Guest Post | Pick of the Best Winter Getaways

Starting the year with an endless stream of grey skies can seem unjust for the British. How can you build up enthusiasm, excitement and energy for a fresh year when the weather has nothing but dreary misery to offer? When it seems like nature is against you, take it on yourself to find somewhere that will help add some summery cheer to your new year. A winter getaway is a perfect way to break the winter up and get yourself a dose of sunshine that you’d be waiting months to see half as much of in Britain. Here are the best places to go to escape the winter blues and get you a refreshing, sun-filled boost to the start of the year:

Maldives
Choose from one of the luxurious hotels on the beautiful islands of the Maldives and you can be lapping up winter sun on the nearest beach throughout your stay. As many hotels have an entire island to themselves, those golden sands are never far from your room. Though the islands may be small, there’s always plenty to do and in recent years the trend for winter tourism from sun-seekers fed up with their dull native weather has become apparent. This means you can expect a special effort from the best resorts as they fight off the competition to try and be the best place for you to steal some sun.

Dubai
This marvellously modern city has so much potential for fun that you’d be tempted to visit even without the scorching temperatures and dazzling sun. Luckily, you won’t have to compromise as you spend time visiting shopping centres (there are nearly 50), fine dining in the fabulous restaurants and relaxing in whichever one of the multitude of luxury accommodations you’ve chosen. Dubai is a true spectacle and a one of a kind city that’s worth visiting at any time of the year, yet its climate staying warm when UK temperatures dip makes it an essential consideration for your list of winter getaway destinations.

Cuba
For those with a sense of adventure, Cuba is an ideal place to jet off to when you need some warmth during the depths of the British winter. This is the kind of destination where you’re better off in the thick of things, so well-removed hotel resorts should be off the menu. Instead, get into the action and experience all the cigar-smoking, Spanish-dancing fun offered in the charming local villages. There are great beaches in Cuba that are dotted with fun salsa or jazz bars that come to life by night. You’ll come back to Britain feeling re-energized by the liveliness of your Cuban adventure and rejuvenated by the lovely climate.

You may think it’ll be hard to get the summery clothes you’ll need for your winter holiday, but affordable ranges like George's range of bikinis have got you covered. With that in mind, there’s no good reason why you shouldn’t treat yourself to a winter break in a far away and sunny land, for a start to the year that Britain could just never provide.

MUA Velvet Lip Lacquer Review, Swatches, & Demo

I have been waiting to get my hands on the MUA Velvet Lip Lacquers for a while, they were only available online but are now in Superdrug stores that have a MUA stand. My local one doesn't have a stand so I picked these up while I was shopping in the city. The shades I have are Criminal, Reckless, and Atomic. Kooky and Funk were out of stock, I need to add these to my collection ASAP.

I absolutely love the Velvet Lip Lacquers and they, in my opinion, are by far the best product MUA have come up with. They are fully opaque and fully matte, and last all day until you remove them. You will need makeup remover with these, they really don't budge. I wouldn't advise wearing these if you are going to be eating though because they will flake off in the center of the lips.

At first, they apply like a gloss and have a liquid consistency, but after a few seconds they dry down to a very matte finish. They do not transfer off the lips and don't cling to any dry patches at all.

The only problem I have with these is the applicator. Because the colours are so vibrant you do need to be very accurate when applying them to the lips, and the doe foot applicator isn't the best for precision. There is an easy way around this though, so I just apply mine using a lip brush.

Over all I cant recommend these enough! They are £3 and available from Superdrug and MUA's website!

Have you tried these? Which colour is your favorite?

Gem x