Edinburgh Photo Diary 2022

scottish national gallery edinburgh city

Whilst my husband and I were up in Scotland earlier in the year helping take care of my dad, we took the opportunity to do a quick overnight trip to Edinburgh. It was a chilly couple of days, but we made the most of it, at least being dry and this is a city with so many lovely coffee shops to stop in to warm up!

24 hours in Edinburgh

pretty city edinburgh

Pretty Edinburgh

In fact, our first stop as soon as we got off the train was to visit The Milkman. This is such a popular café in Edinburgh, if you enjoy good coffee, a sweet treat and a cosy atmosphere then I can highly recommend visiting.

The Milkman Cafe

The Milkman Edinburgh

We stayed at another one of the hotels in the Locke Group (which we stay at quite often in Manchester). The Edinburgh Eden Locke was in a great location, very central, and it looks understated but charming from the street. Our room was bright and modern, all their hotels are styled to perfection. What I like about this hotel group is that they’re mini apartments, so you have a kitchen and dining area.

Apartment hotel Edinburgh

Best Hotel In Edinburgh

Edinburgh Eden Lock Hotel

Although it was cold (March) we lucked out with the weather staying dry and one of the days we had blue skies all day! We love to just explore and get off the beaten track, discovering new places and stumbling across cafés and pretty streets. Also it is always so much quieter even if you just go one street over from the main tourist locations!

Greyfriars Bobby Pub Edinburgh

No visit to Edinburgh would be complete without a visit to the famous Greyfriars Kirkyard Graveyard to visit the grave of Greyfriars Bobby, Scotland’s most famous dog! The graveyard dates back to 1650, and it is also rumoured to be where J.K Rowling got the inspiration for many of her characters names in her Harry Potter novels, if you search the gravestones you will find graves with names quite similar to those in the books, like McGonagall, think Scrimgeour, Riddell and Moodie. So keep your eyes peeled if you’re a Potterhead.

After a walk around the graveyard, you have to pop into the Greyfriars Bobby Bar for a pint of locally brewed Innis & Gunn!

Exploring Edinburgh Scotland

Edinburgh Castle View

If you have ever visited a Brewdog, you will know they have an extensive selection of beer to pick from and their Vegan food options are AMAZING too! Best Vegan Burger and chips I have had in a long time. Edinburgh has recently opened one of the Brewdog Hotels, called the Doghouse. We didn’t say here (unfortunately) but the bar attached to the beer themed hotel is open to the public, and it was the perfect place to rest our legs and refuel after a long day of walking. I like that they have good Alcohol Free beer as well as a selection of Vegan and Gluten Free beers too!

Brewdog Doghouse Edinburgh

Brewdog Doghouse Hotel Edinburgh

We have visited Edinburgh quite a few times over the years, as my family live about an hour North of the city. So we have visited all the main attractions like the castle, Scottish Museum, National Portrait Gallery and done a few of the ghost tours too. On this visit, we decided to just explore the streets, and visit some new areas of the city.

Edinburgh Castle

Pretty Store Fronts Edinburgh

Colourful Edinburgh Streets

I am a sucker for looking on Instagram for new & fun looking vegan food options and I knew next time I was in Edinburgh that I 100000% would be paying a visit to Considerit. They’re an all vegan bakery and their doughnuts and sweet treats are incredible. I had a tough time picking what to have (never a bad thing) I went for the pistachio and white chocolate and my husband went for the double chocolate, they were HUGE! Well worth the walk, and it was nice to get out of the city centre and explore the area.

