A couple of weeks back I went to the Claretys Spa in the landmark Hilton Hotel in Manchester city centre. My Mum had gotten us both vouchers for an hour long treatment session at the Spa. This included 3 treatments of our choice, one lasting half an hour and the other two 15 minutes each.
We went through a couple of quick medical forms and then we got to pick our treatments. After this we were guided into a room with two massage tables to lie down on, which were comfortable. The staff seemed friendly and both masseuses offered us water and then left us to get undressed and ready for our treatments.
For my half an hour treatment I opted for the hot stone massage back massage and OH MY GOSH this was definitely the right choice, it was between that and a regular back massage and I'm so happy that I went with the hot stones. Something about them just takes a back massage to a whole new level. To me it almost felt like something liquid being run over my back rather than a stone, it was that smooth. If you've never had one and you feel like treating yourself to a nice pamper treatment this gets my seal of approval. I would say though one small niggle throughout these treatments the cd with their spa music on would occasionally skip which is slightly jarring when you feel yourself melting away into the table.
Following straight on from this I had an arm massage, my Mum opted for a head massage which she said was good but at times a little too rough for her but I guess the pressure is all down to preference as I know that I enjoy quite a firm massage. My arm massage was lovely, not quite on the same level as the superrrrr relaxing hot stone back massage but very pleasant all the while.
Then for my final treatment I opted for the pedicure because I'd never had one before. It's not exactly sandal season yet but I was just curious about getting one and I thought it would give me a little taster in case I wanted to get one again separately to the package. However, I wasn't too impressed with this part. I opted for a gel pedicure, again I've never tried gel polish so I was curious. The selection wasn't the best, the colour I chose was a beautiful shimmery mermaid dark green but I was slightly disappointment to not be given any non shimmer options. There were about 6 gel colours to choose from and all were shimmer. I also didn't expect to have the pedicure lying down on the masseuse chair, I found this kind of took away from the relaxation aspect as I had to bend my knees up for the lady to be able to do the pedicure which took away from the relaxation element. Due to it being done in the same room too with the same dim lighting the lady did a slightly messy job too, the polish on one of the nails had bubbled up and on another it hadn't been filed down properly. I guess both of these were due to poor lighting and probably time restraints. I'd be interested to know how long a stand alone pedicure would usually take at a salon. However, my Mum again enjoyed her 15 minute treatment of choice which was a facial that left her skin feeling super smooth and fresh looking.
The other 15 minute treatments available as far as I can remember were a manicure and a foot massage. I'm sure judging from the arm massage the foot massage would have been a lovely choice too.
Overall I enjoyed my treatments, I'd get the hot stone massage again and the arm massage was good. However, I wouldn't recommend the pedicure and although the gel has lasted pretty well for the last couple of weeks and it's a pretty colour, it wasn't quite as perfect with the application as I'd hoped. The staff and venue were both lovely, I'd just say if you're thinking about going to pick some treatments over others.
If I were to rate the experience I'd probably go with 7/10.
Wednesday 13 April 2016
Tuesday 12 April 2016
Film Review: The Witch
I went to see The Witch last week and I have a few thoughts about the film I'd like to share. A quick Google tells me I'm not alone in these opinions so if you've already read a few reviews of this film I might not be saying anything to you that you haven't already heard. However, if you're new to this film then read on for my take on it (I'm going to keep it spoiler free).
The Witch is set in 17th Century New England, the story follows a Puritan Christian family who are exiled from their plantation and go to live out on their own, setting up a farm by a large forest. Very quickly events take a turn for the worst and while the eldest of four- a girl named Thomasin, is looking after the youngest- baby Samuel, he goes missing. We are shown a female figure carrying the baby off into the wood and then sacrificing the baby for its blood, to make an ointment out of it. Several times throughout the film we're shown this witch-like figure, but for me the Witch itself isn't what makes the film interesting. The Witch is most definitely creepy and unnerving but it's the other characters in the film that make it what it is.
I'd say if you're going into this film expecting a horror film, I don't feel like that's quite what you get here. There are elements to it that allow for it to fit into that category but for me it leans more towards something like a Psychological Thriller, I'm not sure exactly how to categorize it. I'm not saying to write it off all together as not being a horror film, I just didn't feel like I went away feeling like I wouldn't be able to sleep that night but that's not to say I didn't think it was great regardless.
I've heard Mark Kermode use the phrase 'cattle prod horror' when talking about the vast majority of modern day horror, which is the idea of being forced into jump scares whilst watching horror cinema because of a loud noise or something jumping up on screen. I don't believe there is anything wrong with using this method but I do often find that many modern horror films rely solely on this trick to get a scare out of its audience, which seems like a bit of a cop out to me. The best kind of horror films get under your skin and keep you feeling tense for the duration. The Witch does none of the jumpy scares, however, the score and the films gloomy visuals do create an atmosphere of despair and dread. Unfortunately the trailer could imply that it will be a little more like it's cattle prod jumps counterparts and I feel as though many people seeing this film may leave feeling a little cheated.
Now that I've covered how and why it might not be considered a horror film (sorry if that was a little it of a ramble) I can talk about what I really enjoyed about the film and at it's core what I believe it's about, which in my opinion is not really Witches.
To me this is a film less about the witch and more about a family of Christian Puritans settling in 17th Century England, in a land unfamiliar to them and the unsettling feeling they feel in parts due to their new surroundings and the paranoia the faith at the time perpetuated. The family grow increasingly suspicious of one another and turn against each other with their growing distrust after Samuel is taken, making them vulnerable to the evil presence that is wreaking havoc on their secluded settlement. At the centre of the film is Thomasin played by newcomer Anya Taylor-Joy who makes an incredibly impressive début and who according to IMDb, now appears to be starring in a few different films to be released in the next couple of years. This is also Robert Eggers, the films director's first feature length film having previously touched on themes of folklore with his 2007 animated short of Hansel and Gretel which I'm definitely interested in tracking down to check out.
All in all if you're looking for a moody slow burner 'horror' (again, up for debate), that feels a little more The Crucible than Blair Witch, then this might be for you.
The Witch is set in 17th Century New England, the story follows a Puritan Christian family who are exiled from their plantation and go to live out on their own, setting up a farm by a large forest. Very quickly events take a turn for the worst and while the eldest of four- a girl named Thomasin, is looking after the youngest- baby Samuel, he goes missing. We are shown a female figure carrying the baby off into the wood and then sacrificing the baby for its blood, to make an ointment out of it. Several times throughout the film we're shown this witch-like figure, but for me the Witch itself isn't what makes the film interesting. The Witch is most definitely creepy and unnerving but it's the other characters in the film that make it what it is.
I'd say if you're going into this film expecting a horror film, I don't feel like that's quite what you get here. There are elements to it that allow for it to fit into that category but for me it leans more towards something like a Psychological Thriller, I'm not sure exactly how to categorize it. I'm not saying to write it off all together as not being a horror film, I just didn't feel like I went away feeling like I wouldn't be able to sleep that night but that's not to say I didn't think it was great regardless.
I've heard Mark Kermode use the phrase 'cattle prod horror' when talking about the vast majority of modern day horror, which is the idea of being forced into jump scares whilst watching horror cinema because of a loud noise or something jumping up on screen. I don't believe there is anything wrong with using this method but I do often find that many modern horror films rely solely on this trick to get a scare out of its audience, which seems like a bit of a cop out to me. The best kind of horror films get under your skin and keep you feeling tense for the duration. The Witch does none of the jumpy scares, however, the score and the films gloomy visuals do create an atmosphere of despair and dread. Unfortunately the trailer could imply that it will be a little more like it's cattle prod jumps counterparts and I feel as though many people seeing this film may leave feeling a little cheated.
Now that I've covered how and why it might not be considered a horror film (sorry if that was a little it of a ramble) I can talk about what I really enjoyed about the film and at it's core what I believe it's about, which in my opinion is not really Witches.
To me this is a film less about the witch and more about a family of Christian Puritans settling in 17th Century England, in a land unfamiliar to them and the unsettling feeling they feel in parts due to their new surroundings and the paranoia the faith at the time perpetuated. The family grow increasingly suspicious of one another and turn against each other with their growing distrust after Samuel is taken, making them vulnerable to the evil presence that is wreaking havoc on their secluded settlement. At the centre of the film is Thomasin played by newcomer Anya Taylor-Joy who makes an incredibly impressive début and who according to IMDb, now appears to be starring in a few different films to be released in the next couple of years. This is also Robert Eggers, the films director's first feature length film having previously touched on themes of folklore with his 2007 animated short of Hansel and Gretel which I'm definitely interested in tracking down to check out.
All in all if you're looking for a moody slow burner 'horror' (again, up for debate), that feels a little more The Crucible than Blair Witch, then this might be for you.
Thursday 24 March 2016
Five Documentaries To Watch On Netflix
I've long been a lover of documentaries, I used to watch a lot of those god awful Channel 5 ones when I was a teen, y'know the ones about children born with webbed feet and two heads. I have to admit though they weren't always the most tastefully made documentaries, often presenting the subjects of the programmes in a sort of freak show like manner that would most certainly not sit well with me now, but as a naive 15 year old I found those poorly executed docs fascinating. Fast forward ten years and I think (I hope) my choice in documentaries is a little more tasteful, this is not to say disabilities or deformities can't be documented in sensitive and compassionate way, it's just that the former Channel 5 ones didn't tackle the subject matters in a such a way. Right enough Channel 5 bashing, honest, now for the good stuff, the Mecca for all that is television- Netflix *insert angels playing teeny little trumpets*. There is a wealth of documentaries on Netflix and so I thought I'd list a few for you that I'd recommend.
