TRAVELS & PLACES Archives - Page 4 of 6

TRAVELS & PLACES

2 Days in Chicago

February 7, 2018 / TRAVELS & PLACES / 0 comments

Hi everyone, last year, I took a very short trip to Chicago for a little R&R plus some important business/errand thing to do. I love Chicago even if I haven’t really explored the city that well, but I like the whole vibe of just being there. The city’s energy and the fast pace of life are just really exciting. I’ve been to the windy city several times before, but whenever I’m around, I always make it a point to visit Michigan Avenue. It’s always nice to see some mid to high-end shopping stores that you may not get in your local hometown, plus there are lots of restaurants to try, museums, and hotels to stay in, not to mention the beauty and vibrance of just strolling along Michigan Avenue and Chicago River. Lots of people, lots of busy friendly faces.

Speaking of the hotel, this time I stayed at The Langham Chicago. This hotel is Gorgeous with a capital G. LOL. It’s elegant, clean, stylish, and just simply pretty. It’s one of the best hotels I’ve ever been in terms of design, room, space, service, accessibility, and location. I noticed that the hotel has an affinity for something pink. From the lobby down to my room, I saw accents of pastel pinks or what they call Langham Pink all over. Imagine the excitement of seeing beautiful pink roses in round vases, pink tablecloths, pink ribbons, pink hangers and there’s even a pink vintage taxi parked outside the hotel which is so cute. I also love that the hotel has a sleek design but it doesn’t look or feel uppity. Instead, it makes it look cozy and comfy while being posh at the same time. Their customer service is superb and you can feel like your needs are being assisted and addressed in a timely manner.

My room had a really nice view in which I could see the Chicago River, a few skyrises, and the impressive 19-story spiral ramped Marina City parking garage. It’s also very clean and the bed is super comfy. The bathroom is really nice with marble countertops and glass doors. The wall close to the bathtub which adjoins the bedroom can be adjusted to make it opaque or transparent so that you could see the bed on the other side. This is probably to let in more light or to see the view on the other side. There’s also a convenient little vanity area close to the dresser which is nice because I could put all my makeup in there and get ready for the day easily.

Most of the skincare and beauty products I took with me are travel sizes or sample sizes that are only good for a few days. I pretty much took one pouch for stuff I mostly need and would reach for during the trip, I keep this pouch with me at all times, whether I’m on the plane or out and about. What’s inside this pouch is just a bunch of little stuff like a small hand cream, a favorite travel-size scent, a tiny face mist, etc.

I also have a glossier pouch/zip bag for my skincare stuff.

Tarte Frxxxtion Stick Exfoliating Cleanser (sample size)
Chanel Le Lift Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream (sample size)
Chanel Hydra Beauty Gel Creme (sample size)
Estee Lauder DayWear Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant 24H-Moisture Creme Broad Spectrum Spf 15 (Mini)
Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage (Mini)
SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion (Mini) – reviewed HERE
Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil Mini – seen HERE
Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer Untinted Spf 45 (Mini)
SK-II Facial Treatment Essence (Mini)
Beauty Blender Liquid Blendercleanser (sample size)
Neutrogena On The Spot Acne Treatment
Nivea Essentially Enriched Body Lotion
Glossier Reusable Pink Bubble Pouch – read HERE

Then, I also have a third pouch for my basic makeup needs. I try not to wear a lot of makeup on my trips, especially whenever I plan to walk a lot or in instances where I could sweat a lot. I just like to keep it light, fresh, and somewhat natural. The ones I carried with me this time are just things that are fast and easy to use like a beauty blender (not pictured here) and its cleanser, an eyeshadow brush (also not pictured), a small highlighter, a pigmented lightweight eyeshadow palette with enough shades to choose from, and a travel flat iron. I also packed a No Frizz Living Proof Shampoo and Conditioner minis with me, but I think I ended up using the ones provided by the hotel because I got lazy scavenging for my own stuff, and the hotel ones really smelled good.

BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Mini Straightening Iron (1 inch)
Benefit Erase Paste Mini Concealer (discontinued, now it’s called Boi-ing Brightening Concealer)
Benefit The POREfessional Face Primer Mini
MAC Lip Pencil in Boldly Bare – reviewed HERE
Too Faced Shadow Insurance (Mini)
Marc Jacobs Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette in Glambition – swatched HERE
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard – reviewed HERE
Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet – seen HERE
Tarte Lip Facial Lip Scrub – also reviewed HERE
Cover Fx Illuminating Primer (sample size)
Benefit Watt’s Up! Cream-to-Powder Highlighter (Mini)
Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define
Marc Jacobs Highliner Matte Gel Eye Crayon in (Brown)ie 43 – reviewed HERE

