I feel like the next installment of this cream tea series is a little overdue, sorry! I genuinely haven't had time to go for a cream tea recently, but, rest assured, after this post there's another on its way in the next few weeks too. I've received lots of suggestions of places to visit, and I can't wait to get to them all, but if you have any more then do send them my way. There's no such thing as too much research, right?

Today's location is Indulge Yourself in Christchurch. Now, I'm going to be honest, it really does look a little naff on the outside. The name isn't anywhere on the sign and the colours of the branding really aren't that inviting, in my opinion. Nonetheless, we wandered in and the inside was so much nicer than its exterior! A bit of a hidden gem one might say. It's cash only but there are cashpoints on the opposite side of the road, so it's not too much of an issue!

Finding The Best Cream Tea On The South Coast: Indulge Yourself, Christchurch
Finding The Best Cream Tea On The South Coast: Indulge Yourself, Christchurch
Finding The Best Cream Tea On The South Coast: Indulge Yourself, Christchurch

Indulge Yourself, Christchurch

Taste 

The scone (yep, this cream tea only comes with one and is the first in this series to offer such) was pretty tasty! It definitely wasn't the best one I've ever had but it was good! 

Clotted Cream Quantity 

A good size portion was provided, 10/10. It did come in this little paper cup, however, which was a bit of a pain as it sort of disintegrated as time went on and made it hard to get the cream out of it. Let's not talk about the rubbish, lol. 

Price

The standard cream tea - a scone, jam, clotted cream and a pot of tea - is £4.95 which is very reasonable indeed. 

Aesthetic 

The interior was all white, with wooden tables and white chairs. There were lots of handmade cards for sale as well as other cutesy homeware bits too. It's definitely not the prettiest of places I've been to but it was still really nice! 

Location 

Indulge Yourself is right in the middle of the high street in Christchurch, so very handy if you're having a wander of the town! 

Last week I posted my morning skincare routine and I figured it was only right that I also posted my evening skincare routine. As I mentioned in that post, my skin is far from amazing and I've had acne for many years now, but I seem to have found a group of products that are helping it. Obviously, I can't guarantee that because they work for me they'll also work for you, but I wouldn't feature anything I didn't love!

My evening acne skincare routine featuring products from Dermalogica, Balance Me and Lacura

My evening skincare routine always starts with a micellar water to remove any eyemakeup that I've worn. Next up is Dermalogica's Precleanse* to remove any base makeup. It's an oil-based cleanser that really does a good job removing any makeup/sebum/gunk on my face. You apply this with dry hands to a dry face, and massage it in. Then, when rinsed with water it turns into a more milky texture.

Following this, I'll then cleanse my face again with the Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel*. As I mentioned in my last skincare routine post, this is a really light, refreshing cleanser that leaves my face feeling really clean. 

When my face has dried, I'll then use Lacura's Healthy Glow. It's a not-so-subtle Pixi Glow Tonic dupe and I love it! Whilst I haven't tried the Pixi offering, so I cannot compare it, I must say that I do really like this product. 

I'll then use the Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream because your girl is getting older now and you can never be too premature on the eye cream. I'm not going to lie, this is the first eye cream I've ever used routinely so I'm not sure if it's any good as I don't have anything to compare to. That said, my eye area is always really smooth - so I guess it's doing something right, yanno?

The last product to go on my face is Nivea's Regenerating Night Cream. This is quite a heavy product, so I only tend to apply a small amount. When I wake up, however, my skin is always super soft and well moisturised. This was less than a fiver in Sainsbury's and I'm really quite impressed with it!

My evening acne skincare routine featuring products from Dermalogica, Balance Me and Lacura

If any of you reading this also struggle with acne prone skin - what are you holy grail products? Oh, and if anyone has any wonder products for getting rid of acne scars send them my way! As if having the spots themselves wasn't bad enough, there's nothing like being left with a face full of scarring, yay.
As someone that's been fortunate to do a fair bit of travelling, one area of the world I haven't actually seen all that much of is Europe... That sounds so weird to write, but it's true. Considering that a lot of European cities are a few hours flight away at most, there really isn't any excuse. 