Louis Theroux L.A Stories
What would a documentary list be without Louis?! As far as I'm aware this was his last documentary series, although he does have a new one out this year HELL YES. The series is made up of 3 stand alone documentaries- Among the Sex Offenders, City of Dogs and Edge of Life. As you can imagine the sex offenders one is particularly uncomfortable but Louis always has the best ability to get a lot out the people he speaks to, he offers opinions but goes into exploring difficult subjects with an open mind. I think his neutral approach to often difficult topics works extremely well and allows the subjects of the documentary to open up more to him than they would if someone like Paxman were just berating them and wagging a finger in their face, imagine. This in no way means Louis panders to them, or sympathizes with people who have committed horrific atrocities he just gives room for the story to unfold with the knowledge that his viewers are intelligent enough to make up their own minds. It's not all doom and gloom though, in 'The City of Dogs' he meets a delightfully wacky character who goes by the name 'Dogman' a burly dude who goes around rescuing dogs and rehabilitating them. I wanted to hug the guy, he's just awesome, oh and he walks around head to toe in camo- the world needs more gems like this guy.
What Happened Miss Simone
If I'm honest I don't even listen to Nina Simone's music, so the fact that I'm not a fan, not even a casual one really and I liked this documentary so much is a testiment to just how good it is. I think the best kind of documentaries are ones that you can watch about a subject you have no real interest in and you end up really enjoying and taking something away from it, in spite of this. This is not to say that I've not heard of Nina's songs or appreciated her powerful unique voice, I just didn't wack her music on ever really. Now onto the doc... Nina lead a very tumultuous life, riddled with mental health issues. The documentary takes you through the highs and lows of her colourful life as a musician, black power icon, lover, friend and recording legend. Parts of this documentary I found to be extremely sad as she appeared to be such a tortured soul but someone with so much to give and such an immeasurable amount of musical talent.
Montage Of Heck
Another music documentary, this is a look into the life and tragic death of Kurt Cobain. I particularly enjoyed the use of animation throughout this to tell parts of Kurts story, rather than it just being footage of the people close to him being interviewed. I'd already read a biography about Kurt when I was much younger- Heavier Than Heaven by Charles Cross so I was fairly familiar with parts of his story but this documentary felt like a lot more personal, undoubtedly due to the fact that Courtney Love and their daughter Francis Bean Cobain were co-producers. It's also the first documentary made with the involvement of Kurt's family which meant access to their family archives. With the use of previously unheard recordings, diary entries and art work we are given an insight into Kurt's state of mind and inner turmoil as he struggled with family conflict and then fame when Nirvana shot to stardom.
Making A Murderer
If you haven't heard of this yet I'm going to have to question whether you've taken a very lengthy holiday under a rock in a far off island for the last 6 months? You'll have no doubt been told relentlessly how this is LYK SO SO GOOD and shocking and gripping and all the rest, that's because.. well.. it is. So if you are in the 0.00000001% of people who haven't watched this and the entire story and all its LYK SO SHOCKING details haven't been relayed to you yet, wack it on. Prepare to get annoyed at the judicial system/ the cops and feel especially sorry for Brendan, I mean c'mon...
The House I Live In
I'd say this is the most important out of all of these documentaries, I decided to save the best 'til last I guess. This is the kind of documentary they need to show in schools, it's one big eye opener. It documents the history of Americas 'War on Drugs' and the futility of it. The documentary explores the human rights implications that this long running campaign has had on American citizens and heavily questions issues like the lengthy sentences in place in the American legal system for non violent drug crimes. The House I Live In questions how effective this stance against illegal drugs has been and the negative effects it has had on many communities in America, particularly the disadvantaged black community. I learnt so much from watching this, especially to do with the history of the legality of drugs and how certain communities have been targeted through the implication of extremely harsh drug laws that don't help to tackle the real underlying problem. It's a tricky one to write about without going off into tangents about every individual issue so instead I urge you to watch this trailer and then if you haven't seen it yet it's definitely worth checking out the full length documentary if you'd like to learn more.
I hope you enjoyed my list of Netflix picks and you found something in the bunch that that takes your fancy. Any excuse for a Netflix binge right?
Louis Theroux L.A Stories
What would a documentary list be without Louis?! As far as I'm aware this was his last documentary series, although he does have a new one out this year HELL YES. The series is made up of 3 stand alone documentaries- Among the Sex Offenders, City of Dogs and Edge of Life. As you can imagine the sex offenders one is particularly uncomfortable but Louis always has the best ability to get a lot out the people he speaks to, he offers opinions but goes into exploring difficult subjects with an open mind. I think his neutral approach to often difficult topics works extremely well and allows the subjects of the documentary to open up more to him than they would if someone like Paxman were just berating them and wagging a finger in their face, imagine. This in no way means Louis panders to them, or sympathizes with people who have committed horrific atrocities he just gives room for the story to unfold with the knowledge that his viewers are intelligent enough to make up their own minds. It's not all doom and gloom though, in 'The City of Dogs' he meets a delightfully wacky character who goes by the name 'Dogman' a burly dude who goes around rescuing dogs and rehabilitating them. I wanted to hug the guy, he's just awesome, oh and he walks around head to toe in camo- the world needs more gems like this guy.
What Happened Miss Simone
If I'm honest I don't even listen to Nina Simone's music, so the fact that I'm not a fan, not even a casual one really and I liked this documentary so much is a testiment to just how good it is. I think the best kind of documentaries are ones that you can watch about a subject you have no real interest in and you end up really enjoying and taking something away from it, in spite of this. This is not to say that I've not heard of Nina's songs or appreciated her powerful unique voice, I just didn't wack her music on ever really. Now onto the doc... Nina lead a very tumultuous life, riddled with mental health issues. The documentary takes you through the highs and lows of her colourful life as a musician, black power icon, lover, friend and recording legend. Parts of this documentary I found to be extremely sad as she appeared to be such a tortured soul but someone with so much to give and such an immeasurable amount of musical talent.
Montage Of Heck
Another music documentary, this is a look into the life and tragic death of Kurt Cobain. I particularly enjoyed the use of animation throughout this to tell parts of Kurts story, rather than it just being footage of the people close to him being interviewed. I'd already read a biography about Kurt when I was much younger- Heavier Than Heaven by Charles Cross so I was fairly familiar with parts of his story but this documentary felt like a lot more personal, undoubtedly due to the fact that Courtney Love and their daughter Francis Bean Cobain were co-producers. It's also the first documentary made with the involvement of Kurt's family which meant access to their family archives. With the use of previously unheard recordings, diary entries and art work we are given an insight into Kurt's state of mind and inner turmoil as he struggled with family conflict and then fame when Nirvana shot to stardom.
Making A Murderer
If you haven't heard of this yet I'm going to have to question whether you've taken a very lengthy holiday under a rock in a far off island for the last 6 months? You'll have no doubt been told relentlessly how this is LYK SO SO GOOD and shocking and gripping and all the rest, that's because.. well.. it is. So if you are in the 0.00000001% of people who haven't watched this and the entire story and all its LYK SO SHOCKING details haven't been relayed to you yet, wack it on. Prepare to get annoyed at the judicial system/ the cops and feel especially sorry for Brendan, I mean c'mon...
The House I Live In
I'd say this is the most important out of all of these documentaries, I decided to save the best 'til last I guess. This is the kind of documentary they need to show in schools, it's one big eye opener. It documents the history of Americas 'War on Drugs' and the futility of it. The documentary explores the human rights implications that this long running campaign has had on American citizens and heavily questions issues like the lengthy sentences in place in the American legal system for non violent drug crimes. The House I Live In questions how effective this stance against illegal drugs has been and the negative effects it has had on many communities in America, particularly the disadvantaged black community. I learnt so much from watching this, especially to do with the history of the legality of drugs and how certain communities have been targeted through the implication of extremely harsh drug laws that don't help to tackle the real underlying problem. It's a tricky one to write about without going off into tangents about every individual issue so instead I urge you to watch this trailer and then if you haven't seen it yet it's definitely worth checking out the full length documentary if you'd like to learn more.
I hope you enjoyed my list of Netflix picks and you found something in the bunch that that takes your fancy. Any excuse for a Netflix binge right?
Wednesday 23 March 2016
My First Blogger Event and Thoughts About Blogging
My First Event....
On Friday I went to my first blogging event, one of my best friends Ellie who has a blog called EleanorGraceful (click over to her blog here) asked if I wanted to go so I read the description on the Manchester Blogger group over on Facebook and thought it sounded quite interesting. It was an event hosted by Holland and Barrett to promote their beauty products and if I'm honest I wasn't even really aware they did beauty products so it was interesting to see what they have on offer. I've had a little browse of their website now and there are a few brands I've used before like Burt's Bees and Trilogy and then lots of new ones I'm less familiar with that I'd be interested to try. If you're curious about any of it you can have a browse here, I particularly like their section about DIY beauty recipes.