I took a stroll along Chicago River and took a few snaps. I then continued my stroll towards Ulta and Sephora (of course) and just did some window shopping. I really didn’t get much during my short stay in the windy city. I know I went to Nordstrom and purchased two new matte liquid lipsticks from Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips in Show Girl and Dangerous Liaison (reviewed and swatched HERE). Adjacent to Nordstrom is The Shops at North Bridge where I went to buy caramel-filled bonbons at Vosges Haut-Chocolat. From there I decided to go to The Water Tower Place and had a snack at Wow Bao, then I continued my stroll and eventually decided to go back to the hotel after my feet got so tired. Right before going back, I decided to drop by at Neiman to drool at handbags and more makeups, lol. I was just there to daydream and imagine really. There were some other stores/shops I wanted to visit. There’s Saks and Burberry has a nice building right there, but I was too haggard already. So off I went and had a nice relaxing evening at the pink-loving hotel. I wish I stayed longer, it’s been a nice short trip but it’s worth it. Surely when I come back I already know where to stay.

What are your favorite spots in Chicago?

For more of RAOS, follow on IG: @reviewsandotherstuff

Volant, PA

October 4, 2017 / TRAVELS & PLACES / 0 comments

Hello guys! My apologies for not being constant with my postings lately. I’m currently truly, madly, deeply, busy but I hope things will start to simmer down in a few days soon. Thank you very much for your understanding and please check out my Instagram regularly as I’ll be posting more stuff there in the days to come.

As what I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been in a couple of trips lately and will still have to do more. For this particular travel log, I divided this down into two parts as I pretty much went to two sights in one day. Both are very nice and wonderful places to see.

A few weeks ago, I went on a trip to a little borough in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania called Volant. Actually, I planned to go and see Lake Erie and wanted to drop by somewhere to see an Amish village. I thought of going to Lancaster PA at first, but it’s really not on the way to Lake Erie and I only have a day to do both. Someone told me that there are few little Amish villages on the way to Erie, and one of them is Volant. In case you’re wondering why do I wanna visit an Amish town, oh well, I’ve always been curious and I wanted to take a break from the usual city life. It seems like a trip to a nice and quiet Amish town will be exciting. And of course, yeah, I’ve seen TLC’s Breaking Amish show, lol.

Volant is about an hour away from Pittsburgh and is very close to Grove City where there’s outlet shopping. It’s also an hour and 28 minutes away from Lake Erie. I drove there and most of the road throughout the trip was pretty flat and smooth. It was nice to see the leaves slowly changing their colors to prepare for Fall. I went there early morning and the temperature is a bit cool and fresh. The sceneries during the trip were nice although I started noticing that my phone was losing coverage as I was approaching Volant. Suddenly the road started to get narrower and narrower and was getting windier and windier. There were lots of cornfields around and my phone’s signal was pretty much fluctuating until there was a point that I didn’t have any coverage for a couple of minutes. I started breaking out in a sweat as I looked around, and all I see were vast and never-ending cornfields. I was like “oh no! I could die in here and nobody’s gonna know”, but anyhow, as soon as I got passed that silly imagination, I reached an intersection and saw the quaint little town of Volant.

The air was fresh and cool when I parked near Volant Mills, which I understood as the main attraction/store of the town. At the entrance of Volant Mills, I saw an Amish lady greeting people and the store had a very vintage feel. I really like it and I saw a lot of unique products that are composed mostly of Halloween/Fall stuff plus some handmade rugs, decors, curtains, candles, soaps, etc. I noticed that not all of the products were Amish-made, so I decided to pick up a few preserves that were locally made in Volant (which I assume were made by the Amish) and some wooden Amish figurines as souvenirs. Volant Mills has three floors, with the third one being more of an exposition/mini museum for a few traditional Amish clothing and memorabilias mix with a few gardening/decor products. If you don’t have cash, don’t worry, because the store accepts all major credit cards.

After Volant Mills, I got hungry and realized that it was almost time for lunch, I saw that there were a few Amish ladies selling some preserves and baked goodies, and another group selling some delicious-looking Amish donuts. I wanted one, but I decided to venture into the full-service restaurant just across Volant Mills, called Neshannock Creek Inn. They also accept credit cards and since I don’t have enough cash to purchase those donuts yet, I decided to have lunch at Neshannock Creek Inn. I’ve read that they’re known for their Giant Cod Sandwich, so I ordered one and the sandwich arrived well-cooked and looking really delish with some fries and condiments. While the sandwich could have tasted better with more seasoning, I really enjoyed their fries and mayo. They’re so good, one of the best I’ve ever tried.

I was already full by the time I got out of the restaurant and I sorta stopped longing for the donuts. Although, now that I think about it, I realized that I really should have tried one. Oh my, nothing haunts us like the things we didn’t buy. LOL. True, right? Anyways, at the back of the restaurant was an ATM which I used to get cash in order to pay for things I wanted to buy around. The area is full of little quaint houses that serve as shops for coffee, clothes, art, foods, etc. I went into a nice little store/house that sells antiques and it was really interesting and exciting while a bit creepy at the same time. There were lots of things to see and to explore, and they’re pretty cheap.

