Singapore

Having traveled to Singapore numerous times I thought I would share a quick overview of what to do!

If you want to shop there are so many amazing places to check out.

Orchard Road is a huge road in the middle of Singapore, full of high end/high street shops and restaurants.  There are also lots of malls scattered on the road with beautiful greenery all around.

If you prefer the hustle and bustle of authentic markets then check out Bugis Market, which has clothing and accessories at great prices.

Also across the street to the market is Bugis Junction, a mall with restaurants, shops etc. Watsons Pharmacy also resides in here and around Singapore... a great place to stock up on the Asian beauty products!

A visit to Hajji Lane is a must. A cute, colorful and narrow street in the heart of The Arab Quarter with boutique shops full of independent designers.

A walk around Arab Quarter and you will find many Middle Eastern cafes and lots of material shops. 

Amidist the streets stands tall the beautiful Sultan Mosque.

The largest luxury mall in Singapore is alongside the amazing Marina Bay Sands Hotel, The Shoppes include the famous 'floating island' Louis Vuitton store! They also have a great Louis Vuitton book store in the Mall, which is somewhere I always like to visit to pick up something.

Places to wine and dine include Clarke Quay which has many restaurants/bars overlooking the Singapore River.

I love ToastBox, for a quick bite to eat! This cute coffee shop is all around Singapore and it's signature is a thick toast cut into squares with lots of butter or peanut butter, great with a cup of tea or a cold glass of Milo. They also do a great Laksa! (a spicy noodle soup).

Shokudo is another great place to eat, the Japanese Coffee shop has lovely dishes, make sure to try the rosti with curry... mouthwatering!

There is a ToastBox and Shokudo located at the Bugis Junction Mall.

The TWG tea house is great to go and try some luxury teas and Pizzeria Mozza which has the most amazing woodfired pizza's! Both are located at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

Ku De Ta is also located at The Marina Bay Sands Hotel, which is a great Asian restaurant and bar with 360 degree views of Singapore.

If it's adventure your looking for then the only place is Sentosa Island!  The Island is like it's own place, you don't even need to leave if you don't want. It has hotels, villas, shopping, dining, beaches and lots of attractions! - great for children.  Attractions include Universal Studio (Disney World), Dolphin Island and Madame Tussards to name a few.

A great way to enter Sentosa Island is from the cable cars, which gives fabulous views of the green island.

Singapore also hosts the Formula 1 Grand Prix each year, which is a great excuse to visit around that time if you don't mind the crowds!

F & F

xx

SoH Art & Beauty - Dubai

If you are in Dubai and looking for the coolest place to go get your pamper on, then look no further than SoH Art & Beauty!

When my sister was visiting, we went to check out this incredible place at The Galleria Mall.

The urban retro space, which also sells beautiful art pieces from emerging designers from around the world, is the most unique environment to relax when getting your nails/hair done.

SoH is something very different which can not be found anywhere else in Dubai - which is why I love it!

They are well known for their quirky nail art, but also do normal manicures, pedicures and have a great stylist who does hair cuts/colours.

Me and my sister are not huge nail art fans but if we were going to try it anywhere, this would be the place!

Some of the Nail Art you can choose from!

As soon as you walk inside, the beautiful space and artwork just catches your eye.

When we sat down for our manicure, we were treated to a lovely hand massage and a quick mini shoulder massage before our treatment started (which was a lovely little surprise!)

We opted for painted nails with only one finger having some nail art as it was our first time and we didn't want anything too crazy!

The result was the cutest little manicure which stayed on incredibly well (approximately 2 weeks!)

At the end, you get given a 'Happy Pill' to open and read a small motivational message to set you off for the day .. how cute!

We will definitely return here, for even more nail art fun!

F & F

xx

Healthy Banana Pancakes!

I love weekend breakfasts to be that bit more indulgent, without spending a long time making it.

So what's great about the recipe I am going to share, is that it is very healthy & also easy to make!

Ingredients (makes approximately 6 small pancakes, enough for 1 person)

• 1 ripe banana 
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder (or to taste)
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract (or to taste)
• 1 tsp of baking power
• 1 egg
• Honey or agave syrup 
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (can add more if you want them more crispy)
• Sliced strawberries, sliced bananas, blueberries or any other fruit (to decorate)

Method

1. Mash up the banana in a bowl using the back of a fork

2. Crack one egg and mix with the mashed banana

3. Add the cinnamon powder, vanilla extract and baking powder & mix altogether

4. Add in blueberries or any other fruit you may want to add in the mixture (I don't add anything here, just out of personal preference)

5. Place some coconut oil in a pan and pour the mixture in (I make 6 small ones) and cook on a medium heat (when mixture starts creating bubbles then flip over)

6. Stack your pancakes, drizzle over some honey or agave syrup & add some fruit (strawberries, bananas, blueberries... I used grapes as that is all I had at the time!)

7. All there is to do now is tuck in!

F & F

xx

Product Review: L'Occitane Immortelle Divine Cream

I first discovered the L'Occitane Immortelle Divine Cream in 2012 in NYC, and since my first purchase I have never looked back!

I knew this item was an award winning anti-ageing product but I had to try it out and see the results for myself.

The Immortelle is a tiny yellow flower which L'Occitane has been researching its properties for over ten years in order to perfect its anti-ageing skincare products.

It is the essential oils of this flower which makes it the vital ingredient for L'Occitane's Immortelle skincare range.

I use a small pea size amount of the cream every night, as a little goes a long way.

Warm the product between the fingertips and gently spread evenly all over the face and neck.

The cream smells divine (as the name suggests!) which sometimes makes me use that tiny bit more!... I feel the aroma also make me sleep well!

