From white to whoa that's tanned | St Tropez First Impressions

My uni friends will tell you, I'm not a fake tanner. I went through my uni years without the tactile tanning sessions to make sure the body glow was at the optimum level for nights out, I never understood what all the fuss was about. That was, however, until a couple of months ago. I was going to my cousins wedding and wanted a little bit of a tan so I didn't look like a ghost up against my other family members. I read reviews and it looked like St Tropez Express Tan was the way to go, a natural tan that develops in three hours and means I won't have to sleep feeling sticky. On my trial run I didn't go overboard and I have to be honest, I was a little disappointed that I wasn't looking much darker than I did when I was going au natural. So the next time, I went all out a smothered myself in the stuff. This is when everything changed. I think I like the compliments I get more than anything. Like, 'ooh you look tanned' or 'have you been away'. No I have not, it was all done in the comfort of my own bathroom!

Anyway, since this revelation I've still not delved majorly into the world of fake tan but there are two products I've found work for me so I thought I'd share them. The first is the above mentioned St Tropez Express Tan. So easy to use, you just have a shower, tan yourself, wait one to three hours, shower it off, go to sleep and wake up in the morning to find yourself a golden goddess. If, like me, you're quite new to the tanning world I'd recommend getting this little kit. It's £15 and you get a bit, a mini exfoliator, a mini moisturiser and a mini Express Tan. It means you can try out the tan without having to shell out £33 on something you might not like. Plus I've had three applications from the mini and I reckon it could do another so there's plenty to give it a good test! I'd read reviews that the St Tropez In-Shower Tan was good but not great and that it worked best as a top up for a pre existing tan. So after my recent holiday I thought I'd get it to give it a whirl. Cue an email from Beauty Bay saying St Tropez was 20% off and I was soon the proud owner of another money saving (well sort of) minis set. This set (which I can't seem to find on the website anymore which is a shame seeing as I only bought it a couple of weeks ago.) features the Classic Tan, In-Shower Tan and Gradual Tan. I'm yet to use the other two products (but I'll let you know what I think if I like them) but I quite liked the shower tan. After I got over the fact that I have no idea how much to apply or where I had already applied it, it worked quite well. I can understand that there would be next to no colour had I not had a 'base layer' but I can see this as a good product to top up my holiday glow.

What's your favourite tanning brand and product. Obviously I'm still new to the world of tanning so I'd appreciate any recommendations!

American Drugstore Haul!

I tried, I really did, but I just couldn't resist the temptation. I had to see what all the fuss was about when it came to drugstore makeup across the pond. We didn't go to Target or anywhere like that so I had a little browse of our local Publix supermarket and this is what I came across.

First things first, guess what idiot bought the wrong thing, this girl! I meant to pick up the much coveted Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer that has been raved about by beauty bloggers for the past year. It was top of my list of things to buy but when it came down to it I thought bigger was better. There were two Maybelline products with the sponge on top and I just assumed that they were both the same and that one was just better value for money. They weren't the same. At all. What I bought was the Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser which was more of a tinted SPF that didn't have much coverage and practically the complete opposite. I'm going to give it a fair trial so that it wasn't a complete waste of money and if it's any good I'll report back. Sticking with the base theme I wanted to try out a foundation and I settled on the Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous. I don't know why I went for this one but it said oil free, the packaging was interesting so I thought that I'd give it a go. I've just it pretty much everyday since I got it and so far I'm loving it! It's lightweight but has a pretty good coverage and lasts all day. The plastic packaging makes it really easy travel with and I think that this will become a firm favourite of mine. Last but not least is another Covergirl product, the Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara. I'd heard about this product before and I was in need of a new mascara so I thought that I'd pick it up. I love it. It curls, volumises and lengthens my lashes without any flaking or smudging. I don't know what I'm going to do when I finish it because it's so good.

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Longhorn Steakhouse!

