Weekend Getaways

There's nothing I like better than a little weekend escape and I was lucky enough to be invited to stay at the Macdonald Holyrood Hotel!

This weekend we escaped Glasgow and crossed the country to Edinburgh for a night away in a hotel. There's something so lovely about getting away for the weekend and having a change of scene. I love escaping to a hotel for the night, it always feels like such a treat doesn't it! And I couldn't have asked for a better place to escape to than the Macdonald Holyrood Hotel.

As soon as we entered the hotel we were made so welcome. Beside the reception desk the bar was buzzing and the whole place just had such a nice feel to it with everyone around excited for their weekend adventures.

We soon headed up to the top floor and settled into our room!

It was the most fabulous room we could have asked for! The big windows showed the beautiful views over the city and the massive bed looked so comfy I just wanted to dive right in! The photos just don't do it justice and the only way to really appreciate is by cosying up in the big armchairs, enjoying a little treat that the hotel had left out for us, and planning our afternoon escapades.

With 156 bedrooms available, including Classic, Executive and Feature rooms and suites, all elegantly styled you'll bound to find the perfect sanctuary for a weekend away.

Located in the historic and beautiful old town the hotel is right beside the Royal Mile, with the magnificent Holyrood Palace just next door and stunning views over Arthur's Seat! I always think that Edinburgh is just such a picturesque city and it couldn't be more perfect place to get away with your other half.

Once we had settled in we headed out to explore. We wandered up the cobbled streets of The Mile, watching the street performers who were bravely facing the cold, and admiring the beautiful old buildings that line the street. It's definitely one of the most romantic cities to wander round arm in arm, getting lost in the culture. Soon the cold got the best of us and we decided it was time to head back and do a little bit of relaxing.

The Macdonald Hotel also boasts a lovely spa and pool. The spa offers all your favourite treatments and pool is the perfect place to chill out with a swim and there's also a gym - if you're that way inclined!

We had a long relaxing swim before heading back upstairs to spend some time chilling out before getting ready for dinner!

With a huge drench shower and massive mirror the bathroom is everything a girl could ask for a bit of pampering before a night out.

So pop the lippie on and get yourself all dolled-up!

A weekend away definitely calls for a glass of fizz before dinner - so who are we to refuse!

We popped down to the bar to enjoy a flute before our dinner reservations. The Bar in the hotel had a really nice ambience and always seemed busy, but not crowded, with all kinds of different groups enjoying their time away. It was really lovely to just relax and chat away, planning holidays for the year and giggling away at old stories.

The restaurant in the hotel, The Acanthus, is a stylish setting that has a air of luxury to it. With a brasserie style dining it's got a really wonderful atmosphere and it's so easy to sit back, relax and enjoy each others company over a long and lovely meal.

Get yourself a chilled glass of white wine and browse the mouth-watering menu.

The food was lovely and was something a bit more special than the standard hotel food that you do tend to get. The menu was filled with classic dishes that were all deliciously cooked. I went for the monkfish dish to start, sublime and then pork belly and lentils that was deliciously cooked and so tasty.

As we ate our meal we couldn't help put admire the plates of dessert that filtered by. So, naturally I couldn't resist the chocolate torte - and oh it was so good!

The Holyrood Hotel is perfectly positioned for a few drinks after dinner and if you're in the mood you won't have to go far to find the perfect place for a one or two (or three, or four) gin and tonics after dinner. Buuuuuuut the don't forget that the biggest, comfiest bed is waiting for you upstairs and sometimes snuggling up with a movie under the fluffiest duvet is a much more appealing option!

We really did have the loveliest stay at the Macdonald Holyrood Hotel. It was the perfect nights getaway and I would thoroughly recommend it. Plus we all know that Valentines Day is coming up, so if you're looking for a romantic city to escape to with your other half then Edinburgh really is a fabulous choice and the Macdonald Hotel is the perfect place to stay! Everything about it was just magical and the beautiful rooms, enchanting atmosphere and delicious menu just made our weekend.

A huge thank you to Macdonald Hotels for having us, we can't wait to come back!

*** This is a collaborative post, but all views are my own. Obvs. 

REVIEW: We All Love a MAC Lipstick

We all know that everyone loves a MAC lipstick...

MAC lipsticks are a staple in every girls make-up bag, instagram feed and make-up wish-lists. And we all love them. So yes, here's my confession of the week I'm a MAC lipstick fan. It was really my little sister you converted me to the matte wonders of MAC and from then on there's been many strips of different colours decorating my arms as I spend far too much of my time at their sleek counters. I have a couple in my collection that everyone knows and loves and a few others that I've stumbled across in my hours of browsing.

