Thursday 20 February 2014

Pretty AND Funny, An Impossible Goal Or An Age-Old Prejudice?

Hi my beauties,

Right, let me start by saying the daily thing last week definitely didn't work, I'm just too busy to committ to a daily post, but I hoped you liked it anyway! Today, a thought post, which I do enjoy writing just as much as my beauty ones, as this means I just get to speak my mind without the distraction of making sure I'm covering all the angles of reviewing a product and making sure I'm representing it properly to you!

I've read a few articles recently about the idea that there are too few female comedians on panel shows, which has eventually led to the BBC banning all male panel shows, which will certainly have an effect on all the major comedy shows such as '8 Out Of 10 Cats' and 'Mock The Week'.

The statistics certainly show there to be a large difference between male contestants and female ones, with often only one or no women appearing on each show, while all of the main recurring panelists are all men, for the large network shows. So what problems does this cause? Are we overreacting to a natural tendency in the sexes, or does this reveal the innate sexism within our society? (Note: neither of which I'm stating as my opinion, rhetorical!)

The move from the BBC has certainly had a rather large backlash, but mainly from women, rather than men. The majority of comments are from females, and all the top rated ones say things like:

"The problem is women just aren't funny!"

"Oh god, this is so embarassing, I apologise on behalf of women!"

"There are just fewer female comedians, for good reason!"

Personally I think this is the worst thing about this whole situation. There seems to be this inherent 'embarassment' from some women when anyone even analyses a clear statistic of inequality. I'm not saying we should all hold hands and burn our bras, but I don't think anyone, male or female, should disregard anyone when there are clear figures supporting their opinion. I also feel there is often an ulterior motive behind comments like this, which is that I often find people think that pointing out any inequality between the sexes, is somehow unattractive, especially with things like "I apologise on behalf of women!"

Or is it that we think funny women just aren't attractive. Is it actually possible to be both? I remember watching a program once, a sort of X Factor for stand-up comedians, but without all the corruption and annoying crying. There was one woman who was quite funny, but every week, there seemed to be some comment about how she needed to make herself 'less pretty', coming straight from the female judges' mouth! However, we have to admit, it does seem like a trend with women in comedy to relentlessly make fun of the way they look. Jo Brand is a great example of this, and often Sarah Millican, but on a slightly smaller scale. But then, I stop and think, is this just the girls? How many times have you seen a male comedian in a shirtless advert, or in a cologne tv ad donning a suit and preening in the mirror? Not often I bet. It seems that it's a similar situation for both sexes, but we focus much harder on the girls, because it's somehow much more strange for us to not want to be pretty? The truth is, self-deprecation is funny. It's funnier when it's obvious.

Let's talk about the central issue here, inequality. Yes it is there. There is no denying it really. But, is it a negative thing? I suppose the word 'inequality' might be the wrong word to use, but I just mean 'difference'. The fact is we see it everywhere. If you walk down the high street there are ten times more clothes shops for women, rather than men. But I've never heard someone saying it's a particularly negative thing. The shops aren't saying 'WOMEN ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT SHOP, YOU BIG SHOPAHOLICS!'. It's just something that is there, and I won't complain!

The big question is, do we, as viewers, feel that these shows are oppressing us/girls? I have never watched an episode of Mock The Week and felt angered by their misrepresentation of women. I've never watched a stand-up comedy show and groaned when the one female comedian came out. I suppose it's because, at this point, I'm not looking at them as female and male comedians, but simply, comedians.

I suppose that we might not have all the facts here. If female comedians themselves feel that they are constantly being judged for what's in their knickers, not in their heads, and feel they are denied work simply because of their gender, then we have a problem. But unless that is the case, I'm not sure a problem should be created where there isn't one. Can we not look at these people, as just funny people?

Wednesday 12 February 2014

Beat the Winter Beauty Blues - Day 2

Okay, okay, so I already failed miserable at doing the daily post thing, but hey, I had a busy day yesterday! Now that my boyfriend is back from New York I have to fit in valuable hours of annoying him!

