A London Show-down

One of the many perks to living in London is the vast array of shows in theatres all over. I thought I would call out a few that I've seen that are still on, for anyone looking for a weeknight treat, or for those visiting and don't know where to start.

Wicked, at the Apollo Victoria, just over the road from Victoria tube station, is one that I'd always wanted to see and knew all of the words to Defying Gravity years before going. Based on The Wizard of Oz, you follow what happened before the story in the films, and after Dorothy visits Oz. 

The cast are fantastic and will have you engrossed at every stage even if, like me, you aren't all too familiar with the films and books. The songs and theatrics are powerful and you even end up feeling sorry for the Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. 

I would, and will 100% go and see this show again and would strongly recommend it to anyone. I've never heard anyone say a bad word about it.

Next up is Bugsy Malone. It's only in the Hammersmith Lyric for a little while longer so if you're thinking about it, I wouldn't hesitate for too long. I am and always have been a massive Bugsy Malone fan, having had it on video as a child and being part of our school play when I was about 7. 

They perform every song from the film, and even do a medley at the end which you can't help but stand up and dance through. As expected, the cast is completely made up of children and all of which are professional and extremely talented. 

The tickets for this one are nice and cheap, starting at £15, so it's definitely one to tick off. 

Most recently, The Commitments at The Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. I was hesitant about going to see this one as I had no idea what it was about or what kind of songs would be featured, but my mum was in London for the weekend and really wanted to go. I quickly said yes when she offered to pay.

Luckily, I was more than pleasantly surprised. The story follows a young Irish guy who wants to start a band. I won't ruin the story as I do highly recommend it. Songs featured included River Deep, Mountain High, Try a Little Tenderness, Mustang Sally, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted and so many more soul and Motown songs. I knew (almost) every song and the last 20minutes is a medley of songs where everyone gets up on their feet, dancing and singing. 

The atmosphere is fantastic, you leave with a real buzz. 

I haven't got imagery for the others as my blog won't let me take from my Instagram without a lot of downloading and faffing, but I thought I'd give a little overview anyway.

Matilda, Cambridge Theatre, Covent Garden: When it first came out, me and a group of friends went to see it with really high hopes. It was between that and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but somehow Matilda won. For me, it wasn't one of the better shows I'd seen. The story was different to the film, which is such a classic that it felt disjointed, and because of that, I didn't know any of the songs, so you weren't able to sing along which gives the theatre such atmosphere. My friends enjoyed it, so I wouldn't rule it out completely - it just wasn't for me. 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Drury Lane: After the disappointment of Matilda, I finally got tickets for CATCF and absolutely loved it. A few people have said it's quite childish, with a lot of effects and loud noises, but I've actually been to see it twice now, I enjoyed it that much. 

You go through laughter, happiness and a little bit of sadness when Charlie and Willy Wonka fly off in the glass elevator singing Pure Imagination. The songs on this weren't all the same from the film which, as a huge CATCF film fan I was a little disappointed, but nethertheless, it's a great watch. 

Product Review: The Sleek Perfector Oil

What better time to get back into blogging? The cold weather is taking over meaning nights out are being quickly replaced with nights in and instead of watching TV, how about actually using my brain? Besides, I've bought loads of new hair and beauty products recently that I want to review.

First up on this series of reviews is the Garner Ultimate Blends 'Sleek Perfector Oil' (it kills me to have to spell it that way). I bought this after stealing some of my mum's last time I was home (sorry mum!). She has naturally really curly hair so is always trying out new products to control the frizz and with the humidity in London making us all look like Monica Geller in THAT episode of Friends, I decided to give it a go.

I didn't read the instructions and delved straight in and applied it to my wet, just washed hair. DON'T DO IT. I had greasy feeling hair straight away, it wouldn't style as it was stiff and just looked horrible. 

Second time lucky. I washed (and thoroughly dried) my hair, pumped a tiny amount onto my fingers and rubbed into my hands before stroking it through, starting about half way down. I straightened and styled my hair as normal, then applied a little bit more to finish it off. My hair already looked in 10x better condition and smelt like I had just bathed in a sea of tropical heaven. 

Not only does it smell amazing, I've noticed after a couple of weeks of use, that my hair doesn't react as badly to the humidity - winner!

Don't get me wrong, it doesn't eliminate frizz completely, but it definitely helps and is my must-have de-humidifier for coping with London weather.

Pantene Pro-V Dry Shampoo

I have always been a Batiste kind of girl when it comes to dry shampoo, keeping to the saying 'stick with what you know'. I once got sucked in by a two for £1 offer on Superdrug's own dry shampoo and it was the biggest mistake. 

While looking down the dry shampoo aisle in Boots, I came across Pantene's version and it was just £1.99 a bottle. Although a bit apprehensive, I decided to give it a go. 

