Sparkle and Scandal

There's a few new products I've been using recently that are becoming beauty favourites of mine.

First up, this Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser is great as a primer for make up.

I was a bit doubtful when buying this, but as The Body Shop had loads of 50% off offers on their site I thought I'd give it a go as my skin has been pretty challenging to say the least recently. It's always been a combination of oily and dry, but is becoming increasingly sensitive as well. This actually does a good job of smoothing and mattifying my skin, and sinks in nicely so my foundation goes on easily afterwards. Plus I love the tea tree in it; the smell is really refreshing.

These hand creams are also from The Body Shop, but were presents from my fiancé. My hands get really dry from both the weather and work so hand cream is a necessity for me. These are non greasy and the special edition Christmas scents of Ginger and Vanilla are gorgeous, I just wish they did them all year!

Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners have been my favourite make up product since college, when I first bought the set of 5 travel size eyeliners. They're expensive but in my opinion worth the money; the colours are exactly what I prefer for my eyes, the pencils are soft and they seriously last all day without smudging or wearing off.
The ones from my sets are almost running out, so I thought I'd start replacing my favourite shades with the full size versions. I picked these up off eBay, for about half the retail price. Rockstar is a gorgeous deep purple that I adore, while Mainline, a dark-ish blue, is a new one for me that was being sold by the same seller that caught my attention.

Ok, now on to mascara. The one on the left, L'Oreal's false lash mascara, is brilliant - my lashes look long and dark without clumps. There's not as much volume as other mascaras, but I like that about it; it gives a more natural, everyday look.

The L'Oreal mascara is almost on the way out, so I thought I'd try a new one. I used to use Rimmel mascaras and always thought they were pretty decent. I'm not getting on with this Scandal Eyes one that well however. Rimmel state that it's the biggest brush ever or something like that - that just makes it really fiddly to apply without getting it everywhere. It doesn't give as much as volume as I expected either, though it doesn't clump, which is the main thing I always look for. It's not the worst mascara ever, but I think going for the more basic Rimmel mascaras seems to be the best bet with this brand, based on my previous experience with them.

So there's just a quick overview of some of my faves (and not so faves) at the minute. Have you used any of these products, or have any similar ones you're enjoying?

China Miéville - 'The Scar'

The Scar is the second of three books written by China Miéville set in his fictional world of Bas-Lag. The first, Perdido Street Station, is set mainly in the large city central to the stories, New Crobuzon, and introduces readers to the vast range of races that inhabit this world, including humans, cactacae (enormous plant people), khepri (a race where the females have human bodies but their heads consist of a large scarab beetle), and garuda (humanoid birds of prey). The books are science fiction/fantasy, along with other influences, and include magic and steampunk technology.

The Scar moves away from the city of New Crobuzon to explore other parts of the Bas-Lag world by sea. The story begins with the characters sailing away from the city. Before their journey is complete they are captured by pirates and become citizens of the pirates' city of Armada, a floating city on the sea comprised of a huge number of ships. While some of the captured settle into their new life, Bellis, the main character, is desperate to return to New Crobuzon and in her attempts to find a way home becomes wrapped up in the plans that Armada's bizarre scarred leaders are leading the city towards.

Having time off this summer has meant I have been able to spend whole afternoons sat with this book, immersing myself in the events, and I haven't been able to put it down once I've got stuck into it. There are plenty of action and twists throughout due to the secrecy and controversy of the characters' plans, and coupled with the writing this is an excellent book.

China Miéville's style of writing is difficult to accustom to at first, but it's worth bearing with because once you're used to it, you can appreciate his beautiful use of language to describe the incredible characters and events that he has created. His writing is some of the best I have come across, with an expansive vocabulary that brings this strange and exotic world to life.

So far I have read all three of the books based in Bas-Lag: Perdido Street Station, The Scar and The Iron Council. The series aren't a trilogy, so you don't need to have read the preceding books to understand the story; however I personally think Perdido Street Station is the best place to start, as it goes into slightly more detail introducing the different races and the lifestyle of the world.