So today I shall write the day 2 post, and we shall simply pretend Tuesday was lost somewhere in the abyss, which I don't think too many people would complain about (who in the world ever likes Tuesdays?)

Today's post is all about getting that little extra spark of fierceness and energy you remember so well from summer, that seems to go out of the window in winter when we resign ourselves to cosy knitwear and slippers. But truly, what can possible make you feel better than feel just a little bit fabulous on a cold morning?


Beauty Tip -

Nothing could possibly scream 'fierce' like a fabulous red lip. Or why not go bright pink and really stand out. Red is a typical winter colour, but a pink will really curb the trend and draw the eye. In winter, unless you are blessed by the lip fairy, you will at some point feel the dreaded dryness looming, leaving your lipstick cracked and unappealing, and your lips anything but kissable. You could go for a specially moisturising lipstick, such as Lancome le Rouge Absolue - which has the most gorgeous (and enormous) range of colours, and are specifically designed to combat dryness as well as being highly pigmented.

However, these lipsticks, at £22.50, are a bit pricey if you're more of a high street lover, and I can totally sympathise, with all the gorgeous lipstick ranges on the high street (Rimmel Kate Moss, cough cough!), sometimes spending over the odds on a lipstick unless you've completely fallen in love with it can seem silly. Do not fret, my beauties, I have another solution! I can bet you have a pot of lip balm in your purse right now, but lip balms are often marketed as being much more nourishing than they are, when really they just protect your lips from outside damage, rather than cure the damage already done. Do you know the feeling when your lips feel fine and then as soon as you start applying lip balm, you feel like you always need it? That's why! This is when the lip butters come in. Ultra-nourishing, lip-butters have always been on the outskirts of the beauty world, when I think they deserve a front row catwalk seat (the Alexa Chung of products, if you will). The one recommended highly to me by friends is Nivea Lip Butter, which comes in four delicious but not sickly flavours. Boys can also get away with the original one as it has a really neutral and just generally nice scent. Slather on a lip butter the night before you plan to rock the bright lippie look and your lips should be silky smooth come morn! At £2.50, these are a snap!

Fashion Tip -

Now, I know what you're all thinking, "It's winter, she's going to suggest going out in a splash of colour so I ultimately clash with the very grey landscape". Quite the opposite in fact! Adding colour to your wardrobe in winter is a classic way in which to brighten up the cold days, but in fact, it often just does not go with the surroundings! There is a reason all the fashion lines go with burgundy, navy and forest green this time of year, and that's because if you go out in lime green and shocking pink, you slightly look like you got beamed down on the wrong planet (aiming for planet sun maybe?) Of course, there are exceptions, and a well-placed bright accessory here and there would never go amiss. However, today I want to talk about rocking the monochrome. At the moment it's all about the clean-cut, slightly androgynous, poker face look. I'm talking crisp blouses with feminine embellishments, skin-tight, well-cut trousers, heels (not too high, this isn't a look for stripper heels, but rather, cool, quirky ones).

To give a blouse a quirky, monochrome twist that won't look out of place with an outfit such as this, try this easy tip which I wear to work in order to give my suits a little something extra. (By the way, sorry about the lack of pictures, I'll take some on my phone tomorrow and upload them so you can see what I mean).

- Take a small piece of black ribbon, whatever thickness you want, the thicker the more dramatic. Just makes sure lengthwise it can fit round your neck with a bit of space for a bow

- Do your top button up, then thread the ribbon under the collar like you would a tie

- Cross the ends over each other at the front and loop it round to create a 'bow' (this doesnt have to actually be a bow, just look like one, so it can merely be held in the middle by your fingers)

- Take a stud earring (whatever kind you like, this is a chance to be creative, and it is a really good use of those odd earrings that never manage to be reuinted with their twin), and push it through the centre of the bow held together by your fingers, in order to hold it in a bow shape, then push the end through the side of the button hole on your shirt, securing at the back with the back of the earring.

There you have it, a super-chic and simple way to make a blouse different, and all for the little cost of a black ribbon (which you probably have lying around anyway, I used to sometimes use the ribbons that come on the insides of clothes under the arms which you are supposed to use to hang them up, but everyone cuts them off!)


