BEAUTY REVIEW: BIG EASY BY BENEFIT

Every now and then, you stumble across a product that really throws you when it comes to making a decision on whether you like it or not.

Usually you can get a feel one way or another from a product (with the exception of skincare) after one or a few uses, but Big Easy from Benefit has been sitting in my makeup bag for the best part of a year, dividing my opinion every time I reach for it.

I didn't set out with the intention of buying this product, and it was never really on my radar until I was accosted by a Benefit sales assistant in Boots who had sat me down in a chair and whipped out her makeup brushes before I really knew what was happening. She introduced me to Big Easy, which at the time was a relatively newly released product. I was immediately taken in by two things: the oil-free formula and the SPF 35 content. Living in the desert, where the sun melts your face the second you step out of the sanctuary of the A/C, these are two things that really up-sell a product to me.

Those, the lightweight formula, and how lovely the sales assistant was meant that I left Boots almost £30 lighter, when I probably only went in for dry shampoo.

So this product claims to be a 'balancing complexion perfector known to help balance skin and oil control' - this is where I fall in to my biggest divide with this product. 

Upon initial application, I love it. It stays true to its claim to 'even out skin tone and conceal imperfections'. It doesn't claim to be a full coverage product, which I quite like about it, as I would reach for this on a day where I don't want to go heavy on my makeup but need to have 'something' on my skin. As promised, the liquid to powder formulation finishes 'lightweight and smooth' on the skin. 

Let's all forgive my big spam forehead - it is necessary to subject you to this to show the finish in natural light!

As you can see, a light coverage with a natural finish.

Now my gripe with this product is, that come the afternoon, my face is ludicrously shiny. No matter if I set it with powder, the shine strikes with full force at around lunchtime, so for me personally the claim that Big Easy 'balances skin & controls oil' is nonsense - it doesn't.

To give it the Benefit of the doubt (Benefit, get it?!), I will take into consideration that I live in a country where the sun shines almost every single day, thus making shine more likely. I just feel like whenever I wear this product, it is almost worse than usual.

But I persevere! I really like the initial application, and it almost feels worth the constant powder application to maintain a 'no makeup' look throughout the day.

Would I repurchase? I'm not too sure. The fact that I have been so divided on this product for so long suggests that I probably shouldn't, and that instead I should search for a better (and cheaper!) alternative for those 'minimal makeup' kind of days.

Have you tried Big Easy from Benefit?

REVIEW: MIRAMAR AL AQAH BEACH RESORT - UAE

When my mum and her friend Jenny booked a weeks holiday at the Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort in Fujairah, UAE, I absolutely had to join them for a couple of days. As I mentioned in my previous Dubai post, Doha is only an hour away by plane, so Dubai is a destination that is so easily accessible for a weekend jaunt.

I hopped on a flight to DXB very early on Thursday morning, and was met by my driver at Arrivals. I was so pleased that my mum had organised a hotel transfer for me, rather than having to take a Dubai taxi, as I'm not entirely sure they would have known how to get to where I needed to be.

The first thing to note about the Al Aqah Beach Resort, is that it is miles away. I'm not talking 30 minutes in a taxi like it is to Dubai. I'm talking almost two hours by car.

Through the desert...

Vast expanses of golden sand dunes stretching for miles into the distance, peppered with wild camels.

Then through the mountains...

...before finally reaching civilisation.

I was greeted at the hotel entrance and helped with my luggage by Sunday, the worlds friendliest man with the worlds coolest name. Check in was smooth, and the staff were very friendly and eager to help me to the room with my baggage.

It was so great to see my mum - she was already 5 days into her holiday so it was lovely to know that I would be spending the last two days with her.

Lunch was the first port of call. Mum and Jenny were all-inclusive, so I ordered the grilled salmon from the A La Carte menu, eager for something light ahead of an afternoon of sunbathing.

