Review: Edinburgh Sheraton Grand Hotel Room with a Castle View

A couple of weeks ago, I stayed at the Edinburgh Sheraton Grand Hotel with my partner to celebrate his birthday. It was a really great trip so I thought I’d write a review about my stay. Enjoy!

Location
The hotel is fantastically located in Festival Square, which was the perfect place from which to explore the city. For the shopaholics, you’ve got Princes Street about 5-10 minute walk away while Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile is 15-20 minutes walk away. Even if the hotel is facing the castle, be aware that it isn’t an easy walk- you’ll have to walk around the side of the castle to make it there. You’ve also got lots of great restaurants and shops around, in case the hotel restaurant isn’t your cup of tea.

Customer Experience
As you enter the lobby, there is a table full of Scottish shortbread cookies (my favourite) and healthy apples. This was definitely welcomed after our tiring 8-hour drive up. The staff are super friendly and I couldn’t fault them. As we are club members, we were entitled to the club lounge where drinks and snacks were served every evening. We loved this touch of luxury! On our final night, one of the waitresses was quite flustered in the lounge and actually forgot to ask my partner for his order when she got my drink, but we can all make mistakes.

The room
We were pleasantly surprised upon entering the room. The room had wooden floors, a rug feature around the bed and a view of the castle up on the hill and an interesting sort of ‘open-plan’ bathroom with frosted glass. We had a view of the Edinburgh Castle up on the hill and I definitely recommend paying slightly more for this as it is so beautiful to look at.

I have to say that the bathroom was one of the most impressive parts with both a shower and bath and different coloured lights you could choose based on your mood. Although these fancy lights were a nice touch, it did mean that it was quite dark at certain times so makeup application was tricky. Also, the toiletries were nothing to write home about, unfortunately.

There was a flat screen television and a large desk with a comfortable leather chair. The room also included a seating area along with the windows. However, it was a quite old fashioned TV and I was expecting slightly more from the Sheraton.

The King bed was a Sheraton Sleeper bed and if you like a soft bed, you will have a wonderful sleep experience. However, at home I have an orthopaedic bed so I prefer much firmer mattresses 🙂 Next to the bed, each side had room controls, a side table and light.

My minor gripe was that the hairdryer was bolted inside the desk drawer, which made me regret not bringing my own but oh well…

Breakfast
I loved the breakfast. You have a fab buffet breakfast with a range of delicious food ranging from cereals to pastries and cooked Scottish breakfast.

Can I just request that you have Nutella? This is such a breakfast staple for me so I was a bit surprised that a hotel of this calibre didn’t have it.

Spa
Now, this was something out of the ordinary for sure. After all, it is Scotland’s most renowned urban thermal spa experience.

You’ve got an iconic rooftop Hydropool inside and outside! On top of that, you’ve got a Thermal Suite with a range of water, salt and heat experiences designed to help you rebalance and refresh your body and mind. Usually, I don’t like saunas or any heat rooms, but my favourite experience was at the amethyst crystal sauna room with a mint scent. It really helped me to relax. I also got a massage and it was absolute heaven, so I definitely recommend treating yourself even if it is quite pricey.

Overall – the Edinburgh Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa
I had a lovely stay at the Edinburgh Sheraton Grand and would definitely stay here again if I ever return to Edinburgh. It was fantastically located to explore the city, the staff were very attentive and friendly and the room was comfortable.
It’s a 4/5 for me

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Inglot freedom system Eyeshadows | First Impressions

 

Hey everyone,

Today I would like to share with you some very exciting products that I got as a gift from my boyfriend when we visited the make-up store Inglot two weeks ago.

Costa coffee mint hot chocolate review

The Christmas drinks are out at Costa and I couldn’t resist trying one. As I am not a fan of coffee, I decided that I would try the mint hot chocolate. Today I will give you my verdict of whether I think it’s a drink you should try .

