Film Review // Chef

One of the perks of my job is that I get to see as many films as I want for free so last weekend I decided to go with my boyfriend to see Chef.

The film pretty much died a horrid death at my cinema chain so I thought I'd take this opportunity to write a little review about it and hopefully convince more people to see it before it disappears.

What first attracted me to the film was the phenomenal cast: directed by and starring Jon Favreau, best known for the Iron Man franchise, is a pretty good starting point but then add Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jnr, Dustin Hoffman, Sofia Vergara and John Leguizamo into the mix with a dash of some incredible food porn and you've got the recipe for a film that dreams are made of.

Fair enough, the main A-Listers aren't a huge part of the movie and only feature in the first half but it's just enough to lure you in and keep you there for the rest of the ride.

The film centres around chef Carl Casper and his struggle to be as creative as he wants to be in the restaurant he currently works in - as well as his struggle to be a good father to the son he has with his ex-wife. His wife Inez, played by Sofia Vergara, has repeatedly attempted to convince Carl to leave his repressive work place and take to the roads in a food truck but he only shuns the idea. However, after a bad review from food critic Ramsey Michel, played by Oliver Platt, hits the internet Carl's life and career rapidly begins to deteriorate. His son Percy introduces him to the world of social networking via Twitter and upon becoming aware of the review, he takes to Twitter to hit back at the critic in what he believes in a private message. Percy wakes up in the morning to discover 1000s on notifications on his Twitter app and realises his dad's reply to Ramsey Michel has gone viral. Carl has arranged to cook his own menu for the critic at the restaurant but a confrontation with back-seat driver (and owner of the restaurant) Riva - Dustin Hoffman's character - leads to him quitting. A hilarious rant to the critic about chocolate lava cake - IT'S FUCKING MOLTEN!!! - takes place somewhere after all of this which only adds to Carl's viral online persona. After a trip away with his son and ex-wife, Carl is eventually convinced to take the food truck offered to him by Inez's other ex-husband - Robert Downey Jnr - and so cue a road trip with Percy and Martin, Carl's friend and colleague from the restaurant played by John Leguizamo. The trip is full of discoveries and enlightenment in both emotional and culinary fields and makes for a film full of just plain feel-goodness.

What I like about this film is that it doesn't deviate away from the main plot line - it knows what it's about and it sticks to it without any unnecessary subplots. Any romantic affiliations within the plot are glossed over but the audience still understands what is going on between characters. The inclusion - and dependence - of social media in the film is an interesting element, it highlights the power of social media and what people are able to achieve if used correctly. It also keeps the youthful, modern air that surrounds the film already through the concept of food trucks and street food, an ever-growing trend in the food industry.

If you're sitting around with nothing to do or want something new to see but not sure what, I'd definitely recommend going to see Chef, but make sure you take plenty of food with you as it'll definitely leave you feeling hungry!

Review // Dove Summer Glow

Being as pale as I am, and prone to hayfever, I can find it difficult to tan in the summer time.

I've never fancied the idea of 'fake baking' - whether in the form of a self-tan lotion or a spray tan - or using a sun bed in order to achieve golden skin. Seeing girls with streaky, blotchy orange skin made me laugh rather than evoke any sense of jealousy. But after spending an afternoon out in the sunshine and developing a slight tan, I noticed it made me look a little better - definitely more alive anyway - so I thought I'd look into the world of self-tan.

Being a newbie, I didn't want anything too drastic so automatically ruled out conventional self-tan mousses and lotions and instead opted for a moisturiser with a hint of self-tan.

Dove Summer Glow Fair to Medium Nourishing Lotion 250ml

Dove's Summer Glow Nourishing Lotion - Britain's No.1 for this type of product - is a daily lotion which acts as a deep moisturiser as well as a tanning agent. The moisturising element was something that appealed to me as I often find myself having dry skin.

The product is nothing like other tanning products. It comes out looking just like a normal moisturiser and smells lovely and sweet unlike the horrid biscuit smell you usually associate with self-tanners. The downside to it's appearance is that it makes it difficult to know where you've put the lotion and how much you've used so you could end up with sections of your skin looking darker than other parts.

Even after the first use, I instantly saw a difference in my skin. It was incredibly soft! I don't think I've ever used a moisturiser that's been as effective as this one. As well as that, my skin had already began developing a slight summery glow.

Top: left, before; right, day 2 - Bottom: left, day 3; right, day 4

As you can see even after four days, I had developed a nice tan. I was only using the Fair to Medium lotion so the tan was never going to be that substantial but there is a clear difference between what my skin was like before using it and what it looks like now.

However, as I've already pointed out, applying the lotion is made difficult by the colour of it and I have been left with a few white patches.