When it arrived, it looked amazing, and the accompanying vegetables were delicious but the salmon itself was absolutely packed full of giant bones. Every single forkful was filled with them, to the point where I just couldn't eat it. At the equivalent of over £20, I was pretty disappointed, and even more so when the restaurant manager didn't offer to discount the bill. He offered a replacement meal but by this point mum and Jenny had finished their lunch and I wasn't in the mood anymore.

Not the best first impressions of the 5* resort.

My mood soon lifted when we headed outside to the pool area, which was absolutely stunning. I would go as far as to say it was one of the loveliest pools I have ever seen! It was like an enormous lagoon, with a pool bar in the centre, against the stunning mountain backdrop.

After a few hours of swimming and sunbathing, we took a wander around the beautiful gardens...

And then a wander along the beach...

Before heading up to the room to get ready for dinner at the Bahari beach bar, where the barman had promised my mum that he would look after us and make our evening special.

He had reserved us the best table in the restaurant...

Right on the sea-front, with the therapeutic sound of the waves gently breaking against the sand. As we tucked in to a feast of cold mixed mezze to start, our lovely waiter informed us that he would be selecting and making cocktails for us all night, and as soon as we finished one he would bring over another concoction for us to try.

Cocktail after cocktail came, and we had fun (unsuccessfully!) trying to guess what ingredients he had used in each.

My main course from the A La Carte menu, the lamb kofta, was delicious - I would highly recommend this to anybody dining at Bahari beach bar.

At the end of our meal, our wonderful waiter (I wish I could remember his name but after seven or eight cocktails it's understandable that I wouldn't remember much!) informed us that the entire evening was complimentary, gave my mum and Jenny and big cuddle to say goodbye as it was their last evening at the resort, and off to bed we went, full of good food and cocktails after a fantastic evening. Such a lovely dinner thoroughly made up for the disappointing lunch.

The next morning, we packed up our cases and hit the long road to Dubai, sent away with a beaming smile from Sunday (one name I could not forget!) as brunch was calling our names...but that is yet another blog post for another time!

If you are looking for a Middle Eastern all-inclusive holiday away from the hustle and bustle of Dubai with a beautiful pool and scenic surroundings, then I would for sure recommend the Miramar Al Aqah beach resort. The location is gorgeous and the staff are super friendly.

For me however, it was just too far away from anything especially to visit in only two days, although it was great to see a landscape so different to that of Doha and Dubai.

After two years in the desert, I am very happy to report that I have finally seen a wild camel!

Sometimes it's all about the little things :)

REVIEW: AFTERNOON TEA AT THE ST REGIS HOTEL

When Jemma suggested afternoon tea on our next day off together, I was very excited at the prospect of scones. I really, really love scones! So much so that one night when I was living back at home with my parents, my mum and I drove to Tesco at around 9pm as we had a late night craving for scones with clotted cream and jam. Like mother like daughter!

Jemma booked us a table in the Sarab Lounge at the St Regis hotel. When we arrived, a table had been laid up for us outside, overlooking the beautiful St Regis pool, beach, and the Gulf. As usual, Jemma stole the show with a beautifully elegant floral dress, and as usual I had wardrobe envy!

It was very humid today, so we only lasted five minutes before asking if we could retreat into the air conditioned sanctuary of the Sarab Lounge. The good weather here in Doha literally seems to last five minutes before the Summer humidity creeps in and being outdoors becomes unbearable. Doha problems!

We selected the Lady Caroline Astor afternoon tea package, picked our teas (Moroccan Mint for both of us), and sat back on the comfortable lounge sofas, eagerly awaiting our food.

It was worth the wait!

A selection of five delicious sandwiches (our waitress very kindly swapped out the fillings that Jemma and I didn't like, in favour of one of the other fillings), four small yet perfectly formed freshly baked scones (hidden wrapped in a serviette in the photo) served up with clotted cream and homemade jam, and a selection of miniature desserts to finish.