Scrubbin' Up

I popped into Superdrug yesterday to quickly grab some face products. Seeing that I had a bit of extra time to kill before starting work I ended up having a nosy around and came across these exfoliating body washes from their 'I love...' range. As I was running out of my mini Soap and Glory scrub (a fab product I got as a pressie) I thought I'd give these a try, especially as they were cheap and cheerful at 2 for £2.99 (£2.05 each).

I picked up the raspberry & blackberry and the coconut & cream ones. They also have them in strawberries & milkshake and mango & papaya varieties.

As with all bath products, the scent plays a big part in how nice I find it. The smell is quite subtle and not too overpowering or sweet, which I liked.

I could see through the packaging that it had little exfoliating beads in, rather than the rougher salt-type scrubs, so I assumed it would probably be quite a gentle product, which it turned out to be when I used it. If you're after a product that you could get away with using everyday as an all over shower gel for keeping your skin smooth this would be perfect - it's not too harsh at all so I couldn't imagine it would irritate skin easily.

Personally I prefer products that have a coarser texture - if I'm going to exfoliate I want to actually feel like I have afterwards, otherwise what's the point? I'll still be on the lookout for something else, but this isn't a bad product for the price, so will do to tide me over in the meantime. I'll just have to use it more often!

Have you come across any decent, reasonably priced body scrubs lately, or have a particular one you regularly use?

"every single night's a fight with my brain..."

This week has been a bit up and down, I'm in that weird sort of place where I'm ready to just go and get on with what's next, but I'm still not quite ready to leave things behind here. I've only got two weeks left of my work placement, it's hard to believe just how quickly this year has gone! After that I'll be moving back to Plymouth for the final year of my degree - part of me is quite excited to get stuck into the academic side of my course again, part of me is definitely not looking forward to the stress of it all.

I've loved this year in Southampton, the city is great and I've been very lucky to have worked with such lovely people while on placement, I have learnt such an incredible amount in all respects. So as much as I'm keen to get on with things, I'm not quite ready to leave just yet.

The things getting me through this week include white chocolate chip cookies, whipped up due to feeling particularly lacklustre by the end of Thursday.



Safe to say I felt much better after having a couple of these squidgy, syrupy cookies with a cup of tea, while listening to Fiona Apple's latest after seven years.

Her album has been available for streaming over on npr.org before it's release this week  - if you're a fan of her previous stuff I recommend a listen. It's similar to what she's done before but there are some pretty great songs, my faves at the minute being 'Hot Knife', "Werewolf" and the first single "Every Single Night". The beautifully bizarre video for it can be found here.

A film night was also in order so we went to see Promethesus last night. Now, I only recently watched Alien (yeah, I admit a bit behind!) so I didn't really have any expectations for this film or anything. I thought it was brilliant, even though I didn't really have any idea what was going off, though I get the feeling there isn't actually a reason for all the stuff that goes off (but please enlighten me if there is!). The suspense of the film was very good and Noomi Rapace is brilliant in the lead role. I was looking forward to seeing her performance as I loved her in the Swedish "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".

We saw it in 3D which I was initially sceptical about as the last time I saw a 3D version it was rubbish. Promethesus has actually been filmed for 3D though, rather than just edited later, meaning the effect actually adds something, rather than being annoying. And I can totally rock the glasses, haha.

To round off the weekend I made a big pot of chilli. I try and improve this every time I make it - tonight I added a big splodge (technical term) of barbecue sauce and a heaped teaspoon of cocoa powder which seems to make the sauce that bit richer and flavourful.

I served it with rice, spinach and a generous topping of mature cheddar - yum!

Stephen King - 'Lisey's Story'

I'm currently reading this book for the second time, after not having read much Stephen King for a while. I went  through a phase a few years back of reading loads of his stuff. I'd read some of his older ones and then got 'Lisey's Story' not long after it came out.

