Nothing is picture perfect

'Nothing is picture perfect'

Hello kings & queens! Today’s post is a bit random with a little life lesson and of course fashion but I needed to get a few things off my chest and I figured a lot of you can relate to these struggles because at the end of the day fashion, beauty, travel etc. is all great but its not a constant reality. Hardships, struggles and failure occur to all of us and we all struggle so as much as I adore fashion and all of the above, we are all constantly going through our own battles and the more we realise that life comes with challenges and we all face them the more we will all come to the realisation that we have a lot in common even with the bigger bloggers, youtubers and other social media influencers.

I went out with one of my really good friends Check out Micah's amazing Blog  which made me forget all the ‘problems’ I think I have. We ate, did a photo-shoot and lots of talking in Starbucks but most importantly it took my mind of the current state I am in which is the feeling of failure. I just want to mention that I know my problems/ our problems are so minute in comparison to all the terrible things happening in the world. Someone out there wants what you have and is going through much worse but the truth is we are all human and its ok to feel down, upset and just ‘in your feelings’ as I like to say. I don’t want to bore you but to sum everything up, I am in a current state where I feel like I am constantly failing. It almost like anything that can possibly go wrong will go wrong and I’m constantly losing! This is for a number reasons but I’m sure im not the only one but I wanted put this out there because not everything you see is reality and this is the case for a lot of us. If you are currently in this state, remember that it is only short-lived and it will get better. We are each on our own journey so although it may feel like everyone around you is winning at life, that’s because its their journey not yours. It is a temporary feeling so run your own race, no need to compete or compare. 

Now let’s talk fashion! This outfit makes me so happy because everything is from the high-street.

Shirt Dress: Surprisingly enough I purchased this shirt dress from boohoo.com. I say surprisingly because for the longest time I have always said its not my favourite store. Not because I didn’t like their clothing but because majority of the time I felt like what was shown online was often different to what you receive. For example, I’m not one to look at material, if it looks good I’ll take it! But with boohoo, the material to me personally is never that great and for some strange reason, a lot of their clothing is jersey or ribbed. This would really annoy me because I would have such high expectations. I guess its partly my fault for not looking at the material but I don’t have this problem with Asos or urban outfitters. That being said, they are very affordable as many of you must already know. Now back to the dress. I love it! It was perfect for the warm weather because it was so lightweight so even though I was wearing a long sleeved dress in 24 degree (Celsius) weather, it was very breathable. I absolutely adore the choker detailing as it gave the dress a special touch. The best part is that it was only £12! I love a good bargain.

Bag - I decided to rock the Zara city bag in sky blue although it looks more teal/turquoise. Since I was wearing a monochrome dress and it is summer, I thought I needed to add some colour to spice up the outfit. Its not a super bright bag, but just the right amount of bright to jazz up the outfit. The city bag comes with a removable strap and you can see from the pictures that I take it on and off just to show you how it looks with our without. If your looking for an affordable, fashionable, on trend bag I would definitely recommend Zara. They always seem to have a dupe for luxury brands which is essential for someone like me who doesn’t want to fork thousands on a trendy bag. The only downfall is that they change their stock often, so if you see a bad that you like I suggest you grab it with both hands. I can’t tell you how many times I’ll have my eye on a bag and then it mysteriously goes.

Shoes - I paired this shirt dress with white loafers just to keep it casual. I have a thing for white flats maybe because I like the contrast between white and my chocolate skin. I purchased these from loveclothing.com awhile back but unfortunately their site has closed down. On the plus side, you could probably get something similar from any other high street store.

Accessories: Since, the dress came with the neck accessory, I didn’t feel the need to pair it with a necklace. I did however wear these hooped earrings from urban outfitters which is sort of a big deal because I am pretty safe when it comes to earrings and typically wear studs or small hooped earrings but I am so happy that I went outside my comfort zone because I think they went so well with the outfit. They did initially feel heavy but I quickly got used to them. Last but not least are these Steve madden sunglasses. Now I know Steve madden is expensive but I purchased these from TK Maxx for £12. I sadly do not have a link to where you can purchase these from because I picked them up in the store and if you know anything about TK Maxx, you would know that what they have online is often different to what they have in store so I’d suggest you go in store and pick up a bomb pair of designer sunglasses for under £20!

What is your favourite high street brand?

Duck & Waffle Review

Duck & Waffle

I thought I would do a quick review of the fabulous Duck & Waffle! I have only been once and this was awhile back but I know someone out there will benefit from this post because i'm sure i'm not the only one who googles food from restaurants before I go so that I can get an idea of what I am getting myself into. Picky eater problems! 

