tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228943552024-03-18T03:03:50.344+00:00Anna, Look!Just another London lifestyle blog.Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.comBlogger1363125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-91466345213115245282023-12-30T01:14:00.004+00:002023-12-30T01:26:53.860+00:00Dress review: blue floral dress (Albaray)<div style="text-align: justify;">I received the good news in July of this year that I passed my last actuarial exam, which marked the end of me studying for the actuarial qualification since 2018, as well as the end of me studying for the rest of my life! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After accruing an undergraduate degree, an MSc, a PhD, and then the actuarial qualification, I feel like I have thoroughly had more than my share of studying, and am very much looking forward to having my evenings free to relax! (and hopefully blog a bit more!)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To celebrate, I treated myself to this pretty blue floral dress from John Lewis, in the hopes of having a not-so-Cruel Summer <span style="font-size: x-small;">(obligatory Taylor Swift reference)</span>. The dress is from Albaray.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As you may have gauged from my outfits in the past, I really like having flowers on my clothes (exhibits <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2020/05/ootd-when-hope-was-high-and-life-worth.html">A</a>, <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2019/10/ootd-cocktails-in-pop-up-bar-in.html">B</a>, <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2018/09/ootd-red-meat-red-wine-purple-dress.html">C</a> and <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2017/12/ootd-office-christmas-party.html">D</a>).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29lGfdnk5mwBF9ChsqKlj4Q4bAGM4RVlJHgzTcD-3mpddhrb8DLDzENrBRhVXmwZzx1p7YWGgLPuwlocZL-1Ag9vGdqtT2Ua_IiJrLNd6KCIHFiCfx0VhSqgAcK5rf6RE17P_bOHPb7oDfrq6s3566c7J_VSzl2tAvSb-AhQI0OXEvTSiJBwz/s4032/IMG_1903.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29lGfdnk5mwBF9ChsqKlj4Q4bAGM4RVlJHgzTcD-3mpddhrb8DLDzENrBRhVXmwZzx1p7YWGgLPuwlocZL-1Ag9vGdqtT2Ua_IiJrLNd6KCIHFiCfx0VhSqgAcK5rf6RE17P_bOHPb7oDfrq6s3566c7J_VSzl2tAvSb-AhQI0OXEvTSiJBwz/w378-h504/IMG_1903.jpeg" width="378" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>The long length of the skirt part of the dress means it’s appropriate to wear in the office, and indeed, I got my latest professional photo taken in the dress:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnXBgreVCqOK3YapyLYMcq_RmLUzZgs_DXyT0E7k3VKG0_7GjJ1BjaUqpzArDw83zhLHEqph7ZL1CuXrRqcbYKOLd2j4ScLxRpEYQZDw6f31UNdEjrdVcTMykhHdvRPfON_HPJP5gNWuiz7L8kH8w57EtH7l5pPBq6uxRzSJjohjOgun_xOos/s6448/IMG_2678.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6448" data-original-width="4725" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnXBgreVCqOK3YapyLYMcq_RmLUzZgs_DXyT0E7k3VKG0_7GjJ1BjaUqpzArDw83zhLHEqph7ZL1CuXrRqcbYKOLd2j4ScLxRpEYQZDw6f31UNdEjrdVcTMykhHdvRPfON_HPJP5gNWuiz7L8kH8w57EtH7l5pPBq6uxRzSJjohjOgun_xOos/w360-h492/IMG_2678.jpeg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dress: John Lewis</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Earrings: Accessorize</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Glasses: Red or Dead</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The dress boasts one of the elements which I rate very highly in dresses, but is sadly too rare: an elasticated waistband. The material of the dress (viscose) means it drapes over your body shape in a flattering way, so whatever the figure shape, it will highlight your curves in a classy, but not too jarring, way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Something else that’s important in determining whether or not a dress is office-appropriate, is the neckline, and I was very pleased to see that the neckline of this dress was modest, as well as keeping the shoulders covered.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnRCoGiOwES8Upb81PDKuC_FAPTPg-LzqBCOhFbDzsyXleuX4IgIgvfvh1RTwTk5fudFzVAIcYcsaR3hrz4uylwOToMvkLyXGfsWd79hvsWqj60zBGzv3D0j0gE1WyIi7fnbf3gEK1DSZC7LQuqTINHlrSvhMevkyLSmVRQFp5KRILX75BCYr/s4032/IMG_1975.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnRCoGiOwES8Upb81PDKuC_FAPTPg-LzqBCOhFbDzsyXleuX4IgIgvfvh1RTwTk5fudFzVAIcYcsaR3hrz4uylwOToMvkLyXGfsWd79hvsWqj60zBGzv3D0j0gE1WyIi7fnbf3gEK1DSZC7LQuqTINHlrSvhMevkyLSmVRQFp5KRILX75BCYr/w361-h481/IMG_1975.jpeg" width="361" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In terms of the floral design, the design is a straightforward cluster of small flowers of white, yellow, lime, green, and blue, which overall forms a Monet-style impression from far away. Due to the multicolour element of the dress, there’s a range of shoe colours you can pair it with. I like to wear sandals during the summer, and indeed, in the two full body length photos included in this blog, I'm wearing a pair of New Look strappy sandals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the office I’d either wear the aforementioned burgundy sandals, a slightly higher pair of lime green heels (which bought out the lime green flowers beautifully, also from New Look), or chunky brown wedges from John Lewis. The latter were the hardest to walk in, but <i>optically</i>, gave the impression of me being 5’9’’, which I very much enjoyed!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you add a baseball cap into the ensemble, you can still give tomboy, despite wearing a floral dress!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6g-B1de4F1Dou2qqQJPD6_-bowk4QmmTaHeNP3smX-_sBDGvpRsUZfO7WP8CEAwID8eBAxGLqQDduoI78qRsj98gkXaJVaixb1gznxZmseOEih8eDesEXFELkAYHsCdBJ7Yqc4Ei2180QvM3huCgCCNHn0ed9T5TSrnvB9SPZmEzt9NYI0iir/s2208/IMG_1877.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="1244" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6g-B1de4F1Dou2qqQJPD6_-bowk4QmmTaHeNP3smX-_sBDGvpRsUZfO7WP8CEAwID8eBAxGLqQDduoI78qRsj98gkXaJVaixb1gznxZmseOEih8eDesEXFELkAYHsCdBJ7Yqc4Ei2180QvM3huCgCCNHn0ed9T5TSrnvB9SPZmEzt9NYI0iir/w271-h482/IMG_1877.jpeg" width="271" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In the end, the Summer of 2023 did indeed end up being a not-so-Cruel Summer for me <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(which is good, because 2022 was such a Cruel Summer that I'm gonna need Taylor or Olivia Rodrigo to write a song about it)</span>, and the <span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-size: 16px;">💫</span> lucky girl era <span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-size: 16px;">💫</span> I felt I was in, coming off the back of that exam success, was sustained with my adventures in London in this lovely dress!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Grade: <b>A</b></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-19130421104008839442023-11-07T21:42:00.003+00:002023-11-08T21:40:33.492+00:00Alcohol review: The King of Soho Copacetic Vodka and Variorum Gin<div style="text-align: justify;">As I said in my <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2023/07/alcohol-review-kwai-feh-lychee-liqueur.html">previous blog post</a>, I’ve really been leaning into playing host of late, and an integral component of that is ensuring my guests have a drink in their hand at all times. If the drink is made from an exotic spirit, such as those from The King Soho, even better!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-B7X4EVb7vE4TgDQObziUR-JXuxvengk08YguawcKR4HQkZ1PZhEUmJ_NN1DUpaoKuq70l8G91NOoRNZc4Fxo3Plgqq3xUddh3rtEYS-OYLmNd96F0ksjZv0_h3QUZE732jsdb2OYJUF9zYgBZff5kKL2qf1anXgUDNSJNEjQVqF5dHhssGGf/s4032/IMG_2405.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-B7X4EVb7vE4TgDQObziUR-JXuxvengk08YguawcKR4HQkZ1PZhEUmJ_NN1DUpaoKuq70l8G91NOoRNZc4Fxo3Plgqq3xUddh3rtEYS-OYLmNd96F0ksjZv0_h3QUZE732jsdb2OYJUF9zYgBZff5kKL2qf1anXgUDNSJNEjQVqF5dHhssGGf/w412-h309/IMG_2405.jpeg" width="412" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I was provided with a full bottle of The King Soho Copacetic Vodka and a sample bottle of The King Soho Variorum Gin</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>With the gin sampler, I made two <i><b>passion fruit, lemon and gin Collins</b></i>. The King Soho Variorum Gin contains a secret ingredient of strawberry, and that complements the citrus of the lemon in the cocktail wonderfully. With the passion fruit and lemon mixers, as well as the strawberry and citrus inherent in the gin, this makes for a refreshing drink that really perks you up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidN44m-rCCRG6FLp9UL7b9DYM8kVIv0KnX83Kk3aGeTXHdzw8P2dmOQSE_bUf1jwJXdJhQ8Dh6XFJdpcD1tO5IoTfvA9y7OA57fTn9jxHsvjUjUQfqfGGdGIovWl9cEQ7lK2XkoAu3mE_5iw4Pu5r9dhNFnWfVTp5ew-RoxQgMcdULRDQ3wx79/s4032/IMG_2410.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidN44m-rCCRG6FLp9UL7b9DYM8kVIv0KnX83Kk3aGeTXHdzw8P2dmOQSE_bUf1jwJXdJhQ8Dh6XFJdpcD1tO5IoTfvA9y7OA57fTn9jxHsvjUjUQfqfGGdGIovWl9cEQ7lK2XkoAu3mE_5iw4Pu5r9dhNFnWfVTp5ew-RoxQgMcdULRDQ3wx79/s320/IMG_2410.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After I finished with the gin, I moved onto vodka cocktails! In keeping with the refreshing theme, I made <i><b>Cosmopolitans</b></i>. Here they are alongside the striking, elegant King of Soho bottles:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijz6AXiFyk64goUkzNT6hFQ2bUUMX8VQLWu7NLIml8Ytj_beZkit1tYi2nTFyIAtPo2Q7GGuFyxCnnGTP-bOBpj_05vzdG6-wteifvpiufJBdWWjUCKR3aUd0BOrAI-I03Yo9LnrVyD3tfWiiHLh3h0NYbVO2sJGz66hJb3I0qgv-LXkB_lyvR/s4032/IMG_2446.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijz6AXiFyk64goUkzNT6hFQ2bUUMX8VQLWu7NLIml8Ytj_beZkit1tYi2nTFyIAtPo2Q7GGuFyxCnnGTP-bOBpj_05vzdG6-wteifvpiufJBdWWjUCKR3aUd0BOrAI-I03Yo9LnrVyD3tfWiiHLh3h0NYbVO2sJGz66hJb3I0qgv-LXkB_lyvR/w387-h290/IMG_2446.jpeg" width="387" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The King of Soho’s vodka is so called because it is made using copacetic English wheat, and in its distillation, there’s a pleasant undercurrent of crumpet, lemon zest and black pepper, which definitely makes it more like a dessert than your usual vodka! It’s a versatile ingredient that can be used for Martini-style cocktails, or with a mixer in a tumbler, and in my hosting, I tried it with both.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Given the richness of flavours, I used The King of Soho’s vodka to make one of the most dessert-like cocktails: the <i><b>White Russian</b></i>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQlq_rNTekeLuKNSWXnJE_rCXG2JJpQJMqpcLNxSMkyPlT2amwtdwX4KhKmbxJkGcmSWpe0L9C9HkhsbzkgQB5YD79j6nGUTjjJynjT6toOrC8kIMx_f-sgPugqo4FoTh-w4I8E_32Q4NR_NVxSfmUEAnCZ4QJ2BsT9LMujHAhFOLbynwHBjD/s4032/IMG_2461.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQlq_rNTekeLuKNSWXnJE_rCXG2JJpQJMqpcLNxSMkyPlT2amwtdwX4KhKmbxJkGcmSWpe0L9C9HkhsbzkgQB5YD79j6nGUTjjJynjT6toOrC8kIMx_f-sgPugqo4FoTh-w4I8E_32Q4NR_NVxSfmUEAnCZ4QJ2BsT9LMujHAhFOLbynwHBjD/w378-h284/IMG_2461.jpeg" width="378" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As you can see from the photos, I added more cream than the ingredients usually call for, but this worked well with the buttery smoothness of the vodka, and it made for a delicious, boozy sweet!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another cocktail I made with The King of Soho’s vodka was a classic <i><b>Screwdriver</b></i>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhhJoq30F0dxJ68cZYKvr2fxdIZNGsPVzNvCrrdvF3JlRIBVrtry5OmZ5lb7BwlLovxlRcsncmlZhv9uT5FvvcLEjSatdWN6M6wJZEvwcn2OcflgUlzF4Wg87XSke8EJUQXqOlxHcsfDsjH4D8zvUy-JeHNgjrF0jnrr-rOHHZ3VsLuT1CqJW/s4032/IMG_2479.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhhJoq30F0dxJ68cZYKvr2fxdIZNGsPVzNvCrrdvF3JlRIBVrtry5OmZ5lb7BwlLovxlRcsncmlZhv9uT5FvvcLEjSatdWN6M6wJZEvwcn2OcflgUlzF4Wg87XSke8EJUQXqOlxHcsfDsjH4D8zvUy-JeHNgjrF0jnrr-rOHHZ3VsLuT1CqJW/w285-h380/IMG_2479.jpeg" width="285" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This was very straightforward to make – vodka and orange juice. The orange-ness of the mixer brings out the apple taste in the vodka, to give the drink a pleasingly fruit salad-like quality.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Overall, I had a lot of fun playing Tom Cruise in <i><b>Cocktail</b></i> with these two ingredients. So, if you’re feeling a bit bougie and want an unusual and yummy spirit, try The King of Soho’s vodka and gin!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For more of my product reviews, click <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/p/product-reviews.html">here</a>.</div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-39197401882089486462023-07-24T21:00:00.006+01:002023-07-24T21:18:36.649+01:00Alcohol review: Kwai Feh Lychee Liqueur<div style="text-align: justify;">Since moving into my flat in September last year, I’ve been really enjoying hosting friends, and part of my hosting duties include mixing fun cocktails for my guests. I was kindly sent a bottle of the Kwai Feh lychee liqueur to review, and had lots of fun using it to jazz up some well-known drinks recipes. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I love lychees as a fruit, and this liqueur both had a strong lychee taste and smell. This lychee essence goes with a lot of alcoholic spirits, making it a very versatile ingredient for drinks. In the photo below, I made lychee mojitos:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHJYzfxaZOeMAI-WF5lNo7bQmNzMTE3O376nzklzepHJ-_1ZIk8x7pPI8eIiSWgmN5o1oidLK5k1A8TeorNFkG6UpKqyh7g5QFuFIMy6mMhYNvbYz5AQjKCBnjfbv54Ztvd6IcuLW-QjkvzWgZiUynKNrntO7LtvDqgnJgorhs7Yz0dFMAkG_/s4032/IMG_0373.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHJYzfxaZOeMAI-WF5lNo7bQmNzMTE3O376nzklzepHJ-_1ZIk8x7pPI8eIiSWgmN5o1oidLK5k1A8TeorNFkG6UpKqyh7g5QFuFIMy6mMhYNvbYz5AQjKCBnjfbv54Ztvd6IcuLW-QjkvzWgZiUynKNrntO7LtvDqgnJgorhs7Yz0dFMAkG_/w411-h308/IMG_0373.jpg" width="411" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The ingredients for this drink were: a handful of mint (I have a mint plant which I use for this, very helpful!), 25ml of Kwai Feh, 25ml of rum, 25ml of freshly squeezed lime juice, 15ml of sugar syrup, topped up with lychee juice.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Whilst I enjoy rum cocktails, I don’t actually love the flavour of rum on its own, so it was pleasing to my taste buds that the lychee liqueur overpowered the rum in this drink! The lychee mojito was very fruity and fresh, with the mint leaves and lime really bringing out the tastiness of the lychee in the drink.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The next drink I made was the pink señorita cocktail, partially inspired by the pink aesthetic of the <i><b>Barbie</b></i> film!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45N7Vnw0PIaqeu7fulpsk0M-H7iiMp5C3-8DTYZXHel6oGLpdjaiiYaTGyjV8YTHjSOUzt3cPNMg8S_CSlpwW4kEx5l10h2Tk9l4GGLD-l5yLdOuiWGbQZqXCrMTcxlsXFHrG6osbIoX5J-WVmLzepza_IYkyNg9RPZiDtF9JEnDCiaEJ3pll/s4032/IMG_0388.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45N7Vnw0PIaqeu7fulpsk0M-H7iiMp5C3-8DTYZXHel6oGLpdjaiiYaTGyjV8YTHjSOUzt3cPNMg8S_CSlpwW4kEx5l10h2Tk9l4GGLD-l5yLdOuiWGbQZqXCrMTcxlsXFHrG6osbIoX5J-WVmLzepza_IYkyNg9RPZiDtF9JEnDCiaEJ3pll/w320-h426/IMG_0388.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The ingredients here were: 25ml Kwai Feh, 25ml tequila, 25ml Cointreau, 10ml lemon juice, topped up with pink lemonade.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>The taste of the lychee doesn’t come across as strongly in this drink as it does in the lychee mojito, which is unsurprising, given it’s mixed with two other spirits here, not one. The inclusion of both lemon juice and pink lemonade make this a more bitter-tasting drink than the mojito. The fizzy lemonade is a great mixer for the three alcoholic spirits of the drink, because the bubbles give the cocktail a lightness, and prevent it from tasting too boozy (although it has ample alcoholic content!) </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Plus, given that pink is my favourite colour, I thought this drink was extremely pretty to look at!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The third drink I made using the liqueur was the lychee fling:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4P-MR4JfDIq-qySkBiFXt6BPBwYj1TrpE7DDfBx9B_cQaM1uYcReT7irq7Um_K-firPNFdUiah7m6UHZN7nkMr31EOPZju1L_LAwyX-yNXclFkurPEV5J18drrvA3rRBRhxZouRmnIRqeSkDXxo_eNBRHgiuoH7_XW7FEkdTR17IxODR7MQjw/s4032/IMG_0399.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4P-MR4JfDIq-qySkBiFXt6BPBwYj1TrpE7DDfBx9B_cQaM1uYcReT7irq7Um_K-firPNFdUiah7m6UHZN7nkMr31EOPZju1L_LAwyX-yNXclFkurPEV5J18drrvA3rRBRhxZouRmnIRqeSkDXxo_eNBRHgiuoH7_XW7FEkdTR17IxODR7MQjw/w324-h431/IMG_0399.jpg" width="324" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The ingredients here were 20ml of Kwah Fei, 40ml vodka, 25ml of freshly squeezed lime juice, and 5ml sugar syrup. Because I had some lemon and lime-flavoured syrup, I added this too, which gives the drink its vibrant green colour.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Due to all the syrup content, this ended up being a very sweet drink, so I’d recommend this for an after-dinner treat. I find that vodka can taste too harsh sometimes, depending on how it’s mixed. But the inclusion of the sugar syrup and the Kwah Fei, significantly makes this a more palatable drink.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally, I made the Kill Bill:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtv6DNxfjT9DWxKuPFX5TNH3gZxpac91zrx7KIuOvYcJ6lIb6B3flve53hwJVQriXaDu7Yp24VKQDTwW6gCgGx_jy6PwZg7v2uAAeW2Fk9UJRstA3e8-sHSihkjtVfn1HiFHV6FHSh6UX78i96S5onOGESKim4OpG5tJ8XEiNBgf05iyNHAAFW/s4032/IMG_0412.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtv6DNxfjT9DWxKuPFX5TNH3gZxpac91zrx7KIuOvYcJ6lIb6B3flve53hwJVQriXaDu7Yp24VKQDTwW6gCgGx_jy6PwZg7v2uAAeW2Fk9UJRstA3e8-sHSihkjtVfn1HiFHV6FHSh6UX78i96S5onOGESKim4OpG5tJ8XEiNBgf05iyNHAAFW/w308-h411/IMG_0412.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The ingredients for this were: 20ml of Kwah Fei, 20ml of vodka, ginger ale, and I added some Irn Bru syrup.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This drink has the same core spirits as the lychee fling, and also ended up being very sweet, mainly due to the Irn Bru flavouring. I wouldn’t have thought lychees and Irn Bru would have gone together, but they complement each other extremely well, making this another yummy after-dinner dessert contender!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All in all, I had a lot of fun experimenting with the Kwai Feh liqueur, and it has proved a wonderful tool to add to my arsenal of spirits for drinks-mixing! <a href="https://www.ocado.com/products/kwai-feh-lychee-liqueur-517257011">At £21</a>, it’s very reasonably priced, for adding an exotic element to your alcoholic beverages, especially as lychee itself is such a delicious fruit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For more of my product reviews, click <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/p/product-reviews.html">here</a>! If you'd like to place a sponsored post on my blog, please see my <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/p/sponsored-posts-policy.html">policy on sponsored posts</a>.</div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-27313433544889951322022-12-31T10:03:00.008+00:002022-12-31T10:03:00.222+00:00Book review: THE ULTIMATE ACTUARIAL JOKE BOOK (John Lee)<div style="text-align: justify;">John Lee, whose two books <b><i><a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/12/book-review-actuarial-fairy-tales-john.html">Actuarial Fairy Tales</a></i></b> and <i><b><a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2019/12/book-review-confessions-of-actuarial.html">Confessions of an Actuarial Tutor</a></b></i> I have previously reviewed on my blog, continues with his streak of actuarial high jinx with his latest offering, <b><i>The Ultimate Actuarial Joke Book</i></b>. I was entertained greatly by those two creations, so I expected more comedy from this book, not least because it is, quite literally, compendium of jokes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3kdl32TUAaEpJGyBWU0PtdZ4iDdh8BvBsYCfNk4U51G39J-Ir_rILrikUgkJ2nsr4gcBXIYE3i_5t98pGAt6l251ZEG8FI3-TXxBow6vvhua7mGjKLZCL-XGHnyM6tMxv57Z_yEulbxEjg5MtpVTIBmomIP8LdADa7nmcSBmcQrwR2zldg/s400/uajb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3kdl32TUAaEpJGyBWU0PtdZ4iDdh8BvBsYCfNk4U51G39J-Ir_rILrikUgkJ2nsr4gcBXIYE3i_5t98pGAt6l251ZEG8FI3-TXxBow6vvhua7mGjKLZCL-XGHnyM6tMxv57Z_yEulbxEjg5MtpVTIBmomIP8LdADa7nmcSBmcQrwR2zldg/s320/uajb.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It certainly didn’t disappoint. The book features a wide variety of types of jokes formats, from zingy one-liners, jokes that follow classic ‘knock knock or ‘Doctor, Doctor’ formats, visual comedy in the form of memes, or gags that require more of a build-up because the punchline is delivered. By mixing the way the jokes are delivered, this means reading <b><i>The Ultimate Actuarial Joke Book</i></b> never gets stale, with the reader kept on their toes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>One aspect that I enjoyed of John’s previous two offerings, was the observational humour aspect. After all, most good humour is underpinned by things that are grounded in reality, just dialled up for comedic effect. On that, John regales the negative points of working as an actuary, such as leaving work at 5pm counting as a half-day for us. Just like in <b><i><a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/12/book-review-actuarial-fairy-tales-john.html">Actuarial Fairy Tales</a></i></b>, there are gags about the great personal sacrifices that student actuaries have to make in order to obtain their FIA qualification, and the fact that to ensnare maths graduates into the actuarial fields, companies probably fibbed to them about just how much work it would be.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Also like in <b><i><a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/12/book-review-actuarial-fairy-tales-john.html">Actuarial Fairy Tales</a></i></b>, some of the wit in <b><i>The Ultimate Actuarial Joke Book</i></b> is very specific, and requires understanding of actuarial concepts that would be acquired through studying for the exams. Concepts such as incurred but not reported claims and censored data are mentioned in the book, and R and Excel commands even get a mention.