My Bebe visited me in the UK for my Birthday and for the Holidays. Of course I wanted to show him around but when i asked him where he wants to go he said "Stonehenge". Thats it! The only place he wants to see. That stone thing is in England and i needed to book a flight.

There are several airlines like Ryanair, Easyjet, Flybe, British Airways that has frequents flights from/to Belfast to England airports daily. Ryanair and Easyjet being the cheapest. When I found out that Ryanair released a low fare promo. I tried my luck, see if i can get one and I DID! I booked an early flight to London Stansted for only £9.99. SCORE! 

Heres the breakdown of our 8 days holiday. 4 days in England (Stonehenge on day 2!) and 4 days in Scotland.

Day 01: Belfast to London

One thing about Ryanair - they operate at Belfast International Airport which mean it’s a bit far from the city centre (35 mins or so by bus). To make sure we will not miss our flight. We skipped breakfast at home and just grab some to go meals at the airport.

I looove online shopping. I mean who doesn't right? It's hassle free and very convenient, just add to cart, pay and booom! Your items are on its way. And when they arrive, it is always exciting. It feels like a present -  to you from you.

Just last month I discovered these beauty boxes and decided to give it a try. Whether you are beauty obsessed or just curious about the newest makeup or skin care products on the market, there’s a hell of a lot of value in signing up.

These little packages of joy full of sample size (and full-size, if you’re lucky) cosmetics can be the difference between umm-ing and ahh-ing for an hour at the beauty aisle, not knowing which products are actually worth investing in, and being able to strut straight over to a shelf and smugly announcing to the beauty assistant that ‘yes, I do know what I’m looking for thanks’.

And besides all of the beauty benefits, let’s admit that receiving something in the post is really exciting. Receiving something full of the makeup treats and skin care products you didn’t even know you wanted is even better.

Here are the first 2 beauty boxes i tried for their July Edition.

Birchbox - Born Unicorn

You've probably already come across Birchbox but if you're not already familiar, it was the first ever beauty subscription box on the market and does everything you'd expect it too with the added benefit of being able to personalise it to suit your specific hair, skin and beauty needs. Birchbox, from £10 per month.
And plus the boxes are so beautiful designed and themed every month. I got the Born Unicorn, July Edition.
Floss Beauty // My Everyday Eyeshadow in Maui
Full Size - RRP £12.50

Marcelle // Xtension Plus Curl Mascara
4.5ml Sample Size - RRP £7.67 (based on £14.50 for 8.5ml)

Photo grabbed from Glossybox website. Credit to the owner

Glossy Box - Holiday Haul

July is all about summer vibes! Whether you’re soaking up the British sun or jetting off on your jollies, our ‘Holiday Haul’ edit has all your travel beauty needs covered. The iconic pink box is filled with five holiday essentials, including a multipurpose hair oil, a luxurious cleanser and a hydrating self-tanner. Simply slip these travel-friendly products into your suitcase and take them with you on your summer adventures.

I am extremely proud for both of us. More than a decade of friendship, yung mga dating sleepovers turned to Airbnb, Pansol outing is upgraded to Paris Tour. Sino nga naman mag aakala.

It was an amazing weekend! One for the books! The absolute perfect blend of sitting in cafes and drinking wine with sightseeing, shopping, eating, and good convos. The weather ended up being great! I remember a lot of walking. I was actually a little worried cause this Tita is preggo but she never complained (except when she is hungry, which is every 30 mins!).

We don’t have a comprehensive itinerary. It is more like a spontaneous adventure. Here’s a rundown of what we did, ate, and shopped! But of course, we still did those Touristy things but never really stayed. We slipped in a walk inside and around the outside of the Louvre, peeked at the Notre Dame, and of course the Eiffel Tower. I’ll highlight a few of my favs below! Warining – LOTS of photos coming your way…

My plane landed in Schiphol airport in the Netherlands mid-day. I was so nervous. So many thoughts in my head, what if I don't get through immigration? What if i get lost? What if I missed my train to Paris? What if I get on the wrong train?

I allotted 2 hours between my arrival and my train departure. I know that trains are just below Schiphol airport, but you know in case i get into any trouble. Better safe than sorry.
I followed the other passengers as soon as we get off the plane. It is easy to navigate the airport. There are signage in the hallways. You'll never get lost. Just keep your head up.

My head is pounding as I lined up for immigration checks. Be cool. Be cool. For some reason I am always nervous whenever I go through security checks, it’s not like I’m hiding something or whatever. I think it’s the ambiance and fear that something goes wrong like in the ones we see in the movies.


“How long are you here for?” Immigration officer asked.

“Just until Tuesday, uhmmm.. 7 days.” I replied with eye to eye contact. Blue green eyes, nice white teeth and brown polished hair. He is cute.

“Are you going somewhere else or just here in Netherlands?”

“I’m going to France.” I answered quickly. “….but I’m only staying there for 3 days and will be back here.” I tried to explain.

He had series of questions after that. I was so relieved when he finally stamped my passport and said, “Enjoy your holiday!”

Like most of the major airports, train station is few steps away, for Schiphol it is sitting just below it. Once immigration checks are through, you’ll find yourself in the baggage claim area. Just continue walking and you’ll find exit that will lead you to the train station.
I went straight to the trains information to check where my platform is.


Fast forward to the 3 and a half hour train journey, I arrived in Paris 30 mins past 5 in the afternoon via Thalys train. It is the final station - Paris Gare du Nord or Paris North station. It sounds like it is located outside of Paris, but it is located within the main ring of Paris center.

This allows you to change to a Paris train or metro line, and be in the heart of Paris within a couple of minutes. For example, Paris trains D (green) and B (blue) and the E (pink) will bring you to ‘Les Halles’, close to the Louvre and Seine. I already knew which line will take me to my Airbnb. It’s the green line. But first I need to get tickets. This is when I realised, I am not in an English-speaking country. I had a little trouble buying my tickets but eventually the lady on the booth understood me.

For only €1,90 you can travel everywhere in Paris main ring or if you buy a 10-pack, you pay only €1,49 per ticket.

My Airbnb host sent me a message on where and how to access the property. The message was some kind of instructions from a James Bond movie. My host is cool.

As soon I settled my stuff. I jumped on the Metro Line 9 to Palace de Trocadéro to see the Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower – My First Encounter

To be honest I was teary eyed when I saw it. I can feel the tears in the corner of my eyes. As I walk closer towards the small square, I'm still in awe. There were vendor selling souvenirs, they were loud and almost like harassing you to buy an item. But I didn’t really bother. My eyes were staring at this Iconic landmark with admiration. My heart is full. This is it. A childhood dream come true.

I walked down the pathway heading to Champ de Mars (the park parallel to the tower) but it was closed. This is the place where you see in pictures with stairs and pigeons flying around. A bit disappointed I continued walking down until I get close. Standing 1,063-foot-tall, this iron monument is looking strong and massive.

I walked around and bought a few souvenirs (which I shouldn’t, because I know they’re a bit pricy). I waited until dusk and for the city to become dark. I wanted to see The Iron Lady sparkling like the one I see in the movies.


And there she is, lighting the city.


There was a carousel at the bottom right of Champ de Mars. The combination of this view makes the city so romantic. Could have been perfect if my Bebe was right beside me.

I spent a good hour (with my head up) admiring the Parisian Monument. This is once a childhood dream. My mumma would be so proud.

Some french bakes. I tried the chocolate crepe cause i really fancy.

I noticed there are quite several vendors selling drinks on the streets. They even sell wine! How cool is that? Lol.

I head home, jam-packed of pictures in my camera and cell phone. I survived my first day!