Considerit Vegan Doughnuts Edinburgh

Vegan Doughnuts Edinburgh City

Edinburgh The Royal Mile

Photos of Edinburgh

If you’re lucky enough to catch a sunset in Edinburgh, you will not be disappointed, it is my favourite time of day in the city. The buildings glow, and look like they’ve been painted a golden colour. The castle looks stunning bathed in the light of the sunset. I do love that Edinburgh has so many of its historical buildings still intact. The cityscape looks almost as it would have hundreds of years ago, and there is something very magical about that! I can see why J.K Rowling took so much inspiration from this beautiful city.Scottish National Gallery

Exploring Edinburgh Scotland

Historical Edinburgh

The Milkman Coffee, actually has two locations in Edinburgh – very close together (on Cockburn street), and because we loved the first café so much we decided to stop at the other one before we got the train home. This one at the top of Cockburn street is very bright and airy, it is a calm oasis from the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh. They had some fantastic Vegan cakes on offer and the coffee was top notch once again.

The Milkman Cafe Edinburgh

Vegan Cakes Edinburgh

Top Coffee Shops in Edinburgh

Let me know what you love to do in Edinburgh, any must see places, cafés or secret spots you have discovered.

Edinburgh University Buildings

Winter Sunset in Edinburgh

L’Oreal Colour Riche Intense Volume Matte

color riche intense volume matte

#gifted. L’Oreal Colour Riche Intense Volume Matte Lipsticks – you might recognise the name of these lippies, but they’ve been repackaged into sleek, slimmer bullets and revamped to be much more than just a matte lipstick. I have been trying out 4 gorgeous shades and I have to say the new slimline packaging is fab and the new formula is pretty special too.

L'Oreal Matte Lipsticks

The all new, L’Oréal Colour Riche Intense Volume Matte formula is more comfortable, more long wearing, and the shades are more beautiful. They say you can get up to 16 hour wear, but I drink too many cups of tea for my lipstick to EVER still be on my lips for that length of time. I will say that the colour is rich and long-lasting, more so than many other matte lippies I have used.

What I like most of all is that they’re matte, and they’re not drying, matte lipsticks have come a long way in the past 10 years! Matte used to mean flat and uncomfortable. Not any more, think moisture and velvety soft.

L’Oréal achieves a beautiful creamy matte finish and the formula feels great on the lips and the colours and very rich. I think it is down to the fact that the Colour Riche Intense Volume Matte range is formulated with a caring formula, infused with hyaluronic acid, to keep lips feeling moisturised all day.

New L'Oreal Color Riche Intense

Check out my old school lip swatches – circa 2010! The four shades I have are all easy to wear colours, a stunning red, a rosy pink and two everyday nudes. I honestly liked all four of them, although my mum has pinched the rosy pink (Activist 188).

L'Oreal Color Riche Intense Volume Matte

Color Riche Matte Swatch

Intense Volume Matte Lipsticks

So if you’re looking for a lightweight, matte lipstick which is that perfect mix of comfort and long wearing, this might be a range you want to check out! There are 12 shades in total, all of which are very wearable, no crazy colours. Oh & the slimline, black and gold packaging looks very luxurious and fab for popping in even the smallest of purses.

•this post contains PR samples and affiliate links, If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Lovely Coffee Shops in Cornwall Part 2

cornwall cafes

If you haven’t seen part one of my Cornish Coffee Shop series, you can click through and check it out. In the past couple of years Cornwall has stepped up not only its coffee game, but we are becoming very spoilt for choice when it comes to lovely cafés too. I remember when we were super limited, and it was more of a tea shop/old fashioned vibe, but not any more!

I’ve shared 4 more of my go-to cafés in this post, don’t go shouting about them too much though, I still want to be able to get a seat.

Stir Cafe and Cook Bookshop Wadebridge

First up is STIR, which is run by a super friendly couple, this is their new premises in Wadebridge, and it has become our go-to stop or coffee when we are in town. Not only do they make delicious drinks and cake, they have a perfect spot to stop and enjoy it. They have outside (and inside seating), the outside feels almost Mediterranean, so peaceful. It has a terrace vibe with plants and colourful patio furniture. They’re nestled at the end of a row of independent shops in The Cedar Barns and STIR themselves also have a fantastic range of Cookbooks, cookwear and local artwork.