The cream feels so luxurious and just melts into the skin.

I have combination skin so was a bit skeptical about the dense texture of the cream as I feared excess oil would cause a breakout. However the cream has worked a treat for my skincare regime and turned out to be a product which I cannot live without.

My skin is definitely brighter, more glowing, toned and youthful!

I even brought the travel size which is perfect for weekends/holidays away!

F & F 

xx

My Travel Essentials

As I am constantly travelling I like to make sure I have my comforts with me in the sky!

These are the items I currently have in my cosmetic/travel bag:

1. Cosmetic/Travel Bag - make sure it is a good size so everything fits in, I like to make sure there are no excess items floating around my handbag

2. H&M Wet Wipes - these are the perfect size for travelling and very moist

3. Mac Pressed Powder Compact - always handy to have a mirror!

4. Extra Chewing Gum

5. Clarins Hand & Nail Treatment Cream - to keep your hands nice and soft (see here)

6. Smint Mints

7. Caudalie Beauty Elixir - great relaxing mist to freshen up your face (will do a post on this soon!)

8. Kleenex Tissues 

9. Suitcase Lock - most suitcases have combination locks attached, but I have had this break when travelling, so it's always handy to have a separate lock!

10. Olbas Inhaler - my nose hurts when the plane is in the sky, (due to the dry air, cabin pressure etc) so I carry this around to soothe it

11. Pen - incase you need to fill out landing cards etc

12. Nail Filer - you know how annoying it is when a nail breaks!

13. Chanel Chance Perfume (travel size)

14. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick in Monte Carlo - i take this as I get dry lips so this lip colour is just the right amount of colour & very moisturising

15. Hair Grips

16. Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizer - because wipes are just not enough!

17. Futurocks Power Bank - to charge up your mobile phone on the go

18. Plasters

19. Vaseline - for lips or any dry/sore areas (all round great multi tasking product)

20. Mac Concealer

21. Headphones - always good to have your own, I like these Marc Jacobs ones.

Also, try & make sure all liquids are under 100ml & take a clear plastic bag with you for the countries where you need to separate your liquid items.

Finally, I don't like plane food so I always try and take my own food/snacks!

Safe Travels!

F & F

xx

Product Review: Clarins Hand & Nail Treatment Cream

I love using hand creams, but I hate that greasy film that some creams leave behind.

I first used the Clarins Hand & Nail Treatment Cream around 5 years ago when my sister introduced me to it.

I have to say this cream is, in my opinion, the best hand cream out there.  I have used different ones in between but I have always come back to the Clarins cream again and again.

As I have been using this for a while, I thought I would let you know why it's brilliant!

1. Moisturizes the hands beautifully. The cream just sinks in straight away - and no greasy film left on the hands!

2. It strengthens nails.  I have thin, brittle nails which I find hard to grow, but if I use this cream everyday my nails definitely become stronger.

3. The cream has a lovely light scent, just enough to know you have used a cream and leave a nice smell.  It is not overpowering at all!

Sssshhh.... rumour has it that the Queen herself uses this hand cream! If it's good enough for her majesty, then it's good enough for us girls!

Try it out & let us know what you think!

F & F

xx

Florence - Italy

When I wrote about visiting Tuscany on a previous post (see here), I mentioned that I would also give you an insight to Florence.

Florence is approximately a hour away from the picturesque Tuscany (by car/taxi), making this an easy commute if you want to stay in the quieter hills of Tuscany.

As Florence is the capital city, it is a lot more busier and filled with tourists.

Florence is full of beautiful Renaissance architecture and historical monuments all over.

It is also ranked in the top 50 fashion capitals in the world, which is why it's no surprise that the international Menswear fashion event, Pitti Uomo is held in Florence twice a year.

Places to visit include:

• Uffizi Gallery - Full of Renaissance art, it is one of the most oldest & famous museums of Europe and the world!
• Gucci Museum - history behind Gucci and some of it's most iconic prints (includes a Gucci Icons shop, a Gucci Cafe & Restaurant, gift shop & a bookstore)
• Salvatore Ferragamo Museum - history and collection of Salvatore Ferragamo, showcasing over 10,000 models of shoes
• The Duomo (also known as Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral) - the main church in Florence
• Piazza della Signoria - a square where Uffizi gallery & Gucci Museum is located
• Piazzale Michelangelo - another square with amazing panoramic views over the whole of Florence
• Ponte Vecchio - old medieval stone bridge over the Arno River
• Basilica of Santa Maria Novella - first great basilica in Florence
• San Lorenzo Market - a market for leather goods, clothes etc
• Mercato Centrale - part of San Lorenzo Market but specializing in food, including a gourmet food court!
• Caffe Giacosa - a historical & famous caffe, restored by Roberto Cavalli (includes a restaurant, tea room, pastries and much more)

The Duomo

The Duomo

Gucci Museum

Gucci Museum Caffe

Gucci Museum Caffe

Uffizi Gallery

Piazza della Signoria

Piazzale Michelangelo

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio

Salvatore Ferragamo Museum

Salvatore Ferragamo Museum

Salvatore Ferragamo Museum

Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

Caffe Giacosa

If you want to shop, there are all the high street and designer shops you could think of; Tiffany & Co, Chanel, Miu Miu, COS, HnM, Zara & the famous online store Luisa Via Roma, which has a stand alone store in Florence.

Florence also has great links via it's historic train station, Firenze Santa Maria Novella; with train connections to Rome, Milan, Pisa & many more!

Don't forget to try some authentic pizza/pasta & gelato for dessert! - there are many authentic restaurants all around the streets of Florence.

Remember, Florence is best discovered by foot, so wrap up warm, grab a coffee and start exploring!

F & F

xx