Oh dear, someone's in desperate need of a haircut!
Friday, December 28, 2012
Yet another trip to Pizza Express.
And yup, I did just go a few days ago. This time it was just me and my brother going for lunch. What can I say, we're addicted!
Oh dear, someone's in desperate need of a haircut!
Oh dear, someone's in desperate need of a haircut!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
15 days til Christmas...
Insert random and rather cringe photo of me gurning over some candy canes ;)
Saturday, December 08, 2012
Lolita sunglasses 3.0
As you know, I clumsily broke my red pair two weeks ago. Well, last Saturday, I got their replacement -- in orange!
These bad boys made their debut this Tuesday, at an economics do, where we all looked rather fancy in our gladrags, so I thought I'd share some more photos!
Delicious dessert we had. The chocolate flake part on the top was my favourite!
Truffles. The table next to us didn't touch their's so we had them too! #greedy
Me with my lovely housemates :)
hee!
One to show off the gorgeous architecture in Bath..
This picture is pure lolz!
And one of the Lolitas again:
These bad boys made their debut this Tuesday, at an economics do, where we all looked rather fancy in our gladrags, so I thought I'd share some more photos!
Delicious dessert we had. The chocolate flake part on the top was my favourite!
Truffles. The table next to us didn't touch their's so we had them too! #greedy
Me with my lovely housemates :)
hee!
One to show off the gorgeous architecture in Bath..
This picture is pure lolz!
And one of the Lolitas again:
Friday, December 07, 2012
Product Review: two Body Shop items
DeoDry Dry Effect Deodorant: the zesty lime smell goes down a treat, and the roll-on anti-pespirant brings back memories of my first ever deodorant, which was a Dove roll-on. There is a very generous quantity of the stuff for its price, which is just as well as, whilst the smell of it lingers strongly when you first apply it, after a few minutes the scent dies away, meaning the promise of "24 hour protection" is optimistic in the extreme. B.
Lily Cole Hi Shine Lip Treatment - absolutely fabulous! The smell, the lasting power, and the fantastic shine it gives to your lips renders this one of my all-time favourite lipglosses. Absolutely no flaws, aside from being a little on the small side (I would like a lot more where this came from!) A.
Monday, December 03, 2012
Product Review: Barratts Mid High Slouch Casual Boots
With the bitter cold of the English winter hitting us, I like to make sure every layer of my skin is fully covered. The skinny-jeans-and-boots combination is one way I can stay vaguely fashionable, whilst still warding off the cold, and the boots that have aided me in doing this best have been my trusted pair of tan Mid High Slouch Casual Boots from Barratts.
Comfort-wise, they are just right; I have also been wearing my Hunter boots on occasion, which are made of such a thick rubber that they weigh on the feet after long walks, as well as my New Look suede pair, for which the material was too flimsy and thin to offer my feet sufficient protection from the cold. These boots – nicknamed Poodle – are made from a soft leather material that feels great to touch but also does the job in actually covering our tooties.
Aesthetically, they work a treat too, covering my jeans just right and coming up just about mid-way on my calves. This style is available in two colours – black or tan- both colours which complement any choice outfits (especially the black ones). I, however, opted for tan, as the shade of brown of these boots were just completely perfect and suits my skin tone better.
The low heel makes these boots very practical for walking in (perfect as I have a steep hill to get up on a daily basis) and very rarely for a pair of new shoes, I have experienced absolutely no problems in transitioning my feet into them. The softness of the material also means that my legs feel no discomfort either; quite the contrary, they are wonderfully shielded by the fabric. Perfect!
Grade: A+
(the boots can be bought here. Alternatively, check out Barratts' boots section, where everything is currently 30% off!)
Friday, November 30, 2012
Three Brief London restaurant reviews.
Leong's Legends (Chinatown)
A friendly enough place with some amazing starters (the egg tofu thing photographed above was by far the highlight) as well as nice ambiance with its cheesy pop soundtrack and fast waiter turnover rendered Leong's Legends overall a pleasant, if not earth-shattering, culinary experience. The mains had too much of a "what's new" vibe about them. The meat wasn't cooked fantastically and for the prices you were paying, the portions really should have stood to have been much more generous. There were some hits (the bubble tea was exquisite), but sadly in the vast range of foods ordered, only one or two diamonds in the otherwise selection of mediocrity. There are much better places in Chinatown. B-.
