look back on such a brilliant experience, and I thought it would be such a nice idea, especially as I knew that as soon as I returned home, I would experience major withdrawal symptoms. Little did I know that this would begin before I even arrived back in England. I literally bawled my eyes out at the airport in Berlin whilst waiting to check in.

I am so glad that I did decide to vlog whilst I was in Berlin, because although my finished video is 25 minutes long (and this is the 'short' version - the original is 37 minutes long), I have sat and watched it about 49 times since returning home, and it's so lovely to look back and relive some wonderful memories and see how much of a great time I had. I am sure I will very much value the video as I grow older and look back on it, and I hope my friends will too.

Make sure you check out my vlog, which is attached at the bottom of this post!

Day 1 Highlights - 17|02

Despite the unhealthy meeting time of 3am at the school mini-bus park, I was as cheery as ever and greeted the group with party poppers and streamers, much to their annoyance. We all packed onto the minibuses and headed off to Stansted Airport in which would be my first ever time visiting an airport and boarding a plane *gulp*. After having my flask of tea confiscated at security and being t

4am Airport Vibes

he only one to be searched, which set us back about 10 minutes (this was due to my lack of knowledge on hand luggage restrictions #FirstTimeFlyerProbs) we all rushed to grab some breakfast (and coffee...lots of coffee) before boarding the plane. I can honestly say that the plane ride was no where near as bad as I expected it to be, and I had absolutely nothing to worry about. I was absolutely terrified beforehand, and admittedly, standing through turbulence and experiencing a pretty rocky landing was not my cup of tea, but once we had landed, my initial reaction was "that was actually pretty cool".

• Met our tour guide Gabe - He is the most fascinating person ever who is just bursting with
  
  intelligence. I could have sat and listened to him speak forever.
• Mini-tour of Berlin - We got to see where some historical events took place, such as the book burnings and Hitler's Bunker.
• Visited the worlds largest chocolate shop, Fassbender and Rausch, and treated myself to some of the most delicious little chocolates ever. 
• Jewish Memorial and Jewish Museum - It was very impacting to be surrounded by the memories of such a sensitive topic, and really magnified my perspective on the whole idea. I feel very honoured to have been able to experience this. 
• Restaurant Nolle (1920s Themed) - My first try at "living like a German" resulted in me ordering a Schnitzel which was absolutely delicious. German dishes are also absolutely humongous compared to what we have back home, which was well needed after such a long day filled with lots of walking.

Brandenburg Gate made from CHOCOLATE

Day 2 Highlights - 18|02

• Story of Berlin Museum/Nuclear Bunker - A really cool, interesting museum. I really like how this place was set out, because rather than the traditional style museum with random artefacts placed plainly in a dead space, the museum is more engaging, and kind of makes you feel as though you were actually in the setting in which it is trying to portray. The Nuclear Bunker is attached to the museum, and is quite creepy but very cool. I find it hard to believe that people really had to live in such a way.
• Topography of Terror - A museum which gives very detailed accounts about Nazi control. I found this to be one of the most impacting visits of the trip, just because it really reveals the extent of the terror the Nazis and Secret Police inflicted on people. Some of the stories are very haunting, and I would have like to have spent some more time here, as there was a lot that I didn't get round to seeing.
• Checkpoint Charlie - We didn't stay here long, and although it was pretty awesome to stand in such a significant place, it is now just a cliché tourist attraction where people are trying to make money (there are pretend soldiers who stand at the checkpoint and charge ridiculous amounts to take photos with tourists which I feel ruins the sight in all honesty)
• Brandenburg Gate - It gives a great photo-opt and I feel we had an even greater experience at the Gate than most, thanks to Gabe giving us details on the significance of the landmark and all that has happened in the surrounding areas of it. It was rather interesting. 