This photo probably shows up the difference between my before and after skin a lot better but as you can also see I have quite a significant white patch on my wrist! It's obviously easily fixed as you can apply more lotion onto the wrist whilst avoiding the areas already tanned but it's something to keep in mind if you are using this product.

I was all ready to just write a fantastic review raving about this product until I had a bath this morning...

I'd had no problems with the tan when showering, obviously it lessens slightly but my skin was still looking good. However, once I had come out of my bath, I noticed that I had been left looking incredible patchy and streaky. As well as that, whatever of my tan hadn't been rinsed down the plughole had left a lovely ring around the bathtub. 

As you can see, my leg has been left looking rather patchy. Although I still have a nice tan, it is disappointing that this is the result of having a bath. I suppose it's easily fixed but it has left me feeling slightly lukewarm towards the product when I had loved it so much.

Overall, this product is great for a newbie to self-tanning and if you avoid baths then it's perfect! 

The lotion also comes in Medium to Dark as well as the Fair to Medium and is currently on sale at Superdrug: £2.48, down from £4.99!

Review // Collection 'Work The Colour' Nail Varnish

Working in certain retail environments can be tough on a girl: hair always has to be tied back, unflattering uniforms and no nail varnish, ever.

This is a world I know all too well so when I have a good few days off in a block, I jump at the chance to jazz up my nails and actually feel like a girl again. Probably like most girls, I have a vast collection of nail varnish but sometimes the right one just isn't there no matter how many you have so I decided to go out and find something new to try.

Being as pale (and extremely indecisive) as I am, I often struggle to pick a nail varnish as I worry that certain colours will make me look even more corpse-like than I already do. I tend to stay away from the neon trend that's around at the moment, as well as blues and pastels - I feel like I just can't win but perhaps one day I'll take the plunge and just go for it!

However, this time I settled on Raspberry Pink 20 from Collection's new range: Work The Colour.

This nail varnish is extremely good value as it's only £1.99 in Superdrug!

I've got to admit, I didn't expect much from it as it's so cheap and I wasn't exactly in love with the colour either - after a while of um'ing and ah'ing, my boyfriend practically forced it into my hand! But I'm glad he did, as I love it!

The coverage from it is amazing. It takes two strokes to paint the nail and I only needed one coat of it! Plus it's not too Barbie pink, which I was worried about. I like feeling girly, but not that girly. It dries in as a lovely dark pink/red colour and it doesn't leave my hands looking pale either. As you could probably guess though, the only downside to the product is that it chips very easily. After only having it on for a few hours it had already began chipping, although not too drastically.

As you can see, the chipping isn't as noticeable as you would expect, although I did put a clear top coat of protective and strengthening nail varnish on top so that could perhaps be why it hasn't chipped so much (I would recommend doing this, maybe putting two coats on, to prevent chipping!). You could get away with keeping it on like this as it is barely noticeable and so for the price, this nail varnish is pretty impressive!

This range from Collection has a great selection of colours to choose from so if pink isn't for you, take a look and see what you fancy! You can't go wrong at £1.99.

Jack White // Lazaretto

Jack White has featured in music news a lot recently, from producing a song in record-breaking time to publicly apologising to anyone he has ever spoken cruelly about in the past. However, his new album Lazaretto – released on June 10^th through his own label Third Man Records – is something which he shouldn’t have to make apologies for.

The first song of his second solo album Three Women sounds like a rock gospel anthem – whether or not that’s a genre, White has made it one – with White repeating “Lordy Lord” accompanied by a bit of uncharacteristic organ music. Record-breaking track Lazaretto – the first single release – is the second song on the album and despite the production of it being rushed, it is well executed. It contains everything you would expect from the man. His trademark vocals paired with strong rock-sounding guitar riffs altogether creating another great piece of music.

Following on from that, Temporary Ground is a refreshing change from the so far very rock-sounding album as this song has more of a country edge to it. An image of White sitting on a porch in a rocking-chair, chewing on a piece of barley and playing the banjo sprung to mind as it began. However this change is short-lived as we’re straight back onto the iconic piano/guitar pairing in next song: Would You Fight For My Love? Although it begins quite hard-hitting, the guitar soon drifts off to leave White’s vocals – sounding slightly softer than usual – and the piano. This song could be seen as his version of a ballad, however he doesn’t commit to this concept as it very quickly turns back into the familiar angry-sounding rock song. High Ball Stepper is a strictly instrumental piece which seems to encapsulate all we have heard so far in the album, and acts as a break almost half-way through the 11 tracks, with heavy guitar being the most dominant feature and an odd bit of violin thrown in for good measure.

