Books that make you think

Occasionally what you fancy is a book that has a nice easy plot and doesn't require much concentration. Sometimes however it's good to read a book that leaves you feeling a little less secure in what you take for granted. These are my favourite books that do just that:

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

This is a classic, and rather well loved in my family as you can see from the well worn cover! This was first published in 1950, but still feels relevant. The book is centred around Winston Smith, who lives in a country governed by Big Brother-a dictator like figure who is never actually seen but drives fear into everyone. Every aspect of peoples lives is controlled, and this becomes quite scary in places as it is so shocking. More worryingly, however, is that when reading it you start to recognise elements of the book in actual countries and it does not seem so unimaginable that parts of the Big Brother regime could at some point happen in real life.

Uglies by Scott Westerfield

This book is clearly written to appeal to the 'hunger games/divergent/gone' audience, but the idea it contains is very interesting. Set in a future world, it talks about how the 'rusties' i.e. the current human race died out as they failed to adapt and create new technologies and so experienced a crisis. It also explores the idea of the obsession for perfection in society, and what happens when people reject this idea.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I have just finished reading this and whilst I wouldn't say I liked it, due to the really quite sinister plot, I know I'll be re-reading it. The American government uses extremely low birth rate and an increase in sexual assaults as an excuse to radically change the way society functions-people are ascribed a role and are effectively brain washed into believing this is their duty. Out of all these books, this one left me questioning things more, and the warning it carries really affected me.

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

This book looks at racism but flips it so that to be black is to be considered right, and desirable. It's very fast paced and leaves you looking at things a little differently to how you might have previously. 

Quick, Fast Drying Polishes

My favourite polishes are the ones that you can wear without a base coat and dry quickly but still look great after a few days. A hard task? Not for these polishes, the ones I come back to when I want a pretty nail without the effort.

Nude or pale pink polishes are great when you're in a hurry as they can be worn without a base coat and it isn't obvious if they chip a little. The gold looks very different when on; it seems to have a pink undertone and needs only two coats to get a colour that will last for days. 

I love Rimmel Polishes as they have wide brushes which cover your nail in two strokes. Their '60 Seconds Dry' range is great-lots of colours to choose from that really do dry in 60 seconds. This one is
 a slightly metallic, shimmery pink. The blue is in '503 Mind The Gap, Victoria' a lovely powder blue.

This Maybelline 40 seconds dry is in 'Turquiose Lagoon' and really does dry in 40 seconds. 

Helen x

A Shamefaced Post

I did it again. I bought more Nail Polish-three more bottles to be exact. There's no more room in my storage now but they were so pretty, I couldn't resist. I'm blaming this one on my friend. She posted a photo on Instagram a couple of weeks ago of a trio of Nails Inc polish which she said she'd picked up in Savers for under £5. I was impressed, to say the least, so when I saw a Savers recently on holiday I went straight to the makeup. 

There was a couple of different sets but I was drawn straight to this eye catching one. It contains 3 polishes-Kensington Park Road, Connaught Square and Hyde Park. Kensington Park Road is a 'neon' polish in a lovely blue. I don't have any polishes in this vibrant shade of blue so I was excited to try it. It's definitely not for those who like something more sophisticated or subtle on their fingers. I went for three coats to build up a really intense colour but it would have looked good with just the two coats as well. 

I tried to use the 'crackle' polish over the top but couldn't get it to work. I used it as a topcoat after the blue had dried but couldn't see any effect. I'll try again but this time putting it on top of a wet layer of polish to see whether that works. Has anyone tried crackle polishes. What's the best way to use them? 

My mum went for the '3-D glitter' in Connaught Square. This is a really lovely glitter polish with blue, purple and green glitter. She used a couple of coats on bare nails which was perhaps a little too glittery (is there such a thing?) so I tried layering it on top of Kensington Park Road which looked really good.

This is my first time trying Nails Inc and I'm really impressed. When I used them with a base and topcoat the staying power was good and they lasted around 5 days before I had to remove them due to chipping. For £4.99 these sets are amazing so if there's a Savers near you I'd recommend having a look!

Helen x

Books of the month

I recently picked up a few books for just a pound each at a charity book shop, and started reading them straight away, despite the fact I was meant to be reading Jane Eyre in preperation for next year. 