TGI Friday's (Leicester Square)
This American diner chain is always a favourite with the little brother, who is drawn to their kitsch appeal and amazing Jack Daniels sauce. Terrifically moreish, unapologetically unhealthy food that tasted sensational, but the prices were a little steep for what they are, and the service cheerful to the point of being false. Still lightyears ahead of GBK, however. B-.
Thai Tho (Ealing)
Now here was a restaurant I was actually impressed with, with its service that was effective without being intrusive, fast turnover speed and all round delicious meals, for very reasonable prices once we'd used Tastecard. The pictures don't do the meals justice -- they were fab! A.
A friendly enough place with some amazing starters (the egg tofu thing photographed above was by far the highlight) as well as nice ambiance with its cheesy pop soundtrack and fast waiter turnover rendered Leong's Legends overall a pleasant, if not earth-shattering, culinary experience. The mains had too much of a "what's new" vibe about them. The meat wasn't cooked fantastically and for the prices you were paying, the portions really should have stood to have been much more generous. There were some hits (the bubble tea was exquisite), but sadly in the vast range of foods ordered, only one or two diamonds in the otherwise selection of mediocrity. There are much better places in Chinatown. B-.
TGI Friday's (Leicester Square)
This American diner chain is always a favourite with the little brother, who is drawn to their kitsch appeal and amazing Jack Daniels sauce. Terrifically moreish, unapologetically unhealthy food that tasted sensational, but the prices were a little steep for what they are, and the service cheerful to the point of being false. Still lightyears ahead of GBK, however. B-.
Thai Tho (Ealing)
Now here was a restaurant I was actually impressed with, with its service that was effective without being intrusive, fast turnover speed and all round delicious meals, for very reasonable prices once we'd used Tastecard. The pictures don't do the meals justice -- they were fab! A.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Emsy's November Playlist.
Otis (Kanye West ft Jay-Z)
Something that both Kanye and Jay-Z do very well indeed is big themselves up. It’s for this reason that they rub quite a few people up the wrong way, but as I’m someone whose head is so massively over-inflated that it’s a surprise I can fit it through corridors, I love how much they love themselves. And when you have this much swag, why shouldn’t you bum yourself a little bit? This song is a massive backpat; Kanye bigging himself up (“I made Jesus Walks so I’m never going to hell”), Jay-Z bigging himself up (“Or the big face Rollie I got two of those”) and both stroking each other’s egos as well. It would irk a lot of people, but the sampling of Otis Redding's Try a little Tenderness is probably one of the finest usages of sampling another song Kanye West has done, second only to the usage of Ray Charles’ I Got a Woman in Goldigga. And some of the rhymes really click, “Sophisticated ignorance, write my curses in cursive” and my favourite big-headed line of them all: “Photoshoot fresh, looking like wealth, I’m about to pull the paparazzi on myself” (which basically means Jay-Z thinks he looks so cool that it’s worth being hounded by the pap.) Ah, how the other half do live.
Boarding School (Lana del Rey)
A very, very beguiling song, which, as with many of Lana del Rey’s tunes, has massive Lolita overtones, but without her obligatory mention of heart-shaped sunglasses. It’s all about the amorality of being a nubile young woman, “Baby, let's do drugs / Make love with our teachers”, and her vocals suit these kind of songs best, where she practically purrs the sultry lyrics. A very arresting song rife with dirty lines, perfect for doing a striptease to (one would imagine).
Cola (Lana del Rey)
Another saucy song from my beloved #1 gurlcrush Lana, there is nothing subtle about this song. “My pussy tastes like Pepsi Cola” Lana sings, half-teasingly, half-boastfully. And, again, Lolita imagery is rife, “I gots a taste for men who are older.” The refrain is my favourite part, where she basically reels off a litany of her identity, “Drugs, suck it up, like vanilla iceys, don't treat me rough, treat me really niceys. Decorate my neck, diamantes ices.” It’s all a bit superficial but then again so am I, so there you go. I’m more of a Coke girl than Pepsi tbh, but I’m sure I could make an exception for her.