 My first impressions were that this is very chocolatey drink. It definitely doesn’t taste like powdered hot chocolate so you’re going to love it. Indeed, it has a nice, slightly frothy texture to it, but the mint flavour doesn’t overpower the chocolate taste. Indeed , there’s a perfect balance of mint and chocolate , which ensure that it’s not sickly at all.
Also, I enjoyed the Christmas-y touch of a mini mint candy cane that I was given with my drink. I thought it was really cute.
To conclude, it is one of the nicest hot chocolates I’ve had from a coffee shop. It gave me a Christmas vibe and I definitely left costa with a smile on my face. 
Overall rating:4/5

 

Review of Botanics All Bright Micellar 3 in 1 Cleansing Solution

Hey everybody,

Today I will be reviewing a freebie that I got thanks to my network provider. It is a make-up remover and cleanser that goes under the name of micellar water. As micellar water has been very popular at the moment I thought I would try this product (I got it for free after all).

Overall rating:

No7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil Deep Green review

 

 

Hi everybody!

I am back and today I will be reviewing the No7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil Deep Green. No7 sells a set of pencils that come in five different colours, however I will be reviewing just the green one as this is the colour that caught my eye. I have blue eyes so it was interesting to see the result.

The look:

Colour & Pigmentation:

It is a metallic deep green, which I adore as it looks vibrant next to my blue eyes. I think it would also be a nice contrast for those of you with brown eyes.

Application:

According to the boots website ‘No7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eye Pencils glide on easily and give intense colour that stays put all day ‘However the reality of using the pencil is rather different. Indeed the pencil is very difficult to apply as it’s hard  and so in order to get any colour, you need to press down on the pencil hard and drag across the eyes- I really don’t like doing that because the skin around the eyes is thin and delicate.

 

I have tried pressing the pencil softly but I hardly obtain any colour when I do this. When I have pressed hard on the point of the pencil and this has actually caused it to crumble or break off. Due to this problem, I also find these pencils difficult to sharpen because the crayon can easily break off or smear across the sharpener.

Packaging:

I rather like the packaging. The pencil is double ended- it comes with the pencil crayon on one side and on the other side, there is a sponge tip applicator which is used to blend the pencils and give a smoky effect.

Yet I do find that the packaging is actually very misleading because the pencil looks quite long, but there is only a tiny bit of product in this pencil since half of it is shared with the brush space.

Longevity:

Once applied, the pencil gives long lasting colour and I did not have to reapply at all during the day, which is fantastic since with other eyeliners I have to reapply every 2 hours.

Would I repurchase?

Yes! Although it is somewhat hard to apply it does deliver great results.

Lots of love,

Charlotte xoxo

What I Learned By Going Makeup-Free

Dear readers,

During the summer I have been wearing less and less make up every day. Funnily enough this has been quite a liberating experience even though the media continually tells us that we should be make-uped all the time. I know what you’re thinking: it’s not even possible to feel liberated without any make up as all your flaws are on show. Well, contrary to popular belief, life as you know it will not end if you skip makeup every now and then and opt for a fresh face.

A great artist that is taking this to another level is Alicia Keys who has decided to stop wearing make-up full stop. I love experimenting with my look so I’m not sure if I could go on a make-up ban but big up to her. Here I will share with you 3 things I learned by going make up free. Enjoy!

1. My skin got clearer and my eyelashes grew longer

Indeed, makeup Isn’t Necessarily Great for Your Skin even though it’s marketed as a product that hides your flaws and you can even get spot healing make up. The truth was after stopping wearing foundation and mascara I noticed changes.

I noticed that my skin became clearer. And without having to remove mascara everyday my eyelashes had the time to grow a bit (or at least seem like it) so that I would have longer lashes after putting mascara on after a makeup ban.

 

2. I saved SO MUCH money…

I am not saying that I buy Chanel make up or anything but even using affordable makeup products from brands like Maybelline add up if you use it every day.  And if you’re a student you know the struggle for cash. With the money saved up I treated myself to a restaurant outing with friends etc.

