England Adventures: South Bank, Snogs and Elton John

Hello, everyone! Welcome to Day 3, a day full of music, fun and frozen yogurt. Prepare yourselves for a lot of pictures!

First up, brunch. To be honest, I'm not sure what time we actually left the hotel room, so I don't know whether to call this breakfast or lunch. Why not both? Story time!

My sister and I are very much into YouTube. The majority of our subscription lists are made up of British vloggers who like to take us along with them as they go new places, make new friends, and go through their everyday lives. In a lot of videos, we hear about this glorious Asian restaurant called Wagamama that everyone raves about. For months leading up to our holiday, I've planned for us to go to Wagamama and have a meal or two. On our third day in London, we decided to stop there for lunch. We walk into the restaurant, got ourselves settled in and opened up our menus. For the first five minutes or so, everything seemed totally fine. Then I realized the menu was in Italian. I didn't recall Wagamama being an Italian restaurant! I close my menu to get a look at the cover and realize it doesn't say 'Wagamama' anywhere on it. I ask my sister, "Are we in the right restaurant?" She replies with a 'yes' and quickly looks for assurance that she answered correctly. There was no assurance; we had walked into the wrong restaurant. So there we were, sitting in Strada, the Italian restaurant right next to Wagamama. We contemplated whether or not to leave, but the starters we ordered before our realization were just so good! We decided to stay and visit Wagamama later that night for dinner, making extra sure we went to the right door this time. At least the food was delicious!

And there we saw who I briefly thought to be Elton John.

I'm not sure what building this is, but it photographed very nicely!

Visiting Ol' Benny.

Street Performer #1

Street Performer #1 met a lady friend!

Street Performer(s) #2

BUBBLES

This guy!

Street Performer #3

That guy's friend!

After strolling down Southbank Centre, we hopped on a tour bus and travelled around London, learning a bit more information about what we've seen over the past few days.

Apparently, this was the very bridge in which Harry Potter fended his life from some strange goblin things. The clip in the film took less than a minute of screen time, but the bridge had to be closed off for a whole 8 weeks to shoot the scene. How crazy is that?!

This is the 'door' in which all royal couples emerge from once they get married. Or so we're told! It's magical either way.

Another shop on my list of Places to Go was Zara. I never actually made it there, but at least I got a picture of it!

On our tour around London, we passed the iconic Trafalgar Square.

For some, strange reason that nobody is quite sure of, there is a big blue statue of a rooster in the middle of the square. My camera wouldn't focus, but I'm pretty sure you get the gist of it!

After the bus tour, my dad and I decided to take a stroll 'round Covent Garden.

We stopped by a coffee shop/smoothie place called Joe & The Juice and ordered ourselves some smoothies. My dad went for the Go Away, Doc'; while I opted for Immunity, a mix of grapefruit, passionfruit and apple. Not only did I love the vibe of the place, but I'm a sucker for clever names, and their menu was full of them!

When our feet got tired and our stomachs grew hungry, we decided it was time to head back and get some dinner. Can you spot the young man who photobombed me whilst taking this panorama? Haha!

We finally made it to Wagamama! For appetizers, we split some chili garlic edamame and wok-fried greens. For the entree, I ordered a vegetarian Saien Soba and it was delicious! We were all thoroughly impressed with our Wagamama experience and desperately wish they decide to expand the chain to America.

Earlier on in the day, I spotted a bright pink double-decker bus with the word 'SNOG' plastered on top of it. That could only mean one thing: FROZEN YOGURT! For those of you who aren't familiar with it, Snog is a vibrant-coloured frozen yogurt shop with funny phrases on their cups and napkins! I've heard about Snog through a couple of my YouTuber friends and was once again elated when I saw there was one in walking distance of me!

Credit

After dinner, we decided to hit up the Snog Bus and get some fro-yo! All customers were able to explore the second story of the bus where they had some seats, a very cool light display and a floor that was made to look like grass! Here I am, spying on my mom and sister who were still on the ground floor ordering their yogurts!

These were the best pictures I could get of my fro-yo as my dad and I were now running to catch up with my mom and sister! I ordered a classic sized blueberry acai yogurt with strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. Instead of raspberries, I got blueberries but that's okay because it tasted good either way!

