DAY 1 of 3 Days in London: Arts, Food, and Shopping

When I embark on a new journey anywhere, I often check out the NYTimes' series of 36 hours in [fill-in-the blank with the destination]. Here are the links to the London Guides from NYTimes.

NYTimes 36 Hrs in London from 2008

 NYTimes 36 Hrs in Hampstead London

NYTimes 36 Hrs in East London

I am no expert in all of the great neighborhoods in London and possibly the hot spots in London. I thought I would put my experience traveling in London to a good use and create an itinerary suggestion that will span over 3 days for anyone who is planning their trip in the near future to the great city of London. All photos are taken by me unless otherwise noted.

Fine Print: This is a guide primarily geared towards Art Lovers, and possibly second-time visitor as it excludes Buckingham Palace or the London Eye, but this can provide a guideline for even first-time visitors if you want to get off beaten road from the guidebook style itineraries. 

And after all, this is just my personal suggestion and you can easily swap anything with your ideal way to spend time such as a proper British tea time or to reserve time for more shopping! 

[Day 1]

Classic Museums, Piccadilly, Soho, All on foot

I normally like to get all the heavy lifting AKA giant museums out of the way so that the next days can be more relaxing. But this can change depending on how much traveling you have done (obviously if you had a long-haul flight, maybe reserve the big museums to the later days and go for other options for a lighter first day itinerary.)

I shall warn you. Have breakfast. This is very important to keep you safe and sound until lunch.

This is my version of breakfast, but it may not be sufficient for some others. 

[10am] NATIONAL GALLERY

Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN

If this is your first time in London, you might have to go to British Museum first. If you are more of a art lover and less of an archeologist, I would go with National gallery (and mind you, you can probably squeeze both in, but you might be dying from the tourist crowd. That is like going to the Louvre and Orsay on the same day or going to MoMA and the Met on the same day. Just do me a favor and do one or the other.)

[10 WORKS YOU MUST SEE]

In no particular order and in my humblest opinion. 

This list does not do justice to the great collection at the gallery, but if you are running low on time, these are my personal highlights.

but if here is the longer list of highlights

1. Johannes Vermeer, A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal, 1670's

 

2. Paul Cézanne, Bathers (Les Grandes Baigneuses), 1894-1905

3. Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434

4. Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Madame Moitessier, 1856

5. Leonardo da Vinci, The Virgin of the Rocks, 1490's-1500's

6. Raphael, The Madonna of the Pinks, about 1506

 7. Rembrandt, Self Portrait at the Age of 34, 1640

 8. Titian, Bacchus and Ariadne, 1520-3

 9. Diego Velazquez, The Toilet of Venus (the Rokeby Venus), 1647-51

10. Sandro Botticelli, Venus and Mars, about 1485

Assuming 2 hours was enough to cover the National Gallery and also assuming that the National Gallery was not having a special exhibition such as the one now "Veronese, Magnificence in Renaissance Venice" or the one before, "Facing the Modern: The Portrait in Vienna." You may move on to your next destination without fail hopefully by noon. 

[12am] National Portrait Gallery

Well, if you have had good breakfast, you can handle this lovely portrait gallery before you head out for lunch and it helps very much that this is literally right next to the National Gallery. It has so many historic figures and I will skip putting must-sees on this one and let you discover some familiar faces and some strangers' portraits on your own. This is a beautiful museum to browse through more casually as it is far less populated than the National Gallery. 

The Portrait Gallery hosts annual Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize on contemporary photographic works, so if you are visiting at the end of the year or at the beginning of the year, you should be able to catch the show.

[1/ 1:30 PM] Japanese Ramen for Lunch

Now that you walked through some wonderful museums, take a stroll down the Charing Cross Road or Saint Martin's Lane, or even roundabout to Piccadilly Circus to Soho for lunch. 

I chose Bone Daddies for Japanese style Ramen.

 Bone Daddies Ramen Bar, 31 Peter St, London W1F 0AR

Tantanmen £11 At Bone Daddies

I think Ramen is such a great hearty meal to grab, especially if you are craving some soup in the colder months. And also very quick, so you can spend more time exploring the neighborhood rather than waiting for your food to be prepared. 

If you want a more classic and authentic Japanese Ramen, go with Soy, Miso, or Tonkotsu Ramen but they have some more creative menu such as Tantanmen which is more of a Chinese recipe but irresistible as you can see in the picture. Nutty and filling yumminess.

[2:30 PM] Wandering in Soho and Piccadilly

I found this charming bookstore called Koenig Books on Charing Cross Road. Amazing selection of covetable art books and also generally well organized bookstore that can be a great place to buy gifts as well.

