Favourite Products Of 2012!

2012 has been the year I've really delved deeper into the beauty market, and I can completely blame blogging for this. Trust me, my bank account has suffered. I don't regret it one bit though, because I've found something I absolutely love in trying make-up, haircare, and skincare products, even if my whole routine has tripled in length. I've seen a lot of bloggers do a round up of their favourite products of 2012, so naturally, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon... instead of shredding my bank statements.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation: A bloggers favourite, and definitely my go-to foundation for this year. It's long-lasting, has great coverage, and the shade match is very almost perfect.
e.l.f Powder Brush: The first make-up brush I ever tried, and it's made a huge difference to my make-up application. I never realised how much difference make-up brushes made!
MUA Heaven and Earth Palette: Such a bargain at only £4.00. It's really given me the chance to experiment with different eyeshadow looks, I'm well on the way to perfecting the smokey eye!
Models Own Polishes: Do I need to say anymore? Favourite polish brand ever.
e.l.f Eyebrow Kit: Defining eyebrows really does make a difference to your face, I feel naked without filling in my eyebrows now!
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer: I don't know how I managed without concealer before this, and this is such a bargain for the quality of the product.

Neutrogena Visably Clear Wash and Mask: I love that this is a wash and mask in one, it definitely comes in handy when I'm having a skin emergency.
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish: One of the most popular products in the blogging community of 2012, and I can see why. This has actually made a massive difference to my skin, and I've managed to make it last since May, so it's worth the money.
Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter: A newish addition to my favourite products, I'd been a Body Shop body butter lover for a couple of years, but now I've been converted. This sinks into the skin so much faster and is definitely more effective.
Carmex Cherry Lipbalm: This has been a 'lip-saver' in the winter months, and it smells gorgeous.
Origins Super Spot Remover: I only started using this about a week ago, but it's amazing. It dries up spots super fast, and I can tell it was last for ages. It's definitely worth the money.
Soap and Glory Hand Food: Best handcream ever! I've managed to get my Mum and Dad on the Hand Food bandwagon as well, I also love the fact there's marshmallows in it.
OH LOLA! by Marc Jacobs: I picked this up in LA, and it's been my favourite fragrance of the year. The bottle is absolutely gorgeous, and I love having it on my dressing table.

There's been so many amazing products around the blogging community this year, and I know that I wouldn't  have ever discovered half of them if I didn't have a blog. I hope you all have a fabulous new year, whatever your plans are this evening. I'm off to visit my family in Shropshire for a few days!

What have been your favourite products of 2012?

My Top 5 Most Worn Polishes of 2012!

2012 has been the year I've really become obsessed with looking after my nails. I don't even want to think about the amount of money I've er, invested (sounds better than spent!) into my nail polish collection. There's definitely been a few polishes I've especially loved wearing this year, so here are my top five...

1. Essie Big Spender: I picked this up on my trip to Poland in July, unfortunately it was only a pound cheaper  than in England. I've especially loved wearing this colour in the autumn months, it's such a beautiful deep red/raspberry colour and oozes sophistication.
2. Models Own Utopia: Definitely a favourite amongst other bloggers, and a big change for me when it comes to colour. I always end up wearing this when I can't choose another colour, it goes with everything and is a really simple but elegant colour.
3. Nails Inc. Special Effects Sprinkles in Topping Lane: The Sprinkles collection has got to be my favourite polish collection of the year. I loved the concept of the inspiration from cupcakes, and all the polishes are amazingly pretty, but my favourite has to be Topping Lane.
4. Models Own Beths Blue: I've always loved wearing blue on my nails, and this is definitely my favourite shade to wear. It's a colour that's perfect for all months of the year, and just like Utopia, I always end up wearing it when I can't decide on which colour to paint my nails.
5. Models Own Juicy Jules: This is such a beautiful holographic glitter, and I love to layer it over the top of other colours, especially Beths Blue. I also always seem to get compliments when I wear this colour.

So there are my top five polishes, believe me it was hard to choose! Now I need to decide on which colour to paint my nails for New Years Eve, I'm still deciding on whether to head out for a crazy night out with my best friends or go and visit family. It's a tough decision.

Which polishes have you worn the most this year?