Week two of the Florida food trip and this time it's the turn of Longhorn Steakhouse. Unlike Texas Roadhouse last week the menu is a little more limited. There are a lot of options but it sticks more towards steaks and burgers and different versions and flavours of those. The service wasn't as good as last week's but it wasn't awful and the decor was nice and cosy, like a log cabin, lots of dark wood.

Let's jump into the meal and for starter we all shared chicken bites and handmade kettle chips. The chicken bites had a slightly spicy batter which was tasty and gave off a nice heat as well as having a sweet chilli sauce which went really nicely with the bites. The portion size was large for one person, but as a sharer for four it was absolutely perfect. The pieces were bite sized and really moist. The kettle chips were lovely. Crispy, not greasy at all and you could tell that they were made in the restaurant. It came with two dips, a garlic one and a barbecue one. The garlic one was okay but tasted a little funny and I didn't try the other one as I'm not the biggest fan of barbecue. The chilli sauce however from the chicken bites went really nicely with it so I just used that. Overall I enjoyed both of these and the meal got off to a really good start.

For my main I chose the parmesan steak with seasoned fries. It also came with a salad before they brought this which was huge. I didn't eat it because it had grated cheese in and I do not do raw cheese but it's quite good that it came included with the price of your main meal. The steak was cooked lovely, near perfect but it could have just been a little bit pinker, I asked for it medium rare. The parmesan crust was needed because I like to have a sauce with my steak so this gave it a bit of something else. It was crispy and there was the perfect amount. The fries were very nice, tasty and crispy. The portion size of the whole meal was perfect, surprising from what we'd experienced before, and I polished off the whole lot. Lovely!

To finish off the meal I went for the chocolate lava cake. I have to say I was a little disappointed. I expected it to be a bit like a chocolate fondant, rich and full of chocolate-y flavour but it was a little bit tasteless. Too sweet, too clacky and too big. Sorry to be a bit of a downer but I just wasn't a fan and it was a shame because for me it let down the meal a little bit but overall I really enjoyed it and pretty much everything was tasty.

First Sephora Haul!

Now isn't this exciting! During an amazing three week holiday to Florida I jumped at the chance to visit a Sephora and I had a great time. Last year I went into one in Spain and it was a bit of an under yet also overwhelming experience. There wasn't the brands that I wanted and I there were so many products that I had no idea what to buy. This time I did my research, made a list (which you can read here) and went in there ready and raring to go!

There were some things on the list that I didn't end up getting but I think that my little collection (which had a rather large price tag) worked out well. The first section I went to was Tarte. I have been dying to try this brand out for a couple of years, ever since I was introduced to the 'YouTube scene'. The Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes seem to be a popular product and since that is something my collection is lacking I picked one up in the shade Tipsy, a deep-ish pink colour. I've never tried a waterproof mascara before and the Tarte Lights Camera Splashes Mascara is supposed to be good so I put that in my basket. A few weeks ago I noticed that Benefit had brought out a base related gift set which looked right up my street so the Benefit Operation Pore-Proof Set went into my basket too. It comes with a selection of minis including the Professional Primer and Shy Beam, a matte liquid highlighter that's exclusive to the set. As soon as I clapped my eyes on the new Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette I knew it had to be mine. The shades are completely up my street and I cannot wait to do a full blown smoky eye with it. The Makeup Forever Step 1 Primer was a bit of an impulse purchase as I'd heard from somewhere that it was good at mattifying and making foundation stay put so I picked one up. I don't often buy perfumes but the Elizabeth and James Nirvana White smells too good to miss. I also love the fact that the rollerball packaging means it's easy to take around with me. Blotting Papers also made their way into the basket because they are really good and can be hard to find.

Somehow with my one visit I managed to clock up 200 points on my Sephora Beauty Insider card that I had signed up to in store. This meant I got to pick out two product minis. I didn't really know what they were but I went for a Clarins Facial SPF 50 and a Clinique Revitalising Moisturiser. As an extra freebie I also got two Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser Oil samples. Although the price tags on the products were large you get rewards for you spending and rewarded very well. I will definitely be returning!

