Hong Kong

First of all Annabel lost her passport 5 minutes after arriving, if this wasn't a sign of whats to come I don't know what was.

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When we first arrived in Hong Kong I'm not sure how we avoided turning straight back home.
Battling the tube at peak time with ginormous rucksacks that took up half a carrage after a long 12 hour flight was not ideal, I can honestly say I've never felt more exhausted. All we could talk about was the bed that was waiting for us as soon as we reached our hostel as we had treated ourselves to a twin room before we began sharing dorm rooms for the next few months. Three trains later we reached our stop in Kowloon and as we emerged from the underground station we were greeted with even more people and absolutely no idea where to go. We found ourselves in a very nice area filled with Chanel, Gucci and Louis Vuitton so as you can imagine we were so confused as our hostel would be located in such a luxurious area. As we found the road name, at this point considering throwing our backpack away, we came across the Chungking Mansions. A home to several immigrant communities and filled with the cities cheapest guesthouses, phone shops and windowless restaurants. As we ventured in fulling accepting our fate we were bombarded with men trying to sell us room to what we had unfortunately already booked online. They led us to a reception where we walked past dirty hallways fulled with open pipes, wires and graffiti where we were told we could not check in for another 4 and a half hours and that we would have to pay to leave our bags, which we had way too much commonsense to do.With no other option we sat in the local McDonalds for 4 hours with only enough money to buy a coke as we didn't understand that $30 in Hong Kong was actually only £3. After being awake for 48 hours carrying the heaviest of bags you can imagine the relief when we could check into our room. We went back into the creepy market where we were told that our bathroom was a shared one between 28 other people so we paid an extra £30 for an en suit. I honestly cant describe the room that was about to greet us. Tiled walls, open fuse boxes, random shoes under the bed and a bathroom we couldn't even fit in, but the worse had to be the beds. At this point we couldn't stop laughing at the whole situation but these beds were honestly most uncomfortable things in the world, my 5'4 self could only just fit on the wooden structure.

During our time in McDonalds and other various restaurants during our stay we noticed how little conversation people had here. Social media and phone use in general is a problem in at home back in the UK but here it was a whole other level. People of all ages were obsessed with their phones meaning there was an eerie silence at places that would normally be buzzing. very odd.

Surprisingly we did actually enjoy Hong Kong. The architecture is beyond anything I have every seen, huge gold plated buildings with dynamic shapes covered the sky as shown below!
The next day was spent walking around the city as there was so much to see and take in. Another thing we noticed about Hong Kong is the vast amount of malls that overwhelmed us with their sheer size. A shopping addicts heaven with an incredible collected of designer stores was literally around every corner and they were not only common but absolutely massive. The largest shopping mall being harbour bridge which is even that largest mall in Asia.

If you're only in Kong Hong for a day I would recommend visiting the Giant Buddha Tian Tan Buddha. This was by far the best thing we did and if you only have one day in Hong Kong I would definitely suggest that you do this as it takes us the majority of your day as well as giving you enough time to still walk around Hong Kong and get a feel for the city.

So apparently they pray to to oranges and Ferraro Rocher??  Have a look in the temples and on the trees of you're here!

Temple 10,000 Buddhas!! 

Trust me to travel to the other side of the other side of the world and still wear head to toe pink. This is where we tried some traditional Hong Kong cuisine and can safely say we will not be ordering it again any time soon. Dim Sum is a interesting dish but the texture was too much like frogspawn for us (Video to follow!).

I have to mention the Amazing Hong Kong light show that i read about before travelling. This is called the Symphony of lights and has been lighting up the sky's since 2004, I read and believed that this would be an 'audiovisual feast'. Apparently it ""is recognised as one of the world’s most spectacular light shows and has become the signature icon for Hong Kong, showcasing the vibrancy and glamorous night vista of the city."" truth that you should not read everything you read online.. We turned up extra early to get a good view of the amazing Hong Kong skyline which that itself was insane to see the lights of all the buildings lit up. I'm not going to lie and say that this was amazing but I don't regret seeing it at all. The three little lasers were quite pretty but Annabel will not let me live this ""sensational multimedia extravaganza" down. 