For example, I spent two months in Asia last summer but I haven't ever been to Paris (actual Paris that is, I've been to Disneyland). Anyway, after all of that ramble, I'm slowly but surely getting through lots of the places on my Europe bucket list, what with visiting both Amsterdam and Iceland last year. This weekend, however, my housemates and I are jetting off to Budapest for four days as a joint 21st birthday trip and I am SO EXCITED. So, for today's post, I thought I'd do a quick Budapest bucket list of all the things I hope we manage to do whilst we're away! (I don't expect us to do all of these, I got a bit carried away whilst making this list)

The Budapest Bucket List
  • See the Parliament Building
  • Walk around Heroes Square
  • Climb St Stephen's Basilica
  • Visit the Fisherman's Bastion
  • See Dohany Street Synagogue
  • Drink in a few ruin bars
  • Visit Buda Castle
  • Swim at the Széchenyi Thermal Baths
  • Wander around City Park 
  • Walk across the chain bridge (and see the two former cities)
  • See the Opera House 
  • Wander along Andrássy Avenue
  • Try goulash and other Hungarian dishes


Have I missed anything?
What's your favourite thing to do in Budapest?
Aaaah, today's cream tea post is a bit of a special one because Kettle & Cake is where I spent the afternoon of my 21st birthday. After a hefty scroll of google I came across Kettle and Cake and as soon as I saw the photos of the cakes I knew I had to visit. 

Finding The Best Cream Tea On The South Coast: Kettle & Cake, Southampton

Finding The Best Cream Tea On The South Coast: Kettle & Cake, Southampton

Finding The Best Cream Tea On The South Coast: Kettle & Cake, Southampton

Finding The Best Cream Tea On The South Coast: Kettle & Cake, Southampton


Kettle & Cake, Southampton

Taste 

The scone (yep, there was one) was delicious. It was really crispy on the outside but really soft on the inside. I opted for the fruited scone, as always, and it really didn't disappoint. I also had a slice of the rhubarb crumble cake and, oh my, it was INCREDIBLE. Potentially even better than the scone which really is saying something.

Clotted Cream Quantity 

Plenty of cream for the scone, no qualms here! Yessssss, Kettle & Cake. 

Price

The cream tea at Kettle & Cake in Southampton is £4.99, and, unsurprisingly, came with a pot of tea, a scone, jam and cream. The afternoon tea (which the girls had) comes with sandwiches, a slice of cake as well as all the usual cream tea components and is £12.50. I personally cannot stand sandwiches but apparently, they were delicious.

Aesthetic 

The decor was really really nice at this tearoom! It was fairly simple but had so many lovely touches. Each table had a vase with a few fresh flower stems and all of the food came out on pretty floral china.

Location 

This tearoom is located in Hedge End, in Southampton, which, is about a 20/25 minute drive from West Quay, so is not quite in the usual tourist part of the city. Of all of my criteria, location is the only one that lets this tearoom down - location aside, it's scoring very high marks indeed.



Where should I visit next?
Have you been to Kettle & Cake in Southampton?
I've had pretty terrible skin pretty much all of my teenage life and it's fair to say I've tried all sorts of products, so-called miracle cures and old wives tales in the hopes of clearing it up. Now, as I'm sure you can tell from the title - I still haven't found the cure, but, what I have found is a load of products that seem to be helping. My skin is smoother than it's ever been and generally just looks miles better. So, for today's post i thought we'd have a chat about all of the products I use as part of my morning skincare routine, and, next week, we'll do the same but for my evening skincare routine! Let's dive right in, shall we?

My morning acne clearing skincare routine featuring products from Dermalogica and The Body Shop.
My morning skincare routine is pretty simple and doesn't take long to complete at all. I start by washing my face with Dermalogica's Special Cleansing Gel*. It's really light and refreshing, and leaves my face feeling really clean. 

Following this, I'll use Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant - which, can I say, I absolutely love. I was sent a selection of Dermalogica's products to try out, and even after just one use I knew this was going to be my favourite product of the lot. It's actually a white powder that turns into a scrub when it meets water, and is such a good exfoliant. It's not too harsh but definitely gets rid of a layer of dead skin cells or two - it's amazing.