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Final Florida Round Up

I'm home, *cry cry*, from the best holiday ever! I had the best time and to commemorate the fun I'm going to look back at all of my favourite times from the trip! Let's get started!

Favourite Disney Park // It's a toss up between the cuteness of Magic Kingdom and the world showcase at Epcot.

Favourite Restaurant // More on food coming in the next few Tuesday's but I think when it comes down to it Texas Roadhouse had great food and really good service. A good all round package!

Favourite Ride // After long consideration I think that it has to be the People Mover in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom. We went on it three times and I don't know what it is about it but I wish that they made it to go all around the park!

Favourite Experience // Swimming with dolphins. Without a doubt. It was amazing and something that I will never forget.

Favourite Cuddly Meeting // We didn't meet many but Chip and Dale were just too cute not too put at the top. They're chipmunks for goodness sakes! But all of the ones that were met were super cute!

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Florida Round Up #3

Animal Kingdom

Arrived bright and early. Had second thoughts about going on expedition everest. Decided against it. Was told it was very good. Skipped to the lion king show. Was insanely good. Fast passed to the rapids ride, which was a good job as it was very busy. Would have been a disaster without the ponchos but it was all fine. Good fun. Waited for the flights of wonder show. Became one of the highlights of the day. Very funny and cute. Then it was time for the safari trek. Elephants on the trail meant the ride was closed. We found out after a 30 minute wait. Great. Torrential downpour meant we headed home early.

Epcot

Great day. Went to world showcase. Didn't open until 11. Test track. Really good, one of the best rides of the holiday. Time for the showcase. Boat ride in Mexico. Wander around Norway. Visit the sights of China. Get festive in Germany. Watch a gondola man in Italy. Get patriotic in America. Peek at Aladdin in Morocco. Have a browse of the shops in Japan. Eat a crepe in France. Meet Pooh and Tigger in the UK. Buy an ice hockey shirt in Canada. Overall it was one of my favourite days!

Seaworld

Woke to rain (spoiler alert, it rained pretty much all day). Went on the Atlantis log flume. It was great because getting wet wasn't a problem. Lots of fun was had. Shows were the name of the game. The dolphin show was followed by sea lions, pets doing tricks and Shamu. The sea lion show was my fave because it was funny and didn't have depressing music about being 'one ocean' (sorry Shamu).

Hollywood Studios

Returned once again to finish everything off. I'd defs recommend One mans dream which is Walt Disney's life and is a gallery with a film at the end. It was interesting and lovely I loved it. Lights, motors, action show next and that wasn't really my thing. I did appreciate the appearance of Lightening McQueen however. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. It was okay (he he he). It was seriously good and I'd love to see it again.

Magic Kingdom

This time it was a night time visit and it was really busy. So busy that they kept the park open for an extra hour. We beat the 115 minute queue for splash mountain with our fast passes. I loved it so much that I would defs go on it again. Haunted Mansion time and I was not looking forward to it. The queue was awful as everyone was squashed together and it was such a hot day. The ride was okay and different. Parade time! We couldn't really see the parade but I loved the fireworks and especially the disney music.

Florida Round Up #2

Week two over here in sunny sunny Florida. We've had a mix of good and bad weather but let's just say it hasn't spoilt the fun.

Magic Kingdom

Best day. I loved every second. Got there just as the gates opened. Headed straight for the dwarf mine train. Loved it. Winnie the Pooh ride, carousel, it's a small world, Peter Pan and Dumbo were all amazing. After that we went to Tomorrowland. Went on the speedway, people mover and buzz lightyear which were fun. Then it was a case of waiting for the parade. It was great and I definitely held back some tears. Off to the shops and I bought some furry friends. Thumper and Doug from Up. Love those guys. Will defs becoming back!

