Book review: THE ULTIMATE ACTUARIAL JOKE BOOK (John Lee)

John Lee, whose two books Actuarial Fairy Tales and Confessions of an Actuarial Tutor I have previously reviewed on my blog, continues with his streak of actuarial high jinx with his latest offering, The Ultimate Actuarial Joke Book. 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.

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 The Ultimate Actuarial Joke Book never gets stale, with the reader kept on their toes.

Cosplay for Hallowe'en: SQUID GAME with a touch of MIDSOMMAR

For Hallowe'en this year, I dressed up as 456 from Squid Game. 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.

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!

it's me, hi, i'm the problem, it's me!

Product reviews: Fenty Beauty Crush on Cupid blush and Girl Next Door x Chic Phreak highlighter

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.

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 2018 Oscars, where he was nominated for Best Actor, and several media outlets commented on how glowy his skin looked.

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.

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.

Review: Extreme Caffeine Sweet Cold Brew Coffee

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. 

Review of five Maison Margiela perfume samplers

In my review of the LookFantastic Autumn Scent Edit, 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. 

Review of five perfume samplers from FeelUnique - part 8

You know the drill by now – my brief thoughts on five little samples of perfumes!

Alive by Hugo Boss Eau de Parfum

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.