So which MAC lipsticks are my favourites...

BRAVE 

Like most Brave was my first foray into the world of MAC. After admiring it on my little sister, who praised the colour to the high heavens I decided it was time to give it a go. It literally suits everyone and will be perfect for any occasion, I actually read an article recently that's main point was 'Brave is fabulous. Every make-up wearing lady in the world should own Brave.' It's described as 'pink-beige with white pearl'. It's the perfect shade of elegance and the pink vintage, to me, has a really ladylike feel to it. It's a perfectly muted pink that's definitely a classic.

VELVET TEDDY

Velvet Teddy is an iconic shade that graces make-up bags everywhere. Rumoured to once have been a  go-to shade for Kylie Jenner the colour is instantly recognisable from her favourite tones on instagram and snapchat. It's a dark-nude lipstick that's pretty much reached cult status. Described as a 'deep-tone beige' it's a bolder nude that gives you more of a vampy look. With the warm brown tones in it though it doesn't look flat and is an easy shade to slick on to instantly take your look up a notch.

SHANGHAI SPICE

When I got this particular lippie I was actually looking for a completely different shade, but I stumbled across it and I fell in love! Of course, I drifted back to what MAC does best, nude. This is more of a 'creme-sheen' rather than a matte and it's described as 'frosted neutral pink'. I kinda disagree though and think it's more of a coral, peachy nude. I bought it at the airport when I was jetting off for some sun and found that it was the perfect one to wear in the summer! It was so easy just to slick on and it looks a lot more natural. So much love for it.

KINDA SEXY 

This is the latest edition to my MAC collection and I've fallen head over heels for it! My lovely sisters boyfriend was clever enough to pick out the most perfect shade as a Christmas present and I was so happy with it - cheers pal! So I'm sorry that it's a nude again - I can't help it! This one is described as a 'neutral pinky-rose'. It's not a deep brown nude, nor a really dark rich pink, it's kind of perfectly in the middle. It's wonderfully simple and a really stylish shade that adds just the right amount of sass dontcha know!

The Mountains Are Calling

Time to head to one of the most beautiful places in the world and visit the mountains!

This year for Christmas I headed to Switzerland to spend some time with my family. My parents live in the most beautiful place, a little village in the Swiss Alps called Lauterbrunnen. Every time I go I just can't wait to see the awe-inspiring views and relax in the Swiss mountain air. It's just bliss.

The weather was not exactly the white Christmas I'd been dreaming of, but that wasn't going to stop us having the most fabulous time. We climbed up the cog railway to the nearest ski village, Wengen. It's one of the prettiest and most charming ski resorts. As the home of downhill skiing since the Victorian times it's filled with the most old, romantic hotels with colourful shutters and amazing views. After strolling around for a while it was soon time for a hot chocolate stop. We found the loveliest terrace and sipped on rich hot chocolates enjoying the winter sunshine.

But we weren't going to let the green ground stop us from strapping the skies on!

The next day we climbed high above Wengen to find some slippery slopes that had some snow - yaaaa! We had a fantastic day gliding and sliding down the slopes, whooping and hollering as we went. One of the most amazing things at the top of one of the chairlifts is the view.

We can see the fluffy clouds below as we revel in the blue skies of the winter sunshine and can see for miles, How beautiful is it!

I'm definitely a happy little bunny when I'm skiing!

After a few speedy runs it was time for a break. We parked up outside so that we could enjoy the fabulous views and the amazing blue skies. Sunglasses and the fluffiest jacket was needed as our legs took a well deserved break.

I actually got this ski jacket for Christmas andI LOVE IT! It's a Nevica jacket and is just the cosiest. The best bit about it, is without a doubt the oh-so-fluffy hood, how amazing is it!I just absolutely adore it and I mean it just screams for a fluffy selfie doesn't it!

It wasn't long before the sun slipped behind the mountains and the ski day was over.

But the best way to recover, a nice cold glass of something sparkling...

We made the short journey down to Bern to relax after our day on the slopes. Bern is one of the most enchanting cities.Every time I go I fall a little bit more on love with the charm of the place. And this time the best bit was the amazing Winter Bar we found tucked away at the top of the shops.

Filled with sheepskin rugs and the most beautiful decorations it's the perfect place to relax, feed on fondue and giggle away at the stories from the slopes. I love glittering little gems like this that make you gasp in delight when you turn the corner, finding a new treasure in a city you're already head over heels for.

Please don't take me away...

Another fantastic holiday in a country that continues to be one of the most magical places I've ever been to. Switzerland I'll be back soon!