I try to do something special or memorable every year for my birthday, even though I'm not too fussed about the actual day itself. When I turned 30 I had the most incredible VIP stay at House Of Gods Edinburgh. Other years I've booked in for a massage or spa treatment. But this year I decided to plan a little solo trip. And I have a feeling it might become a bit of a tradition going forward. Maybe one year I'll even go somewhere tropical. But I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by how warm London was, compared to Scotland at this time of year.
So, today I'm sharing a few snapshots from my solo birthday trip to London. You might have already seen some of them if you follow me on Instagram. But here's what I got up to;
Day One
Heading straight to Shake Shack for lunch
After catching the 6:29am train from Glasgow Central and being able to check in early at my hotel, I headed straight to Shake Shack. It baffles me that they haven't opened one in Scotland yet. But that's a rant for another day. My beloved Chick'n Shack was incredible, as always, even if the chips could have been more potato-y for my liking. I also lucked out and managed to grab an indoor table straight away, which if you've ever been to the Covent Garden Market branch, you will know is not always a guarantee.
Having The Light Salon Collagen Boost Facial at Harvey Nichols Knightsbridge
Then it was time to hop on the tube to Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge. The team at The Light Salon very kindly organised for me to have their Collagen Boost Express LED treatment. And what a treat it was after a day of travelling. That specific treatment combines LED therapy with a lifting massage and I can easily see why it's their most popular facial. My skin was so glowy afterward and it 100% gave me the confidence to go makeup-free for most of my trip.
I am super intrigued to find out more about their Hair Revitaliser treatment, which works on the scalp. So, that's one to keep in mind the next time I'm down in London.
A spot of shopping and wandering
I didn't plan anything for my first evening, as I had a feeling I would be pretty tired after the 5am wake up. So, I went for a wander through Soho and down Carnaby Street. I also spent quite a bit of time in the five-floor Foyles on Tottenham Court Road and the TK Maxx across the road from it. Then I headed back towards Covent Garden, where I obviously had to make a pitstop in Glossier.
Day Two
Breakfast at Nessa Soho
I started my first full day by meeting Charlie from Monty at Nessa Soho for breakfast. And if you're looking for somewhere to have breakfast or brunch, what a beautiful restaurant it is. I opted for the malt pancake, which was honestly the biggest pancake that I have ever seen. I only made a small dent in it and was so full. Next time I'll definitely need to try their super crispy hash browns, while the banana french toast looked incredible as well.
Lunch at Christopher's Covent Garden
Another restaurant and dish that I had seen all over social media was the iconic milk chocolate french toast from Christopher's in Covent Garden. So when Lily from Space NK suggested it for our meeting I was beyond excited. I can't quite put into words how good (and completely filling) it was. From the super sweet brioche bread to the chocolate sauce sandwiched in between the two slices, to the ice cold vanilla ice cream on top; it was divine. If you're looking to treat yourself the next time that you're in the capital, what a treat it is.
Getting the lowdown at the Dr Jart+ event
And I rounded out the day with an event to celebrate Dr Jart+'s latest release; the Cicapair So Soothing Treatment. I'm already a big fan of the brand's Ceramidin range, so it was great to find out more about their products for dealing with redness and irritation. I've been using the So Soothing Treatment any time that I get a blemish or angry under the skin pimple and have really liked how (you guessed it) soothing it has been.
Day Three
Free birthday breakfast at Gail's
Normally the only birthday freebie that I pick up is my birthday donut from Krispy Kreme (more on that later). But I remembered Martin Lewis sharing that Gail's bakery gave you a free pastry for your birthday. So, of course I had to investigate that given that I would be down in London during my birthday month. All you need to do is download their app and you can pick one of the flaky pastries for free. I had to go for their pain au chocolat and it was really tasty. So tasty I completely forgot to take a photo of it first. You also got a free hot drink for signing up to their rewards, making my whole breakfast free. And let me just say, their milk hot chocolate was excellent too.
Visiting the Cute exhibition at Somerset House
Really my main reason for visiting London this time was to go to the Cute exhibition at Somerset House. And it did not disappoint. You know when something brings you true joy and you feel like a little kid again, that's exactly what this exhibit did for me.
The Hello Kitty section in particular was my absolute favourite, which was no surprise. But I was really impressed with the different spaces and the entire setup. If you're in London before April, I would definitely make a point of visiting, especially if you appreciate all things cute.
Heading to Battersea & the Boots Beauty Store
I've been meaning to visit Battersea Power Station for a while now and I finally made it a priority on this trip. The way that they've combined the original architecture with all things new is pretty breathtaking. It's definitely the fanciest shopping centre that I've ever been to. And after having a good look around I made my way to the Boots Beauty Store, the first to be completely dedicated to all things beauty. It's safe to say that I was really in my element.
I also had my second LED treatment in so many days, with Boots Battersea offering treatments for £60. They also do skin consultations, scans, scalp checks and more, making it a Boots unlike any that I had visited before. The LED treatment was tailored to my skin and then products were recommended based on what would work best for me. Again, my skin was so glowy afterward and I now think I'll need to make LED treatments a staple in my skincare routine going forward.
Once my treatment was finished I spent a bit more time having a look around before picking up a few beauty bits that have been on my wishlist for a while now. Are any of them on yours?
An evening at the Pan Mac Love Shack
After grabbing some early dinner at Chicken Shop (another favourite of mine) and going back to the hotel for a bit, I got ready to hop on the tube again, this time to another very exciting event. I was ecstatic that my trip coincided with Pan Mac's Love Shack, which was an evening of fun games, trivia, sweet treats and (of course) books. It was so nice to make some new bookish friends and to find out more about a few of Pan Macmillan's upcoming romance releases. Fingers crossed events like this make their way up to Scotland at some point.
Day Four
Breakfast at Cafe Boheme
I started my final morning grabbing breakfast at Cafe Boheme and catching up with Josie from Seen. I didn't go quite as OTT with my breakfast choice on my last day, instead simply going for yet another pain au chocolat/hot chocolate combo. And this was when the weather took a bit of a turn and it basically rained heavily for the rest of the day, which is normally the sign that it's time to go home at the end of a trip.
Shopping on Oxford Street
But I made a few more pitstops before checking out of the hotel and headed towards Oxford Street. Now, I don't normally find shopping on Oxford Street to be the most relaxing of experiences. But needs must when I found out that they had opened a few shops that I was really keen to visit. First up was Miniso, which if you remember my trip to NYC last year, was a favourite of mine. I didn't go too wild and only bought one thing but it was nice to have a wander around. I also popped into Primark, MUJI and UNIQLO before grabbing a donut (another birthday freebie), from the newly opened Krispy Kreme, for the train home.
Stopping to see Outernet
And then Outernet, which is located just off Tottenham Court Road tube station, caught my eye many times while I was passing through. It is such a cool experience, if you have a few minutes (or longer) to spare. Open from 10am until late each day, the digital experiences change every few minutes and completely transform the space. I was transfixed quite a few times during my trip.
Once I'd headed back to the hotel to check out, it was soon time to head home. Gotta love the anxiety inducing experience of catching a train from Euston station, particularly when you're in the carriage furthest away from the station. Add in a 52 minute delay and I was glad I had some snacks and two good books to read to keep me going.
So, there's what I got up to on my solo birthday trip to London this year.
What would be on your London to-do list? And how do you typically like to mark your birthday each year?
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