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In <i><b><a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2019/12/book-review-confessions-of-actuarial.html">Confessions of an Actuarial Tutor</a></b></i> and <b><i><a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/12/book-review-actuarial-fairy-tales-john.html">Actuarial Fairy Tales</a></i></b>, accountants were the butt of several of the jokes. In the name of equity, John Lee allows accountants the chance to get their own back, in a section named ‘Accountants on Actuaries’, where there are riffs on how accountants perceive actuaries (namely, that we’re dull). However, this lasts just one page, and we’re immediately back to the good stuff: ‘Actuaries on Accountants’, which features all of the John Lee classics, including sly digs about how accountants wouldn’t be able to pass actuarial exams (it’s funny cos it’s true).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The jabs at accountants, and then elsewhere, at underwriters, insurance salesmen and lawyers, are among my favourite jokes in the book. An intellectual superiority complex is a vice that I admit that I fall foul to, and whilst making fun of accountants would be considered low-hanging fruit by actuaries, it is still something that I derive great satisfaction in doing <span style="font-size: x-small;">(hey, there has to be some perks to toiling for the exams!)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>The Ultimate Actuarial Joke Book</i></b> contains a healthy dose of pop culture references, including to the likes of Queen, <i><b>The Godfather</b></i> and James Bond, which appealed to me. There are some hysterical plays on words, my favourite being a joke about an actuarial student asking a qualified actuary if they could do a ‘Mike from <i><b>Suits</b></i>’ and sit their exams for them. John Lee also wrings plenty of repartee from the frustrating tendency of actuaries to take everything literally.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Where <b><i>The Ultimate Actuarial Joke Book</i></b> differs from its predecessors is that, somewhat unsurprisingly given this is a joke book, the comedy in here is noticeably more blue. An early segment of the book steps into 12A-rated innuendo, with jokes like ‘actuaries do it on random walks’, before the section ‘Actuarially Rude Jokes’ ditches the veneer of propriety altogether and dishes out its best bawdy banter with relish. Given that one would have graduated university to be on an actuarial graduate scheme, placing the reader at age 21 at the youngest, I imagine this should be fine for the reader (and in true risk-averse actuarial nature, the section is clearly signposted with a hazard warning so can be skipped over if not to the reader’s taste).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To enjoy <b><i>The Ultimate Actuarial Joke Book</i></b>, all you need is decent understanding of actuarial principles and a healthy sense of humour. The author hypothesises that these two things are mutually exclusive. Laugh away at the jokes in this book and prove him wrong.</div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-67435250296846843642022-11-02T18:00:00.000+00:002022-11-02T18:12:47.543+00:00Cosplay for Hallowe'en: SQUID GAME with a touch of MIDSOMMAR<p style="text-align: justify;">For Hallowe'en this year, I dressed up as 456 from <i style="font-weight: bold;">Squid Game</i>. Like most people, I was obsessed with the show when Netflix dropped it last year. However, I got on the bandwagon a little too late for Hallowe'en 2021, with most of the items of my cosplay, arriving after last Hallowe'en.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Thus, this year was the perfect opportunity for my 'make-up cosplay', and I did it in style, at the Ballie Ballerson, a place in Shoreditch with two colourful indoor ballpits!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5qwJQNUo6ak8bfLs5omWCipbOEnIhobx_105gg_Ql0u3rHUVcKwNBlsZIfNIs554Plm3v9x3GNXEUXhdHhByHsKHXjgPHjP6Ccg6r16H9bI0OeMLff8aZD6FLhl9m9R3Wgbwyl-fsbMWX3q3fQGu3py4hzYKXxyOEWzKyyqAjT9YKTrjAA/s1334/IMG_2494.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5qwJQNUo6ak8bfLs5omWCipbOEnIhobx_105gg_Ql0u3rHUVcKwNBlsZIfNIs554Plm3v9x3GNXEUXhdHhByHsKHXjgPHjP6Ccg6r16H9bI0OeMLff8aZD6FLhl9m9R3Wgbwyl-fsbMWX3q3fQGu3py4hzYKXxyOEWzKyyqAjT9YKTrjAA/w356-h634/IMG_2494.JPG" width="356" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>it's me, hi, i'm the problem, it's me!</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>As far as cosplays go, my outfit was fairly low maintenance. I just ordered the T-shirt, tracksuit top and bottoms off the internet, et viola!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVBt_VV-TcLsgmZFqsE66_6kIoFC9Ameb_Rcs226ozGV41Nu_eYH_EFFitylk45SzOUHAQ1SAsQOzPRqFjQDMQYlI8mwInZP3Sw18DR2M-2qMeW8WbrAxn1HUbJqi5g4DZF7KAlCkfxkBlxBHkqK7hikRVHsPtM016AOAzM2em259B6kqmQ/s3088/IMG_2580.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="577" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVBt_VV-TcLsgmZFqsE66_6kIoFC9Ameb_Rcs226ozGV41Nu_eYH_EFFitylk45SzOUHAQ1SAsQOzPRqFjQDMQYlI8mwInZP3Sw18DR2M-2qMeW8WbrAxn1HUbJqi5g4DZF7KAlCkfxkBlxBHkqK7hikRVHsPtM016AOAzM2em259B6kqmQ/w433-h577/IMG_2580.jpg" width="433" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVkmmqfcaG6N8YPIKZnQRzd6trmn_jWj3EQ29mgOpfkjTTWHZdcVq5pdmpb7SqoHrgMpBulOH6lzozo3yJhzjTwxT6SpCKNCUTMa-vsvMf8Q7HFkyO6c-bYYYQN2PyfsDMzTXhH48hS0GxAHBVtEhrpY7vy6p-VhvSydAlZZR9W3mtadfUw/s3088/IMG_2581.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="483" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVkmmqfcaG6N8YPIKZnQRzd6trmn_jWj3EQ29mgOpfkjTTWHZdcVq5pdmpb7SqoHrgMpBulOH6lzozo3yJhzjTwxT6SpCKNCUTMa-vsvMf8Q7HFkyO6c-bYYYQN2PyfsDMzTXhH48hS0GxAHBVtEhrpY7vy6p-VhvSydAlZZR9W3mtadfUw/w363-h483/IMG_2581.jpg" width="363" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYBN7lB2tLzPz7Bt0U6nmcvjj2TZgCC8MguQRn-P8A72b2dsyHQGY9VbR6FHoiRaaNkxV6sWgM2vw4WMTSiuLq-RBJhixbNuE5tgv1IBA0ZgkB1wXJTBoKqgGnacLWSQjrNAt-kE4DTzkNw_ZXRclRSpFc-Bp_DZ5k-iKZmvbg5jIqWS1SQ/s3088/IMG_2586.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="415" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYBN7lB2tLzPz7Bt0U6nmcvjj2TZgCC8MguQRn-P8A72b2dsyHQGY9VbR6FHoiRaaNkxV6sWgM2vw4WMTSiuLq-RBJhixbNuE5tgv1IBA0ZgkB1wXJTBoKqgGnacLWSQjrNAt-kE4DTzkNw_ZXRclRSpFc-Bp_DZ5k-iKZmvbg5jIqWS1SQ/w311-h415/IMG_2586.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The flashing flower crown wasn't originally intended to be part of the ensemble; Ballie Ballerson gave those out to us. But as you know, I'm <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2020/04/ootd-repping-my-favourite-and-least.html">partial to a flower crown</a>, in no small part to Florence Pugh making them iconic in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Midsommar</i> (I hate the film, but like the aesthetic).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiX5X3JLzo5vgsBv9kgsquUwNMmZ3mxpkURSP-ElesiHcUNkfTAI1Gf-dWu3mVJ_646UKNq2P28PEKMeJMsuIhksuvF2YYG7sl2PEwuMNu8qIrV0YZLa2eq8ZAkYh7SKbUt-aLQsyEjABBe66mSyLAwYDhAE_ZWYx1cY7W8STqM6SDLEjWXA/s2048/ba9cc731-93b7-4b47-afbc-b2689f07fd19.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiX5X3JLzo5vgsBv9kgsquUwNMmZ3mxpkURSP-ElesiHcUNkfTAI1Gf-dWu3mVJ_646UKNq2P28PEKMeJMsuIhksuvF2YYG7sl2PEwuMNu8qIrV0YZLa2eq8ZAkYh7SKbUt-aLQsyEjABBe66mSyLAwYDhAE_ZWYx1cY7W8STqM6SDLEjWXA/s320/ba9cc731-93b7-4b47-afbc-b2689f07fd19.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamRp94YDEzv2RpolKEELdS5b8hgbze77-L9q5NxGDy-rnckG14MUt4dX1Ud95aShNYY5NMzVwUSdX12jF8P3W1cLErw-g72I_v5fR_8ST4ZIZcMbi51vYR2yQI6EnNo5zqOI2HRvTSob91OUD7AvkkA11SzZzHGfcBbPJLh963KvhcoCKag/s1334/IMG_2532.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamRp94YDEzv2RpolKEELdS5b8hgbze77-L9q5NxGDy-rnckG14MUt4dX1Ud95aShNYY5NMzVwUSdX12jF8P3W1cLErw-g72I_v5fR_8ST4ZIZcMbi51vYR2yQI6EnNo5zqOI2HRvTSob91OUD7AvkkA11SzZzHGfcBbPJLh963KvhcoCKag/w343-h610/IMG_2532.JPG" width="343" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Something else that you may have discerned that I'm partial to <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2022/08/product-review-fenty-beauty-blush-and.html">from my make-up reviews</a>, is copious amounts of eye make-up. This is largely due to the influence of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Euphoria</i><span>,</span> a show that is very much style-over-substance, but the gorgeous and layered eye make-up on the show, is one of its main draws.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLSYuqD2oYn6bio39Kt9C1iEui939t76MyfO3oa38zCBCryL6TF3EJGwaObTJ0Vu-o3UzsJ7p0TxawUYgxbfRAfPkN0Kmpb8PHWrDGMNdT9k2m2y9llBD6O6KnGRJIjdRtx6PpPTsu7kutSPdqfgfCWkBJLTFsU5tXqS2-8pnC-9oZuve9Q/s1334/IMG_2563.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLSYuqD2oYn6bio39Kt9C1iEui939t76MyfO3oa38zCBCryL6TF3EJGwaObTJ0Vu-o3UzsJ7p0TxawUYgxbfRAfPkN0Kmpb8PHWrDGMNdT9k2m2y9llBD6O6KnGRJIjdRtx6PpPTsu7kutSPdqfgfCWkBJLTFsU5tXqS2-8pnC-9oZuve9Q/w275-h488/IMG_2563.JPG" width="275" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My attempt at such complex eyeshadow designs are far less successful, usually resulting in me just slathering too much MAC dazzle-shadow on indiscriminately. The end product? A creepy, slightly quirky Hallowe'en outfit, somewhat lacking in fidelity to <i style="font-weight: bold;">Midsommar</i> and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Euphoria</i>, but definitely very <u><b>me</b></u>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And let's face it, ballpits are <i>key</i> for unleashing your inner child!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyhTQ4v5ttkyLTxQr5CDwYiTh5RcB7xuTvUszuA2SgCm5GFKMxNRT5t83czcKCkV3FPzAW3jv6_m6o' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-41462895524451146812022-08-07T16:42:00.007+01:002022-08-13T15:56:02.647+01:00Product reviews: Fenty Beauty Crush on Cupid blush and Girl Next Door x Chic Phreak highlighter<div style="text-align: justify;">Fenty Beauty, the makeup brand from Rihanna, was launched in September 2017. It has been praised for its inclusivity, especially in offering products for skin tones where previously there had been scant choice.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fenty Beauty also broke down gender norms, with its products being accessible to men as well as women. One of its most high-profile advocates was Daniel Kaluuya, who wore shades 480 and 490 of the foundation when attending the <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2018/03/oscar-predictions-2018.html">2018 Oscars</a>, where he was nominated for Best Actor, and several media outlets commented on how glowy his skin looked.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I’ve discussed before on my blog, I have tended to be quite rigid in the makeup products that I use, with MAC constituting about 80% of my makeup collection.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4OX4YHVTxXRuaNCJgZTuJeZ-Nj05P4QlxQEIK8t0lT0AdK_n1e-awvDlVpcKrzDczMYoNSbD06RH2vx94_LflbNhlw41Xpv6wavc0CRrzCQKHyWKOMfE5eJDH9lVX5M__8dl4BO8M28BxMYxfJMovKy_O6O7-yrg69qFhM52XH2KKSxISg/s1334/IMG_4562.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4OX4YHVTxXRuaNCJgZTuJeZ-Nj05P4QlxQEIK8t0lT0AdK_n1e-awvDlVpcKrzDczMYoNSbD06RH2vx94_LflbNhlw41Xpv6wavc0CRrzCQKHyWKOMfE5eJDH9lVX5M__8dl4BO8M28BxMYxfJMovKy_O6O7-yrg69qFhM52XH2KKSxISg/w427-h240/IMG_4562.JPG" width="427" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But, following the positive word of mouth for Fenty Beauty (if it’s good enough for Danny Kaluuya, it has to be good enough for me!), along with the fact that I adore Rihanna’s music, I decided to see for myself, and treated myself to two products from the line – the blush and highlighter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>For the blush, I picked the shade <i><b>Crush on Cupid</b></i>. I loved the boldness of the colours on offer, and I was tempted to go with <i><b><a href="https://www.harveynichols.com/brand/fenty-beauty/809473-cheeks-out-freestyle-cream-blush-summertime-wine/p3842735/">Summertime Wine</a></b></i>, as I thought the slightly darker red would suit my olive-coloured skin. But in the end, I opted for the slightly more daring pink of the <i><b>Crush on Cupid</b></i>. Partly because pink is my favourite colour, and partly because the name of the shade evoked memories of chapter 4 of my fanfiction, <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/10/jack-grealish-kdb-fanfiction-chapter-4.html"><i><b>Red Light, Green Light</b></i></a>, particularly when Grealish was admiring De Bruyne’s Cupid’s bow top lip. <i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Not like me to shill my fanfiction at inopportune moments, now is it?</span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I absolutely love the cream blush, and it’s started to overtake the MAC powder blush Fleur Power as the shade I wear the most. Because the consistency is creamy, you can control how much you apply using your finger, and it blends into the face seamlessly. I find cream blushes more user-friendly than powder ones when you’re on the go, and I often apply my make-up when on the train to work, so the fact that this product is so nimble really suits my lifestyle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When I first bought it, I wondered if the colour was too audacious (photographed below). But once <i><b>Crush on Cupid</b></i> is applied evenly on the cheek area, it blends into the skin colour wonderfully, making my cheeks pop and contributing to a healthy glow-type look. I love this product!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlly7I50zvae137eTEGCxCrbAVYtakwnMMIM2POpB9VjoNpvmIgOzj28U-x6Xdyo0oDfu8og-rb2pcwyXPu9y9vLUG7lA6Fhq4ALRihAdhmMn19WM-ElvY2rdjH8X9DOnDdcb0z74hLjsAIZ6P1AZWJOMRbrrH45Us2hvmV2dav7gVtWGpHA/s1334/IMG_4572.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlly7I50zvae137eTEGCxCrbAVYtakwnMMIM2POpB9VjoNpvmIgOzj28U-x6Xdyo0oDfu8og-rb2pcwyXPu9y9vLUG7lA6Fhq4ALRihAdhmMn19WM-ElvY2rdjH8X9DOnDdcb0z74hLjsAIZ6P1AZWJOMRbrrH45Us2hvmV2dav7gVtWGpHA/w296-h526/IMG_4572.JPG" width="296" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">There are seven shades of the Fenty Beauty highlighter available. Two come in one tone (Trophy Wife, Wattabrat), whereas the other five shades come in two tones. I went for the <i><b>Girl Next Door</b></i> x <i><b>Chic Phreak </b></i>combination. The colour on the left is a soft pink sheen, and the colour on the right is a peachy pink shimmer. (You can probably tell I like pink make-up products).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Highlighter is the make-up product that I think one can have the most fun with (see my <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/02/product-review-mac-hyper-real-glow.html">previous review</a> of a MAC Get it Glowin' highlighter palette), and I really like the effect that Fenty’s highlighter has on my appearance. The palette coming in two shades means you and pick and choose how much you apply of either. <i><b>Girl Next Door </b></i>is much more subtle, so if you wanted to go for the ‘no make-up make-up look’, I’d recommend using that.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In my usual office look, I apply about two layers of the <i><b>Girl Next Door</b></i>, and then three of the <i><b>Chic Phreak</b></i>. This gives my cheeks some extra dimension, without overdoing it on the shimmer. However, if I were to go to an evening event, I’d apply more of <i><b>Chic Phreak</b></i> to really bring out the sparkle of the pigment. As usual, I apply a little dab of the highlighter to the tip of the nose, just to create the 'button nose'-type effect. ☺️</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDG53u1hPMH34UNtdaEqrYg11tHeTFTK60TWKLNoI8_92lgam0skidmmp1pSc3R9oBivesBJR1NMu9aMhAGK7ru1pPoXQSMM_jBhzxePi2iEupBBHQYWYrVkFvyOU-ykDQeFYkt60P29MFt9ma6yPYUTHqCwSM2UjMCQQszhht2Db5keMmzw/s798/4020B510-B320-486D-A043-E5A1DA8665A4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="746" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDG53u1hPMH34UNtdaEqrYg11tHeTFTK60TWKLNoI8_92lgam0skidmmp1pSc3R9oBivesBJR1NMu9aMhAGK7ru1pPoXQSMM_jBhzxePi2iEupBBHQYWYrVkFvyOU-ykDQeFYkt60P29MFt9ma6yPYUTHqCwSM2UjMCQQszhht2Db5keMmzw/s320/4020B510-B320-486D-A043-E5A1DA8665A4.JPG" width="299" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Because the highlighter is so pigmented, you only need a little bit on the brush and it’ll give you plenty of coverage, meaning the product has excellent longevity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To conclude, I’m a big fan of both of these products! The cream blush was £21 and the highlighter was £28, and they are very reasonably priced for the quality of the product. Below are some selfies / photos of me wearing both the items. When the blush is worn with the highlighter, my skin looks extra gleaming. Thank you Rihanna! Watch this space for more Fenty Beauty reviews!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>In the photos below, I am wearing MAC concealer and various shades of MAC dazzleshadow eyeshadow, in addition to the two Fenty products reviewed</i>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3R84E_VQQNAejkAkmmUpW3N638iiA6y4mC2JF_XnIlYRZhKaIM5li1d8GnGZ7KnFdkX3YrzXyvUFwCBtmasisfpJnGRJsaTGYvA-mStduRer2-5b-yU4akpPWe_u1fVvxjXx5Wi0lb-IpYGq4uyGVpwP7rZG2lKeBgpW9V2jJHR40ceePw/s2320/IMG_6192.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="1499" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3R84E_VQQNAejkAkmmUpW3N638iiA6y4mC2JF_XnIlYRZhKaIM5li1d8GnGZ7KnFdkX3YrzXyvUFwCBtmasisfpJnGRJsaTGYvA-mStduRer2-5b-yU4akpPWe_u1fVvxjXx5Wi0lb-IpYGq4uyGVpwP7rZG2lKeBgpW9V2jJHR40ceePw/w277-h428/IMG_6192.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4po37MmQ3paVtDpP11lPg5x1sLQSEthuBUQ5GbjQtNL2c34720cvOW1xxP_Grd8qGQs5k_7MmkquXOZGrI4Jk_TymHkvEdGRsfmgrqdfEq5e5GqL5TPWRfENUJB6gcem63Kh2Kcsb8mIJtsCXP8uKsq_sHE8xJ5oNwWC39q4Q4TYSpg5vw/s1334/IMG_6355.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4po37MmQ3paVtDpP11lPg5x1sLQSEthuBUQ5GbjQtNL2c34720cvOW1xxP_Grd8qGQs5k_7MmkquXOZGrI4Jk_TymHkvEdGRsfmgrqdfEq5e5GqL5TPWRfENUJB6gcem63Kh2Kcsb8mIJtsCXP8uKsq_sHE8xJ5oNwWC39q4Q4TYSpg5vw/w288-h512/IMG_6355.JPG" width="288" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CwkTdfmAkQYE1TJiqaf2PoWKAEnxsk72W6e5mQ2zCgYPZ0DYTqQBwRmp4cj_mOH7rOIQKl7XGeKtaQ-UvmavHxItCHHOFDnjNRviWTYJ-yJdSXFX3N6FsReTl15fDaejcEhs493-LfJ5IOCSXVHZBTew4zaUmb31ESSY5Hj_CYxDtUGwkg/s1334/IMG_6461.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CwkTdfmAkQYE1TJiqaf2PoWKAEnxsk72W6e5mQ2zCgYPZ0DYTqQBwRmp4cj_mOH7rOIQKl7XGeKtaQ-UvmavHxItCHHOFDnjNRviWTYJ-yJdSXFX3N6FsReTl15fDaejcEhs493-LfJ5IOCSXVHZBTew4zaUmb31ESSY5Hj_CYxDtUGwkg/w290-h516/IMG_6461.JPG" width="290" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rocking my Ben Chilwell Chelsea shirt!</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4aeXeTWdhh1X1DQrtCmD74bImXjlZs4az5eqvaWjRCVSklauvl5nn6haQGAXgEqFUqaB0FexW40z4LsMt6RMQ-MYtEZaxwhWJl__KeFXdsdJrEh8_bZcNF5FrJQGnYbsQIkRhqiRs8wJU6wHg5KNHdGTUNvV-ePKZyAB0Xl7ng90jhC0ww/s2592/IMG_7592.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="2038" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4aeXeTWdhh1X1DQrtCmD74bImXjlZs4az5eqvaWjRCVSklauvl5nn6haQGAXgEqFUqaB0FexW40z4LsMt6RMQ-MYtEZaxwhWJl__KeFXdsdJrEh8_bZcNF5FrJQGnYbsQIkRhqiRs8wJU6wHg5KNHdGTUNvV-ePKZyAB0Xl7ng90jhC0ww/w328-h417/IMG_7592.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you'd like me to review your make-up products, drop me an email at lemon_and_lime7@hotmail.com. <span style="text-align: left;">For more of my skincare and beauty product reviews, click <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/p/product-reviews.html">here</a>.</span></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-25279877288239429722022-02-23T15:37:00.003+00:002022-02-23T15:37:17.670+00:00Review: Extreme Caffeine Sweet Cold Brew Coffee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBcbizWb9cki9NIYDR_vbj7UHMP7kAmE2hbw_mXwsH6u8f_WM6C9m-0mewPmlegI8t6hCcltpcj9W9F5TYoySC1CgXgPiBqqM5Y7tC8AYJYFccvQIeRf2xCRvt9nfD--VN_2mSLYYiDnmcC_0O-Y3DLGow8b-88icMA5TXV_HqprygVYz4qw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBcbizWb9cki9NIYDR_vbj7UHMP7kAmE2hbw_mXwsH6u8f_WM6C9m-0mewPmlegI8t6hCcltpcj9W9F5TYoySC1CgXgPiBqqM5Y7tC8AYJYFccvQIeRf2xCRvt9nfD--VN_2mSLYYiDnmcC_0O-Y3DLGow8b-88icMA5TXV_HqprygVYz4qw=w404-h303" width="404" /></a></div><br /><div>When I have an upcoming deadline at work, or need to concentrate for an intense study session, I drink Extreme Caffeine – Sweet Cold Brew coffee. It’s ideal for a strong hit of energy to focus the mind and body. </div> <br />
<span><a name='more'></a></span>It has four times the amount of caffeine a regular coffee has, allowing me to stay alert. But this isn’t at the expense of flavour. It tastes great, no bitterness, but instead featuring strong notes of caramel, hazelnut, and macadamia.<br /> <br />
