A Day in Cairo

18 June 2017


It's barely 5am, I hear my mom banging on our hotel room door, and guess what? My alarm didn't go off. We had to be in reception for 5:30am to be picked up to go to the airport and make our plane from Sharm-el-Sheikh to Cairo. I throw on some clothes and limited make up, shove my hair up, and run out the door. The day was already off to a terrible start, I feel like a sweaty mess and it's only 5am. We head to reception and the transfers are late - I would have had to time to shower and make myself feel human after all!

On the bus to the airport the guide was so friendly and helpful, telling us all about what our day would consist of and what we needed to do once at the airport. And that's when I realised, yes, that's right, the guide was not coming with us. Although we were in a big group this was not particularly reassuring. I'd never got on a plane and not been travelling to or from the UK so this was a little... new.

Once on the plane it was great, we got free snacks and bottles of water. The flight to was so quick, taking only around 40 minutes. Once we landed I wasn't reassured that the day was planned out very well. The airport was dirty and small, everybody seemed lost (probably because we all were). Thankfully, we soon found the Thomson tour guides! We were all packed onto air con coaches - THANK GOD - and off we went.

Driving through the streets of Cairo was far from pleasant. The city itself is dirty and run down. It's quite upsetting seeing the horrible blocks of flats - if that's what you can call them - that people have to live on. The dirty streets are lined with rubbish and air looked almost foggy. I kept thinking about Egypt's rich ancient heritage and thinking how different life could have been here.


1st Stop - The Pyramids and Sphinx

I was SO excited to finally be on our way to the Pyramids; this was the only reason I came to Cairo. I'd heard a lot of bad things about the Pyramids; that they're next to a McDonald's, they're right in the city centre, they're boring, and somebody will try to trade you for a camel. So once we'd gone through security I was pleasantly surprised. No fast food in sight, the city skyline looked quite pleasant from where we were, and nobody tried to trade my for a camel (slightly offended by this, but in my unshowered state I don't blame them).

We first stopped by The Great Pyramid of Giza. It was magnificent. Each block was around the same height as me and to think that these were built thousands and thousands of years ago is incredible. We only had around 15-20 minutes here; at the time I thought this wasn't long but after 5 minutes I was ready to go back to the air con! The heat was unbearable as the morning sun was reflecting off the desert sand and our camera soon overheated. We headed round to the next pyramid which you are actually able to go inside - we didn't though because my mum's claustrophobic, and I can't imagine it being particularly pleasant inside anyway.

Next, we headed to The Sphinx. And what do I see? Only KFC! Still no McDonald's in site though. Personally, this didn't bother me, it's not like they were selling chicken directly next to it. And how many tourist attractions do you see where there aren't places like this nearby? We're in a city centre so what do you expect? If you ever want to see the pyramids but are put off by this - don't be. The Sphinx was a lot bigger than expected as I'd heard that they were very small, but I couldn't help be slightly disappointed that half its face had fallen off...


2nd and 3rd Stop - Papyrus Shop and Egyptian Museum 

Honestly, after I'd seen the pyramids I was ready to go home. It was all I'd really come to see and I was hot, sweaty, and just wanted a shower. The papyrus shop was quite interesting, it took me back to primary school when we'd learnt about the Ancient Egyptians. We had a tutorial on how it's made and then time to shop! After this we were back on the coach heading to the museum.

Living in England I'd visited quite a few museums in London; The British Museum, Natural History Museum, The National Gallery. I was expecting The Egyptian Museum to be just like these, but it wasn't. In any way, shape, or form. Really 'museum' is probably not the right word for it. It's more like an attic or a room where you store a lot of stuff that you don't want to throw away but don't really have a proper place for. There was stuff EVERYWHERE. It was like being in an old antique shop when you're stumbling over things that are strewn anywhere and everywhere. There were even old Mummy's with feet poking out, that if you REALLY wanted, you could probably touch.

Oddly, there was a no photography policy in here. Maybe they don't want outsiders to know how scattered it all is as it may put people off visiting. The only room where items were actually stored behind glass cabinets - and there was even air con in there - was the room of Tutankhamun. It was painted black which was quite eery and seems an odd choice of colour.

Even though the museum was an unorganised mess I'm so glad we visited. It's home to so many interesting ancient artifacts and it was definitely an experience!