  

  Sass Squad at the Brandenburg Gate

• The Reichstag - One of my main highlights of the whole trip; the views on top of the building are absolutely spectacular, and the weather was great for us, which was a bonus. Again, we had Gabe to describe the history of the building, which really added to the experience.
• Mini-Shopping Trip - I was thrilled to be able to squeeze in a tiny bit of shopping in the trip during a lunch break at a Mall. I only bought some new sunglasses (which were completely necessary as the weather was beautiful) and some jewellery, but I left as a very happy little Lauren. 
• Pergamon Museum - Wow. This place is incredible. It features the Ishtar Gate which dates back to 575 BC, which is mind-blowing. Gabe got us to approach the gate looking at the floor and then look up, and our reactions were priceless. I can't possibly describe how magnificent it is, but if you do ever find yourself in Berlin, definitely check it out, you will be pleasantly surprised. 
• Sophieneck - Dinner consisted of German meatballs, and let me tell you, the Germans really do not hold back with their food. There was literally about 3 dinners worth of food on one plate, but once again, it was very tasty. 

  

  Our group in front of the Ishtar Gate

Day 3 Highlights - 19|02

• Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp - I was quite nervous about visiting the concentration camp because I knew it was going to be another highly impacting event of the trip. Although it did really have a strong effect on me, Gabe once again changed my viewing of the situation by describing how the prisoners managed survived rather than the gruesome stories on how they were tortured and slaughtered. He did give both accounts, but it was very inspiring to hear how the prisoners still managed to find the positives in the situation. Again, this will be one of the greatest memories of the trip.
• The Jewish Museum - This museum was different to the one from day 1, and is actually very clever in the way it engages with the visitors. The museum itself is basically a sculpture, and focuses on the entire Jewish history, rather than just the Holocaust. One of the highlights from the museum, was the Holocaust Void, which is a pitch black, confined room with a very tall ceiling which has a tiny split of light, and I actually had to leave immediately after I had entered, just from the impact it had on me. Every visitor interprets the museum differently, and my interpretations just made me very uncomfortable, so I didn't feel like I could stay. The representations of the various parts of the museum are very interesting, so I would definitely recommend visiting the museum if you get the chance, whether you are interested in History or not. It's quite mind-boggling. 
• 12 Apostel - This restaurant is based under a rail-bridge, which sounds strange but its actually really cool. The ceiling is painted with incredible detail, and the restaurant serves the most amazing pizzas and salads (which I know isn't German, but trust me, there portion sizes definitely stuck to German traditions). Our group was split onto 2 tables, and each table ordered about 10 pizzas to share between everyone, along with some various salad dishes. I was defeated pretty quickly in comparison to everyone else, but our table still won the race to finish, so all was good. 

  

  Inside one of the prisoner's cabins at the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, having a talk from Gabe

Day 4 Highlights - 20|02

• The GDR Museum - By day 4, I had come to the conclusion that Berlin has some of the coolest museums ever. The GDR Museum is super interactive and includes dressing up stands, driving stimulation and integration rooms all inspired by life in Germany during the Cold War. We all had a lot of fun here, and it was nice to be able to act like a 10 year old again and roam free. 
• Raddison Blu Hotel - WOW. I really don't know how else to describe it. Although we didn't actually go to the hotel for anything else but to look inside, I am so glad we did. The hotel features a huge, central elevator which is surrounded by a cylindrical aquarium. I will most certainly be going back there one day, and maybe actually to stay in the hotel next time. 
• East Side Gallery - A trip to Berlin would not be complete without a walk alongside the famous street art of the remains of the Berlin Wall. It is truly spectacular, and being an Art student myself, I was mesmerized. I love how symbolic every piece is, and I think it is such a great idea to ensure that the significance and the extent of the division of Germany will never be forgotten. 
• Soviet War Memorial - Gabe gave us a tour of the memorial and informed us about its origins. It's quite spectacular. Most of the information is in Russian, so I would advise reading into it beforehand if you do choose to visit, but it's very impressive and definitely well worth the look. 
• Berlin Wall Memorial - This features a remaining section of the Berlin Wall, which has preserved 'no-mans-land' as well as the wall itself. It was quite scary to see, and know that people felt they had no choice but to attempt to cross the deadly strip in order to gain the freedom they deserved. I can't imagine how terrifying it must have been to be in that situation, but I am glad I got to see the memorial, as it really have an important impact on me. There was also a mini-museum about the Berlin Wall, which I found quite sad, as it goes into detail about some families that were separated, and how people had to leave absolutely everything they owned so that they could escape to the West. 