Just One Drink seems like a drunken nod to Would You Fight For My Love?  with the line “I love you, honey why don’t you love me?” being repeated several times, hinting to perhaps some trouble in White’s love life which makes for a bit of awkward listening. This idea is continued through into Alone In My Home as his previous anger seems to have subsided to leave something that just sounds quite sad, with White claiming “lost feelings of love” as well as that he is becoming a ghost. This sense of sadness continues on through Entitlement- which has remnants of the country sound from Temporary Ground. That Black Bat Licorice introduces the Jack White we know best back into the world after a melancholic break, and what else would you expect from a song with a title like that? This is followed through into I Think I Found The Culprit. The final song on Lazaretto, Want and Able begins with the sound of birds crowing and features a chorus which is filled mainly with the word ‘who’. Or is it an impression of an owl? It wouldn’t be an album by Jack White if there wasn’t something a little odd in there.

As a Jack White fan, this album doesn’t disappoint at all. Artists going solo can be a bit hit-and-miss, especially if it spills into a second album, but Lazaretto fills the shoes of Blunderbuss and then some. Bring on the next one.

New dates for a UK arena tour in November have been announced with tickets for the gigs in London, Leeds and Glasgow going on sale at 9am on Friday 13^th June. White will also be making an appearance at Glastonbury later this month.

Tony Moly // Style over Substance?

A few weeks ago it was my 21st birthday so in the run up to that big day I was browsing the Internet trying to find what I wanted to receive as a reward for being alive for another year and then I came across this...

Tony Moly is a brand I hadn't heard of before however, as these products are based around cats it isn't a surprise that it came to my knowledge through a popular hipster post on Tumblr.

As soon as I saw it I knew I just had to have it, whether the actual product itself was of decent quality or not. 

Tony Moly is a major brand in the Korean beauty industry and has a wide variety of products, a lot with cute packaging and design like these cat products. I've yet to test it out as, although the order for these items was placed around 4 weeks ago, they only arrived a few days ago so that's something to keep in mind if you're planning on ordering anything from this brand for a special event or occasion.

Along with the order, I also received a free gift.

Although the English translation on the front of the packet leaves something to be desired, you can never be displeased with receiving a little surprise gift for free!

I'm looking forward to seeing if the products stand up to their great aesthetics. I'm hoping it's not a case of style over substance, but even if it is, they're items that'll look great to display with your other beauty products and will no doubt cause envy amongst your friends.

Have you ever tried anything from Tony Moly? What do you think of the brand?

BRIT Awards // 2014

So tonight sees the annual celebration of a small fraction of the British music industry that's pushed onto us daily by radio stations and music channels on tv and so is categorized as 'popular'. You may know this event as the BRIT awards - hosted once again by James Corden... Is no one else available, really? No one even slightly music related? Or slightly funny?

Anyway, before I even mention anything about the year of music that's just gone by, let's take a look at the award itself. 

Last years award looked like it had taken inspiration the Come Outside aeroplane and this years...

Well, this years just needed to be made of styrofoam to really complete that 'build your own award' look. Whatever that thing at the top of it is, it looks like it could be easily slotted on and off the head, it just reminds me of the styrofoam aeroplanes you'd get in Christmas crackers or with a McDonald's happy meal. Maybe they're trying to link the aeroplane theme that seems to be going on with the design. Either way, the ridiculous design fits in with (no doubt) ridiculous winners - they get the award they deserve. 

All the BRIT awards celebrates is artists who have sold the most or been the most controversial (which normally goes hand in hand). I don't doubt we'll see the likes of Miley Cyrus or Robin Thicke winning awards - whether at the BRITS or any other music award show - and where does that leave artists who actually deserve awards? Those that don't insult women or swing around naked to get attention but actually let their talent get them noticed. If that even happens these days. 

As well as that, the limited amount of music genres that incorporated is shocking. Yes, there's a rock category but what about all the terms that come under rock or variations. Oh wait yes, they're all classed as 'pop' now, right?

Save yourself the hassle and do something else with the two hour slot the BRITS takes up. It's two hours you can't get back and after two hours of James Corden's attempts to be funny, you'll probably end up questioning the point of living.

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Review // £1 Fashion Nails

Okay, so something a little fashion related for my once in a blue moon blogpost.

I'm not exactly the girliest girl you could ever meet but over the last 18 months my style has been changing and one thing I've always fancied is a manicure. However, my job doesn't allow nail polish or fake nails (the downsides of a supermarket retail job, sigh) so that isn't really much of an option for me. Plus, to be honest small talk is something I really hate so also makes manicures less appealing to me. 

But, while I was doing a bit of retail therapy earlier on in the week, I came across some fake nail sets in Primark (and one in Superdrug) that I fancied trying and since I've got a week off work, I thought why not!

Being a self-confessed cat lady, I couldn't resist the cat/polka dot nails (but who could, they're adorable!) and for only £1, I just had to buy them.