Foodie Fix -

My, my! This is becoming a long post, so I shall try and be quick! One of my recent favourite favourite favourite foodie fixes (breathe) is using vegetables as a substitute for starchy carbs in food.

Now now, I know what you're thinking, sounds very very dull right? Just trust me! I thought the same as you, until I read about using courgettes as a pasta substitute, and when I cooked it that evening, my world changed!

In winter, we constantly stock up on warming plates of pasta and bread and other bloating carbs, which often (when eaten in mass, as I so often do!) make us just feel worse, we feel tired and far too full. So recently I have been using vegetables instead and it could not be easier.

- Simply use a potato peeler on a courgette to make it into tagilatelle-like strips, fry them up for a little bit and then serve with pasta sauce, it genuinely tastes jusyt like al dente pasta!

- use sliced aubergines and courgettes in a lasagna instead of pasta sheets, roast the vegetables up first to make them softer.

I'm sure there are loads more online but those two are my absolute faves, and you can really enjoy 'pasta' without the food baby afterwards!


Lifstyle -

I know I always feel a bit down when my room feels unappealing, or I don't want to have people round to be in there because I don't feel homely there. This could be because it's a mess, or maybe you're just too used to how it looks and are a bit tired of it. My new favourite home-thing right now is removable wall stickers. Like instant wallpaper without the mess, effort or commitment, as well as coming in so many different shapes and patterns, I am loving these new ways to style up a boring bedroom. Ebay is an absolute haven for them so check them out. Also, they're cheap as chips!

These are some of my favourites:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Removable-Vinyl-Wall-Art-Stickers-Decal-Paper-Mural-Home-Decor-Black-Flowers-New-/400635017704?pt=UK_Wallpaper&hash=item5d47b539e8#ht_6826wt_1041


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Transparent-Border-Dandelion-Flowers-Wall-Stickers-Mural-Decals-Art-Decor-Paper-/251116597103?pt=UK_Wallpaper&hash=item3a77b72f6f#ht_1721wt_958

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/48-butterfly-wall-art-sticker-wall-decal-wall-decor-/261152880050?pt=UK_Wallpaper&var=&hash=item3ccdecb5b2#ht_2979wt_721

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DAMASK-BAROQUE-WALL-ART-STICKERS-DAMASK-BAROQUE-INTERIOR-STICKERS-/251448190265?pt=UK_Wallpaper&var=&hash=item3a8b7ae539

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-BAROQUE-STYLE-FRAME-Wall-Sticker-Decal-20-COLOURS-3-SIZES-FR01-/221351660629?pt=UK_Home_HomeDecor_Frames&var=&hash=item3389964c55#ht_2809wt_1030


There are absolutely zillions so make sure to have a good search around!

Love to you all, and thank you so much to everyone who has commented recently or who is reading this in general, it really means a lot to me, and do comment if you want me to write about anything in particular!

Abi x

Monday 10 February 2014

Beat The Winter Beauty Blues - Day 1

Hello cheekies,

This week, I'm going to be blogging every day you lucky things! (Don't worry, I am saying this with a hint of irony) My daily blog posts are all going to be about little beauty hacks to banish those evil January-February blues, while we wait for the promising appearance of yellow, in the daffs that promise slightly warmer temperatures and, gasp, we can wear pastels again!

Today is all going to be about the detox, and making our bodies feel glorious again after the onslaught of drowning our sorrows, winter comfort food, and "It's too cold to leave my bed so I'm not taking my make-up off".

Day 1 Beauty Tip -

Let's face it, we're all still a bit strapped for cash after christmas. The sales drained our January pay day, and now we're having to act like horses with blinkers on when walking past the new Spring lines down the high street. So what better than a beauty hack to help your wind-whipped, dry skin than a face mask with nothing but the stuff from your kitchen cupboard?

Honey and Avocado Face Mask Recipe -

Ingredients - 1/2 ripe avocado + 2 tablespoons of honey.

Simply mash up the avocado, then mix in the honey. Apply liberally to your face and leave for about 15-20 minutes, before washing off. To wash off, use warm water and gently scrub it away, finishing with a splash of cold water to close pores.

