SkinCeuticals Hydrating Mask I’ve been struggling with dry skin recently and this mask has help significantly. Sometimes my skin has a hard time absorbing moisturizers which is why I like moisturizers like this, that have a gel like consistency.

La Roche-Posay Thermal Spray I’ve been loving using this thermal spray to set my makeup. It won’t make your makeup last longer but it does blend your makeup into your skin to give it a more natural look.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo This is definitely my favorite book I’ve read this season. It touched on some darker subject matters but didn’t feel like a heavy read. It was really eye opening to read about what the LGBTQ+ community goes through and how it effects their lives.

Pearl Embellished Cardigan I’ve been wearing this cardigan every chance I can get. It’s the type of clothing item that looks fashionable but it’s uncredible soft and cozy.

SkinCeuticals Hydra Balm I have mentioned before that I like to use balms or Vaseline like products on the particularly dry patches of skin before using my retinol. By doing that, I prevent the retinol from really penetrating the skin in those specific problems areas but it still allows me to use retinol on the rest of my face. Recently this is the balm I’ve been using and I love it because it does double duty in preventing the retinol from creating further dryness, and it’s also hydrating.

Dior Lip Gloss I have this lip gloss in the shade Pink/Glow. I’m pretty happy with the size of my lips so I don’t necessarily care for the plumping effect, and TBH don’t notice a difference. I love this lip gloss because it can be worn on it’s own or paired with almost any other lip product. It’s also quite hydrating and comfortable for a lip gloss.

Tower of London

The Tower of London was so much more extensive than I expected it to be. Seeing the castle was incredible and the crown jewels are breathtaking. We only spent a morning at the Tower of London but you could easily spend an entire day seeing all it has to offer and learning about the history.

Afternoon Tea

Having afternoon tea is deeply rooted in the culture in the UK, which is why I’m counting it as an experience and something to do rather than just a place to eat. The afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason’s Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon was phenomenal not just because the food was good but it was such a relaxing experience. I recommend branching out and trying a tea you’ve never tried before to go along with the traditional afternoon tea.

Sightseeing

One of the best (and free) things to do in London is just walking around and soaking in all the historic sights. Some must sees include Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth Tower/Big Ben, Tower Bridge, and Westminster Abbey. Of course there is a lot more to see than just those places, but those are an absolute must. You could see all the sites listed above in a day but I suggest checking them out when you are in the area for something else. For example, my husband and I had tickets for the London Eye which is right next to Elizabeth Tower/ Big Ben so we went to see that while we were in that area.

Warner Bros Studio Tour London- The Making of Harry Potter

I’m cheating on this one a little because it’s technically outside London but it’s only a short train ride away. I’d say my husband and I both like Harry Potter but you can’t really classify us as huge fans. Regardless of whether you are a huge fan, or even if you’ve never seen the movies or read the books, I think everyone would enjoy the Harry Potter studio tour. I loved seeing the full sized sets like the Great Hall and Diagon Alley. It was also fascinating to see some of the props and and how special effects were done. I recommend setting aside and entire day for this. I plan on eventually dedicating an entire blog post to planning a trip to the Harry Potter studios so stay tuned for that.

My husband and I recently spent a week exploring London. This was our second time visiting London and I have to say, the food scene has changed a lot. London is a melting pot and the food there reflects that. I love that you can find every type of food you could ever want in one city. The options can be overwhelming so I want to share the best places we ate at while we were there.

Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon

I have been ordering tea from Fortnum and Mason for years. As a tea lover, having afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason was a bucket list item. It lived up to all my expectations. Afternoon tea is deeply routed in the culture, so even if you don’t love tea I suggest trying it just for the experience. I got the standard afternoon tea and my husband got the savory afternoon tea. The tea salon is beautiful and relaxing and the wait staff are incredibly helpful at walking you through the experience if it’s your first afternoon tea.

Harry’s Dolce Vita

Harry’s Dolce Vita felt like 1950s Italy. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful and the food is delicious. I got the Pollo Milanese with Green Beans and my husband ordered the Ribeye with Broccoli. Our meals were both delicious but the standout item was the Green Beans. I think a lot of restaurants make great entrees but neglect their side dishes so I really love it when the sides are just as good as the entrees, that’s a sign of a truly good restaurant. We also ordered the Toadstool dessert. The toadstool dessert doesn’t always get good reviews. My husband and I both love white chocolate and vanilla so we both enjoyed it.

Flat Iron

I love it when a restaurant really only has one item on the menu because that’s a sign they do it perfectly. I loved how unpretentious an casual this restaurant was. I ordered the Flat Iron medium rare with wild mushroom sauce and it was one of the best AND least expensive steaks I’ve ever had.

Caviar House & Prunier

The Caviar House and Prunier is a change with a few locations in London and throughout Europe and Japan. We went to the location inside Harrods. We actually had a couple of good meals in the dinning hall at Harrods but this was the best. This was definitely the fanciest lunch I will ever have and I enjoyed every second of it. We ordered the 30g Caviar House Finest Caviar Oscietra which was the butteriest nutty caviar I’ve tried. We also ordered the 6pc rock oysters which were incredibly fresh tasting. To finish everything off, we ordered a cheeseboard which to be honest we could have skipped because the oyster and caviar filled us up and the cheeseboard was nothing special.

Casual Attire

Cocktail

Formal