A Trip to Dublin (including Guinness Tour)

My big trip this year was to go to Dublin, Ireland for three days. While I will spare you the fine details, I would like to say a few things about the top places I went to eat and entertainment and my accommodations.
Since, I'm cheap, I took a Ryanair flight for £15 each way  from Gatwick to Dublin. The plane ride itself only took an hour or less and the airport security etc. wasn't too horrible. I then took a bus to the city center which was only €7 bought at the airport. The hostel I stayed at was called Abbey Court it it was on Bachelors walk in a fantastically central area of town. Maybe a 5-10 minutes walk from temple bar and trinity college. The rooms and bathrooms were clean and the breakfast was free (cereal, toast, coffee, fruit, sausage rolls). For only €15 a night for a shared mixed dorm, it was definitely a good deal.

The first day I got there pretty late, and as I shall learn, everything closes by 5pm in Dublin so there wasn't much to do.  I took a walk through temple bar and the trinity college area and around Dublin castle (which isn't really a castle.) After that I went to a nice little pub a bit out of the way called T. P. Smiths that had a cool brass spiral staircase to the first floor.

The next day was the big day, even though things were not opened until around 10 am and, as always, closing at 5 pm. First, I went for a walk around the trinity college campus and the national gallery of Ireland. The national gallery had a nice collection, but the museum wasn't very big, but it was free. I also went to see the Oscar Wilde statue which is near the museum. Then, I had lunch at Cornucopia which is a great little vegan/vegetarian café where you can get a selection of three salads for around €6 which was a lot of food. The next thing was the big one, the Guinness Factory Tour.

The tour was €16 for a student and definitely worth it. The tour is self directed so there is no limit for the amount of people allowed or times to enter so there is not need to buy ahead of time. The tour is spread out on 7 floors and involves both reading and interactive exhibits. It goes through the entire process of brewing beer and the history of Guinness and Guinness advertising. There is a room where they give you a small sample of Guinness and teach you the correct way to taste it. Then, you get a free pint of Guinness. You can either have it poured for you in the sky bar or you can be taught how to pour it. I would definitely take the class which is entertaining and that bar is less crowded than the sky bar. I would still go up to the sky bar for the view (you don't have to buy a drink). In total, I spent about three hours there. After that I just went to dinner and then to the hostel.

The last day was only really a half day since I had to take the flight home. So, I just went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for €5 which was a nice little trip, the architecture and funeral monuments were very nice to see. Then, I just had time for lunch and caught another bus for €6 to the airport and went home.
Overall, it was a nice trip. The flight and hostel was cheap and clean and the city was small and easy to navigate. I only wish that things stayed open past 5 pm because there were a few museums I wanted to see but couldn't because they were closed. The Guinness Tour was definitely the highlight of the trip and worth the money for the quality and length of the experience. I couldn't see spending a week in Dublin but another day would have been nice.

A Trip to Windsor Castle

One of the trips you can chose to take using a London Pass is to go to Windsor Castle, the family home of Queen Elizabeth II and the burial place of King Henry VIII among others. At first I was a little hesitant to go because it actually isn't in London proper and you have to take a national rail train out. But, it turns out to be very easy and a great trip for a Saturday.

To get to Windsor on a London Pass there is one route which is luckily the fastest one. First you have to take the train to Paddington. At Paddington you must go from the underground side to the national rail side where you will see a variety of trains. Now, you must find a train going to Slough. The main ones are to Oxford or Reading which stop at slough But it's good to double check they are stopping. Next, simply go up to the ticket barrier. Once there there should be an attendant that will let you through if they see your London pass and you say you are going to Windsor. They must be used to it because there was no questions asked and they didn’t scan my pass. Next, you take the train to Slough which takes less than 30 minutes and when you get on further down the same platform there is a special train that goes straight to Windsor in about 5 minutes.