80 Charing Cross Road,  London  WC2H 0BF

These are some of my choices from the bookstore, but there are hundreds of other interesting volumes. 

Also have other locations:

Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, W2 3XA (7706 4907); Whitechapel Gallery Bookshop (managed by Koenig Books), 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX (7522 7897)

[3:30 / 4 PM] Proper British Afternoon Tea

Wolseley is a classic dining venue that is open for breakfast to dinner. You cannot go wrong with this high-ceiling fine dining scene if you want to treat yourself to a nice afternoon tea in London. And you can be sure you have been served well with the classic triple tier serving tray filled with scones, sandwiches, and sweets that will surely satisfy your britishness cravings.

160 Piccadilly , London, W1J 9EB

Photo credit: http://www.whatsoninlondon.co.uk/attraction/the-wolseley/

[5PM] Back on the streets in Soho and Oxford Street

And onto my favorite Department store in London: Liberty's. I really don't think this needs more discussion. You need to go to the wonderful textile section and also the great beauty section if you are a beauty junky like I am.

Liberty's, Regent Street, London W1B 5AH, United Kingdom

And the Ultimate pampering store Penhaligon's, also on Regent street, is also a must-visit for all fragrance lovers. 

Penhaligon's, 125 Regent St  London

[8 / 9 PM] Casual Dinner with Some Beer

Sure, there are so many options in Soho area but I suggest going with classic options that way you can never get it wrong. For a casual option that will still satisfy your gourmet search, you cannot go wrong with the classic venue, Burgers & Lobsters

Burgers & Lobsters,  36 Dean Street, London W1D 4PS

Clearly, you must make the decision of your lifetime: To Burger, or to Lobster. I opted for Lobster roll, and I left satisfied with my choice. But this is a decision and a burden you must take for yourself. 

And that concludes the first 24-hours in London. 

I will upload Day 2 and 3 within the coming weeks. 
Thanks for reading and I hope it helps someone.
Catherine,
xx

[Notes and Tips]

Ulmon London

This is a great App to use if you want a pretty accurate offline map system on your phone. Whenever you have wifi you can add tags and drop pins in the map so you can see all the places that you are interested in visiting. I also think it's nice to not carry a map and have it in your phone so you can avoid looking like a tourist :)

Many Shades of "NUDE": My Lips but Better for Spring

As there are ranges of skin tones in this world, there also were creates many shades of nude. For me NUDE means My Lips But Better Color. To make your perfect your-lips but better Nude Lip Color search, I categorized them into three different types and present to you this list of nude lipstick compilation.

[ FIRST CATEGORY ]

Peachy Pink Nude
This is the classic nude that we think about. Suitable for many skin tones, but be aware of the undertone as cool undertone of pink nude shade might be too contrasting and stark.

Chanel// Ingenue

 Chanel// Sentiment

Edward Bess// Forbidden Flower

 MAC// Illustrated Nude

Marc Jacobs// #144 Flirt

[ SECOND CATEGORY ]

Honey Bronze Nude 
This is definitely a flexible category. Some may not appear to be very nude-like in conventional sense, but I think they can be great enhancing lip colors for deeper or tan skinned people! Or even people who want to fake that tan.

 Guerlain// Galante

Maybelline// #940 Touchable Taupe

 NARS// Pagopago

Too Faced// Sweet Maple

[ LAST CATEGORY ]
Coral to Pink Nude
Can coral be natural too? Dolce & Gabbana model shows that the answer is yes! Coral, what I normally associate with a pop of color can be wearable and add just a right amount of hint of color for the spring pout.

 Chanel// Interlude

 Chanel// Mystique

NARS// Descanso

Tom Ford// #5 Sweet Spot

Hope this inspires some for trying out different shade of "nude" this spring.
All Lip swatches from:
http://www.temptalia.com/

Catherine
xx

Oh my Cream! One of the cutest Beauty boutiques in Paris

I have searched for a good selection of diverse skincare and makeup and it was all hiding in this small Boutique named "OH MY CREAM!" in the 6th Arrondissement in the beautiful and luxe street, Rue de Tournon. It is a quiet little place, also not very far from my favorite pharmacie, City Pharma.

3 Rue de Tournon, 75006

They also do manicure with a great natural nail polish range named Kure Bazaar which is actually an amazing nail polish brand that has great finish, long lasting, while being natural (formulated without Formaldehyde and Dibutylphthalate).

 Antipodes Hosanna H2O Intensive Skin-Plumping Serum

A very interesting serum that feels like a boost of moisture without feeling heavy. It leaves a slightly tacky feeling, reminiscent of hyaluronic acid products. It has a honey-like scent, non offensive and effective. I like to use it in the morning to plump up my skin and it wears great under makeup.

