Friday 12 March 2021

Netflix Picks #6

Bling Empire is classic reality TV, it is set in the glossy hills of LA and is based around the Chinese community who live there. It focuses on the rich and famous, and how they live their day to day lives. As always it involves the nitty, gritty gossip from around the area. It wouldn't be an american reality show without some catty comments and fall outs. I found it very interesting and it is an easy watch. This will definitely be back for season 2, as it became very popular for Netflix.

Bridgeton is the most watched series so far in 2021 for Netflix, it took the UK by storm. It is based on the novels by Julia Quinn. It is set in London and follows the lives of the rich and elite in the 19th century, and it portrays the line between the rich and poor. It is centered around the Bridgeton family, Daphne is a young woman who is forging her way within the heirarchy to find her future husband, she has to delve her way through many prospectful men. She makes a side-line deal with her brothers best friend the Duke of Hastings that they will court so their families will give them some breathing space. On the side lines is Lady Whistledown, she is a secret and anonymous newsletter columnist who breaks all of the gossip and scandals to the public. The story follows Daphne and her family as she marries and learns she has lived a sheltered life and has a lot to learn once she is married. Bridgeton has been praised for being a racially integrated show and showing how life should and could have been for those living in this era.

Emily in Paris follows Emily a young millennial who moves from America to France as part of her work. She struggles to fit in to the office and french culture. It follows her work colleagues and the drama, it shows the challenges of life in a new country, new friendships and love life. It is an incredibly easy watch, and I look forward to series 2. It also makes me want to get on a plane and go to Paris as it is such an incredible city. 

Million Dollar Beach House is set in the Hamptons following the young and money-hungry estate agents who are battling to make the most commission. They are selling the most luxurious, multi-million pound houses to the rich and famous within the area. As all reality shows, it explores the individual lives of those working within the office. It isn't quite as entertaining as Selling Sunset which I cannot wait to return. It just doesn't quite have the same spark, however I really enjoyed it and I hope a second series is on the way. In all honesty, I love being able to sit on the sofa, with a cup of tea, and ponder at all the magnificent houses. 

Tiny Pretty Things is set in Chicago and follows aspiring ballet dancers at an elite school. It starts with an accident of one of those dancers and the twists and turns behind what has happened. It sheds some light on the realities of life in a ballet school, the competitiveness, and the grueling regimes involved to try and battle and make it to the top. It follows new girl Nevaeh and her trails and tribulations and the behind the scenes of ballet being from a working-class background. It really enjoyed this is I still attend ballet classes, and I love watching how amazing the dancers are.

The Fall is based in Belfast in Northern Ireland, it follows the story of Paul Spector who is a serial stalker and attacker, and occasional murderer. It is a sinister and twist-turning watch and I was totally engrossed. DCI Stella Gibson has been brought in from London to help solve and catch this killer. It is a cat and mouse chase, as Paul is super deceiving and takes obscure changes to complicate things further for the police. Meanwhile, Paul is going home and leading a double life with his wife who is a nurse and their two children. There are three series to this drama, and wow I was gripped the entire time.  

Lucy

xoxo

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Wednesday 16 September 2020

Holiday Reads


Queenie is a book focused on a young woman trying to live her life and page her career in journalism. It discusses her prejudices towards her race and her struggles with modern day relationships. She has a lot of challenges in her love life and work life, and I was engrossed in her story. Queenie is a strong, out-going character who strives to overcome all obstacles which may face her.

The prison doctor follows Dr Brown as she tells her insight into being the duty doctor inside Britain's biggest female-only prison. She helps women who have and are facing many battles such as drug and drink addictions as well as abuse. Prison can be a place of shelter and a place away from harm for many and somewhere to recuperate. It is a real eye-opening book as it delves into the different stories of women and how they are trying to create a new start from themselves on the outside. 

An almost perfect holiday follows Em, Maggie and Olivia all in dire-need of a break. They all find themselves in a little village of holiday cottages which shares an outdoor pool. They end up chatting and opening up about their own reasons for escapism to the countryside. The story line is engaging and moves at a good pace with lots of unexpected additions to the characters. There is lots of drama as well as laughter and different secrets along the way, however all in all the women are brought together in a very unexpected friendship develops.

The little book cafe follows three women - Tash, Emma and Amy who are all in need of a break from work. They all live in a small village and build their friendship around the book club at the local cafe. Their love of books and cake brings people from the community together. It is three short novels who follow the three main girls on their own adventures and relationship turbulent along the way. 

One stop is a lovely book written by fellow blogger Laura Jane Williams.  Daniel notices Nadia whilst on his commute to work and writes an advert on the local newspaper. After weeks and weeks of missing each other on their daily commute, they finally reach out to each other and arrange a death. The recent death of Daniel's father means he is called away by his mother in a moment's notice and Nadia turns up thinking she has been stood up. She is 

Someone we know is a great novel by Shari Lapena who also wrote the couple next door which I reviewed previously. In this book a teenage boy starts to break into houses within his neighbourhood which is all fun and games until his mum finds out. Then a local woman is founded murdered and as the whole community tries to discover who was involved and in what way. This was favourite book that I read on my holiday I was gripped from start to finish. The twists and turns had me gripped and I was totally engrossed page to page. 