Hollywood Studios

Arrived on another really hot day. Great! When we got there we had to wait for the gates were open. Once we were through we went straight for the tower of terror. Terrifying but really good. Then the Rockin' rollercoaster (I think that's what it's called). Insane and amazing I loved it. More sedate then with wandering and a few shows. The Great Movie Ride was fun and then the Indiana Jones show. Great and nice to do something different. Final thing of the day was the Muppet 3D spectacular which was cute. Really enjoyed it.

Discovery Cove

Amazing day. First stop, otters. Waited for half an hour. Finally they were in the water. So cute. They came right up to the glass. Exciting moment. Went down the lazy river. Relaxing. Giant thunderstorm hit. Fingers crossed dolphin was still on. It was and the sun came out. Best time ever. Dolphins were called Thelma and Luna and they were both adorable. After 9 months of practising I kissed the dolphin and got the photo and I rode in on Thelma, not very majestically.

Baseball

Not much more to say other than we went out for something to eat. Drove one and a half hours to Tampa. Watched Tampa Bay Rays. Came home. Fun times had by all.

Universal (again)

Went back to go on the Hulk rollercoaster. Insane. Went on the red Dragon Challenge rollercoaster. Also insane and very fast. Hogwarts Express over to the other park for another ride on Men in Black. Really good. Love that ride. Cheeky trip to Downtown Disney for a delicious ice cream! Yum!

Mini Golf

Winter Summerland mini golf. Cute courses. Fun golf. Loved it! 'Nough said.

July Favourites!

So this month has been pretty exciting. Fun parties, ending work experience and best of all going on holiday! And there have been a few things that I've really loved this month, like true love. The weather this month has also been great, not just here in Florida but also back home where the heatwave was more than just a weekly thing and more like the entire month. So let's get into it!

Vichy Detox Moisturiser

A few months ago I got two mini testers and it was one of those things that I didn't really notice was so great until I'd finished it. I hadn't used it in a couple of months and I noticed that my skin wasn't as clear and my scars were sticking around a lot longer. For me £15 for a moisturiser is a little bit excessive but the fact that it made my skin look so good made me need it back in my life, and I have to say I've never looked back. It has improved my skin in terms of scarring and although I still get breakouts my skin overall is much clearer. It doesn't make my skin greasy but it hydrates it nicely so when I wake up it feels soft and I'm just seriously in love with it.

Florida and Disney World

So far I've been here for a week and a half and it's been one of the best times ever! The mix of Disney and sun and general amazingness...I just can't explain how much of a good time I'm having. If you want to keep up to date with some of my antics my weekly round up posts are dedicated strictly to all things Florida. Some of my highlights have been Magic Kingdom and Discovery Cove (the dolphins were so cute it's one of the best moments ever kissing it's fishy lips!).

Florida Round Up #1

Welcome to the first Florida round up! We've only been here for a few days and it's been amazing so far! This week was a Universal week because we're not starting Disney parks until tomorrow. So, I'm going to do a run down of the days and a bit of what happened each day. Let's go!

Monday- Downtown Disney

Wandering around. Taking in all the disney. Trying a mango black iced tea lemonade from Starbucks. Loved it. Made our way to the 'disney hub' Had mini breakdown. Too much disney merchandise. Reined self in. Only bought some Minnie Mouse ears. More shopping and browsing. Home time.

Tuesday- Universal Studios

First stop Harry Potter. Escape from Gringotts ride was amazing and a little terrifying. Wander around Diagon Alley. Simpsons world and Simpsons ride. Waste of space and came off feeling sick. Lard Lad Doughnuts tasted very good. Animal show was great and cute. ET to shelter from the rain which was also cute. Waited around for Woody Woodpecker rollercoaster which was okay. Disaster next which was long and drawn out but good in the end. Home time.

Wednesday- Islands of Adventure

Back to Harry Potter world but this time for the Hogwarts Express. Amazing. Went on one of the two HP coasters and it was insanely good! Went on the actual HP ride and I've never been so terrified. Hated it, never again. Wandered around. Jurassic Park ride. Good but shut eyes at the scary part. Dr Seuss land led to a torrential downpour. Got the Hogwarts Express back to Universal and went on the Men in Black ride. That was surprisingly very good. Home time.