The nails themselves were easy to get on, seeing as it's my first time applying fake nails I'd say I did a pretty good job so I'm sure if you're more experienced you'd do a much better job. I had bought nail glue from Superdrug to use and good job I did as I struggled with the free adhesive that comes with the nails. I did struggle to find enough nails in the pack that fit well. I don't know if that's a common issue with fake nails but I reckon they still look good considering. 

However, I put them on before applying my make up for the day and while opening my blusher palette, one of my thumb nails cracked - pretty disappointing after only having them on for about half an hour. But then again, what would you expect for £1?

Overall, these nails are adorable and an absolute bargain. When buying something for that cheap you'd be deluded to think they're going to be top quality and highly sustainable so for the price, they're great. But if you want ones that'll last longer without getting damaged, obviously you get what you pay for.

Fenech-Soler // Rituals

The moment I have been waiting for, for what feels like an eternity, has finally arrived: the release of Fenech-Soler's follow up to their debut self-titled album.

'Rituals' - the second album from Fenech-Soler

From the moment I first heard their debut single 'Stop and Stare' on Radio 1 a good few years ago now, I was hooked and instantly became a fan of the band, listening to their first album over and over and posting their music online... sadly, with not much response as my musically-challenged friends by-passed them for whatever was deemed as popular at the time. But I'm making one more attempt to introduce them into the world and if I can make just one person like them then I'll be happy.

Obviously this post will be completely biased as in my opinion, this band are music perfection but I'll let you decide for yourself. (Note: if you disagree, you are wrong.)

Dance and techno music seems to be making a comeback from the 90s - although perhaps not quite so hard-hitting as it was back then and with significantly less chipmunk-like vocals - with the rise of dubstep over the past few years and artists such as Avicii and David Guetta bringing it into the charts. However, it seems to have died off slightly and the recipe for a successful song these days seems to be anything with a good base line to it and perhaps a bit of synthesizer in there too. Maybe throw some indie lyrics and vocals on top of it all and you're probably onto a winner. With this in mind, Fenech-Soler should be far more known than they currently are.

Their music is never without a bouncy dance track and is definitely what I can imagine being played in clubs to act as a soundtrack to many a drunken fun-filled night. That's what I imagine anyway as I'm sat in my pyjamas with a cup of tea, listening to the album.

As we edge ever-closer to long and dark Winter nights, a personal favourite from the album 'Last Forever' brings a bit of sunshine back into my mind as I listen to it as it just screams out to be used in a montage of teenagers running around at festivals in slow motion, covered in face paints, flowers in their hair and drinks in hand. And as the title suggests, it makes the memories of Summer last forever through their music.

 

It's difficult for me to single out favourites on this album as everything just sounds like perfection to me, the word 'eargasm' is definitely appropriate when used in reference to this album and just the band in general. If you like 'Last Forever' - or any of the other releases: 'All I Know', 'Magnetic' and 'Maiyu' - you will love the rest of the album. They also have a similar sound to bands such as Delphic, Ou Est Le Swimming Pool, Bastille and Passion Pit so if you are a fan of them then check this band out! I promise you won't regret it.

Of course when I found out Fenech-Soler were doing a UK tour, I jumped at the chance to get tickets as their music is just perfect to let loose and jump around to. They're touring all around the UK in November so if you like what you hear, get yourself a ticket!

Review // Collection 'Cream Puff' Lip Cream

'Collection' is a range of make-up I've never really paid much attention to before seeing as it's all pretty low-priced and so I assumed the products would be of low quality.

It's coming close to payday for me so I'm running a bit low on cash but need to refresh my make up so therefore thought I'd swap my usual Gosh and Barry M products for something cheaper.

I got this for £3 since I had saved up £6 on my Superdrug beauty card (it pays off not being able to say no to people when you're pestered to sign up to store cards!) so it was an absolute bargain. Usually it would be just under £9 but even that's still a bargain compared to other products.

I'm focussing mainly on the 'lip cream' for this post since I'm fairly into my lip products and a lip cream is something new to me. 

So it's in the same style as a lipgloss, as you can see. The product itself is very creamy (as you'd guess) and fairly luscious. Not to mention, it smells incredible which obviously doesn't affect the product's use but it's always a bonus! The coverage is equal to that of a lipstick and the end result is similar to a lipstain: the colour stays locked onto your lips with a lack of residue.

To illustrate this point, I tested it out on a piece of tissue paper. I've got a photo of my lips before and after I pressed them against the tissue paper. And as you can see, not much came off in the process and my lips look the exact same.

This is a fantastic product for people who don't like lipstain products and want a matte-lipstick style with that same staying power of a lipstain. 

Try it out and see if you agree! With Collection's price range, you can't really go wrong.

