Bermuda – A tiny piece of paradise in the middle of the Ocean.

53.2 km² metres of idyllic views,  crystal blue oceans and sandy beaches – Bermuda is the destination of a lifetime!

Sitting in the North Atlantic Ocean, Bermuda is just a short flight away from the east coast of North America, as well as Canada, making it an ideal destination for Western holiday-makers.

For my fellow Brits looking to holiday in Bermuda, the flight is around 7-8 hours long with a 5 hour time difference, but trust me, Bermuda is 100% worth the jet lag – It’s such a unique, relaxed and beautiful island.

However, what I would recommend to a British jet-setter thinking about travelling to Bermuda is to stop off at another destination for a few days – make the most of your vacation and see the sights of Toronto, New York or Miami before relaxing on the island.

(PS. It was actually cheaper for myself and my friend to fly to Toronto and have a mini-break there before heading to Bermuda, so we ended up seeing two amazing places!)

 

 

 

 

Myself and my friend travelled to Bermuda towards the end of July, and stayed for 10 days, which for me, felt like the perfect amount of time to see what that the island had to offer! From enjoying touristy activities such as exploring the famous crystal caves, to relaxing on the famous pink-sand beach, we used our vacation to Bermuda to relax, party and explore!

 

 

A personal highlight of my trip was cliff-jumping at blue hole! The location is simply stunning –  I’ve honestly never seen water so blue! It’s also a great activity for first-time jumpers as the cliffs aren’t high enough to chicken out completely, but still high enough to get an adrenaline rush as you jump into the beautiful waters before relaxing in the lagoon.

You can also make a day out of your trip to blue-hole by going out for lunch at the famous Bermudian restaurant, ‘Swizzle Inn, where of course, you have to try the island drink: Rum Swizzle!

 

Also, anyone that knows me well will know that an amazing evening meal is important to me, especially on holiday! ‘SeaBreeze’ on Elbow Beach is a brilliant choice if you want great food and a lively atmosphere. The best night to visit this restaurant is definitely a Friday night as you can enjoy brilliant live music whilst eating yummy sushi among the locals! But, remember to book as it gets super busy – sunset it the best time for those all important insta views!

PS. the cocktails there are amazing! (and amazingly strong which is a bonus!)

Everywhere that you turn in Bermuda is truly beautiful, but do be warned, it is expensive… but there are ways around it! Why not opt for a beer and a picnic on the beach during sunset rather than an expensive meal, or, go for a swim in the sea rather than paying for a lavish day beside a hotel pool… sometimes, the simple things are the most memorable x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bea’s Beach Babes – The Best Bikini’s of Summer’18!

This summer, ultimate vacay vibes certainly came through as I soaked up the beautiful Bermudian sun with my ultimate beach babe gang!

 

Bermuda is a truly stunning place, and now that I’ve arrived back to U.K having not got lost in the Bermuda triangle, I am excited to say that I will be sharing my experience of the island with you all in my next blog post which will be coming very soon…But for now, let’s get back into my picks of the best swimwear of summer’18!

In this blog post, you will not only find a range of brands, prices and swim styles, meaning that there is bound to be something that takes your fancy, but also, you will get to know a little bit about more about myself, my swim style, and of course, my vacay babes!

So out of the many bikini’s I packed (and yes, surprise surprise, my luggage was WAY over the allowance, oops!), I’ve picked out my favourites for you guys!

 

 LIME HIGH LEG SCOOP BIKINI SET – £5!

The first bikini (see right image) is from #prettylittlething! PLT is my absolute go-to for last minute shopping having subscribed for free next day delivery all year round! The lime green colour of this two-piece is what initially jumped out at me, but the super sexy high leg cut is what sold it to me, and at a bargain price of £5 for the whole set, how could you not?

 

RIMINI BIKINI SET – £33, was £44!