I then wait for my face to dry before using The Body Shop's Chinese Ginseng and Rice Toner. I apply a fair amount to a cotton pad and just tone my whole face with it. I've been using this for months and months now, and my face always feels really good after using it. 

The last step in this routine is a fairly new product addition. I have pretty oily skin - unsurprisingly, you know having acne and all that - and this moisturiser has been doing really good things for my skin. It's the Dermalogica Clear Start Matte Moisturiser*. It's really light on the skin, sinks in really quickly and contains SPF 15. Now, it certainly doesn't keep my skin matte all day, but it's by far one of the best oil control products I've used!

My morning acne clearing skincare routine featuring products from Dermalogica and The Body Shop.

Aaaaand there we have it, my morning skincare routine. As I said earlier, it's not the most complicated of routines but it's doing really good things for my skin currently! If you only try one of the products in this post I for sure recommend that it's the exfoliator - it's amazing! Now, I know this isn't the most affordable of skincare routines, but, having tried a lot of the high street teeange/acne products it's fair to say you definitely get what you pay for.


What's your favourite product in your skincare routine?
As you are reading this it is currently my 21st birthday, eeeek! Now, I know it's more common to impart some wisdom when you reach another year older - what you've learnt that year etc - but, I'm going to be honest, I didn't really have a lot to say. So, instead, have 21 things I've done in my 21 years on the planet. To save this post being stupidly long, I'm not going to go into each thing in any detail, but, if there's something you're particularly interested in - let me know and I can do a story time or something? Anyway, enough rambling, let's get into this very narcissistic post, huh?

A list of 21 things I've done in 21 years... From being the lead rapper in the school nativity to doing the fastest zipline in the world.


1. Solo travelled
2. Passed my driving test
3. Been to two festivals
4. Performed in pantomimes
5. Competed in a spelling bee
6. Collected a ridiculous number of clothes
7. Worked in 2 supermarkets
8. Saw Ed Sheeran in concert in Florida
9. Worked with some amazing brands
10. Trained as a florist
11. Been part of 2 athletics clubs
12. Broke both bones in my arm at one of said athletics clubs, idiot 
13. Made the best friends, everrrr
14. Did a photography GCSE after school
15. Almost completed my Duke of Edinburgh Award
16. Travelled to 13 countries 
17. Did a den building experience with my Grandad
18. Was lead rapper in the school nativity aged 9
19. Did the fastest zipline in the world
20. Got into a Russel Group uni (and completed the vast majority of a degree)
21. Never watched Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Friends etc etc etc


What are some of your life highlights?
I've seen these posts floating around a lotttt recently and decided I wanted to give one a go myself... I set up an anonymous way for people to send me their assumptions, so I'm going to be honest, I was waiting for some absolutely raucous replies. Well, here we are and you guys couldn't have been nicer! So, thank you to anyone who sent them in and onto my reactions...

Responding to your anonymous assumptions about me. Topics include regretting going to uni, hating being single and being sassy


You're sassy
Ummm I'm not sure if I agree. I certainly am very opinionated but I'm not I'd say sassy... I like to make my own mind up on things and share said views if and when appropriate.

You're so bloody cute and a lovely person
Aaaah, I'll take that! I like to think I'm a lovely person. I guess we'll have to see if my family and friends agree with that but I'm sure they will. If they don't I'll just have to bribe them with my finest pancakes until they do.

You hate being single
Noooope, I don't hate it at alllll. As I mentioned in my Being Single  post, I've seen a lot of the shitty situations my friends have been in because of their relationships and I'm really not jealous at all. I'm only twenty, there's plenty of time for more relationships etc, so, for now, I'm just going to focus on smashing uni, working more on my blog and finding the perfect career.

You are veggie
Incorrect! I eat quite a lot of meat, chicken especially! Fun fact though, as a child my Mum was a vegetarian so I'm quite accustomed to a Quorn meal or two. I'm not adverse to being veggie, I just love the meals I make that contain meat and Quorn just isn't quite as good, yanno?