The beans used in the drink are Arabica and Robusta, and Sweet Cold Brew Coffee doesn’t contain any dairy. It just feels healthier than the sugar-lathered drinks you’d get at Starbucks, and that’s because it has been brewed for 14 hours over spring water.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPRXcu_vO6jSNT3b1KyiakCpSha_ii1VprX_rsalKPjPea4RWfsrUlc5iI4e9y1yVxLZ0SPH58Jp52XG8Ayq6xZnSk3JXNrwOxjPx0YvaxAx1htsITxI-JbVgy9US8wUV6sjYEcu_X5a0EmI7afMJd4HeLvE0wuMgllU7jETK8IPV4-mze0Q=s1334" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPRXcu_vO6jSNT3b1KyiakCpSha_ii1VprX_rsalKPjPea4RWfsrUlc5iI4e9y1yVxLZ0SPH58Jp52XG8Ayq6xZnSk3JXNrwOxjPx0YvaxAx1htsITxI-JbVgy9US8wUV6sjYEcu_X5a0EmI7afMJd4HeLvE0wuMgllU7jETK8IPV4-mze0Q=w386-h217" width="386" /></a></div><br /><div>My productivity and focus definitely improves when I have one of these drinks, so they will definitely become a staple during my exam period!</div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-3897393072778917712022-02-13T14:54:00.004+00:002022-02-13T15:04:31.065+00:00Review of five Maison Margiela perfume samplers<div style="text-align: justify;">In my review of the <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/11/review-look-fantastic-scent-edit-autumn.html">LookFantastic Autumn Scent Edit</a>, I commented that I couldn’t see the fuss around Maison Margiela’s Lazy Sunday Morning fragrance. On FeelUnique, the site where I have been getting five perfume samplers for the last few months to share my thoughts on here, had several other Maison Margiela fragrances as samplers, I thought this would be an opportune moment to see if my ‘meh’ response to Lazy Sunday Morning was an anomaly, or if this brand as a whole wasn’t to my taste. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUgOR-fWgdBscfve2NU33zfBA5n8olxiwSC7la_ulUQ40MjZwrn-J-eTl_bY70tx68G_xT8h3esMOZllkAwBFSjvncLE9DRYI6JVqZFKOd2cqgRKNXaIRtxsDUxfpGrdzAC-MHNAKbidSCDFS2Ht1EkgHPu4ppHzDGgbAdd8uemxrVY8YVdg=s1334" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUgOR-fWgdBscfve2NU33zfBA5n8olxiwSC7la_ulUQ40MjZwrn-J-eTl_bY70tx68G_xT8h3esMOZllkAwBFSjvncLE9DRYI6JVqZFKOd2cqgRKNXaIRtxsDUxfpGrdzAC-MHNAKbidSCDFS2Ht1EkgHPu4ppHzDGgbAdd8uemxrVY8YVdg=w434-h244" width="434" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span><a name='more'></a></span>Springtime in the Park</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Unlike some of the other Maison Margiela fragrances that will be spotlighted in this blog post, I’ll give props to Springtime in the Park for the fact that it actually aimed to smell like a perfume, with its floral components. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately, whilst the components showed promise, the formula was seriously lacking. Mixed together, the end product was really synthetic and noxious. After application, I got a headache from Springtime in the Park, likely due to the questionable choice of pairing lily of the valley with white musk. Collectively, that meant there were too many white florals in the perfume, a scent that <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/01/review-of-five-perfume-samples-from_31.html">I can only tolerate in sparing doses, at best</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The description of Springtime in the Park is of ‘<i>blossoms and fruity notes</i>’. Blossoms and fruit never smelt this artificial. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>4/10 </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Matcha Meditation </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All of the Replica scents have a place and era they’re trying to evoke, and Matcha Meditation’s is Tokyo in 2008. With ingredients of green tea, bergamot, mandarin orange, jasmine, mate, orange blossom, white chocolate, moss and cedar, the perfume does give off a zen vibe. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I’m not convinced that tea makes for the most compelling perfumes, as they are a rather laid-back ingredient, and I like my perfumes to be punchier and more attention-grabbing. But the initial soothing hit of matcha morphs into something more floral and candy-like as the perfume dries down. The interaction with skin is a slight smell, but sweet enough. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>6/10 </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>By the Fireplace </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was by this point that I was questioning whether some of the Maison Margiela scents were authentic products, or if the creators had put them out there, to stress test what the most audacious fragrance was that they could get away with putting out, and people would still buy, purely due to the Margiela brand. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">By the Fireplace aims to evoke Chamonix in 1971, and is meant to smell like burning wood and chestnut. On that front, it achieves its aims. But my question is… <i>why</i>? Perfumes are supposed to smell fragrant, so why would I want to walk around smelling like a chimney? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">By the Fireplace does try to make the formula more palatable, but balancing it out with vanilla, orange blossom and juniper, but the firewood core is just too strong. On reaction with the skin, this concoction just smells of stale cigarette smoke, and that’s a smell that instantly fills me with unease. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>3/10 </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj081DMxMpGoUktcgjSJ2q-kanEHt64f__urodyMJlk7J_8PuX2qSfs8QhS6J81olE6zmnq_Wch32nyK_K_qY4-OWrCsjozfJXg1d5JimqELrlgv-ppvLz5k85R-o9JQhVX-hYwhawDSiblnqs3yvulkBMeZ0AWoDFCWzeGTG8m4fZdmPjjrw=s997" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="748" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj081DMxMpGoUktcgjSJ2q-kanEHt64f__urodyMJlk7J_8PuX2qSfs8QhS6J81olE6zmnq_Wch32nyK_K_qY4-OWrCsjozfJXg1d5JimqELrlgv-ppvLz5k85R-o9JQhVX-hYwhawDSiblnqs3yvulkBMeZ0AWoDFCWzeGTG8m4fZdmPjjrw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Jazz Club </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As with By the Fireplace, this was another scent I couldn’t take to, due to its proximity to smoking. In Jazz Club’s case, tobacco leaf is its main base note, so a large component of its smell is of one of those old-school-style cigars that I presume the creators of this fragrance envisaged people smoking in jazz clubs. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Intended to capture the ‘<i>masculine and exhilarating ambiance of New York jazz clubs</i>’, I was distinctly un-exhilarated by Jazz Club. The combination of rum and tobacco was too on the nose, and rather than evoking the classy bars they were probably picturing, it instead smelt like a dirty dive pub where there are alcohol stains on the floor. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There’s a vague hint of pollution from Jazz Club, so in that regard, the scent is doing the exact <u>opposite</u> of what a perfume should be doing – evoking unsavoury smells, rather than masking then. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>3/10 </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaXfMtQ0Q7XMH2nTYLVU32ZBfmLPFi1Qsurh8yBaPNwAESt2ozahLc8BTDLMtJo6mrzKjQacA8ubLca9aZWeQ9y95CZjfWpaKA_faFeNjF9v2Zhiy3YGEuAx1uuidEutK2BpKmjxNl9zLDKEjhFGT4QboptOdomMBBX7Ukp4w6v6OiO3pF3A=s1334" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaXfMtQ0Q7XMH2nTYLVU32ZBfmLPFi1Qsurh8yBaPNwAESt2ozahLc8BTDLMtJo6mrzKjQacA8ubLca9aZWeQ9y95CZjfWpaKA_faFeNjF9v2Zhiy3YGEuAx1uuidEutK2BpKmjxNl9zLDKEjhFGT4QboptOdomMBBX7Ukp4w6v6OiO3pF3A=w427-h240" width="427" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mutiny</b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mutiny is an orange-heavy fragrance, containing both orange and mandarin orange as the top notes. One of the middle notes is tuberose, which, in the way it’s been utilised in the formula, threatens to give Mutiny a somewhat plastic-like smell. The drydown has a pleasantly bubblegum smell to it, and the sillage is not too overpowering, making it a suitable workplace perfume. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At £89 for just 50ml of Mutiny, this product is very over-priced. It smells perfectly fine, and compared to some of the whackier Maison Margiela scents that I’ve described in this blog post, it’s one of their better offerings. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But that price point is massively inflated, and you can get much better bang for your buck with a gorgeous Lancome or YSL fragrance. Thus, I’m getting ‘emperor’s new clothes’ vibes from Maison Margiela products. I really do not see the hype. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>6/10</b></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-23115038334297369902022-01-04T22:08:00.007+00:002022-01-08T20:45:27.670+00:00Review of five perfume samplers from FeelUnique - part 8<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOhaH3Bltiy5R0L1yfbAi-psYAVPKRY8Z8Vl8CkVjT8ELlTsiV5prmOZQk4ghD4wJ6OrCLQJV15UQRBlVUD-R0LuRELeAeypicN7Nh68l7JDYnE2C-nqDy-4wbUL4hWUJdADQtG-D7W3JTyDeSW6PliClgwHM64tuWuqFFoGAhWaXxnyiTPg=s1334" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOhaH3Bltiy5R0L1yfbAi-psYAVPKRY8Z8Vl8CkVjT8ELlTsiV5prmOZQk4ghD4wJ6OrCLQJV15UQRBlVUD-R0LuRELeAeypicN7Nh68l7JDYnE2C-nqDy-4wbUL4hWUJdADQtG-D7W3JTyDeSW6PliClgwHM64tuWuqFFoGAhWaXxnyiTPg=w483-h272" width="483" /></a></div><br /><p>You know the drill by now – my brief thoughts on five little samples of perfumes!</p><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Alive by Hugo Boss Eau de Parfum</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With top notes of Madagascar vanilla, plum, cinnamon, apple and blackcurrant, there’s no denying that the creators of Alive EDP were aiming for a distinctively fruity scent. The middle notes of jasmine sambac and thyme, and base notes sandalwood, cedar and olive tree aim to complement the traces of fruit with woodsy scents.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>Some have commented on the similarity between Boss Alive EDP with YSL Libre (which I’ve sampled not <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2020/09/thoughts-on-five-perfume-samples.html">once</a> but <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/11/review-look-fantastic-scent-edit-autumn.html">twice</a>), but, whereas YSL has an androgynous smell from initial application to the end, Alive smells more feminine when you first put it on. However, the drydrowns of the two are indeed similar, with the musky smell of the cedar coming to the fore.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It’s this almost-cigarette-like quality of the drydown, why I couldn’t fully embrace Alive EDP. I liked its freshness at the start, but it morphed into a completely different fragrance by the end, that was more manly than I like my perfumes to be.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>6/10</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Alive by Hugo Boss Eau de Toilette</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The EDT version of Alive by Hugo Boss has broadly the same middle and bottom notes as the EDP. However, the top notes of the EDT are mandarin orange, apple, magnolia and lemon. The presence of magnolia is a potential red flag, as I have historically not gotten on with white floral fragrances, but the dosage of it here means Alive EDT is not as cloying as other white floral perfumes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That said, there’s nothing particularly stand out about Alive EDT. On initial spray, the citrusy elements are revealed, giving the perfume a nice zesty hit. This soon evaporates, however, and then Alive begins to give off a vibe that’s the opposite of its name.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The woody undertones smell generic, indistinguishable to a woody-smelling body spray, for example. You can discern the floral and fruity ingredients, but they’re not blended together with that much intricacy, so it just smells like a derivative dump of smells.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>5/10</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As underwhelmed as I was with the Alive EDP and EDT fragrances, I will say that Laura Harrier (who has been a long-running girlcrush of the writer, making the most gorgeous actresses in a <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2019/03/10-most-attractive-women-in-2018-film.html">2018</a> and <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2018/01/most-attractive-women-in-2017-film.html">2017</a> film list) looks as lovely as ever in the promotional stills for it!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNKnEy4jNBNOdlcc2TU6RBgQgFWvzgztaLM8qBvE8hgLMkrOVsAquiRa1x12YFrbA7j2tqwPXeNiAdlJ4lf91NJqgJzxfZRq7wa0Ciq-4OM3oOzYGtpipJAEztljC3OpEbgvtzNS4agqjeIvtoCeGu2xsXHIur5BEBG62lgrD5qa2hdHF9IQ=s2000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="461" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNKnEy4jNBNOdlcc2TU6RBgQgFWvzgztaLM8qBvE8hgLMkrOVsAquiRa1x12YFrbA7j2tqwPXeNiAdlJ4lf91NJqgJzxfZRq7wa0Ciq-4OM3oOzYGtpipJAEztljC3OpEbgvtzNS4agqjeIvtoCeGu2xsXHIur5BEBG62lgrD5qa2hdHF9IQ=w346-h461" width="346" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If only the perfumers could have concocted a fragrance that matched her beauty!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Alien Goddess by Mugler</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alien Goddess contains top notes of coconut water and bergamot, middle notes of jasmine and heliotrope, and base notes of bourbon vanilla and cashmeran. I have to admit, I’m not a big admirer of coconut, so I didn’t think I would like this scent, but it worked surprisingly well in Alien Goddess.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The main reason for this was the judicious choice of vanilla to pair the coconut with. You generally can’t go wrong with vanilla in perfumes, and it complements the coconut effectively, enhancing the more fragrant elements of the coconut smell, rather than the components I usually find sickly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The drydown of Alien Goddess gave me bougie vibes, which are the bergamot and cashmere coming to the fore. Due to its powdery smell, I think the scent is probably better suited to New York than London, so I wouldn’t buy it. But it was nice to wear when sampling it, and I was particularly impressed with the longevity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>7.5/10</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKg0RHEhOVsSaCKqda0d9gwTOSIcTl26B-NG2Oc4BUsGhtyE-FGoY6wNn1ByrCKEiBrMhuvUPUdEyeQNoblbI7iZSi0Xquo_8dWg65Zc2PJCYWQfmwEuHVoJgrWeUo9imsinZsjR48g8A-ypKoBC4kuWnsN_NJEUJsH4PYBQw5B1Khgt1evw=s1334" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="487" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKg0RHEhOVsSaCKqda0d9gwTOSIcTl26B-NG2Oc4BUsGhtyE-FGoY6wNn1ByrCKEiBrMhuvUPUdEyeQNoblbI7iZSi0Xquo_8dWg65Zc2PJCYWQfmwEuHVoJgrWeUo9imsinZsjR48g8A-ypKoBC4kuWnsN_NJEUJsH4PYBQw5B1Khgt1evw=w274-h487" width="274" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Gucci Flora – Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Gorgeous Gardenia iteration of Gucci Flora is a distinctive fragrance, containing pear blossom, gardenia, jasmine, brown sugar and patchouli. With these ingredients, the perfumers were aiming to create a scent that was ‘unusual, sensual and intense’.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To that end, I agree that Gorgeous Gardenia is unusual. It smells sweet, and this is mainly due to the presence of brown sugar, which is a relatively infrequently used ingredient in perfumes. However, I didn’t find the fragrance particularly sensual, but instead, a little too on the delicate and dainty side.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In fact, brown sugar aside, I thought Gorgeous Gardenia played it too safe. As such, the end product smells like a nice shampoo. Pretty, but not enough for me to want to splash out on it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>7/10</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Daisy Love by Marc Jacobs</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The original Daisy fragrance is one of my favourite perfumes, so much so, that it’s one of the few that I own a full-sized bottle of:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlT88vfGRMKAzNtK-jLSUkWLODAIYEA8TB28Rl5xtoWuGkriKFoRDrWJD8CWbZNLl2ag4DkGiLT-lbFpWn_m54Z2v7OoqhwArfVNEO93lcS2EVy6J5g9u4DqoVMENwQjz7SZt0rQO8KTOyUP3qlXlWcuWteznprDc610Wsy-idZV2W-zOqgQ=s1136" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1136" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlT88vfGRMKAzNtK-jLSUkWLODAIYEA8TB28Rl5xtoWuGkriKFoRDrWJD8CWbZNLl2ag4DkGiLT-lbFpWn_m54Z2v7OoqhwArfVNEO93lcS2EVy6J5g9u4DqoVMENwQjz7SZt0rQO8KTOyUP3qlXlWcuWteznprDc610Wsy-idZV2W-zOqgQ=w398-h261" width="398" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Whilst this updated version is pleasant enough on the nose, retaining the light aroma of Daisy, there is a slight case of ‘<i>too many cooks spoil the broth</i>’ here.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For example, in the base notes, they’ve swapped white wood and vanilla with cashmere musk and driftwood. Daisy's top notes, of violet leaf, blood grapefruit and strawberry are replaced by cloudberry. The culmination of these changes, is that a plastic-y smell has crept into the update, that wasn’t present in the original.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Add in the fact that Daisy Love has barely any projection, and the original Daisy very much remains the O.G.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>6/10</b></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-82632219318045211162021-12-31T18:23:00.004+00:002021-12-31T19:06:56.546+00:00Book review: ACTUARIAL FAIRY TALES (John Lee)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtEJpNnLOEvAhL-g3tkdrsvLwOypCI2s0TpYbDN9tCVIP_8u7vqs3j3QmSqF_kSrXAPEvpT31mymOEahB_W-6YK6DfW0Ie9Be-yrcPJ-RGhgoJ4cpmZXni4YxWVT3q3q7q0yWzZ55K3geHJe8awtBpYCxYx39jg-yIn5FkcZbBAoAQuXUJVA=s1187" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="748" height="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtEJpNnLOEvAhL-g3tkdrsvLwOypCI2s0TpYbDN9tCVIP_8u7vqs3j3QmSqF_kSrXAPEvpT31mymOEahB_W-6YK6DfW0Ie9Be-yrcPJ-RGhgoJ4cpmZXni4YxWVT3q3q7q0yWzZ55K3geHJe8awtBpYCxYx39jg-yIn5FkcZbBAoAQuXUJVA=w317-h501" width="317" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">John Lee, who gave us the eccentric joys of <i><b><a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2019/12/book-review-confessions-of-actuarial.html">Confessions of an Actuarial Tutor</a></b></i>, turns his brand of nerdy humour into re-telling well-known fairytales, such as <b><i>The Three Little Pigs</i></b>, <b><i>Sleeping Beauty</i></b> and <b><i>Goldilocks</i></b>, with an actuarial slant. The results are cerebral, engrossing and often laugh-out-loud hilarious.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>There is joy to be found in every paragraph. Whether it’s in character’s names changing to match copula theory in CS2 (<i><b>Hansel and Gretel</b></i> is renamed <i><b>Hansel and Gumbel</b></i>), or the way actuarial parlance is peppered into the storytelling (witty turns of phrases like ‘diversified portfolio of dwarves and ‘short tactical asset re-allocation’, or the way a character changes from animal to human being described as a ‘transition’), or the way the action is updated to fit into actuarial occupations. So, for example, instead of the Queen in <i><b>Snow White </b></i>giving her a poisoned apple, she instead sells her junk bonds that lead our naïve princess to bankruptcy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In <i><b><a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2019/12/book-review-confessions-of-actuarial.html">Confessions of an Actuarial Tutor</a></b></i>, John Lee had lots of fun in sending up accountants, and this motif is entertainingly employed here, with the intellectual gap between actuaries and accountants setting up some of the book’s cheekiest jokes. In <i><b>Actuarial Fairy Tales,</b></i> recruiters are also the butt of jokes, being the nefarious baddie in lots of the morality tales. Naturally, the way that recruiters operate have been exaggerated for comedic effect, but there’s definitely a grain of truth in the book’s depiction of their pushy salesman-like tactics.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While the message of a lot of fables tends to be that if you do good, you will see a happy ending, this optimistic tone is not afforded the actuaries in several of the stories in this book, who are put through the ringer in the name of juggling their demanding jobs whilst sitting mentally gruelling FIA exams, and yet a happy ending still eschews them. Which is bleak, but rather more reflective of reality. At least the wit of John Lee’s writing helps the medicine go down.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The actuarial flourishes to the storytelling mean that classic fables, many of which no longer hold up to scrutiny when read with modern sensibilities, are made infinitely more enjoyable than their source material. The cheesiness and contrivances of fairy tales are acknowledged in John Lee’s stories. One such example is in <i><b>Beauty and Beast</b></i>, when Belle’s only wish for her father’s voyage, is the saccharine one that he’d return safely. The cloyingness of this line is highlighted and ridiculed appropriately. Another hilarious statistical observation was of the ‘<i>near perfect correlation between fairy tales and princes wandering in woods</i>’.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">John Lee has a great comprehension of what worked well about the fairytales his stories are based on, and what worked less well. This means his re-tellings retain the whimsical plot points of the original, with less of the archaic messages. As many of the characters in the stories are trainee actuaries, they seem to be a lot more switched on than their callow counterparts in the original stories, and in my opinion, this makes them easier to root for.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For example, in <i><b>Little Red Riding Hood</b></i>, rather than blindly believing what the wolf said, she does exercise discernment, conducting hypothesis testing when the wolf tells her that he’s a grandmother. In The Actuarial Princess and the p-value, rather than a pea being placed under her mattress, it was a piece of paper that quoted pi inaccurately. By using obstacles that are related to Maths, these make the conflicts of the stories more relatable, rather than the fables, many which are set in past eras, and thus have conflicts that a no longer relevant.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For all of the caprice of <i><b>Actuarial Fairy Tales</b></i>, it also treats the reader’s actuarial capabilities with respect. R code, Excel commands and bookwork from the FIA exams are sprinkled throughout the storytelling, and John wisely avoids dumbing down the theory or over-explaining the concepts, which would have detracted from the flow of the stories. By not spoon-feeding the reader every line, it also means the reader gets a great sense of satisfaction when they’ve understood an inspired double-entendre like ‘<i>his Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process meant he kept reverting to being mean</i>’.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">John Lee expects the reader to be familiar with concepts such as the aforementioned, knowing that if you’ve bought this book, you’re probably an actuary or trainee actuary, and thus, likely to be au fait with these concepts. This means that, two things that perhaps wouldn’t seem to go together on paper – fairy tales and complex financial mathematics, manage to blend together seamlessly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I mentioned in my review of <i><b><a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2019/12/book-review-confessions-of-actuarial.html">Confessions of an Actuarial Tutor</a></b></i> that John Lee was always three steps ahead of his more low-energy students. That was clearly an understatement; being able to think of ways to repackage fairytales in actuarial theory is a higher-order skill that very few could have carried off with aplomb. John’s beautiful mind has gifted us this delight of a book; I can’t wait to see what he thinks up next.