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Channel: Beautycrush - A Style Diary by Samantha Maria
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BLOSSOM

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Top - American Apparel
Skirt - American Apparel
Shoes - Vegabond
Ray Band Clubmasters
(Items & similar items below)

I noticed these vibrant flowers blooming, smothering walls around me and felt enchanted, what a beautiful colour! I wore this outfit while in Ibiza but I feel this could be worn in many places, be it in the UK or somewhere with a little more heat.
The skirt is cute enough just to wear with a bikini on its own! A simple, comfy outfit which is one of my go-to looks for summer.

Sammi x


The Weekly Eats

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A Lunch: Lentil, cous cous & sundried tomato salad (from M&S) with added spinach
A Drink: My homemade nespresso coffee with almond milk + agave nectar
A Breakfast: Yoghurt, granola, banana, chia seeds & blueberries
A Lunch: Tuna salad with M&S balsamic glaze
A Dinner: Chicken stir fry with tender-stem broccoli

I love watching vlogs and reading posts when they are all about what people are eating and of recipe ideas. This isn't so much of a 'food idea' post but I thought I would share what some of my typical meals and snacks look like.
I try to eat healthily most of the time but I do also allow myself treats! I love eating out too so perhaps if I do this again i'll include a meal or lunch i've had out and about.

Let me know if you guys like this type of post and i'll work on another one =]

Samantha x

ISRAEL PHOTO DIARY

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(Similar) Shirt - ASOS | Top - Missguided | Shorts - ASOS | Sandals - COS (sale)

















Jason & I had an Israel trip planned for quite some time,
We went to visit some of his family, visit TelAviv, explore (mostly for me because he'd been before) and try to relax a little.

It was an amazing time and the 10 days whizzed by so quickly, In a nutshell I would explain Israel as Interesting, cultured and I would say Tel Aviv is vibrant. This is because everywhere in the city there is artwork splattered across the walls in colour and text. It actually reminded me a little of Shoreditch in that way.

There are hummus, shawarma and falafel food spots dotted around, smelling very inviting and the people are friendly and like to have a good chat.

I received quite a few stares there, a few people stopped me and asked where I was from and said that I look Brazillian (I was very flattered!) People also would stare at my tattooed arm, Women with tattoos there aren't really as common as here in London but I didn't mind too much.
I would defiantly go back to Tel Aviv. We also spent time in a town about an hour and a half away so this was a very different vibe to the city. Calm, collected, scorching hot but still intriguing.

We visited the old town of AKKO and if you ever go I recommend 'Humus Said' and also round the corner from it is a little stall with a man selling coffee beans - The coffee he makes there is delightful.

I really enjoyed Israel and I love making photo diaries so defiantly wanted to record this place for my blog. I also filmed a (very) little bit while there which will be up in a few days.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

Sammi x

Shopping in Tel Aviv

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Top - Topshop (similar)
Shorts - Melbourne Boutique  (similar)
Similar Hat - Urban Outfitters 
Sandals - Vegabond

While in Israel we strolled down the streets of Tel Aviv, I was on the hunt for a good pair of denim shorts and there was supposed to be a good shop selling them on this road so we found it after a little while of looking and even though it wasn't successful, we also found a shop tucked away which sold handmade silver jewellery.

I ended up buying a beautiful hamsa necklace and Jason also got the same but bigger and a different design. It was a lovely day in Tel Aviv and I loved soaking in the sights and sounds of the city. Afterwards we took a trip to the beach to cool off. 

This outfit served me well because the giant hat shielded me from the sun and the shorts are very floaty and airy - Comfy to wear!

Sammi x




Lunch at The Elgin

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Top - Zara (similar)
Jeans - Topshop Joni
Kimono - River Island (White lace kimono kind of similar)
Bag - Vivistyle
Flats - Topshop

It was a drizzly day in London, I needed to walk the dog and was also feeling a little peckish. My sister Danny (She's on youtube here) had just come back from her holiday in Kos and I hadn't seen her since being in israel so we planned to meet at a cool pub-turned-cafe/coffee house in Maida Vale called The Elgin.