You want to do blogging full time
I mean, who doesn't? A job that involves staying in PJs as much as you want, setting your own working hours, producing content for brands you love, growing a following of people who love what you do... The only downside is, of course, the money side of it all. The work isn't always constant and it's worrying the number of brands who don't pay on time/go bankrupt! So, whilst it looks like the perfect career the grass isn't always greener on the other side!

You regret going to uni
Absolutely not! I've genuinely had the best three years ever at uni! I love the lifestyle, the friends I've made and just the freedom! I'm genuinely going to be so so sad when I leave, it's been an incredible experience. I've for sure grown and changed an awful lot and have done things I never thought I would. (Some of which should definitely not be written on the internet, so we'll just leave that there!) So, no, I don not regret going to uni at ALLLL.

You wish you did a different course at uni
I definitely agree with this to an extent! I kind of wish I had. But, I'm good at Psychology and some of it really does interest me a lot. However, because I don't want to go into a Psychology related career, doing a different degree definitely would have made this whole job searching thing a lot easier. That being said, I've made some incredible friends on my course and have learnt an awful lot. Everything happens for a reason, yanno?

You get lots of brand collab opportunities! Ps love your content!
I'm very grateful for all of the brand opportunities I'm offered - but I wouldn't say there were lots of them! I've been fortunate to work with a number of fab brands and could have worked with a whole heap more, but I'm always keen to turn down opportunities that don't align with me/my values. I know that is suuuuuch a wanky thing to say but it's true! I've been offered products/sponsorships related to dieting before and anyone who knows me knows that this gal is NOT about dieting. So, regardless of how good the opportunity, if it's not very 'me' I turn them down. Oh, and if you include those pyramid scheme DMs on Insta then I definitely get a lot of bran collab opportunities. *rolls eyes*

You are 22/23
I'm 20, 21 on the 19th of March! This one surprised me actually as I have such a baby face! If people thought I was 15 on appearance alone I genuinely wouldn't be shocked or offended.

You're a very determined person that won't stand for any bs
This is definitely a fair assumption and I agree! I have been known to call people out - including my friends - for things that I don't agree with or think are right/fair/acceptable. As for being determined, I'd agree with that too! I've averaged a first in every semester at uni thus far, so yeah, I like to think I have determination.

You have a kind soul and are dedicated to the friendships you make in life
What a nice thing to say?! I'm very much dedicated to my friendships... If any of my pals are reading this you know I love ya and how much you mean to me. I would definitely say I was a very sociable person, and being around my friends is by far my favourite thing to do. Ask any of my housemates, I just love to linger and chat!


Aaaaand, there we have it! My response to your assumptions about me. Thank you again to anyone that sent assumptions in, this was such a fun post to write. I'll leave the link for sending them in here just in case this has sparked anyone's curiosity and they have any more they'd like me to respond to!
Styling Four Trends #2. A fashion post including four current trends; ribbed, check, lace and leather.

I posted my first Styling Four Trends post just over a month ago and it received such a good response that I figured I'd do a second... So, here we are, welcome to another! As with the last post, this one is also in collaboration with Femme Luxe who very kindly gifted me these clothes. I looooove trying new trends so maybe we'll make this more of a regular occurrence? I'm thinking once a month? Does that sounds like a good plan? Answers on a postcard, please.

Styling Four Trends #2. A fashion post including four current trends; ribbed, check, lace and leather.

To start off this installment of the series it felt only right to go for this pink check pinafore*. Now, I've been getting more and more into check recently but didn't have any pink check and, now, here we are. It is winter, and I am really quite pasty, but I loooove how this looks on. I layered it with a cream knit and bare legs and I think it looks pretty fantastic. When it gets a little warmer, I think it'll also look really cute with a white tee underneath and trainers, with a denim jacket thrown on top.

Styling Four Trends #2. A fashion post including four current trends; ribbed, check, lace and leather.

Okay, so this one is hardly a new, mind-blowingly exciting trend, but, I've never had a pair of ribbed leggings* before, so thought I'd try out a black pair. I paired them with a black ribbed bardot and I love how comfy it is as a pair. I can definitely see me wearing these lots on lazy days... I mean, I've only had them a few days and they've already had their first wear to Aldi. The sign of a good cozy piece, no?