  

  Our group in front of the Soviet War Memorial

If anyone is planning a trip to Berlin, definitely consider checking out some of the places I've mentioned, especially those fellow History enthusiasts! I found the trip to be absolutely incredible, and will certainly be going back there in the near future, to spend a little more time at the places which were time-limited and explore some more to find some hidden gems of Berlin. The trip will forever be one of my fondest memories, and I feel so privileged to have been a part of trip, and experience some amazing places with some amazing people.

Have you ever been to Berlin?

What were the highlights of your trip?

What countries would you recommend visiting?

Throwback Thursday: Trip to Paris 2014

About a year ago, I started another blog, which was never very successful. I only ever posted one thing, and I couldn't bare looking at the blog itself in all honesty, it just didn't look good. However, the one post I did manage to do was an overview of my Art and Photography trip to the beautiful city of Paris. I had such a brilliant time on the trip and made some incredible memories, and so it would be a shame to leave the blog post in which I documented such a fantastic experience. With it being Thursday, I thought there would be no better way than to keep those memories by re-blogging the post to my new, improved and much loved blog, before I finally delete my old one! Enjoy!

(Originally posted on 2nd March 2014. The trip ran from 18th February to 21st February 2014).

Day 1 Highlights: The Eiffel Tower

With a 5am start, it was always going to be a long, and tiring day, but I was still bursting with energy and excitement on my first EVER trip out of England (I know, I know, what have I been doing with my life for the past 16 years?) We arrived in Paris at about 11am on the 18th February, and headed straight for the hostel which we would call home for the next 4 days. Before we could even check into our rooms, we were up and out again and heading to the very cliche tourist attraction-the Eiffel tower! 

My expectations were exceeded as we walked around the corner from the metro and the Eiffel tower was right in-front of us, much bigger and more beautiful than I could have ever imagined! We spent the next hour grabbing a bite to eat and enjoying the gorgeous scenery on the crisp, winters day.

Edited using www.ipiccy.com

One of my favorite pictures

The views from the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower

After taking about 373492 photographs, we headed closer to the tower to go up to the top of it and enjoy the scenery from above, which I have to say was incredible. After about 45 minutes of queuing, I eventually made it to the top floor, but I was slightly dissapointed that it wasn't as open as the previous floors.

Day 2 Highlights: Sacré Cœur

Sacre Coeur is now officially my favorite place, it's so beautiful and relaxing, the evening we spent there was like a summers evening at a festival. It overlooks all of paris, and we sat on some steps in front of the cathedral as the sunset alongside hundreads of other tourists. A busker was playing, and happily took many english song request from me and my friends, otherwise now known by him as 'the spice girls'. My friend, Phoebe, even got up to do her own performance of Jessie J's 'Pricetag' and Adele's 'Someone like You', and she owned it! We took a walk around and I came across a beautiful, vintage like market with cafes and artists everywhere who would stop to draw people. It was truly an amazing and unforgettable evening. 