All hail Pantene. This product is fantastic. 

Not only does it smell great, unlike the powdery smell you often end up with using Batiste, but you don't have the task of massaging out all of the white powder afterwards. 

You simply spray it on, rub it in a little and you're good to go. Although on the bottle it does mention white powder being left, I haven't yet had any. 

You get the same clean feeling, you smell good and it's half the effort. And they have a range of different bottles for different uses. As pictured, I decided to try the Instant Refresh and Volume Booster. I've yet to use the latter but the Instant Refresh is a definite winner. 

Pantene will be shooting to the top of my dry shampoo list from now on. 

Kendall Jenner's trick to surviving in heels

Kendall Jenner is without doubt the model of the moment. With every designer fighting to get her on their catwalk, she has to be on top of her game at all times. Along with her model friends, including Cara Delevingne and Gigi Hadid, Kendall is often seen sporting the highest of heels as part of her enviable wardrobe so it’s no surprise that women everywhere want to know the secret behind surviving a whole day, and often night, in the ultimate stilettos.

Kendall says: ‘You have to keep moving your feet. I switch off from one foot to another a lot, like this. (She crosses one foot behind the other.)’

Although a lot of people have taken to Twitter to joke about Jenner’s advice, it isn’t actually as simple as it sounds. She isn’t suggesting just walking, as pointed out a number of times, the trick is to evenly distribute your weight between each foot. Keeping the pressure on the ball of one foot for too long will cause rubbing and blistering, and all women know that once this starts to notice, it’s difficult to think of anything else.

This is great advice for anyone looking to get into runway modelling as, especially if you reach the heights that Kendall as reached, you could be on your feet for hours on end. 

Mother's Day gift idea

So Mother's Day is just around the corner, and if you're reading this, you are probably in a bit of a last-minute panic of what to buy your lovely Mum this Sunday. 

Just a short post, directed mostly at those who live within short travelling distance of London Victoria Station. 

All Mums love flowers right? Well how about adding a little something extra to an otherwise very obvious gift? I'm not talking about buying her that beautiful bouquet that comes with a free teddy or box of chocolates, that's too cliche. These are what I'm talking about . . .

The price can vary depending on the time of year, the blue one, for example, was £2.50 on a normal day but jumped up to £7.50 the day before Valentine's Day. And you can buy them singularly or as a bunch but they really are breath-taking. They come in a range of fantastic colours too, although I am yet to sample the whole range. 

Throw together a bunch of these and your mum won't be left feeling like a last-minute thought. 

DIY gifts - The Photo Frame

There's nothing worse than being stuck for a gift idea. My next challenge in terms of blog posts, is to find a number of fun, creative and personal DIY gift ideas that can be made suitable for almost anybody. 

First up, the photo frame. You can pick up cheap, plain photo frames from almost any home store and adding your own touch is incredibly easy. The one I made (below) for example, was a plain wooden frame that I covered with some leftover wrapping paper. The colours went with the room decor and it was definitely going to be unique. 

It was so easy and I can't believe how professional it looks. 

Paperchase is a great place to find quirky, high-quality paper for around £1.25 a sheet. And that's all you'll need, apart from some glue, obviously. 

If you want to make it really personal, print out some small photos that your giftee will love and cherish, and cover the frame with those instead. Aslong as the photos are of a good quality, best to use normal paper rather than photo paper for sticking, you'll have a gift you're proud to give. 

U-Spicy cosmetic brush set

For years I've longed for a set of make-up brushes that actually do the job. The number of brushes I have bought and hated due to them being too soft and not applying the product evenly is ridiculous. 

That was until I was introduced to U-Spicy. My mum found them on Amazon and decided they would be a great stocking filler, and boy was she right. 

I have the 10 piece set but they also come in a six piece set. There is a brush for every product and each is soft but stern. The product glides on and is noticable in just one application, unlike other brands that take a couple of layers to achieve. 

My personal favourites out of the set are:

• The Tapered Brush for foundation application. I'm used to using thinner brushes for foundation but the thickness makes application so much quicker. It doesn't leave liquid foundation looking streaky and leaves you with great coverage. 

• The Angled Brush for blush/glow application. Although not a massive brush, it gives fantastic coverage and is great for getting into smaller areas, such as around the eyes and nose. 

• The Precision Flat Brush for concealer application. When used in a small circular motion, you achieve almost perfect coverage with minimal effort - much better than using your fingers! 

• The Precision Tapered Brush for blush/glow application. The small tipped brush is great for reaching the smaller areas with bronze or blush. I've found it particularly useful for applying liquid highlighter such as Benefit's High Beam. 

Available to buy from Amazon. 

Original price £35.99

Sale price £16.99