Lucy
xoxo
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Sunday 24 May 2020

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Hydrating Primer






I have been meaning to put up a review of this Fenty Beauty primer for so long. I have had it for over a year so I can definitely say I have put it to the test. Everything which I tried from Fenty Beauty so far I have loved. I opted for the pro filt'r hydrating primer as I have dry skin. This is advertised to target dry patches on the skin. It has a lightweight texture which I love as it feels really thin when you apply it to the face. I don't usually opt for thicker primers as I feel as though they often sit heavy on my skin. This acts as a really good addition on top of my moisturiser and blends together effortlessly. The selling point to this primer is that it creates a "filter-like blurring effect" to the skin.

This product contains grape seed oil and sodium hyaluronate which are brilliant for hydrating all skin types. It feels silky smooth and fresh which is exactly what my skin needs. This bright and lovely weather which we have had for the past few weeks has been such a pleasant surprise. But, it has left my skin uber dry. I am yet to treat myself to the Fenty foundation it is on my treats list. However, I have tried the concealer and I really love it (I reviewed it if you fancy a read).

It isn't cheap at £24 I got it as a present, I am not sure I would rush out to buy it again. I think I am basing that view solely on the price tag. I have really enjoyed using this. From testing many primers over the years I have learnt that I much prefer a cream over a gel consistency. Cream primers just seem to sit and mesh with my skin so much better. They also sell this in a mattifying version if your skin sits more on the oily side. Overall, I do really like this primer from Rihanna's Fenty Beauty range and if you're wanting to treat yourself you won't be disappointed.

Lucy
xoxo
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Wednesday 13 May 2020

Happily Ever Headbands


Back in February my sister and I decided to create a headband business called Happily Ever Headbands. It had been an idea which we had early last year on our first visit to Disneyland Paris. We wanted something different to the classic ears, and wherever we searched we couldn't find what we were looking for. Therefore, we decided there was a gap in the market for what we wanted to make. We have been making lots for friends and family. We have lots of Disney inspired headbands which are personalised to whatever the customer may like. We originally made one for each princess or theme. Since then we have had lots of requests for many different headbands inspired by a variety of different movies which we have loved making.

We have since branched out into simpler headbands which can be worn on a more everyday basis. This has included the use of gems and pearls in a variety of different patterns, which has opened a whole new scope to our designs. We have made many styles which a customer can simply opt as it comes, but we love for people to get their creative juices flowing and allow any changes to an original design in any way which they prefer.

The pricing of the headbands are all headbands with a thicker band are £6.50 and all thinner bands £6.00. We then add on a standard fee of £1.50 for 2nd class postage.

We cannot wait until we can go to Walt Disney World and take lots of photos of our designs. We absolutely love receiving pictures of our customers wearing and loving their designs. If you want to see any of our creations then the best place to find everything is on our Instagram page - Happilyeverheadbands. If you have any enquiries about purchasing a headbands you can direct message the Instagram page or email us on happilyeverheadbands@hotmail.com.

Thanks for the continuous support

Lucy
xoxo
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Wednesday 6 May 2020

Beauty Bay's Thirst Trip Rich Moisturiser




Since the start of the winter this year my skin has been super dry. When you've had combination skin for years after have an oily t-zone and acne, adapting your skincare routine takes a while. I was on the lookout for a new every day moisturiser as my holy grail from Kiehl's had ran out. I am not really a sucker normally for clicking through links from my emails, but I received an email from BeautyBay about their new skincare range and I instantly clicked the link. I was intrigued by their Thirst Trip Rich Moisturiser as I always need something that adds some hydration in to my skin. This contains oat lipids which contain ceradmides, research tells me that these help to retain moisture but not clog the pores of the skin. I am happy to report that I have been using this pretty much every morning for two months and it's a really good skincare product. Although the consistency is rich and thick, it has a light texture which easily soaks into the skin. I can feel that it has actually done something to my skin and it gives my complexion some life and a little glow.

I have enjoyed using this cream as it does what it says on the packaging. It is a no frills product, with not a lot of ingredients which I think is sometimes for the best. For just £7 I think this is a steal for 90ml of product. I think this is fine for normal and dry skin, I would not have used this when I had oily skin. This has enticed me to try further from their range as they have so many great products on offer and all ranging from £6.

Lucy
xoxo
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Sunday 26 April 2020

Netflix Picks #5


So lockdown has sent me into a deep spiral of endless Netflix. Everyone is finding a way to get through this unique time.

Love is Blind was released just as lockdown started and it was perfect to binge watch. I love trashy reality tv and this did not disappoint. It is a new way of dating, but it is very unrealistic, however it is an interesting watch. Contestants are put into 'pods' where they can only hear  and speak to potential dates through the pod. They then have to try and decide who they have a connection with. When they are sure they have found the one, they then propose and they finally get to meet in real life for the first time. After this, they are whisked away to Mexico to get to know each other more, and see whether they can really work as the ultimatum is at the end of the series they will decide whether to get married or not. There is a lot of drama and the wedding days are full of surprises.