Marilyn Monroe is one of my main style/beauty inspirations, so when I came across this gorgeous two piece set from Ann Summers, effortlessly oozing old-school Hollywood glamour, I couldn’t resist but to buy!… And, although white may seem a scary colour to wear for some, the high waisted bottoms paired with the underwired bra make for a super flattering fit, especially once you catch that bronzed holiday glow! You can now buy this set from Ann Summers in the sale – so be quick, and get this glam look  before it’s gone!

 

 

CRINKLE BIKINI SET’S – £28 & £24

Twinning with my best friend @chloewallaker in our crinkle bikinis! The fairly new crinkle swim style is super comfy, and due to the stretchy nature of the material, you are sure to get a nice and flatteringly tight fit without feeling uncomfortable when you catch those rays! My black crinkle bikini is a great holiday staple and is from ASOS, costing £28. Chloe’s vibrant bikini is a slightly different style with the bottoms being lower cut, as well as there being straps on the top. You can shop Chloe’s bikini on PLT for a similar price point of £24 – we both love the crinkle trend!

 

 

CHEETAH PRINT LOW SCOOP BIKINI TOP – £24

Now, to introduce the girl with the longest legs in Kent, maybe even England… – @_annienova. Annie looked seriously fierce in this orange, cheetah bikini from PLT, priced again at £24. The gorgeous burnt orange and brown colours perfectly suits Annie’s bronzed complexion, and the wild cheetah print most definitely suits her killer personality – she’s rocking it!

 

 

RIBBED HIGH-LEG ONE PIECE – £16

Onto my next beach babe @emma_wilson247 who always hits them angles as you can probably tell…! This super pretty pink swimsuit, from Forever 21, is sure to make the boys wink! Emma, like me, is a big fan of the super sexy high-leg swim style, and the fact that this is a one-piece adds to it’s appeal with 2018 seeing a surge in one-piece sales –  I think we can see why! PS. I only met Emma and Annie on this vacation, and I feel like I’ve known them for life!

 

 

 

DON’T MESH WITH ME – £30

The hostess with the most-essss – @kathryn_morley giving us those white angel feels in this sexy and stylish OHPOLLY two piece. My girl Kathryn (the lady that introduced me to the beautiful island of Bermuda) works pretty much any colour, and any style, but for me, this style and colour makes everything about her pop – Plus, i’m a huge sucker for mesh, especially the way that OHPOLLY have designed this set, using the mesh to create illusion, emphasising Kathryn’s killer curves.

 

 

SARAH ASHCROFT ORANGE CUT OUT THONG SWIMSUIT – £34.99

Another favourite of my mine comes from my partner in crime, @chloewallaker’s suitcase – and one thing is for sure, orange is 100% her colour! This thong style swimsuit from the Sarah Ashcroft collection at INTHESTYLE is perfect for emphasising that beach booty, but also, the cute cut out waist detail perfectly enhances Chloe’s amazing hourglass silhouette! At a higher price point of £34.99, this suit is the most expensive of all my picks, but just look how hot my girl Chlo looks in it!!! It’s the suit that all of us girls wanted to borrow on holiday, so that’s got to be saying something!

 

 

So, I hope this post gave you some top bikini inspo – but remember, whatever you are wearing on vacation, as long as you feel confident, content and comfortable with whatever you are wearing, you are sure to be looking and feeling amazing!

Bea x

 

An inspiring day at the #CosmopolitanSelfMadeSummit

From networking to nibbles and interviews to insights, the 2018 Cosmopolitan Self Made Summit was a truly inspirational weekend.

The two-day event which was held at County Hall, London, boasted an array of workshops, celebrity interviews, book signings, makeover stations, masterclasses, and last but not least, an impressive drinks menu for ticket-holders to indulge glasses of cava, mojitos and of course, cosmopolitans!…

 

…and if that wasn’t enough, as a ticket-holder, you also receive a luxury goodie-bag worth £150….