So you can enjoy a coffee and a cake then browse the shelves for a cookbook or two, they have an extensive selection to pick from.
Stir Cafe Wadebridge

If you’re travelling from Wadebridge to Newquay (or the other way) along the A39 Atlantic Highway then you would have seen Hawksfield, which is a collection of Independent & small shops, cafés, and businesses. It is a cool location to stop at for brunch, a coffee and some retail therapy, oh & a cheeky ice cream too!

On this site is a café we have been going to for a while now called Strong Adolfo’s it has a real classic surf, biker, Californian vibe, I love it! Their menu is seasonal, and their ingredients are locally sourced, as is their coffee (origins coffee roaster) and they have a good eco ethos (using their food waste as bio-fuel).

Atrong Adolfo Coffee Shop

Strong Adolfos Wadebridge

Now the vibe is chilled, and the decor is very cool, but the menu is EPIC! You can expect to queue for a table at breakfast & brunch time, it is well worth it. They do classic full English (and a vegan option too) as well as American style pancakes, granola and some lovely smoothies. Their breakfast stops at 11am, so arrive early, so you’re not disappointed. Their equally amazing lunch menu starts at 12.15.

They also have an impressive cake counter, with so many in-house baked treats, they are big on FIKA (Swedish tradition of coffee and cake). I can never resist one of their Vegan cakes, no matter what time of day. It is always so relaxed, and you get a very warm welcome, even when it is very busy (over the Summer) you never feel rushed. Oh & the view over the Cornish hills is breathtaking no matter what the weather. Hawksfield Atlantic Highway CornwallStrong Adolfo Cafe Cornwall

Pollen Café opened in Truro, in 2020, it has quickly become my go-to café for a matcha latte and a cake. They offer delicious locally made cakes, all almost entirely Vegan and quite often they’re refined sugar free and gluten free. Perfect to go with a coffee, tea or in my case a matcha.

Pollen offer a lovely breakfast & lunch menu, all locally sourced ingredients and fresh to order. I am a big fan of their chia pots, acai bowels, and they do their own homemade granola! For lunch I tend to get a gluten free bagel with vegan bacon lettuce & tomato (VLT) delicious!

Pollen Cafe Truro Cornwall
Pollen Healthy Cafe Truro

I have to mention the cakes, again, Pollen stock my favourite EVER cakes. They’re locally made in small batches by the Conscious Kitchenery (based in Newquay). They have the most incredible flavours like, Kiwi~Apple~Marigold and Pineapple, Pecan Butter Caramel, Mandarin, Tonka Bean. My personal favourite is Matcha Mint Choc Chip. They’re a chilled cake, with the consistency of a cheese cake, encased in chocolate, so full of flavour, and they look STUNNING too!

These Conscious Kitchenery cakes are made in small batches (locally) and the flavours are tailored to the seasons, as well as being Plant based, Raw Vegan, Refined Sugar Free And Gluten. I am telling you, they’re well worth making a trip to Pollen just for a cake, savour every bite.

Pollen Best Cafe in Truro

Nalu Coffee House is my newest spot for coffee, they opened less than a year ago. Located on cliff road, Newquay (opposite Aldi) perfect if you don’t want to go all the way in to town for a coffee. The decor in Nalu is gorgeous, think plant heaven, Bali vibes with a modern twist. They have both inside and outside seating, and even a cool takeaway hatch. I want all their furnishings for my house!

Nalu Coffee Shop Newquay

Nalu Oat Matcha Newquay

Nalu serves up delicious healthy smoothies, as well as the best coffee, iced coffee, matcha and tea. So on a warm day you can cool down but you can also warm up on those Autumnal days too. They always have a scrummy selection of homemade cakes and sweet treats for that afternoon pick me up.

They carry a good selection of vegan and gluten free options and plant based mylks. I think their chia breakfast pots are the perfect way to refuel after a swim or if you want something warm you have to try the brekkie wrap.

Pretty Coffee Shops in Cornwall

Their food is prepared fresh and is seasonal, they offer a lovely selection of wraps, poké bowels and classic avocado on toast. So if you want a calm plant filled oasis in what can often be a very hectic Newquay then this is the café for you. Oh & their pink and turquoise cups are super cute too, I am sure they help make my drink taste even better (its the small things that count!)