On the Metro (Girls Aloud)
Of the four songs Girls Aloud released on their TEN album, this is by my favourite, followed closely by the girl power tune Something New. Nicola Roberts, my second favourite Girls Aloud member, wrote this song, which probably explains why I have such a soft spot for it. It wouldn’t sound out of place on her fantastic album Cinderella Eyes, actually, with its heavy disco tempo and electro-synth beats. In terms of deepness of lyrics, it’s hardly up there with Call the Shots or Untouchable, but it deserves plaudits for managing to conflate the bittersweet lyrics telling a story of losing a guy you met on a night out with a cheery up-tempo beat. Plus Cheryl Cole’s voice sounds - *gasp* - pretty decent on her verse(!!!!!)
Skyfall (Adele)
I only saw Skyfall two weeks ago, and loved it! Poor form for leaving it so long to watch it, but what that did mean was that when the opening sequence begun, set to Adele’s fantastic Shirley Bassey impression, I knew all the words of the theme song. I'm not quite as good at bellowing the high notes out as Adele is, unsurprisingly.
Number One (John Legend ft Kanye West)
This is a silly one. Number One is nothing but an ironic tribute to infidelity (since my viewing of Joe Wright's Anna Karenina, that theme - adultery - seems to be prolific all over my favourite art forms, bizzare), opening “you can’t say, I don’t love you, just because I cheat on you” (well). But both Legend and West are so knowingly tongue-in-cheek, which is what makes the song so hilarious. Kanye West’s lone verse in particular really takes the self-indulgence to new levels, “I try to jack off, you ask me who is you playing with? / but I know he love you, he told me you is his favourite.” Who said romance was dead?
Red Planet (Little Mix ft T Boz)
Ahh! I got Little Mix’s DNA album this month and I haven’t been able to stop listening to it. Stereo Solder is arguably the catchiest with its rhythmic drumming but Red Planet is my favourite aurally – as with DNA, the girls’ voices definitely sound better on songs written in a minor key, and the electric guitar, not-so-understated lyrics offering the “red planet” as a metaphor for bunging and occasional bits of harmonization render the song the closest thing to a modern day Spice Girls substitute.
Life While We’re Young (One Direction)
Because I have to have a One Direction on any kind of playlist, obviously. Zayn kills it in this song, proud of him. (DAT REFRAIN~~~)
Something that both Kanye and Jay-Z do very well indeed is big themselves up. It’s for this reason that they rub quite a few people up the wrong way, but as I’m someone whose head is so massively over-inflated that it’s a surprise I can fit it through corridors, I love how much they love themselves. And when you have this much swag, why shouldn’t you bum yourself a little bit? This song is a massive backpat; Kanye bigging himself up (“I made Jesus Walks so I’m never going to hell”), Jay-Z bigging himself up (“Or the big face Rollie I got two of those”) and both stroking each other’s egos as well. It would irk a lot of people, but the sampling of Otis Redding's Try a little Tenderness is probably one of the finest usages of sampling another song Kanye West has done, second only to the usage of Ray Charles’ I Got a Woman in Goldigga. And some of the rhymes really click, “Sophisticated ignorance, write my curses in cursive” and my favourite big-headed line of them all: “Photoshoot fresh, looking like wealth, I’m about to pull the paparazzi on myself” (which basically means Jay-Z thinks he looks so cool that it’s worth being hounded by the pap.) Ah, how the other half do live.
Boarding School (Lana del Rey)
Cola (Lana del Rey)
Another saucy song from my beloved #1 gurlcrush Lana, there is nothing subtle about this song. “My pussy tastes like Pepsi Cola” Lana sings, half-teasingly, half-boastfully. And, again, Lolita imagery is rife, “I gots a taste for men who are older.” The refrain is my favourite part, where she basically reels off a litany of her identity, “Drugs, suck it up, like vanilla iceys, don't treat me rough, treat me really niceys. Decorate my neck, diamantes ices.” It’s all a bit superficial but then again so am I, so there you go. I’m more of a Coke girl than Pepsi tbh, but I’m sure I could make an exception for her.