</div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-16894924455899340182021-12-17T20:05:00.003+00:002021-12-17T20:15:54.710+00:00Sponsored post: RINSTA fashion, glamorous Y2K fits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRae1zdQtJZwSc75qTGxScP9gR0Vm8E8FuxEZaUMh5iNVJu834yUw0JjEsi392UW3WuhfNCUzTCJGf6o3Zn5gd6nHXdQzIwAR--afkWbC3cPKFPZtIMvloyjF1V6fWMfxJudcvTs170Z3q_9MRF8FXjDEP7Ku-lRxRP_TeIayx_1BN_KMtmw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRae1zdQtJZwSc75qTGxScP9gR0Vm8E8FuxEZaUMh5iNVJu834yUw0JjEsi392UW3WuhfNCUzTCJGf6o3Zn5gd6nHXdQzIwAR--afkWbC3cPKFPZtIMvloyjF1V6fWMfxJudcvTs170Z3q_9MRF8FXjDEP7Ku-lRxRP_TeIayx_1BN_KMtmw=w306-h408" width="306" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="text-align: justify;">I was kindly sent two cardigans from </span><a href="https://shoprinsta.com/?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=12383bio" style="text-align: justify;">RINSTA</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, a hot new website that specialises in Y2K-style aesthetic. Here are some snaps of me in said cardigans!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlxrPk17AyAtS5vsV2Fd6SmgnBBDSPsmrc9O1iROmR3xPwc2fk95rLfLNYal3BgrZQpKzNky-c9mt4W8__RRATvWI_Vch009TfYVPr3gHWL5Y6kcLB3KNua1NN3LRW63hcDp1HcTIOsZltaslM5_gCme0Ds8PZZCQzIEyVvzsCrrwKZiZySA=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlxrPk17AyAtS5vsV2Fd6SmgnBBDSPsmrc9O1iROmR3xPwc2fk95rLfLNYal3BgrZQpKzNky-c9mt4W8__RRATvWI_Vch009TfYVPr3gHWL5Y6kcLB3KNua1NN3LRW63hcDp1HcTIOsZltaslM5_gCme0Ds8PZZCQzIEyVvzsCrrwKZiZySA=w307-h409" width="307" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The first is this adorable pink cherry cropped cardigan. I love the contrast between the vivid red used for the cherries and the baby pink. The red buttons are seriously cute, and I love the detailing of the cherries, including the green of the stalks. 💖</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvXDJic1sZ_IeuXwILVzPXhJNK04fHUougP-SgqRZEUO5jCCGi_pdKSrIyl_fx-PgGuP3DbdMk1KxXzeB4Cwh6PugfxxKLns3CBPCFleGV3m0cMl0WlVYmp6ntOFoO9tSZEtW7BwPEQvYFZTcNMf3NKxp7FjBLprBbuentd7QHSMjhE0WXiw=s1334" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvXDJic1sZ_IeuXwILVzPXhJNK04fHUougP-SgqRZEUO5jCCGi_pdKSrIyl_fx-PgGuP3DbdMk1KxXzeB4Cwh6PugfxxKLns3CBPCFleGV3m0cMl0WlVYmp6ntOFoO9tSZEtW7BwPEQvYFZTcNMf3NKxp7FjBLprBbuentd7QHSMjhE0WXiw=w267-h475" width="267" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As shown in the photos, it pairs well with a plain T-shirt underneath the cardigan (to highlight the cropped fit), and a miniskirt. The cardigan looks great button or unbuttoned.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I used the same white T-shirt, denim miniskirt and knee-high boots combination with the second cardigan, a lilac daisy knit: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPABUl0EhMHMFSkLS-VFL-_a0z0Wnvn872mg8B62dGZJPzXd7ry-QFu6_FGkIY9fh_XY7I-oGcD057dNsI0lLftRIb2oOcRGS3xGiiiC-G1ScFBiUbegma5ycJOLehoc566ckyCeaX2PVHD8r8Xxym_1O1eblsEHaLTO4PAQOS7c59H-q1Wg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPABUl0EhMHMFSkLS-VFL-_a0z0Wnvn872mg8B62dGZJPzXd7ry-QFu6_FGkIY9fh_XY7I-oGcD057dNsI0lLftRIb2oOcRGS3xGiiiC-G1ScFBiUbegma5ycJOLehoc566ckyCeaX2PVHD8r8Xxym_1O1eblsEHaLTO4PAQOS7c59H-q1Wg=w313-h417" width="313" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This cardigan is made of a slightly thicker material than the cherry one, making it ideal for looking glamorous in the winter. I think the balance of the size and number of flowers on the sweater is ideal – not too many which would look cluttered, but enough so that you notice them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgFyfbrVcxbSs6N_cpRRcX2ZHjFegH0DObxXVvm2iViD5PpsCier4DPEo7HDmOjN3SQkqnjSNdkFkaX3q9twc0_IFTFbJuuNiy6SLlrLNdAEw0Xvt538BaVWIKTO4_tPF5XvJJ3qarroH07d-uYN_Z0QDdVwbxkZN6wpP3zIfIuGY_wMkDhw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgFyfbrVcxbSs6N_cpRRcX2ZHjFegH0DObxXVvm2iViD5PpsCier4DPEo7HDmOjN3SQkqnjSNdkFkaX3q9twc0_IFTFbJuuNiy6SLlrLNdAEw0Xvt538BaVWIKTO4_tPF5XvJJ3qarroH07d-uYN_Z0QDdVwbxkZN6wpP3zIfIuGY_wMkDhw=w342-h456" width="342" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The white of my T-shirt really brings out the white of the daisies. Again, the button choice is on point, old-style buttons to contrast with the Y2K vibe of the floral print. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I really love pastel colours, so these two cardigans fitted in with my dream style (feminine and cute) perfectly! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIvAinglTX4C5py8OCDEzbFRQyfYe-e4kEQ3Z6lMEguF1QWgGv8F57BZM4y7rZhAe27qGZqKESj9kq9_4qr5FUK--5ke80ExUiaTkvnK6-JjZYF-GD0LagR4e8VyLYV2CgZ5Wchx85me7m3wbZEguHcuOn90xlP6OXP7teR_g2cZLNHPxcNg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIvAinglTX4C5py8OCDEzbFRQyfYe-e4kEQ3Z6lMEguF1QWgGv8F57BZM4y7rZhAe27qGZqKESj9kq9_4qr5FUK--5ke80ExUiaTkvnK6-JjZYF-GD0LagR4e8VyLYV2CgZ5Wchx85me7m3wbZEguHcuOn90xlP6OXP7teR_g2cZLNHPxcNg=w280-h373" width="280" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">RINSTA currently have discount codes available: </div><b>TA15 for 15% off </b><div><b>TA20 for 20% off if order over $65</b><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So what are you waiting for? Check them out for the trendiest, most unique Y2K looks around!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUXtW9eB17HeaSIgO2OuAPmafi9rOLzNkdVfds9_ORHV6Gaju7nzWBa8UGWCp71oECXEpch5tURMZIzyzLLsvuBsMY9HE37v1C82QU2qO3Bl-Xgh2Sp00981nPouXcOnFtjwtRLnl5yIGldUsLYIJjY0O_L_ZBZflLwBjiXCptfvvsTv9XPw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUXtW9eB17HeaSIgO2OuAPmafi9rOLzNkdVfds9_ORHV6Gaju7nzWBa8UGWCp71oECXEpch5tURMZIzyzLLsvuBsMY9HE37v1C82QU2qO3Bl-Xgh2Sp00981nPouXcOnFtjwtRLnl5yIGldUsLYIJjY0O_L_ZBZflLwBjiXCptfvvsTv9XPw=w285-h380" width="285" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">---</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you would like to place a sponsored post on my blog, click <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/p/sponsored-posts-policy.html">here</a> for the details.</div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-8492686212918515582021-11-30T20:36:00.004+00:002021-12-05T16:16:09.454+00:00Jack Grealish / KDB fanfiction, Chapter 5: Margin of Prudence<div style="text-align: justify;">BBFC rating: <b>PG</b> for mild sex references and mild sexual innuendo</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xGFR6vtOo6k/YaaJ6xwjd3I/AAAAAAAAKV0/o26ShaBwT_8zDHCuxHos2d-uohn5JjohwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1125/FCVk-G6XsAow12R.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="1125" height="317" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xGFR6vtOo6k/YaaJ6xwjd3I/AAAAAAAAKV0/o26ShaBwT_8zDHCuxHos2d-uohn5JjohwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/FCVk-G6XsAow12R.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>Author's disclaimer: I don't know De Bruyne or Grealish. This story is totally made up.</b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Catch up on Chapter 4, <i><b>Red Light, Green Light</b></i>, <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/10/jack-grealish-kdb-fanfiction-chapter-4.html">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kevin De Bruyne’s 10-day spell in isolation was coming to an end, and for him, it couldn’t come soon enough.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>It wasn’t just the monotony and tedium of being by himself all day, training by himself, and binging on boxsets in the evening for entertainment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It wasn’t just the homesickness and pain of how much he was missing his wife, kids and friends. How he was craving human interaction of any kind.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The ten days being by himself had given De Bruyne a lot of time to think. Time to sit back and chew on events that, normally, in the fast-paced hubbub of premier league football, would pass him by. Usually, before he’d had time to reflect and process what had happened, something new and dramatic would have occurred straight after, displacing the memory of the previous thing, no matter how significant it was.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And with nothing to do in quarantine but kill time, there was one event in particular that De Bruyne kept going back to.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was an exchange that had taken place just before KDB had departed for the international break, during which he had picked up coronavirus, meaning he was subjected to 10 days of bougie Shawshank, stuck by himself in a 5-star hotel with nothing to keep him company but his thoughts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was after the Manchester derby at Old Trafford. City had disposed of their local rivals with ease, and Kevin was pleased that, amidst a sluggish start to the season, he’d played a game that was approaching what he knew he was capable of. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">De Bruyne had felt a tap on his shoulder as he was getting changed out of his sweaty football strip. As he turned around, he saw the tap had come from the long fingers of Jack Grealish.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Hey Kev</i>,’ Grealish had begun. ‘<i>Great result!</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Yeah it was</i>,’ De Bruyne agreed carefully. He wasn’t sure if he should broach the topic of Jack not playing, and reassure him that getting dropped for big games happened to the best of them. Or if it was prudent to just avoid the topic completely.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>So I was thinking</i>’, Grealish said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Uhoh</i>’, KDB thought. That didn’t bode well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>You know how I wear number 10 for City?</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Yeah</i>’, De Bruyne replied, wondering where this was going.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>And how I wore 7 for England during the Euros?</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A wave of comprehension fell over KDB just as Grealish announced gleefully, ‘<i>We wear the same number for our countries! And… 10 plus 7 is 17, your shirt number for City!</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The arbitrariness of that announcement, and the expectant way Grealish was watching De Bruyne after uttering it, left KDB momentarily confounded. He averted his gaze from the Englishman’s, looking downwards.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In doing so, he noticed that Jack was wearing the same boots as him. They were purple Nike Phantom Elites, which Nike was currently encouraging all footballers who they sponsored, to transition into wearing. As the effect of inertia was strong, most Nike-sponsored players were sticking with the boots they were currently wearing, which were the fluorescent yellow and orange Phantoms that were prolific among premier league players. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Indeed, those fluoro Nike Phantoms had been Kevin’s choice of footwear to date, until Nike had rolled out these purple ones. And as De Bruyne liked to be somewhat of a trendsetter when it came to football, he had modelled said purple boots for the Manchester derby. A cursory glance around the pitch before the game started told him that he was one of the few that had actually heeded Nike’s request.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But looking down at Jack’s feet, he saw that someone else had followed Nike’s instructions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">De Bruyne’s thoughts drifted from the bizarre numerical announcement Grealish had made, to wondering if Jack had switched trainers because he was complying with Nike’s request. Or if it was because he himself was wearing them?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">De Bruyne realised he still hadn’t replied to Grealish’s comment. He quickly looked back up. As he met his teammate’s eyes, he saw that Jack’s eyes were fixed on his lips.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kevin’s sense of uncertainty was graduating into full-on discomfort. Lately, he’d noticed that Grealish was being more and more brazen about looking at his lips.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It had started after that night they’d spent watching YouTube videos in Kev’s hotel room, after the game in Bruges. Jack had touched Kevin’s lip then, and, unsure about how he felt about it, Kevin had written it off as a drunken bit of experimentation, and tried to erase it from his mind.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But following that night, Grealish kept staring at De Bruyne’s lips, and it didn’t seem as if he was remotely trying to hide it. The hungry way in which his expressive brown eyes zoned in on Kevin’s full lips, made KDB think that Jack wanted him to know he was appreciating his lips. It was a non-verbal way of putting the ball in Kevin’s court, to see how he would respond. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">De Bruyne didn’t know if he ought to feel flattered or insulted by such a test. <i>These cheap little games might work for getting girls in bars to sleep with you</i>, he thought contemptuously, <i>but this isn’t my first time at the rodeo.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After all, De Bruyne knew he had nice lips. His wife had commented that they were her favourite part of his body, and, in the bedroom as on the football pitch, KDB knew how to play to his strengths.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">His lips, and the way he used them, were largely to thank for the fact that he’d gotten his wife pregnant three times in just a few years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">De Bruyne decided that he didn’t really want to do this dance with Grealish. The far too on-the-nose shirt number maths, the mimicking him in wearing the purple studs, and the pointed way Grealish kept eyeing his lips… De Bruyne wasn’t sure if Grealish wanted to be him, or be with him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Jack</i>,’ Kevin said, placing his hand in front of his mouth self-consciously, ‘<i>You need to stop this’</i>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Stop what?</i>’ Grealish enquired, a little too coquettishly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>‘This... everything,</i>’ spluttered Kevin, and for a second, he worried that he’d constructed it all in his head. But he quickly regained his sense of self, and continued. <i>‘The staring at my lips for one. It’s making me uncomfortable.’</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Oh sorry, I didn’t realise I was doing that,</i>’ Grealish replied, but he was fooling no-one, because his eyes shot up to meet Kevin’s eyes as he said it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>‘And what you just said now about the numbers. And you’re even wearing the same boots as me,</i>’ De Bruyne went on, although he realised that he probably sounded a bit hysterical.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>‘Nike told us to wear these boots,’ </i>Grealish said reasonably, and De Bruyne was almost impressed at how quick he was on his feet. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Yeah, but no-one’s changed their boots, apart from me,’</i> De Bruyne said. Oh God, he thought. He really was starting to sound deranged now. Like he wanted to act as a gatekeeper over who got to wear the purple Nike Phantoms.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But he knew he wasn’t imagining things. The issue was so much bigger than just matching boots, and he suspected Jack knew it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before Grealish could argue his case further, De Bruyne said, <i>‘Jack, I think you’re a nice guy and everything, but I think we should just, you know, cool it, for a while? I just find your attention a bit… overwhelming right now. Can you just give me some space?’</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack Grealish’s usually smiling eyes looked devastated. As Kevin watched his teammate to observe the impact of his words, he thought it was like someone had shot a deer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>If that’s what you want, Kevin,’ </i>Grealish muttered, and slouched off.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">** </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That was the last thing they’d said to each before they’d departed for the international break, and De Bruyne hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On one hand, he knew he was in the right, to a degree. If a colleague, in any capacity, football, or otherwise, makes you feel uncomfortable, you should call them out on it. Grealish’s staring was increasing in frequency and intensity, and the longer KDB went without telling Jack to stop, the more emboldened the Englishman got with his suggestive looks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But being in isolation had forced Kevin De Bruyne to carry out a full audit of his feelings. And the more he thought about it, the more he realised that he had been too harsh to Grealish. As he tried to unpack why, De Bruyne realised, with horror, that this had been for a few reasons, one of which had nothing to do with the player himself. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During Kevin De Bruyne’s ill-fated stint at Chelsea, there had a heavily-publicised, and extremely unfortunate incident, wherein his clubmate and fellow countryman Thibaut Courtois, had slept with De Bruyne’s then-girlfriend.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not that Chelsea had been desperate to keep KDB on their books anyway, but that indiscretion on Courtois’ part made it even easier for the club’s board to decide to sell De Bruyne, as it was simply bad vibes to have them both on the same team.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ostensibly, Courtois had ‘won’, and De Bruyne had felt extremely aggrieved at how the club, Courtois, and his ex had treated him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Since then, KDB had landed on his feet. He’d met a woman who was far better match for him than the flighty ex. He played really well at Wolfsburg, so much so, that City were clamouring to have him, and with renewed confidence in a Man City shirt, De Bruyne knew that he’d accrued more than enough impressive performances, to fully expunge the moniker of being a ‘Chelsea reject’.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">De Bruyne had, on the surface, forgiven Courtois for his transgression. It was the pragmatic thing to do, mainly for the harmony of the Belgium national team, where both men were starters. But deep down, it wasn’t the sort of thing you let go, and Kevin was fuming.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was nothing courteous about sleeping with a teammate’s girlfriend, De Bruyne thought, making an ironic play on the translation of ‘Courtois’.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And of course, the goals that KDB had scored against Courtois, when he’d faced Chelsea or Real Madrid, had given him extra satisfaction.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Kevin was realising that, whilst he was in a good place now, professionally as a footballer, and in his personal life with his wife and three kids he adored, the Courtois incident had burnt him more than he’d care to admit. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Because Jack Grealish had done nothing but show his admiration for Kevin, yet KDB had constantly kept him at arm’s length, questioning the authenticity of Jack’s affection for him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">True, he occasionally indulged Jack’s crush on him, such as by tickling him or sharing a few beers with him, but that had mainly been out of curiosity, or sport. Kevin was intrigued as to just how much Jack liked him, and it had fuelled his ego to see Jack’s cheeks flush with pleasure whenever he was in his presence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">De Bruyne knew that Grealish was one of the most fancied men in England, right now. So to be the object of Grealish’s fanboying, axiomatically, made him feel pretty special, too.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But, even when the two had shared a moment, such as the aftermath of the tickling incident, or the way Jack had caressed his lips that night in the hotel, De Bruyne hadn’t allowed himself to moon over what happened, and savour the memory too much.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In not letting himself get carried away, De Bruyne realised that he’d been keeping a margin of prudence around his heart. Past painful memories were now affecting his present relationships, even if the perpetrator in the past and the person in the present were completely independent.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He was keeping his heart shielded, as a form of self-preservation. Once bitten, twice shy, and all that. But in being so careful, he was only living half a life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just as KDB unlocked this realisation, he reached another.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yes, the way Grealish kept feasting his eyes on De Bruyne’s lips was making him feel uncomfortable. But it wasn’t because KDB didn’t like the way his teammate kept looking at his lips.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was because he did like it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And, if Kevin was being totally candid with himself, he had to admit that his telling Jack off for looking at his mouth so much, rendered him a bit of a hypocrite.