My first Book of the Month is The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. This book follows Georgia who runs a knitting shop in New York and daughter and friends. A knitting club gradually forms, and so draws all different types of people together. Their stories are cleverly interwoven as they become closer. The ending is not a typical 'happily ever after' as I expected, but many of the characters stories are nicely tied up in a fairly un-imaginative way. I enjoyed this, in a nice, easy, comforting way but will not necessarily be re-reading it. 

                                

My next book is Handle with Care by Jodi Piccoult. Jodi Piccoult's books are, I think, very similar to the well loved James Bond books. They are fairly predictable, hugely popular and almost impossible to put down. They all follow a similar pattern-the introduction of the characters; the development of whatever 'issue' this particular book is about; and then a large proportion of the book spent on the court case. Handle With Care is no different, but I liked it nonetheless. Piccoult's books may be something of a blockbuster but they are all very well written, heart wrenching and with well developed characters. What I like most about them is the often controversial issues which they explore, and so get the reader to think more about. 

Helen x

Nail Polish Storage

I used to house my nail polish addiction in the top shelf of my bathroom cabinet but as I bought more and more, it stopped working as well. It became more difficult to see what colours I had, and therefore, where the gaps were. 

Initially, I only put one of these plastic nail polish stands in my basket, but quickly realised what good value they were, and just how much nail polish I have! These say they hold 30 bottles each on average, but I have 64 bottles and have only just run out of room, though obviously it depends on the size of the bottles.

                              

I've arranged mine in colour order, which not only looks pretty, but has the advantage of enabling me to see what colours and shades I'm lacking in (and so gives me an excuse to buy more!) When they're all laid out like this, I don't think it looks like I have that many and so I've carried on buying more polish with the result I've now run out of room. I think another Amazon order may need to be placed soon...

                                  

Does anyone else have a weakness for nail polish? 

Helen x 

Tea Tree:The wonder ingredient

After an extensive clear out of my bathroom cabinet a few days ago, it's now really easy to see all my skincare and I realised how much of it is tea-tree based. Tea tree is an essential oil, used to treat various medical conditions, including Acne, Dandruff and Lice. Whilst I don't have any of those (thank goodness) I do have oily/spot prone skin that tends to breakout if I don't follow my usual skin care regime. I like Tea Tree based products because I find that they do combat breakouts, but aren't full of chemicals like some products that prevent spots. In fact, a 5% concentration of Tea Tree is thought to be as effective as the same concentration of Benzoyl Peroxide, a chemical commonly used to treat severe acne. See, I told you it was good!

The Body Shop do a really good range of Tea Tree products designed to help prevent and reduce spots. Here's the Tea Tree skincare I use and love:

Pure Tea Tree oil: Tea Tree in it's purest form. I use this to apply directly to any spots before I go to bed and when I wake up the redness is reduced. 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion: Good everyday moisturiser (I use this when going away as it's such a cute size)

The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser: A good primer with a gel like consistency that makes pores look smaller and visibly mattifies the skin, so is perfect for those with oily skin.

T-Zone Skin Clearing Face Moisturiser: I use this every day and it has fast become my favourite moisturiser. It smells great (another benefit of Tea Tree) and also contains Eucalyptus to help prevent spots. 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask: I use this once a week (when I remember-I'm quite lazy when it come to face masks) and it leaves my skin slightly tingling which makes me feel like it's doing something and makes it feel really smooth. It does make my face a bit red when I take it off but this calms down and it does help angry looking spots look less red and calmer. 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser: This is a best seller on The Body Shop website, so I bought it one evening when I was desperate for something that would improve my skin. I haven't been using it for long but it is quite refreshing. 

 Does anyone have any Tea Tree products they'd recommend?

Helen x

Summer/Holiday Nail Polishes

The sun is shining (and we seem to have the back end of a hurricane here in the UK at the moment, but that doesn't sound as good) and it's the time of year when lots of people jet off on their holidays or wish they were!

These are my favourite nail polishes for summer (but I'll happily wear them all year round)

                                          

       Barry M 'Key Lime'              M&S 'Golden Glaze'

       OPI White                     Soap and Glory 'Pink Soda'

           Rimmel '503 Mind the gap, Victoria' (What a random name!)

                Barry M 'Bubblegum'

                    Sally Hansen '500 Razzle-Berry'

All of these polishes look great with a tan and are just really lovely colours. I think that  textured polishes, such as the Barry M confetti or sugar range are great for holidays, as they don't chip as quickly, so you can spend more time enjoying your holiday!

Helen x