Top 5 must visit places in the UK

I'd like to think I'm quite well travelled for a 19 year old. Although I've not visited half of the places I want to (Dublin, Venice, L.A. etc) I'd say I've done quite well for my age. Granted that a fair few of the places I've visited have been through school trips and may not have portrayed the cities in the best light, looking at you German ants that crawled all over my bed.

I'd love to do some more travelling, but a small income and being busy most of the time restricts me a lot. Baby steps, but I'll get there. Anyway, as well as travelling the globe, I've been to quite a few places in my home country, the UK. For anyone who's thinking of visiting the UK, yes that doesn't just mean London, I've compiled a small list of my favourite places from where I've visited so far.

5. Leeds | England

Okay, yes so I'm probably slightly biased as the is my hometown, but with the various trendy bars, restaurants, shops and plays, there's always something to do in Leeds. Personal favourites of mine include The Grand Theatre, Temple Newsam and Tropical World. Plus the buildings look very pretty and range from the 19th century style in the centre, to the modern skyscrapers built around it. If you're looking for a more historical focus, there's also the Royal Armouries, Kirkstall Abbey and Abbey House museum. So basically, it's got you covered.

4. Caernarfon | Wales

Most of my family holidays as a child involved various trips to different locations in Scotland and Wales. Even from being little, this quaint town stood out to me. Obviously the biggest attraction is the Castle with the interesting ruins, turrets and stairways to explore. I personally enjoyed wandering around the town and going into the various shops which contributed to my ridiculously vast Russian Doll collection I had going on, thanks mum. There's also various places to eat and drink and has a really family friendly feel. My favourite bit about the trips here was witnessing the scenes like in the image above. There was nothing better than walking on an evening with my dog and watching the boats sway in the water, with perfectly placed spotlights lighting up the walls a treat.

3. Whitby | England

Again, I spent many a childhood summer in my favourite seaside town. I've been to quite a few beaches up and down the UK, but nothing quite beats Robin Hoods Bay - a 5 mile drive from the town. Whitby is just one of those places where you want to walk around and take in everything you see, because it's just so darn pretty and much less tacky than some of the other seaside towns I've been to. Must visit places include Whitby Abbey, The Dracula Experience and Trenchers Restaurant if you're a seafood lover. There's also the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and Eden Camp nearby.

2. Liverpool | England

Funnily enough, I have only been to Liverpool once. So what makes the city so fab that it goes into my top 5? Well, I'd say 70% The Beatles and 30% the shopping. If anyone is visiting, The Beatles story is an essential must see. The museum looks at the lives of the members, the music and their lasting impact on generations to come. Even if you're not a fan of them, you get a great insight into the 60s, 70s and the music of the era. The city is also full of shops, varying from high end to a cafe where everything is a pound. Yes really, a pound. Liverpool Cathedral is also an amazing piece of historical architecture and if you reach the top, there's a break taking view of the city below. There's also Albert Dock, Liverpool Museum, a trip on The Mersey Ferry and various sightseeing tours.

1. Edinburgh | Scotland

So for my number 1. city, drumroll please.. oh you've already read the caption? So yeah, you've guessed it - Edinburgh. The city is again another firm family favourite, with its festivals, historical background and scenic surroundings. If you ever get the chance to go, the Forth Bridge and Edinburgh Castle are definitely must sees, especially the one o'clock gun which fires everyday except Sundays. Even just walking around the city centre, you get to experience the immense Scottish culture with the buildings making you feel like you're at Hogwarts.

What are your favourite places in the U.K. or where you live? I'd love to add some more cities/countries to my bucket list! 

Victoria ♥ 

Image Credits: Leeds, Caenarfon, Whitby, Liverpool, Edinburgh

Favourite TV shows of the month #2 | PLL & Desperate Housewives

If you're looking for girly shows that have just the right amount of grit that stops them turning into a sickly sweet concoction of romance and fly on the wall drama, then look no further than Pretty Little Liars and Desperate Housewives.

Whilst both shows may seem like something only teenagers/middle aged women would watch when they need a fix of girly drama and soppy romance, you'd be very much mistaken for thinking so. The shows are filled with relateable characters, various gripping story lines and just the right amount of fear factor to make them stand out to other programmes of the same genre. But how can a show about a bunch of teenagers and housewives be at all appealing to anyone not in these age groups? Well trust me, I started watching Desperate Housewives at the age of 13 and was hooked since the first episode.