…It’s only been a few hours since the event ended, and I am already working my way through the luxury goodie-bag, featuring some of my favourite staple beauty products/brands.

I am also thrilled to see lots of exciting new products that I have yet to have the luxury of trying such as the unicorn CocoLab dry shampoo!

 

 

A personal highlight of the day for me was listening to Farah Storr, the editor and chief of Cosmo, in conversation with model and body positivity campaigner, Tess Holliday. As somebody who has had some experience in the modelling world, it was both interesting and refreshing to be able to ask Tess questions about the industry; especially since she gave such honest and inspiring answers.

Tess is a force to be reckoned with, and the best of her personality shone through thanks to Farah’s conversational, yet professional, interview style.

 

I left the Cosmopolitan Self Made Summit having met some incredible women! The event oozed ‘girl power’ right from the get go, and to be surrounded by such inspiring, entrepreneurial women was truly refreshing.

 

A Summer of Cities….

 

Anyone that knows me well, knows that I am city kind of girl, especially when it comes to holidays. But don’t get me wrong… I do love soaking up the sun by a swimming pool or on a white sandy beach with a ice cold cocktail to hand, who doesn’t?!!! But after a few days of relaxing in the sun, I start to get restless and I find myself wanting to explore, so this year, I scrapped the weeks of restless sunbathing and jetted off to explore 3 cities; two which I had never visited before, and one which is like a second home!

In this blog post, I will be writing and rating each of these cities so that you can get a feel for what I’ve been doing in each city, and hopefully, this blog will help any city lovers decide where to jet off to next!

 

First stop : Budapest…

When: Mid June 2017

Where: District VI, Budapest

Who: With my friends from university

Duration: 4 days

Temperature: 25-29 degrees

Best for: Overall affordability

Myself and my friends from university decided to go to Budapest after our exams had finished to celebrate our hard work, and what better place to celebrate than Budapest? The nightlife is vibrant and reasonably priced, on our first night, we even stumbled into one of the ruined bars during a student night meaning we could indulge on 2-4-1 cocktails under the neon lights.

Aside from the nightlife, Budapest is an extremely beautiful city with incredible views – especially from Citadella which is a steep 30 minute hike, but so so worth it! There is so much to see in Budapest, from museums to cathedrals and squares to statues… The only thing is that everything is fairly spread out across the city so I would suggest that if you plan on seeing everything touristy that the city has to offer, 5/6 days would be best as 4 days was a little bit of a squeeze (but then again, the hangovers could have been slowing us down!).

Overall, Budapest is a great place to visit on any budget! You can splash out at the ritz for dinner, or you can eat some local goulash and enjoy a pint of Hungarian beer! The nightlife is unique and the city is beautiful, but make sure you bring comfy shoes for the long walks!

Second stop : London… 

 

 

When: August 2017

Where: The Shangri La @ The Shard

Who: My family 

Duration: 2 days

Temperature: 20 degrees

Best for: Luxury

 

London – The city of my heart! I try to visit London at least every other month (twice a month during Christmas because it’s oh so pretty) which is easy to achieve with London only being a 30 minute train from uni. Aside from shopping and frequenting the theatre, my favourite thing to do in London is visit unique bars and restaurants that serve delicious food and drink, but are also are 100% instagramable!

Over the summer, I visited central London twice, most recently for a Gin Festival at Tobacco docks with the girls (which was fabulous), but the visit that I will be focusing on in this section is my stay at the Shangri La @ The Shard for my 21st birthday which was honestly the most incredible experience.

The hotel is simply phenomenal with panoramic views of the city. from the comfort of your king sized bed! The room I stayed in overlooked monuments such as Big Ben and The London Eye which was amazing to look at by day, but by night, it was even more magical especially from a warm bubble bath whilst drinking my favourite champagne!!