Everything was delicious. The staff were lovely and very attentive to us all afternoon but by no means intrusive, and we were left to chat for ages after we had finished eating (finishing up with a discussion about Politics!) before settling the bill.

The Lady Caroline Astor package costs 149QR per person, and I would really recommend the St Regis Sarab Lounge if you are looking for afternoon tea in a really relaxed setting. Despite the surrounding opulence of the hotel, it really did feel like we were sat chatting and eating in one of our living rooms. A vast contrast to our last afternoon tea at the Ritz, which was a little more formal.

There are several afternoon tea packages available at the Sarab Lounge - next time we might have to indulge in this decadent spread!

For reservations, call +974 4446 0105 or email diningreservations@stregis.com

REVIEW: VOLUME 1 SECONDE MASCARA ULTRA BLACK

I have found the mascara to rule all other mascaras.

By 'found', I mean that back in December Laura wrote a rave review, and I promised myself that when I was finished with whatever mascara I was using before (clearly so unremarkable that I can't even remember what brand it was by or what it was called) I would seek out the mascara in question and give it a whirl myself.

After all, almost every other successful beauty product purchase I have ever made has come off the back of a recommendation by Laura, so I already knew that this wouldn't disappoint.

BOURJOIS PARIS: VOLUME 1 SECONDE MASCARA ULTRA BLACK
I never thought I would get excited about a mascara, ever, but this offering from Bourjois has been a game changer for me.

It is everything I could possibly hope for in a mascara, and then some.

PIGMENTATION - I can't get on board with colourful mascaras. I can't even venture down the brown mascara route. For me, I want my lashes as black as black can be and this product delivers just that. Laura talked about the original Volume 1 Seconde mascara in her post, and Bourjois obviously knew that they could do better and so subsequently brought out the 'ultra black' variation, and you really can't get blacker than this.

VOLUME - The consistency of this mascara is thick, meaning that the formula really clings to the lashes, making them appear fuller. The more coats you apply, the thicker the coating. The only downside to this is that your lashes can clump together. This doesn't particularly bother me, and a little extra attention with the wand soon puts this right, but something to note if you are a lash perfectionist (Charlie, I am looking at you!)

CURL & LIFT- Some people swear by eyelash curlers, but I just can't get to grips with them. I'm probably doing something wrong, but they don't seem to do the trick for me, and seem like a lot of faff for little result. Luckily, this mascara seems to curl and lift my lashes as soon as it is applied, and the curl stays all day.

LONGEVITY - Once applied to my lashes, this mascara does not budge, and so can take me from morning to night easily without having to re-apply.

PRICE POINT - At £9.99, it delivers amazing results and doesn't break the bank.

Admittedly, it takes a little while to dry, but I haven't found this to be an issue at all.

Here's a scary mug shot of my eye area to show you the difference one coat of this mascara makes.
It goes without saying, but the left is my eye with eyeliner only, and the right is my eye with eyeliner and just one coat of Volume 1 Seconde Ultra Black...

You know the iPhone emoji face with the hearts for eyes? That is the emoji I would allocate to this mascara. I think it must be love.

Repurchase? YES!
Recommend? YES!

Have you tried this mascara?

BOOKSHELF: ELIZABETH IS MISSING - EMMA HEALEY

"EVERY BIT AS COMPELLING AS THE FRENZIED HYPE SUGGESTS. A GRIPPING DETECTIVE YARN AND A HAUNTING DEPICTION OF MENTAL ILLNESS" - OBSERVER

Just inside the front and back covers of my copy of Elizabeth is Missing, are countless snippets of reviews from the critics about this debut novel from Emma Healey, who is just two years older than me with this Sunday Times bestseller under her belt. The above, from the Observer, is my favourite from the critics as it entirely sums this book up.

The main protagonist, Maud, suffers from dementia - she can't remember what things are called, where she is, why she is where she is, and who people are, and the subject of just how disabling dementia as an illness is, is really brought to the readers awareness in this book. It feels very real, and you can't help but be charmed by Maud as she has absolutely no awareness of the effects of her behaviour as a result of her mental illness.