I've not had a chance yet to try all of the products we were given but I've given the hand cream a go which is great and the body scrub. I'll definitely be giving the self tan a go next now that I've started to fake tan recently. A lovely lady from Beauty Kitchen showed us how to make a basic lip balm and gave us some to take home, as well as demonstrating the effectiveness of one of their hand scrubs on both me and Ellie (its gave us seriously baby soft skin).
They provided us with the nicest buffet, I took full advantage of this and had A LOT of food, me and Ellie may have also had 3 glasses of Prosecco each, woops, well they did say we could help ourselves (I swear).
We both had our make up done by a lovely MUA with make up products that Holland and Barrett sell, which again I was surprised that they do as I've never heard anyone mention it. The MUA did quite a dewy base on me which I'm always really wary of with my problematic skin, but it made a nice change. There was also a chance to get a manicure done by another beauty professional but I didn't get around to doing that.
All in all it was a really lovely experience for a first blogger event and the people I chatted to were all super friendly. It's definitely made me want to go to more events, try out new products and meet more bloggers.
Some Thoughts On Blogging & Where My Blog Fits In..
Going to a blogging event made me think again about the fact that I don't have a certain category or niche that my blog particularly belongs to. The thing is I really don't want it to either. This blog is a kind of reflection of who I am to some extent, that's not to say I would share every part of myself on here but equally I don't want to limit myself either. I don't want to have to just stick to certain topics because say for example I've chosen to do a Film blog or a Beauty blog. I'd say the majority of blogs I read do seem to choose a clear category and I can fully see why. Doing it that way the readers know what to expect and therefore you're more likely to gain a following of people who go to your blog when they want to read about a certain topic. If you write about whatever you fancy I guess the reader goes to you for your writing style and personality over your particular focus on a topic because the content will be unpredictable to some extent. I like the idea of blogging not having strict boundaries so for now I will keep just writing about the topics that I feel like on that given day, sometimes it may be something a little shallow, sometimes a topic that may open up discussion, or maybe even neither, who knows? I'm happy with doing that for now and I hope if you're following my blog you will enjoy the random nature of my posts, I really do enjoy writing at the moment and having my own little space to just share whatever I want.
Friday 18 March 2016
4 Videos You Should Watch
I'm kind of struggling to think of a good title for this one, so the above will just have to do. This may seem like a slightly lazy post, seen as the videos themselves are doing all the talking but I love the idea of spreading great ideas and knowledge across the internet and so I thought I could use my teeny platform on the web to help do so. I love receiving video links from friends about topics that they think might interest me or that's peaked an interest inside of them, and sparked a discussion. The internet is a great place to stumble across like minded people or even better, people that can open your mind up to ideas you'd never considered before or given much thought.
Hopefully the videos below will be of interest to anyone reading this and will at least give you some food for thought on a few topics. So I won't waffle on any more, they mostly speak for themselves after all...
So my first 2 videos are by the same YouTuber- justkissmyfrog. I discovered her videos a couple of weeks back and I've been going through her channels back catalogue since. She focuses heavily on books and I do love those videos, but my favourite videos she does are actually just the more relaxed chatty ones centring on one particular talking point. She's one of those YouTuber's that I'll be sat there nodding along thinking 'why haven't I seen someone mention this before in a video? she's putting exactly how I feel into words'.
Being Alone: A video about being ok with just doing things alone and not sharing all the parts of our day with someone to validate them. This one really resonated with me, especially as some one who is single and often misses that element of having a significant other.
Hopefully the videos below will be of interest to anyone reading this and will at least give you some food for thought on a few topics. So I won't waffle on any more, they mostly speak for themselves after all...
So my first 2 videos are by the same YouTuber- justkissmyfrog. I discovered her videos a couple of weeks back and I've been going through her channels back catalogue since. She focuses heavily on books and I do love those videos, but my favourite videos she does are actually just the more relaxed chatty ones centring on one particular talking point. She's one of those YouTuber's that I'll be sat there nodding along thinking 'why haven't I seen someone mention this before in a video? she's putting exactly how I feel into words'.
Being Alone: A video about being ok with just doing things alone and not sharing all the parts of our day with someone to validate them. This one really resonated with me, especially as some one who is single and often misses that element of having a significant other.
Not Like Other Girls: I can't seem to post this one here so you can click HERE and it will take you to the video. This one was something I'd never actually given much thought but as soon as I started watching the video I got exactly where Leena was coming from. She talks about internalized misogyny and the idea of the 'cool girl' being the type of girl who shuns anything deemed too feminine and basically how that's a load of bollocks. Leena talks about her own experiences when she was younger of deliberately shunning make up due to the fact that she thought it showed people externally that she 'wasn't like the other girls'. I can relate to this, not in a make up sense (I've always been a lover of make up) but in the sense that in the past I've spoken about certain things I liked and described them as 'things guys are into' or I've been told 'you like that oh, that's unusual for a girl'. I mean its easy to come out with things like that when it's so ingrained in us the idea that certain things are unusual for me to like purely because I'm a girl (I'm very guilty of this) but I really need to stop myself from feeding into that idea and I think she puts across some great points about this in her video. I'll stop now before I start waffling and I lose track of this list. Go watch it.
I could honestly post so many of Leena's videos but I want to throw a couple more videos from other content creators into the mix. So if you like what you've seen I'd really recommend looking up her channel on YouTube and hitting the subscribe button.
If The World Were 100 People: WATCH THIS NOW. No, in all seriousness, this video will give you the biggest reality check you could have in just under 3 minutes. It breaks the world down into 100 people and there are a lot of sobering figures throughout. For example 77 would have shelter and 23 would not. Even down to the less important 'needs' in life, like internet access, only 44 would have access to the internet and 56 would not. I found that particular figure quite poignant, obviously there are much worse indifferences pointed out and horrific inequalities globally but the internet one struck a chord because so often you hear or read people saying that the internet is wonderful because it gives anyone that wants to the chance to express their thoughts/feelings via an on-line platform (which in lots of cases it most certainly does) but in actual fact so many people will never get the chance to access such a wonderful platform to do so. That particular stat, which in all honesty shouldn't come as a surprise to me really, but often I am ignorant (trying to change this- i promise), made me think about how fortunate I am to even be able to blog. Even if just one person reads it, I get the opportunity to have my voice heard on the internet and that is wonderful. Of course the video does raise many other important issues and I don't mean to gloss over them as an opportunity to talk about my privileges, I just wanted to acknowledge that particular one and take a moment to realise how much I appreciate the fact that really I have been one of the incredibly lucky ones in the lottery of birth, to even end up being born in a suburb of Manchester in England and able to do things like write this post.
Body Image and Feminism: Lucy is another YouTuber I discovered recently. This is a great short video that opens up the discussion of body image and where we get our validation from. She makes some interesting and honest points about how she feels about the fact that she has gained confidence about her body through the validation of men and whether or not this contradicts her feminist ideals.
If you watch any of these I'd love to know and we could maybe even start some discussions of our own stemming from one of these videos, that'd be ace. Or if you have any videos you think I might find insightful or interesting pop them in the comments.
Remember to subscribe to me via the bloglovin button or search for 'TheSafeHarbour' on there to find me, I'd really love it if you did!
Helena
x
Wednesday 9 March 2016
9 New Things in March
So its the 9th of March and I'm going to post about 9 new things I've tried/discovered so far this month. So in no particular order....
1) Kendrick Lamar Released an album and it's great, because well, it's Kendrick.
I know everyone waxes lyrical about how great Kendrick is but it really is with reason, he seems to have solid release after solid release. I wasn't expecting him to release these songs as I'd previously read that the tracks on this album were written purely for him to perform as one offs and they wouldn't be appearing on an album. Then on Friday to my surprise 'Untitled Unmastered' was released.
2) I started watching a new series called Love on Netflix.
My home girl Hannah recommended this one and it's great, cheers if you're reading this Hannah! I'm 5 episodes in already, it just makes such easy viewing (EDIT: Since starting this post I have now finished season 1 and I loved all of it!). Often I pick things to watch that are pretty heavy going so this kind of programme makes a nice change. That doesn't mean to say its all fluff, its a light hearted comedic look at the love lives of two single people in their 30s - a guy and a girl so both gender perspectives are explored but it's done with witty cynicism and I've found it really relate-able so far.
3) Discovering the Booktuber community.
I'd always been aware that there was a fairly big community of people reviewing and discussing books on Youtube but I'd never really delved into it until this week. Well I was looking for something to motivate me to read a bunch of books that have been gathering dust on my shelves for months or even years in some cases and I think I've found just the thing. There are some really brilliant Youtuber's putting out interesting content about their favourite literature on Youtube and it's really inspired me not only to read again but also to widen my reading choices, I might write a separate post on this.
4) I started reading 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'
So following in from the Booktuber thing.. I started reading a new book. I'm part the way through lots of books at the moment so it probably would have been wiser to have continued with one of them but I really wanted to start this one. I was bought it last year and I knew I'd probably love it from the get go because a) its a Dystopian novel and b) it's the book that inspired the film Blade Runner, which is one of my favourite Sci-Fi films so expectations were high. So far so good, I'll keep you posted on this one.
5) I discovered a new restaurant for Thai food in Manchester and it was delicious.