The atmosphere 

Duck and waffle is what I consider to be 'bougie' (Anything that is perceived as upscale & luxury) particularly because it is on the 40th floor with floor-to-ceiling windows. It is absolutely beautiful and you literally feel on top of the world or at least London! We went in the afternoon but i'm sure at night it would have been just as beautiful with the London lights. We arrived on time but had to wait in the bar for 15-20 minutes which didn't bother me as I was busy taking pictures of the amazing view. Once our table was ready, the waitress offered to take our jackets and handed us the menu. The staff were lovely and very attentive.

House Bread, Spiced Butter & Sea salt
Price: £6
7/10

Food Experience

Duck & Waffle offers British inspired cuisine with European influences and because we went in the afternoon ( between 1pm -2pm) we could choose from the All day menu. The menu was very intimidating to me because everything sounded complicated and nothing that I would typically go for so the safe option for me was to try the classic duck & waffle because I love both duck and waffles but have never tried them in combination with each other. To keep it short and sweet, I loved it! The duck leg was served on top of half a waffle and a duck fried egg. They typically fry the eggs 'sunny side up' but  I requested to have an over hard fried egg because as I do not like the yolk to be runny. It was also served with mustard maple syrup which was super sweet so I made sure not to pour too much. The portion size looks pretty small but I can tell you that it is very filling to the point that I had no room for dessert.

Crispy Leg confit
Fried Duck Egg
Mustard Maple Syrup
Price: £17

I assumed that a restaurant like this would be very expensive not just because of the amazing food but because of the atmosphere, amazing views and the general 'prestigious' vibes the restaurant gives off. However, I think the general price of the menu was pretty good. We all spent under £25 each (baring in mind that none of us had desert). I have definitely spent more in other restaurants so I was surprised to say the least that I didn't break the bank. Unfortunately, the restaurant does have a dress code which is 'casual elegance'. Trainers, ripped jeans, especially baseball caps are not allowed ( Daytime dress code) as well as open toe sandals ( Evening dress code) so I would just be mindful of what you decide to wear but I couldnt imagine anyone walking into this particular restaurant in joggers and trainers because you would definitely feel out of place.

Pros 

• Great prices
• Lovely atmosphere, great views and attentive staff
• Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Perfect for a birthday evening or special occasion ( Private dining room which holds up to 9-250 guests)
• Good Food

Cons

• Portion sizes were small (although it was filling for me personally)
• The description of food on the menu look complicated ( to me at least). Therefore I would suggest, looking at the menu beforehand to familiarise yourself with what you may potentially order. 
• As it is central London (Liverpool street) I would suggest booking beforehand because I can imagine the restaurant to get quite full especially in the evening. 
• Dress code
• Camera policy. No large camera's, changeable lenses or video equipment. (My friends and I didn't know this policy at the time so we did have our DSLR cameras and no one said anything)                                                       

Overall I give Duck & waffle a 7/10. I couldn't get over the amazing views and the fact that we were on the 40th floor so even if the food was below standard, the atmosphere alone is an experience in itself. Luckily, the food was pretty good too and if you're having trouble deciding on what to order, I would suggest go for the classic duck & waffle.You can't really go wrong!

Have you been to duck & waffle ? If so, what are your thoughts! Did you love it it ? Did you hate it? 

Comment below!

The amazing view!

I happen to be Vlog on this day. Check it out below!

'The Lone Island' Cape Verde

'The Lone Island' Cape Verde      

One thing you will quickly get to know about me is that I love to travel because nothing beats experiencing new cultures, exploring different traditions and meeting new people. My goal is to at least travel to one country from each continent and once I have achieved that, I would love to visit as many countries and islands as I possibly can. As previously mentioned in my first post ‘Abandoning fear’, I’m all about speaking things into existence as I feel that they will eventually manifests itself into reality.

Playsuit: Boohoo
Sunglasses: Quay Australia
Slides: Adidas

For my 21^st birthday in January, I went to Cape Verde and to be honest with you I’d never heard of the country until my sister had brought it to my attention. I’m sure I am not the only one who had no clue Cape Verde existed because when I told people where I was going, they would give me this really odd look of uncertainty and I could tell they felt embarrassed not knowing where the country was or that it even existed. The moral of the story is that not a lot of people know of Cape Verde which is one the pros I will go into detail when explaining the pros and cons of visiting the country.