Empire of The Sun // Ice on The Dune

With the sun coming out to play recently, what better way to celebrate than write a review about a band with the word 'sun' in it's name? (Creative, I know).

If I said I'd always been a fan of Empire of The Sun, I'd be lying. I was aware of them, sure, but I wouldn't class myself in that fan category. I enjoyed listening to 'Walking on A Dream', it was heavily featured on my 'Top 25 Played Songs' on iTunes during the Summer of 2009. However, I can't say the same for their other release 'We Are The People' and so chose not to delve any further into their discography. 

I don't know what brought me to take an interest in their newest album when I saw NME tweeting about it. Perhaps it was that techno-indie music fan within me dying for something new to feast on rather than tiring out my playlist consisting of bands such as Delphic, Metronomy, Passion Pit, Friendly Fires, Fenech-Soler and Ou Est Le Swimming Pool. However, I am glad I took that plunge.

Although, I must admit overall I was kind of disappointed by the album. In my opinion, their single 'Alive' is the best thing about the album but there are a few other gems such as 'Ice on The Dune'. 

One thing is clear about Empire of The Sun, they know how to make a Summer anthem. They'd definitely be an essential at any festival and their music makes it clear that their gigs would be a lot of fun.

They've added to my techno-indie playlist but I don't think I'll make a habit of religiously listening to the album. Maybe third time's the charm. 

The Voice // A Talent Show Without The Talent

This morning I caught my first glimpse of the finalists for 'talent' show: The Voice and I'm honestly struggling to find words to express my views on the show as well as the contestants.

Now, I haven't ever actually watched an episode of the show so my opinions and views may be limited and are just coming from about five seconds of clips used on Lorraine this morning and a short interview. But normally if a show is using clips to illustrate their guests, they use something that portrays the show and the contestants' talents well?

What I came across was:

1) A Will.I.Am lookalike, 'mentored' by Jessie J and not the American rapper himself so it raises the question as to why she has chosen to fashion him this way. Maybe an infatuation with the man himself? Play it cool, Jessie.

2) Three other contestants who don't look like a celebrity (although I could argue that one had a striking resemblance to Velma from Scooby Doo but I'm not sure if a fictional cartoon character is valid) so are therefore forgettable, apart from their gruesome murders of some classic songs such as a screachy rendition of talent show audition favourite: Killing me Softly (Really? Way to show originality guys) which I'm sure will haunt me in my dreams tonight. 

Along with some pathetic jokes about how much of a 'legend' John Legend is (yet more originality from these guys) and tiresome anecdotes of a young contestant being awestruck by hanging out with Tom Jones, the interview with the contestants failed to rivet me at all.

I can see now why we hear nothing from the contestants of this show - who won last year's again? - if this is what they have to offer the world. And I certainly won't be tuning in on Saturday to see who wins to then be chewed up and quickly spat out by the music industry monster. I think I'll stick with Modern Family.

Blurred Lines // A Musical Mid-Life Crisis

I never fail to be disappointed by the British public's music taste and once again, I find myself scratching my head in confusion as I listen to 'Blurred Lines'. Most middle-aged men date a younger woman or buy a sports car when they're going through a mid-life crisis but for Robin Thicke, releasing a womanising pop song into the stratosphere seems to be the way to go.

The song also features Pharrell Williams and this was the main reason why I thought I'd see what all the hype around this song was as I am a fan of his work with N.E.R.D as well as his recent hit with Daft Punk but 'disappointed' is an understatement. Not only was I unimpressed by the song as a whole but the lyrics aren't the most creative I've ever come across and are simply crude. 'I know you want it' and 'you're a good girl' being the most apparent lyrics in the song are seedy, not to mention incredibly arrogant. Couple that with the fact the original music video for the song was banned by YouTube for being a bit too 'risqué' and it just says it all.

To add to all this disappointment, as I scrolled through Twitter one evening, a link appeared for a cover version of the song by rock band Queens of The Stone Age. It called out to me like a beacon of hope: 'yes, if anyone can save it, they can' I thought.

But no.

Not even Queens of The Stone Age can make that song sound any better to me. And so I came to the conclusion that the lyrics are so atrocious that it just cannot be saved. 

But somehow it manages to sell millions of records and top charts. Whether it's an infatuation for the artist's aesthetics, the reputation of the supporting artists or horny teenage boys needing to see the video, something's working for it.

But it's best to stick to the traditional methods of dealing with a mid-life crisis, Rob.

Peace // In Love

So I haven't written anything about bands for a while so I thought I'd share a new band I've fallen for recently.

Peace are a four-piece Indie band from Worcester, England.

If indie music is your thing, I would quite confidently bet money on you enjoying this band just as much as I do.

They have those staple blunt, melancholic vocals you'd associate with an indie band, which they've coupled with psychedelic guitar riffs and disco-rock drum beats. I almost feel like they could be a bizarre love child between a slight glam-rock and indie band.