It's slightly different to Stephen King's other books, still with supernatural elements but focusing on the story of a marriage through the eyes of a widow of 2 years. As she begins to clear out her deceased husband's office, finding his work from his days as an author provokes memories of their relationship and of the troubled man that her husband was.

The thing that struck me the most when I first read this book was less the actual story (though it is an enjoyable read) and more how good the writing was, particularly it's consistency. This is something that has disappointed me with previous Stephen King books - a brilliant story that I've been eager to read and find out the ending... and then oh, it's rubbish. For me, some of his endings have never wrapped the story up in a way that I've felt it deserved, and in a way kind of seemed quick and half-hearted, just a way to get the story finished and out of the way.This book ended at what felt the natural place and in a way that felt like this is what the story had been leading to, this is why the other events took place. An explanation for some incidents seemed to lack in some of his previous work.

A lot of his stories have also tended to focus less on one or two particular characters and sometimes more on a town, and the way an event affects different people. Therefore the story would consist of different parts, with a chunk of the story dedicated to a certain character, before switching tactics and focusing on a related but separate group of people ('The Tommyknockers' is a good example that comes to mind of this style). While this does work for the type of story Stephen King is trying to tell with some of his books, it does mean the plot can feel a little drawn out at times. Having one main character who is followed for the length of the book in 'Lisey's Story' helped me engage better with the character and the overall plot, as more empathy is created.

After having read books from different points in Stephen King's career, it is commendable that the quality of his stories has noticeably improved over time: in general his other recent work that I have read has proven to be a better read and I'm looking forward to getting hold of his latest couple when I get chance.

If you're not sure where to start with Stephen King's work, I recommend 'Four Past Midnight' (the first of his that I read consisting of four short stories), 'The Shining' (an obvious classic), 'The Dead Zone', 'The Stand' (very long but worth sticking with) and 'Duma Key'. I've been meaning to try out one of his recent books, 'Under the Dome' next, hopefully worth the wait!

Turtle Bay, Southampton

I've been meaning to try out this Caribbean restaurant ever since moving to Southampton. Almost a year later and we still hadn't so we decided to check it out last night. The weather has been gorgeous this weekend, so it seemed appropriate to indulge in some barbecue-flavoured food and fruity cocktails.

To start we shared the Pepper Roti, flaky pastry encasing a pepper and potato filling. Nice and light with lovely flavours without being too hot. This was accompanied by a couple of Jumbled Julep cocktails (vodka, passoa, strawberries, mint and apple juice). I love cocktails and these definitely didn't disappoint, fresh and fruity with just the right amount of mint. They're also two for one for a good majority of the day so even more of an excuse to try them out!

For my main I had a burger, topped with pineapple and cheese and served with sweet potato fries and coleslaw. 

I could quite happily have carried on eating those fries for ever, sweet potato is so good, especially with Jerk BBQ sauce. I tried out the pepper sauce as well from the bottles provided on the table - a really nice flavour but wow it's hot!

I recommend the burger if you like them well done - I do, though I did think this one was a bit overcooked even for me. That was probably the only negative I have to say about the meal though, everything else was great. 

Tom had the 1/2 Jerk chicken with rice and peas (which is my new favourite thing, I will definitely have to try and make some soon). The chicken was cooked perfectly, and he got loads, the picture doesn't do it justice. I don't know how anyone could manage the whole chicken!

We didn't try any of the desserts as we went to watch The Avengers afterwards so pudding had to be munchies in the cinema of course. 

Overall the food was full of delicious flavours with lots of fresh ingredients, served in a friendly, laid back environment, perfect for a summer's evening meal. At the moment there's only a Turtle Bay in Southampton and Milton Keynes, but apparently they're opening up in Nottingham and Bristol soon. Great news for me for when I head back home to Nottingham!