For, as much as Grealish liked staring at KDB’s lips, KDB equally liked looking at Jack’s pretty eyes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The only difference was, Kevin was much shrewder at being able to steal glances at said eyes, when Jack didn’t realise.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Or, if the two were talking, Kevin could disguise it as ‘making eye contact’.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sighing as he packed his suitcase to return to England, De Bruyne wondered how he could have so much perception on the pitch, but be so muddled when it came to matters of his own heart.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">KDB couldn’t believe that it took him getting covid to finally confront himself about his latent feelings towards Jack Grealish. Now that he admitted them to himself, he was somewhat terrified. But he also felt more liberated than he had felt for a very long time, being able to finally admit the truth.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But first thing’s first. He owed that poor boy an apology.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">**</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On returning to Manchester, KDB was delighted to train with his teammates again. After a few drills in the morning, he found an opportune moment, while he and Jack Grealish were alone.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Grealish, honouring De Bruyne’s brusque command before the international break, was studiously silent, although his eyes gave away his sense of hope.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>So, Jack….’</i> Kevin began, suddenly feeling rather awkward. He wasn’t used to being the one trying too hard to make conversation. ‘<i>I heard 10 plus 7 makes 17, no?’</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Grealish nodded, confused. Why was Kevin parroting back the words that had gotten him trouble over three weeks ago? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>‘Nice boots, by the way’,</i> De Bruyne smiled. <i>‘I see some of our other teammates have started wearing them now. But I know we were the first’.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack Grealish started to understand what Kevin De Bruyne was doing. This was the closest he was going to get in terms of a mea culpa from Kevin, for how short he’d been with him, before the internationals. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>'Yeah,’</i> Grealish said tentatively. Then, before he could stop himself, he asked <i>‘Are you okay Kev? I heard Pep say you couldn’t taste anything’. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>‘Yeah, having coronavirus was pretty rubbish,’</i> De Bruyne said, with cheery resilience. <i>‘I had all the symptoms, which I didn’t enjoy, I was really bored and lonely. I missed my teammates as well. I missed… you.’</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">KDB said that last word so quietly, it was barely perceptible. Fortunately, Jack Grealish had been watching his teammate’s lips, so he didn’t miss the crucial word. His face broke into a big grin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>‘I missed you as well Kev,’</i> he admitted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As the two players hugged, De Bruyne knew it was time to break down that barrier around his heart. Something about the eager, affectionate way Grealish was nuzzling his face against him and embracing him tightly, told him that there was no need to doubt the legitimacy of the Englishman’s feelings toward him. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kevin could sense Jack’s love for him, emulating from his body. The way Jack was touching him, the smile on his face. Even the studied silence from Grealish, when they had first been re-acquainted that morning, as he was trying to refrain from talking to Kevin, yet KDB could intuit that Jack was dying to ask him how he was, told him, that it was time to put the unsavoury Courtois memories to bed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nothing of that sort was going to happen from Jack Grealish.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The margin of prudence was no longer required.</div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-50443053389417907152021-11-17T21:18:00.013+00:002021-12-24T22:23:40.215+00:00Review: LookFantastic Scent Edit Autumn 2021 box<div style="text-align: justify;">Getting perfume samplers in the post were one of the little treats that served as a fantastic pick me up during the seemingly never-ending period that was lockdown. As I have now exhausted all the perfume samples that are available on the FeelUnique website, I had to look elsewhere, and was alerted to this very tempting offer from LookFantastic.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ytJK513l2wo/YZVskM-cPQI/AAAAAAAAKU0/DnENg6OB6_wyw6tmg2_im7qULbbhaj_lQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0737.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="457" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ytJK513l2wo/YZVskM-cPQI/AAAAAAAAKU0/DnENg6OB6_wyw6tmg2_im7qULbbhaj_lQCNcBGAsYHQ/w343-h457/IMG_0737.jpg" width="343" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">It's a box with five fragrances in, luxury-sized (so larger than the usual <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/07/review-of-five-perfume-samplers-from.html">1.2ml sample-sizes I reviewed from FeelUnique</a>), with two other non-fragrance samples thrown in. The box costs £55, which may seem pricey… until you consider that the box comes with a voucher code, that gives you £55 off the price of a full-sized bottle of any of the five perfumes it trials (and I made use of this voucher!)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here are my thoughts on the seven items in the box:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span><a name='more'></a></span>Armani Sì Passione Eau de Parfum</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I thought this was a <b>gorgeous</b> fragrance. The initial impression I got from it was fruitiness (most notably the blackcurrent), and as it reacts with the skin, I detected the vanilla. With cedar, patchouli and amberwood as the base notes, Sì Passione has an enjoyably warm smell.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The perfume aims to exude ‘confidence, seduction and strength’, and for this, the middle notes of pineapple, rose, heliotrope and jasmine help to attain this aim. I love rose in perfumes, but there needs to be just the right amount – too much of it can be nausea-inducing. Armani Sì Passione has got the quantity spot on.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I did have issues with its longevity – I applied it before going to work, and by lunchtime, the smell had almost completely gone. But I tend to top up my perfume after lunch anyway, so I can work with that. Of the five perfumes in the box, this one was my favourite, and the one I used the £55 off voucher on, to add another perfume to my collection!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">8.5/10 </span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It arrived last week, and I’m in love with the bottle:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a6TEUR3Lk1Y/YZVtM67Y7uI/AAAAAAAAKU8/OTR4qX7Wp8gUoX4TOsSSfshAWscWO8j1QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1334/89BDF48C-D53E-4276-BA48-75ED3B814DB2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="447" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a6TEUR3Lk1Y/YZVtM67Y7uI/AAAAAAAAKU8/OTR4qX7Wp8gUoX4TOsSSfshAWscWO8j1QCNcBGAsYHQ/w252-h447/89BDF48C-D53E-4276-BA48-75ED3B814DB2.JPG" width="252" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Armani Lip Maestro Mini-Shade 400</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I’m not a big wearer of lipstick (in the corporate environment, overly dramatic lip-shades would be seen as unnecessarily attention seeking), preferring to wear Vaseline or lipgloss on my lips instead. As such, I don’t have a lot of experience at lipstick application, which may affect my impression of this product.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As you might be able to see from the photos below, my lipstick application is always quite messy, as some of the red from the lipstick went beyond the corners of the mouth. Rookie error. However, on this issue, I don’t think the consistency of the product helps, as it’s overly creamy and prone to smudging. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WUGLLWzcCrE/YZVwj6xz32I/AAAAAAAAKVo/Ar4MNCqQnbAVrQg1O_1Z6iDNRd0ITni3ACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1229.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="325" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WUGLLWzcCrE/YZVwj6xz32I/AAAAAAAAKVo/Ar4MNCqQnbAVrQg1O_1Z6iDNRd0ITni3ACNcBGAsYHQ/w433-h325/IMG_1229.jpg" width="433" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2QuAHFkxOhg/YZVwjsRLHSI/AAAAAAAAKVk/xFymDm_TXqE0tYupKiC8hZLgUYbzgW15ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1334/IMG_1232.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="381" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2QuAHFkxOhg/YZVwjsRLHSI/AAAAAAAAKVk/xFymDm_TXqE0tYupKiC8hZLgUYbzgW15ACNcBGAsYHQ/w214-h381/IMG_1232.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I didn't like the product, but my bad lipstick application probably didn't help.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As with the Armani Sì Passione perfume, the Lip Maestro also suffers from problems of low staying power. After one drink, most of the lipstick had worn off. I get much better longevity on Maybelline and L’oreal lipsticks, for a fraction of the price.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The vibrant red is a very nice colour for a night out, but considering this is supposed to be a high end product, the formula of the lipstick was somewhat suspect. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">5/10</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IL71ng50CbU/YZVu8QP2SsI/AAAAAAAAKVc/3atwJGoORO0YeSMq7icX5TvK7RuIUihvwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0685.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IL71ng50CbU/YZVu8QP2SsI/AAAAAAAAKVc/3atwJGoORO0YeSMq7icX5TvK7RuIUihvwCNcBGAsYHQ/w392-h294/IMG_0685.jpg" width="392" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The products as they came in the box!</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Maison Margiela Lazy Sunday Morning</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is one of those fragrances where I must admit, I struggle to see the hype. It claims to smell like fresh clean laundry, but Lazy Sunday Morning has a distinctly alcoholic fragrance – my laundry doesn’t smell of alcohol!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is a slightly detergent-like quality to the smell, although I think this tends closer to the soapy side of things, and we all know how perfumes that smell like soaps make me feel.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is a whiff of rose in the formula. As discussed, I usually like my perfumes to have rose as an ingredient. But combined with the soapiness of the scent, the combination just makes Lazy Sunday Morning even more sickly. There’s also iris and orange blossom in the middle notes, but, due to the bad foundation of smelling like detergent, they all blend together to make a cloying, artificial concoction. Not for me. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">4/10</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau de Parfum</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back when I started ordering samplers from FeelUnique, YSL Libre was one of the first I ordered. It was from getting samplers in the mail that I actually found the value in this exercise, because YSL Libre was a fragrance that I loved when I tried it on in House of Fraser, but with a larger quantity and a longer time to savour the smell, I decided it smelt nice, but not entirely deserving of its hefty price tag. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My thoughts on it <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2020/09/thoughts-on-five-perfume-samples.html">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Viktor & Rolf BonBon Eau de Parfum</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I also trialled this perfume in my first FeelUnique haul, <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2020/09/thoughts-on-five-perfume-samples.html">back in September 2020</a>. Revisiting it over a year later, my impressions are the same; it’s still an 8/10 scent for me. It strikes the right balance between caramel and citrus, with a subtle smattering of peach and amber. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">8/10</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The mini-bottle of BonBon, in the shape of a sweet, is quite darling, I’ll be holding onto this long after the perfume’s run out!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3YkOaSfw8F8/YZVtiZaRPvI/AAAAAAAAKVI/7kU9kLqaqbY4suF8G6xsGHPDz6gOux6PgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0721.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="283" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3YkOaSfw8F8/YZVtiZaRPvI/AAAAAAAAKVI/7kU9kLqaqbY4suF8G6xsGHPDz6gOux6PgCNcBGAsYHQ/w378-h283/IMG_0721.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Soleil Cristal</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The original La Vie Est Belle is one of my all-time favourite perfumes, and I have it in the large bottle. I was left wanting by this variation, though.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The perfume contains top notes of mandarin orange, pink pepper and bergamot; middle notes of iris, orange blossom, jasmine; and bottom notes of coconut, vanilla and patchouli. What didn’t work for me about this concoction was the coconut, a smell I’m not particularly fond of, and the iris. As discussed before <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/06/review-of-five-perfume-samplers-from.html">at length</a>, I don’t care for white florals in perfume, and if employed, it has to be used very sparingly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The combination of the coconut, iris, and the vanilla absolutely lathered into the formula, meant I got a distinctly soapy smell from Soleil Cristal. On initial application, the perfume flattered to deceive, as it did vaguely evoke the O.G. scent. But in the drydown, the nauseating soap smell really came to the fore.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In short, a scent not at all worthy of the hefty price tag of Lancôme LVEBs. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">5/10</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I must admit, facial oil isn't something that is currently part of my night-time skincare routine, but I am being made increasingly aware of its benefits. The 4ml sampler of Kiehl's that came in this beauty box, was a helpful way to introduce it into my regime.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Having used such a limited sample size over about a week, it's hard to comment on its long-term effects, but my skin did feel more rejuvenated in the morning. With 99.8% of the product being derived naturally, it does also feel like you're putting organic goodness into your skin. At least, I certainly hope so!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MCfXGJtj6yE/YZVuOYzHYAI/AAAAAAAAKVU/tVoWeIolJCom9rPOoxLTzv5a0mjuv5EHQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1334/E3DDE965-143C-43E2-9AE1-39A6D8F2ABB1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="249" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MCfXGJtj6yE/YZVuOYzHYAI/AAAAAAAAKVU/tVoWeIolJCom9rPOoxLTzv5a0mjuv5EHQCNcBGAsYHQ/w442-h249/E3DDE965-143C-43E2-9AE1-39A6D8F2ABB1.JPG" width="442" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-76253855341298072772021-10-21T18:45:00.004+01:002021-10-21T19:28:03.472+01:00Jack Grealish / KDB fanfiction, Chapter 4: Red Light, Green Light<p>BBFC rating: <b>12A </b>(one use of strong language, moderate sex references and moderate sexual innuendo)</p><i><b>
Author’s disclaimer: I don’t know Grealish or De Bruyne. This story is complete fiction</b>.</i><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>Chapter 3, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Optics</i>, was <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/09/jack-grealish-kdb-fanfiction-chapter-3.html">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d_RQEaY4Bpc/YXGnItZjH2I/AAAAAAAAKUQ/Q90ERX1GksYPPNxmHT9KogeWnbppSIJzgCNcBGAsYHQ/s706/jackkevin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="706" height="268" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d_RQEaY4Bpc/YXGnItZjH2I/AAAAAAAAKUQ/Q90ERX1GksYPPNxmHT9KogeWnbppSIJzgCNcBGAsYHQ/w416-h268/jackkevin.png" width="416" /></a></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>Jack Grealish’s phone buzzed as he ascended the lift on his way to the hotel room he was staying in. It was a text from his best friend, Ben Chilwell.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It read:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Gr8 game, your passes were quality. [fire emoji] [goat emoji]</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack smiled to himself. It was nice to feel supported by those closest to him. He pinged Chilly back a thank you, and they exchanged some messages back and forth, which included a short video of the Chelsea defender learning the piano.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They finished messaging just as the lift reached Jack’s floor. His laddish banter with Chilly caused him to take a briefly reminisce of his heady, boozy nights out with Chilwell and James Maddison.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack thought about how effortless it had been for him back then. Being a famous footballer blessed with, yes, he’d say it, those looks, women would swarm to him like bees to honey in bars and clubs, so it was simply up to him to decide which girl tickled his libido that night.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the cases of the really beautiful women, who played a little harder to get, that simply meant Jack had to move out of first gear in order to get the green light from her.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It meant that, rather than just his swagger, he’d also have to employ his charm. Rather than just giving the woman a suggestive look with his irresistible doe eyes, he’d have to flutter the matching long eyelashes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And that was the extent to which Jack had ever had to toil for a shag.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Following the Summer, the volume of girls queueing up to enjoy his form had grown exponentially. Whether they were Villa, City, or England fans. Or girls who weren’t that interested in football, but had noticed him on the telly during the Euros, and had liked what they’d seen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nope, Jack certainly didn’t lack charisma, and he had been coasting on that his entire life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So it was frustrating the fuck out of him, that he couldn’t charm his teammate, Kevin De Bruyne with the ease with which he’d captivated men and women alike, simply by smiling at them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite his Irish roots and having gone to a Roman Catholic school, Jack wasn’t particularly religious or spiritual. But he had to wonder if Kevin’s indifference towards him was the universe’s way of teaching him a lesson, for his cavalier attitude towards women over the years, in the name of scoring lad points among his ‘Avengers’ footballer friends.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was as if the universe was goading him, ‘<i>Why don’t you try the boot being on the other foot? Being treated like crap by the one you like</i>’.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Because Jack did like Kevin. So much it hurt.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At first, Jack thought it was just a footballing crush; admiration for how Kev could bend the ball like Beckham, using his left or right foot. How Kevin’s somewhat ungainly stature belied surprising levels of athleticism and agility. How his vision enabled him to spot things no other playmaker could, and deliver the ball right to the goalscorer’s feet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Jack admired tonnes of footballers, and no player had ever had the effect on him that KDB was having.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No person had had the effect on him that Kevin was having.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The effect where Jack got butterflies in his stomach whenever he was in Kevin’s vicinity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Where, if he saw Little Phil, his closest friend at City, so much as cracking a joke with Kevin, he’d be filled with a burning rage that it wasn’t him that Kevin was being pally with.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Where if Kevin didn’t respond to a comment he’d made, and instead looked at him like he was weird, it made him feel like shit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Where, despite KDB’s continual aloof demeanour, Jack, like the glutton for punishment he was, kept trying over, and over, and over again, to bond with him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Like right now. Jack could see Kevin fumbling in his wallet for his hotel card, getting ready to enter. Before the sensible part of his brain could tell him that he was being way too keen, Jack bounded up to KDB like a Labrador to their owner after they returned from work.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Hey Kevin! Great match!</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">KDB nodded and gave a half-smile. ‘<i>Yeah, well played Jack. You’re adapting to the Champions League so well.</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kevin seemed to think that comment had fulfilled his quota of ‘being nice to Jack Grealish for the day’, because he started to turn his body away from Grealish and towards the hotel door.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Hey Kev,</i>’ Jack said, obtusely refusing to read the room (or hotel hallway). ‘<i>Wanna hang out in my room? We could watch <b>Squid Game</b>.</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kevin faced Jack, slightly irked that this man wouldn’t leave him in peace. ‘<i>I finished <b>Squid Game</b> the week it came out</i>’, he said, and he sounded sharper than he’d intended.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Catching his teammates’ expression, Kevin realised he’d been unnecessarily short, because Jack looked so crestfallen that it was if the Squid Game doll herself had caught him moving when he shouldn’t be.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not wanting to be responsible for a teammates’ hurt feelings, KDB softened. ‘<i>But, seeing as you’re here now, we can have a beer in my room? There’s Leffes in my mini-bar.</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack didn’t really care for Leffes. He found them bitter and far too strong. But, if drinking sub-optimal beer was the price to hang out with his hero, Leffe him up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">**</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kevin’s hotel room was identical to the one Jack was in. Except, where Jack had strewn his City swag and personals all over the spare bed, there wasn’t an item out of place in Kevin’s.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kevin took two Leffe Blondes out of the mini-bar, unscrewed them, and handed one to Jack. They clinked bottles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>So</i>…’ Jack started, trying to think of something he could chat to Kevin about. ‘<i>Are you from around here?</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Not too far, actually</i>,’ Kevin said. ‘<i>My hometown, Drongen, is about 30 miles from Bruges.</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>The hometown of the best footballer in the world</i>,’ Jack smiled, buttering his teammate up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Well, I think Lewandowski would have something to say about that,</i>’ Kevin replied modestly, although the shameless attempt at flattery had hit its mark, because the corners of his mouth curled into a grin. ‘<i>And Messi of course. That goal he got against us last month was like something from his prime.</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The two men carried on talking football, and watching clips from their peers on YouTube, as they finished their first beers and went onto their second.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kevin was about the call it a night after that, but a combination of Jack’s child-like enthusiasm as he flicked up another compilation video, and not wanting to see that sad <i><b>Squid Game</b></i> expression on his face again, but he didn’t have the heart to boot him out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So they carried on drinking.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">**</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was nearing midnight and the effect of alcohol was kicking in. Having made acquaintances with about half the girls in Birmingham in hotel rooms, Jack Grealish had developed a somewhat Pavlovian reaction, where simply the act of being inebriated in a hotel room, with another person, meant he was at risk of being in an amorous mood.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And the fact that the other person in this instance was the object of all his affections, meant Jack could sense he was on the precipice of a semi.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And he wasn’t thinking of Champions League matches.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack knew that the wise thing to do right now would be to extricate himself from the situation. He knew that Kev was just humouring him by letting him stay. He didn’t want to outstay his welcome.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And he certainly didn’t want a repeat of the embarrassing tickling incident, which him and Kevin seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement to pretend had never happened.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But when they’d watched Lewandowski, Messi and Cristiano compilations, they’d had a lot to talk about. They dissected the particularly audacious moments of those footballers’ play and discussed what they could do in their own training, to emulate them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack had then coyly typed ‘KDB goals’ into YouTube as Kev got the third set of beers out of the fridge. By this point, there was a rosy flush across the Belgian’s features from the alcohol, which conveniently masked any blushing he may or may not have done at seeing Jack Grealish’s schoolboy crush on him, play out so transparently in front of his eyes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack asked Kev to talk him through a particularly arresting free-kick KDB scored against Barcelona in 2016. Back then, Kevin was younger than Jack was now.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Oh, so for this goal, I noticed Ter Stegen was edging towards his right just as I was about to strike the ball, so I went to his left,</i>’ Kevin said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>You make it sound so easy,</i>’ Jack said huskily, mesmerised.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Through all KDB’s explanations, Jack had been watching his teammate talk, enraptured. But it hadn’t just been what he had been saying that had grabbed him. As Kevin spoke, Jack noticed how full Kevin’s lips were. How kissable they were.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">KDB’s top lip had a clearly defined Cupid’s bow. The kind of Cupid’s bow that the girls Jack had pulled in clubs spent ages trying to recreate with makeup.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Perhaps it was the third Leffe, perhaps it was the intoxicating appeal of such a talented footballer speaking so passionately and articulately about each of his goals, but at that moment, Jack knew exactly where he wanted Kevin to place his lips.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">KDB took a swig of his Leffe. In his tipsy state, some of the foam of the beer fell on his ginger beard.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack saw an opportunity, and took it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Oh Kev</i>,’ he purred. ‘<i>You’ve got some of the head of the beer on you. Here, I’ll get rid of it.</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack placed his fingers on the left side of KDB’s beard, where the foam was. Realising that KDB couldn’t see where the foam was, Jack took his index finger and placed it in the arch of the Cupid’s bow of Kevin’s top lip. He left his finger there, and held the Belgian’s eyes for as long as he felt he could get away with.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kevin De Bruyne’s inscrutable ice-blue eyes were the opposite to Jack Grealish’s big brown ones, in terms of how much information they divulged. Jack had no idea what his teammate was thinking. It must be plainly obvious by now that there wasn’t any beer on the cleave of Kevin’s top lip, but he didn’t seem to be resisting Jack touching him there.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If this were a girl in a bar, she would take the cue. She would see the unmistakable desire in Grealish’s eyes, and kiss him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But this wasn’t a girl in a bar. It was his teammate KDB, who he wasn’t even sure liked him as a friend. Rushing into things wasn’t an option.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For the first time ever, Jack was going to have to take it slow.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As he and Kevin said their good nights and he made his way back to his hotel room, Jack tried to decipher the look on Kev’s face when he’d touched his top lip.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It wasn’t an overt yes, like the signals he’d been so used to receiving from women throughout his charmed life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But it wasn’t a no. The closest thing he could describe KDB’s expression as, as Jack had grazed his lip with his finger, was quizzical. Appraising. As if to say, ‘<i>What are you doing? OK, I’ll bite. Let’s see where this goes.</i>’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So it wasn’t a green light for a kiss from his teammate, but it hadn’t been a red light either.</div></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-3008966254714636702021-09-28T18:31:00.010+01:002021-11-26T22:10:31.138+00:00Jack Grealish / KDB fanfiction, Chapter 3: Optics<p>BBFC rating: <b>12A</b> (one use of strong language and moderate sexual innuendo)</p><div><i><b>Author's disclaimer: I don't know De Bruyne or Grealish. This story is complete fiction.