During our stay, we enjoyed a day at the pool in the hotel which the staff told us is the highest pool in Europe before getting ready for cocktails at The Gong which is on the top floor of the hotel. The cocktails are expensive (£18-22 a pop), but to have a scorpian perched on the edge of your drink or to watch and then drink a cocktail that floats in mid air…it’s worth it!

We also went for dinner at City Social which is a short 5 minute cab drive away from the shard (getting a black cab is part of the luxury of being in London, so I try to hold off on the uber rides!) . The atmosphere was fabulous in the restaurant with jazzy music being played and delicious food being served – the perfect setting for myself and my family to celebrate the big 21!

So, even though London isn’t exactly ‘jetting off’ since it’s so close to me, it’s a city that never fails to amaze me. When i’m in London, I like to splash out and enjoy the luxury life, but there are lots of affordable places to eat and visit in London if you research them and plan ahead.

 

Final stop: Madrid…

 

When: September 2017

Where: Plaza de Mayor

Who: My friend

Duration: 5 days

Temperature: 24 – 28 degrees

Best for: Food

 

 

I most recently went to Madrid and absolutely loved the city, the culture and the people. Everyone was friendly, the city felt safe and the cobbled Spanish streets covered with pretty flowers were a joy to walk down.

We stayed in a beautiful air bnb which was next to the iconic Plaza De Mayor. What was particularly brilliant about our apartment was that pretty much everything touristy was a short 5-15 minute walk from our apartment which was amazingly convenient (apart from parque retiro which was about 30 minutes, but was worth the walk!) as we didn’t need to splurge out on transport.

Madrid is a vibrant city with musicians playing on every street corner and an array of traditional restaurants to choose from (however, I would suggest using trip advisor to scoop out the best ones, or ask your host/hotel for recommendations!)

I went to Madrid expecting it to be extremely expensive but was pleasantly surprised to be returning with 130 euros to spare – however, if you are going to Madrid for the nightlife, it will be expensive since most places charge for entry and cocktails can be very expensive! (Myself and my friend only went to a nightclub once, and it was 10 euros for a vodka and between 15-18 euros for a cocktail!).

….But now, summer is over (sad times) and it’s back to the daunting reality of third year studies…. I will try not to day-dream about my next city adventure too much during lectures…. but there are no promises!

 

 

 

 

“I don’t know where I’m going from here but I promise it won’t be boring”

With 2017 just around the corner, I’ve decided to write a short blog post reflecting on the year that has passed and my goals for the year ahead… or at least that’s what your supposed to do for the new year, isn’t it?

I think we can all agree that 2016 has been one heck of a year! Trump was elected president, the U.K voted to leave the EU and as most recently reminded through the death of George Michael, we saw the passing 0f many celebrities and idols in 2016.

The passing of one particular idol was particularly poignant to me, and that was the passing of David Bowie. My true appreciation of Bowie as a legendary artist began thanks to my college English teacher. She often expressed her admiration for his art and dramatically played his music as we walked into the classroom, and thanks to this I now often play his music (my personal favorite being ‘life on mars’) and sing at the top of my lungs!

But back to the point… as I was reading through quotes made by Bowie, one particularly stood out to me:

“I don’t know where I’m going from here but I promise it won’t be boring”

This quote perfectly sums up my attitude towards 2017! This past year has really taught me to embrace whatever life throws at me and to live life to the fullest. In 2017 I want to take all possible opportunities, do the things that make me happy and enjoy the spontaneity of life which is something 2016 has taught me to do! And even though sometimes not knowing what’s around the corner in life can be daunting, equally what’s around the corner could be amazing!

I would like the wish everybody reading a happy new year and a happy 2017!

Lots of love, Bea

My reflection on 2015, the year of change..

Christmas has passed and 2016 is just around the corner, and its safe to say that for me, 2015 has been one hell of a year! So, i’ve decided it’s time to reflect on the year that has passed and to look towards the future and the exciting year to come.

 

1.”Hard times will always reveal true friends”

One of the biggest things I have learnt from 2015 is that friendship and loyalty cannot be measured by the the amount of time you have known a person. Time does not prove friendship or love, actions and care do.