Nalu Cafe Newquay

Nalu Cafe

Phytomer Cyfolia Skincare

phytomerskincare

#Gifted Anyone who loves skincare will know just how well the French do it (I mean, how exciting is a trip to a classic French pharmacy), French Skincare always seem to deliver results, and rarely are the products expensive!

I have been trying out a new (to me) French skincare brand called Phytomer which is almost 50 years old (3 generations of the same family) and still produced in Brittany, the stunning bay of Saint-Malo. I am so impressed, not only with the trio of products I have been testing, but also with their ethos of using high quality, local ingredients that are not harmful for the sea.

‘At PHYTOMER, we promote eco-friendly cosmetics that use locally-sourced ingredients from Brittany, with respect for both the sea and the marine farmers who supply us. In our research department, we develop production methods with low environmental impact at every step.’

Phytomer Cleanser Skincare

I have been using three products from their quite newly released, Cyfolia collection. These products centre around one wonderful ingredient, organic Cyfolia algae, which is native to Brittany, France. This collection is vegan, certified organic and contains all-natural formulas that are manufactured in the Phytomer laboratories in France, it really is science lead skincare at its finest.

There are 5 products in this Cyfolia collection, from cleansing, exfoliating and toning right through to a mask and an incredible moisturiser. So everything you need for a complete skincare regime.

Cyfolia Organic Radiance Cleansing Cream

The backbone of a good skincare routine has to be a cleanser. It is the product that washes away makeup, dead skin, environmental aggressors and the dirt of the day, The starting point for the rest of your routine. I love trying out new cleansers, especially cream or balm ones. This one from Phytomer is a classic rich cream cleanser, that feels gentle on the skin. Its hero point for me were that it breaks down makeup well, so many cream cleansers fall short at this. As well as the wonderful marine ingredients (listed below) It also contains,

‘Vegetal accord of aloe vera, rose, and cedarwood enhanced by a spice accord formulated with pink peppercorns’

All in all it’s gentle, leaves skin very soft, clean, less oily and looking refreshed. A good daily cleanser, or a wonderful second cleanse if you wear heavy makeup.

Phytomer Skincare Products

Cyfolia Organic Radiance Exfoliating Cream

I love how good my skin felt after using this exfoliator for even a week. The natural and gentle argan kernel and pomegranate seed particles make extremely effective scrubbies, whilst the creamy texture makes it easy to massage in to the skin. Removing all the dead, dry skin, helping to unclog pores and smooth out your complexion, to reveal a natural radiant glow.

I have been using this exfoliator a couple of times a week, and that has helped to stop my skin looking dull and textured. it is a great skincare step to included in your routine if you’re looking for smoother, brighter, balanced skin, give it a go!

Radiance Hydra-Comforting Cream

I found this moisturiser to have a rich creamy texture, that leaves the skin velvety to the touch and not greasy. It delivers hydration without having that heavy feeling on the skin, it smooths out the skin which means my makeup looks great on top! Think hydrating, luminous, calm skin. A great product to complete your skincare routine.

The marine specific ingredients included in this collection.

Organic Cyfolia Algae – Native to Brittany: Leaves complexion luminous and radiant once more.

Organic Orange Water – Native to Italy: Source of vitamin C and radiance.

OLIGOMER – Native to France: Stimulates cell vitality to leave skin remineralized, strengthened, healthier and better equipped to combat damaging outside factors.

Organic Immortelle – Native to France: Soothes and relieves skin.

Organic Vegetal Oils: Sunflower – Native to France – Sesame – Native to Africa: gently removes make-up for a softer, more supple and perfectly-nourished skin.

phytomer beauty by the sea

If you want to discover more about Phytomer and their wide range of skincare, body care and spa treatments, be sure to visit them at Phytomer.co.uk

*This post contains PR Samples