Maud is adamant that her friend Elizabeth is missing. She carries little bits of paper everywhere with her to jot down notes to help her remember things, and her notes are telling her that Elizabeth is missing - she tries to enlist help to find Elizabeth from whoever will listen, only everybody dismisses her claims as nothing more than incoherent ramblings.

The story flashes back to Maud's childhood, growing up after the second World War. Her seemingly incoherent ramblings are intertwined with an unsolved mystery from her youth, and the mystery only really unravels right at the very end of the book, keeping you gripped until the final pages.

I loved this book - it was so well written, with a very unique protagonist. I have wanted to write a novel ever since I was little (my parents will vouch for the fact that I had about a hundred 'chapter one' Word documents saved on our computer as a kid...I never seemed to quite make it to chapter two!) so the fact that Emma Healey has had so much success at just a few years older than me is so inspiring, and makes me want to put fingers to keyboard again.

I would highly recommend Elizabeth is Missing to any age group, from young adult and upwards. It's a great read.

REVIEW: RAW ME JUICE CLEANSE

For ages, I have been mulling over trying the juice cleanse from Qatar-based health food brand Raw ME.

When people think of juice cleanses, I think they would normally associate these with weight loss, however for myself, weight loss wasn't my goal. I wanted to give my body a break from all of the badness (mainly chocolate!) that I put into it on a daily basis, and instead treat myself to some much needed nutrients, so the Raw ME juice cleanse has been on my mind for a while.

When I spotted a 'buy one day, get one day free' voucher in my Entertainer app, I knew this was the perfect opportunity to take the plunge.

Ordering my juices was incredibly simple - I went onto the website, selected my cleanse of preference ('Level One - New Obsession'), and hit 'Order Now' - simple!

Their customer service is great - within an hour I had received an email to confirm my delivery details, and I went back to them with several queries (mostly about the Entertainer app and how it would work), and to specify a delivery time frame as I had plans in the afternoon of the delivery date. The team came back to all of my questions quickly, and were super friendly.

On the day of delivery, I received a call from the Raw ME driver saying that he would be about 30 minutes, and asked if this was okay. When he arrived, he was the friendliest guy, and paying with my Entertainer app was ridiculously easy. I entered my code, he entered his, and I paid only for the first day of my two day juice cleanse.

Your juice comes with this snazzy little cool-box, the perfect size to house all six of your juices for the day (I have since been using this as a lunch box, so it certainly hasn't gone to waste even after my juice cleanse!)

Each 500ml juice bottle is numbered, and the idea is to drink them in order throughout the day.

Let's start at the beginning....

NUMBER ONE: GREEN JUNKIE
Ingredients: Apple, cucumber, lemon, romaine lettuce, parsley, spinach

Day one of my cleanse kicked off with this nutrient-packed number, which to me seemed like the healthiest juice of the bunch, and also the most filling. If you like the taste of cucumber, then you will like the taste of this, as cucumber is the strongest flavour that comes through.

I had this for my breakfast, half at home, and the rest at around 10am at work in place of my usual bowl of cereal. So far, so good.

NUMBER TWO: COOL CRUSH
Ingredients: Apple, pineapple, mint

This tasted amazing! I could happily drink this all the time - it is so refreshing and delicious. I had this at 12:00 midday, after coming to the conclusion that drinking one juice every two hours would take me right through until 8pm, the time that I would normally finish dinner.

NUMBER THREE: GREEN JUNKIE
My second Green Junkie of the day. By this time, my boss had started to tease me a little bit, asking me if I wanted anything from the canteen, 'but, oh wait...you have your green juice'!
Now it was 2pm and I was feeling hungry. Normally I would have lunch at around 1pm, maybe an omelette with salad, so although my lunch at work would normally be healthy, I was already feeling the absence of eating solid food.

