KALKAN, TURKEY: A FEW HOLIDAY SNAPS, WHAT WE DID & WHERE TO EAT.

After being in Kalkan, Turkey for 2 weeks, one thing that really stood out was, of course the weather, but also the high standard of food and being a major foodie, that pleased me very much! Last year I was lucky enough to visit Kalkan with one of my beautiful friends and her lovely family so I already knew of some places that me and my family had to visit this year! 

Before I talk about where to eat, I'll just mention what we did for 2 weeks. The villa that we stayed in was about 100m from Kalkan Beach Park (not really a park at all) - they offer free sun beds overlooking the sea and serve some lovely food. Over the 2 week holiday we spent 4 days relaxing there and were fortunate enough to be able to snorkel with wild turtles! It was an AMAZING experience and I'll never forget being less than a metre from such a beautiful creature! 

The first Friday was dedicated to a private boat trip that we'd booked before we came on holiday. We had the boat all to ourselves and the only hard decision to make was whether to have a meat lunch or a fish lunch- we went for fish and there were no regrets! We went with the 'Whisper' boat but there are plenty of others to choose from.

The majority of the our time abroad was spent lounging about at the villa and relaxing during the day - it's too hot to contemplate much movement... The evenings were mainly spent in the centre of Kalkan and that's were the food comes in!

There were 4 restaurants that we loved over the 2 weeks, for a combination of the food, staff and location/view (we went to 3 of them multiple times):

1. Moonstone (located on the strip between the Old Town and New Town). They serve mainly traditional Turkish food and everything that we had we all thoroughly enjoyed. It's worth booking before you go to get a table at the front of the terrace as the views are pretty special; overlooking the harbour, the sea and the main strip of Kalkan. The service here was some of the best we experienced all holiday. The owner couldn't thank us enough for coming for a second time.
2. Adam's Place (out of Town). Before we even sat down to eat, we were impressed by the service that Adam provides. He offers to come and pick you up and take you back to where you're staying as his restaurant is roughly a 10 minute drive from Kalkan. Again the food here is traditional Turkish food. I'd recommend having the lamb shank for your main course as it falls off the bone and is served flaming - out of the three times we ate here I had it twice! Definitely don't miss out on crepes for dessert either! The views are different from what the majority of Kalkan has to offer as the surrounding area is calm and still, but equally as beautiful!
3. Hunkar (located in the Old Town). As I discovered last year Hunkar is well known for their unbelievable kebabs - they're truly delicious and thinking about it now is making me hungry! We visited the restaurant four times and had a takeout once which was delivered to our door. The staff are so accommodating and friendly. Every version of kebab that I had, whether that be a platter, a skewer or a wrap, was tender and full of flavour! 
4. The Fish Terrace (located in the New Town). If you're a lover of fish then this is the place for you, although they make it clear that they serve alternatives as well! I had 'Fisherman's Feast' which is basically a plate full of different types of fish all cooked beautifully. The views are, again, amazing and maybe even more so than many other restaurants in Kalkan as it's situated at the bottom of the town meaning there aren't other terraces blocking the view.

The 2 weeks spent in Kalkan were some of the best I've ever had on holiday. Me and my family had some really lovely time relaxing and laughing in the sun. Wherever you go, all the locals are so friendly and are always willing to help. 

If you or your family are ever stuck for somewhere to spend your Summer holiday, I would 100% recommend Kalkan!

Where did you go for your Summer holiday?

Love Mais.

A MAKEUP MUST HAVE.

I've had my eye on MAC Painterly Paint Pot for quite some time so when my Mum offered to buy me a MAC product after I convinced her to have her eyeshadow done there, I reached for this product hoping it would match my expectations.

The reason I wanted this product was because I was in need of an eyeshadow primer and thought it would do the trick...and I can sure say it does! I've seen a noticeable difference in the longevity of my eyeshadow and how it sits on my eyelids. The consistency before applying is SO creamy but when it's applied it sets quite quickly meaning it doesn't budge and therefore makes for a brilliant primer. At the end of a day/evening it manages to make my eyeshadow appear as though it's been freshly applied which obviously I'm all for!

The thing that drew me to this particular shade of Paint Pot compared to any other was that it's flesh coloured meaning it doesn't really affect your eyeshadow look in terms of colour, it just creates a fresh base which eyeshadows can cling onto. I've also discovered that it's works perfectly at covering veins and looks lovely when used alone to create a fresh finish. An added bonus is that the packaging is so classy and sleek which makes me want to use it even more! 

I'd highly recommend this product to anyone who is in need of an eyeshadow primer or is a keen makeup enthusiast and has some space in their collection. It's possibly my favourite MAC product (so far...) *BOLD STATEMENT*.

Love Mais.

IS ASOS PREMIER WORTH IT?

Since discovering ASOS, I don't think a week has gone by where I haven't scanned the site and its amazing selection of (mainly) fashion. After multiple orders, I decided that it was the optimum time to upgrade to ASOS Premier and being an avid lover of fashion it only makes sense...

For the mere payment of £9.95 A YEAR, you get UNLIMITED NEXT DAY DELIVERY (I know, amazing!). This, for me, was the main attraction as I desperately hate the usual 3-4 day wait between ordering something and receiving it, with the possibility that the item may not even fit. Personally I would still pay the annual tenner to get the free next day delivery with no added bonuses, but the little extras only make the whole package more attractive...

Other features of having ASOS Premier are that you can get early access to sales as well as access to exclusive sales. I receive regular emails telling me that I have a certain amount of hours where I can take a look at offers before anyone else!

ASOS Premier also offers a service that I'm yet to use. An alternative to taking your unwanted items back to the post office; you can drop off your package at a near-by place, for example a corner shop, and then the delivery van will pick it up and take it straight back - so you've beaten the queues and saved time. Another option is that a courier will come directly to your house to pick up your package, however I don't know the ins and outs of this! In the rare occasion that I want to send an item back, I personally find it easier to take it to my local post office as it happens to be very near where I live, but if you happen to live quite a distance away from a post office, this option is perfect. 

The last and probably most exciting feature besides the free next day delivery is the free ASOS Magazine (as featured in the photo above). Throughout the year, 10 magazines are sent to ASOS Premier members and they're packed full of outfit ideas with clothes from the ASOS site, fashion trends, make-up trends and short stories of people in the Fashion Industry. 

So if you haven't guessed I definitely think ASOS Premier is worth it! If you regularly order from the site then I'd 100% recommend it. 

Have I convinced you yet?

Love Mais.