On the Metro (Girls Aloud)
Of the four songs Girls Aloud released on their TEN album, this is by my favourite, followed closely by the girl power tune Something New. Nicola Roberts, my second favourite Girls Aloud member, wrote this song, which probably explains why I have such a soft spot for it. It wouldn’t sound out of place on her fantastic album Cinderella Eyes, actually, with its heavy disco tempo and electro-synth beats. In terms of deepness of lyrics, it’s hardly up there with Call the Shots or Untouchable, but it deserves plaudits for managing to conflate the bittersweet lyrics telling a story of losing a guy you met on a night out with a cheery up-tempo beat. Plus Cheryl Cole’s voice sounds - *gasp* - pretty decent on her verse(!!!!!)
Skyfall (Adele)
I only saw Skyfall two weeks ago, and loved it! Poor form for leaving it so long to watch it, but what that did mean was that when the opening sequence begun, set to Adele’s fantastic Shirley Bassey impression, I knew all the words of the theme song. I'm not quite as good at bellowing the high notes out as Adele is, unsurprisingly.
Number One (John Legend ft Kanye West)
This is a silly one. Number One is nothing but an ironic tribute to infidelity (since my viewing of Joe Wright's Anna Karenina, that theme - adultery - seems to be prolific all over my favourite art forms, bizzare), opening “you can’t say, I don’t love you, just because I cheat on you” (well). But both Legend and West are so knowingly tongue-in-cheek, which is what makes the song so hilarious. Kanye West’s lone verse in particular really takes the self-indulgence to new levels, “I try to jack off, you ask me who is you playing with? / but I know he love you, he told me you is his favourite.” Who said romance was dead?
Red Planet (Little Mix ft T Boz)
Ahh! I got Little Mix’s DNA album this month and I haven’t been able to stop listening to it. Stereo Solder is arguably the catchiest with its rhythmic drumming but Red Planet is my favourite aurally – as with DNA, the girls’ voices definitely sound better on songs written in a minor key, and the electric guitar, not-so-understated lyrics offering the “red planet” as a metaphor for bunging and occasional bits of harmonization render the song the closest thing to a modern day Spice Girls substitute.
Life While We’re Young (One Direction)
Because I have to have a One Direction on any kind of playlist, obviously. Zayn kills it in this song, proud of him. (DAT REFRAIN~~~)
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.
All in all, it's not been a terrific week for old Bunginho here, what with Chelsea sacking club legend Robbie Di Matteo and replacing him with - *shudders* - Rafa Benitez. To pour salt into the wound, on a night out yesterday, I broke my Lolita sunglasses. It seems almost apt, in fact, that when the news was announced that Benitez would be ushering Lampard and Cole - two of my favourite players - out of the door in the Summer, the heart one the sunglasses broke. It was almost a metaphorical symbol of the way my heart will break when those two leave. But yes, enough pretentious pseudo-astrology bullshit. As when Lampard and Cole leave, instead of crying over what is no more, I'll try my best to smile over the good times. And with my Lolita sunglasses, as with them, there were so, so many good times...
With Luke for pre-drinks at Vodka Revs, feeling like the Sex and the City gals with our cocktails.
Toga lolitas!
There are a lot of hearts in this picture, both on my top (it says "Chelsea girl", just sayin) and my brother's I love NY T-shirt!
Sidenote: Tom has much larger eyes than me, and fuller lips. *sighs* Some people have all the luck...
The Lolitas came to Paris with me!
And to Italy as well!
on a night out in Bristol.
What now? Well, I'm going back home next weekend and will probably stop by Camden to pick up a replacement pair of heart-shaped glasses. Currently I'm thinking I'll get either a white, yellow or pink pair.
Hopefully I'll have many fantastic memories with them as I did with the original Lolitas!
With Luke for pre-drinks at Vodka Revs, feeling like the Sex and the City gals with our cocktails.
Toga lolitas!
There are a lot of hearts in this picture, both on my top (it says "Chelsea girl", just sayin) and my brother's I love NY T-shirt!
Sidenote: Tom has much larger eyes than me, and fuller lips. *sighs* Some people have all the luck...
The Lolitas came to Paris with me!
And to Italy as well!
on a night out in Bristol.
What now? Well, I'm going back home next weekend and will probably stop by Camden to pick up a replacement pair of heart-shaped glasses. Currently I'm thinking I'll get either a white, yellow or pink pair.
Hopefully I'll have many fantastic memories with them as I did with the original Lolitas!