3. I was able to relax as I saved so much TIME

Everyone knows the rush of doing their makeup before work/school/ a date. Indeed, Putting on makeup can take anywhere from 10 minutes to upwards of an hour depending on how you feel about yourself that day. Whilst going bare, I was able to sleep in so much longer and there is the expression ‘beauty sleep’ for a reason right?

 

To conclude, I’m not saying don’t wear makeup every again, but just think of it as you’ll be doing your skin a good service if you choose a fresh face opposed to heavy makeup on a regular basis.  It’s important to have a balance of make-up and non-make up days.

Lots of love,

Charlotte xoxo

 

 

Date night: The Great Gatsby Eyes

 

Dear readers,

Today I will be sharing with you a date night look that was inspired by the Great Gatsby. If you haven’t yet seen the film I definitely recommend that you do because it is absolutely stunning and an absolute tear jerker! Hope you enjoy the look and don’t hesitate to share your own make up tutorials.

So from the girls in the film I saw that the make-up of the 20’s was super-smoky! This was because ‘King Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered in the early ’20s and the world went crazy for everything Egyptian, including Cleopatra’s famed kohl eyes.’ (< http://thebeautygypsy.com/great-gatsby-makeup/>).

To recreate the ’20s sooty effect, I am using the urban decay naked palette. Here are the easy to follow steps:

1.Apply the colour ‘buck’ to your crease

2.Apply colour ‘naked’ just above the crease for a smooth transition

3.Apply the colour ‘creep’ to the outer v and crease

4.Apply the colour ‘gunmetal’ to the lid

5.Then blend, add mascara and eyeliner

Final look:

So there you have it. Until next time…

Charlotte xoxo

Pony tail look

Sometimes I’m just not in the mood to spend a lot of time on my hair.  But at the same time, I don’t want to do the same look all the time with my hair down.

 

So today I tried a pony tail because frankly I only ever wear my hair down. I decided to keep my side fridge out so it was kinda harder to do. But I just put a clip of my fridge part to separate it from the rest of my hair and then tied it up.

 

I think it looks ok and is really nice when you are trying to work as there is no hair in your face . ( see picture below).

I think it can help reduce wrinkles because as you tie your hair up really tightly, you pull your face skin back. However, I would not recommend you to wear your hair like this in freezing conditions ( as I did).

Another way of doing it is to try your whole hair back into a pony tail- this is great for all those who don’t have a side fringe and just want to get their hair out of the way. I particularly like to do this when I do cardio or a zumba class as it holds up my hair pretty well as you can see below.

 

Funnily enough this hairstyle helped me realise how your hair keeps your neck and ears warm!

Do you like wearing ponytails? Xoxo

Bravissimo lingerie store (Covent garden, London) experience

 

Hey readers,

Hope all is going well for you.

So last week I decided that I needed to get a new sports bra for my gym and home workouts and I stumbled upon bravissimo. For those who don’t know about this shop, it is one that provides lingerie, swimwear & nightwear brands exclusively for D Cup and above.

It was my first ever time in Bravissimo because I find it so hard to find bras for my size (small waist but big breasts) so I don’t expect you to know this shop but I thought I would review my experience to give you an idea if it’s the lingerie shop for you.

 

Service: 6/10

Walking in me was met by the bright smiley faces of staff. However, I was not once asked if I needed any help, which I found rather strange. Due to this lack of help, I was rather confused when there were only like 5 different sizes for the sports bras and not one was my size but I then went to ask a member of staff if they had bras in my size and she told me I had to bring the bra I wanted down to the changing room and staff would check if they have it in stock.

After this I felt much more relieved as I had confidence that I would find a bra in my size. The lady at the changing room got me my bra in my size and handed it back to me. Interestingly she did not offer to measure me but I didn’t mind and I was able to get in the changing rooms immediately, which are absolutely beautiful. They fitted with a large mirror, silk dressing gown, and numerous hooks! What I particularly loved was that in the dressing rooms was that there were tips and advice on how to tell you had the right bra on you.