Admittedly, it’s not always easy moving on and letting go of these people, but my advice is to realise your self-w0rth and eventually your eyes will be opened to what you deserve in a friend or a relationship.

In 2015 I lost friends, realised true ones and made new ones.

2. “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you”

More than anything, I feel proud of what I have achieved in 2015. I have created new ambitions and realised my goals, I have been part of a channel 4 documentary, I have continued to lose weight and keep healthy, I have gotten into university and am now studying a subject I love, I have worked full time and built up a great work ethic, I have travelled, I have partied and I have lived life to the fullest.

I won’t let anything or anyone stop me from achieving my goals.

3. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their    dreams”

Although I don’t know exactly what is coming in the future, I know that I am leaving 2015 behind as a stronger and better person. I feel excited about the prospect of the future, developing my knowledge at university, building upon new and old treasured friendships, and remaining inspired by my family.

There is no point in fearing the unknown. 2015 has taught me to feel excited about life and the future. I plan to make the most of 2016 and leave behind 2015 on a high.

Happy New Year to you all,

Follow your dreams and be unstoppable,

Beatrice x

 

 

LDN, shopping and champagne

So I recently went down to London with my mum for a day of retail and champagne therapy! We had a great day of indulging and shopping which started off in my all time favourite shopping destination, Selfridges!

As soon as we arrived, we headed to the corner champagne bar (of course!!!) We enjoyed a delicious cream tea with a glass of champagne before shopping.

What I love about the high street stores in Selfridges is that they have the best boutique picks from the stores, so anything I get in the store I can never seem to find in stores closer to home.

Suede is super on trend this season, so I’ve been dying to get my hands on a suede piece.. so i was chuffed to get my hands on a khaki green fringed suede crop top from Topshop. It was around £30 and is a perfect piece for a festival or can be dressed up with a pair of skinny jeans and heels for cocktails. Amazingly, i also bought a pair of trousers from Primark! Yes I said it.. Primark. In my life, I have only ever bought pjs in Primark, but the Primark collection in Selfridges was trendy and reasonable quality. The trousers are a hipster, loose fitting monochrome/frame style. I wore them a few days after with a boutique black coat and loafers and lots of people complimented them & couldn’t believe they were actually from Primark! If you get a chance, head down to the high street part in Selfridges – such great picks!

After shopping, we hopped into a cab down to the tallest restaurant in London. The restaurant is called ‘The Duck and Waffle’ which is on the top floor of the heron tower and is american gourmet food. After whizzing to the top of the building in the lift, we were amazed by the views of the city we got whilst dining. We ordered a bottle of champagne to drink, to start we had pigs ears, violet and artichoke bread as well as a sweet and savoury doughnut! The starters were so unique and tasty, but the main course was simply exquisite. We both had the renowned ‘duck and waffle’ meal which was accompanied with mustard maple syrup. The combination of flavours were truly delicious, but we were so full we passed on desert so we opted for indulgent liquor coffees instead. The ambience was great and the food was even better – I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for an indulgent experience with breathtaking views.

When I arrived home from London, the next few days the shopping continued. I bought a beautiful small faced rose gold Marc Jacobs watch (£190) & a Calvin Klein bag (£95). I have been meaning to get a watch for so long but hadn’t found one that caught my eye, but I am so chuffed with this watch. I especially love how the rose gold links compliment the teal blue face beautifully.

         

   

My DKNY outing…

So a few weeks ago whilst I was browsing one of my favourite clothing sites ‘The Outnet’, I came across a beautiful pair of DKNY heels. I just had to get them. The quality of them is insane and they are actually extremely comfortable despite being a pair of heels! I wore them for the first time last night for my friends birthday drinks paired with an all black outfit and a tailored misguided white waistcoat. I can’t wait to style an outfit with these beautiful shoes again!