I had walked past this place over a dozen times and always had a little peek in but hadn't actually gone in and sat down. What a little treasure! They allow dogs which means major brownie points from me! Its so hard to find places in London that allow dogs - They are really friendly, the food and coffee is delicious and the vibe of the place is really chilled out and comfortable.

We sat and chatted about our trips away and what the countries were like, laughed about old jokes and tried to keep Riley from jumping on the sofas. (He tried and failed a few times, always involving falling over)

Luckily I chucked a jumper in my bag because it was supposed to rain that day and indeed it pissed it down! But it was lovely nevertheless!

Sammi x




*A little heart to heart*
I especially enjoyed popping out that day because sometimes with what I do (blogging and youtubing full time) it can be quite lonesome. Jason works during the day Mon-fri and I have worked from home for years now and I do actually love being on my own a lot of the time, then again sometimes it can be hard with no one to talk to and no one to work with.
I can get stuck in a cycle sometimes of being on my own and not even wanting to go out much when really I should and I can get myself a little down in the dumps thinking about how I need to get my work done but then also feeling quite alone!
I am pushing myself to do more of my work out of the house and to go and meet people more which always cheers me up a little and I even tend to get more done! Meeting Danny was lovely & we always have a right laugh.
I just felt like having a little heart to heart as I don't usually share alot of my more in-depth feelings here on my blog but these feeling really went along with this post.
If you work from home and sometimes also have these feelings you are not alone!

A Little Home Decor

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Not too long ago I was browsing around Westfield with Jason and we stumbled across Zara home. I've been to a few of the stores before but hadn't been inside since we moved house in february and the 'Sale' signs incited us inside.....'Shall we?...'

I picked up a few bits and bobs, these two glass jars I thought were gorgeous and I had to get a big AND a little one.
I also always love the smell inside the Zara home stores and since the candles were on sale I nabbed the amber one (Its so delightful burnt inside the flat!)
I also have quite a thing for mugs and cups and this little teacup & saucer were also on sale, I couldn't resist.




So I also picked up some cute elephant doorknobs, Jason really loved this globe (he has quite the thing for globes) and we both marvelled at this NEON gorilla. It defiantly will be a talking-point within the flat, its hilarious and so bright, I've named him Caesar.

Also, Here is a photo of Riley looking rather dapper

We bought this little bow-tie from a shop just outside Westfield called Purple Bone, They had lots of cute bits but this especially caught my eye!


Hope you liked this little home-haul!

Sammi x

The Lace Skirt

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Jumper - Monki (Very Similar)
Under-shorts - Shop in Melbourne
Bag - Vivistyle
Pumps - Topshop
Lips - MAC All fired up

I am in love with this skirt, I picked it out from Urban Outfitter's website and as soon as I received it I couldn't wait to style it. I wore it out for a coffee with LilyPebbles last week and because of the added jumper it had me covered for the unpredictable weather.

It's see-through (obviously) so I popped on some white shorts I had from my trip to Oz. I'd suggest something nude or white underneath, its not actually too difficult to work with!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Sammi x





SHOREDITCH SUMMER

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Top - Bershka
Skirt - MotelRocks (In White)
Pumps - Topshop
Bag - Vivistyle
Glasses - Ray Ban Clubmasters

The other week I was strolling around the Shoreditch area, it was that strange English 'in-between' heat so I went for a lightweight jumper and one of my favourite skirts. This skirt isn't on the website anymore but I found it in white on there! Its such a lovely material and I find it really flattering.

We ate at Cottons in BoxPark (Yummy caribbean food) and afterwards walked it off and did a little shopping, after taking in all of the street art. I love how artsy East London is!

Sammi x

Lunchtime With Depop

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Despite the fact someone was with me while this photo was taken, I was going to say that my lunchtimes usually consist of me on my onesies, taking a break from editing, filming or whatever else I'm doing - Having some food and catching up on my social media or browsing around my phone for a bit.

I just can't help myself, I always think that I should read or something (and sometimes I do!) but my phone is so damn addictive!
 


The first meal there was from a lunch in LEON, I had the Ham hock salad which was too good for words and then I often stop by The Elgin in Maida Vale and this time I had a chicken, lentil & broccoli salad which was also yummy. I often also grab a croissant because they are my total weakness.