From the Antique store, I visited some other stores and had fun just browsing. There are also male and female public bathrooms in the area that you can spot immediately, as well as stores that sell Amish furnitures. As you all know, Amish people are known for their finely-crafted furnitures and I pretty much ended my Volant trip scouting for some stores that specialize in selling true Amish chairs, tables, and cabinets.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that I saw this cutie on my way out of Volant Mills? Meet Al, the Alpaca, LOL. His owner was selling some Alpaca-made scarves and I purchased some while taking a few pics of Al’s cutie face. He was looking at me seriously, I bet he was getting ready to spit on my face. Oh my, he would have ruined my contouring.

I really enjoyed Volant, it was like stepping back in time and it was very peaceful. Even though I didn’t see a lot of Amish people, I still enjoyed the simplicity and beauty of the place. The people are friendly too. It’s so nice to get away from the city life and experience simple living from time to time.

I really like it there and I’m thinking of going back sometime soon. Perhaps even make a trip to the nearby village of New Wilmington and take a tour to see the Amish way of life.

That concludes part 1 of my travel log guys. Stay tuned for part 2, which is Lake Erie.

Follow on Instagram: @reviewsandotherstuff

Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona

March 1, 2017 / TRAVELS & PLACES / 0 comments

Hola Bon Dia!

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been to Barcelona several times. I’m no longer a stranger to the city since it’s one of my European connection and my third home. Every year I visit this city, yet every time I come here it’s always different. There’s always something new and interesting to see in Barcelona. In fact, it seems like this city never runs out of anything new. Oh and I did I mention that there’s always this excitement in the air whenever I come here. It must be sun, or the friendly faces, or it could be just the beauty of this place. But I truly think that it’s all of the above.

I’ve been to a lot of tourist spots in Barcelona and they’re all breathtaking. Yet there’s one place that I always visit. Can you guess it? Yes, the title says it. Passeig de Gracia, or Paseo de Gracia in Spanish. Take note that Catalans have their own dialect apart from Spanish, but they can definitely understand Spanish as well without a problem. And a lot of people around Passeig de Gracia can speak and understand English perfectly. It’s a very touristic place obviously, and don’t worry, there’s always Starbucks nearby. So if you get lost, just locate the nearest unofficial US Embassy and sanctuary for those who are lost in translation, “Starbucks”. Hahaha!. So back to Paseo de Grace as what I like to call it. (P.S. I know more Spanish than Catalan, so don’t be surprised). It’s the ultimate shopping place in Barcelona. A lot of upscale brands and some local or even Europe-only brands. From Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel to Stradivarius and Zara, this is the place to be if you wanna shop hardcore. Me, I like to look through the windows and glass walls of these shops and literally drool! So what? they don’t know me anyway, LOL. This place is posh and expensive but if you’re non-European, well, you can always get a tax-free. So it kinda soothes the guilt a bit, if it helps, hehehe.

Starbucks passeo de gracia Barcelona — If you get lost, don’t worry, just look for Starbucks. The unofficial US embassy and sanctuary for those who are lost in translation. LOL.

Apart from being a shopping haven, Paseo de Grace is full of countless authentic Catalan, Spanish and European Restaurants. Catalans love seafoods, so if you’re a seafood lover like moi, this is the place to be. Of course, there’s always gonna be the everlasting and eternally muy delicioso Jamon Serrano or Pernil. But I really suggest that you try their Crema Catalana for dessert. Oh and don’t forget their Paellas too. The restaurants along Passeig de Gracia can be slightly more expensive because it caters to “tourists”. Although I was hearing a lot of raves about “El Nacional”, an impressive and well-restored building that’s beautifully-designed with lots of different restaurant inside that caters different kinds of foods, whether Italian, Spanish, etc. It’s also frequented by locals, local bloggers and fashionistas-alike for selfie and smizing at their retro-style bathrooms. But there are very good and slightly cheaper-priced restaurants if you’re willing to go a bit farther or away from Paseo de Grace, which aren’t really that far anyway.

With all the shopping and restaurants that Passeo de Gracia has to offer, I’ve always marveled at the beautiful architecture of this place. It’s grand and majestic, it’s well-designed and well-built. In this long and beautiful street, you’ll see the work of the famous Catalan Architect Gaudi in some of the buildings. I still wonder how he could create those fantasy-like designs and structures on his buildings while having such amazing details.

It’s never a boring day at Passeig de Gracia. There’s lots of friendly people, lots of shops, lots of very mind-blowing architectures, lots of sun, and lots of very scrumptious unforgettable foods. I wouldn’t mind chillin’ here all day and all the time. Oh I can’t wait to come back soon.

For places to visit and things to do in Barcelona, click HERE.

For the review of El Nacional, click HERE.

Adéu moltes gràcies a tots

For more trips and adventures and makeups, follow me on Instagram: @reviewsandotherstuff