This was one of my favourite moments of the trip! My mom and sister had headed back to the room to relax, leaving the night owls left to explore the town. We ended the night with a wonderful stroll through London, wandering up and down the streets and exploring the Southbank Centre Festival of Love that had been going on for the past couple of days. I remember feeling extremely content and happy with the way things worked out that evening. It was the perfect ending to our last full day in London!

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I hope you've enjoyed your time on this little internet page! I highly recommend visiting Southbank if you're ever in London. Stick around for the next blog post on a day in Brighton! I promise it'll be super awesome.

Have a wonderful day!

Jordan x

England Adventures: London Sightseeing

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the second day of England Adventures. In this post, you'll see some of the famous British landmarks and experience several new beverages. I'll explain later.

For our first official day in London, we decided to get our butts out of the hotel room and do something, despite the persistent - and very annoying - cough I had acquired on our journey overseas. Our hotel was a 5 minute walk from the London Eye, so we decided to follow the big wheel in the sky and see what all the commotion was about!

Ooo, an artistic shot!

Look at those people having so much fun!

And here they are, the marvelous Big Ben and Houses of Parliament, in all their glory! And yes, they are - if not more - breathtaking in person.

I don't know the name of this riverside walking space, but it was my least favourite part of London. For those couple hundred yards or so, I felt more claustrophobic than I did anywhere else in the busy town! Believe it or not, this was taken during one of the less congested hours of the day. Aside from mornings, that little pathway is usually packed!

During our walk around London, we stumbled across none other than Westminster Abbey! This is the famous church in which all royal couples get married. That was pretty exciting to think about as you walked by!

Another artistic shot!

This is a close up of the carvings sculpted above the doorway of the abbey. Look at all that detail!

Psh, tourists!

Here's a statue of Queen Elizabeth's famous grandfather, King George V. Yeah, it's a gorgeous, detailed piece of history and all...

But the real reason I took this picture was because of the bird on his head.

This is Ginger Beer. I saw YouTube vlogger Louis Cole drink this in numerous vlogs and thought it sounded quite interesting! I've had Ginger Ale before and loved it; how different could this be?! To answer your question, very. Ginger Beer is made with actual fermented ginger (chemically broken down by yeast, bacteria and other microorganisms), whereas the Ginger Ale we have in America is more like white soda with a hint of ginger flavoring. This was not my favourite thing in the world, but I'd definitely drink it again if I had to!

A colourful display of flags on my way to Queenie's.

This was the best picture I could get of my BFF's house because we were getting mobbed left and right! We eventually made it back into her house for afternoon tea and all was one with the world.

After visiting Lizzie, we popped into Sainsbury's on the way back to the hotel. I saw Lucozade on the shelf and knew I had to try it! This is another beverage I was indirectly recommended by Louis Cole. I can honestly say it's the best fizzy drink I've ever had. I don't drink soft drinks often as I know they're not good for you, but if they sold these in the states, they'd be my go-to fizzy beverage.

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That's it for Day 2! Not only did you walk around London with me, you also learned what beverage I like! It's a win-win! I'll see you in two days time for Day 3!

Have a great day!

Jordan x

England Adventures: The Journey Begins

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the first day of our English holiday! In this post is our arrival, a challenging commute to London, and a bad fish dinner.

Enjoy!

This was my first ever view of England; from ground level at least! We had flown into the small town of Mildenhall and were sat here, waiting for a taxi to the train station. Looking back on it the view wasn't that marvelous, but anything on the ground looks good to you after an uncomfortable 8 hour plane ride!

On the countryside taxi ride, we passed this glorious looking church that we were told took over 200 years to build. This was the best picture I could get out of the minuscule taxi cab window!

Back of a cute guy at the ticket booth.

Sister doing her hair on the train!

Sister sleeping on the train.

After a 70 mile train ride and a series of horrendous tube journeys...

We finally made it to London!

This was the view from our hotel room window. To England natives this view is nothing spectacular, but to my fellow Americans, the type of architecture seen almost everywhere in this picture is very uncommon. I think the most fascinating thing about the whole trip was seeing the different types of houses and buildings people lived in!

The very best part of the view from our hotel room was that you could see The Shard!