My experience

 There are a total of 10 islands and we went to the island of Sal. We stayed for 7 nights at the Melia Dunas Beach & spa resort and flew via Thomson airways. I personally think that 7 nights is perfect because there is only so much to do particularly because we didn’t leave the resort.  You’re probably wondering why we only stayed on the resort and the reason is because the country or at least the island (Sal) was pretty barren. There was absolutely nothing outside the resort. It felt like I landed on mars which I wasn’t too surprised about because I did do a little research on the island but it didn’t sink in until we got on the coach and were driven to the resort. There was nothing to see, not a tree, a house, or even cars other than the different airline coaches. However, once we arrived at the resort it was beautiful. My sister and I were consistently on tripadvisor before we flew out and there were mixed reviews (but mostly good) reviews on the resort. I personally liked it, it was clean and simple and the staff were extremely lovely. I did read on tripadvisor that the bathing was yellow and in some of the pictures it almost looked brown and unfortunately that was indeed the case. The bath water looked like urine but I honestly didn’t mind as long as my skin didn’t react to the water. We were advised not to drink the tap water and although they said it is safe to brush your teeth with the water, I preferred to use bottled water.

Playsuit: Miss Guided
Sunglasses: Quay Australia
Slides: Adidas

As mentioned before, we didn’t leave the resort because we felt there wasn’t much to do. We spoke to a few other travellers who had left the resort and went to the town in Santa Maria and the Santa Maria beach and many regretted going. Many complained that they were bombarded by locals who were trying to sell them things from clothes to jewellery and even drugs. Therefore, as two females alone we thought it was safe to stay on the resort. We opted not to do the Salt Lake tour because from speaking to others that had gone, they had mentioned that once you’ve floated for 5 minutes its pretty boring and again there was absolutely nothing to see on the island. However, this doesn’t mean we didn’t have a good time because I loved it. The fact that there is not much to do outside the resort, meant that there was lots to do on the resort.

Activities:

•  The beach!  There is a beach on the resort and it was an approx. 10-minute walk from our room. There were rooms & villas even closer to the beach so I guess it depends on where you stay. The beach was huge and absolutely beautiful. There were numerous water activities and beach activities such as horse riding and quad biking. Also, if you pay for activities such as the Salt Lake tour at the resort from the airline representatives, it’ll be pretty expensive so I’d suggest paying for activities at the beach where you will probably be bombarded with people selling tickets for different activities such as the Salt Lake tour for a discounted price. 

There was also a spa which was amazing. We actually went there twice because we loved it so much but mainly because we got half price on all treatments and 24hr access to the spa for a day so we could go in and out as pleased. The half price offer wasn’t available to everyone for some strange reason because we spoke to a guy whilst on the private balcony who told us he paid full price. Nevertheless, the spa had all the regular spa facilities and a private balcony which was perfect because it was enclosed and very relaxing. The price of the spa was pretty good especially since we paid half price and utilised the facilities all day.

Private Balcony at Yhi Spa (Resort Spa)

 The show! A show at 8pm everyday was shown at the outside theatre. The best show by far was the lion king which was most peoples favourite as it was a packed show. I also enjoyed the traditional shows but I will say that for some shows, we left within the first 5 minutes. They weren’t necessarily bad but we just weren’t interested.

  Pool activities! The pool side was very lively with pool side workers doing a bunch of pool activities such as pool surfing, pool aerobics, water slides and of course music. There were multiple different pools for different age groups so everyone could enjoy the fun.

The resort overall was very family orientated. There was a kids club for all ages as well as a tennis court, table tennis and game room so you can see that everything you would ever need is on the resort. 

       Close to the beach, there were shops. Anything that was imported was tripled in price so if you forgot to buy a bikini, floats, sun screen, shower gel you name it, be prepared to pay an extortionate amount of money. There were also a few restaurants which you had to pay for, an ice shop, souvenir shops/ general store and hair salon so your pretty much covered on the resort which again was one of reasons why we didn’t feel the need to leave the resort. It was an all inclusive package and we had the option of choosing between 3 different restaurants; an international buffet, Italian restaurant which you had to book for dinner and also a grill restaurant which you also had to book because they would get filled pretty quickly. The food was ok but I am a picky eater and don’t eat anything so its hard to please me but I will say that I did not like the buffet. I don’t like buffet’s in general because the food is never really that nice but the other two were good. Live music was always played at lunch and dinner which added a nice touch. Alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages were served all day whilst the restaurants were opened at specific times of the day.  

Bikini top: Asos

Short: Forever 21

Sunglasses: Quay Australia

Pros

·      The resort is huge meaning you don’t have to leave.

·      Plenty of activities especially water activities

·      Lovely atmosphere (We met some of the loveliest people)

·      Beautiful weather (We went during the coldest month and it was still hot)

·      For an all inclusive holiday it was a very good price (booked via first choice)

·   Perfect for all ages.