At Windsor Central Station, as soon as you walk out you can see the castle. Then, you just walk in the pre paid ticket line and then go through security. I went in at around 10:20 which is a very busy time for them so it took over 30 minutes to get my ticket and go through security.
Once in, I really recommend seeing the changing of the guard at 11 am on most days. They shout a lot which is funny and play modern songs: they played the frozen movie song “Let it Go”  when I was there!

Next, I went through the church and then the state apartments. Everything was well organized and there were people to ask question to all over the place. Unfortunately you can't take pictures inside the chapel or any of the exhibits so I don't have any pictures of the amazing interiors to show.
Overall, I had a great time. The trip took less than 90 minutes and then I spend a nice 2 hours or so in the castle. I would recommend it if you have time and a London pass, but normally it would be pretty expensive since the tickets are £20 and then the train would be another £20 probably.

A Trip to the Beefeater Gin Distillery

I'm a gin girl, there is no doubt. My go to drink is a gin and tonic or a gin fizz. I kept a liter of gin in my dorm room at university; I could go on and on. So, as soon as I saw my London Pass had an option for me to go on the Beefeater Gin Tour for free, I knew I had to go.

The gin tour takes place at the Beefeater Gin distillery at 20 Montford Place, SE11 5DE. To get there I took the Jubilee line to Westminster, took exit 5, turned out the exit to the right and took the 159 bus from stop G at Westminster to the stop Kennington Park Post Office. Then, I crossed the street (backtracking the way the bus went) until I reached a fork in the road and took the smaller left side that took me to a residential street. Once I turned the corner at the end, I could see the beefeater gin sign. It is a bit hard to get to, but since it is the actual distillery, it makes sense it wouldn't be in the center of London.
The tickets usually cost £12 and includes a free gin and tonic (which will set you back at last £5 in London). There is an option to buy tickets online (but you can't use your London pass, at least no so far as I can tell) but I just showed up and went on a tour with only four other people (the max is 15). What I would do is check online the day you want to go and see how many tickets are available. If there are a lot for two tours in a row (they go every 30 minutes) then I would just show up. For the tour, there is also an option to pay extra for an iPad to help guide you but you really don't need it.
The tour set up is as follows: 30 minutes self guided tour through their museum and then 30-40 minutes of a guided tour and then your gin and tonic.

The self guided museum exhibit was actually very nice, with the walls constructed to look like the time period it is walking about as it tells the history of London gin. There are also a lot f touch screens you can play short informative movies on. I walked through at a normal pace, reading all the signs and watching all the movies at it took my exactly 30 minutes. This is why I think the iPads are pointless to pay for; you don't have that much time to fill and there is plenty of information available.
The guided tour included a very nice and entertaining tour guide who discussed the botanicals of gin while giving them to us to smell. Then she talked about the distillation process. You can look up through the glass ceiling to see the actual stills that are being used! Then, she makes everyone a gin and tonic. Afterwards, she encouraged us to go downstairs and ask for “the secret stash” I don't know if this is only available to small groups or what, but they gave an extra small sample of beefeater gin 24 and beefeater London garden (a gin only available at their distillery!)

Overall I had a nice hour and a half at this distillery with a fantastic guide and a good Museum experience. The gin and tonic was nice too! I would really recommend this tour to anyone interested in learning about or drinking gin!

A Trip to the Skygarden

On my first tour around London, one spot the tour guide made sure to point out is 20 Fenchurch Street, more commonly known as The Walkie-Talkie, and it's infamous Skygarden. It's infamous because part of the reason the Walkie Talkie was allowed to be built was the company’s promise to create a public garden in London. What they didn't tell anyone was their plan to built it at the top of their skyscraper.
To get your free enterence to the SkyGardem you have to book online on their website I would advise booking the first day of the month when they release the tickets for that month because they get booked up quickly. Online, you simply choose the day and time you want and book with your name and email. It is perfectly free. Then, you get sent and email with your ticket that you can save on your phone. Just make sure to bring an ID that matches the name you gave on the ticket. They really do check IDs.