Their music has quite an eclectic mix. They move flawlessly between classic hard-hitting indie anthems (such as Bloodshake and the Foals-esque Wraith) and slower, softer ballads with songs such as Float Forever and California Daze so I feel as if their recently released album 'In Love' has something for any indie music fan.

They could easily be on their way to becoming the next big thing in the indie-music scene - or at least I think they should be - and a festival essential.

They're currently touring around the UK and as I've said, their debut album is available to buy, or stream on Spotify, as well as their EP 'EP Delicious'.

Become infatuated.

Review // Kukee

A girl can never have too many accessories so it was a nice surprise to come across a website full of great jewellery that I'd never heard of before.

Kukee.co.uk offers a range of quirky (or kooky) jewellery at what can usually be seen as 'too good to be true' prices. However, don't let the low prices put you off: the cost may be cheap but the quality is not.

After seeing someone I follow on Instagram posting their purchases, I had a look at the website and couldn't resist buying something from it myself.

The website is too good to order just one thing so I decided to buy the rings in the above picture along with a crescent moon necklace and an ear cuff. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the items: they feel solid, robust as they're made from a metal plated material and not cheap plastic (which you may assume from how little they cost). As well as this, all the rings are fully adjustable which is a major plus as I've had several experiences in shops, such as New Look or Primark, where it has been difficult for me to find a ring which fits perfectly so making the rings adjustable means they can fit any sized finger comfortably so this instantly puts this website one above other retail stores, for me. But that's not the best thing. If you were to guess how much this haul cost me, what would you say? £25? More? Maybe, if you were shopping at a different store but at Kukee, I spent just £10.50 (plus £2.20 on p&p).

If that doesn't make you want to take a look at the website then I don't know what will.

After receiving this purchase, it's safe to say I've become a Kukee loyal. I wear my rings with every outfit and today, I made my second purchase.

Two rings and two necklaces for £9

The low prices they offer got me thinking: why don't all shops offer jewellery at similar prices? Even Primark, which is probably the cheapest fashion retailer, rarely have jewellery items on sale at £1 or £2. I did a quick search online and came across this:

On the left, a set of rings from Topshop priced at £8.50 and on the right, a ring from Kukee priced at £2.
Now, fair enough you get four rings for your £8.50 but looking at them just from the pictures, there's already - to me - a great distinction in the quality of the rings.
With the ring from Kukee, you get a choice between gold or silver plated and they look of a much higher quality (and like they should cost much more than £2) as well as looking far more representative of a cat than the Topshop items. I have seen someone on Instagram with this ring and they've expressed nothing but joy over it. I know which one I'd choose.
This just shows that although they're a cheap store, they keep up-to-date with the trends and offer good (if not better) quality items.

If you like the sound of Kukee, the owner of the store has recently announced that she is also setting up a vintage clothing shop - called Wild Wolfy - with just as low prices (items at £5, £10 and £15 - stated on the Facebook page). You can find out more about that here and here.

Enjoy!

Darwin Deez // Songs For Imaginative People

Fan of Darwin Deez? Can't wait another two days for the release of his new album?

Then you're in luck!

Soundcloud have kindly given us an exclusive stream of the full album to banish those withdrawal symptoms and sense of anticipation.
It can be heard here or here.

Enjoy!

Songs For Imaginitave People is released on February 11th 2013.

Reality TV // The Rise of The Fickle Public

Love it or loathe it, reality television is fast becoming one of the most popular television genres within Britain.

The entertainment industry has a great power to make and break humans: one second you can be on top of the world and within an instant, you're.. sorry, who are you again?
And from this, my attention has been brought to the amazing fickleness that we, as the British public, seem to have.

The most recent example in the British reality tv world is someone I'm sure you all have some sort of opinion on: Rylan Clark. His appearance on the 'talent' show: The X Factor caused much controversy within the industry as well as the public. Every Saturday night I'd sign onto Facebook, as well as Twitter, to see my homepage filled with status after status such the like of: "Can't believe Rylan is still there! It's a fix!" or "Get Rylan out!". So it would be safe to presume that he was hardly the most loved contestant on the show.
However, with a new year comes a new series of Celebrity (should that word be there..?) Big Brother and with the amount of controversy caused by him, the producers jumped at the chance to get him on the show. His 'lovable, genuine character' being portrayed to the public night after night, along with his disputes with 'villains of the house' Heidi and Spencer Pratt, have (surprisingly?) resulted in cheers from the audience on eviction nights and suddenly my newsfeed is full of status' stating: "Rylan to win!"

Are we really that much of a fickle nation? It would appear so.