</b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Chapter 2, <i style="font-weight: bold;">A Spiritual Assist</i>, was <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/08/chapter-2-spiritual-assist.html">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5_xl88OxPhk/YVNCBBvW_0I/AAAAAAAAKUE/TOVH3MRFoQs9nzdOEWGYOgS_8aMAb753ACNcBGAsYHQ/s893/babe.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="893" height="333" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5_xl88OxPhk/YVNCBBvW_0I/AAAAAAAAKUE/TOVH3MRFoQs9nzdOEWGYOgS_8aMAb753ACNcBGAsYHQ/w436-h333/babe.jpeg" width="436" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As Kevin De Bruyne headed out to the Manchester City Football Academy training ground, he chuckled to himself about how his teammate Jack Grealish had absolutely zero chill around him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>Right at this moment, he could see in his peripheral vision that Grealish was ostentatiously doing keepy-uppies, the Englishman's eyes darting in the Belgian's direction every few seconds, in the hope that KDB had noticed his silky skillz.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Grealish's three most recent Instagram photosets all had a photo of himself with KDB in them. This in itself wasn't that striking... until you noticed that Grealish hadn't included any pictures of himself with any of his other teammates, making the serial inclusion of De Bruyne, rather stark.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Even though the fact that Grealish rated De Bruyne and wished to emulate him in his play was now common knowledge among the football-literate, and even though Man City fans were thirsty for more content from this nascent - and up to this point - completely one-sided bromance, De Bruyne still thought the unbridled display of fanboying from his teammate, bold.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">He found himself wondering, <i>'Does Jack not care about the optics?'</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Evidently, he didn't. Grealish's complete lack of composure wasn't just on social media. It extended to every real life interaction the two men had. It even permeated to interactions KDB had with others.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Just yesterday, at lunch, De Bruyne and Foden had been chatting animatedly in the canteen about their kids. Jack Grealish had come and sat down with them, watchfully listening in on the conversation. After a while, the fact that he didn't have much to add to the discourse clearly made him feel left out, because he'd blurted out to KDB, <i>'my dad's called Kevin too, ya know!'</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">De Bruyne hadn't known how to respond to that quasi-Freudian statement. <i>'Oh</i>', he'd said. <i>'Well... I guess we're in good company. Me... your father...</i>' And then he'd added drily, <i>'...and Kevin Spacey</i>'.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The drollness was lost on Grealish. <i>'Who's that?</i>'<i> </i>he'd asked blankly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">De Bruyne was going to say, <i>'he's the actor from </i><b style="font-style: italic;">House of Cards</b>', but it occurred to him that that probably wasn't Grealish's type of thing. So he'd told his teammate helpfully, '<i>he's in </i><b style="font-style: italic;">Baby Driver</b>'.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">**</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Yep, Jack Grealish was making absolutely no effort to conceal his adoration for Kevin De Bruyne, nor his need for the Belgian's approval at all times. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Even if that meant the Englishman frequently made an arse out of himself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And, whisper it, but KDB was finally starting to allow himself to enjoy the attention. When Grealish had first joined City, De Bruyne had found the way he hung onto his every word, a tad disconcerting. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Unsure of how to handle this Pomeranian display of affection from a man who had most of the girls in England on a string, De Bruyne had erred on the side of being uninviting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">KDB's initial reticence had been his way of buying himself time, to suss out if Grealish's intense interest in him was a transient thing. Or, if it was a strategic move, the Englishman love-bombing KDB to ingratiate himself with Man City's main alpha.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">But De Bruyne had observed his teammate for long enough to be satisfied that his admiration wasn't an act. Having spoken to Grealish, KDB realised that he simply didn't have the Machiavellian nous to pretend to like someone so convincingly, as part of an elaborate long con.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i>'Jack, come here,'</i> KDB said. He was feeling spontaneous this Friday afternoon, and thought he'd have a bit of fun.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Grealish didn't need asking twice. He was over to De Bruyne's side like a bolt. <i>'Yes, Kevin? What can I help you with?'</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i>'Want to try tackling me?'</i> KDB grinned.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Grealish's naturally wide eyes widened further, until they were practically the size of a Disney character's. <i>'Yeah!'</i> he said keenly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">KDB put the ball down on the grass and scuffed the spot slightly, before dribbling it. Grealish watched the ball, not committing. De Bruyne forcefully regarded Grealish's dark eyes with his own light ones. He then performatively looked to his left.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Grealish lunged to the direction KDB had looked, which was his right. But of course, this was exactly what the Belgian had anticipated. KDB skipped past Grealish by dribbling to his right.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i>'You got me!'</i> Grealish snarled. He sounded half-annoyed, half-impressed. And half in rapture of KDB (he was using Grealish Maths).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Jack Grealish ran after Kevin De Bruyne, trying to salvage the situation. He kicked the ball away from the Belgian's control and followed the trajectory of the football.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">KDB cheekily stuck a leg out and tripped his teammate to stop him from getting to it. As Grealish fell on the grass, De Bruyne was overcome with an uncharacteristic sense of whimsy. He descended down on Grealish, tickling his younger teammate's torso.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">KDB could feel Grealish's muscles tighten as he massaged his torso with his fingers. Grealish giggled uncontrollably, trying feebly to swat De Bruyne away.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i>'Kevin, stop it!' </i>he pleaded.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">De Bruyne did not. At this vantage point, with Grealish lying underneath him, he was able to get a good look at the physical features that were driving so many women into a frenzy. De Bruyne took in the distractingly long eyelashes, the strong jawline, the smattering of freckles across his nose. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And that huge fucking vein on the side of Jack's forehead, that throbbed whenever he was under pressure.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It was throbbing right now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i>'Please stop tickling me'</i>, Grealish breathed, through peals of Kevin-finger-induced laughter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Again, De Bruyne did not desist.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Grealish finally took matters into his own hands. Quite literally, as he grabbed De Bruyne's wrist before he could do further damage. <i>'Stop, Kevin! You're gonna make me piss myself.'</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">KDB was about to make a witty quip, but he saw that Grealish suddenly looked quite stern. It wasn't an expression that the Englishman had to date exhibited around him. He also noticed that Jack's cheeks and ears were bright red from their athletic display.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i>'I'd better go to the toilet now,'</i> Grealish muttered. He quickly hoisted himself up and ran off.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As he ran into the distance, KDB could have sworn he saw a recognisable shape in his teammate's shorts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">A shape that suggested that Grealish was either carrying a gun in his pocket, or he had really enjoyed that tickling session.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As Grealish's muscular calves disappeared out of view, De Bruyne was left pondering if he'd seen what he thought he'd seen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Or had it been... an optical illusion?</div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-60916526790615579622021-08-18T10:26:00.006+01:002021-08-23T20:54:04.931+01:00Jack Grealish / KDB fanfiction, Chapter 2: A Spiritual Assist BBFC rating: <b>PG</b> (mild bad language, mild sex references) <br /><br /><i>
Author's disclaimer: I don't know Grealish or De Bruyne. This story is complete fiction. </i><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Chapter 1 was <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/08/jack-grealish-kdb-fanfiction-chapter-1.html">here</a>.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5EEmOg49GJg/YRzRjKlBehI/AAAAAAAAKT4/myiJt6lK0WsD4lntpHAIdsOhEh68eAyjQCNcBGAsYHQ/s815/E87byxHXIAEin8R.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="746" height="349" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5EEmOg49GJg/YRzRjKlBehI/AAAAAAAAKT4/myiJt6lK0WsD4lntpHAIdsOhEh68eAyjQCNcBGAsYHQ/w320-h349/E87byxHXIAEin8R.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Whenever a goal was scored in the Premier League, the Fantasy Premier League Twitter account would immediately relay this information to the world, announcing who got the goal, and who provided the assist. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>The thing that Jack Grealish wanted to make happen, more than anything in the world, was to get the Fantasy Premier League Twitter tweet these glorious words: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">Goal – DE BRUYNE </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Assist – GREALISH </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He had seen Kevin De Bruyne say, in an interview with Jamie Redknapp, that he himself preferred making assists to scoring, so Jack supposed that: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">Goal – GREALISH </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Assist – DE BRUYNE </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Would be almost as satisfying. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But, following the thought process that KDB outlined in his interview with Redknapp: that if you made such a sumptuous assist, that it made it easy for the goal scorer to score, Jack really, really wanted to demonstrate his footballing worth to Kevin. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He had come reasonably close to achieving it in the Spurs game that evening. In the closing minutes of the game, chasing an equaliser, the Englishman had provided a cross, which the Belgian had converted into a right-footed shot that was palmed away by Hugo Lloris. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That had pretty much summed up a frustrating game where City couldn’t break down a dogged Tottenham defence. The crowd had been particularly hostile to the visitors, and Jack knew that this was largely influenced by his new club's relentless pursuit of Harry Kane. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack was frustrated because that save made him realise just how desperate he was to impress Kevin. He had spoken at length about his keenness to learn from the Belgian, and he had meant it. But the earnestness of his admiration and frequency with which he'd said 'De Brooin' had turned him into a bit of a meme. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It hasn't escaped Jack's attention that Kevin didn't exactly seem to be elated to be in his company. Embarrassed that he had freaked Kevin out with his constant flattery, Jack was starting to realise that his idol seemed to always be quite surly around him. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And the harder Jack worked to try to get Kevin to like him, the more he seemed to push him away. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack now got the feeling that Kevin thought he was a bit of a joke. Between the headband, the low socks and the swaths of adoring female fans who expressed their desire to bed him on social media, Jack feared Kevin saw him as being a footballer second, and 'Jack Grealish the brand' first. And that couldn’t be further from the truth. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack wasn't really one to dwell on negative thoughts – he didn't even hold any ill will towards Gareth Southgate for how Southgate had under-utilised him during the Euros, when many of his fans were far less forgiving. But the frosty reception he'd gotten from Kevin De Bruyne since he'd joined City was starting to chip at his self-esteem, not least because a huge factor in him joining City was to play alongside Kevin. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And the loss to Spurs didn't help his gloomy state of mind. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These were all thoughts swirling through Jack's mind as he sat on the team coach back to Manchester, the midfielder's deer-like eyes looking morosely out of the coach window at nothing in particular, while Ed Sheeran played on his iPhone. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He snapped out of his rumination when he realised Kevin had occupied the seat next to him and was looking at him expectantly. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">'<i>Kevin!</i>' Jack spluttered. He instinctively pulled his headphones out, and cursed himself for packing the ones with the wires instead of his AirPods, as the wires were currently tangled messily, and Jack thought this surely wouldn't help with Kevin's perception of him as a disorganised man-child. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kevin didn't seem to mind. Jack was expecting him to be fuming about the Spurs loss, but this was probably the most temperate KDB had been around him since he'd joined City. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">'<i>I just wanted to check you were OK, Jack</i>', Kevin said, and the sincerity with which his blue eyes held Jack's brown ones, told Grealish that he meant it. <i>'It looked like a pretty physical game for you.' </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It had been. Japhet Tanganga had not given Jack an inch to breathe, and he was left wanting in any one-on-one duels with the 22 year old right-back. When the tussles had gotten particularly hard-fought, the impact of the challenges had led Jack to fall on the grass a few times. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Spurs fans had jeered every time Grealish had taken a fall, but Jack would have stayed on his feet if he could have. However, he didn't want Kevin to think he was soft, so said stoically, '<i>Oh, you know… I kind of expected it. It is what it is!</i>' </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">De Bruyne gave a knowing look that said, 'cut the crap, Grealish'. 'You don't have to put on a brave face for me, Jack', Kevin said kindly. <i>'I totally get how hard it is to play against sides when defenders are specifically targeting you.'</i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kevin paused, wondering if he should divulge more information, as he wasn't really a big sharer. Then, seeing that the look on his teammates' face still resembled that of a wounded animal, he went on. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>'I was fouled in the Champions League final. Probably 'cos Chelsea knew it would be easier to take me out than to play fairly against me. I had to be subbed off the game… it still hurts me, that'. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack understood. He remembered how indignant and upset he'd been when he'd watched Antonio Rüdiger collide with Kevin, leading the Belgian to have a black eye, and needing to make a premature exit from the game. He remembered Kevin's tears as he went off, and how sad he'd been on his behalf. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>'So don't get too down about today, Jack. There's still 37 games to go, and I was impressed with your performance today, honestly. I still have a good feeling about this season'. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Confused, Jack blinked at Kevin from under his long eyelashes. Was KDB… praising him?? But he thought Kevin hated him. He thought Kevin found him a pain. Why was Kevin being so nice to him? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack didn't want to ruin the moment by blurting out all his neurosis, so he just gave a sad little smile. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>'Eden Hazard used to get ganged up on all the time when he was in the prem, and it was 'cos he was so talented, defenders just didn't know how to play against him,'</i> Kevin continued, determined to cheer his teammate up. <i>'So just take the fact that you get so many bruisings as a compliment, it means opponents are worried about you and know you're a challenge. Okay?'</i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just as Jack was about to nod his assent, Kevin put his hand under Jack's jaw and tilted it upwards. The Belgian's eyes locked with Englishman's for one, two, three tantalising seconds, before Kevin said,<i> 'chin up, Jackie'. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then, without waiting for a response, he got out of the seat and went back to where he was sitting before. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack stared after Kevin, unable to process everything that had just went on. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">KDB had complimented his play. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">KDB had touched his face. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">KDB had called him 'Jackie'!!!!! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack quickly put his face mask on over his mouth and nose, and then put the hood of his hoodie on to hide his face. He knew he had a massive smile on his face, and he didn't want any of his teammates to see, lest they ask him what he was grinning about. And Jack didn't fancy himself to think of a lie fast enough. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jack beamed giddily as he scrolled through his phone for a cheerier song to listen to, than the downbeat Ed Sheeran number he'd been listening to before. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite the disappointment of the result, this was the most content Jack had been since joining his new club.</div></div></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-17985874010120086662021-08-10T21:32:00.007+01:002021-08-11T23:36:50.515+01:00Jack Grealish / KDB fanfiction, Chapter 1: Bruynian Motion<p><b>Chapter 1: Bruynian Motion</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4ovFjxHpow/YRQGwB-5sJI/AAAAAAAAKTw/IE7l3uvv4FsVvOcwAjujjBF-1D4yfeJFQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1169/IMG_7935.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1169" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4ovFjxHpow/YRQGwB-5sJI/AAAAAAAAKTw/IE7l3uvv4FsVvOcwAjujjBF-1D4yfeJFQCNcBGAsYHQ/w403-h358/IMG_7935.JPG" width="403" /></a></div><p><br /></p>BBFC rating – U (mild angst)<p></p><br /><i>Author's disclaimer: I don't know De Bruyne, I don't know Grealish. This story is purely the fantastical whimsy of a hyperactive imagination. <u>All feedback welcome, good or bad. If you like the story, let me know so it incentivises me to keep writing!</u></i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><!--more--></span>When Kevin De Bruyne was at school, he had learnt in his Physics classes of something called Brownian motion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was the random, unpredictable nature of particle movement: up, down, left, right, and all over the place.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As Jack Grealish laughed with Phil Foden in the changing room, the £100 million man holding the smaller Foden in a headlock for no discernible reason other than that <i>it was funny</i>, De Bruyne reflected how this scientific principle was a pretty apt descriptor of his vacillating feelings towards City's new record signing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One moment, De Bruyne found Grealish charming. The 25-year-old Englishman had an open, very readable face, with large brown eyes that exuded spirit and warmth.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other times, such as in his tussling with Foden right now, KDB found Grealish frustratingly immature. The principal reason Grealish had been bought into an already packed attacking midfield was to help City win the Champions League, and that wasn't going to happen if he was mucking about all the time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">De Bruyne reflected, with a slight resentment, at how life just seemed so much easier for the Jack Grealishes of the world than it did for him. He wondered how much of that was good-looking privilege, which Grealish carried in spades.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And then there was that primal, territorial streak in KDB's blood. Although Jack Grealish and he didn't play in identical positions, the Belgian was wary of his own advanced age compared to the Englishman's. And, conscious of his own injury record, KDB knew that all it took was a savage tackle from an opponent player, and then Grealish could well usurp him in a system where, with such a capricious manager, nobody's place was guaranteed. Not even his.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These had all been reasons why KDB had kept a respectable distance from Grealish in his first week at Man City. De Bruyne had been professional, polite, and courteous towards Grealish. No more, no less.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But that wasn't the only reason why De Bruyne had been so actively distant.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prior to Jack Grealish joining City, the Englishman had hardly been shy about voicing his admiration for the Belgian's talents. In any interviews where he could, Grealish had put KDB's name on his lips.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">His enthusiasm for De Bruyne shone through his expressive face every time the Belgian's name was mentioned. In an interview before the 2020 Carabao Cup final, Grealish had blushingly revealed that De Bruyne was his favourite City player. And, given that David Silva and Sergio Agüero were still on City's books back then, KDB had been very flattered by that effusive compliment. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although De Bruyne was much more reserved about it, the admiration went both ways. As a big lover of the game, he had himself studied other players in his down time, during his injury spells. And Jack Grealish's dribbling had impressed him a lot. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Deep beneath this rich cocktail of feelings: envy, frustration, wariness, admiration and feeling flattered by, KDB knew that he was harbouring another emotion towards Grealish, which he wasn't quite ready to admit to himself. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, he kept himself distracted by the focusing on the feelings that he could unpack. And the feeling at the forefront of his mind right now, was finding City's new number 10 annoying.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"<i>We should go outside now</i>", De Bruyne said curtly as Grealish was now messing with Foden's hair. "<i>The gaffer doesn't like it when we're late</i>."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Grealish instantly removed Foden from the headlock and looked sheepishly into De Bruyne's eyes. "<i>Oh, good idea, Kev-in</i>," he said, and then cringed, at how he'd wanted to call him "Kev", but then, unable to commit, attached the second syllable too late.</div></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-60399674133994191232021-07-25T13:26:00.007+01:002021-07-25T13:28:08.827+01:00Review of five perfume samplers from FeelUnique - part 7<p style="text-align: justify;">My dedication to sampling all the perfumes that are out there continues, with a little help from FeelUnique! June and July was a busy period during work, so I didn't have time to produce much blog content, and as such, I've built up somewhat of a backlog. I will endeavour to increase to frequency of my reviews, going forward!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DZdU93LOMno/YP1XkSMY00I/AAAAAAAAKTY/EWFdPX1UK4wgj2ZBsvG3EoQBqugc2fawQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1334/F7ECE8EF-9AC0-4DE5-8323-E51F056DA952.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="255" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DZdU93LOMno/YP1XkSMY00I/AAAAAAAAKTY/EWFdPX1UK4wgj2ZBsvG3EoQBqugc2fawQCNcBGAsYHQ/w453-h255/F7ECE8EF-9AC0-4DE5-8323-E51F056DA952.JPG" width="453" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Chloé Rose Tangerine</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This Chloé scent features just five ingredients (tangerine, blackcurrant, rose, cedar and white amber), attesting to that age-old adage that it's quality, not quantity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>The tangerine is the main smell, giving Rose Tangerine a distinctly zesty punch. The addition of rose, cedar and white amber make the fragrance more layered, although the end product is more lightly flirty rather than in-your-face vamp, such as a YSL Black Opium.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I enjoyed the smell of it from the initial spray to when the smell died down, and the combination of the citrus and blackcurrant make it perfectly suited for the Summer. The only disadvantage of this scent was its weak longevity; the smell died after about two hours.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The fragrance has an elegant bottle to match the smell:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tdlFTleeJOQ/YP1XeICYufI/AAAAAAAAKTU/FQemJEaSmS0TXvNBqvMLX-8DhVloyK8HACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/rose%2Btangerine.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1565" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tdlFTleeJOQ/YP1XeICYufI/AAAAAAAAKTU/FQemJEaSmS0TXvNBqvMLX-8DhVloyK8HACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/rose%2Btangerine.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">8/10</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Irresistible Givenchy for women</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With top notes of pear and ambrette (musk mallow), middle notes of rose and iris, and base notes of musk and Virginia cedar, the first smell that hits you from Irresistible is the pear. The drydown morphs into a more powdery, girly smell. The perfume has strong sillage, lasting for about five hours on the skin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Overall, I thought Irresistible's smell was a bit too much on the overly rosy side. The sweetness overpowered the perfume, and the creators didn't get the balance quite right, in the way a Black Opium from YSL did.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">6.5/10</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9bBISF6nsVc/YP1X0NhqszI/AAAAAAAAKTk/kO6XraZq1_0SA9528K8kFCSuqKv_mvGrgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1334/IMG_1549.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="507" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9bBISF6nsVc/YP1X0NhqszI/AAAAAAAAKTk/kO6XraZq1_0SA9528K8kFCSuqKv_mvGrgCNcBGAsYHQ/w285-h507/IMG_1549.JPG" width="285" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Floral Street – Arizona Bloom</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This Floral Street design fuses coconut, musk, fig leaf, salt and amber, among other fragrances. The components complement each other to produce an end product that is delightfully fresh. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I don't usually like coconut-scented perfumes, but the astute use of it in this formula made it a nice balm. The oakmoss, cashmere wood and fig leaf elements of the formula give the perfume an earthy undertone which ensures the coconut doesn't get too overpowering.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sadly, the freshness doesn't last too long, and the drydown becomes a bit more masculine smelling. But the initial hit was certainly pleasant.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">7/10</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Sunday Brunch Kierin NYC for women and men</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sunday Brunch smelt like Hollister. As somebody who regularly shops in Hollister and loves the blissed out California beach vibes of that store, that's no bad thing!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The initial hit of Sunday Brunch is strongly citrusy, with undertones of alcohol and woody smells. As the scent dries down, I discerned notes of freshly cut grass. The bergamot fragrance lingers for about three hours after you apply the perfume, but it's been blended with spices such that the end product is very mood-elevating.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of all the Kierin NYC scents I've sampled, Sunday Brunch is my favourite so far.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">7.5/10</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Santal Sky Kierin NYC for men and women</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As with <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2020/09/thoughts-on-five-perfume-samples.html">Nitro Noir</a>, the first Kierin fragrance I sampled back in September last year, I found Santal Sky too pungent and alcoholic. The ingredients of it are sandalwood, saffron, vetiver and cardamom. These are all items I think of more as things to <i>layer</i> the fragrance, rather than forming the <i>body</i>. As such, Santal Sky was hard to place and hard to like.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">5/10</div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-50716724043677327282021-06-22T13:38:00.008+01:002021-09-22T11:46:58.954+01:00Restaurant review: SANTO REMEDIO (London Bridge)<p style="text-align: justify;">After Chelsea beat Manchester City to become Champions of Europe for the second time, it was only natural that I was in a celebratory mood. As this win coincided with the restrictions being lifted in the UK, I decided to combine celebrating my club's win, with making the most of the momentary freedom we were being granted.