Final Stops - Dinner on the Nile and The Citadel

FINALLY it was time to head for dinner. I'd not really eaten anything all day and I was starving. The boat on the Nile was more like a palace, it was very grand inside especially in comparison to anywhere else we'd been during the day. There was a buffet style meal so you can go and choose what you want. It was very peaceful and I felt almost privileged to be able to sit on the longest river in the world eating dinner.

After our much needed food we headed to The Citadel. However, we were not allowed to go inside. Because it was Ramadan when we visited a lot of people were getting ready to break their fast and would be entering the Citadel. There was only an hour or so before our flight we all agreed that it was fine to view it from outside. It wasn't a particularly grand building from the outside as it looked very concrete.


CLAUDIA'S TOP TIPS:

1. Dress for the weather. Before we went we were advised to dress respectfully, especially as we planned to visit the Citadel. However, I would not recommend this in the 50 degree heat. I wore jeans and white shirt which was just unbearable. Everybody else was in shorts and flowy dresses and nobody batted an eyelid!

2. Take water, sun cream, hand sanitizer, etc. Before we left we were told that as we were flying to Cairo we wouldn't be able to take sun cream, hand sanitizer etc because it was a liquid. This was a lie. Everybody else was able to take these and our trip definitely would have been better if we had too!

3. Do not let anybody hand you anything, take your photo, or let you sit on a camel. They will rip you off, steal from you, and basically take whatever they can! Try to keep you heads down and if they approach you say "no, thank you" and carry on walking.






5 Reasons I Don't Reach for the Kylie Cosmetics Royal Peach Palette

24 April 2017


Now I know this review is late to the game - and it's probably worse since I ordered the Royal Peach palette the day it was released. It was actually a Birthday present; I'd asked for three palettes for my Birthday but this was the one I was most excited for. I'd been after a Kylie Cosmetics eyeshadow palette for a while and I actually decided to order this over the Burgundy Palette. Oh, hindsight. I was so ready to get testing the palette and write a post about how great it was. I'd never even considered that it might be... bad. 

For my Birthday I actually got three eyeshadow palettes (before this I owned a total of 0): Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette, Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance, and Kylie Cosmetics Royal Peach Palette. This will probably not come as much of a surprise but the Kylie Cosmetics palette was the worst by far. I'd heard such good reviews of the other Kylie palettes that I thought this was a sure bet. Since getting it February I've barely reached for it because the other two are so much better!


So, I'm going to cut to the chase and tell you why I think this palette is so bad: 

1. The lack of pigmentation. This is probably the most disappointing point because the one thing everybody wants from a good palette is for the colours to be pigmented. Especially for the price tag. Some of the shimmer colours may as well not even be there because they only pick up tiny specks of glitter.

2. The colours. Individually they are all so pretty, and when I see the palette it looks so beautiful. But when you take a step back you realise that all the colours are actually very similar (aside from the bright blue) which makes it difficult to create a look without using another palette! And realistically, how often are you going to reach for a bright blue eyeshadow?

3. The brush. I actually got the palette at the same time as Kylie's brush collection and let me tell you; the quality of the palette brush compared to the brush set is horrendous. The set is such good quality and I use them all the time. The palette brush - I've had better brushes free in a magazine. If you're not going to provide a good quality brush in the palette I'd rather save £5 and not have a brush included at all.

4. The smell. It's horrible and chemically. Why would you want to put something on your face that smells like chemicals? Why does it smell so bad? Apparently it's actually the packaging which makes me feel slightly better. I've heard if you air it out the smell goes but I don't expect to be airing out a $45 palette to get rid of the smell.

5. The packaging. Firstly, the aesthetics are nowhere near as nice as her previous palettes. And can she just stop using cardboard? I didn't pay £40 for cheap cardboard. I don't care if it does come with a mirror!  

It's actually making me quite sad to write this review. I'm such a big fan of Kylie's Lipkits and I've heard such good things of her other palettes. I think 2017 has seen Kylie release a lot of rushed products; her highlighters and blushers both look cheap. Remember Kylie: quality over quantity!


Disney Wish List #2

17 April 2017


Only 358 days until I go to Disney World! Until then I'll have to keep dreaming about all the Disney merch I want with my wish lists!

from left clockwise

Too Faced Sweet Peach Collection

16 March 2017


In case you haven't heard - you've definitely heard - the Too Faced Sweet Peach collection is back, and bigger and better than ever! I have to admit that the first time around I wasn't that bothered about it, I'd barely even heard of Too Faced and wasn't about to splurge on eyeshadow I wasn't going to wear. This time around was very different. 