To get to the Skygarden, I took the tube to Monument station and honestly just kind of wandered around until I saw the building. It's very tall and obvious as long as you look down the right street. You can also always just look up an online map, but it is very close to Monument and Bank station. Then, do not go in the front door. This is for general business. If you go around the right side (or ask one of the security guards) you will see a little area with benches and a café and a door labeled SkyGarden. You really should get their about 10 minutes early; do not get their late because your ticket is only good for your time and the next time is 15 minutes after the first. Once their, they check your ticket and ID and you go through security, a airport style scanner for bags and coats and a metal detector. Then, you take a very fast elevator up to the 36th floor.

I really would not go to the Skygarden if all you want is a garden experience. The garden is pretty but really just a few large planters with some plants. The real reason to come is the view. You can walk around the perimeter of the building and so get a 360 degree view of London. They also have a viewing platform that is open air that has a great view of the Shard. What is also great is that this is all free and many of the other high views in London like the Monument and other skyscrapers you have to pay to go up.



They also have a few cafes in the Skygarden and tables and couches that you can lounge around the garden for a while. The prices also are not that bad; you can get a party and a coffee for around Five pounds. Also, as an FYI there is apparently an one hour time limit, but I do not know how they enforce it. Really, if you do not eat, you only need around a half hour.
Overall, it was an enjoyable way to spend my morning. It was free, easy to find, and provided a great view of London. I would like to come again around sunset next time, I'm sure the view would be great.

A Visit to Laduree, Harrods in London

 

Laduree is a French patisserie that has a few shops in London. They are known for their macaroons, which are very good, but also apparently their hot chocolate. Since I had never had their hot chocolate before, and wanted to have a nice treat, I decided to stop by the Laduree in Harrods because it's very convenient to get to and if you have to wait in line, which you will, you can wait inside. In convent garden, for example, you have to wait outside to be seated and most of their seating is also outside which is not great for February.

When I got to Laduree I had to wait around 20-30 minutes to  get inside. Apparently this is more than normal because they had a lot of booking that day; it was also a Saturday. I got in around 3 pm and was sat in the lower café area near the cases with the pastries. I order the hot chocolate or “Laduree chocolate” for £4.20 and a selection of three mini Viennoiseries; the walnut croissant, pain au chocolate, and sugar brioche. These were £3 together as a set but individually they would be around £1.30. Once my order was taken, I received my food quite quickly. The chocolate came in a little metal pourer, so you poured it yourself into your cup. It had enough for a little over one cup. To not make a mess, I only filled mine up a little over half way each time. It was very good, thick but not overly sweet and tasting strongly of chocolate not cocoa powder. It wasn't life changing, I happen to have a great French style hot chocolate recipe, but is better than the standard hot chocolate and Starbucks hot chocolate. The pastries were wonderful though. The walnut one was my favorite; it had a walnut filling and a pastry icing on the outside. The Pain au Chocolate was buttery and flaky with super rich chocolate inside. The brioche was not super exciting, just a sweet buttery breast with pearl sugar topping, but I prefer having one pastry of a different texture, the other option I could have chosen was a plain croissant. They also were a good size, they were around the size of my palm so three was a satisfying snack. Next time I can see myself buying the slightly cheaper pot of tea (~£3.50) and the pastry election or one of the more expensive selection (~£5) or the large walnut croissant ~£3. There was an unfortunate mandatory 12% service fee that brought my total to £8.11. I think this is pretty stupid especially considering I ended up having to wait over ten minutes to get my check since they were busy and the one who got my check went even my waiter but another server. In the end, I spent about 45 minutes inside and over an hour there in total.

Overall, I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. It wasn't anything ground breaking and it's not like I got the best seat in the house. The normal meals looked great, but way too expensive for me. So, if I go back again, I will just be getting a little treat again. But, all in all, a great place to stop by for a visit or a special occasion.