A similar story to that of Rylan's is Frankie Coccozza's stint in the 'celebrity' world. Also appearing on The X Factor, he was regularly bombarded with abuse for having no talent. Although, unlike Rylan, he had an entire nation of teenage girls behind him as he had a generic 'rocker' look. He was compared to Pete Doherty in his sleazy nature as well as regularly being photographed drunk, not to mention his recreational cocaine use which then resulted in his departure from the show. All of this led to his unpopularity within the general public.
That is, until he also decided to enter the Big Brother house. And, just like Rylan, became a beloved character with people suddenly rooting for him to win.

On a different note - recent stories surrounding the lead singer of rock group: Lostprophets have left me slightly uneasy towards claiming to be a fan of the band. Although his actions clearly do not affect the rest of the band members or the music they made, why is it that I feel like I would be attacked for listening to them?

And, after all of this, I present to you to Queen of the fickle reality tv world...



After being shot into the public eye from being in the band: Atomic Kitten, there has rarely been a time when Kerry Katona has not featured somewhere in a magazine or newspaper and I'm sure the above clip is nothing new for you.

We've all been made aware of how much of a rollercoaster her life has been: from being a young and naive pop star, seeming to have it all whilst married to Brian McFadden from the boyband Westlife and once they had split, her life took a drastic turn. And, of course, the industry - as well as the nation - disowned her.
In 2004, she took to the reality tv world (in an attempt to reboost her career - it seems to be the foolproof plan) when she entered 'I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!' in which she won and became Queen of The Jungle - also resulting in her winning over the public perception of her.
Although, her life wasn't rosy for long, as once her second marriage had broken down, she spiraled out of control once more which resulted in undercover footage from News of The World showing her snorting cocaine while her children were preoccupied. And of course, that infamous 'This Morning' interview.

Following that interview, she was shunned by the nation - branded a slurring mess. However, after a few cheap magazine and newspaper interviews claiming how much she has turned her life around (for the 100th time) along with the odd "I've lost 2345654 pounds on this fad diet!" declaration and multiple reality tv show appearance - also including Celebrity Big Brother (what is it with that show?) she has managed to claw her way back into the nations heart to become a Z-List nation treasure once again.

She really is the ultimate victim of this fickle world.
But I'm sure we'll have another reality show ladder for her, as well as everyone else, to make their way up once they have been kicked back down to the ground.

Muse // The 2nd Law

Whether you're a fan of Muse or not, you can't argue against the fact that they're not afraid to be bold with their albums and they're definitely one of the most experimental bands around and their new release: The 2nd Law is definitely their most experimental piece of work yet.

Their 9-minute-long symphony in The Resistance was something extraordinary and created a lot of hype around that album and with The 2nd Law comes another hype, a new Muse era: the rise of musestep.

The trailer released for the album gave fans a taster of what was in store from this album sampling the song Unsustainable and giving us an insight into the alluded musestep.



The album is not full of this genre of music though, the experimental material is left for the end, as well as seeping into their song Follow Me, with their two takes on dubstep: Unsustainable and Isolated System, ending the album.
Personally, I prefer the latter of the two songs. Isolated System is a much softer version of dubstep without lyrics whereas I think Unsustainable would be preferred more by fans of the Skrillex form of the genre.

As well as their development of musestep, fans are introduced to the vocal talent of another member of the band: the bassist, Chris Wolstenholme. Although hearing his voice on a track is not entirely new to Muse fans as he is featured as a background vocalist in Supermassive Black Hole.
But in this album, he is given two songs to himself: Save Me - a beautifully vulnerable sounding song including lyrics such as: "Don't let me go, I'm nothing without you" - and Liquid State, a much rockier song with harsher vocals, which, to me, sounds very similar to InnerPartySystem.
Decisions like this are somewhat risky, introducing a voice that is unfamiliar with Muse fans, however gathering from their reactions, it seems to have paid off. Having a different voice to listen to is quite refreshing and shows yet another side to Muse and their talents.

However, Muse have not forgotten their roots. The album is still full of fantastic riffs and guitar solos, the sound everyone associates with the band.
Explorers seems very reminiscent of Soldier's Poem from Black Holes and Revelations, and the guitar solo from Madness is very Brian May-esque therefore creating a similar Queen sound to that of United States of Eurasia from The Resistance.

It's difficult to say if this is their best album yet as every album they produce is so diverse and completely different to the previous. It's the Muse we all know and love, with a twist.
They give their fans something new every time and with their next album, I wouldn't be surprised if they turned reggae. Although, I'm sure they could even make that work.

Bloc Party // Four

Waking up this morning, it seemed like every other day: I'd get up, make myself a cup of tea and retire back to my bed for an hour or so of mind-numbing daytime television.

All while downstairs in the kitchen, I had August 20th marked down with 'BLOC PARTY ALBUM!'. I was counting down the days. Soon I would have the long-awaited album in my hands.