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I did not choose well. This was some of the food below:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BlmYjVlTLT4/YNHW5xNy6rI/AAAAAAAAKNk/E5SlAXJzrwcVl9m5l5on3mskEYFLnaTDQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_4097.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="437" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BlmYjVlTLT4/YNHW5xNy6rI/AAAAAAAAKNk/E5SlAXJzrwcVl9m5l5on3mskEYFLnaTDQCNcBGAsYHQ/w328-h437/IMG_4097.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>In the chicken tinga tacos dorados (pictured on the left), the chicken was horribly dry and not at all seasoned. The tacos encasing them were soggy, meaning too much oil, and not enough invention had gone into the preparation of them. <div><br /></div><div>For £9, I consider that a massive rip-off, considering you can get a burrito that's full of meat, vegetables and rice, from various pop-ups across London. Alternatively, you can get an oven or microwave Mexican meal from Marks and Spencer for the same price, and once cooked, that will be exponentially more delicious and filling than this monstrosity of a chicken dish.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The grilled vegetable tostadas (pictured on the right) were really lazily cooked. The courgettes tasted low quality. The greasiness of the tostadas told me that the cooks had just drenched them in oil, in lieu of any real care towards the preparation.</p><div style="text-align: justify;">The baby potato tacos dorados (top of the photo) cost £8.50, but I ate the plate in about four bites. The dish was all smoke and mirrors, and containing very little actual carbs (which is silly as it's not like potatoes are even an expensive ingredient)! Half of the plate was filled with uncooked vegetables to try and conjure the pretence of there being more food than there was. I do not appreciate being misled.</div><p style="text-align: justify;">The best part of my order (or should that be, the least bad?) were the hibiscus enchiladas, (not photographed). Of all the dishes sampled, this one came the closest to some semblance of Mexican food, But at £15 for three, this was, like everything else on the menu, as massive rip-off. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The portion sizes of the four dishes I ordered were all uniformly tiny. Which makes me wonder: they didn't treat us to quantity, and they didn't treat us to quality, so what exactly is my money going towards, other than lining the pockets of the management?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The drink selection was bland. The cocktails were quite nice tasting, but at £11, horrifically overpriced for the meagre quantities of alcohol in them, and it didn't escape my attention that most of my tumbler was filled with ice. I'm not happy about paying £11 for ice!!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The service was also sub-par. Bearing in mind that I visited when the lockdown restrictions were only semi-lifted, and so indoor dining was allowed for just a limited number of diners. So it's not as if the waiters were being rushed off their feet. But the hibiscus enchiladas arrived much later than the rest of my orders, when I'd wanted to get everything together so I could take a photo collectively. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It would have been nice if the waitress had told me that the enchiladas were going to arrive late, but instead, I had to nudge her twice to remind her that I'd ordered it. Unsurprisingly, when it did arrive, the morita that the enchiladas came in was lukewarm, showing the plate had been sitting in the kitchen for a while, and she'd probably forgotten about it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This was an awful dining experience, and after parting with all that money, I was still hungry. Save yourself the expense and go to Chipotle instead. For £10, you'll be much better dined, and not have to be ignored and subject your poor taste buds to overly-greasy, shoddily prepared food.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">To add insult to injury, this place had the temerity to add 12.5% service charge to the bill! We're not in the States; I take umbrage with restaurants presumptuously helping themselves to a tip. If I was happy with my meal, I will gladly fork out a tip. But in the UK, restaurants shouldn't consider it a given. Especially one where the food was as bad as Santo Remedio, and the waiters were utterly disinterested in delivering the food. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Avoid this dive like the plague.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Grade: <b>U</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">--</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For more of my restaurant reviews, click <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/p/restaurant-bar-review-archives.html">here</a>.</p></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-38968656607950000482021-06-09T22:30:00.011+01:002021-10-30T13:31:16.049+01:00Review of four perfume samplers from FeelUnique - part 6<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9tUszab8ngw/YMExzpeRFRI/AAAAAAAAKNQ/Wq6l_Hhfoq8i2Xw5-cvvVfsWNfayh6QXACNcBGAsYHQ/s1334/192CFAEF-8B22-4905-B193-AB96A14A9118.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="251" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9tUszab8ngw/YMExzpeRFRI/AAAAAAAAKNQ/Wq6l_Hhfoq8i2Xw5-cvvVfsWNfayh6QXACNcBGAsYHQ/w446-h251/192CFAEF-8B22-4905-B193-AB96A14A9118.JPG" width="446" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm slowly but steadily making my way through all the perfumes that FeelUnique are letting you sample. And it's proving to be a lot of fun! With department stores re-opening and putting out testers again, it means the thing that I was missing, which led me to order these samplers to begin with, are reinstated. But I've gotten so used to making my monthly FeelUnique order, that I shall continue with the tradition!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;">The Calvin Klein order was a mistake, as it's for men, and I have donated it to my dad! Thus, only four mini-reviews in this instalment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>L'interdit Eau de Toilette</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I noted in <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/05/review-of-five-perfume-samplers-from.html">part 5 of the FeelUnique perfume haul review</a>, I dislike the L'interdit EDP on almost a visceral level. So I was pleasantly surprised that the Eau de Toilette version of the fragrance agreed with my nosebuds, and interacted with my skin a lot better!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The EDT version of L'interdit is crisper than its EDP counterpart, exuding an elegance that I think the EDP was also aiming for, but didn't manage to achieve. The perfume version was much more of an evening fragrance, whereas with poppy, tuberose, orange blossom, patchouli and vetiver, the EDT is better suited for being worn during the day. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is still room for improvement - the formula is a bit too soapy for my liking, and the smell is a tad overpowering. But it's a massive upgrade on the EDP.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">6/10 </div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Pera Granita Eau de Toilette </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With top notes of grapefruit, lemon, bergamot, middle notes of pear, orange blossom, osmanthus, hedione and base notes of white musk, cedar and moss, Pera Granita Guerlain makes for a very citrusy fragrance. Its reaction with my skin was like a welcome pick-me-up, with the scent lifting my spirits.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just like the <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2020/12/review-of-five-perfume-samplers-from.html">Mandarine Basilic</a> (my favourite of the three in the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria range that I've sampled), it's enjoyably zesty and fresh. However, it doesn't have the sensual overtones of the Mandarine Basilic. Instead, there's a more youthful, girly, bubblegum-type smell to it, which unfortunately gives it a slightly synthetic linger that the other two in this series did not suffer from. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fun, appropriately light for the summer, but not a gamechanger, then. </div><br />6.5/10</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vPW0VyPGO0U/YMEyV-u3qeI/AAAAAAAAKNY/VpROcS2BBuMXzw2NsnDI6VcuzFUbnpvLgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1334/9F819171-108F-4E50-BFB1-2D99BE71D37B.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="236" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vPW0VyPGO0U/YMEyV-u3qeI/AAAAAAAAKNY/VpROcS2BBuMXzw2NsnDI6VcuzFUbnpvLgCNcBGAsYHQ/w419-h236/9F819171-108F-4E50-BFB1-2D99BE71D37B.JPG" width="419" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Estée Lauder Beautiful Magnolia</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Featuring top notes of magnolia petals, lotus and mate, middle notes of magnolia, gardenia, solar notes, Turkish rose and base notes of musk, cedar and sandalwood, Beautiful Magnolia certainly doesn't lack in floral components. I think they threw too many floral components in, however, without considering whether they complement each other.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As a result, Beautiful Magnolia doesn't smell anywhere near as beautiful as the name would suggest. As with the traumatising <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/01/review-of-five-perfume-samples-from_31.html">Intrusion by Oscar de la Renta</a>, the formula smelt rather noxious to me, although at least its weak longevity meant I wasn't subjected to it for too long. Along with the long list of white floral perfumes that I have an aversion to, this just concretises my belief that white florals ain't it for me.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">3.5/10</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Angel Nova for women by Thierry Mugler</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ObzSjHdVII/YX07BuOdJiI/AAAAAAAAKUY/T0hK3lCrvfUSFqmbJuoB1_Rbfhi3188jACNcBGAsYHQ/s1500/12737239-2044848510672528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ObzSjHdVII/YX07BuOdJiI/AAAAAAAAKUY/T0hK3lCrvfUSFqmbJuoB1_Rbfhi3188jACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/12737239-2044848510672528.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alien by Thierry Mugler appears to be a polarising force amongst the perfume bloggers. One school of thought finds it populist and déclassé. The other school finds it a crowd-pleasing, slow-burn of a treat. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm firmly in the latter camp. Consisting of top notes of raspberry and litchi, a middle note of Damask rose and base notes of akigalawood and benzoin, it makes for a beguiling cocktail of scents.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">8/10</div></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-44451019459147980782021-05-03T19:49:00.005+01:002021-05-03T19:52:13.503+01:00Review of five perfume samplers from FeelUnique – part 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qr2BLbvr8ug/YJBEq50MJHI/AAAAAAAAKMs/XPHgFf1GDfcxTyquLd9k24B8pBSsdnOKwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1334/DAAA29C0-0189-43DE-99EB-E716928236EB%2B%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="258" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qr2BLbvr8ug/YJBEq50MJHI/AAAAAAAAKMs/XPHgFf1GDfcxTyquLd9k24B8pBSsdnOKwCNcBGAsYHQ/w459-h258/DAAA29C0-0189-43DE-99EB-E716928236EB%2B%25281%2529.JPG" width="459" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">FeelUnique have lifted their moratorium on pick and mix samples, which means I can pick up where I left off and review more scents!!! I have to say, when lockdown began over a year ago, I would not have predicted my film blog pivoting to doing perfume reviews was going to be one of the side effects! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">For my most recent thoughts on FeelUnique hauls, click <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2020/12/review-of-five-perfume-samplers-from.html">here</a>.</p><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span><a name='more'></a></span>Kenzo World Power Kenzo for women</b></div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With a top note of Cypress; middle note of sea salt; and base note of Tonka bean, Kenzo World Power certainly gets top marks for innovative ingredients. The salt imbues the fragrance with an indisputably marine essence, making this a great choice on a hot summer's day at the beach.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kenzo World Power contain an unusual blend of salt and sugar, but the concentration of the differing ingredients mean that they complement each other well. The smell is a surprise at first, but then the salted vanilla smell becomes quite easy on the nose. The Tonka bean mutes the salt nicely, preventing the perfume from becoming too acidic.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wouldn't get this to wear as one of my everyday fragrances, but it's certainly different.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">7.5/10</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Kenzo Poppy Bouquet</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An enjoyably girly, soft floral fragrance. The flowers and na shi pear top note keep Kenzo Poppy Bouquet light. Gardenia and jasmine elevate the smell, making it best suited to Spring/Summer. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My main observation on Kenzo Poppy Bouquet is that I think they played it too safe regarding the usage of the poppies in the formula. Because of that, the scent doesn't have the rogue factor of Kenzo Power, but instead falls into the 'nice and inoffensive' bracket. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">7/10</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IriU4v76sSk/YJBFHaYNZ-I/AAAAAAAAKM4/nfBtMEt2cRkhueQW_gu2Pj_ew2PMY3cKQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9626.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="357" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IriU4v76sSk/YJBFHaYNZ-I/AAAAAAAAKM4/nfBtMEt2cRkhueQW_gu2Pj_ew2PMY3cKQCNcBGAsYHQ/w476-h357/IMG_9626.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Voce Viva Valentino for women </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Voce Viva has a distinctively jelly bean-like smell. It's fun, slightly flirty and very feminine, but I couldn't shake off the chemical tinge to the formula. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mandarin orange is the top note, with gives the perfume a welcome citrusy kick, and you can't go wrong with vanilla and sandalwood in the base notes. Also containing bergamot and musk, it features several ingredients I like. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Overall, it was reminiscent of the John-Paul Gaultier scent (reviewed next) in its bubblegum-induced girliness, but it just sadly has a soap-like element that prevents it from being as enticing as the Gaultier. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">6/10 </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>La Belle by Jean Paul Gaultier </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With top notes of pear and bergamot, middle notes of floral notes and leather, and base notes of vanilla, vetiver, amber and musk, the end product of La Belle is a very sweet fragrance, the combination of which, like Voce Viva, felt quite bubblegum-esque. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It contained just the right amount of musk in its formula, such that the musk wasn't overpowering, but complemented the other ingredients nicely. Pear can sometimes come across a bit synthetic when used in perfumes (see the Jimmy Choo perfume), but the vanilla balanced it out nicely. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, it's let down by its weak sillage – people would have to really lean in in order to smell it on you. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">7.5/10</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>L'Interdit Eau de Parfum Givenchy </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yk7UUzsefIw/YJBE-CKHhhI/AAAAAAAAKM0/nZAGnfctM_ET-3icYuNSY8G6ZVTZwOh0ACNcBGAsYHQ/s620/rooney.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="620" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yk7UUzsefIw/YJBE-CKHhhI/AAAAAAAAKM0/nZAGnfctM_ET-3icYuNSY8G6ZVTZwOh0ACNcBGAsYHQ/w424-h239/rooney.gif" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I've tried L'Interdit (French for The Forbidden) several times in department stores, and it never did anything for me. However, I thought I'd give it another chance via perfume sampler, as all the times I've tried it in the past were on swatches, and as <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2020/09/thoughts-on-five-perfume-samples.html">YSL Libre</a> attested to, the effect of perfume on paper vs on skin can be quite different. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My determination to like this fragrance stems from the fact that my favourite actress, Rooney Mara, is the face for it, and I'm such a stan of hers that I really want to like anything she's affiliated with. But I think it's time to just own that this is not for me. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The patchouli is laid on too thick, and there's an unshakeably medicinal vibe about the whole fragrance. Initially, it smells like dead, wilted flowers mixed with sour grapes, which is not enjoyable to the nose at all. The drydown is horribly soapy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My deepest apologies to Rooney, but this ain't it. In fact, I'd argue that the only thing this perfume gets right is its name; it should be forbidden from being sold ever again. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">3/10</div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-50525004638622269482021-04-25T15:41:00.008+01:002021-11-18T10:30:15.909+00:00Oscar predictions, 2021<p style="text-align: justify;">Due to work and exams, I've not seen as many of the 2021 in contention films as I'd like to (this has pretty much been the party line since I started my job in 2018, aha). But I have been keeping my eye on the bloggers and prognosticators, seeing who won the pre-cursors, as well as watching the BAFTAs.</p><div style="text-align: justify;">Thus, I feel well-equipped to at least make a valiant stab at who I think will win! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Best picture: <b><i>Nomadland</i></b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Best director: Chloé Zhao, <b><i>Nomadland</i></b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OkKQUm2dpn0/YIV9qiB6F_I/AAAAAAAAKL0/4P6XN6CdURImk7dVHExWpfSU_QFN0dn9wCNcBGAsYHQ/s250/nomadland.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="250" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OkKQUm2dpn0/YIV9qiB6F_I/AAAAAAAAKL0/4P6XN6CdURImk7dVHExWpfSU_QFN0dn9wCNcBGAsYHQ/s0/nomadland.gif" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Chloé Zhao and <b><i>Nomadland</i></b> have taken the top two prizes at almost every precursor award, so I think these two wins are currently locked. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>Of the BP nominees, I've currently only seen <i><b>The Trial of the Chicago 7</b></i> and <i><b>Promising Young Woman</b></i>, although I'll make my way through the other titles now that exam period is over (which means I have to force myself to sit through <i><b>Mank</b></i>, sigh). <i><b>Promising Young Woman</b></i> is currently my favourite film of 2020, so I hope it doesn't walk away from the Oscars completely empty-handed! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Best actor: Chadwick Boseman, <i><b>Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pFHyKSncDvk/YIV99hW6NLI/AAAAAAAAKL8/60eF2KwH_MQ2_03tsoPsjv2Qx0_nBUptwCNcBGAsYHQ/s540/chadwick.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="540" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pFHyKSncDvk/YIV99hW6NLI/AAAAAAAAKL8/60eF2KwH_MQ2_03tsoPsjv2Qx0_nBUptwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/chadwick.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The late Boseman won the Golden Globe, Critics Choice and Screen Actor Guild award for his moving performance as a trumpeter who has been treated badly by life. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was a late sting in the tail when BAFTA opted to award their countryman, Anthony Hopkins over him, and the Independent Spirit Awards rewarded Riz Ahmed over both of them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Those two events suggest that Boseman winning might not be <i>as</i> locked as we originally thought. But I'm still predicting him, because SAG tend to be the strongest prognosticator for the acting wins, and I also think it would be very bad optics for the Academy <b>not</b> to reward Boseman in their last chance to do so. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Best actress: Carey Mulligan, <i><b>Promising Young Woman</b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PKdaG3w3JqU/YIV-U9osNNI/AAAAAAAAKME/yI7zl3T-1wsHw2naAQjof5sA9hOlJGnCgCNcBGAsYHQ/s550/carey.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="550" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PKdaG3w3JqU/YIV-U9osNNI/AAAAAAAAKME/yI7zl3T-1wsHw2naAQjof5sA9hOlJGnCgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/carey.gif" width="320" /></a></div></i>With no clear frontrunner, Best actress has been the most exciting category of the awards season. Things all started when Andra Day won Best actress at the Golden Globes (<a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/02/golden-globe-predictions-2021.html">I, like many others, incorrectly guessed Carey Mulligan would</a>). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mulligan then did receive a prize, at the Critics' Choice Awards. Viola Davis won the SAG. And Frances McDormand won the BAFTA two weeks ago, where, weirdly, neither Mulligan nor Davis were even nominated. Then, this week, Carey Mulligan won the Independent Spirit Award, where she was up against McDormand and Davis. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Statistically, that suggests the tide is in Mulligan's favour. But there are arguments for any four of the aforementioned actresses winning. Andra Day's performance in <i><b>The United States vs Billie Holliday</b></i> has been likened to Renee Zellweger's turn as Judy Garland in <i><b>Judy</b></i>, which she won the Oscar for last year. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Viola Davis and Frances McDormand are acting powerhouses. Awarding Davis would be a nice way to honour Boseman in spirit, again, as most of the fun of <i><b>Ma Rainey's Black Bottom</b></i> was in watching the two of them lock horns. McDormand is starring in the Best Picture frontrunner. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, both Davis and McDormand already have Oscars, the latter with two, and having won just three years ago for <i><b>Three Billboards</b></i>. Giving her a third seems a bit generous, especially as Carey Mulligan, who gave the finest turn of her career in <i><b>Promising Young Woman</b></i>, is yet to win one. I'm hit-and-miss with Carey Mulligan performances – I thought she was very good in <i><b>An Education</b></i>, but found her annoying in <i><b><a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-great-gatsby-baz-luhrmann-2013.html">The Great Gatsby</a></b></i> and <i><b>Drive</b></i>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But in <i><b>Promising Young Woman</b></i>, she had a perfect comprehension of the tone that Emerald Fennell wanted from her film, and captured Cassie's damaged psyche so well, that you routed for her, despite her character's questionable actions. So Carey Mulligan would be my personal pick (although I also love the sound of 'two-time Academy award winner Viola Davis'), and hope she prevails here! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Best supporting actor: Daniel Kaluuya, <i><b>Judas and the Black Messiah </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">British men called Daniel have talent… unless <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2018/04/my-25-favourite-performances-of-2017.html">they're hypocritical creeps who write for The Athletic</a>! #IfYouKnowYouKnow 😂😂😂</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7aRTcUtW3xc/YIWAOqWqoYI/AAAAAAAAKMY/uCSlaUp0YH0sJMZLfQi306z1e-lgDJ_TgCNcBGAsYHQ/s681/Judas-and-the-Black-Messiah.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="681" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7aRTcUtW3xc/YIWAOqWqoYI/AAAAAAAAKMY/uCSlaUp0YH0sJMZLfQi306z1e-lgDJ_TgCNcBGAsYHQ/w386-h217/Judas-and-the-Black-Messiah.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Inside jokes aside, I am over the moon for Danny. I've followed his career ever since I watched him in the <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2018/10/ranked-black-mirror-episodes-9-to-1.html"><i><b>15 Million Merits </b></i>episode of<i><b> Black Mirror</b></i></a>, and he's gone from strength to strength ever since. He moved to the States because there weren't enough opportunities for Black actors in the UK, and since getting the lead in <i><b><a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2018/03/my-favourite-films-of-2017-10-6.html">Get Out</a></b></i>, which he got a Best actor Oscar nomination for three years ago, his profile has been ever-increasing. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Academy weirdly categorised Lakeith Stanfield's lead performance in this film in the supporting category as well, meaning Kaluuya has internal competition from his co-star. But even that won't stop him from picking up the award in Hollywood tonight. He took the Golden Globe, Critics' Choice, SAG, BAFTA, and now he's coming for the Oscar. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Best supporting actress: Yuh-Jung Youn, <i><b>Minari</b></i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Golden Globes threw a spanner in the prediction works when they gave Jodie Foster the win here, but following the GGs, it was a fairly straightforward road to the Oscars for Youn, who picked up the SAG, BAFTA and Independent Spirit Award. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7o3VzY1qdOg/YIWAFzpCpAI/AAAAAAAAKMU/dYD7-ABI2qAyGkNnsj1gMhCJLS1z_KgrACNcBGAsYHQ/s540/minari.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="540" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7o3VzY1qdOg/YIWAFzpCpAI/AAAAAAAAKMU/dYD7-ABI2qAyGkNnsj1gMhCJLS1z_KgrACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/minari.gif" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In her BAFTA acceptance speech, she brilliantly called the British 'snobby'. Whether that was due to something being lost in translation, or nerves, it was utterly brilliant, and a enjoyable display of seeing an actor neg the awards bodies, rather than kissing up to them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I will say that I think Youn's smooth route to the Oscars this year may be due to some residual <i><b>Parasite</b></i> guilt. Last year, none of the actors from <i><b>Parasite</b></i> got nominated for individual Golden Globes, SAGs (although it won Best Ensemble there), BAFTAs or Oscars. This is clearly an insult to the Korean actors in the film, especially as <i><b>Parasite</b></i> ultimately picked up Best Picture. The film's high-jinx and plot twists didn't deliver themselves; the actors were a big part of what made it so special.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Academy have an ugly history of ignoring East Asian actors, and that will certainly have played in voters' minds when they voted for Youn. So her win, deserved in its own right, is also a symbolic <i>mea culpa</i> from the Academy, to all the East Asian actors who were snubbed over the years. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Original Screenplay: <i><b>Promising Young Woman </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think this will come down to a battle between <i><b>The Trial of the Chicago 7</b></i> and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Promising Young Woman</i>. Being an Aaron Sorkin script, <i><b>The Trial of the Chicago 7</b></i> was plenty talky, with all the characters raising the right talking points at the right time. It almost felt too… right, and on the nose. And lacked authenticity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>Promising Young Woman </b></i>also has its detractors, due to being about a woman's mission to teach bad men lessons. The Oscars also have a rocky relationship with complex female leads. If a woman in a film is evil, the Academy prefer her to be and out-and-out villain a la Kathy Bates in <i><b>Misery</b></i> or Louise Fletcher in <i><b>One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest</b></i>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If the female lead is damaged and does morally ambiguous things, but that's a consequence of mistreatment that has been meted out to her by men, like Cassie in <i><b>PYW</b></i>, and Amy in <i><b>Gone Girl</b></i>, they're far less receptive to the film (<i><b>Gone Girl </b></i>only got one Oscar nomination for Rosamund Pike, when everyone thought it was a lock for Screenplay). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ctfXfrHGRgQ/YIWAbjAibVI/AAAAAAAAKMg/sPJroo9XIXwdQyJs_7pus1FMHiZ8it3wgCNcBGAsYHQ/s500/gone%2Bgirl.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="500" height="166" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ctfXfrHGRgQ/YIWAbjAibVI/AAAAAAAAKMg/sPJroo9XIXwdQyJs_7pus1FMHiZ8it3wgCNcBGAsYHQ/w402-h166/gone%2Bgirl.gif" width="402" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So that's what might work against <i><b>Promising Young Woman</b></i>. But <b><i>PYW</i></b> wasn't just a one-dimensional <i><b>Baise-moi</b></i> type man-hating vehicle. There were scenes were characters who'd played their part in upholding the patriarchy were shown to have realised the consequences of what they'd done and repented (such as Cassie's encounter with Alfred Molina's character, one of the film's strongest scenes). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The film is shrewd enough to see that to there's definitely a part for men to play in smashing the patriarchy, once they accept what the right thing to do is. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think <i><b>PYW</b></i> contained the right mix of cynicism and hope. That, combined with the film's original concept, is what leads me to believe it will prevail in <i>Original</i> Screenplay.