Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Portugal Travel Diary & Lookbook: Part 1


I'm BACK! I've missed this space! On my previous post, I told you my family and I were heading to Algarve, Portugal for just over a week and I'm now back with my batteries recharged, ready to share everything about our holiday which was one of the best I've ever had. 

This was my first holiday of the year so you can imagine how excited I was. I was a little worried about the weather, the location, and the beaches prior to flying out, given there was a forecast of rain and cloudy weather during our stay and everyone had told us how cold the sea water was in Portugal, but I needn't have worried one bit. As soon as we touched down at Faro airport, the air was sticky, dry and the day spectacularly sunny. Our drive to Albufeira, where we rented a villa called "Vila Pomba" via the Air BnB website, was easy and quick thanks to clear signs on the roads. Our villa, situated close to the famous Strip yet far enough from the loud nightlife, was the cherry on top. Spacious rooms, en suites, and a swimming pool made our stay even greater. And the beaches, I hear you asking, were so stunning that our holiday exceeded our expectations. I had no idea Portugal was so pretty! I do not know why I hadn't gone sooner.


Weather wise, temperatures hardly fell below 30 degrees Celsius during the day and I'm happy to say I've actually tanned a little (after being badly sunburnt on the first day). On our first day, we were quite content with staying in, recovering from the very early morning we had and enjoying our villa pool. When a group of friends joined us later that night, we made plans to visit the beaches and I could hardly sleep with all the excitement. 


On our second day, we headed to Lagos which was about 45 mins drive via the A22 from where we were staying. We had researched the top beaches in the area and Camilo Beach (Praia do Camilo) was our first stop. 200 wooden steps down to sheltered, sandy cove divided by ochre-coloured rocks with hand-dug tunnel lead to this hidden beach; a place I will never forget and that is how breathtaking it was. This is by far my favourite beach we visited and despite not being particularly sunny when we first arrived, the water was clear, clean and the views just perfect. 


For this day at the beach, I chose a simple look; an ombré cover up (which actually belongs to mummy) and is from Matalan from their holiday collection a few years ago. I twisted it at the front and tied it around my neck to create this "dress" look; one of my favourite ways to wear beach cover ups. The hat which has appeared many times here before is from Primark and was a mere £2, and my leopard sunnies also from Primark, because salty water ruins sunglasses lens and I didn't want to risk my Ray Bans. I love how effortless yet chic this look is and you would have seen it already if you follow me on Instagram (@pamella_scalfi).

Cover Up: Matalan (similar here) // Slogan Sun Hat: Primark (similar here) // Sunglasses: Primark (similar here)
Later that day we enjoyed our first typical Portuguese meal and needless to say, the famous fish dishes of the region were my top choices. In terms of pretty much anything; food, beaches, the people, and the vibes, Portugal was greater than I could have imagined, and I can't wait to share more about my holiday with you guys as well as everything I bought whilst there (hello Sephora!!!). Keep your eyes peeled for everything that is to come about Algarve and Lisbon, where we spent 2 days. And sorry in advance if you're already getting into the fall mood, I personally do not want to think about cold weather just yet!

Tell me, have you been to Portugal before? I'd love to hear about your experience!

On a very different note, thanks to everyone who entered my Urban Decay giveaway and congrats to Georgie from thelipstickdaily.com for winning it! It gives me great pleasure running giveaways and I will try my best to do a few more before the year end so make sure you're following me on either Facebook or Instagram for the latest updates from me.

That's it from me for now. I will be back later in the week with more updates.
Thanks for reading beauties  and enjoy your day ahead!

xoxo

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43 comments

  1. Wonderful photos Pam! You look very classy :-) I love your hat :-)

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  2. Belas imagens arrasou
    Blog:https://arrasandonobatomvermelho.blogspot.com.br
    Canal:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmO8csZDARM

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  3. Hello,

    Oh, so perfect !

    Sarah, http://www.sarahmodeee.com/

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  4. Such gorgeous photos - I've loved watching your instagram stories of your holiday x

    Heather | Of Beauty & Nothingness x

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  5. Oh my goodness, so lovely. It looks spectacular. I can't wait to go in November for my friend's wedding. I may just spend a day but it would be my first 'holiday' away from the UK.
    Can't wait for part two.

    Mich x
    michjosephblog.wordpress.com

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  6. fastastic place!!! cute beach look!! :)

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  7. Welcome back! I have been following your holiday through InstaStories and thoroughly enjoyed all of them!

    Shireen | Reflection of Sanity

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  8. Welcome back, I'm glad you had a great time away, but how could you not? It looks divine!

    Kez | acaciasdreams.com

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  9. Sounds like you had a great vacay! Loving these beach pictures!

    XoXo,

    Tamara - LoveofMode.com

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  10. Oh my Pam you look gorgeous I'm super jealous! I would love to see Portugal someday

    Beauty Candy Loves
     

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  11. I've never been to Portugal but it looks gorgeous! Glad you had a lovely holiday Pam!