(If you have oily skin, best to cleanse and tone after this mask, as the oils from the avocado, while nourishing, will not help your shine, especially if you are on a night out later!)

Day 1 Fashion Tip -

On a detox day, it's time to detox your wardrobe! I know what you're thinking, please don't be another post about getting rid of old clothes that we don't wear, we want our pink jeans from when we were thirteen! Don't worry, I'm not about to persuade any fashion hoarders to part themselves with anything, as I am one! No, I'm talking about every blouse you've always sworn you would sew that button back on, every scuffed pair of boots you keep insisting you will shine up and wear them again. Get out that sewing kit Mum bought you a billion years ago, because you would "never know when you might need it", that day is today!

Tips on fixing tired winter fashion:

- If a button has come off a blouse or cardigan, and you cannot find one to match, and the little spare one is long lost, take the top button out, use that to replace the missing one, then find a pretty, vintage button to replace the top one. It looks much less out of place if the top button is different. Also, when you do the top button up on your blouse, as is de rigeur this winter, it adds a whole new dimension to a simple piece of clothing!


(Vintage buttons like the ones in the picture above can be found for dead cheap in bulk on eBay, or keep a look out in charity shops and car boot sales for little pretty finds!)

- Clean your patent items with glass cleaner. It really shines them up and it much cheaper than a proper patent cleaner! (Be careful when cleaning designer bags etc. and always check on the appropriate designer website for advice)

- Remove water marks (severely needed in this rain!) from Faux Leather - water just leaves more marks when it dries! Adding white vinegar to your cleaning solution gets rid of them in a tick!


Day 1 Foodie Fix -

Winter food is all about comfort, and this usually means loading up on the carbs, which makes you feel even worse afterwards and does nothing for your immune system to battle those bugs! The ultimate winter comfort food with tons of vitamins could not be easier to make and have more variations, good old fashioned soup! Cook up a batch at the beginning of the week and take it in a flask wherever you go, for lunch on the go that doesn't mean a trip to the chippy!

Go for an easy tomato or vegetable - or check out the following link for some really different ones to keep your tummy guessing!

http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/blogs/jo-romero/10-seasonal-soups-111659395.html


Day 1 Lifestyle Tip -

One of my favourite winter fixes is getting my blood pumping first thing in the morning. I'm not talking about getting up at 4.00 and going for a full blown run, heaven forbid! But just the smallest bit of exertion can brighten up your skin and get a fresh flush on your face, perfect for curing a tired complexion after a big weekend!

When you get up in the morning, maybe do something small like ten jumping jacks, just to feel that burst of energy. Or if you have to walk somewhere every morning, like I have to walk to the train station, try doing a brisk jog there, not enough so you turn up looking sweaty and worn-out, but just to refresh your whole body and ready it for the day!

Another point which I simply could not leave out of the detox post, is just to have a dry weekend every so often, I feel that at our age we get so used to having a glass of wine every evening, and immediatly reaching for a vodka tonic on a Friday because it's finally the weekend! There's nothing wrong with this obviously, but I think we severely underestimate the cleansing effect it has on our bodies to lay off for a week. This weekend I didn't drink a drop and suddenly my body feels so refreshed! Maybe if you're feeling a tad groggy, give it a go?


Hope you enjoyed this post, tomorrow I shall have a whole new theme of banishing those blues!

Abi

Tuesday 4 February 2014

Fear - The Big F Word

Hello pretty people,

Some of you know me, some of you do not. Of those of you who do, a smaller number of you know that my biggest fear in the world, what it has been all my life, is getting on a plane.

I can't ever remember not being scared of planes, when I was younger I just assumed I would always be scared of them, and I never had any desire to see any more of the world than England, as it would be getting close to one of those massive, terrifying flying machines, that seemed like they could fall out of the sky any moment.