NUMBER FOUR: RADICAL ROOTS
Ingredients: Apple, beetroot, carrot, ginger, lemon

By 4pm, I was getting a bit grouchy (I get like this when I don't eat, Matt will vouch for that as he has been present during many of my food strops!), so I wasn't really in the mood for this juice, and less so when I tasted it. I don't really enjoy beetroot anyway, and this tasted very strongly of it. I still managed to drink it, but a lot more slowly than the rest.

NUMBER FIVE: SUCKER PUNCH
Ingredients: Agave, cayenne, lemon, filtered water

Sucker punch was amazing! Whilst it did nothing to help to curb my grumbling stomach, it was beautifully refreshing and tasted so good. Not as good as the chocolate my colleague was nibbling across the office probably did, but still very good!

NUMBER SIX: GO NUTS
Ingredients: Cashew, cinnamon, dates, vanilla bean, filtered water

By 8pm, my stomach was rumbling so much that I'm sure my parents could hear it from the UK. I watched in absolute food envy as Jemma ate her delicious looking dinner, and I tried to sip the last of my juices for the day. Emphasis on tried. I thought I would love this, as it sounded like a real sweet treat to round off the day, but I didn't like it at all, and as much as I wanted to as I was so close to completing the full day of juices, I just couldn't finish it.

THE VERDICT?

You are probably thinking 'what happened to day two of your juice cleanse?' and that would be a very good question. I did drink all but two of the juices for day two, but I teamed this with food throughout the day.

I must admit, I was a real wimp about the whole thing, and probably complained a lot more than I should have! A day is completely manageable, but come the evening I was starting to develop a headache, and realised that to do this for a second day probably wouldn't end up making me feel very well. I did, however, wake up the next day feeling good...and very excited for a bowl of cereal! These juices are very thin, even the 'Go Nuts' which I thought would have a slightly thicker consistency, so if you are familiar with a filling smoothie, this juice cleanse is a little different.

I would definitely do the juice cleanse again, but again only for a day at a time, and I would select the 'Create your Own' option, to be sure I was selecting only the juices from the above that I know I like, so that nothing goes to waste.

I like the thought that so much goodness went in to my body that day, so it is something that absolutely can't hurt to do once in a while.

My one concern with the Raw ME juice cleanse is the price. A one day juice cleanse (six x 500ml bottles) will set you back 250 QR (about £45!) which is a huge amount of money to pay for one day of sustenance. I still have two vouchers left with the Entertainer to use towards Raw ME, but I would be very hesitant to pay full price for the cleanse as it is so much money.

Overall, a very positive experience with Raw ME, and I would definitely recommend them. Good luck to you if you manage more than a day!

Have you tried the products from Raw ME, or a similar juice cleanse? Is a juice cleanse something you would try?

LA SPIGA: A VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY MEAL

Part two of Jemma's birthday celebrations took us to the W Hotel and involved drinks at Wahm, followed by dinner at La Spiga.

I could literally eat at La Spiga all day, every day. It is no secret that it is my absolute favourite restaurant in Doha (I have gushed about it countless times on the blog before!), so when Jemma chose to celebrate her birthday here I knew a lovely evening would be in store for us.

The birthday girl looked gorgeous - her family had sent her lovely gifts from home, and Marion and I gave her our presents before we got ourselves ready and set off for an evening at the W.

It was Happy Hour at Wahm Lounge, and we kicked off the evening with Pimms out on the terrace.

Wahm is one of the outlets at the W that I rarely give a mention to (normally because I come to the W to eat myself into a food coma, rather than drink!), but the last two times I have been here I have been really impressed with the service. The staff have always found us a table, even when we didn't have a reservation, and provided attentive table service. When I came last week with my French colleagues, they even brought over platters of complimentary hors d'oeuvres which were delicious.

When we had finished our drinks, we made our way downstairs to La Spiga.

