After having quite a break from wearing makeup on a daily basis, saving it only for special occasions, I've got back into the routine of wearing makeup for work and getting my routine down to 10 minutes. As I'm trying to do a project-pan with my makeup collection, you may spot a few items that are reoccurring in my daily makeup routine (and have been well-loved) - all with the aim to use up the makeup I own before purchasing new beauty bits.

To start with my foundation, I must mention a new addition to my collection, my CYO Long Lasting Foundation in the shade 102. This foundation applies best using my Real Techniques complexion sponge, but also looks great when applied with a brush. Although the colour is slightly ashy on my pale skin, this provides a medium to full coverage and a natural finish. What I particularly, love is how creamy and lightweight this feels and, even in the heatwave we've been having, because this isn't cakey, it will still look the same in the evening as it does when I first apply it (apart from my T Zone - but thats my skin!) used with my Collection Loose Powder. To pair with my foundation, I'd recently repurchased a previous favourite in my Maybelliene FitMe Concealer, which I find provides lightweight but full coverage for under my eyes and lasts all day without caking. 

Saturday: Pompeii

Initially we had intended (optimistically) to see Pompeii and Vesuvius in one day, but instead decided to spend a full day in Pompeii instead. We got the Circumvesuvian train from Porta Nolana train station (which if you can get to there instead of Garibaldi, I would strongly encourage in order to get yourself a seat before the swarms of people board.)

Sunday: Vesuvius/ Gesu Nuvo Church

On our second day we decided to get to Vesuvius via Pompeii Scavi station, where, directly opposite the station entrance you can get the EAV Srl bus for €3,10 each way to the volcano car park. Admission for the volcano is €10 and took us approximately 35/40 minutes to reach the far summit. It was difficult terrain to walk up, and I did stumble a couple of times, however the views were well worth the walk up. Once we'd climbed up, and down, Vesuvius, we took the train back to Porta Nolana before walking into the city centre towards Gesu Nuvo Church. 

We set aside Monday to see as much of Naples' key sights as we could. We started off walking in the direction of Castel Del'Ovo, passing Castle Nuovo and the Piassa del Plebscito, a beautiful square in Naples next to the royal palace, where we were fortunate enough to witness a wedding. We also took a walk through the Galleria Umberto shopping district and bought some gelato which we ate on our walk to the Naples Museum of Archaeology. My favourite part being the scale model of Pompeii. Our final stop was via the Cathedral of Naples which, much like many of the beautiful sights in Naples, creeps up on you down one of Naples back streets.

It's worth noting here that there is two contrasting areas in Naples; the Garibaldi station region and the district in its surrounding area, then as you walk closer towards the coast headed for Castel D'Ovo/ Castle Nuovo (via the sketchier Spanish Quarter), you find yourself walking past higher end shops and towards Piazza del Plebiscito, which is beautiful. Naples has itself a bit of a bad reputation, but we never felt unsafe in Naples, just be wary of your surroundings and your belongings - we just kept valuables on us to a minimum and carried our bags on our front in the busy areas.

One thing we became very aware very early on during our trip was how beautiful buildings would just creep up on your among the high and narrow streets and Naples Cathedral was certainly one of these. The scale and beauty of this Cathedral is definitely a must see in Naples.

For our last full day we allocated the time to relax in Sorrento. We caught the Circumvesuvian train from Porta Nolana to Sorrento, which cost around €5,70 each way. When we arrived, we found ourselves strolling down the streets in Sorrento amongst the Limoncello stores and gelato stands, situated ourselves in a park overlooking the coast. It's a truly beautiful area that is a stark contrast the the bustle of Naples, but we did find ourselves to be significantly younger than the tourists in the region. I also used Sorrento as my guinea pig for my new holga photography lens.

Naturally, we ate A LOT in Naples, but found ourselves trying somewhere new to eat every night. When it came to drinks, however, we found ourselves a regular haunt with La Fesseria. Down a dark and narrow back street, I wasn't expecting to find such a great Cocktail Bar. The cosy bar didn't have a menu but valued their skills in being able to make you the cocktail you asked for. Their Tom Colins was a particular favourite of ours and their Instagram is definitely worth a follow (@la_fesseria).

So that's my photo diary of my latest trip away. Have you ever been to Italy?