Bill Bryson - A Short History of Nearly Everything

If you haven't checked this book out and are interested in anything science-y I definitely recommend it. Impressively, the author manages to do what he claims, covering everything from the beginnings of the universe to the evolution of human beings, stopping off along the way to describe how the significant discoveries that make up our current knowledge of the world took place (though judging by the personalities of some of the scientists described it's a wonder in itself we've found out this much!).

As so much is covered, there will probably be some parts you'll find more interesting than others - the geek in me loved the bits about space and DNA, though I have to say, I'm not one to get excited about rocks. The entertaining style of Bill Bryson's writing manages to keep all of the material engaging however, with just the right amount of information about each topic without getting bogged down in anything.

Accessible and enjoyable - who would of thought this could be said about science?

Seaweed, Spaghetti & Sharks

Just a summary of some of the little things in my life this week...

I bought one of the fresh face masks from Lush last weekend, BB Seaweed, which is apparently good for most skin types. Great for me as my skin is the whole mix of oily, dry and occasionally sensitive.

As it only lasts 'til the end of the month and you get quite a lot in the tub I've already used it three times, which is more probably more than I should to be honest as it has little exfoliating bits in, but I don't want it to go to waste (not for how much it cost!). I haven't used face masks in a while so it's made a nice change to try this one out.

The ingredients are all natural and include honey, aloe vera and rose. It also includes little strips of seaweed, so even if it's doing nothing to my skin, at least I can be safe in the knowledge that I look attractive while it's on! I recommend these as a treat to get occasionally, as they cost £5.75 per tub and you have to use it up within about 3 weeks or so. This has been leaving my skin smooth and soft after use though, so if your skin needs a bit of extra attention to get it back on track I'd recommend getting one of these and using it for the month. Do be aware that this one is exfoliating though as I said - overdoing tends to lead to breakouts with me sometimes.


Last night I made spaghetti carbonara, though as we didn't have any bacon in (shocking I know) I used chicken instead, and added an onion. So not exactly the traditional recipe but yum nonetheless. I don't have any photos, I was too hungry for that I'm afraid! But the recipe I followed is the Good Food one from their pasta and noodle book (it's possibly on their website as well). I love these books, the recipes are straight forward and perfect for everyday cooking. I pretty much taught myself to cook with these when I moved to uni!

I've heard people can struggle to make carbonara at home, but I've always used this recipe and never had problems. Adding a splash of the pasta water to the sauce seems to be the tip to getting it right.


I'm also still in my post-gig obsessive phase and haven't stopped listening to Rammstein since seeing them last week, so I'll sign off with a live video of one of my favourite songs by them, 'Haifisch' (German for Shark).

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Rammstein - 02.03.12 Nottingham Arena

Wow, where the hell do I start with this post?! I knew before I saw them that going to a Rammstein show was definitely going to be a memorable experience, but I'm still in awe of everything from this gig. The thought process and hard work that must go into making their shows such a spectacle is incredible. I had seating tickets so I'd be able to see the pyrotechnics and get a good view of the stage too. I've even more glad I did as they also had a mini stage set up in the centre up in the middle of the standing section.

Firstly, the intro was brilliant - a walkway lowered above the crowd connecting the main stage to the smaller stage. The band entered from a door on the side, walking through the audience carrying a flaming torch, an England flag and a Rammstein flag.

They started off with Sonne and carried on with a set list spanning their discography. There was so much going off, so many different effects and props were used, I need to go and see them again just to be able to take more of it in!

The first part of the gig consisted of some of their classic songs on the main stage. The keyboardist, Flake, spent most of the time either on a treadmill while playing, in a rubber dingy surfing the crowd, or in a huge pot trying to dodge a flame thrower aimed at him by Till Lindemann as part of Mein Teil. All while wearing a sparkly bodysuit. Amazing.

The focus of the show then switched to the second stage, with guitarist Richard Kruspe on the small stage playing keyboard while the rest of the band travelled across the walkway (reminiscent of the Mein Teil video) to join him for a three song set. As they're normally on a large stage with a bunch of pyrotechnics going off, they can feel a little bit distance from the audience, so it was a nice change for them to be playing right next to each other and the crowd. 