Thursday- Shopping

Florida Mall. Sephora trip. Upcoming haul. Very warm day. Hurting feet.

America Wishlist

It's finally here. As you read this post I'll be enjoying my first day in Florida and it's so exciting. As I'll be in america for three weeks I might as well take advantage of the different makeup that the yanks have to offer. So, to keep myself on track I've written a list of everything that I'd really like to get so that I don't get overwhelmed when I'm there, which I most likely will.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes- Tarte is one of the brands that I'm most excited about testing out and the blushes are what I'd like to get my hands on first. I've been looking on the Sephora website and all of the shades look incredible I don't know how I'm going to choose but going on recommendations and blogger favourites Tipsy seems to be a good shout. They look so incredible I can't wait to try it!

Lights, Camera, Splashes Tarte Mascara- Another Tarte product that I'm excited about. I'm in serious need for a new mascara and I've heard good things about this one. I want to go for the waterproof version because this will be the best on holiday and I've never had one before so it would be good to try one out. The packaging is also insanely great!

Clinique Pop Lipstick in Melon Pop- I've heard so many good things about this range and Melon Pop seems like the colour I'd use the most.  A slap on peach-y pink, it will fit nicely into my collection and although I can get it over here it's much cheaper in the states.

Lorac Pro Palette- This is more of just a dream because I know how hard it is to get hold of. The rave reviews make this a sought after product and I think that this palette would be right up my street. There are beautiful shades and it's so thin and travel friendly that I just want it so much! I won't make it my holiday mission to find it but I'll have a look and if it's there I'll snap it up straight away.

Round Up #7

Another week, another round up and it hasn't been the most exciting week in the world because it's all been about the holiday prep. I've been bulk writing blog posts and taking what seems like hundreds of pictures so that I can have some chill time. Although starting from next Friday there will be a Florida Round Up where I will be rounding up (obviously) everything that I've done that week!

Summer is here!

We may have had that heatwave but the good weather seems to be here to stay and I am loving it. Winter may be my favourite season of the year but I when the sun shines I am a summer fan and event more so when there's ice cream around. Ice cream normally isn't my sweet treat of choice but when the sun comes out I'm all about the mint choc chip or a 99. Yum!

Holiday prep

If you read my post yesterday then you'll know all of the things I'll be doing before going on holiday and my week has just been consumed with getting everything done before I get on that plane. As I'm writing this blog post I've still not packed but I've written a list of all the things I need and packing will probably come tomorrow. I find that if I pack too soon then I forget what's gone in so it's just easier to do it a couple of days before.

Exciting foods

You'll find out more about this next Tuesday but I had the chance to try a delicious lunch snack called a Naanster. But more about that on Tuesday, I just wanted to mention it as it has been part of my week.

How to: Prep for Holidays

It's three days. Only THREE days! I seriously cannot wait I am way too over excited. If you don't know what I'm talking about, on Sunday I'll be on a place heading across the pond to go to Disney World in Florida. Eeek! I'm going to be pushing all the kids to get out of my way to I can hug the characters, get excited about the rides, it's going to be amazing. But I'm not here to go on and on about how unbelievably excited I am for my holiday, oh no, I'm here to share how I prepare for a break, be it mini or a full blown trip.

1. Make sure you have everything

I know, it sounds pretty obvious but it's very important. A week before you go try and make sure that you have everything that you will need in your possession. That way if you realise that there's something that you are missing you still have plenty of time to go and get it. Otherwise if you leave it all until the night before and you notice you're missing something vital you are basically screwed, unless it's something like flip flops, there seems to be thousands of them in the airport. It also means that you can start packing things up a little bit at a time. I can't really pack all in one go. It's a bit boring and I ALWAYS seem to forget something. But by packing things up a little bit at a time I make a list of everything I put in and I'm less likely to forget anything.