Originally we were taken to a table by the terrace doors, however it was a little bit cold for us so we asked if there was another table available. The manager, Dennis, came over immediately and told us that there were three glasses of bubbles waiting for us at the bar, and in the meantime he would arrange a special table for us.

We were in no rush, so were happy to relax on the sofas in the bar area, sipping delicious pink bubbles and chatting until our table was ready.

When Dennis returned to take us to the table, it became apparent that La Spiga had gone all out to make the evening very special indeed for our birthday girl.

The table was decorated with tiny silver stars, and two beautiful red roses.

Absolutely set on our decision to have dessert (we had turned down the temptation of milkshakes earlier that day at Banana Island), we went straight for the main courses.

Jemma and I both opted for the gnocchi. Jemma had hers as per the menu in the tomato and cream sauce, and I asked if I could have mine in white sauce. One look at Jemma's and I thought I had made a mistake as hers looked so good...

However as soon as I tried mine, I was in food heaven. The white sauce was absolutely beautiful and full of flavour, and the gnocchi was cooked to perfection.

Marion opted for the fussili pasta with shrimp and zucchini, which she displayed very proudly!

The three very empty dishes at the end of the meal were hard evidence that we enjoyed our food!

Just when we had decided that, even after promising to have dessert all day, we were too full to eat anymore, our waiter very kindly brought over a 'Happy Birthday' Panna Cotta with a candle for Jemma.

Deciding we could probably definitely manage one dessert between three of us, we all dived in! The Panna Cotta at La Spiga is beautiful and light - the perfect dessert to have if you're "too full" to have dessert ;)

Our lovely waiter then brought over another complimentary dessert for us - the Tiramisu - which looked gorgeous, although I had to sit this one out as sadly I'm not a coffee lover!

Dennis and his team at La Spiga really went all out to make Jemma's birthday special - they really could not have done more for us.

I can't recommend this restaurant enough - not only is La Spiga in a prime location at the W Hotel, so perfect as a post-drinks dinner destination, but the staff are fantastic and the food is amazing, every single time.

I also must mention the social media team behind the @WDoha Twitter handle - they make booking a reservation so easy - not just at La Spiga but for any of the W outlets - and get back to you within minutes. After Jemma had made her birthday reservation, I tweeted @WDoha to ask them if the chef could write a happy birthday message on her dessert plate, which they happily organised and more!

I can't think of any other restaurant where I would choose to spend a special occasion - so thanks for having us, La Spiga - I can't wait for my next visit already!

If you missed part one of Jemma's birthday celebrations, you can find our Banana Island adventures here :)

BANANA ISLAND: A VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY TRIP

The middle of the week marked the birthday of one of my very dearest friends, and it was only right that a special friend should celebrate their birthday at a special location.

When Jemma suggested spending her birthday on Banana Island, we knew we would be in for a real treat. Sadly Marion couldn't take the day off work, but we knew we would be catching up with her later that evening for part two of the birthday celebrations.

The newly opened Banana Island Resort Doha is Qatar's answer to the Maldives. A 25 minute luxury catamaran ride from the mainland transports you to a tranquil paradise, so far removed from the hustle and bustle of Doha, that you would be forgiven for thinking that you were in another part of the world altogether.

We arrived at Al Shyoukh Port like two excited children.

We were invited to sit down in the beautiful reception area, whilst our island reservations were checked and our tickets paid for. You must have a reservation at Banana Island to board the catamaran - this can either be a restaurant reservation, or a spa reservation - we were greedy and had both!

You can purchase a day pass for 200 QR which consists of your return boat trip at 50QR, and the remaining 150QR is credit to be put towards either your restaurant bill or your spa treatment.

Paperwork processed, it was time to board the boat! Although not before a scaled down sneak preview of the island...

All aboard!

The catamarans leave every hour, so we hopped aboard the 10am departure and set sail for Banana Island!

Making the most of the empty catamaran, we got snappy happy with our cameras, wanting to document every minute of the day.