What I Got For Christmas 2012

Pig Feet Warmer (Giant Slipper), Soap and Glory Best of All, Nail Varnish Storage, Bayliss and Harding Set, New Look Fluffy Socks, Absolut Vodka Minis Set, Sanctuary Set, Origins Super Spot Remover, Nail Varnish Remover Pads, Random Smellies, Random Shot, Boots Voucher, Money, Giant Ice Lolly Sponge, Sigma F80 Brush, Apply Lolly, Glass Nail File

It's taken me a few days to finally get the pictures for this post, the lighting in autumn and winter is seriously annoying! It doesn't help that my sleeping pattern is a total mess at the moment, I've been going to bed at 4am and waking up at 1pm most days, so the suns been setting almost immediately after I've woken up. I thought I'd show you the gifts I recieved this year thus far (second Christmas next week woo!) as I love reading other peoples posts because I'll admit, I'm very nosey...

Anyway, I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas. I didn't get home until 5am on Christmas Day morning after consuming copious amounts of alcohol, so I wasn't feeling my best. I only had a small Christmas this year, with my Mum, Dad, Brother and my Grandma but it was lovely anyhow.  I'm also finally down to my last Terry's Chocolate Orange, so it's a very sad time for me, plus the excuse 'I'm stuffing my face because it's Christmas' is beginning to wear off now. On January 1st, mission 'get sexy for uni' will commence... and probably last for about a week. I'm only being realistic.

What did you get for Christmas?

The Realistic (ish) Christmas Wishlist

Four days to go, and I'm yet to complete my Christmas shopping. It's been a bit of a disaster really... I just can't decide what to buy for some people. Isn't it funny how you can know someone for years, yet you can't find them a perfect Christmas present? I'm not really sure how to feel about Christmas this year if I'm honest, but regardless of that I'm very excited to hand out the presents I have bought, and very excited to find out what's under the tree for me! Here are a few things I'd love to receive...

iPhone 4S: Maybe one of the less realistic items, but I've been using a £10 'brick' phone for the last year and a half, and I've pretty much got my heart set on a white iPhone 4S.
Converse All Star White: I'm not really much of a trainers kinda girl, but I love how these look on other people and really wouldn't mind owning a pair myself.
Sigma F80: I've been wanting to try Sigma brushes for agessssssssss, but the stupid postal charges put me off. But, luckily Black Friday came along so I will be receiving this brush on Christmas Day.
Soap and Glory Best of All: When I heard this would be on special offer at Boots (from £60 to £27) I had to get my hands on it, it's such a bargain!
Origins Super Spot Remover: I have pretty bad skin, and apparently this is a miracle worker.
Models Own Nail Polish in Northern Lights and Grace Green: If you're a regular reader of my blog, then I don't think I need to go into much detail. I love Models Own, nuff' said!
Origins Out of Trouble and Clear Improvement Face Masks: My skins being really difficult at the moment, and I've heard these face masks are really great. I've been really enjoying using face masks recently, and would love to add these to my currently small collection.
Dot by Marc Jacobs: Apart from the obvious masterpiece of a perfume bottle, this does smell pretty lovely as well. I already own Oh Lola! and would love to display this beauty alongside it on my dressing table.
Real Techniques Core Collection: I only have a small collection of make-up brushes, and reading so many great reviews about these brushes, I'm dying to try them out.

I haven't been posting very often this month as I've had a lot going on regarding school and my personal life. It's been a stressful time, but now I've officially broken up for Christmas, I'm sure I'll be blogging a lot more!

What's on your Christmas wishlist?

Christmas Gift Idea: Sanctuary Spa Bathtime Bliss Set

 

"For women. By women."

It's getting closer and closer to Christmas morning, and I still have atleast 3/4 of presents left to buy. In typical Charlotte style, it's all be left to the last minute. Apart from not having the time, it's been just as much of a problem knowing what exactly to buy for people. What do you buy for the person who has everything? Will they use that if I buy it for them? Do I go for a funny gift or a practical gift? And that my friends, is when the trusty 'smellies' come to play. A reliable, mostly non-offensive gift, which you can bet a bottom dollar people should have a use for. I mean, most people wash, right?

I recently recieved this set to try from Sanctuary Spa. It's called Bathtime Bliss, and contains everything you need for well, a blissful bathtime. I've always viewed Sanctuary as a luxurious but affordable brand, with this beautifully presented set costing £18.00*.

The set includes a Luxury Bath Float, Body Lotion, Classic Fragrance Diffuser, and two Classic Votive Candles, which are all infused with the classic Sanctuary fragrance. This would make a great gift for anyone who loves a bit of relaxation and pampering time, and is available from The Sanctuary Spa website.