2. Do your body prep

To me there is nothing better than a good old pamper sesh, especially if it's for an event or a holiday type thing. Me and my mum always have our toenails and fingernails done before we go on our jolly's (Minx on the toes and Shellac on the fingers) so that we won't have to worry about them when we're away and a bath for me is a must. It means that I can pamper myself head to toe by exfoliating, shaving all of the relevant areas and having a nice deep hair wash. Oooh and maybe even a face mask! It means that not only am I squeaky clean from top to bottom but I'm also completely sorted for the plane and if I can't be bothered to have a shower straight away when we get there it doesn't matter as much.

3. Scope out the area

As soon as we'd booked the holiday we had bought a guide book, I was looking online at where all the closet shops I wanted to visit were and we can't stop doing a virtual tour of the villa. We want to be as prepared as we can before we get there because I personally couldn't think of anything worse than arriving at our destination, not having a clue where anything is and having to explore whilst we are there. I'd prefer to know so that we can still have an explore but we'll have more of an idea what and where things are.

4. Plan, plan and plan some more

We have a spreadsheet of our plans and what we're going to do morning, afternoon and evening. They aren't set in stone but they give us an idea of what kind of thing we'll be doing each day so that we won't be missing out. Some thing are definite, like swimming with dolphins or anything else that we've booked but the other things are more of a guideline. When you're an indecisive family like mine you need to have something planned out otherwise we'd never get anything done and there'd probably be disagreements and arguing over where we were going. So for us some form of planning works best.

Makeup I'm Taking Across The Pond

If you didn't know I'm going on holiday on Sunday and I'm so excited. Florida here I come! So I thought I would take this opportunity to take you through what makeup I'll be taking with me across the pond. I'm going for three weeks but I'm not taking a huge amount with me because I'm planning on have a little splurge when I'm over there (when in America, buy what the American's buy). Also I'm so proud that I managed to fit the entire contents of my makeup bag in this photo and it not look awful, snaps for me!

Foundation wise I'm not planning on wearing foundation very much but just in case I'm taking my L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation in 11 Vanilla. It hasn't got any SPF in it but that doesn't really matter as I'll be creaming up my face anyway. I doubt that I'll really be using it that much but it's there in case I have a really bad skin day and want to look nice for Mickey and Minnie. My L'Oreal True Match Concealer in 02 Vanilla will be my concealer of choice, good on blemishes, redness and under the eye so in this compact little kit it fits in well. As far as powder goes I only have one in my life and that's the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 002 Pink Blossom. What more can I say, it's cheap and does at great job at stopping shine.

Base down for my brows I'm hoping to have them tinted just before I go so all I'm going to need is something light like my L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper. It thickens, and gives a nice colour to my brows without being too clumpy. Eyes eyes eyes and it's all about the Kiko shadow sticks in 05 and 21. I'm seriously in love and I don't think I can go back to a pot cream shadow ever again. Swipe and done. I'll probably buy a palette when I'm out there so I'm just going to take my Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette. It has everything I need and goes really well with the Kiko sticks. I'll also be taking my L'Oreal Super Liner Superstar for more of a night look. It's all about the Rimmel Kohl Kajal in Jet Black and my Seventeen Back Lash Mascara, as I'll hopefully be buying one when I'm out there.

Soap and Glory Solar Powder Bronzer. Need I say more. So good and I can amp it up with the darker side if I get a bit of a tan. Blush wise it's going to be Mac Satin Blush in Immortal Flower as it's just so easy to wear and very pretty on the cheeks. Highlighter will be my Maybelline Golden Beige eyeshadow but I think I might purchase one when I'm out there because I'm coming to the end of this one now.

My L'Oreal Lip Gloss in Miami Vice will be coming with me as I think it will be the perfect holiday colour and I love the way it feels on the lips. My Mac Lipstick in Kinda Sexy will be making an appearance if I want something a little more nude as it's so easy to wear and Mac Shy Girl will be my slap on peachy nude shade, but I'll have to make sure I keep it somewhere cool otherwise it'll melt.