Before you say this in the comments, trust me, I have heard it many times that flying is the safest way to travel, and that I'm much more likely to be hurt in the car ride to the airport than in the plane itself. But with any irrational fear,  facts no longer matter, and all that is apparent is how much that certain thing makes you want to cry and run a million miles in the opposite direction. Think about it, we all know that spiders can't really kill you in this country, and will very rarely hurt you even a tiny bit, yet the majority of people will scream when a little one runs across the floor. We know it cannot hurt us, but something within us screams 'danger'.

Until I was about 17/18, I couldn't look at planes in the sky, nor films with planes in, even mere pictures or the thought would turn me on edge and make me jumpy. I remember once waiting for the X Factor auditions with a friend and it being near an airfield. The planes going over made me feel sick and shaky everytime it happened, even though I couldn't even see them through my tightly-closed eyes.

Unfortunately, at this age is the time when friends begin to go on holiday together, and I found myself suddenly turning down requests to go on girls holidays, post-A level holidays, trips to visit friend in other countries. While my facebook feed began to be flooded with my nearest and dearest with gorgeous tans and bright cocktails in the sun, I stayed home and shuddered at the thought of how they had to get there.

Yet, despite my crippling fear, I really started to feel like I was missing out, and it hurt a lot. So I went to the doctors and started my first attempt in the long journey of ridding myself of this fear. He told me I first had to desensitize myself to the image of planes, and should put pictures of them in places where I would see them often. I couldn't bring myself to put them out in the open, but I hid a little picture of a plane in my bedside table, and every night I would force myself to look at it. Eventually I decided that I would find out the specific type of plane it was, and built up a whole image of the way it flew, how many people it could hold etc.

For the first time, I forced myself to stare out a plane flying above me, I felt like a tiny little mouse locking eyes with an elephant about to stomp me to oblivion. It must seem mad to anyone reading this, but the sense of accomplishment was unreal. Now when I see them above me I force myself to watch them until they are out of sight. It's like an act of defiance against my fear.

Then I took another step, I wanted to see one close up, and touch one. So one weekend my Dad took me to Duxford airfield, a place where modern and vintage aeroplanes are stored for show, so you can look around them and see the insides of them, how they work etc. For the first time in my life, I shakily stepped on a plane. To my surprise, it wasn't nearly as terrifying as I thought, and my excitement about seeing all the WW2 aterfacts (which I am slightly obsessed with) slightly overshadowed my fear. I learnt exactly how planes stay in the air, what they are made of, and how and who makes them.

Now...I seem to find myself at the end of my journey into conquering this fear. There's nothing left I can really do to help me along my way, and it's now come to the breaking point. I have to actually fly in one. I have known this for a while and something is still holding me back. But I have made a decision that THIS YEAR, I will finally do it. This will be the year that I actually get on one. I will cry, and howl and shake and protest, but I will make sure I do it and get rid of this confinement to one country and I will finally see the world!

My dream has always, always been to go to Borneo and volunteer with endangered Orangutans there, helping build shelters for them, and rescuing injured ones who have been damaged by human interruption. Maybe now, if I actually manage to stick my bum on one of those lined up seats (probably with the help of a gin and tonic or two) that dream will actually be a possibility. My boyfriend and a few friends are currently in New York at the moment, seeing the world and enjoying being young, and I think it's high time I started doing so.

2014 will be the year I fly.


Picture - Some friends and I (far right) on holiday last year in Devon. I thought I'd put a happy holiday pic in after this rather serious post!

(To anyone who made it through this massive post, well done and I love you! Please comment if you have any fears, whether big or small, and if you have any tips on how to conquer them!)

Monday 3 February 2014

Leave-In Conditioners & Serums - Tried and Tested

Hello my beauties!

After my lifestyle post last time (which got a lot of views, so thank you!) I'm back with a bit more beauty loving, and with a blog post that tells all about the products promised to banish your hair blues, the leave-in conditioners and serums.

As someone with hair that has been battered and bruised over the years, (I have dyed it almost every colour under the sun, and often been a bit too heat-happy, I know, slap on the wrist) these products with promised miracles certainly had their work cut out when tackling my poor little barnet! But I have tried them all, over a significant period of time, and will go through which ones I thought were worth it!