We then went out for a family dinner at a place called Fishcoteque. My sister, mom and I went for the classic fish and chips whilst my dad opted for a cheese and onion pasty. None of us liked our meals and I think it's safe to say we'd never go back!

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That concludes our first day in the UK! I have to admit, the first day was the most stressful, but we didn't let a stuffy commute and bad dinner ruin our night. I'm very proud of my family for sticking together and patiently putting up with each other throughout all the chaos. Things could've been a lot worse!

And so the journey continues...

See you very soon for Day 2! Jordan x

England Adventures: What I Packed

Hey, everyone! Last Tuesday, my family and I jetted off to England for a week-long holiday. I cannot express to you how excited I was for this trip! It's been a dream of mine since I was 12 and for 3 years now, I've been planning on moving to England and pursuing my career as an adventurer! Every aspect of the country draws me to it, from the thatched roofs to the seashores to the buses and clock towers! It's calling my name, and I'm definitely listening.

Anyways, I thought it'd make for a fun blog post if talked you through the contents of my suitcase and explained to you the reasoning behind some of the items I brought with me. The contents of one's suitcase could vary depending on your gender and/or the destination you're travelling to. These are going to be the basics that I think everyone should have in their suitcase. Let's get started!

1.) Clothing

Since weather during the English summer can be slightly unpredictable, I decided to bring clothing for all occasions. Whether it was rainy and cold or warm and sunny, I'd be appropriately dressed for anything! Luckily, it was sunny and beautiful the whole time we were there.

I stupidly forgot to take pictures of the full wardrobe I packed away neatly in my suitcase, but thank goodness I made use of the full-body mirrors I saw along the way! For this trip, I brought an array of garments including flowy tops, a light sweater, shorts, a skater skirt, a maxi skirt, a dress, a sweatshirt, two pairs of walking shoes and a pair of flip flops. Here are a couple of the outfits I put together.

Remember to always pack your outfits accordingly! You wouldn't want to arrive in Alaska during the winter and realize you've only packed shorts and T-Shirts!

2.) Hygiene Stuff

No matter where you are in the world, it's highly recommended that you stay clean and hygienic! For this trip, I brought the essential toothpaste, toothbrush, razor, deodorant and lip balm. I also snuck in some hair ties, bobby pins and floss. My other hygiene/beauty essentials included a cleanser, moisturizer and hairbrush, but those were packed away long before I took these pictures!

This toothbrush came with it's very own case and pouch. It was the cutest thing!

3.) Technology Doohickeys

Behind modesty and hygiene, the next most important thing during my travels was technology. On this trip, I took my Nikon camera for picture-taking, batteries to keep my picture-taking device running, a charger cord and power box for my iPhone, and headphones for the obnoxiously loud plane ride and train journeys. Once again, my memory failed me and I forgot to photograph the headphones with the rest of the items, but you can imagine what two wimpy, little earbuds look like!

One might say that 'vacation is a time to get away from technology', but how are you going to prove you went on vacation if you have no way of documenting it?! I think technology is completely essential when travelling and aids beautifully in preserving the memories you'll look back on in so many years time.

That's pretty much all I packed for England! I wanted to make sure I traveled extra light on this little escapade. Another thing to remember when packing, especially when you know you're going to be using other modes of transportation besides plane, is to only bring the things you need. Believe me, lugging unnecessary things around when you've got places to be is the last thing you want to do!

I hope this has helped you slightly in your efforts to pack a suitcase with confidence! The only thing I felt was missing was a little portable hand lotion, but that was fixed easily by a trip to Boots.

Stay tuned to this space for the real adventure!

Have a wonderful day!
Jordan x

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter Review

Hello, everyone! I recently went to the drugstore looking for some new lip products and picked up a famous Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter. They've been around for ages and I've heard some really great things about them, but I've held off purchasing one for some reason! Today, I finally gave in.

I'm a massive fan of this packaging, not only because it's adorable! I love products with packaging that can't be easily scratched or scraped. I'm kind of a clumsy person, yet I can't stand it when anything of mine is in less than perfect condition. This case is virtually scratchproof and reminds me slightly of a pillow!

I bought the lip butter in shade 010, Raspberry Pie.

