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Pretty much everyone suggested that travelling in Scotland, especially in highlands, using public transport is a crazy idea. Even with own vehicle and a companion, it is almost impossible to get accommodation. However, every tour package I verified required at least 3 days and I did not have an option to take day off. After a lot of searching, I managed to book a B&B for two nights and took afternoon bus to Portree. Our client work half day on Fridays and, even though I work full day, I easily got permission to leave early one Friday🤓. From Glasgow airport, the bus left around 3 pm. Ideal way to travel to highlands is to take ferry from Mallaig and travel by road from there. Since it is a long journey, I took direct bus and that route is quite scenic too. For an hour of two, the bus was quite crowded, but I got window seat very soon.  The ride through Lochs and mountains, is both serene and scary😅. It was almost 10 pm by the time I reached Portree. The B&B was about 10 mi...

 Back to 3 months😓 despite a 10 day long vacation in August, though its more of a diving course than a vacation and I didn’t even use sunscreen most days (coral preservation🌏). Though on next 2 months I used up some skincare products (not much of makeup). This list is highly dominated by Kiehls products and I get to try recycling program. So far I only recycled Lush containers 🙍🏻‍♀️. 1. Kiehls avocado eye cream: eye cream is one product I use regularly. This avocado eye cream is quite thick and I use it before sleep. Despite its thick texture, it gets absorbed very well and, despite my insomnia, I didn’t get any dark circles or wrinkles - I think some (if not all) credit goes to this cream. I bought another from Kiehls, but different variant. 2. Kiehls rare earth toner: this toner leaves quite a residue at the bottom of the bottle and need to shake it well before use. It gives a matte finish without making the skin dry - perfect for humid summers ☀️. Not so great for Bangalore ...

At times it is easier and faster to travel to places farther away than to a place which is very close. Key cities in England have well established public transport systems, however, in small towns and countryside they tend to be less frequent and less reliable. For popular tourist places, there are day trips offered by coach tours. Still there are plenty of beautiful places which are only visited by locals. Mere 10 minutes bus ride from Crawley, there is a place as pretty as any other in Sussex and that is Nymans house and gardens. I don’t even know name of nearest bus stop, so kept a close watch on google maps during the bus ride and when I saw the place is about 500m away, I pressed the stop button. Buses in UK don’t stop at every bus stop on the route unless there are people in the stop (in who case the door opens where only passengers get inside ) or when people inside press stop button (and middle door opens for passengers to get out). Thankfully I managed to get down at nearest s...

Another single month list 😊 1. Lacto Calamine cleansing wipes: these cleansing wipes are quite handy on a warm day outing or hectic day quick makeup removal. These wipes are as effective as the expensive brands.  2. L’Oréal lipstick - spring rosette: after lot of search for medium pink colour, I found this shade. Until then it’s either berry or mauve or barbie doll pinks. Texture is okay - definitely need exfoliation and moisturiser.  3. Khadi Saffron shampoo: my old favourite 🤩. 4. Clinique take the day off makeup remover balm: this one is so bulky that, even with regular use, couldn’t complete even half of the box before expiration. I used it to clean brushes and blenders. It is excellent for both makeup removal and cleansing as well. 5. OPI nail polish - you don’t know Jacques!: I didn’t realise when I bought this that I already have 2-3 bottles of similar Color😊. It’s a slightly dark mauve colour. The bottle is quite bulky and last more than 2 years, so at the end it be...

 Whew., 2 months in a row 💃🏻. For a little while I thought of going back to combining 2 months, but July list is already piling up 😅 (thanks to back to office mode). 1. Burts and Bees lip balm: not only I have second monthly list, but also had lip product consequently 😯). This is my second lip balm from this brand but almost half a decade between 2. Previous one is plain beeswax (had to check a picture to confirm). I wasn’t super impressed with the product for that price (hence the time gap), but bought slightly tinted version this time. It’s not super creamy nor matte. It doesn’t add any sheen, so good for matte lipsticks. It’s light weight, so good for glosses. The tint is so minimal and it will not interfere with lipstick colours. Overall I like this one. I got eos balm which I wanted to try for a long time, but I would definitely repurchase from Burt’s and bees. 2. Lancôme eye makeup remover: I got this as part of gift kit. For a gift pack, the size is quite decent and las...

Many times, while on train or bus, I come across few places so beautiful, I wish I had time to get down and spend time there. Unfortunately I never acted on those instincts. However, when I saw this stunning castle on train ride to Portsmouth, I knew I had to visit it. I managed to bookmark the location in google (which is harder than I thought from a moving train) and planned a trip another weekend. I visited many castles and palaces in UK & Europe, but this one is different in a way I cannot explain. It’s not promoted like Blenheim or Windsor - when I asked one of the attendants there, he said the castle needs none (he was even little annoyed at my question 🫣). Apparently most visitors are in their way to another location, but stop here when they see the castle (the charm is not lost on anyone 😍).  The castle also hosts many medieval events and, on the day I visited, was the grand finale of a week long jousting tournament. Moreover, it was the only day it wasn’t raining and...