Cons

·      If you are an explorer bare in mind that there is not much to do outside of the resort and if you do go out, you will be bombarded by the locals.

·      There may possibly be a power cut. This did occur whilst we were there but it didn’t bother us much as everyone just stayed outside listening to the live music.

·      Stray cats. I HATED the cats as they were too comfortable, probably because people kept feeding them so there would be at least 2 or 3 by our table.

I would give this holiday a solid 7. I truly enjoyed myself as it was more of a relaxing holiday and I would definitely recommend going. If you are an explorer I would give Cape verde a pass but nothing beats beautiful weather (for me at least).  Any Islands or countries that you have visited that are unknown by a lot of people? Comment Below!

Playsuit: Zaful

Sunglasses: Quay Australia

I didn't vlog because I wanted to enjoy the moment however, I did stop by duty free to get some goodies. Check out the video below to see some of the fragrances and makeup I purchased!

'Abandoning Fear'

'Abandoning Fear'

Coat: Asos
Leather leggings: H&M
Nude court Shoes: Asos

Hello Kings and Queens! Before I get into what this post is about I have to address this semi new approach of referring to my follower’s/internet friends as ‘Kings’ and ‘Queens’. It is simply because I feel like we all are kings and queens in our own right, although most of us including myself forget. For me personally, we all sometimes fail to realise that we have self worth and are beautiful, creative and valuable beings. The moment a guy or girl refers to you as there king or queen, you automatically feel special, appreciated but most importantly valued for the wonderful being we all truly are. So Kings and Queens, welcome to my blog and my new journey.

I don’t want to put this blog in a box and stick to one thing. I want it to be about beauty, fashion, food, travel, life lessons etc. 

I am embarking on this new venture and I wanted my first post to be about my journey towards abandoning fear because this is what had stopped me  from starting this blog.
Fear to me is the Devil. Its that voice in my head telling me not to take the risk, telling me its impossible. I would love to be that individual who is not afraid to follow their dreams and just simply does whatever makes them happy but the truth is fear has stopped me. I ask myself all the time, ‘what are you so afraid of’. 

I guess I would consider myself to be very practical and generally doing whatever’s safe but as I write this post, this will mark DAY 1 of abandoning fear. I know it will be a difficult journey because just buying a blog theme filled me with fear. Thoughts of why anyone would read my blog ‘because there are so many successful bloggers out there’ came rushing through my mind because for some strange reason ‘everything that I have ever wanted just never happens or goes wrong’ I say to myself. I go back and fourth with my mind and it feels like a never ending battle between fear and my wants and desires.

I don’t know how many people will read this or if anyone will read this, but I want this journey to not just be about me but about you too whether you blog yourself or you’re just a reader. There is something out there, right now that is stopping you from pursuing a dream, applying for that job that you’ve convinced yourself you wont get etc. I am telling you as well as myself to do whatever makes you happy and abandon fear. You cannot change time, everyday we are growing older and older and time is ticking. There will be a point when you can’t do what you wanted to do for whatever reason because you wasted TIME. There will be of course failure but it is better to fail at trying than to not have tried at all. With starting this blog, whether it becomes a success or not, I can look back and tell myself at least I tried. I made the attempt to do something that I love regardless of the results. 

I would love this blog as well as my YouTube channel ( Check it out) and anything else I embark on to be successful. Success is important to me and a lot of people which is why it took me long to start a YouTube channel and now this blog because I was afraid that I wouldn’t succeed at either of them. I often focus too much on numbers and views which make me feel like a failure but when I put everything into prospective, I have truly succeeded. I started off with 0 subscribers and now have over 10k and although I get those moments where I feel like 10,000 plus isn’t a lot compared to other youtuber’s, I  remember that I am on my own journey and so are you and even the most successful people had to abandon fear and take risks to be where they are. A journey is full of ups and downs and nothing in life is ever smooth sailing but at least trying and making an attempt is a start. Everyone starts somewhere and so lets stops comparing ourselves and focus on our own journey to greatness because how can you truly be great and succeed when you’ re busy comparing and looking at the journey of others. Its all in your mind, its all in my mind. I can do anything and the only person stopping me is me. We all have complete autonomy over our lives and over our happiness. It is what we choose to do with our lives that will reflect whether we truly have abandoned fear or just living in a comfort zone in fear of failing.

So to you reading this, I am a true believer of speaking of your dreams, passions and aspirations into existence because they will truly manifest itself. Comment below what fear has stopped you from achieving. Whether its fear of failing, fear not succeeding your passion, fear of what others think, fear of disappointing family and not living up to expectations. Its hard to admit your fears but once you can come to terms with them, abandoning them and living shamelessly as Shameless Maya would say is the way forward.