Pretty Little Liars
This is a show I've only gotten into recently, so yes no 'A' spoilers please. I'm on series 3 and so far have managed to dodge any official clues as to who 'A' is, though I may have just been a bit dim, because I'm pretty sure I should know who they are by now. Update: scrap this, I found out yesterday, damn it. Anyway, I was very hesitant to watch this show when it came out a few years ago, (2010?) as I really did judge a book by its cover. I assumed the show was going to be unbearably girly and cheesy for me to handle, with a naff story line that would only appeal to the very young. Now, I'm not going to say that the show isn't cheesy and a bit too soppy at times, but when you become so enthralled with the lives of the characters and have a weird obsession with their hair, it's easy to forgive the OTT lustful stares from Ezra and Aria. Speaking of them two, their scene in the first episode alone was enough to stop me watching it altogether, talk about not remotely realistic?! However, if you manage to forgive the first episode, it's certainly worth the watch. 
In a nutshell, the show basically revolves around the disappearance of a girl named Alison and a year later, her best friends Aria, Hanna, Emily and Spencer start receiving creepy texts from someone signed 'A'. They are then left trying to find out what happened to their best friend and just who is the person sending them the life changing messages. If you aren't into teenage drama style shows, then this probably isn't for you but I'd certainly recommend giving it a try and I'm so glad I did.

Desperate Housewives
Now this is a show that finished a few years ago, but it does have some big parallels. If you watch PLL, think of it as if the girls were now 40 somethings women and odd things were still happening to them, but this time in a suburban neighbourhood with the girls all now being married/divorced and cattiness is even more prevalent. This is another show I recommend binge watching if you have them time. There's many series and lot's of episodes, but I think it's definitely worth it. Again, what I find appealing with the show is that it's not a typical drab series about a bunch of housewives and their mundane lives. It focuses on each individual characters personalities, their relationships and the mysterious happenings on Wisteria Lane. The flashbacks keeps the storyline interesting and the diversity within each characters personalities will make you and your friends relate to at least one of the women and their sassy one liners. "Oh you're just like Edie/that's such a Bree thing to do!" Again, with a total of 8 series there's a lot to catch up on, but to follow the lives of Gabrielle, Susan, Lynette and Bree, I certainly think it's worth it.

If you're into shows with a fictional reality of daily life, then these two are likely to be right up your street. I do think that PLL would appeal to a slightly younger audience than DH, but if you're a fashion fanatic, both shows are great for their different generations of styles.
Victoria ♥ 

Maybelline Eyeshadow | The Nudes Palette

A high street dupe of the original Naked palette? Yes please!

I've been on the hunt for a good nude eye shadow palette range for a while now and The Nudes Palette by Maybelline is just the ticket. Unfortunately, though tempting it is, I'm yet to buy any of the Urban Decay Naked palettes. For an average month, £38 on any one item of make up is slightly out of my price range. So this is something that is definitely going on my Christmas wish list this year. Yes I am aware it's only the end of July, but a girl can dream.

I'm a big fan of Maybelline products and when I saw the palette advertised on TV, I knew I had to have it and I've not been left disappointed. The colours in the set vary from light to dark, all very blendable to create the perfect smokey nude look.

  

On the back of the product, a little help guide is provided to show you which blend together in duos, trios and quads. I thought this was very helpful in achieving the perfect daytime/nighttime look. My personal favourite is the quads in golds.

 As you can see, the shades range from barely there, shimmery, to darker tones, which gives a varied selection for a assortment of looks to choose from. (Or maybe not as the quality of an iPhone camera is not the best, sorry!)

For £9.99 at Boots, I fully recommend the palette if you're looking for a new nude shadow range. The colours have great pigmentation and can last all day (or night) if used with a good eye primer base. Personally, I would use different brushes to the one provided to really help blend the colours together, making the look less full on and dramatic. Unless of course that's the style you're going for.

 If anyone else has bought the palette, I'd love to know what you thought of it and your favourite combinations!
Victoria ♥