I never really wear eyeshadow so I've always talked myself out of buying eyeshadow palettes. But then one day it hit me - maybe the true reason I don't wear eyeshadow is because I don't really own any. I know how stupid that sounds, how could I not realise this sooner? As I'd seen this palette all over Instagram and every other social media platform available I knew I had to have it! This would be my first high end eyeshadow palette! Lucky for me my need for this palette coincided with my Birthday so my boyfriend bought it for me. I actually got three eyeshadow palettes for my Birthday (I went overboard, ok) but I was definitely most excited about this one.

I have to be honest and say that although I was super excited for the palette as a whole I wasn't looking forward to the peachy smell because I hate peach - the smell, the taste, the feel. NO! At first I was a little unsure of the sickly smell but I've honestly grown to love it. I truly believe it smells a lot nicer than an actual peach! The colours on the palette are all so beautiful and pigmented - although the shimmer colours are a lot better than the mattes.


And then came the blush... when I saw Papa Don't Peach I knew I had to have it. If not only for the play on words because I'm a HUGE Madonna fan. Papa don't preach, I'm in trouble deep... As I have another Too Faced blusher that I absolutely love and wear all the time I thought that why not treat myself with my Birthday money? I know the product must be good! It has the same peachy smell as the eyeshadow palette and the packaging is literally the cutest; just look at the peach and it's little face! I'm sad to say that the product on the other hand is lacking. Compared to my other Too Faced blush the pigmentation just isn't there, sure it's buildable, but is buildable really good enough at £25?

If you're on the fence about getting anything from this palette I'd definitely recommend the eyeshadow. The blush isn't the BEST I've ever had but it's still very pretty. If you have anything from this collection let me know what you think! I'd really like the Glow Palette




Disney Wish List

13 March 2017


Over the last few weeks I've rediscovered my love for Disney. I don't know what it is but recently all I want to do is go to Walt Disney World! I think it may be a ten year itch as I visited Disney World in 2007 and haven't been since. I know I'm not going to be able to go unless I win the lottery, but I think this is why I'm so obsessed with everything else Disney! So, I thought I'd put together a little wish list of all the Disney items I've been eyeing up....

from top left clockwise

Lake Bled in Photos

11 March 2017


If you'd mentioned Lake Bled to me this time last year I wouldn't have had a clue what you were talking about, but last May when I went to Croatia and I saw a preview of the excursion I had to go! It was a very spur of the moment trip as we hadn't planned on going beforehand and I'm SO glad that we did go.

It's one of the most serene and beautiful places I've ever been. The town is so peaceful it's easy to feel at home there; the mountains and trees make you feel closed in but the lake gives a sense of space, I felt so at ease here. When we arrived we immediately got a boat over to the island to the church - which is a surprisingly long journey! We took a stroll around the small island taking in the views before heading back. Once back on the mainland we found a small pizzeria for lunch which was such good value for money; it was a tiny place hidden in the backstreets. After this we headed up to the castle; the road up to it is quite steep and at time frightening but once there the views are breathtaking. I wish we could have stayed longer because all in all we were only there a few hours so I didn't really get to take in all that Bled had to offer.

If you ever get the chance to visit Lake Bled I would definitely recommend going.



Creme Egg Rocky Road

22 February 2017


Despite it only being February I decided to have a go at an Easter themed recipe, I mean, the creme eggs are in shops so it must be ok. Every year at Easter I see the most amazing chocolatey creations. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a self-confessed chocoholic, so Easter is basically my favourite time of year. There's nothing better than a Cadbury's Easter Egg! 

I love making rocky road because it's quick, easy, and tasty! There are also so many variations of ingredients that you can add or take away to put your own spin on it. But it doesn't get much better than this Easter themed one!