Favourite Friday: Cheap Palette

If you haven't heard about this palette then where have you been? Every blogger and their dog has been talking about this and saying bold statements like these palettes are the drugstore equivalent to Urban Decay eyeshadows. So, naturally, when I found myself in need of a cheap palette to take on holiday with me this was the one I turned to. These palettes are the Collection Eyes Uncovered palettes and they come in three different nude shades. In terms of the shades I felt that the matte black would make this palette a lot more versatile and I don't have that many grey eyeshadows (which kind of justifies the purchase). At £3.99 you really can't go wrong with these. They're not the best eyeshadows I've ever used but for the price they ain't half bad. They take a lot of building up to get an intense colour but once that's done the lasting power is pretty darn great. My favourite colour is the second to last as on the lid it turns into a cool shimmery purple which looks gorgeous. If you're in the market for something new to add to your collection, get one of these palettes, you'll thank me.

Places I want to visit

I've been abroad quite a few times already in my short little lifetime but there are still so many places that I want to visit! I'm tempted to get a giant map of the world and have different stickers for places I've been and place I want to go and actually see how much I've got around already.  Here are five places that I really want to visit, hopefully in the next few years:

1. Paris- To say that in the grand scheme of the world it's not that far away, I've still never been to 'the city of love'! I'm hoping (with my fingers tightly crossed) that next Easter this might happen, but we'll just have to see. 
2. Machu Pichu, Peru- This is a place that when you see pictures of it you just immediately go 'Yes. This is going to happen.' It looks absolutely stunning and the fact that only a few people get to see it each day and the journey to get there is something like three days long must make it even more special when you get there.
3. Disneyworld, Florida- Now, this is a bit of a strange one as i've actually already been to Disney once before. The thing though was that I was only six so to be honest I don't really remember much so I'd love to return now as a full grown disney-aholic!
4. Australia- I think that once I'd gotten over the stupid hour flight I would really like this country. I'd want to visit all the main places like Sydney and Ayers Rock, but most importantly I's love to cuddle as kangaroo. How cute!
5. Canada- Recently one of my friends went around Alaska and Canada on a cruise and the pictures of the views looked super duper stunning and I think it would be sun an insane holiday. 

The Food Awards!

As with the cruise ports it's time to reflect on the best meals of the holiday! I'll choose a best starter, best main and best dessert, then the best overall meal, Let's go!

Best Starter:

Without a doubt the Beer Battered Cod Fingers. They were so good that, to not sound too weird, sometimes I can still taste the curried tartare sauce, it was just that good!

Best Main:

Although the Seafood Spaghetti scored higher, the Salmon En Croute was a lot more memorable and had some really delicious aspects. Anything with pastry is a winner with me and everything else was just a cherry on top.

Best Dessert:

Three words, White Chocolate Cheesecake. It was so insanely good that I just want to relive the experience everyday for the rest of my life. 

Best Overall Meal:

This was a hard one to choose as there good points and bad points about all of them but I finally settled on the meal I had on Day Eleven. It was the Beer Battered Cod Fingers, Beef Wellington and the Coffee Mousse. There was a mixture of fish and meat and the dessert drew everything together , it was very nice indeed.

I'm going to miss looking back on all of the food I ate on my holiday because it reminds me what I ate and maybe what I liked enough to have again in the future. Bring on the next holiday so I can do this again!

Food Day Twelve

Source

Starter-Spinach Dip 

I didn't really know what to expect with this dish but it was very nice. The spinach sauce type stuff was topped with melted cheese and it was full of flavour and was nice and creamy. It came with warm tortilla chips which were tasty and there were a good amount of them. I liked this as it was different from any other starter that I've had before.
8/10
Main-Pork Scaloppine Oscar
This was very strange and interesting. It was a thin piece of pork covered in a cheesy creamy sauce  with white crab meat on top. It was a very strange but a nice combination. The crab was really delicious, the mash was creamy and the asparagus. The pork was a little tough to cut but wasn't chewy.
7/10
Dessert-Warm Chocolate Cake
This was delicious. It wasn't really a chocolate cake, it was more like a fondant without a melting middle. It was very chocolatly, had a nice texture and a nice portion size. Yummy!
9/10

Another good meal but I could have thought when I ordered not to order too many creamy things as it all got a bit creamy so I'd give it an 8/10 because it was still very tasty. 