Too Hot to Handle is also a dating show. A number of the hottest people get put together thinking they are on a retreat, however they are really there to resist temptations to win money. It is revealed to them that they have potentially 100,000 dollars to win. Every time any couple choose to physically make contact they will loose money. The aim of the show is all about building a real connection. It is full of scandals and twists and turns. They will definitely be bringing a second series of this out.

I absolutely loved Cheersquad which I wrote about in an earlier Netflix picks post. They have brought out Cheer which is about a college school called Navarro which is known for being very successful. It follows the team as they try and balance college life with cheer. They are essentially competing to win the national competition. It really highlights just how much work goes into being a cheerleader, and the amount of time and risk it goes into being the best. You see their journey to get to nationals and find out whether they manage to win or not.

Next in Fashion was something which I had on my to-watch list for ages. Hosted by Tan France and Alexa Chung, it has vibes of Project Runway but it has its own twists which I really enjoyed. It takes contestants from around the world, and they compete in weekly challenges to create clothing to represent each weeks theme. They then hold a runway show and judges decide who they want to take through to next week. I really loved this, I was fascinated at watching how to take things from nothing to a beautiful creation. I instantly text my best friend who works in fashion to ask her to teach me how to sew! Maybe I should add that to my lockdown to-do list.

The Trails of Gabriel Fernandez is an eye-opening and tear-jerking series all about a young boy called Gabriel who is essentially beaten to death. The series follows the police as they investigate what happened, whilst highlighting the flaws within the social services department. His older siblings open up about the torture and violence which existed within the family dynamic. It follows the trials and verdicts for sentencing for those identified as his killers. Before I worked in my profession I was blind sighted to what actually goes on in terms of child abuse. I cried watching this as it definitely has harrowing parts to it.

Lucy
xoxo
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Sunday 5 April 2020

18 months Post Roaccutane

I cannot believe that it has now been 18 months since I finished roaccutane. After being on it was over 8 months it pretty much consumed the whole of my 2018. However, it was the best thing I have ever done for myself, and that is no exaggeration. I sometimes forget just how bad my skin was. When you are living with it in the moment, life just goes by and you learn not to let it bother you. It was a big risk, and it was difficult at times. In all honesty, after the process had finished I was absolutely terrified that in a matter of weeks my skin would return to its previous spotty self. I have not had any cystic breakouts since I have come off it. My skin used to be the worst around my time of the month when my skin would rage. I have had a few minimal pesky red spots around my chin area but nothing which a little bit of concealer can't handle.

In all honesty whilst the process was happening I always had an end goal. I did not anticipate how I would feel in the pending months after it had all finished. In March 2019, I went for a three month follow up appointment with my dermatologist. He was really happy with my skin, and said that if I was going to have a major outbreak it would have hopefully have happened by now. I am still a little dubious every day that I will wake up and my skin will have to started to erupt. It is like anything in life, you learn to live with things. Having acne is what sprouted my love of makeup and the start of this blog. I saw all these girls with perfect skin and there was no one I could really relate to at the time except Em Ford (mypaleskin). She has been on her own battle with acne for years and I could relate to her so much. My favourite part of being acne free is in that in the summer I now leave the house with nothing on my skin. Previously when it was hot even though I had grown a lot with my self-confidence, I always put some concealer or foundation on before stepping out the door. I think as you grow into your 20's and people realise it is no longer just teenage acne, people are genuinely confused by the idea of adult acne.

One of my friends who has had her own health battles said she didn't know me pre acne treatment. I said I'd show her a picture when it was at its worst and I was just starting my treatment. I found it very strange showing her those pictures as it was a distant memory. I felt as though all those years which I battled with my acne had just disappeared. It has definitely changed my life for the better. I know people have much worse health conditions, and I very much accepted in the end it was just some spots on my face. I count my blessings that all it took was some medication to get mine sorted and that some people don't respond to roaccutane at all. I think as I am a success story I would always recommend it, but before I went on it I did a lot of research and my dermatologist laid out in black and white the high chances of some of the side effects. I had had this acne since 13, so 10 years on it was just an experiment for me as my dermatologist had said it was time to try it. I had literally tried every cream and antibiotic available with minimal results. I have written a full diary of my roaccutane journey from the start, during and after which outlines clearly the dosage and process at each point.

Now 18 months on, and approaching 26 I definitely have found a new confidence in myself. It is so strange as I still naturally gravitate to full coverage concealers and foundations. I have also had to adjust to my skincare choices as I have gone from having oily skin to very dry skin that needs all the moisture it can possibly get. It makes me feel a little emotional as I know how deep down during the whole time of having acne, I just tried to ignore it on a daily basis. All mine stemmed down to after all those years of trying different options was a diagnosis of polycystic ovaries. Once that was confirmed with blood tests and an ultrasound, the dermatologist knew the hormonal cause of my acne and the treatment could start. There is a tiny part of me who wonders why it took 10 years of dermatology testing, for a GP to determine my underlying condition. However, in the grand scheme of things it all got completely sorted in the end. I am so grateful that it worked so well and that I am still acne free.

Lucy
xoxo


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