So Thai is probably one of my favourite cuisines so I'm always up for trying new Thai places. Busaba is situated just outside the Printworks in Manchester, the décor inside was really nice my only bugbear is the fact that all the tables were reallyyyy close to one another and I've never been a fan of the communal eating thing, Wagamama style, I mean we weren't on the same table but we were close enough. The food was delicious and super reasonably priced- a starter and main for £13. I'll definitely be going back soon.
6) Wandered around South Manchester's very own 'secret garden'.
As far as I know I've never been to Walkden Gardens in Sale (South Manchester) despite it being within a few miles from where I live and I was pleasantly surprised. This place reminds me of a book from my childhood 'The Secret Garden', it's made up of lots of little sections and parts to discover. There's a Japanese section, a beautiful archway, a theatre lawn.. I loved wandering round it like a maze and I know come Spring I'll definitely be going back when all the flowers have bloomed.
7) I did some Vegan baking.
So for Mother's day I wanted to try my hand at baking something for my Mum and seen as I've given up dairy for the foreseeable future I turned to the world of Vegan food blogs/articles for inspiration and I found a delicious looking chocolate and pecan tart. I'm really happy with how it turned out and due to replacing ingredients like butter with creamy avocado mash it also makes it a slightly healthier version of a traditional dessert. I'm definitely going to look into more Vegan baking.
8) I tried to find dairy alternatives for things I love.
So I love chocolate milk/milkshake and I often get cravings for it when I'm out and I want to indulge in something on the go. I decided to buy the small carton packs of Alpro Chocolate Soya and meh it's not the same, it's not bad at all but it kind of tastes like when Nesquik mixes with milk, I know that's a very specific comparison but I used to love that stuff when I was in school. Not the indulgent chocolate taste I was looking for though, so if anyone knows a good dairy free chocolate milk Hollaaa, or any good dairy alternatives for that matter.
9) I rediscovered Shura's music.
So this isn't something new but it's a rediscovery and I thought worth mentioning. I used to listen to this girls music a year back when the song 2shy was released in the Spring and became the perfect addition to a chilled Summer playlist. If you've not listened to her music before I'll pop a couple of videos clips of her music below for you to check out, if you're into dreamy 80's inspired synth pop this may be someone to keep on your radar.
1) Kendrick Lamar Released an album and it's great, because well, it's Kendrick.
I know everyone waxes lyrical about how great Kendrick is but it really is with reason, he seems to have solid release after solid release. I wasn't expecting him to release these songs as I'd previously read that the tracks on this album were written purely for him to perform as one offs and they wouldn't be appearing on an album. Then on Friday to my surprise 'Untitled Unmastered' was released.
2) I started watching a new series called Love on Netflix.
My home girl Hannah recommended this one and it's great, cheers if you're reading this Hannah! I'm 5 episodes in already, it just makes such easy viewing (EDIT: Since starting this post I have now finished season 1 and I loved all of it!). Often I pick things to watch that are pretty heavy going so this kind of programme makes a nice change. That doesn't mean to say its all fluff, its a light hearted comedic look at the love lives of two single people in their 30s - a guy and a girl so both gender perspectives are explored but it's done with witty cynicism and I've found it really relate-able so far.
3) Discovering the Booktuber community.
I'd always been aware that there was a fairly big community of people reviewing and discussing books on Youtube but I'd never really delved into it until this week. Well I was looking for something to motivate me to read a bunch of books that have been gathering dust on my shelves for months or even years in some cases and I think I've found just the thing. There are some really brilliant Youtuber's putting out interesting content about their favourite literature on Youtube and it's really inspired me not only to read again but also to widen my reading choices, I might write a separate post on this.
4) I started reading 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'
So following in from the Booktuber thing.. I started reading a new book. I'm part the way through lots of books at the moment so it probably would have been wiser to have continued with one of them but I really wanted to start this one. I was bought it last year and I knew I'd probably love it from the get go because a) its a Dystopian novel and b) it's the book that inspired the film Blade Runner, which is one of my favourite Sci-Fi films so expectations were high. So far so good, I'll keep you posted on this one.
5) I discovered a new restaurant for Thai food in Manchester and it was delicious.
So Thai is probably one of my favourite cuisines so I'm always up for trying new Thai places. Busaba is situated just outside the Printworks in Manchester, the décor inside was really nice my only bugbear is the fact that all the tables were reallyyyy close to one another and I've never been a fan of the communal eating thing, Wagamama style, I mean we weren't on the same table but we were close enough. The food was delicious and super reasonably priced- a starter and main for £13. I'll definitely be going back soon.
6) Wandered around South Manchester's very own 'secret garden'.
As far as I know I've never been to Walkden Gardens in Sale (South Manchester) despite it being within a few miles from where I live and I was pleasantly surprised. This place reminds me of a book from my childhood 'The Secret Garden', it's made up of lots of little sections and parts to discover. There's a Japanese section, a beautiful archway, a theatre lawn.. I loved wandering round it like a maze and I know come Spring I'll definitely be going back when all the flowers have bloomed.
7) I did some Vegan baking.
So for Mother's day I wanted to try my hand at baking something for my Mum and seen as I've given up dairy for the foreseeable future I turned to the world of Vegan food blogs/articles for inspiration and I found a delicious looking chocolate and pecan tart. I'm really happy with how it turned out and due to replacing ingredients like butter with creamy avocado mash it also makes it a slightly healthier version of a traditional dessert. I'm definitely going to look into more Vegan baking.
8) I tried to find dairy alternatives for things I love.
So I love chocolate milk/milkshake and I often get cravings for it when I'm out and I want to indulge in something on the go. I decided to buy the small carton packs of Alpro Chocolate Soya and meh it's not the same, it's not bad at all but it kind of tastes like when Nesquik mixes with milk, I know that's a very specific comparison but I used to love that stuff when I was in school. Not the indulgent chocolate taste I was looking for though, so if anyone knows a good dairy free chocolate milk Hollaaa, or any good dairy alternatives for that matter.
9) I rediscovered Shura's music.
So this isn't something new but it's a rediscovery and I thought worth mentioning. I used to listen to this girls music a year back when the song 2shy was released in the Spring and became the perfect addition to a chilled Summer playlist. If you've not listened to her music before I'll pop a couple of videos clips of her music below for you to check out, if you're into dreamy 80's inspired synth pop this may be someone to keep on your radar.
Tuesday 8 March 2016
I Should Read More.
As the title suggests, I've come to the realisation over the last few days that I not only feel like I should but I actually really do want to make the effort to read more. I've discovered the world of Booktubers, which for those of you who are not familiar with the term is basically people who love books, talking about them on YouTube. Simple as that. I started watching one and then found myself binge watching a few and becoming transfixed with how eloquent and charming this collective of YouTubers are. From there I then began adding book after book to my Amazon wishlist and being reminded about fantastic books I also already own but haven't touched in years. The books on my book shelf have well and truly been gathering dust over the last decade and I'm ashamed to say I can probably count on one hand the amount of books I've read in the past couple of years. The thing is I have a habit of starting books reading a chapter and then forgetting about them, I've not shown any type of commitment to reading because in a way I began to view reading as a chore. I knew that once I loved a book and really got stuck into one, then I would remember what was so great about reading, but unfortunately I've gotten lazy and my attention span seems to be shrinking. I don't want to view reading like this though, I want to take great pleasure in picking a book up, I want to read a few chapters and not want to put it down and then be itching to get back to the book whenever I get a moment to. I want to feel enriched by a story in the same way that the wonderful Booktubers I've discovered are. I'm going to try and re-spark that love for literature and reading and so I've got a few books I've decided to start off my reading journey with in March. They are as follows and in no particular order...
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
I know this one will be tough going with the protagonist being a 37 year old man who becomes sexually obsessed with a 12 year old girl. Although this book obviously harbours a lot of controversy it is also considered to be one of the greatest literature triumphs of the 20th Century. I've heard it's beautifully written and I'm looking forward to finding out why it has garnered such high acclaim.
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli
I want to dip my toes into the world of science and this seems like a good place to start. I think I need to do a bit more reading before I can even think about tackling Stephen Hawking's infamous A Brief History of Time, a friend warned me it's super heavy going, so it's going on my list for the future for now. Carlo Rovelli's book was published last year and received a spectacular response from critics. So apparently by the time I've finished this I should have some understanding of Einstein's theory of general relativity, quantum mechanics, black holes, the complex architecture of the universe, elementary particles, gravity, and the nature of the mind (here's hoping!!) .
The Art of Asking: How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Let People Help by Amanda Palmer
I'm not a Dresden Dolls fan per say (Amanda is the singer of said band and one half of the duo) so this one hasn't peeked my interest from a fan point of view. I saw a review of this one on a BookTuber's channel and it just sounds wonderful and exactly the kind of read I need. Caitlin Moran said of it 'Amanda Palmer joyfully shows a generation how to change their lives' which is a rather bold statement so I'm looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about with this one.
The Outsiders by S.E Hinton
As you might have gathered if you read my last post, I love a good coming of age tale and this one comes highly recommended on lots of book lists. Hinton wrote this when she was just 17 and it was first published in 1967, there appears to be an 80's adaptation of it but I've not seen it. The book follows a teen gang 'the Greasers' in rural Oklahoma and the consequences of a violent brawl with a rival local gang.