Food Day Eleven

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Starter-Beer Battered Cod Fingers

This starter was out of this world. The batter was super crispy, the fish was perfectly cooked and the curried tartar sauce had so much delicious flavour it was crazy. By far the best starter on the ship but possibly the best starter I've ever had! Perfection. 

10/10

Main-Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington is one of my favourite meals of all time and this didn't disappoint. The only thing that let it down was that the fondant potatoes as they were undercooked and hard and the pastry was a little undercooked but it was still really tasty and had a good texture. The meat was perfectly cooked and was very tender and soft and went really well with the tasty carrots. 

8/10

Dessert-Coffee Mousse

The texture of this mousse was better than yesterday as it was more of the mousse I'm familiar to. The taste was gorgeous and there was plenty of it and the little piece of chocolate on top was a nice touch.

8/10

Another great meal was definitely as good as yesterdays so to I'll match the score with a 9/10! 

The Destination Awards!

As my cruising journey draws to a close it's time for me to reflect on all of the holiday fun! I've made a few categories and will be choosing a winner for each one, so let's go!

Best port:

The winner of this one is Cadiz, for the sole reason that it was the closest port to the actual centre of the destination, meaning less walking and a happy Abz! Special mention goes to Vigo for also having a short walking distance to the shops but Cadiz just pipped it to the post.

Best experience:

Without a doubt it has to be seeing the dolphins in Gibraltar, it was just incredible. Having them swim beside the ship on the way into the port was insane and then seeing them up close and personal on the dolphin trip was the cherry on top of an amazing dolphin cake. I think it'll take a lot to beat this as one of the best things I've ever seen.

Best ship view:

Ibiza is the winner of this one as the view from my mums and dad's balcony was simply stunning. It was mainly sea but with a small rock in the centre and a large island in the distance. To the left was the best part as there was a lighthouse on a rock and it looked beautiful when the sun was making the sea sparkle. I thought that this view was so calm and serene it was definitely my favourite.

Best buildings:

Barcelona without a doubt. There was such an array of different buildings, from normal apartment type buildings to breathtaking gothic cathedrals. I also loved Barcelona as a place in general and would definitely go back (but not on a Saturday, it was a little bit too busy).

Favourite picture:

This one was really hard as I had A LOT of of pictures to choose from but I finally settled on this one. I have the worst aim and normally my photos aren't in focus so I was really proud when I saw how this one turned out. Plus this little birdy is so cute, how could he not be my favourite!?!

This holiday was definitely unforgettable and was one of the best ever, go cruising!

Food Day Ten

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Starter-Thai Green Chicken Salad

I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed this! I'd never normally choose a salad but I didn't fancy anything else on the menu so I thought I would give it a go and I'm very glad I did. It was really tasty with a little bit of a kick. The chicken was perfectly cooked, nice and moist, and went really well with the different textures, a mixture of crunchy and soft, The portion size was good and the sauce was very tasty, could have just done with a little more of it.
9/10
Main-Sea Bass
I love sea bass and I wasn't disappointed. The fish was cooked perfectly with lovely crispy onions (another favourite of mine) and a tasty tomato sauce that brought everything together, could have just done with a little more of it. The potatoes were thin and crispy and the spinach was nice and tasty.
9/10
Dessert-Coffee Mousse
Compared to all of the other mousses I've had on this holiday this one was certainly the strangest. The texture was unusual as it was a little bit chewy which I've never come across before. However the flavour was really nice and the little bit of raspberry sauce and cream were tasty as well. The portion size was just enough as well.
8/10

This overall meal was probably the best so far on this trip. Everything was consistently very good and I enjoyed everything a lot so this one gets a 9/10!