Back to my phone and things, I like to watch Youtube videos with my lunch or go through my apps. I have been loving depop recently and wanted to take a moment to talk about it a little more!




You are most probably aware of Depop, Its taken bloggers...and the world...by storm! Its set out a little like instagram except what you are scrolling through is items that people are selling and you can purchase them through the app with a few clicks, through Paypal. Its so quick and easy!

It is also super easy to set up (I'm quite stubborn with setting up new things and filling out forms) I was pleasantly surprised.  Again, I'm sure you know of it but if not, check out mine if you like! Its under 'Beautycrush' and every now and then I pop a few more things up onto my account.

I also Love that brands have accounts too. Some of my favourite online stores sell items on Depop and you can often nab one-off items - Handy!

I am still working on another 'Weekly Eats' post so this is a little peek into some more things i've been eating but we all love a good app and so I thought I would share more about what I do during my third favourite meal of the day...app included!

A thank you to Depop for kindly sponsoring this post =]

Sammi x

Le Pain Quotiden

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Dress - Motel Rocks*
Bag - Vivistyle
Sandals - River Island
Necklace - Small silver shop on holiday

I have had this dress for a little while, its from Motel Rock's Vintage selection, I couldn't wear it a few weeks ago because the weather wasn't up to scratch but I saw it in my wardrobe and snatched it out as it was so hot this day!
The fall and flow of the skirt of this dress is absolutely beautiful, I had so many compliments on the day, I felt so feminine and pretty in it, thats always good!





I had wanted to try out Le Pain Quotiden for ages, I always see it dotted around London when I'm out and about - I used to think it was just for bread and then I realised they serve you all types food! (doh) I went for a lentil avocado salad with added smoked salmon and my mum and Jason went for the eggs with mushrooms on bread and they said it was lovely

Mine was also very good, super healthy and I'm glad I added the salmon for extra flavour. On the table they leave scattered rapeseed oil and balsamic vinegar etc so you can add as much flavour as you like...which I like!




At the front of the restaurant they sell loaves of freshly baked bread, pastries, cakes and the like - It's all very tempting! They also do a smashing coffee and the teacups they come out with are traditionally French, big and comforting to hold (I have a strange thing for mugs and cups!).
 

It was a lovely little lunch and I recommend it if you like something quite healthy or a cooked meal that still has a home-touch feel to it in the middle of London. Not always easy to find!

Sammi x

LITTLE WHITE DRESS

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Topshop has forever been one of my favourite stores, They just cover everything - They’ve got your basics, your shoes, your makeup and your night-out knockout outfits. 
I had the opportunity to create a whole look comprising of Topshop pieces and literally jumped at the chance. Many of these pieces are from the holiday line, pieces that you could wear while away or that are perfect for summer and this little white ‘dress’ (I cheated, its a playsuit!) is PERFECT for summer, I’ll definitely be taking it away with me!
I went for these gorgeous nude heels which I think are quite on-trend and you know I love my monochrome…I had to go for this duster kimono too. 
Its summer, so I thought, lets add a little pop - I added these bright sunglasses (which are now on sale for £5!) and I love them, they’re such a cute accessory!
Playsuit - Topshop
Duster Kimono - Topshop
Heels - Topshop
Sunglasses - Topshop (Now £5!)
Bag - Topshop


This is my kind of summery outfit ;) Hope you’re all having a fab summer too!
I’m off to Malta next week so am gearing up for the packing and travelling - ‘citing!
Sammi x

[ Thank you to Jason for taking these snaps - I’m so happy with them! He now has a blog too if you’d like to check it out :) ]


THE BREAKFAST CLUB

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A little while ago we took a trip to The Breakfast Club in Angel, We'd been working all day, hadn't had much for breakfast and went for lunch (which of course...is always breakfast). I had been before and enjoyed it but this was a slightly different experience. 


I went for scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast with avocado but it came out lukewarm, unfortunately it also came out 10 minutes before Jason's - I try to be rather polite so waited for his to come before tucking in, but by the time it came it has lost all heat alltogether. 
Cold eggs aren't too great! Anyway, Jason went for the Full English but he didn't eat too much of it.