I was aware there had been various leaks surfacing on the internet, as well as the band themselves streaming the album on their website, but I had vowed to keep away from it until I could have a solid copy to listen to.

So there I was, in bed, when my brother bursts through my door with a parcel in his hands. I was slightly confused... I hadn't been expecting anything. Then he says those words that make my heart beat faster: "It feels like a CD".

Could it be?!

I grabbed it off of him and ripped it open and there, in all it's glory, were those 4 concentric circles in red, blue, yellow and green. I had it. I was finally holding Four. I couldn't help but just hug it and savor it for a few minutes. It may sound like an over-reaction but every Bloc Party fan has been waiting three years for this moment to arrive.

I had no idea what to expect from it as I placed the CD into my laptop. I had heard people say it was a lot heavier than the previous albums and it had been highly praised. From what I had heard from 'Octopus' and 'Day Four' I was sure it would be something incredible but all I knew at that moment was that I had to turn up the volume and just let the music take hold of me.

Straight in with the first song 'So He Begins To Lie' and it seemed everyone was right, it was much heavier but this wasn't anything I would be complaining about, instead, I was reveling in it.
Their use of guitar has become much heavier and they have a more apparent rock sound, moving away slightly from their previous mellow indie image.

However, they don't leave it behind completely.
Songs such as 'Day Four', 'Real Talk', 'Truth' and 'The Healing' take them back to their Silent Alarm roots with that 'This Modern Love' sound.

I noticed as I was listening to it that they seem to split the different genres up, with heavier songs being broken up by a chilled out, mellow song placed in between. It is pretty refreshing to have something softer in between so you don't feel, perhaps, bombarded with this brand new sound from them.

As well as that, Kele splits up the songs with his own version of an interlude: odd little anecdotes and musings. They provide the listener with a laugh as well as an insight into the band's personality, showing that they're much more than just the music.

I can safely say that Four was worth the three years of waiting and avoiding all the material online. I love this new sound from them, albeit I'm slightly bias being a rock fan, and if anybody hasn't been much of a Bloc Party fan from their previous albums then I'd definitely recommend that they give this a listen.
I have no other words to describe it other than simply: incredible.

Bloc Party are back!

Music Recommendation // Dog Is Dead

Bored of listening to the same old bands and songs?
Well, it's that time again!

I'm here to provide you with something new to please your ears.

I'd previously heard Dog Is Dead whilst surfing through the music channels one evening as I lay on the couch with the boredom washing over me and they were brought back to my attention today as I tuned into Fearne Cotton's Radio 1 show today.

They're a five-piece band from Nottingham, England and describe their music as 'indie pop'.
If you want a better idea of what they sound like before deciding to listen to them, then think of Noah and The Whale, with a slightly more indie twist at times.. and there, you have Dog Is Dead.
Like the sound of that? Well you should.

I currently have their selection of songs from Spotify playing as I write this post and they almost sound familiar because they are so Noah and The Whale-esque.
Their music has also appeared in Skins so you may recognise them from that.

At the moment they have three EPs available: 'Dog Is Dead', 'Your Childhood' and 'Confessions' but have yet to release their debut album.
These EPs still provide us with enough material to get a feel for the band and to get us more excited about the awaited album.

As I stated, their music is also available on Spotify if you want to have a listen before purchasing anything.

If you're currently feeling stressed then I think this will be the perfect band to chill out to, especially if the sun is shining.
Dog Is Dead are an essential to have on your Summer 2012 playlist.

DZ Deathrays // Bloodstreams

I seem to have abandoned my blog for the past few months, I guess I've kind of been out of the loop for a while but here is my attempt to get back into the game.

Back in February, I attended a Pulled Apart By Horses gig... not my usual musical venture, I must admit, however it was probably some of the most fun I've had at a gig.
So that got me thinking, why not make a more permanent move into this genre of music.

And that thought brought me to the following band.

DZ Deathrays are a two piece 'thrash pop' band from originating from Brisbane, Australia.
I first heard this band whilst having a casual listen to BBC Radio 1, when Huw Stephens put the track on and I instantly thought of Pulled Apart By Horses.
Although, in my opinion, the vocals aren't as brash as PABH which makes it a fairly easier listen for me.
So for those of you that aren't so keen on the 'hardcore screamo' type of music, this could be the band for you and could also be a great way to ease yourself into this genre of music.

Their debut album 'Bloodstreams' was released only yesterday (7th May 2012) and is currently available to listen to for free on Spotify.
I definitely recommend you give them a listen.



I know it's around the time of exams for many people, so why not take out your books, blast a bit of this out and let them take you through your revision.
If you don't enjoy it, I will eat my metaphorical hat.