I think 4 books will probably be enough for now, I tried to make them varied so that I don't lose interest in reading and keeping this up. Like I said earlier I don't want this to be a chore in anyway, it has to be something I want to do for enjoyment, so here's hoping I keep it up and get into the swing of picking up books again. Watch out for more book posts in this space, I'm really looking forward to getting round to some of the others I have on my list too!
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
I know this one will be tough going with the protagonist being a 37 year old man who becomes sexually obsessed with a 12 year old girl. Although this book obviously harbours a lot of controversy it is also considered to be one of the greatest literature triumphs of the 20th Century. I've heard it's beautifully written and I'm looking forward to finding out why it has garnered such high acclaim.
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli
I want to dip my toes into the world of science and this seems like a good place to start. I think I need to do a bit more reading before I can even think about tackling Stephen Hawking's infamous A Brief History of Time, a friend warned me it's super heavy going, so it's going on my list for the future for now. Carlo Rovelli's book was published last year and received a spectacular response from critics. So apparently by the time I've finished this I should have some understanding of Einstein's theory of general relativity, quantum mechanics, black holes, the complex architecture of the universe, elementary particles, gravity, and the nature of the mind (here's hoping!!) .
The Art of Asking: How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Let People Help by Amanda Palmer
I'm not a Dresden Dolls fan per say (Amanda is the singer of said band and one half of the duo) so this one hasn't peeked my interest from a fan point of view. I saw a review of this one on a BookTuber's channel and it just sounds wonderful and exactly the kind of read I need. Caitlin Moran said of it 'Amanda Palmer joyfully shows a generation how to change their lives' which is a rather bold statement so I'm looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about with this one.
The Outsiders by S.E Hinton
As you might have gathered if you read my last post, I love a good coming of age tale and this one comes highly recommended on lots of book lists. Hinton wrote this when she was just 17 and it was first published in 1967, there appears to be an 80's adaptation of it but I've not seen it. The book follows a teen gang 'the Greasers' in rural Oklahoma and the consequences of a violent brawl with a rival local gang.
I think 4 books will probably be enough for now, I tried to make them varied so that I don't lose interest in reading and keeping this up. Like I said earlier I don't want this to be a chore in anyway, it has to be something I want to do for enjoyment, so here's hoping I keep it up and get into the swing of picking up books again. Watch out for more book posts in this space, I'm really looking forward to getting round to some of the others I have on my list too!
Saturday 5 March 2016
A Few Favourites: Coming of Age films
Coming back 'atcha with another post in my imaginatively named 'A Few Favourites' series. This time it's all about the Coming of Age films, once again this isn't a list of my top all time favourites, I'm a bit too fickle to make definitive film lists... these are just a few I'd recommend you check out if you haven't already or you're kinda new to the genre and you want something to wet your appetite. I felt inspired to write this post after re-watching The Breakfast Club a couple of weeks back and going to see an enjoyable indie coming of age film called King Jack at the cinema last week.
A Quick Definition: a coming-of-age story is a genre of literature and film that focuses on the growth of a protagonist from youth to adulthood ("coming of age"). Coming-of-age stories tend to emphasize dialogue or internal monologue over action, and are often set in the past.
Dead Poets Society
This film was one of those films that reminded me just how wonderful cinema can be when I watched it for the first time a couple of months back and how much a film can move you and fill you with both joy and sadness. John Keating (Robin Williams) is the new English teacher in an all boy boarding school, he has a great passion for literature and decides to use unorthodox methods to get his class to share in his enthusiasm. As his methods begin to work and the boys begin to think for themselves opposition from his conservative colleagues grows. Robin Williams is absolutely perfect in this role, he just exudes warmth and passion and I often found myself thinking 'I wish I had a teacher like him at school' whilst I was watching the story unfold. The film perfectly depicts how enriching the right approach to education can be and how much students can also grow as free thinking individuals if given the nurturing guidance to do so. If you haven't seen it I urge you to watch it, it's one of those films that will move you and remind you just how important literature is and how we need to treasure and celebrate it, especially in our schooling systems now more than ever as we are in a time where funding for the arts is sadly being cut in schools across the UK.
"No matter what anyone tells you, words and ideas can change the world. "
The Virgin Suicides
Firstly let me say the book that this film is based on is beautiful, I really need to re read it. The film is almost as a good, that's not a slight at the film at all, the book is just that marginally bit better. It's a film set in 70's suburban American and centres around the life and the untimely death of the 5 young Lisbon sisters. Directed by Sophia Copella who also directed my favourite film- Lost in Translation, the film explores the themes of infatuation, sex, identity and belonging. From the get go we the audience are aware of how the story will end because well, it's in the title, so the film isn't really about what ultimately happens to them it's more about the mystery that surrounds them and a group of boys who are infatuated by them trying to piece their story together and figure out why they took their lives.
Blue is the Warmest Colour
This is one of the most moving and raw portrayals of love I have ever seen in a film, I 100% believed in the 2 leads - Emma and Adele. The story follows Adele a teen coming to terms with her sexuality and her blossoming love with Emma and then the complications that follow. Its a film thats not afraid to be bold and explicit, I can't imagine a film like this being made in Hollywood, it would probably end up watered down and censored which would take away from the realism and the honest approach the film takes to sexuality and same sex relationships. There are scenes in it where I genuinely felt like I was watching a real couple go through struggles and I was just a fly on the wall watching a couple in emotional turmoil. I challenge anyone to watch this and not be moved.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
I really had my doubts about this one, I LOVED the book when I was younger and I wasn't sure it would really translate well on screen. The book is written in diary/letter form which worked really well to get a honest insight into Charlie's head and so I was dubious without this if I would feel the same connection to the character. The story explores some really dark themes without sensationalizing them as you might sometimes expect in a Hollywood teen movie. The casting is perfect and the soundtrack is brilliant, I'm always a sucker for a good film soundtrack. The film has a lot of heart and whilst it does deal with some really heavy issues at the centre of it its a film about friendship and self discovery. It's a film about surviving high school that's made with such sincerity that I think it would appeal to people of all ages, anyone that has ever felt a little lost growing up (I imagine thats most of us at some point) can relate to one or all of the characters is some way. Even though there is a romantic storyline within it I appreciate that the film chooses to focus more on the importance of friendships and how friends are ultimately the people that shape us the most during adolescence.
Sam: Why do I and everyone I love pick people who treat us like we're nothing?
Charlie: We accept the love we think we deserve.
I'd love to hear any of your recommendations so pop me any suggestions you might have below or let me know if you've watched any of the above, I always love hearing other peoples opinions on films I've enjoyed.
Sunday 28 February 2016
3 Budget Beauty Tips
Sometimes I just want to write about something really frivolous, today is one of those days. I'm a sucker for buying beauty products, yeah my make up looks pretty much the same whatever I get but I find it enjoyable hoarding the stuff anyway. Especially lipstick, I can justify lipsticks a bit more because they take no skill to apply, where as eye shadows ahhh not so much. I own lots of eyeshadows but I will forever be clueless about how to do anything half decent with them, a smoky eye and me are just never meant to be </3 </3 </3 Does anyone else miss Myspace broken hearts? The OG emoji. Those broken hearts are all the feels </3. Anyway, back to make up... I was browsing the net today putting an order in for some make up and then I thought 'this stuff is good maybe its worth sharing' so here I am writing about some of my favourite budget beauty products and places to shop for good quality bargains. This may also be a post I'm writing so I can feel ok about just having spent half an hour browsing new lipsticks to buy. So here are 3 tips of sort, on ways to feed the beauty addiction without breaking the bank.
1) Look Online
There are so many good places to get a good deal online. I particularly like shopping on Fragrance Direct, which of course sells perfume but also lots of beauty products. They have Essie polishes for just £2.99 and OPI for £3.49. Then there's lipsticks from the likes of Rimmel and Maybelline usually around the £2 mark, as well as plenty of face and eye products from all the usual brands you'd find in your local Boots or Superdrug. In addition to this there's also a few bits of Bobbi Brown and Mac, some of the discounts on these products are just a couple of £s here and there but they do have some MAC shadows for £7.90 which is a fair bit cheaper. If you're after hair products they stock brands like Tigi and for perfumes they pretty much have all of the ones you can buy at the perfume counters of a department store.
If you're wondering how to pick items out if you can't see the real product colours, I wouldn't go by the colour charts they give, they're usually a bit off.. if you like the look of a colour then look at the name of it, most of the items will also have a shade name and if you pop that into Google with the brand name too you'll usually find some one out there that's swatched that particular shade for their blog. That's the great thing about the amount of beauty content on the internet now, nothing has to be completely blind bought.
Another good place to look is the special offers section on allbeauty.com they're another discount beauty site, usually not quite as cheap as fragrance direct but they carry a lot of slightly higher range skincare like Clarins or Clinique, click here to check it out.
2) Look In Non Beauty Shops
Naturally when you're looking for beauty products you're likely to just pop into shops like Boots or Superdrug but sometimes it's worth checking out the smaller beauty sections in stores like Wilko that primarily stock homeware or household goods. The Essence stand in Wilko is a dream for those on the look out for budget beauty items that all come under the £5 mark. Their long lasting lipsticks are smooth and opaque and for £2.30 you really can't complain. I also love their lipliners, they have good wear and they apply evenly if you've prepped your lips well with a good balm beforehand. If you're looking to do that whole 90's Kylie Jenner lip colour 06 Satin Mauve lip liner is perfect for it and its only £1! A final recommendation from me is their XXXL nude lipgloss in 06 Soft Almond, this is a really flattering brownish nude, super comfortable on the lips and gives quite a good colour payoff for a gloss, this ones a steal too at £2. I'm definitely going to try more from the range, their liquid lipsticks look intriguing and I'd be curious to see how well their face products wear for such a low price point. If you don't have a store near you the Essence range is also available here via the Wilko website. Just as a side note f you do pop into Wilko some of their brushes are pretty great, the range with the orange handles, they're soft and again, well priced.