#2 What Did I Buy This Month? - November

Is it just me or has this month flown by? I can't believe we're coming up to the end of this year, life definitely goes too fast, and seems to go quicker as you get older.  I'd be quite happy staying eighteen I think! I spent quite a lot this month, I visited my friend Becca at university in Lincoln which was definitely a weekend to remember, and I've been very busy with applying to university and making important adult decisions, so quite a bit of retail therapy was needed (excuses excuses). Plus, the Superdrug 3 for 2 offer has been on, which would have been a crime to miss.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation £7.99: Just a re-purchase, but this is about my fourth bottle so it's definitely been a well loved product. It blends beautifully into the skin and True Ivory has been the best colour match I've found for my skin on the high street.
Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107 £3.84: I couldn't resist picking up the highly coveted shade 107, especially when I saw on Twitter that it was going for this bargain price on ASOS! It's such a beautiful berry red, and it's lasting power is amazing.
BarryM Nail Paints in Black Multi Glitter, Amethyst Glitter, and Matt White £2.99: I saw Amethyst on a few blogs, and decided I just had to buy it. It's absolutely beautiful, and I'll be doing a post on it soon. I've needed a white polish for a while and this was cheap and cheerful.
MUA Cream Blusher in Dolly £2.00: I love cream blushes, so this has been on my list of products to try for a while. I love the colour, it's a gorgeous peachy shade.
MUA Blusher in Shade 5 £1.00: I picked this up last minute for the 3 for 2 offer in Superdrug, and I haven't actually tried it yet. I just thought it was a lovely colour and I can't believe it was only a pound!?

Garnier Pure Active Exfo-Brusher Wash £5.00: I really didn't like this product. I have pretty bad skin, and this made it a whole lot worse. I think the bristles may have been a bit harsh, because I broke out in places I've never broken out before. Safe to say I stopped using it straight away.
Soap & Glory Clear Here £8.99: This is a re-purchase, I have oily skin so this oil-control formula is perfect as an everyday moisturiser. It also unclogs pores and helps to soothe and keep spots at bay.
Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter £2.50: So I cheated on my beloved The Body Shop Body Butter, and decided to try a mini of this. I love it a hundred times more, it takes half the time to sink in and leaves my skin feeling so amazingly soft.
Soap & Glory Flake Away £2.50: Winter months = dry skin, so it was only fair on my body that I picked this up. I love the smell, and it goes great with The Righteous Butter.
Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2 in 1 Wash and Mask £2.99: I love that this is a 2 in 1 face wash and mask, it's such a great product to have on the shelf in the time of a skin emergency, which I have plenty of.
Neutrogena Spot Stress Control Daily Scrub £2.99: This is harsh enough to make a difference, but gentle enough to be used everyday. It's great for my oily skin and has definitely helped to improve my skin.

Missguided Berry Peplum Dress £24.99: I'm really trying to build up my 'going out' collection of clothes, as I never seem to have ANYTHING to wear. It was love at first sight with this dress, I love the bralet detail, and the peplum waist is sexy and flattering. I also thought the colour was perfect for this season.
Primark Black Suede Heels £16.00: I hate the shape of my feet with a passion. It's always difficult for me to find shoes that fit me properly, and especially heels. I've been trying to hunt down a pair of classic black heels for a long time, and the last place I thought I'd find them was Primark.

I really need to start Christmas shopping, I can't believe some people have already finished when I haven't even started! But it is very like me to leave things last minute, it wouldn't surprise me if I was one of the crazy people who did it all on Christmas Eve. I'll try my best not to let that happen though.

What have you bought this month? Have you tried any of these products?

Los Angeles Day#4 Part 2 - Hollywood Boulevard, Walk of Fame & Johnny Rockets Diner

It's even harder than usual for me to write these posts at the moment. They always make me feel depressingly nostalgic, but now the contrast between the weather outside my window and the weather in the pictures just makes me want to crawl into bed and hibernate. Of course I won't be doing that though, I'd hate to miss Christmas. Following on from Part 1 of Day Four, we'd already been on the Stars Homes Tour around Beverly Hills, and had climbed the many steps to the top of the Hollywood Bowl (ouch!). Now it was time to visit the iconic Hollywood Boulevard.