Very sleek and fancy-looking!

I actually bought this thinking it was a light, sheer, summery lip balm; that's why I got such a vibrant colour! Turns out, it's more of a lipstick than a lip balm. It's not sheer whatsoever! The swatch doesn't give it much justice, but the shade of this lip butter is a blue-toned, bright amaranth colour.

The formulation is fantastic and the staying power is magnificent! Literally, I went to bed with it on and I woke up the next morning with it completely in tact. The only problem I have with this product is that it's not too moisturizing. I would recommend putting a tiny bit of lip balm on before applying this. The finish is very satin-like and lovely!

Overall, I am very impressed with this product and will definitely be repurchasing; maybe in a lighter shade next time! You could find these at almost every store that sells makeup. They're easily accessible and quite affordable! I believe I got this one $7.49 (£4.38) at my local drugstore.

That's all I have for today! I hope this has helped make your final decision on whether or not you wanted to purchase this product! Not all 20 shades are as vivid and bold as this one. I'm sure you'll find one you like!

Happy Shopping!

Jordan x

Michael Todd True Organics Review

Hello, everyone! A couple months ago, my lovely parents got me this collection of Michael Todd True Organics skincare products for my birthday. If you're at all into beauty, I'm sure you've heard of this line before!

I've been looking into investing in these products for ages now, due to their rave reviews and the fact that they're organic. Anything organic is much better for you - and the environment - than nonorganic products. Michael Todd's line in particular uses no chemical-based pesticides, artificial colours, synthetic fragrances or alcohol.

Unlike other skincare products where the bases usually consist of water and/or skin-suffocating mineral oil, the base to all Michael Todd products is Aloe Vera juice. Aloe Vera juice is an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. It also soothes and hydrates whilst supplying it with over 75 nutrients including vitamins, minerals and amino acids! Basically, you get all of the good stuff and your skin shows it.

These are the 3 products I was given: a toner, a cleanser and a moisturizer! In no order of application.

First up is the Honey and Oat Gentle Deep Pore Gel Cleanser. This is the first step in my skin care regime! If I don't wash my face in the shower, I'll take a hot washcloth and run it over my face to open up my pores. Then, I'll massage the cleanser into my skin and wipe it off with the hot rag afterwards.

Though the name of this product is an oxymoron within itself, it definitely lives up to it! This cleanser is so gentle yet effective; it's kind of crazy!

Second up is the Blue Green Algae Antibacterial Toner. This is brilliant for neutralizing the pH balance of your skin. Since it's antibacterial, it's great for disinfecting the skin and helping to get rid of acne. I usually take this on a cotton pad after cleansing my face.

I must say the first time I've ever used this it burned my skin, but I am assuming that was because of the ingredients working their magic! It doesn't burn at all anymore.

Last but certainly not least is the Citrus Cream Moisturizer with DMAE and Hyaluronic Acid. It sounds very technical and scary, but I promise it's not! The DMAE and hyaluronic acid work at moisturizing agents. The 'citrus' in its name from the essential oils it's infused with: mandarin orange, tangerine, lemon and lime! It smells great and it works even better!

On the back of this packaging, it says you could also use this as a moisturising mask. You'd slather it on, leave it for five minutes and then wipe it off. I prefer to use it as a moisturizer, but it's good information to know for when you take a little too much!

This is the list of all the ingredients that make up the moisturizer. From what you're mostly able to see you can tell that most of them are natural, plant-based ingredients. 81% organic!

Not only is Michael Todd's line of products organic, but they're also vegan. Vegan means that no animal products are used in the making of it. Most skin care lines don't use animal products any more, but you can never be too sure! 

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I believe the total of these products came out to a staggering $69.50. It sounds unbelievably pricey, but when you take into account all of the quality, organic ingredients used, it makes a little more sense. It's only reasonable that this line of products is kind of on the expensive side, but I think quality skincare products are worth splurging for!

Overall, I have nothing but good things to say about the Michael Todd True Organics products! I'm surely going to be purchasing and repurchasing items from this range many more in the future!

Thank you so much for reading all the way down to the bottom! I appreciate every little click of yours. I hope you decide to stick around for my future posts!

Have a lovely day,

Jordan x