Antipodes is a brand that is very rare to find. It is an organic brand from Australia, not easily found in the USA or in France which explains my over-excitement to see it in person at the boutique. 

Alpha H Liquid Gold

The cult Glycolic Acid Treatment. And I am in the bandwagon. It truly delivers. 

A. It helps with dark spots, post-acne marks, and even active breakouts.

B. The effect is immediate. Put it on the night before and the next day, you will have diminished look of any blemishes or clogged pores.

C. It does not sensitize my skin too much. I would avoid it if you already have problems with chemical peels, but my skin loves it and it really works.

Fine print:

Be warned. Some people use it daily at night, but I would only use it every other day to avoid over-exfoliation. NEVER use it in conjunction with other chemical peels. If you used a chemically exfoliating scrub or another serum with any AHA or BHA, do avoid layering them on the same night. Last thing is to use sunscreen the next day. Exfoliating takes the top layer off your skin (whether it be the dead skin cells or clogged pores), it will sensitize your skin a bit. That being said, I would never use it in the daytime. I would only use it at night time for full benefit without exposure to the sun. 

Oh my cream! may be my favorite beauty spot to shop for new innovations as well as great brands that are not so readily available elsewhere. 

Catherine

xx

Most Moisturizing: For Body, Face, and Lips

Although the coldest months have passed, the need for moisturizing never diminishes even in the Spring. These are very moisturizing creams and lip balm that one can use even after sun burn and other skin damages that may need some help from our moisturizing friends.

 Avene Cold Cream

The Cold Crème de la Crème! This is my go-to cream for night time when I need maximum moisture. Appropriate to use anywhere on the body wherever that feels chapped and dry.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant

Winter Staple for many people for generations. This legendary cream is more of a balm. Less of a cream. The balmy texture really protects the skin from the heater drying out your skin. Also good on lips as lip balm. It almost feels like a moisture mask.

Nuxe Reve de Miel

The thickest lip balm ever. Might take a few days to get used to the unusual paste-like texture. But this is the only thing that would mend my chapped lips.

Catherine

xx

Bobbi Brown Skincare Purchases: My staple toner of choice

So Bobbi Brown had its Friends & Family Sale with 20% off. This should also remind you that you should sign up for newsletter if you want to get discounts for brands you are interested in purchasing new items. Aside from Sephora Friends & Family sale, it is pretty difficult to get discounts on skincare items so this is definitely the way to land on good discounted brand-name skincare or makeup.

I am currently trying to trim down my makeup stash so no makeup purchase unfortunately, but I purchased skincare items. 

Bobbi Brown

Hydrating Face Tonic 

$30

This has a divine herbal fragrance and it is great at taking off some leftover makeup when I have missed any from my cleansing routine. It appears to have helped me with my occasional breakout. I have used the Bobbi Brown Brightening toner before and I do not see much difference although this toner is cheaper. I would repurchase it when I run out.

Hydrating Face Cream

$55

I love Bobbi's face creams. One of my favorite cream from them is her extra repair eye cream. They have great consistency and restores moisture very well even in harsh weather such as in New York now. I don't see any remarkable effects other than hydration, but I would think this could be a very good staple cream for any type of skin. 

http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/
Catherine xx

Byredo Parfums: Black Saffron Eau de Parfum

BLACK SAFFRON by BYREDO

Eau de Parfum

Made in France

Top: Pomelo, Saffron, Juniper Berry

Heart: Black Violet, Accord Cuir, Cristal Rose

Base: Blond Woods, Raspberry, Vetiver

One of my latest perfume purchases was this beauty of a fragrance, Black Saffron, by ByredoIt is a bit on the synthetic side, not so subtle. It has raspberry accord which gives it a bit of a tang and lusciousness. I hoped for more saffron as per its name sake and more leather. But both of these qualities are not very strong which makes it wearable but there is a bit of both Saffron and leather and it is great as it gives a bit of a dirtiness to the crisp transaprency of cristal rose and berries. The vetiver tones down the uber-feminine qualities and makes it earthy. 

I wasn't such a great fan because of its crisp and almost synthetic quality but it has definitely grew on me as I wear it more and more.

Catherine xx

London Shopping: Books, Tea, Cleansing Balm

Koenig Books are one of my favorite bookstores in the world.

EVE LOM cleanser 

is a great cleansing balm with wonderful buttery texture and such relaxing aromatic and herbal scent. You can use muslin cloth to take it off, but I like to use just warm water and it leaves my skin feeling perfectly cleansed and pores feeling unclogged. 

Teapigs Liquorice and Peppermint Tea

One of my favorite naturally sweet teas. I wish we had teapigs in North America but I have only seen it in London.

Catherine xx