Of course, everyone's hair is different, and what worked for me may not neccessarily work for someone who has completely different textured hair, or has never put colour on it, so always read around different blogs to check what the general opinion is of a product before you buy it, just because one person loves it doesn't mean you will too!

Right, onward my beauty lovers!

1. Toni & Guy Model.Me Jamelia Affinity Serum

Packaging - Probably the nicest packaging in this whole list, simple and chic, this will go with every bathroom possible.

Tangle-teasing - Not the best, it still took me a good hair an hour to fully de-tangle my hair, (I do have quite long hair so this isn't total madness), hair gets a bit sleeker, but nowhere near the desired clean sweep of a comb.

Smell - Lovely, fresh and girly - a treat to put on.

Application - Just a pump or two in your fingers and run it through, although I always felt with this product that I needed much much more than said on the packaging, I found myself going back for the fifth application!

Hair Conditioning - Pretty good, hair still has bounce, but it visibly shinier, although it doesn't seem to do anything for split ends and de-tangling. I would say this is more of a 'before a night out' serum to shine up your newly washed hair, than an everyday conditioning product.

Overall rating - 5/10


2. TIGI: Catwalk Fast Fixx Leave-In Conditioner

Packaging - Doesn't look as classy as other TIGI products, the plasticky bottle and garish colours make it fun, but won't make your bathroom scream 'Call me Miss Hepburn'

Tangle-Teasing - Really good. De-tangling still takes a bit of work, but the great this about this one is you can really spray it liberally on those tangly ends, and get the comb through quickly enough!

Smell - Not particularly memorable, but still nice.

Application - A simple spray, what could be easier? You also don't need a lot with this product, however it won't look greasy if you put too much on.

Hair Conditioning - Really lovely, definitely lightweight, so hair doesn't look particularly glossy, however it feels soft and tangle free.

Overall Rating - 6.5/10


3. Organix Morroccan Argan Oil

Packaging - Not particularly remarkable. I like that you can see the level of oil you have left so you know when you are running out however! The bottle does look very natural, and is therefore simple, so won't look out of polace anywhere.

Tangle-Teasing - This is going to be a big shocker for everywhere as argan oil is the big buzz product, but I really did not like it, especially this aspect of it. My hair seemed to get just more tangly as I applied this product, as it seemed to stick the ends of my hair together and make them break off as soon as I ventured with my brush. I tried to stick it out with the product but couldn't bear to keep attacking my hair like this.

Smell - There isn't really a smell with this one.

Application - A simple spray, easy and quick, but there's a very fine line between enough and too much, and too much can cause one greasy looking head of hair.

Hair Conditioning - I just really did not rate this product at all, my hair felt no different, and my ends sticky and tangly.

Overall Rating - 2/10


4. Aussie Luscious Long Leave-In Conditioner/Miracle Recharge

I wanted to review these two products together as they are SO similar, and I'm not even sure the first one is readily available anymore because of their similarity

Packaging - Similar to all Aussie products, so if you are an Aussie lover, it'll fit nicely in your collection. Otherwise however the product doesn't look that special, however it's neutral colours blend in with a product collection.

Tangle-Teasing - AMAZING. There is a lot of contraversy with Aussie products in the blog world, as they contain some ingredients that are debated amongst the community about whether they are harmful to hair. However this product seems to be anything but harmful to my hair, and it de-tangles like an absolute dream. Usually my hair will take about half an hour to comb through, yet with this it took less than five minutes.

Smell - As with all Aussie products, their unique scent prevails, it smells like a tropical day in Aus!

Application - Another easy peasy spray, however I found that I need A LOT of this to achieve my desired effect, so much so that on a two week holiday, (because my hair was being dried out in the pool etc.) I went through an entire bottle on a single holiday.

Hair Conditioning - I loved the way my hair felt after this product, and it will always be the one I go back to, my hair feels newly blow dried for so long, I love love love it.

Overall Rating - 8.5/10


And there-in concludes this little review! Tell me, what miracle-products does your hair love? Have you found the next saviour hair product? Or do you disagree/agree with one of my reviews? Please let me know!

Abi x