Sizes available and quality of bras: 8/10

Many sizes are available as the staff have easy access of the stock room, which is right next to the changing rooms, so you are able to get a wide range of bras in your size. As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog the sizes start from a D cup and they do provide back measurements of 20 etc., which are rather rare in other retail lingerie stores.

I tried on a couple of sports bras and they fitted me nicely but I didn’t think they were that amazing, especially when I considered the high price tag!

Price: 4/10

Rather expensive! All the sports bras that I tried on were at least 40 pounds, which is rather a lot of money. I wasn’t sure if the bras were really worth this so I left the store and found a much more affordable sports bra in M and S, which was about the same quality and half the price!

Overall experience: 6/10

It was interesting to visit this shop for girls like me who sometimes have a hard time finding a bra in a size. However, I was not blown away by the products or service so I’m not sure I would recommend it to anyone else.

Much love,

Charlotte xoxo

 

My love-hate relationship with summer

 

Dear readers,

Those who have read my previous blog post will have noted that I hadn’t posted in a few days because I was feeling down. And here I write a post in order to explain why I have been feeling down. This post isn’t going to be easy to write but I think it’s important that I do this for myself if not someone else who is in the same position as me as has no one to turn to or to relate to.

I love summer as it is synonymous with fun and freedom. By April, most students will be done with exams and if not we will be shortly going on holiday and relaxing. But summertime does have some negativity attached to it, especially if you’re a girl. I will go into details as to why;

1. We are taught to hate ourselves and be super self-conscious

So as everyone knows summer is approaching and the propaganda for getting fit for the summer or getting that ‘summer body’ is everywhere. But what exactly is this summer body? It seems to impose a view on us that our normal bodies are not good enough and that we will be ashamed to show our bodies in the summer time unless we have worked to produce this ‘summer body’. This means that gyms start to get packed and people start to do extreme exercise, however I am really against this whole ideology. Not because I think it’s bad to exercise, but because I believe that we should strive to exercise and improve our bodies all year round not only during the summer months.

And it is exactly this ideology that has been making me feel down because for the first time in my life I have decided that I am truly fat even though I am naturally slim. I am honestly sick and tired of the media constantly telling us that we are not good enough according to society’s beauty standards. We should love our bodies and strive to get healthy and not simply to lose weight

2. Predators are out and about

Also, as it gets hotter, we wear less clothes and this is something NORMAL that we do. However, as a woman I have received quite a lot of backlash for dressing in a summer fashion and I know I’m not the only one. By this I mean men beeping at women in their cars as they walk past ones that they consider as ‘hot’ and men thinking that they can touch women inappropriately because they are dressed like a ‘slut’. I am so sick of this as well and I can only hope things change.

In consequence of this kind of behaviour I really don’t feel comfortable wearing dresses without leggings underneath or shorts unless I am with someone else or actually in a holiday resort where it is considered ‘normal’ (as it truly is) to be wearing summer clothes.

I guess I should feel more reassured since the British government started an imitative last year where you can text a number if you are harassed on public transport in London with the location where the incident happened and when it did. However, when I went on the tube I realised that there are no cameras on the tube compartments themselves so it is unlikely to protect us unfortunately.

Now I would like to end with a few words of wisdom:

5 Facts Every Woman Should Know:

1. Everyone has rolls when they bend over.
2. When someone tells you that you’re beautiful, believe them. They aren’t lying.
3. It’s okay to not love every part of your body…but you should.
4. No one has a flat stomach just after eating
5. Society’s beauty standards do not define how beautiful you truly are

 

I just had to get that off my chest and I hope that by speaking about it we can raise awareness about it to eventually get to a solution.

Lots of love,

Charlotte xoxo