3) Try Out Smaller Brands
I've discovered a few lesser known brands recently that have amazing products that are ideal if you want to keep your beauty products at a budget price points and you're bored of buying from the same affordable brands at Boots, such as Collection or Seventeen.
If you're a complete beauty blogger junkie you may already consider these to be fairly well known because their praises have been sung across many blogs but in case you've missed them I'll mention a few favourites I've discovered and I've just placed an order to try more from.
L.A Girl is available here at BeautyBay.com. I'm not sure if they sell in stores in England but I've never seen them around. I discovered them through a beauty YouTubers and I've really enjoyed a couple of the products I've purchased. Their liquid lipsticks are great, they call them the 'matte flat finish pigment gloss' and they dry down to a very matte finish with great staying power. I have the shade Dreamy (a perfect 60's style peachy nude) and Fleur (on me it's quite a true peach, a little darker than most peach lipsticks) I love both and I think these might be a new addiction. I will say though they are quite drying so be prepared for that but I love the retro matte look that gives and I don't find them to be drying to an uncomfortable point. These come in at £4.99 really reasonable for a liquid lipstick, which often seem to be pricier than normal lipsticks I guess due to the long wear claims. Their lipliners are great too, theyre retractable so no annoying sharpening required, they're creamy so don't drag across the lips if you like to fill the whole lip in with the colour like I do and they only cost £2.49. Unfortunately I can't get their pro concealer to work on me, which is a product I've seen a few people rave about, it's a little thick and I find it hard to blend but I always like to try and make a product work so that I don't waste it so we'll see. I haven't tried loads from L.A girl but for just the lip products alone I'd say it's worth putting in an order.
Another brand who's products I bought on BeautyBay.com at the same time as L.A girl is Morphe Brushes. I bought a few of their brushes which ranged from around £5-£12 and they are such great quality, on the same par as something like MAC in terms of softness, I can't tell you how long they will last as I've not had them too long but they seem to be holding up really well. Just like MAC they have such a wide range of types of brushes for any need, definitely worth checking out. I also bought an eyeshadow palette from them this 35 pan matte one, which consists mostly of neutral colours and is so useful. You get such a range of colours for your money and when you think about how much individual eye shadows from brands that are well priced like Loreal cost, which many of us probably won't even get through, it makes sense to pick up a palette like this for just under £16 with all of the colours I'll probably ever need in one place. They're mostly all very soft and easy to blend, even for someone as cack-handed as me, not quite on a urban decay palette level but for half of the price your getting something pretty damn good.
So there are 3 of my tips and budget product recommendations, I hope I've not been too much of an enabler ahem and if I have at least these beauty buys aren't going to set you back too much! Now I'm currently lusting after more lipsticks I don't need but will some how justify to myself, dammit.
Friday 19 February 2016
Acne and Giving Up Dairy
I'll admit, I feel slightly apprehensive about writing this one because I know once I've hit that publish button and it's out there on the internet I'll feel obliged to stick to this, even if nobody reads it. The problem is I don't want to do it. I freaking love cheese and milk, I know a lot of people that find the idea of drinking milk a bit gross but I'll drink glass after glass after glass, until the cows come home (ok....I couldn't help it...terrible, I know..). Cheese is also a big part of my life, SRSLY. So you might have guessed from the title and this little introduction, I'm giving up dairy. I'm not saying for forever but for the next few months I plan to at least try my best. This may not seem like a hard feat for some but for a girl who often finds herself thinking 'I can't wait to get home and have some cheese and hot sauce' this is going to be tricky. FYI Enocoda hot sauce is the bomb diggity and belongs on everything.
So why am I giving it up? Well over the past year my skin seems to be returning to it old spot ridden self and I'm not happy with it at all. I've always had acne, since I started getting spots when I was about 13 I've had it and ever since then I can't say I've ever had a day where I've not had at least a few pimples on my face. For the majority of that time my face was covered in more than just a few pimples, I had full blown painful acne some of it cystic. It was unpleasant and really effected my confidence badly and for years all the doctors did was give me the same useless anti biotics over and over and the same harsh creams that burnt my skin and bleached my pjama tops (never a good sign!). Then a few years ago in my early 20's I finally asked for a referral to a dermatologist. I won't go too much into the ins and outs of it but I ended up going on roaccutaine after reading lots online about it. The side effects were horrible, really unpleasant (cracked lips and flaky snake skin mmm) but I knew they were just temporary and after a few months or however long I was on it (I think it was more like 6 but my memory is terrible with these things) my skin became the clearest it had ever been. It was definitely not what many people would deem as clear skin but for me a girl who'd always had a face covered in spots just having a few and some red scarring made me feel a whole load better.
Fast forward a few years and my acne has really begun to flare up badly again. My skin is especially problematic because any spot I have will result in a red mark left on my skin and they don't seem to fade at all or if they do it's at a ridiculously slow rate, as there are marks on my cheeks from years ago that are still visible. Some of these buggers won't even cover up with war paint style concealer, they are THAT stubborn. I'm working on finding ways to fade these, this includes wearing facial sunscreen everyday and not just one contained in a moisturiser. I only ever thought to do this in the Summer months but it turns out at all times of the year UVA and UVB rays can do damage to the skin, I guess this should have been obvious to me it's not like the sun just disappears all together... but yeah exposure to these rays will prolong my scarring from fading, so like Baz Luhrmann famously reminded us 'Wear Sunscreen'.
Now for a while I'd been reading about the possible connection between consuming dairy products and problematic skin. The NHS website does not support this claim but I have gone on to read countless other articles on the good old interweb that have lead me to believe there could be some truth in this diaryaintsogoodforyoskin thang.
Click on any of these if you'd like to read more here here and here
I'm not saying dairy will have caused my acne full stop, not at all, I know it would be a problem either way but I am at least a bit curious to see if giving it up makes a positive difference to my skin, like it has for so many other peoples who's stories I have read about online. I figure what have I got to lose? APART FROM LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL CHEESE. I'll just have to suck that one up, won't I.After all I've tried sorting out the problem with cosmetic products and now I want to look at what I'm actually putting into my body and the kind of effect that could be possibly having on my skin. If I'm doing this I should probably address also cutting down on sugar, I don't have a lot of it but I could certainly make sure eating a sweet treat becomes just that, a treat, every now and then. At least I will always have peanut butter, peanut butter will never leave me, we're in it for the long haul.
Here's to hoping I see some results soon and if not at least it will be a good way to see how disciplined I can be with my diet, my guess for far is that this is going to be a struggle, when it comes to food my belly takes over my brain. To keep myself semi on track though I've taken a few before photos and I plan on taking photos throughout this process so I can log any changes I see and work out if there's a big enough correlation between the two and to just generally keep me on track. It's almost like science. Almost.
So why am I giving it up? Well over the past year my skin seems to be returning to it old spot ridden self and I'm not happy with it at all. I've always had acne, since I started getting spots when I was about 13 I've had it and ever since then I can't say I've ever had a day where I've not had at least a few pimples on my face. For the majority of that time my face was covered in more than just a few pimples, I had full blown painful acne some of it cystic. It was unpleasant and really effected my confidence badly and for years all the doctors did was give me the same useless anti biotics over and over and the same harsh creams that burnt my skin and bleached my pjama tops (never a good sign!). Then a few years ago in my early 20's I finally asked for a referral to a dermatologist. I won't go too much into the ins and outs of it but I ended up going on roaccutaine after reading lots online about it. The side effects were horrible, really unpleasant (cracked lips and flaky snake skin mmm) but I knew they were just temporary and after a few months or however long I was on it (I think it was more like 6 but my memory is terrible with these things) my skin became the clearest it had ever been. It was definitely not what many people would deem as clear skin but for me a girl who'd always had a face covered in spots just having a few and some red scarring made me feel a whole load better.
Fast forward a few years and my acne has really begun to flare up badly again. My skin is especially problematic because any spot I have will result in a red mark left on my skin and they don't seem to fade at all or if they do it's at a ridiculously slow rate, as there are marks on my cheeks from years ago that are still visible. Some of these buggers won't even cover up with war paint style concealer, they are THAT stubborn. I'm working on finding ways to fade these, this includes wearing facial sunscreen everyday and not just one contained in a moisturiser. I only ever thought to do this in the Summer months but it turns out at all times of the year UVA and UVB rays can do damage to the skin, I guess this should have been obvious to me it's not like the sun just disappears all together... but yeah exposure to these rays will prolong my scarring from fading, so like Baz Luhrmann famously reminded us 'Wear Sunscreen'.
Now for a while I'd been reading about the possible connection between consuming dairy products and problematic skin. The NHS website does not support this claim but I have gone on to read countless other articles on the good old interweb that have lead me to believe there could be some truth in this diaryaintsogoodforyoskin thang.