I also ordered a juice which I was quite looking forward to but it literally tasted like water =[


I have to say, I'd been before when I had the french toast with banana and bacon and it was good but this time I wasn't too impressed, It felt very packed inside and there wasn't a lot of personal space. I also felt a bit like a number - I know many places in London treat you like this but in the Hoxton branch they were a lot friendlier and the food was a bit better!

Denim Shorts - Rokit
Bag - ViviStyle
Necklace - ShopDixi
Sandals - Vagabond (On Sale!)

To be honest, I won't be rushing back, This place has blown up recently (not literally) and I can definitely see why, It is set up awesomely inside, the music is good, the staff are usually really nice and there are even board games to play together but I think i've just had that dreaded bad experience!

If you are in Angel and you want a lovely breakfast I have to suggest The Elk in the Woods, its just a few doors down and we had a much better experience there - I actually did a blog post a little while ago which you can find here.

I had a very simple outfit on as we had to do a lot of walking around on the day, it was perfect for the warm weather!

Sammi x

THE WHITE JEANS

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Stop the presses. Sam.....in white? 
Uh huhhhh - I know that all white outfits have been very on-trend for a while now but I am more of a fiend for everything black. However I love outfits with white jeans, so I thought why not step out of my comfort zone a little.  







Top - Zara (Similar)
Sandals - Doc Martens 
Bag - Vivistyle
Kimono - Missguided (Similar)

This is such a simple and casual outfit, quite comfy and great for summer (Although I would wear this in winter too). I went for a bright red lip which is MAC's relentlessly red as I thought it would bring that small pop of colour. 
I'll be honest I did feel very strange in this much white but on the other hand I really love how it looks and I'm going to look into creating more outfits with white jeans. Its good to step out of your usual comfort zone every once in a while!

Sammi x


THE WEEKLY EATS II

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This is me getting ready to chow down in Cafe Rouge
(Here are some more things i've been chomping on recently)




not food but a nice photo ^.^




1. Moules Frites in Cafe Rouge - This was for lunch and they were SO good, some of the best I had had before. I even sipped on the sauce afterwards!

2. Baked trout at The Ham Yard hotel - I went for a lovely lunch meeting here and I had the fish which was amazing, it flaked so softly and easily. They also came around with warm bread rolls before the meal and my carb-monster reared its head - mmm!

3. A Saturday breakfast, Costa coffee and an almond croissant from M&S.

4. The usual suspect - Superfoodies granola with blueberries and oat milk for breakfast.

5. Carbonara, one of my new favourite pasta dishes, so bad but SO good! I just try to manage my portions well. (I also added M&S artichoke on the side, obsessed with them recently)

6. A homemade snack/brunch - Cherry tomatoes with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper. Sesame seed crackers on the side with a coffee (not pictured)

7. I regularly visit The Elgin for lunch or a coffee, this was mid-dogwalk. I had a soya cappuccino with a croissant as I wasn't too hungry, but I seriously have a weakness for pastries. Working lunches here are splendid and they allow dogs!


Hope you've found this interesting, again let me know if you like these 'weekly eats' posts and i'll keep them up!

Sammi x

MYNY

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I have been a perfume fan pretty much since I was about 5.
I would run up to my mum when she'd get home from work, i'd hug her and her woollen coat would smell of her striking signature scent, which gave me a warm fuzzy feeling....since, i've been hooked on creating my own perfume collection too.




Naturally I was intrigued when offered the chance to try out this perfume from DKNY (launched only yesterday the 20th), whats it all about you ask?
The idea behind the perfume is that they have encaptured and bottled the pure energy of New York City (One of my favourite cities in the world - I miss it!)

I was told about the perfume's online digital hub and wanted to try my hand at it too, basically you connect via Facebook (it dosent interrupt your feed though) and you can make your own MYNY heart from pictures of the city itself - you can pull your own pictures from NY if you have any, into your creation.
At first they ask about 5 fun questions just about what you like to do there & the best time of the year in NY etc and your heart is customised for you.