I'll be honest, Hollywood Boulevard wasn't half as glamorous as I envisioned it would be. But anyhow, I still managed to immerse myself in the magic of Hollywood. The Grauman's Chinese Theatre was definitely unlike anything I'd seen before, it looked like something out of Disneyland. I also never realised the amount of stars included in the Walk of Fame, it seemed to go on forever. I only managed to get pictures of Godzilla's and Destiny's Child's stars though, as people kept walking into the shot. Forever a Destiny's Child fan. I had so much fun fitting my hands and feet into the concrete shrines to the celebs. I found I have the same sized hands and feet as Kristen Stewart (OH MY GOD), but thank god I can say I have a larger amount of facial expressions. I did feel a bit disgusting after thinking about the amount of hands that must have touched the concrete, especially Marilyn Monroe's, luckily I had some anti-bacterial gel on me so the panic was over.

After we'd all had enough of concrete and being grabbed by Michael Jackson impersonators (scariest experience ever) we set off to Johnny Rockets for lunch. Now, I'd heard about the stereotypical American sized portions, but this was on a whole new level. I ordered a hamburger, fries, and a strawberry and crushed oreo milkshake. This order accumulated to 2,500 calories (why did they have to put the calories on the menu?!). Yes, you did read that correctly! It was worth all it's high fat, sugar, and salt levels, and anyway, my excuse is that  I was on holiday. The diner was exactly how you'd imagine a typical American diner to be, featuring booths with red leather seats, retro posters, and mini jukeboxes jam-packed with hits from The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, and The Beach Boys on each table.  

We then had some free time to go crazy in the Hollywood and Highland shopping center. Hopefully without sounding like too much of a freak, before heading out to Los Angeles, I'd had a snoop around the Hollywood Boulevard area on google maps to find there was a SEPHORA! I rushed off, well attempted to with a belly full of 2,500 calories worth of high fat food, like a crazy person to satisfy my shopping needs. I only bought a few things, and I'm afraid I never actually photographed anything I got, so I do apologise for that. I also went to Victoria's Secret which I'm sorry to say I found to be rather disappointing and dare I say it, a bit tacky.

The next and last installment of my LA trip will be up soon, the next destination was one of my favourite places out of the places we visited, and I think it showed a calmer side to the city that is LA. 

Revlon Shanghai Collection - Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel in Forbidden

There's a few things I look for in a satisfactory nail polish. Unfortunately, this didn't fit the bill. Although a beautiful rich red shade, I'm just not impressed by the lasting power. I applied this late on Sunday, and by Tuesday there was far too much tip wear for a polish of this price (£6.49). I'm glad I won this polish, because I'd be pretty annoyed if I'd paid that much for it. If you think about it, that could be two BarryM's, or a Models Own (and we all know how much I love Models Own), with some money left over.

The polish also claims to be a 'fast dry nail enamel', I don't agree! It definitely wasn't fast drying, and took longer than my polishes that have no fast drying claims. It's not all negative though. As I said, I love the colour. It's perfect for this time of year. It's also a very glossy formula, I did spend a while admiring the shininess I have to admit, but that was before it all went pear-shaped.

I won't completely rule out Revlon polishes though, hopefully this is just one bad formula out of the bunch. I've also reviewed the Cherry Blossom Lustrous Lipstick, a product I was very impressed with!

Have you had a similar experience with Revlon nail polishes?

Revlon Shanghai Collection - Cherry Blossom Lipstick & 300 Followers

I just wanted to say a BIG thank you to all of you lovely people, because somehow I managed to reach 300 GFC followers, and 10,000 page views. I'm naturally pretty astounded and thrilled by this. I remember when I first started my blog and was literally writing to myself. It's lovely to have kind comments and feedback from such a supportive, fun and lovely community. You're all babes, thank you.

I was lucky enough to recently win three items from the Revlon Shanghai collection from their twitter page. I love how easy it is to enter competitions on twitter, just a simple retweet and all done. I won a Colourstay Creme Gel Eye Liner in Black, a Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel in Forbidden, and finally this Super Lustrous Lipstick in Cherry Blossom.  I have to admit, beforehand, I'd never tried any Revlon products. But, I've always viewed them as a luxurious and affordable brand so I was very excited to finally try them out.

Cherry Blossom is a beautiful cherry shade of red, as implied in the name. I've always been a fan of red lipstick, and I was expecting this to be the normal run-of-the-mill red, but to find it isn't was a nice surprise indeed. On first application, I made a bit of a mess. I think this lipstick definitely needs a lip liner, it bleeds pretty easily, and I somehow ended up getting it all over my teeth - hardly a sexy look.