Click on any of these if you'd like to read more here here and here
I'm not saying dairy will have caused my acne full stop, not at all, I know it would be a problem either way but I am at least a bit curious to see if giving it up makes a positive difference to my skin, like it has for so many other peoples who's stories I have read about online. I figure what have I got to lose? APART FROM LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL CHEESE. I'll just have to suck that one up, won't I.After all I've tried sorting out the problem with cosmetic products and now I want to look at what I'm actually putting into my body and the kind of effect that could be possibly having on my skin. If I'm doing this I should probably address also cutting down on sugar, I don't have a lot of it but I could certainly make sure eating a sweet treat becomes just that, a treat, every now and then. At least I will always have peanut butter, peanut butter will never leave me, we're in it for the long haul.
Here's to hoping I see some results soon and if not at least it will be a good way to see how disciplined I can be with my diet, my guess for far is that this is going to be a struggle, when it comes to food my belly takes over my brain. To keep myself semi on track though I've taken a few before photos and I plan on taking photos throughout this process so I can log any changes I see and work out if there's a big enough correlation between the two and to just generally keep me on track. It's almost like science. Almost.
Wednesday 17 February 2016
5 Films to look forward to in 2016
In no particular order, here are some of the films I'm looking forward to seeing in 2016.
1) Jason Bourne
Now I know this series has been done to death but I loved the original trilogy, I have to admit I've never watched the reboot (y'know the one without Matt Damon) but now that Damon is back on board I'm looking forward to seeing what a new Bourne film could bring. I'm hoping they manage to inject a new lease of life into the franchise and with the names they have on board it's looking likely. Alicia Vikander is set to star in the film, who's performance in The Danish Girl really caught my attention. Paul Greengrass who directed the other Bourne films is once again directing and Co writing with Damon and Julia Stiles and Tommy Lee Jones are also among the star studded cast. I've always really enjoyed Paul Greengrass' style of direction, the shaky camera and the sense of realism and urgency in his films creates so much tension. I challenge anyone to watch Captain Phillips and not feel in the teeniest bit on edge. I've heard his style described as 'docu realist' which I feel sums it up perfectly. His influence on action thriller films since the Bourne films were released is clear to see, just go and watch any of the latest Bond films.
Release date: 29th July
2) Alice Through the Looking Glass
This one's a funny choice, I didn't actually like Tim Burton's re imagining of Alice in Wonderland, in fact I found it very disappointing, this follow up however has a new director so may in turn be a very different sequel. I love the books and the Disney adaptation, which kind of has elements of both books, so I look forward to anything to do with the stories in the hope that I'll enjoy it just as much. I'm still looking forward to seeing this film despite the first because Through the Looking Glass has some great characters (humpty dumpty, the unicorn..) and I'd like to see them brought to life on the big screen. Often it's only 'In Wonderland' that people choose to adapt for television or film.
3) The Witch
A good horror film is hard to come by. I often skip on horror films nowadays because of this. Genres such as Thriller or Drama feel as though they have a constant stream of good inventive films to check out, however looking for a something that's not just your usual cheap jump scare affair can be much more difficult. Despite the short comings of many modern horror films, The Witch looks very promising. Set in 1630 in New England it tells the story of a family who's newborn son goes missing whilst being watched by their eldest daughter, who is then suspected of witchcraft. The film follows the family into a descent of suspicion and paranoia as they suspect the involvement of Withcraft and become prey to a force of evil. The film won the Directing award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and looks set to be one to look out for upon release.
Release: 11th March
4) Silence
Martin Scorsese has been quoted as saying he only has a couple of films left he wants to make and if that's true this may be one of his final films. That alone is enough reason to anticipate this release. Scorsese has directed some of my favourite films (The Departed, Taxi Driver...) and I look forward to any film he comes out with because he has cemented himself in my mind already as one of the greatest directors alive. Silence is based on a novel of the same name written by Shusaku Endo about two Catholic priests who face a violent persecution when they travel to Japan to spread the message of Christianity and meet their mentor. Scorsese has been reportedly working on the project since 1991.
I couldn't find a release date or a trailer for this one yet so I'm guessing it will be out much later on than the rest.
5) Suicide Squad
I'm not huge on comic books at all but I do like Batman a lot and the villains of the Batman DC universe. The film has a big names cast, notably Jared Leto as the Joker, who looks perfect for the role. This one has received a lot of hype and the expectations seems to have been set very high, so we'll see how it lives up to it but the trailer certainly makes it look fun!
The premise : A secret government agency recruits imprisoned super villains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency.
There we have it, 5 films I'm looking forward to this year, quite a mixed bag. What are 5 of yours?
1) Jason Bourne
Now I know this series has been done to death but I loved the original trilogy, I have to admit I've never watched the reboot (y'know the one without Matt Damon) but now that Damon is back on board I'm looking forward to seeing what a new Bourne film could bring. I'm hoping they manage to inject a new lease of life into the franchise and with the names they have on board it's looking likely. Alicia Vikander is set to star in the film, who's performance in The Danish Girl really caught my attention. Paul Greengrass who directed the other Bourne films is once again directing and Co writing with Damon and Julia Stiles and Tommy Lee Jones are also among the star studded cast. I've always really enjoyed Paul Greengrass' style of direction, the shaky camera and the sense of realism and urgency in his films creates so much tension. I challenge anyone to watch Captain Phillips and not feel in the teeniest bit on edge. I've heard his style described as 'docu realist' which I feel sums it up perfectly. His influence on action thriller films since the Bourne films were released is clear to see, just go and watch any of the latest Bond films.
Release date: 29th July
2) Alice Through the Looking Glass
This one's a funny choice, I didn't actually like Tim Burton's re imagining of Alice in Wonderland, in fact I found it very disappointing, this follow up however has a new director so may in turn be a very different sequel. I love the books and the Disney adaptation, which kind of has elements of both books, so I look forward to anything to do with the stories in the hope that I'll enjoy it just as much. I'm still looking forward to seeing this film despite the first because Through the Looking Glass has some great characters (humpty dumpty, the unicorn..) and I'd like to see them brought to life on the big screen. Often it's only 'In Wonderland' that people choose to adapt for television or film.
Release date: 27th May
3) The Witch
A good horror film is hard to come by. I often skip on horror films nowadays because of this. Genres such as Thriller or Drama feel as though they have a constant stream of good inventive films to check out, however looking for a something that's not just your usual cheap jump scare affair can be much more difficult. Despite the short comings of many modern horror films, The Witch looks very promising. Set in 1630 in New England it tells the story of a family who's newborn son goes missing whilst being watched by their eldest daughter, who is then suspected of witchcraft. The film follows the family into a descent of suspicion and paranoia as they suspect the involvement of Withcraft and become prey to a force of evil. The film won the Directing award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and looks set to be one to look out for upon release.
Release: 11th March
4) Silence
Martin Scorsese has been quoted as saying he only has a couple of films left he wants to make and if that's true this may be one of his final films. That alone is enough reason to anticipate this release. Scorsese has directed some of my favourite films (The Departed, Taxi Driver...) and I look forward to any film he comes out with because he has cemented himself in my mind already as one of the greatest directors alive. Silence is based on a novel of the same name written by Shusaku Endo about two Catholic priests who face a violent persecution when they travel to Japan to spread the message of Christianity and meet their mentor. Scorsese has been reportedly working on the project since 1991.
I couldn't find a release date or a trailer for this one yet so I'm guessing it will be out much later on than the rest.
5) Suicide Squad
I'm not huge on comic books at all but I do like Batman a lot and the villains of the Batman DC universe. The film has a big names cast, notably Jared Leto as the Joker, who looks perfect for the role. This one has received a lot of hype and the expectations seems to have been set very high, so we'll see how it lives up to it but the trailer certainly makes it look fun!
The premise : A secret government agency recruits imprisoned super villains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency.
Release date: 5th August
There we have it, 5 films I'm looking forward to this year, quite a mixed bag. What are 5 of yours?
Sunday 31 January 2016
My favourite places on the internet
I thought for this post I'd share some of my favourite places to visit on the web- blogs, sites, videos. The last post I made was a bit downbeat and I feel like spreading some positivity and maybe you'll find something you enjoy in the list.
Ted Talks is a website I visit if I want to learn about something new or feel inspired. They are basically short videos most no longer than 15 minutes covering a massive range of topics. Their bio states that their mission is to 'spread ideas' which is basically the essence of it. A lot of the speeches are very motivational too, I recently watched one about letting go of regret that I found really insightful. The range of people they have doing the talks are brilliant too, people from all walks of life, there's basically something for everyone. I'm pretty sure you can find their videos on Youtube as well as just through their own site.
Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo's film reviews are next on my list. I don't always listen to the full pod-cast which you can find here, sometimes I like to put that on if I'm doing other things and I'll just have that playing in the background but for when I just want to see a specific review I go to their Youtube channel here. The pod-cast is good though because it has interviews with actors/directors and listeners emails read out, as opposed to just solely reviews. I just find their dynamic quite entertaining and Kermode knows so much about cinema that I always find myself discovering other films I would never have known about through his reviews. Not that I always agree though, I mean he liked Twilight so..... but then again, maybe that shows that he he is confident in his own opinion enough that he can say that? Yeah, I dunno.