Instagram VS Reality:

Day 3 was spent at the gardens, unfortunately the weather was too bad to go up Victoria Peak which was a shame as I feel like this is a must see in Hong Kong so definitely check it out but for us we explored the Hong Hong Gardens, observatory and to the Zoological and Botanical Gardens!
The Photo below is of the view from the top of a staircase near the observatory, a lot of stairs but worth it to see this crazy minecraft looking city.

The next day we were back off to the airport but if you have another few days Disneyland is super accessible and £50 for a day pass! 

Ella x 

Tea Tree Witch Hazel Skincare Charcoal Launch

I have never been one to write about anything beauty or skincare related so the start of a brand new year and a brand new product launch may just be the perfect excuse.

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My skincare routine is pretty non existent to be honest with you, I have a moisturiser that I purchase from the supermarket and an old exfoliator from the body shop that gets used in the shower - because yes I am that lazy. When Tea Tree and Witch Hazel ever so kindly got in contact with me to promote their new products I was more than happy to. For those that follow my Instagram stories/post will have already seen the vast amount of goodies.

As I mentioned I am not one for a healthy and regular skin care routine but I do pretty much know what my skin likes and dislikes. 2017 especially has been the year I've gotten to grips with the kind of products that work in harmony with my skin, rather than irritating it I have stuck to what i know without venturing into new skincare hypes.  I am very lucky to of never suffered with spots or acne or a sallow completion in the winter months just dry patches which are maintainable especially during this time of year.

One of the things I love most about this collection is the price. For me, I feel that if its on your face for only a few minutes each morning why spend a fortune? Personally I focus on budget skincare, however, a time I would consider spending more is for a vegan/ cruelty free product. Luckily this collection is both!

 Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Foaming Face Wash (£3.50) - First of all this little beauty is the number 1 face wash sold in Boots at the moment! The fresh scent makes it perfect for early mornings as I find it really helps wake me up - a very hard job as I am not a morning person in the slightest. This whole range definitely have a unisex scent to them that’s really refreshing! I also found that this works amazingly to wash your make up brushes.

Charcoal Facial Scrub (£4.69) - At first use the black formula may be a little off putting but bear with because this is an amazing scrub. Not much to say apart from it does exactly what it says it should! This is a light enough scrub for daily use if that's what you're after but still manages to leave my skin feeling refreshed. 

Charcoal Face Mask (£3.89) -  Mud masks have been extremely hyped up in the beauty world and also pretty darn expensive for the little pot you receive. Having said that, they really do make a difference to my skin so this little beauty is the best of both worlds. Simply pop it on and leave for about 15 minutes and then rinse off, I use this after the facial scrub and my skin has never felt so soft and clean!

Charcoal Pore Strips (£5.99) I'm one of those weird people who love looking at the pores on my nose but constantly repulsed and regretting it. That being said I've always been a little shy of pore strips as ones I've used previously have been a little painful to remove and pointless but this the two step application means that you have a moisturising, repairing mask that helps soothe the skin afterwards and close the pores - perfect. 

Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Spot Wand (£3.40) I've heard very good things about this product with its inventive double ended wand which offers a day and night treatment. Apply to angry spots and they'll be gone by morning!

Shine Control Moisturiser (4.19) - This probably my favourite from the range, the light and serum-like formula is perfect especially for dry skin as I found the combination of other products in this range had left my skin a little dry, especially in my T zone. I think the lotion would definitely be too light as a winter moisturiser, but for summer it’s beyond perfect. The light consistency allows this product to give a flawless base to apply make up onto as the light layer is perfect for the morning. 

Charcoal Facial Wash (£3.17) - Like the scrub this also took me by surprise at the colour when i first saw it come out the tube, but what was i really expecting from a Charcoal collection?!! This product works so well  after the scrub to smooth over any areas that have been affected leaving you with super soft and clear skin. 

Tea Tree Toner (3.99) - I've been dedicated to my Body Shop toner for years but this  product has given it a run for its money (literally).  

Visit the Boots Website for more information or pop in to your nearest Boots store to see the range yourself.

Ella x