I'm pretty impressed by the lasting power of this lipstick, although like many other bright lipsticks the colour does transfer easily which can be rather irritating. The product glided on smoothly, and it was very easy to build up the colour. It also felt rather lovely and moisturising on, and didn't feel like it was drying out my lips, which is always a bonus. You can get your hands on this beauty in Boots and Superdrug (3 for 2 on at the moment) for £7.49. I can see it suiting many skin tones so if you like the look of it, then definitely don't hesitate to check it out and have a cheeky swatch.

The Perfect Winter Jumper

Grey | Dark Green | Navy | Rich Red

It's that time of year. The time of year where Primark is stormed by women hunting down that pair of studded boots, and that khaki leather-sleeved jacket. We're all in a mad rush to replace vest tops with jumpers, and dolly shoes with well... in my case mainly dolly shoes if I'm honest. I've always been one to look forward to winter. I guess it's because I suddenly don't feel pressured to bare my arms and legs, in danger of turning into a hot, sweaty mess. Shorts just weren't made for me.

Finding the perfect winter jumper has always been a difficult task, and one I have only recently completed. I found my perfection in this beautiful jumper from New Look (£14.99), as featured in my recent 'What Did I Buy This Month?' post. I bought the speckled grey colour, but I'm now lusting after the other three. Next on my hit list is the dark green one, it's absolutely gorgeous. The dip-hemmed back makes it such a flattering fit, and the lightweight feel of the jumper means its wearable under coats without getting too toasty and looking too much like the Michelin man.

Have you found your perfect winter jumper?

#1 What Did I Buy This Month? - October

I don't often have a lot of dosh to spend, which means I don't really go on huge shopping trips and ever have huge hauls. I do love having a nose at what other people have purchased though, so I thought because I don't often have lots of new purchases on a regular basis, I'd start a new feature on my blog featuring the items I've bought over a whole month. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder £3.99: This is just a re-purchase, but I love this powder and recommend it to everyone who suffers from annoying oily skin just like I do.

Primark Aztec Nail Wraps £1.00: I haven't actually tried these yet but I couldn't resist picking them up for such a bargain price. I'll post a review after I've tried them out.

Revlon Colour Stay Gel Eyeliner*: I actually won this and the other two Revlon products from a twitter competition. A review will be up soon when I've tried it!

Revlon Top Speed Nail Polish in Forbidden*: A gorgeous dark, deep red and perfect for the Autumn and Winter months. Review up soon.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Cherry Blossom*: This is such a beautiful colour. It appears as a normal run of the mill red on first appearance, but turns up to be a cherry-toned red when on the lips.

Simple Soothing Facial Toner £2.99: Another repurchase. It's also currently by one get one free on selected products in Simple Superdrug at the moment.

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle £4.99: I've always been a bit lazy with conditioning my hair so for me this is my perfect product. I only have to use it a couple of times a week and the condition of my hair has definitely improved, which is great as I haven't had it cut in an unspeakable amount of time.
Umberto Giannini Jet Set Brunette Luminising Shampoo £5.49: This product really does look like chocolate sauce. I love that the shampoo is richly coloured brunette, however it has actually managed to stain my shower curtain. It smells amazing, but I don't think I'll be buying it again.
Umberto Glam Hair Backcomb In A Bottle £1.99: My hairs pretty limp and lacking volume at the moment, and this sounded like just what I needed. I decided to try the sample size and it works a treat to give a backcombed effect without having to do any unforgivable damage to your hair.
Umberto Giannini Incredible Body Volume Blow Dry Spray £1.99: As I said, my hair is in serious need of volume at the moment. I'm really impressed by this product, it's easy and quick to use and smells lovely as well. The only problem I've had is that it can make my hair a bit greasy if I use too much.

Grey Thin Knit 3/4 Sleeve Jumper - New Look £14.99: I find it really hard to find flattering jumpers (stupid hips) so when I came across this I was thrilled to bits. I love the speckled knit, and especially the dip-hemmed back. I'll definitely be picking it up in a few more colours.
Khaki Vest Top - Primark £2.50: A shopping trip isn't complete without a stop in Primark. I wanted some more 'throw on' style tops, and I love the colour of this.

I'm off to Lincoln on Wednesday to visit my friend at university. I'm SO excited, I've been going through a hugely stressful time with applying to university at the moment so it will be lovely to get away. I can't wait to get dressed up and go out for Halloween as well. Has anyone got any ideas for a last minute costume?

What have you bought this month? Have you tried any of these products?