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Adapted Screenplay: <i><b>The Father </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I finished watching <i><b>The White Tiger</b></i> last night, and thought it was a thrilling ride, and makes for a great companion piece to <i style="font-weight: bold;">Parasite</i> in how it conveyed the gulf between the have and have-nots. That would be my personal choice to win in this category, although this is caveated that I haven't yet seen <i><b>The Father</b></i>, which critics have reported is well-written. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Animated Film: <i><b>Soul</b></i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Production Design: <i><b>Mank</b></i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Costume Design: <i><b>Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cinematography: <b><i>Nomadland</i></b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Editing: <i><b>Sound of Metal </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Makeup and Hairstyling: <i><b>Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sound: <i><b>Sound of Metal </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Visual Effects: <i><b>Tenet</b></i> (urgh, what a crappy film) </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Score: <i><b>Soul</b></i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Song: Speak Now, <i><b>One Night in Miami </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Documentary: <i><b>My Octopus Teacher </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">International film: <i><b>Another Round </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Animated Short: <i><b>If Anything Happens I Love You </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Documentary Short: <i><b>Colette</b></i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Short film: <i><b>Two Distant Strangers</b></i></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-21174337646736032112021-03-27T11:06:00.005+00:002021-03-27T11:07:01.657+00:00Review of perfume samples from eBay pot luck – part 4<div style="text-align: justify;">Graciously, the FeelUnique Pick and Mix sample deal is back! I had been missing it a lot, and in lieu of it, I'd bought a pot luck of assorted perfume samples from eBay. As my previous reviews (<a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2020/12/review-of-five-perfume-samples-from.html">un</a> et <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/01/review-of-five-perfume-samples-from.html">duex</a> et <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/01/review-of-five-perfume-samples-from_31.html">trois</a>) attest to, the collection had been decidedly unlucky.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fortunately, now that FeelUnique is letting me order samples again, I needn't venture to the eBay samples any more, and thus, part 4 of reviewing them will be the final instalment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2lgqrldQSEk/YF8RZersCqI/AAAAAAAAKLM/UW6p3aDaqMkD-okIxsrClp7wctI8ZZCmACNcBGAsYHQ/s1334/EF351341-561F-42B1-A226-4AE3A34B7C14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2lgqrldQSEk/YF8RZersCqI/AAAAAAAAKLM/UW6p3aDaqMkD-okIxsrClp7wctI8ZZCmACNcBGAsYHQ/w425-h239/EF351341-561F-42B1-A226-4AE3A34B7C14.JPG" width="425" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Red Door by Elizabeth Arden</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>A potent white floral fragrance featuring rose, orange blossom, tuberose, jasmine, lily, freesia, and musk, Red Door smells heavy on impact. The product has serious longevity as well, as the smell lasts all day.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Such intensity would be welcomed if Red Door was any good, but unfortunately, I really disliked it. It had a very noticeably soapy smell, and the combination of all the flowers with the musk gave it a distinctively mature smell, which aged me by about 20 years. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rose is used in the top and the middle notes. Usually, I'm a big fan of roses in perfumes. But the chemical reaction between rose and all the other components, or perhaps the strain of rose used, just smelt artificial. As with <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2020/11/thoughts-on-five-items-ordered-from.html">Moschino Toy 2</a>, Red Door made me feel nauseous, with the linger giving me a headache. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think Elizabeth Arden skincare products are brilliant, but sadly, this perfume left a lot to be desired. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>3/10. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Sira des Indes Jean Patou for women</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The perfumer who concocted Sira des Indes was going for an exotic smell when crafting this. With ingredients that don't often feature in perfumes, such as banana, cardamom and pink pepper, it's certainly unusual. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, as with <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2021/01/review-of-five-perfume-samples-from_31.html">Oriental Pearl Shanghai Tang</a> for women, in trying too hard to create that 'exotic' fragrance, they sprinkled far too much amber into the formula, meaning the finished product is too heavy to appreciate the other notes. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pity, as I think using banana in perfumes is a promising idea, and mixed with the right ingredients, could be a unique delight. This just isn't it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>4/10. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yg0CLkpWgHw/YF8RfOiT89I/AAAAAAAAKLQ/nR_Kt09Px_IO3VEUaSCa9aKYvApU331YwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1334/A9338C10-D35A-4932-996D-9951D29636E8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="273" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yg0CLkpWgHw/YF8RfOiT89I/AAAAAAAAKLQ/nR_Kt09Px_IO3VEUaSCa9aKYvApU331YwCNcBGAsYHQ/w486-h273/A9338C10-D35A-4932-996D-9951D29636E8.JPG" width="486" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Puma I'm Going for Women </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I mentioned before when reviewing the <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2020/12/review-of-five-perfume-samples-from.html">Cosmopolitan EDP</a>, I'm always a bit wary when brands that specialise in things other than beauty dabble in making fragrances. Sports brands making perfumes, in particular, makes me raise an eyebrow, because the essence that sports brands go for, of power, efficiency and drive, is quite at odds with the image that perfumes project of dainty femininity and flowers. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So I wasn't surprised that I'm Going was a jarring, almost unwearable mess. Its dominant note was pineapple, which can be a welcome addition to fragrances that are aiming for a fruity smell that's a bit different. But the placement of pineapple in the formula of I'm Going completely lacked nuance, and was just carelessly tossed in. On the skin, this formula lacks elegance and finesse.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The whole scent has an undeniably synthetic smell to it, which is reminiscent of shower gels. Methinks Puma should stick to the sports gear; perfumes are not their forte. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>3/10. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Capri Adrienne Vittadini for women </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This fragrance had a strong citrus note, with some mossy floral notes blended in. It was certainly evocative of being by the seaside and the sound of the waves lapping against rocks, so in that sense, the advertising department earnt their keep. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The zestiness of the lemons made a statement, giving an uncomplicated, direct smell which I think would best suit my mood and attire during the summer. But Capri Adrienne Vittadini lacked a star ingredient that made me step back and go 'wow!'. As such, it's a middle-of-the-round, inoffensive fragrance, much like most of the ones that I've gotten in the eBay haul. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>5/10. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Hang Ten for Her by Hang Ten</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Hang Ten perfume aims for a laid-back, chilled vibe (think of the kind of scent you'd wear on the beach in California). Perhaps this relaxed attitude was also adopted in the construction of the perfume, which I unfortunately found it to be sophomoric.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fruity ingredients had been blithely dolloped into the formula and the end product is too strongly alcoholic and lacks refinement. The way the components blend and interact with each other have clearly not be considered, because the end product is a genderless smell, despite claiming to be feminine. Another dud. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>4/10. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As these five perfume reviews show, bulk-buying a bunch of perfumes (the brands of which are at the seller's discretion) is very much not the answer, because you will just get the leftovers. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fortunately, FeelUnique is back, and my reviews of the samples I bought from them will also be returning. At least now, if a perfume sample wasn't to my taste, I was the one who chose it!</div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-2714931471136255202021-02-28T13:14:00.009+00:002021-03-01T09:43:34.664+00:00Golden Globe predictions, 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It's the Golden Globes tonight! They screwed up epically last year, awarding Best Screenplay to Tarantino's insufferable <i style="font-weight: bold;">Once Upon a Time in Hollywood</i>..., giving that hack another platform to blather on about how great he was. The fact that they rewarded his contrived film over the brilliant <i style="font-weight: bold;">Parasite</i> further attests to the Golden Globes' chronic lack of taste, and how they just kiss the more famous person's ass.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">(Graciously, the Oscars did it right, crowning Best Original Screenplay <i>and</i> Best Director <i>and</i> Best Film to <i style="font-weight: bold;">Parasite</i> over Tarantino's yawnfest, giving me faith that voting bodies do occasionally exercise good judgment!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Thus, I'm predicting the Golden Globes this year, but I really don't expect anything good from them. They've shown their true colours in the past, time and time again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HxUXQTh03KI/YDuNtYAP9lI/AAAAAAAAKKE/ZmDMtjAMBropdArOgiGG0p0zpSyte1XLgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1820/pym2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="1820" height="241" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HxUXQTh03KI/YDuNtYAP9lI/AAAAAAAAKKE/ZmDMtjAMBropdArOgiGG0p0zpSyte1XLgCNcBGAsYHQ/w362-h241/pym2.jpg" width="362" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">I'm still yet to watch quite a few of the nominated titles, but when I have free time, I have been making my way through the films which interest me, that are available on streaming services. Yesterday I watched <i style="font-weight: bold;">I Care a Lot</i>, which was Rosamund Pike reprising her streak of <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2014/10/gone-girl-david-fincher-2014.html"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Gone Girl</i>-villainy</a>, to very entertaining and thrilling effect! </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best motion picture - drama: <i><b>The Trial of the Chicago 7
</b></i><br /><br /><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="text-align: left;">Best actress in a motion picture - drama: Carey Mulligan, <i><b>Promising Young Woman </b></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Word on the street is that Best actress drama will be a showdown between Carey Mulligan and Frances McDormand. As McDormand won here <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2018/01/thoughts-on-2018-golden-globes.html">just three years previously</a> for <i style="font-weight: bold;">Three Billboards</i>, I'm hoping the Golden Globes mix it up here and reward Mulligan for what I feel is her best performance.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best actor in a motion picture - drama: Chadwick Boseman, <i><b>Ma Rainey's Black Bottom</b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Chadwick Boseman is tipped to win a bittersweet posthumous Oscar, so it's likely that the road to that begins with the Golden Globe win tonight.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMsc4mL0AhE/YDuW_tlAemI/AAAAAAAAKKc/GhgfL_qCWFc7ebSxntdaJDvbUW2RcjsDACNcBGAsYHQ/s472/hailton.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="472" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMsc4mL0AhE/YDuW_tlAemI/AAAAAAAAKKc/GhgfL_qCWFc7ebSxntdaJDvbUW2RcjsDACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/hailton.gif" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best motion picture - musical or comedy: </span><i style="text-align: left;"><b>Hamilton</b></i><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Hamilton</i> isn't a film, thus shouldn't have been nominated here, and indeed, it's ineligible for the Academy Awards. But the Golden Globes like to do Globes-y things, and I think despite the medium being wrong, it's still of the highest quality in the category.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best actress in a motion picture - musical or comedy: Maria Bakalova, <i><b>Borat Subsequent Moviefilm </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EhktnfgObLU/YDuXp7ckgkI/AAAAAAAAKKk/pshV4yXUvG8gor7t4PC4SWdIeHchoOcIwCNcBGAsYHQ/s500/rosamundand%2Beiza.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EhktnfgObLU/YDuXp7ckgkI/AAAAAAAAKKk/pshV4yXUvG8gor7t4PC4SWdIeHchoOcIwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/rosamundand%2Beiza.gif" width="320" /></a></i></span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">My personal pick would be Pike for </span><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">I Care a Lot</i><span style="text-align: left;">, but I won't begrudge Bakalova her win, as she had a lot to do in </span><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Borat Subsequent Moviefilm</i><span style="text-align: left;">, and did it very funnily. Furthermore, her character gave the film some emotional heft, when it could have easily descended into farce.</span></span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Of these nominees here, Bakalova is the only one who is likely to get nominated for an Oscar (albeit in Best Supporting Actress), which makes predicting her win straightforward.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best actor in a motion picture - musical or comedy: Lin-Manuel Miranda, <i><b>Hamilton
</b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">It was between </span><span style="text-align: left;">Lin-Manuel Miranda and Sacha </span><span style="text-align: left;">Baron Cohen. But I really didn't see </span><span style="text-align: left;">Baron Cohen doing anything in the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Borat</i> sequel that he didn't do with more aplomb in the first film. So I'm hoping Miranda triumphs here.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best actress in a supporting role in any motion picture: Amanda Seyfried, <i><b>Mank</b></i> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best actor in a supporting role in any motion picture: Leslie Odom Jr, <i><b>One Night in Miami </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Iof2bsrwck/YDuWHMHtnUI/AAAAAAAAKKU/wF_gVMVCG_YDTJoDctaxKo-Xb2EVgvkwQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2538/one%2Bnight.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="2538" height="163" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Iof2bsrwck/YDuWHMHtnUI/AAAAAAAAKKU/wF_gVMVCG_YDTJoDctaxKo-Xb2EVgvkwQCNcBGAsYHQ/w398-h163/one%2Bnight.png" width="398" /></a></i></span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">So the consensus is that the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor will go to Daniel Kaluuya, which would be absolutely incredible (and the closest his </span><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Skins</i><span style="text-align: left;"> co-star Kaya Scodelario will ever get to an Oscar #shade). And the Golden Globes do often reward the eventual Oscar winner. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">But they also sometimes like to mix it up (rewarding Aaron Taylor-Johnson for </span><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Nocturnal Animals</i><span style="text-align: left;"> when he didn't even get nominated for an Oscar was random but awesome), and I think this seems the apt category to reward Leslie Odom, Jr, for the film he's nominated for, and his exemplary work years before as Aaron Burr in </span><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Hamilton</i><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best director - motion picture: Chloe Zhao, <i><b>Nomadland</b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Chloe Zhao has been collecting several critics' awards for her directing work in </span><span style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-style: italic;">Nomadland</b>, and if the film isn't crowned anywhere else, this would be a good place to. The fact that the Golden Globes nominated three female directors (Regina King and Emerald Fennell being the other two) also suggests they're making a statement.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best screenplay - motion picture: <i><b>The Trial of the Chicago 7 </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">They love Sorkin. *shrugs* <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Trial of the Chicago</i> did have a lot of zippy dialogue, which I'm sure the HPFA will swoon for, although I did find some of said dialogue a bit on the nose and glib. But that won't stop it from winning.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best motion picture - animated: <i><b>Soul</b></i> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best motion picture - foreign language: <i><b>Minari</b></i> (USA) </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best original score - motion picture: <i><b>Soul</b></i> - Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are also nominated for <i style="font-weight: bold;">Mank</i>, but as the music in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Soul</i> plays such a big part in it, it makes more sense to reward them for the Pixar film.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best original song - motion picture: Speak Now -<i><b> One Night in Miami </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">"Speak Now" was performed movingly over the end credits of <i style="font-weight: bold;">One Night in Miami</i>, and it packed a punch with the ending, so probably this.</p><p style="text-align: left;">--</p><p style="text-align: left;">I'm much less <i>au fait </i>with what's going on with the TV awards, so the below is pure guesswork (and I predicted Emma Corrin for <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Crown</i> out of love for Princess Di):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WODdJa3x1kw/YDuVneDLtKI/AAAAAAAAKKM/UTyxMO2-95oVUhJ7xJo5SdeqaJuUNGPBgCNcBGAsYHQ/s268/emma%2Bcorrin.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="268" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WODdJa3x1kw/YDuVneDLtKI/AAAAAAAAKKM/UTyxMO2-95oVUhJ7xJo5SdeqaJuUNGPBgCNcBGAsYHQ/s0/emma%2Bcorrin.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Best TV series - drama: <i><b>The Mandalorian </b></i><div><br /></div><div>Best actress in a drama series: Emma Corrin, <i><b>The Crown </b></i></div><div><br /><div>Best actor in a drama series: Bob Odenkirk, <i><b>Better Call Saul</b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Best TV series - musical or comedy: <i><b>Schitt's Creek</b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Best actress in a TV series - musical or comedy:
Catherine O'Hara, <i><b>Schitt's Creek </b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Best actor in a TV series - musical or comedy: Eugene Levy, <i><b>Schitt's Creek </b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Best limited series or TV movie: <i><b>Small Axe </b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Best actress in a limited series or TV movie: Anya Taylor-Joy, <i><b>The Queen's Gambit</b></i></div><div><br /></div><div> Best actor in a limited series or TV movie
Bryan Cranston, <i><b>Your Honor </b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Best actress in a supporting role in a series, limited series or TV movie: Gillian Anderson, <i><b>The Crown </b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Best actor in a supporting role in a series, limited series or TV movie: John Boyega, <i><b>Small Axe </b></i></div></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22894355.post-79320599795438645332021-02-13T16:48:00.007+00:002021-02-14T21:27:14.969+00:00Product review: MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette / Get It Glowin’ highlighter palette<div style="text-align: justify;">Prior to going into lockdown, my daily make-up routine consisted of just two products: <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/2017/05/review-of-two-concealers-mac-select.html">MAC concealer</a> for the bags under my eyes and blemishes on my face, and MAC blush to give my cheeks a bit of colour. On Fridays, if I was feeling audacious, I would top this look up with MAC eyeshadow, usually a glittery pink shade, on the eyelids. I'm certainly loyal to the brand! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This was an extremely simple process that I could do quickly when my train was ten minutes away from its destination, meaning that my make-up was freshly applied for work. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Over lockdown, with there not being much to do, I had time to refine my beauty routine, and in doing so, added an extra component to the existing process: highlighter. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8eGwrAZxSQo/YCf-yPpvFWI/AAAAAAAAKII/wOAHa7USgREv1yi0Oq_jniJ5tS_ds4e-ACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7757.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1971" data-original-width="2048" height="401" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8eGwrAZxSQo/YCf-yPpvFWI/AAAAAAAAKII/wOAHa7USgREv1yi0Oq_jniJ5tS_ds4e-ACNcBGAsYHQ/w417-h401/IMG_7757.jpg" width="417" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>The <b>Hyper Real Glow Palette / Get It Glowin’</b> highlighter palette retails at £36, but I got it for 20% off in the Black Friday sales. (Pro tip: if there are any make-up items that you've got your eye on but don’t have an immediate need for, there's savings to be made in waiting until that brand do a Bank Holiday or Black Friday promotion, and getting it then). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have worn each of these three highlighters on different days, and will include photos of how they photograph on the skin. In all of these photos I'm also wearing MAC concealer NC35, and Maybelline Cheek Heat liquid blush shade Fuchsia Spark. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Gold Coasting </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As the two images below show, this is the subtlest highlighter of the three: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gaAecbqIUu8/YCf--wb0tXI/AAAAAAAAKIQ/N1M0y6NW35kickP3Xf3_SdTbG8gPPJ9BgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1294/19-01-2021%2B11-36-21.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="1294" height="203" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gaAecbqIUu8/YCf--wb0tXI/AAAAAAAAKIQ/N1M0y6NW35kickP3Xf3_SdTbG8gPPJ9BgCNcBGAsYHQ/w363-h203/19-01-2021%2B11-36-21.png" width="363" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Nby_NGlM_U/YCf--72r-TI/AAAAAAAAKIM/UYwgGj-EmcAJI2uBp6d6NRpT8pu7Bzk3ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1288/19-01-2021%2B11-36-57.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="1288" height="203" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Nby_NGlM_U/YCf--72r-TI/AAAAAAAAKIM/UYwgGj-EmcAJI2uBp6d6NRpT8pu7Bzk3ACNcBGAsYHQ/w361-h203/19-01-2021%2B11-36-57.png" width="361" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the one to wear if you want a bit of shimmer to your cheeks, but would like the effect to look so organic that it's hard for an untrained eye to discern whether or not you're wearing make-up. 'My skin, but glowier', if you will. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The product is a creamy powder that blends seamlessly into the skin, and the light gold tone captures the light perfectly. With the less dramatic shades such as Gold Coasting, I like to apply a bit of highlighter to the tip of my nose, as shown below, just to complete the make-up look with a winning cheekiness. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w-OaffzgCGs/YCf_ySJ7h1I/AAAAAAAAKIo/6d2iO9QgVbws7Ib1EFsthSEmyEEeyXLXQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1403/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-02-13%2Bat%2B16.34.30.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1403" data-original-width="740" height="411" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w-OaffzgCGs/YCf_ySJ7h1I/AAAAAAAAKIo/6d2iO9QgVbws7Ib1EFsthSEmyEEeyXLXQCNcBGAsYHQ/w217-h411/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-02-13%2Bat%2B16.34.30.png" width="217" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Due to it not being distractingly in your face, this is the shade that I'll probably wear the most often once we're back in the office. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Get it Glowin' </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another very pretty shade, and appropriate for day-wear. I recently wore Get it Glowin' when I had to give a virtual presentation, and I amped it up so that it would show up on the laptop camera: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rk62jN_bhRE/YCgAks_xCfI/AAAAAAAAKI8/JT_YIBdB2nUucEUnRElUJeitopdwNMxJwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1285/IMG_8540.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1285" data-original-width="739" height="442" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rk62jN_bhRE/YCgAks_xCfI/AAAAAAAAKI8/JT_YIBdB2nUucEUnRElUJeitopdwNMxJwCNcBGAsYHQ/w254-h442/IMG_8540.JPG" width="254" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VNQ-d38w0b0/YCgBJI7T86I/AAAAAAAAKJQ/MF2h_4BmtHEQOQHHcs6Hc4YK4a3zjI6SACNcBGAsYHQ/s1384/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-02-13%2Bat%2B16.39.17.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1384" data-original-width="765" height="441" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VNQ-d38w0b0/YCgBJI7T86I/AAAAAAAAKJQ/MF2h_4BmtHEQOQHHcs6Hc4YK4a3zjI6SACNcBGAsYHQ/w244-h441/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-02-13%2Bat%2B16.39.17.png" width="244" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="text-align: justify;">I adore this shade; it makes my skin look very healthy and sun-kissed. My all-time favourite highlighter is BECCA Champagne Pop, and that is a gorgeous make-up essential which I will probably review in the future on my blog. But that is definitely intended for a party/evening aesthetic, as it's very sparkly. If I wore BECCA to work, I daresay I would seem a bit over-glammed up. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Get it Glowin', on the other hand, would be a great one to rotate with Gold Coasting for work looks. I could decide which one to wear depending on how I'd styled my hair and what my wardrobe was that day, but I feel very blessed to have two such reliable options. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rosy Cheer </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rosy Cheer is definitely the most prominent of the three highlighters, and thus, the one I'd wear if I wanted to make my cheeks pop. It blends really well with my skin, and complements the Maybelline blush fantastically too: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-edkUXgMrUzk/YCgCXmgedhI/AAAAAAAAKJk/OOEST2_n94AeT1WBXLzmiSQz18xw4AoagCNcBGAsYHQ/s3088/IMG_9208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="375" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-edkUXgMrUzk/YCgCXmgedhI/AAAAAAAAKJk/OOEST2_n94AeT1WBXLzmiSQz18xw4AoagCNcBGAsYHQ/w281-h375/IMG_9208.jpg" width="281" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5Fok1YaNEY/YCgCXqNWiWI/AAAAAAAAKJo/esLOgJybcAwcgf5oJYfQoXqucSckCpTPQCNcBGAsYHQ/s3088/IMG_9215.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="374" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5Fok1YaNEY/YCgCXqNWiWI/AAAAAAAAKJo/esLOgJybcAwcgf5oJYfQoXqucSckCpTPQCNcBGAsYHQ/w281-h374/IMG_9215.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As you can see from the three highlighters placed side by side, Rosy Cheer is the most colourful of the three, and can thus layer your blush, giving the impression that the blush and the glow are all part of your natural skin! And I don't know about you, but when my skin is looking healthy and happy, I find it easier to project that in my aura as well. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W64UHgpPcbo/YCgBgaNBT5I/AAAAAAAAKJY/Cvy4ZtoLa4ED9VWO5M0PN0Sn7hQ_mKwKwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7766.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1996" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W64UHgpPcbo/YCgBgaNBT5I/AAAAAAAAKJY/Cvy4ZtoLa4ED9VWO5M0PN0Sn7hQ_mKwKwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_7766.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I like how this shade looks on my olive-coloured skin. I didn't apply too much of Rosy Cheer, as the photo was taken on a work day and I didn't want to look too clown-like (my blending needs work). But if you wanted to make your cheekbones really stand out, I would recommending adding on a bit more than what I've worn here. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course, if you're better at make-up application than I am, then you can layer any two or even all three of these, to give your cheeks extra dimension. But my blending abilities aren't the best, so I thought I'd play it safe by modelling just one at a time! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Overall, I adore this palette, for the formula of the product, and versatility offered by the three shades. MAC: you've just earned yourself a third step in my daily make-up look! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Grade: <b>A</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For more of my skincare and beauty product reviews, click <a href="https://zummer.blogspot.com/p/product-reviews.html">here</a>. I need to review the two BECCA ones I own, as they're the items that started this highlighter obsession of mine, but as they're such a fun, glittery shade, I try to save it for when I go out with friends. Which being in lockdown has unfortunately precluded!</div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09809699267788752653noreply@blogger.com6