The band left the stage before returning for the first of their two encores. Assuming they were only going to do one, I was a tad disappointed when they left the stage after Ich Will, as I'd been looking forward to seeing Engel performed live, so was very happy when Till returned to the stage wearing the huge metal wings that make up the song's effects. 

The last song was Pussy, and I must admit they've won me over with this song now. Not that I thought it was a bad song, just not one of their best so I couldn't see it working as a finale. However, their performance was incredible, and the sense of humour in the song writing really shows through in the live version, making it a fun way to end a mind blowing show.


If there is one criticism of this gig, it's only that Rammstein put on such a fantastic, elaborate show that sometimes you forget that at the end of the day they're a bloody good rock band playing awesome music. You're almost torn between getting into the music completely and just staring in awe at everything else that's going off. 


Even if your not much of a fan I would definitely recommend going to see these guys if you get the chance, just for the theatrics and pyrotechnics. Not only are Rammstein brilliant musicians, they're amazing performers that definitely know how to put on an entertaining two hour show. 

James Patterson - Violets are Blue

I'm a big fan of crime thriller type books, films, TV etc., and started reading James Patterson a while back. His main series of books revolves around the character Alex Cross, a homicide detective/psychiatrist, hunting down serial killers. The first book in the series, "Along Came A Spider" is brilliant in my opinion, it's one of the most twisty turny books I've read (please please please don't watch the film though - it's absolutely TERRIBLE).

Violets are Blue is the seventh book in the series, and features Alex Cross investigating a series of vampire-style murders taking place in different locations in the USA, and involving everything from tigers to magicians. The book also continues a running storyline from previous books featuring the 'Mastermind', a serial killer with a personal vendetta against Cross, who is also responsible for murdering some of those close to Cross.  

Now, I didn't exactly get bored by this book, but it just didn't have anything to it that I thought was new or exciting. Not after reading the first six in the series anyway - if this had been number one I would probably think differently. But this book again consisted of: the killer having a personal problem with Alex Cross (I'm really intrigued as to how often this actually ever happens in real life); another new relationship that is probably doomed; and Cross doing lovely family things in between visiting gruesome crime scenes. 

I might read some of the more recent ones at some point, to see if they start to go in a different direction, but otherwise after reading a handful of these I don't really feel the need to read any more. 

Not that I don't recommend them: they're good, easy to read thrillers with a mix of an older running storyline involving Alex Cross' personal life and unclosed cases; as well as a new crime investigation. I just feel they're a tad predictable after a while. 

Boux Avenue Order

I received my first order from Boux Avenue recently, and I think I've already fallen in love with this shop. I usually buy lingerie and the like from La Senza, but have been on the look out for somewhere new as La Senza generally don't seem as good as they used to. I came across Boux Avenue online and as the prices are similar I thought I'd check them out.

My order arrived in a huge box, filled with lots of lovely pink tissue - don't worry, there is a more environmentally friendly option, but as it's free and my first order I thought I might as well. I must admit, it's always nice when something comes in pretty wrapping, makes it feel that extra bit special. 
I'd ordered a bra, knickers, and a purple petticoat that was on sale and came in the pink box. 

How gorgeous is this?? I have a black dress that I'm hoping this will be the right length for. 
I had to return the bra as the sizing wasn't right, possibly a mix up because of how different it is to all my others. I don't know if this is the case with all their sizes, but they offer free post on returns and exchanges so it's not too much hassle trying them. I'm hoping the exchange will fit better; I'll edit this post when I receive it.


Edit (26/02/12): I received my exchange within a week of returning the bra without any fuss, and was happy to find it's a much better fit. The packaging was also really pretty again; I wasn't expecting this as it was an exchange!

So overall, very happy with this purchase. The customer service has been excellent and I've fallen in love with their products, definitely converted!