If you like you can log on at myny.dkny.com and make sure to use the hashtag #MYNY!

The Scent:
The top notes (the first that hit you) of this perfume are Raspberry, Galbanum & pink pepper. I can definitely notice that pepper because at first I find it quite strong!
Then among other things there is Egyptian Jasmine which is rather soothing and the base notes include Vanilla Absolute, musk and Amergris. 
When the scent relaxes down and reacts with your skin, well for me - I rather like it. Its not a sickly sweet perfume at all but much more...mysterious, musky and spicy. 

It definitely is a different perfume for my collection, Rita Ora is the face of this perfume making you think it might be the usual 'celeb scent' but it really is not! I also am intrigued by the packaging, the top resembles the skyscrapers of New York and the bottom is heart shaped so there is a slight juxtaposition of structure and softness.

Competition:
If you would like to get even more involved, there is a competition which has been running from the 17th august which is  the 'Scent with love' competition. To celebrate the launch you could win a DKNY gift card worth £300 and the new fragrance too.
 All you have to do it take a picture of yourself shaping a heart (like above) and share it, with #scentwithlove #MYNY on Facebook.
(You can also tag up to 4 friends who would win the same if you win and also 10 runners up will receive a DKNY watch and the new fragrance)


*Breathes* Woah that was a lot of info! Good luck to anyone that enters!

I know this post was quite long - I wanted to share the comp with anyone who might be interested but if not, no worries and my review as always is genuine as I am quite the perfume enthusiast!

MYNY one is different, not one of my all time favourites but it has its own place in my collection because it is unique (visually too!)

Hope you're all well - Malta photo diary to follow! ;)

Sammi x

*Thank you to DKNY for kindly sponsoring this blog post

INTIMATES

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I have received many monthly boxes over the last few years, boxes that are tailored towards you and what you like, that are full of lots of goodies, but never before have I come across one full of intimates.





Wantable provide boxes brimming with a few different types of things (They do makeup too) but straight away I homed in on the 'Intimates'. (Cami's, pants, socks etc)
You go through a few pages which just ask you about your taste, what you like, your size and the Wantable style experts pick out what they think would be best for you.
I have to say, I LOVE my box - more than I thought I would!

I received a little bralette, a beautiful lace cami, the softest cotton shorts and a comfy 'lounge around the house' loose t-shirt. They are all SO soft to the touch and comfortable.
They are things I would genuinely wear and if you've received boxes of items before with some things you might not like, you know its such a good feeling when everything is something you really do like!


The Deets:
The subscription is $36 a month and shipping to the UK is $7.00USD
If you would like to check our Wantable for yourself just click here to take you to the site =]


I love all of these bits, Its sometimes hard to find pretty and good quality items to wear around the house or under clothes and I'm happy to have each of these items!

Thank you to Wantable.com for kindly sponsoring this feature, as always thoughts and opinions are my own

(Apologies, I know I said the Malta pics were up next, they will be now! Editing as we....read? haha)

MALTA PHOTO DIARY

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Malta was absolutely beautiful, Overall I would say it is very laid-back and slow paced, There are intricate and ornate buildings dotted around everywhere and you can just sense the very history of the place from strolling down a street or two.

The people are very friendly, there aren't very many beaches but the towns make up for it if you don't mind that sort of thing. We stayed in St. Julians and visited Golden beach, Valetta and the island of Gozo.

I wouldn't go back again any time soon because I feel like I got a good enough idea of the place and I like a little more life going on but its great if you are a very chilled kind of person.

It was my birthday while we were there and I have a whole post on that because we went for an amazing dinner so that'll be up soon!

Thanks for having us Malta!

SUNDRESS

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Sandals - Topshop
Elephant Necklace - Links of london
Bag - Topshop

I guess this is Part 1. of my birthday post, I wore this on my birthday in the day. We went on a quad bike ride to Sliema - the next next town up from St. Julians in Malta where we were staying and searched for somewhere to find a refreshing drink. Then we came back and strolled around looking for a place to have lunch & this was just before eating.

I love this dress, its a definite staple of mine, its from Brandy Melville and is perfect for holidays especially because of the open back.