Travel in America: Art Scene in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is a beautiful, vibrant city with an infinite amount of interesting things to do. But today I will focus on some artistic activities since I know a lot about this because, as you may know, I am studying art history. Pittsburgh life is also often overshadowed by the sports element, but there is just as much artistic activity as athletic!

One of the first places you should go is the Carnegie Museum in Oakland; this is right by my campus and they have a variety of wonderful exhibitions. The have contemporary and modern art, including changing exhibits, and a selection of older art. There even is a Franz Hals! It is one of the largest and most famous museums in Pittsburgh. They also host the Carnegie International exhibition which draws in famous artists from around the world; if you can come when that is open you are in for a treat. And, if you are also fond of science there is a natural history portion of the museum, including dinosaurs, that is included with your art museum admission.

 

If you are fond of older art, specifically the eighteenth century, I really advise going to the Frick Art and Historical Society in Point Breeze. It was started by Helen Clay Frick, daughter of Henry Clay Frick, the famous Pittsburgh industrialist. She collected a large amount of art which is on display; there are Renaissance altarpieces, rococo paintings, and a few period rooms. They also sometimes have special shows, right now there is a new exhibition on modern porcelain production. There also is a beautiful café, garden, and you can even get tours of Helen Frick’s childhood home, Clayton House. If you want to see some nature afterward, the Frick Park is right behind the Museum.

Now, if you are fonder of more modern art I would recommend either going to the Andy Warhol Museum or the Mattress Factory. Pittsburgh is famous for being the home of Andy Warhol and this Museum holds several floors of his most famous work; it really is a must see if you are fond of his work. I also really recommend the Mattress Factory because they show art from a wide variety of artists with different styles. They even have many interactive exhibitions such as a mirrored room. There is also an entire floor that is in darkness except for a few, low lights; it's like navigating a maze. As you can see, you can have a lot of fun here and there is always new exhibitions going on! They also offer many artist talks and activities.

Lastly, I would like to invite you to come to the University Art Gallery at the University of Pittsburgh. This is where I work! The current exhibition was actually curated and designed by my Museum Studies class and features many Pittsburgh artists. It's called Exposure: Black Voices in the Arts and displays and celebrates the vibrant and diverse art scene in Pittsburgh.

These are only a few select museums and galleries in Pittsburgh; there are actually many more and also many special community events. Whatever your taste in art may be, there is definitely something for you to enjoy. If you could come to Pittsburgh, you'll have to see these and also check out some of the smaller independent galleries.

Travel Makeup: Tips and What to Bring

When I was getting ready to travel through Europe for the first thing I did a lot of research about what you should pack etc. hat I found strange, though, was how little was said about makeup and how what was said often didn’t make any sense. If you go on most travel websites if makeup is even mentioned it is usually brushed off. The advice is often “Don’t bring it! It’s travel; no makeup needed! Do not worry about your appearance etc. etc.” Not only do I find this advice condescending, but I also find it unrealistic. Most people who are daily makeup wearer would not want to suddenly forgo makeup because they are going on a trip! And if you would look up travel makeup advice from beauty lovers it seems like you need to devote half of a suitcase to you beauty routine. Is there a mid-point; a compromise? I believe there is.

In this article I will be going over both long trip and short trip cases. For me, long case is at least two week, but geared more towards study abroad or long work trips than a little vacations. Short trips are anything from a weekend away to two weeks. Also, of course, you must take into consideration what you wear now and what occasions or events you will be taking part in as you travel in addition to luggage considerations.

My first tip and advice is basically this: You will not become a different person when you travel. If you normally wear no or little makeup then take little or no makeup. If you wear full on glam face every day you need to bring more than just tinted moisturizer and mascara.

Of course, even if you love hardcore contouring and strobing and five eyeshadows per look, a limited makeup bag is often necessary. Do you really have room (or need) ten lipsticks for a two week trip? Probably not. As with everything, moderation is often key.