Here's what you'll need:

200g Milk Chocolate 
180g Dark Chocolate
150g Unsalted Butter
250g Cookies
100g Mini Marshmallows
1 x Pack of Mini Eggs
1 x Pack of Mini Creme Eggs
3 x Creme Eggs
4tbsp Golden Syrup 
Icing Sugar 

Glass Bowl
Saucepan
Brownie Tin
Baking Paper

Step 1. Simmer a saucepan of water and place a glass bowl over - keep this on a very low heat. Melt all of the chocolate, butter, and golden syrup in the bowl. Keep this on a low heat else the chocolate will burn and turn lumpy (although this usually isn't the end of the world for this recipe)

Step 2. Whilst the chocolate is melting smash up the cookies to small pieces so that they can later be mixed in with the chocolate. Line the brownie tray with the baking paper

Step 3. Once the chocolate has cooled mix in the marshmallows, cookies, mini Creme Eggs and some of the Mini Eggs. Make sure they're all mixed in well and covered in chocolate!

Step 4. Once everything is mixed together it can be poured in the brownie tin

Step 5. Cut the Creme Eggs in half and decorate the top. Also decorate with Mini Eggs and some mini marshmallows (if you haven't eaten them all at this point)

Step 6. Place in the fridge to cool - this will take a couple of hours

Step 7. After the mixture is set sieve some icing sugar over the top!

Step 8. AKA the best step! Cut up into pieces and enjoy (or just eat it in one giant block if that's your style)!





February Wish List

13 February 2017


This wish list is definitely coming to you later than expected given that we're currently mid-February, but we'll live! Honestly, there wasn't a great deal I was lusting after this month so I really struggled - which is a first for me cause I usually want EVERYTHING!

from top left clockwise



Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

9 February 2017


On February 1st, after a looooong wait, I finally got to go see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London. I think we booked the tickets almost 2 years ago and chose to book them for my Birthday so that I didn't forget - not that I could ever forget! 

Admittedly, I did not try to avoid spoilers. I read the screenplay the minute it was released so I knew what was coming. But as I read it around 6 months before I went to the play, the full plot wasn't fresh in my mind. From what I remembered I didn't love the plot so I wasn't overly excited to see it. I was SO worried that it would be disappointing and ruin the Harry Potter series for me. I love the books so much, why not leave it as it is? Why ruin it by making further plots just to make some extra cash?

I couldn't have been more wrong. 

The play is split into Part 1 and Part 2. As I decided to go see both parts the same day this meant I ended up spending around 5 hours in the theatre so it was a pretty long day. The price was around £30 per ticket so I was in the cheap seats at the back (as always). Whenever I go to the theatre I always buy cheap seats because, well, they're cheap, and every time I regret it because the view is rubbish. Even though I did see nearly everything I did have to sit at a funny angle the whole time because of Mr Big Head in front of me this didn't really ruin it for me; what else can be expected paying only £30? Just be thankful that there's an interval!

For those who don't know the play basically starts where the books left off; with the trio at Platform 9  and 3/4 waving off their children to Hogwarts. It was so surreal seeing grown up Harry, Ron, and Hermione, AND to see them played by somebody other than Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson; in my head they'll always be those 11 year old kids! But after I got my head around the new faces I couldn't fault the acting. The cast were just perfect and got the characters spot on!

THE EFFECTS, this is something we need to discuss! Honestly, it was pure magic. There were things that I wouldn't have even thought possible on stage and if this was on screen it would have been CGI for sure. Going into this I didn't even consider what sort of special effects they could or would use so coming out I was blown away. It was quite special seeing the magic truly happening on stage.

The Plot - Spoiler Alerts!

I have been debating whether or not to stick a plot review here, especially as they do hand out #keepthesecrets badges after you've seen it. However, the screenplay is printed ready for you to buy in shops so it isn't really much of a secret any more. If you don't want to know - look away now!

We start off at the train platform where Albus Severus is heading to Hogwarts for the first time; he's worried about what house he'll get sorted into. Low and behold he's sorted into.... Slytherin! And who does he befriend? None other than Draco Malfoy's son Scorpius. Albus is an outcast. He's a Potter in Slytherin and his magic skills are sub-par. So, when Amos Diggory seeks out Harry asking him to go back in time and save Cedric, Albus decides to take on the task himself. As you can imagine things go a little (or very) wrong!

Albus and Scorpius manage to get involved with the daughter of Bellatrix and Voldemort (we're all very happy that this is finally canon) and they get stuck back in time; the day that Harry was born to be exact. Quick wit and smart thinking gets a message to the Golden trio and, obviously, all is well in the end!

I don't think the plot is great but the effects, acting, and show as a whole is incredible. If you've been to see it; let me know what you thought!


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