I think I'll throw a blog in here now. This girl Charly is hands down my favourite blogger, if I could write anything like she does I would be one happy bunny. I can't actually believe she's only 20. She writes about a number of topics- men, friends, fashion, mental health and everything she writes she writes with such openness and honesty that's rare to find on the internet. I admire the fact that she hasn't succumb to the usual style of writing nowadays where there is pressure for everything to be super concise bitesize reads.I think often people are worried that their readers might get bored unless they can put their point across into a few neatly packages paragraphs.This post about her experience with Bipolar is worthy of anyone's time.
Next upppp, a Youtuber. Anthony Fantano 'the needledrop' is just great. I watch most of his videos even when I know It's an album I'll probably never check out, like Kermode his wealth of knowledge alone makes it worth watching. Then on top of that the dude is funny.
I've discovered some artists I now LOVE through him like FKA Twigs when she released her first album and he gave it glowing reviews. This is him reviewing her latest EP. He also has a mostly trolling 2nd channel thats funny if your into dumb shit like I am look it up- thatistheplan.
I'll leave it here for now, there's more bloggers etc that I'd love to include so I'll probably revisit this and do a round 2 soon. That's it for now, I hope you enjoyed the list! x
Thursday 28 January 2016
January Blues
So, I only have two previous blog posts, both written in Summer of last year but today I feel the urge to write again with the possibility of blogging on the regular from now on. I don't want to box myself into one category blog wise right now so I'm just going to write whatever I fancy I guess, from the frivolous to the more personal shit. I hesitate to use the word 'deep' there because I often find that word thrown around too much whenever anyone tries to talk about feelings, which creates this awkward barrier of 'wait I shouldn't speak about this or that because so and so might think I'm being too serious or heavy going'. When in actual fact it would do us all the world of good if we didn't worry about opening up to other people with the fear of being stigmatized as too serious or difficult. Woops, already started on a mini rant.
I guess by now you've gathered that I'm about to talk about feelings and all that complicated crap that goes on in my brain. I've not been feeling great recently, I'm on a waiting list to go back to CBT and I have a major case of January Blues. At the end of last year I was feeling slightly optimistic about the start of the year, I had a last minute trip to Amsterdam booked for the first week of January and I was looking forward to the idea of leaving some of the bad parts of 2015 behind me and moving into a new year. Well January is drawing to a close now and I feel determined to find some good in the month, despite my over all low mood, maybe it will be therapeutic for me to get it written down and maybe (hopefully) it will be of interest to you.
I saw some of the beautiful Derbyshire countryside.
First of all mid January I went to Dovedale (can we have a moment to appreciate how darn cute that name is), it was a lovely sunny winters day and my dogs absolutely loved exploring somewhere different to our local parks. I love walking somewhere quiet when the sun is setting and I always feel more peaceful anywhere where there's water. I'm pretty sure that's a thing and I'm not just an oddball, watching water move is relaxing right?
Next up, a couple of days back me and my parents went to Lathkill Dale to walk my dogs for my Dad's birthday. Here's a few of Lathkill, the weather wasn't so great but the scenery was equally as charming.
It's definitely made me want to venture out into the outdoors more and explore more of the Peak District. Usually when I go on walks I don't go much further than what Manchester/Cheshire has to offer. Just being somewhere with no people around and so much natural beauty was calming too, I'm not going to say it made all my worries go away but it helped mute everything a little.
I de cluttered.
I'm not going to include photos for this one, I feel like no one wants to see a pile of my unwanted things in packages ready to be sent off. It's also maybe not the most exciting 'highlight' of my month but it is something that I can draw positives from. I have a pretty small box room so junk piles up quickly and without really realizing it I'd become quite the hoarder, especially with clothes. I'd hang onto it and think 'one day i might wear that', knowing full well that by that point I'd either hate it or I'd never fit into again unless I decided to cut down on my cheese obsession and get serious about exercise. So I decided I'd either give bags of it away to charity or sell the barely worn/never worn items. Now I know I might sound dramatic here but honestly getting rid of a bunch of stuff that never gets used makes you feel pretty good, knowing that its gone to a better home and also being able to pocket a little bit of money on the side for it. It turns out de cluttering your stuff does ~kinda~ help de-clutter your mind. I need to remember to keep doing this one.
I went to the Van Gogh gallery and it made me want to be creative and shit.
This isn't the point where I tell you I'm now going to rent out studio space and become an artist. I can't paint or draw a thing. Seriously, not even a basic doodle. I do like to go to galleries though and admire art from a I~know~nothing~about~why~this~is~good~but~that~looks~cool stance and the Van Gogh gallery in Amsterdam was spectacular. His work is so varied- portraits, self portraits, landscapes. Some of them are very dark and moody and then others like 'the pink peach tree' are on the very other end of the spectrum. I was just in awe of how much he painted in such a short amount of time and quite inspired to learn he only learnt to paint at 27. It's not often you learn about one the 'greats' picking up their skill as late on as that. Obviously I'm not now saying that I'm about to become an incredible artist or creative driving force but I would like to try my hand at something in the arts whether that be to relearn the piano (I stopped when I was 14) or just learn to draw something basic or write something creative or go to a class. Anything really, even if its just something small, I feel like I should at least give it a go and try and get any creative juices I might potentially have flowing. That sentence looks weirder typed out than it did in my head but we'll stick with it.
There we have it, January blues with a slightly positive twist? I didn't want to just write a super 'this is how you feel good' unrealistic post because sometimes you can't just snap out of it with a Buzzfeed '10 ways to feel happy' article and you can just search for the good in a sea of not so good feels. Maybe there will be a 'Fantastic/Feel good in February' post or something next month hmmm....you never know.
I guess by now you've gathered that I'm about to talk about feelings and all that complicated crap that goes on in my brain. I've not been feeling great recently, I'm on a waiting list to go back to CBT and I have a major case of January Blues. At the end of last year I was feeling slightly optimistic about the start of the year, I had a last minute trip to Amsterdam booked for the first week of January and I was looking forward to the idea of leaving some of the bad parts of 2015 behind me and moving into a new year. Well January is drawing to a close now and I feel determined to find some good in the month, despite my over all low mood, maybe it will be therapeutic for me to get it written down and maybe (hopefully) it will be of interest to you.
I saw some of the beautiful Derbyshire countryside.
First of all mid January I went to Dovedale (can we have a moment to appreciate how darn cute that name is), it was a lovely sunny winters day and my dogs absolutely loved exploring somewhere different to our local parks. I love walking somewhere quiet when the sun is setting and I always feel more peaceful anywhere where there's water. I'm pretty sure that's a thing and I'm not just an oddball, watching water move is relaxing right?
Next up, a couple of days back me and my parents went to Lathkill Dale to walk my dogs for my Dad's birthday. Here's a few of Lathkill, the weather wasn't so great but the scenery was equally as charming.
It's definitely made me want to venture out into the outdoors more and explore more of the Peak District. Usually when I go on walks I don't go much further than what Manchester/Cheshire has to offer. Just being somewhere with no people around and so much natural beauty was calming too, I'm not going to say it made all my worries go away but it helped mute everything a little.
I de cluttered.
I'm not going to include photos for this one, I feel like no one wants to see a pile of my unwanted things in packages ready to be sent off. It's also maybe not the most exciting 'highlight' of my month but it is something that I can draw positives from. I have a pretty small box room so junk piles up quickly and without really realizing it I'd become quite the hoarder, especially with clothes. I'd hang onto it and think 'one day i might wear that', knowing full well that by that point I'd either hate it or I'd never fit into again unless I decided to cut down on my cheese obsession and get serious about exercise. So I decided I'd either give bags of it away to charity or sell the barely worn/never worn items. Now I know I might sound dramatic here but honestly getting rid of a bunch of stuff that never gets used makes you feel pretty good, knowing that its gone to a better home and also being able to pocket a little bit of money on the side for it. It turns out de cluttering your stuff does ~kinda~ help de-clutter your mind. I need to remember to keep doing this one.
I went to the Van Gogh gallery and it made me want to be creative and shit.
This isn't the point where I tell you I'm now going to rent out studio space and become an artist. I can't paint or draw a thing. Seriously, not even a basic doodle. I do like to go to galleries though and admire art from a I~know~nothing~about~why~this~is~good~but~that~looks~cool stance and the Van Gogh gallery in Amsterdam was spectacular. His work is so varied- portraits, self portraits, landscapes. Some of them are very dark and moody and then others like 'the pink peach tree' are on the very other end of the spectrum. I was just in awe of how much he painted in such a short amount of time and quite inspired to learn he only learnt to paint at 27. It's not often you learn about one the 'greats' picking up their skill as late on as that. Obviously I'm not now saying that I'm about to become an incredible artist or creative driving force but I would like to try my hand at something in the arts whether that be to relearn the piano (I stopped when I was 14) or just learn to draw something basic or write something creative or go to a class. Anything really, even if its just something small, I feel like I should at least give it a go and try and get any creative juices I might potentially have flowing. That sentence looks weirder typed out than it did in my head but we'll stick with it.
There we have it, January blues with a slightly positive twist? I didn't want to just write a super 'this is how you feel good' unrealistic post because sometimes you can't just snap out of it with a Buzzfeed '10 ways to feel happy' article and you can just search for the good in a sea of not so good feels. Maybe there will be a 'Fantastic/Feel good in February' post or something next month hmmm....you never know.
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