Wishlist: Models Own

Northern Lights | Jack Frost | Freak Out! | Grace Green | Snow White | Pink, Yellow, Blue Nail Art Pens

I think we've all established that I'm a Models Own obsessive. I haven't had much spare dosh for a while
now, so I unfortunately missed out on the 50% off sale they held a few weeks ago. That didn't stop me from filling up my basket a few times though, and trust me it took a lot of willpower not to click 'go to checkout'.

I'm not one to say no to a glitter nail polish. With the sudden influx of glitter polishes on the Models Own radar recently, I have been a very happy Charlotte to say the least. I adore the most recent Wonderland Collection. It's such a perfectly timed release for the Autumn and Winter months, and I definitely have my eyes on the pink holographic glitter based Northern Lights and the gorgeous Jack Frost, which I've seen on swatches looks amazing over black.

Snow White is a shade I've wanted to add to my collection for a long while now. I particularly want this for nail art designs, as I always come across so many that need a while polish, and with the current Army trend sweeping the nation, I've fallen in love with Grace Green. I've felt a little uninspired with my nail art recently, so it was only natural that the Wah Nail Art Pens would feature on my wishlist. I'm hoping having these in my life will encourage me to be more creative with my designs like I was when I first started my blog.

Whats on your wishlist at the moment? Did you go go crazy with the Models Own sale?

Los Angeles Day#4 Part 1 - Stars Homes Tour and Beverly Hills

Yes, this next installment of my LA trip is very very late. In fact, I may as well just put it out there, it's been almost eight months since I got back. Now that's pretty terrible, but I still want to tell you guys about the trip even though it was that long ago. Plus, I still can't come to terms with the fact it's over so this is a good excuse to relive the moments and look through the pictures. So, let's get on with it before I start blubbering...

I'm splitting Day Four into three posts because we packed so much into one day, and I didn't want to make this post anymore picture heavy than it already is! After a breakfast of high sugar level cereal straight from the box, and making the hard decision of what to wear (first world problems) I set off to the lobby area with my fellow room buddies. Waiting outside in the beautiful LA sunshine, were three mini-buses each with 'Starline Homes Tour' printed on the sides. Now, being a girl who's pretty obsessed with any A-list to C-list celebrity gossip, and just generally having a fascination with celebrities in general, the fact I was going to see where some of the biggest names in the world spend their day-to-day lives was pretty bloody awesome.

1. Ushers Home 2. Simon Cowells Home
3. The Osbournes Home (During the TV Series)  4. Elton Johns Home (Top two apartments)

Now, you do have to feel a little bit sorry for these celebrities. I mean, it can't be much fun looking out of your million-dollar windows each morning to see a bus load of tourists with their noses pressed against the windows snapping shots of your home (definitely was one of these tourists). Well, maybe not in Elton John's case because he's pretty high off the ground and would probably need a strong set of binoculars to see this. I also saw the homes of the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Lionel Richie, The Beckhams, Ringo Starr, and Elvis, and a load of others that I cannot for the life of me remember the names of. We were really hoping to get a glimpse of a sweaty celebrity having a run, or even a celeb just backing out of their driveway but we didn't which was pretty gutting. After spending a couple of hours driving around the hills, we stopped off in the middle of designer-shop-filled Beverly Hills. 

Unsurprisingly, Beverly Hills has to be the cleanest and most well-kept neighbourhood I have ever laid my 

eyes on. It was seriously beautiful. We didn't get the chance to have a walk around but just seeing such an iconic place through the mini-bus window was enough. We did however do a crazy fast (at risk of a parking ticket) stop off to get a picture in front of the gigantic Beverly Hills sign in the Beverly Hills garden park. It's a little High School Musical, but I'll treasure this picture forever.

Obviously I had to get the cliche shots of the palm tree's and 'Rodeo Drive' sign, it would of been a crime not to! We also saw the famous 'Badgely Mischka' store from Pretty Women. That's one of the things I most loved about LA, everywhere felt familiar because you had most likely seen it in a movie or TV series before. As a treat, our tour guide then took us to the famous Hollywood Bowl, which the two other buses didn't get to go to. It's an amazing open air music venue, but it could really do with a lift or an escalator because climbing the steps to the top really killed my legs.

At the top of the photo you can see the famous Hollywood sign making an appearance. It was pretty cool to be able to walk freely around a venue that would usually be packed with people. I'd love to come to a concert here one day, I'm sure it would be absolutely amazing *writes on things to do before I die list*. 

My next installment should be up soon, there's still plenty to come. Yet again, I did say exactly that at the end of my last LA post which was written in March. Don't get your hopes up.