Day 3 Highlights: The Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Notre Dame, European Photography Gallery and River Seine Boat Trip

I was incredibly excited to go to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery (as strange as that sounds) as so many people had told me how beautiful it is and as it's not your typical tourist attraction, I was very intrigued. I have to say that is is genuinely the most AMAZING thing I have ever seen, it is literally a village made of house sized graves, one being the size of a town hall! I highly recommend going there if you ever get the chance, especially any 'The Doors' fans, as the legendary Jim Morrison is buried there. Afterwards we jumped on the metro and headed for the notre dame, and it is magnificent. The amount of detail on the Notre Dame cathedral is breathtaking, and i've always been a big fan of the movie so it was all very exciting. We had some free time to shop and eat, so after visiting a dozen gift shops which were all selling the same thing, we headed to a french cafe to indulge in Frenches finest-french fries and crepes (which was absolutely delicious). Then we got to go to the famous Lock Bridge, which was fantastic! My friend Emily and I brought a lock together and attached it to the bridge before throwing our keys into the river below, I know, how cute are we! After taking some mega fast photos we headed to the European Photography Gallery which was very interesting, some of the work there was very peculiar but I was fascinated. Unfortunately, we wasn't aloud to take any photographs but I would recommend going there if you get the chance and are an art and photography fan. We eventually got onto our last adventure of the day; a cruise along the river seine. It was really nice to be able to sit down and still enjoy the scenery of Paris after doing so much walking, especially since it had started to pour with rain-typical!

Comparing the size of a GRAVE to my friend Emily

Bridge of Love

Day 4 Highlights: The Louvre, French Police, Shopping and Back to Reality

We started the day with a trip to the most magnificent art museum, The Louvre, where the famous Mona Lisa is kept alongside hundreds of other incredible pieces of art. The Louvre is part of a royal building where previous French Royalties would stay, and you can walk through and see all of the different rooms, and it is breath taking. The amount of detail blew me away, I was literally speechless (which is very big for me, I never shut up). We spent the rest of our time there frantically hunting for the Mona Lisa, working up a sweat whilst trying to admire the other pieces of art which surrounded us, but when we finally reached it, it was a bit of an anti climax to say the least. The painting is very small to what you would expect and is cordoned off unlike the rest of the work in the museum. Although it was an honor to get to see it, if you get the chance to go, I would only recommend going to see it if you have enough time to see all the other pieces of work too, instead of spending your time searching for one painting like I did (oops). We then headed to Opera to do some well deserved shopping where I brought a beautiful lace crop top and some tan sandal heels from Zara as well as some new sunnies from H&M. With 20 minutes before we had to leave to catch the Eurostar home, a bunch of us decided to stop and get a McDonalds (I know, we go all the way to France just to eat what we always eat at home). This is when all of the drama started. A young lad came over to us with a girl and they both started waving paper at me. I thought they wanted a donation of money but I only had about 20 cents left. A security guard came over to escort them out, and  about 5 minutes later, I realised that my phone, which was sitting on the table infornt of me, had dissapeared. I immediatley burst into tears and went to find the man who sent the people away from me. He said that this sort of thing happens alot in France and directed me to the apple store around the corner to shut my phone off. My friends came with me, whilst I was an absolute mess in the middle of Paris, and just as we went to the Apple Store, an undercover French Police officer came over to me to tell me that he had caught the people who had stolen my phone and they had been arrested. I have never been so happy in my life! My friends had already contacted my teacher, who was on his way as I had to go to the police station to make a statement to get my phone back, bearing in mind we had to leave to go home in about 5 minutes. My friends went back to meet the rest of the group and they headed for the eurostar whilst my teacher and I were in the back of a police car, sirens on and driving through Paris. I eventually got my phone back and we got to the Eurostar just in time. I can't believe how lucky I was in such an eventful way to end an over all amazing trip!

 

Selfie with MONA

 

I apologize for the mammoth essay, but I had a lot to say! I could have went on for hours! There will be a photo essay to follow later on, but I hope you enjoy my first post of many for now, and for anyone going to Paris, please be aware of the pick pockets! Thanks for reading if you managed to get this far!

P.S. Check out Phoebes amazing cover of Price Tag below, it will blow you away!

Have you ever been to Paris?

What were the highlights of your trip?