What should you pack for a long trip, like studying abroad?

Face:

·         Foundation

·         Concealer (one type for you whole face is ideal, but a face and an under eye concealer is doable)

·         Powder (again, one powder is great, but two is fine. Compacts work better than loose)

·         Bronzer/ contour (one shade preferable, but two is okay. Also, if you really feel the need for highlighter only one!)

·         Blush (Two shades will be fine for most people)

Eyes:

·         Eyebrows (bring your favorite product [pencil, shadow etc.] unless you use more than one on a daily basis)

·         Eyeshadow primer (only if you use it everyday!)

·         Eyeshadow

o   I recommend one large palette that offers many looks such as nude, smoky, and bright. Bringing three different palettes (even if they are smaller) takes up a lot more space. I bring my Urban Decay Vice 3.

o   A smaller palette for on the go or smaller trips. Large palettes are unwieldly for short trips especially if backpacking so a small (3-10 shadows) palette is great for basic nude looks. I like a lorac palette called “vintage vixen” that has five shadows and can give a light or smoky look.

·         Eyeliner (two or three; since they are small you can bring a few favorites)

·         Mascara (you really only need one)

Lips:

·         Chapstick (and maybe a back-up for your bag)

·         Lipstick (I recommend a nude, a pink, a red, and another shade like purple, orange or another shade of one of the previous colors. Also bringing a liquid or cream in addition to a standard stick is often nice. Also, like eyeliner, they are small and so you can bring a few extra. But really, you do not need ten!)

·         Lipgloss (maybe up to three if you wear it)

·         Lip liner (only if you always wear it, and again, a nude, a pink, a red, and one other shade)

Nails:

·         Cotton pads/rounds/ balls (a small sandwich bag full)

·         Nail polish remover/ acetone (some planes may consider this a hazardous material, so I recommend buying this in country or putting it in your checked bags.

·         Nail polish (similar rules to lipstick; bring a few basic/favorite colors like a nude, red, etc. Not really more than five. And store in checked luggage because it may be considered hazardous because it’s flammable)

*Also remember, most counties do sell most makeup in case you forget to bring something. They might just not sell your shade of foundation or favorite brand of mascara.

And now for the hard part! What to bring on a short trip! (or if you wear less makeup)

Now is when you really need to think of bare minimums and how to save space especially if you are backpacking/only bringing a small suitcase.

Face:

·         Foundation

·         Concealer (one type)

·         Powder (one type, preferably compact)

·         Blush/Bronzer (a duo compact is best but otherwise one shade each)

Eyes:

·         Brows (one product)

·         Eyeshadow (one small palette with less than ten shadows; I have a lorac palette I mentioned above)

·         Eyeliner (one; two max)

·         Mascara (one)

Lips:

·         Chapstick (one; two max)

·         Lipstick (three max; nude, pink, red [or other favorite color])

·         Lipgloss (one; two max)

Nails:

·         I really do not recommend bringing nail polish on short trips. If you really must bring only one or two colors and bring presoaked cotton pads they sell in the travel section of the drugstore (or you can make yourself). So not fiddle with separate acetone and cotton balls.

And so, that is my pretty complete recommendations for travelling with makeup. Also, what I didn’t list is brushes/tools because that varies widely between people and I think it is common sense to not bring six eyeshadow brushes or three different foundation brushes. Also, again, so you don’t fill in your eyebrows regularly? Don’t bring brow products! Blush is your life? Maybe bring one more; just be careful you are not overdoing it! And, if you really need something or you forgot it remember that most places in the world sell makeup! And if you don’t look perfect on vacation? You are on vacation so have fun anyway!

I hope you found this helpful and a good medium between the dismissive (and often makeup shaming) professional travel tips and the often excessive beauty blogger/makeup artist recommendations. If you have anything to add or any questions please feel free to comment and I will try to get back to you!