More birthday pictures to come!

Sammi x

MY 25TH BIRTHDAY

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This is quite long overdue - I had tons of pictures from Malta that I wanted to upload so apologies for this being so long after, but this is what happened on my birthday and this is what I wore.

I found this dress on ASOS and its not usually something I would go for but for some reason it called my name!

We started the day with a quad bike ride to Sliema, then we went back to the hotel, changed and took an amazing (and slightly scary) boat taxi ride to Valetta, the capital city of Malta. We arrived as the sun started to set, this place took my breath away.
 

Dress - ASOS (Couldn't find it on the site anymore!)
Belt - Rokit
Necklaces - Holiday & Links of London
Sandals - From a store on holiday
Rings - Lvndr




We passed this closed flower stall about three times before Jason stopped and said 'Would you like a picture here?' He'd seen me eyeing it up and was quite right!
I pranced over for a few pictures while a local man told us to watch out for thieves in the area. We kept an eye on our bags but coming from London we are quite used to doing that anyway!

We went for a little glass of wine in the town square because our table was booked for 8pm and we were early, so we also strolled down the long, hilly roads of valetta marvelling at the architecture, the colours and the dishevelled houses that still look amazingly beautiful.



Then we got to the restaurant, It was a surprise to me but it was a traditional maltese cuisine restaurant, set inside a tunnel originally built by the knights of St. John in 1570 named Rampila.
It was stunning, you walk down a few steps and find yourself going down through a short tunnel which is lit up and laced with dining tables, then outside onto the terrace which is dotted with little trees and fairy lights.
 


After a little wait and a little chat (with each other and also with the waiters) - Our food arrived!



I had the swordfish and Jason had the Lamb, They were both rather exquisite!




The dessert menu came, beforehand I had said to Jason the only thing I really wanted on my birthday, was a cake, so I got a bit giggly when the waiter took so long to come and take our dessert orders



And ta da! A sort of tirimisu cake appeared! I was so thankful and I was so happy to have a little birthday cake, even abroad!

Then things got a bit weird (with the help of a few glasses of wine and the excitement of cake) We waited for the taxi...it took a while, and then I started to do some sort of ballet inspired 'waiting for the taxi' dance.



Goodtimes!

It was so lovely having a birthday in Malta, even though there wasn't too much life around to have a party-style celebration, its nice to mix things up a bit sometimes!

Sammi x

Shake Shack

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I was running some errands and also had a meeting in central London - it was a fairly warm day so I thought simple top, leather shorts, converses for comfort and then smarten the whole thing up slightly with a slouchy blazer (I did say slightly)

This outfit was perfect for the day, I often miss-dress for the unpredictable weather but today went well! I think it was a good mix of looking put-together but also casual. You could easily replace the converse with black heels to make it into a nighttime look.

Here is the the exciting bit...I visited Shake Shack!


From what I know, Shake Shack is an American company and they are dotted all around the states, I had seen so many people talking and Instagramming about Shake shack since it landed in the UK that I had rather high expectations.

There are about 3 seating areas in the centre of covent garden surrounding it, so you go and order, you get a buzzy-thing, and when it buzzes you go and collect your food from the kitchen.

After a wait of about 5 minutes we scooped up our food, took some pictures and chowed down.

I have to say I was disappointed (The picture below was my very first bite), now, it LOOKS amazing! It might be that I just made the wrong choice on the menu but for such a small menu there shouldn't really be anything abysmal on it (and for all the fuss).
I went for the Shack burger and cheesy fries. The burger was pretty much like a Macdonalds burger but a lot dryer and without a lot of the taste (and thats saying something).
The fries however were pretty good, obviously calorific but you're not going to SS for a healthy meal! I much preferred them and if I do go again i'll also try their concretes as i've heard they are good.



All in all...I wouldn't rush there, I believe it is overhyped and the verdict from the Smoke shack (burger with applewood smoked bacon) was also that it was poor and without much flavour.

Good if you're super hungry and need a quick fix but I MUCH prefer Five Guys! < (Link to my previous post on it)

I thought I would share anyway, I love to give my two cents!

Sammi x


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