As we approached the island, the excitement ramped up!

After a quick stop in the cavernous reception, we hopped in a golf cart and were very kindly taken on a small tour of the island.

First stop, the Wellness Centre.

Home to separate male and female gyms, fitness class studios and treatment rooms, I could certainly imagine time spent here would make you feel very well indeed. The decor was absolutely stunning, and we were more than a little intrigued about what we might have found up here...

Sadly, we were whisked off in the golf cart to finish our tour before we could find out. Next time!

The resort had a very Sri Lankan feel to it with all of the greenery, and beach huts with thatched roofs nestled in amongst the trees.

After saying goodbye to our guide, we set off on foot to explore by ourselves.

Banana Island is home to it's very own cinema. The movie of the afternoon was Dispicable Me 2, and Jemma and I were very kindly allowed to pop in to the theatre to satisfy our curiosity - a generous cinema screen dominated the far wall, faced by rows of comfy sofas and tables.

We headed over to Ted's Diner for a drink, before making our way to the Anantara Spa for our midday treatments, passing the islands miniature golf course en-route.

We were very early for our treatments, so the staff very kindly let us use the jacuzzi, sauna and steam areas whilst we waited, although we found ourselves a spot outside on a giant double sun lounger and made the most of the afternoon sun instead, before heading back inside to don our snazzy spa robes!

We emerged 60 minutes later, pampered and feeling very relaxed. I had opted for the 60 minute back massage (520 QR), during which my lovely therapist worked very hard on kneading the knots from my very tense shoulders and neck. The birthday girl went for the 60 minute Anantara Signature Massage (off the menu, but call up and ask them about this - around 600QR).

Whilst the treatment prices are quite steep, the Anantara Spa itself is beautiful, and the staff are lovely. They really couldn't do enough for us, and we rounded off our treatments by sipping sweet ginger tea in the sunshine before getting ourselves ready for lunch at Q Lounge.

The setting of Q Lounge reminded me so much of the Fortress Hotel in Sri Lanka, where Matt and I stayed on our recent holiday together. An open fronted restaurant, overlooking the pool and the Gulf.

We ordered berry mocktails (Banana Island is a dry resort), and perused the menu.

I found the prices to be so reasonable. For 125QR, you could opt for three items from the world mezze list, which Jemma and I both did - a great way to sample smaller versions of a few of the items on the menu if you can't quite decide on one (which we couldn't!)

I opted for the French omlette with goats cheese, the chicken quesadillas, and black olive tapenade, all of which were absolutely delicious.

Jemma chose the Spanish omlette, glass noodles with prawns, and mini chicken shawarma.

The meal was lovely, and our 150QR credit from our day passes covered the best part of the bill.

There are so many dining options available on Banana Island, but I would love to come back to eat at Q Lounge again. The food was amazing, the staff were so lovely and friendly, and the view was stunning.

I can't wait to bring Matt here for a date night.

We took a stroll along the pier to walk off our lunch, and stopped for some photos with the beautiful Maldives-esque water villas in the background.

I can only imagine what they look like inside!

After a thoroughly relaxing afternoon of pampering and eating, we decided there was only one thing to do before boarding the boat back to reality.

Bowling!

We were expecting a small scale lane or two but no - Banana Island is home to a proper full size bowling alley.

Being a good sport, I let the birthday girl win ;)

I actually lost miserably - Jemma had some bowling skills!

Realising it was a few minutes before the hour, we made a mad dash for the 4pm boat back to the mainland, and set sail back to reality after a magical day on the beautiful Banana Island.

I can safely say, and I know Jemma agrees, that this was one of the best days we have had since arriving in Doha, and I can highly recommend a trip to Banana Island to all Doha dwellers (and any visitors to Doha!)

Back on dry land, we hopped in a car home to get ready for part two of the birthday celebrations - but that is a blog post for another time :)

Note: Banana Island requires couples to produce a marriage certificate to stay overnight at the resort.