Styling Four Trends #2. A fashion post including four current trends; ribbed, check, lace and leather.

Now, I didn't think I'd EVER own/wear a lace bodysuit, but, do you know what, I lowkey love this white bodysuit*. Yes, it will look 100 times better with a tan, and yes, it is literally see through (plasters are your friend) - but I think I'm a convert. I have mine in a size 6/8 and it's a perfect fit for me. It does literally look like lingerie but with a big denim jacket I think it's such a cool combo. 

Styling Four Trends #2. A fashion post including four current trends; ribbed, check, lace and leather.

I used to own a pair of leather coated jeans, but, I very recently tried them on and they were not looking cute - I literally couldn't do them up. So, here we are with a replacement; black leather leggings*. Unfortunately, these are really quite short on me so I had to roll them up and I'm not sure what I think of them... They're really really high waisted and also have a really thick waistband, so they're really flattering. They are, however, very shiny, so I'm not sure when they're going to get their first wear. They're a little too much for a geography lecture, no?

Aaaaand there we have, four more trends as trialed and styled by me. Of the four, the check pinafore is by far my favourite - I think it's going to look so so cute in Spring. I'm also really excited to wear the bodysuit when a) the weather's a bit warmer so I don't freeze to death and b) I have a bit of a tan...


What is your current favourite trend?
Hello, and welcome back to the best blog series I've ever written. In case you missed the last one installment on Halladay's I'll give you a quick recap now... Becca is a girl that loves a cream tea so Becca is going on a mission to find the best cream tea on the south coast. A pretty neat concept, huh? I've compiled a few judging criteria and will be writing a whole blog post on each place I visit. I'm not sure how many I intend on reviewing, but the more the merrier, right? I'm doing this all in the name of both scientific research and a public service. (It's not just that I love scones, definitely not.)

This installment's location is Peggy May's Cafe, situated on the high street of a pretty New Forest Village: Lyndhurst. My gals and I went for a wander in the New Forest, and so a cream tea afterwards was an absolute necessity. After wandering up and down the street, peeking in at the various cafes we settled on this one as it looked really cute, and we were not let down. 

Finding The Best Cream Tea On The South Coast: Peggy May's Cafe, Lyndhurst
Finding The Best Cream Tea On The South Coast: Peggy May's Cafe, Lyndhurst

Finding The Best Cream Tea On The South Coast: Peggy May's Cafe, Lyndhurst
Finding The Best Cream Tea On The South Coast: Peggy May's Cafe, Lyndhurst

Peggy May's Cafe, Lyndhurst

Taste 

The scones (one plain and one fruit) came out warm and oh my they were lovely. They were really soft and generally just delicious. With the scones came a pot of strawberry jam and a pot of blackcurrant jam and I actually think I preferred the latter... Who'd have thought it, hey?

Clotted Cream Quantity 

Potentially the most important criteria for me. Nobody likes to be stingy with the clotted cream and I can confirm that 2 pots were provided per cream tea. What a score.

Price

I opted for The Forest Cream Tea which includes 2 scones, 2 pots of jam, 2 pots of cream and a teapot of tea. At £6.45 for a cream tea in the New Forest, it's very fairly priced! They also offer High Tea which includes all of the above as well as sandwiches! (I really don't like sandwiches but even I thought they looked really good.)

Aesthetic 

The aesthetics are what drew us into this cafe rather than others and I'm sure you can see why. All of the tables and chairs were in varying pastel shades and there were lots of decorative bits and pieces scattered around.

Location 

Located about 5 minutes from the free Bolton's Bench New Forest car park it couldn't be in a better location for a cosy Sunday expedition. There are lots of pretty little knick knacky shops on the same street so it really is a good place to for for a wander of an afternoon...


After reading all of that I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that overall I rate Peggy May's pretty highly! The food was delicious, Lyndhurst is a lovely place to visit and so, for that reason, this cafe will definitely rank pretty well compared to the others.


Where shall I visit next?