    Danielle's Beauty Blog

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  12. Glad you had a good holiday, lovely! You look effortlessly fabulous (as always) in all your pics xx

    Laura x

    Laura's Beauty Binge

    Instagram | Twitter

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  13. Beautiful! Love that cover-up :)

    Love, Lindsey
    http://thenomisniche.com/

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  14. Such beautiful photos! Looks like a wonderful vacation. Xo, Ellese

    Rock.Paper.Glam.

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  15. Ah it looks like you had an amazing time! I've been to Portugal a couple of times and I love it xx

    Gemma ♥ | Miss Makeup Magpie

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  16. Great pics Pam, I love your beach outfit! 💙
    Have a fabulous day!
    xxx
    www.travelera.es

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  17. Aww I'm glad to see you're having fun, dear. You look gorgeous and I love your Hello Summer hat. I've never been to Portugal before but i've gheard it's truly beautiful. These photos are the proof of that :) Renting a villa there sounds so dreamy. Enjoy dear!!
    xx

    www.stylebydeb.com

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  18. Wonderful post! Great holiday! Beautiful photo!
    Would you like to follow each other? Follow me on Blog and Google+ and I'll follow you back!
    www.recklessdiary.ru

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  19. These holiday snaps are making me want to go on holiday! It sounds like you had so much fun and you look gorgeous in these shots :)

    Sarah | What Sarah Writes

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  20. Gorgeous pictures, I've never been to Portugal!
    Have a lovely day :)
    Rosanna x
    Rose's Rooftop

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  21. I've loved watching your holiday through Instagram, looks and sounds like you had an amazing time. I've never been to Portugal but have always wanted to go x

    Beauty with charm

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  22. WOAW! The location looks incredible! Thanks for sharing this post.

    xx, BBB
    www.bangbangblond.com

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  23. Sou de Portugal e já não vou ao Algarve há anos, mas depois de ver as tuas fotos no instagram fiquei com imensa vontade de voltar! Quem sabe para o ano :)
    Kiss, Mariana Dezolt
    Messy Hair, Don’t Care

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  24. Nice! Thanks for sharing.

    ** Join Love, Beauty Bloggers on facebook. A place for beauty and fashion bloggers from all over the world to promote their latest posts!


    BEAUTYEDITER.COM
    INSTAGRAM @BEAUTYEDITER

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  25. I'm very happy you had such a great time and that weather was pretty hot :)))
    Lovely pictures indeed, you look wow!

    xoxo
    www.bellezzefelici.blogspot.com

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  26. Beautiful photos, Pam and you look stunning, doll!
    xox
    Lenya
    FashionDreams&Lifestyle

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  27. Loving the hat!! :D

    Federica Di Nardo
    http://federicadinardo.com

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  28. What a nice place to have a relaxing time and wear favorit beach dress :)

    -Lily Kanaya W
    www.Glowlicious.Me

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  29. That's such an amazing post, dear Pam! I am sure that the dishes were amazing and being there with family and friends is equally fantastic! The hat had an excellent price! And it is so beautiful! This beach cover from Matalan is definitely a great choice for the beach! You look always so fabulous! I am eager to read the posts about Lisbon as well! As for your question, yes, I went to Portugal and had the same opinion: great! Hope you have a great day, dear Pam!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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  30. Fico feliz que tenhas gostado do meu país. Tens de vir visitar mais vezes, há sitios lindissimos que valem imensa apena. Espreita o Gerês por exemplo :)

    Adoro as fotos!
    Kiss
    theownerofsushi.blogspot.pt

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  31. I've been to Algarve - it's so beautiful! Glad to hear you had a good time :) x

    ♡ itsjessiejane ♡

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  32. Looks like a really good time.i hope you enjoyed your holiday! Lovely beach look, great pictures.
    xo
    Sauniya | Find Your Bliss

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  33. So happy that the weather cooperated! You look like you had a great time!
    http://anicheberry.blogspot.co.za/2016/09/tips-for-improving-your-fashion.html

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  34. ohhh so happy the weather was good too and you enjoyed your travels :) I LOVE these photos, you look STUNNING pam and that dress is so cool especially with that hat :)
    http://www.youtube.com/c/MissLovelyAttitude
    http://lovelyattitude.com

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  35. Amazing pics. You look supe cute in this coverup that looks perfect on you, Pam. I knew from my husband who was on business trip to Lisbon that Portugal is very beautiful. I hope one day I will visit it too. Have a wonderful day, beautie. xx
    Nina
    http://www.ninasstyleblog.com

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  36. Beautiful photos! I would love to visit Portugal :)

    xo, mikéla / simplydavelyn.com

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  37. Wow I really love your pictures, you are so beautiful !

    Best,
    Measlychocolate by Patty

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  38. Que lugar maravilhosoo!!!
    Passa pelo meu blog e espreita o novo post*
    www.a-be-atriz.com
    xx, A Be-atriz

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