Total Recall - Product Reviews

Wahoo almost there! And thanks for sticking with me, guys! For Total Recall Day 7, we'll have a blast with our product reviews. Now I am acutely aware that if I had chosen to religiously go down the (retail) product review road with this blog, day in day out, I would have made a killing in terms of online visibility, and I would have thousands of followers in the process! My blog's Google stats are pretty eloquent!

Sometimes in my thirst for fame I am tempted to go down that route well travelled and 'give them what they want', but I have way too many interesting personal things I wanna share with you for me to sell out to the well-oiled formula of blog success. I mean it's like having to choose between Walmart and the local deli, or between E.L. James (a.k.a. the author of Fifty Shades of Grey) and P.D. James (established crime novelist), or - come to think of it - between P.D. James and Agatha Christie. I choose to remain unwealthy - yet healthy - as the purveyor of intelligent food for thought for a lifestyle with attitude, rather than some supersize lifestyle fodder!

Tali and Ophira Edut a.k.a. The AstroTwins (pict source)

• Fancy a Brazilian? (31/03/2013) >> I actually had a lot of fun (and pain!) writing this review! A light-hearted and tongue-in-cheek approach to the latest craze in town! Not for wallflowers or shrinking violets though!
• March 2012 - FRF - The Vintage Tea Party Book (26/03/2012) >> I got a great Twitter accolade from Angel Adoree, the lady who wrote this delicious book that I purchased from Selfridges London. This made my review even more so special!
• February 2012 - FRF - The AstroTwins (18/02/2012) >> This is a tribute to some of my favourite astrologers, twins Tali and Ophira Edut. Exposure to the article went stratospheric after I tweeted the link to the twins! A case of success gone viral, and above all for me promoting a great website by two passionate sisters!
• Beauty Review - SkinCeuticals Serum 10 (24/03/2011) >> My best-seller of all times (in terms of page views that is!), and I am rather proud of my photographic prowess too, challenged by a basic digital camera and natural Winter light.
• Fashion Review - Doc Martens (24/01/2011) >> In my early twenties, I got acquainted with a pair of Doc Martens shoes and these really defined my style as an undefinable woman: Doc Martens (associated with punks and goths) worn with cords (Seattle grungey) + a fitted beige raincoat (Kinda East Coast à la Reese Witherspoon) + vintage style flower shirts + an ever changing hairstyle from PJ Harvey to Courtney Love + 1960s style make-up... I mean everyone had reasons to feel confused about me, myself included!

That's it for now, but don't forget we've still got one day to go and we will have covered 40 great baguette posts! As always thanks for your support, and please do not hesitate to spread the baguette love to your friends and family! See ya tomorrow!

The (Late) Lowdown on London (Part 2)

Sorry Mr Lou Reed but when in London I didn't "walk on the wild side". Rather I took the road well travelled. Staying so close to what the capital city has to offer in terms of "mainstream" action, I even had the luxury to be able to walk here, there and everywhere. No need for the Tube, for buses, carts or horses, yay!

This was one of the advantages about the Kingsley by Thistle Hotel, Bloomsbury Way. As you step out, you turn right and carry all the way up. Or you might nip to the back like I did and wander down the back streets in order to avoid the heavier traffic, past the British Museum, down Charlotte Street, and end up towards Harley Street (if vanity is your thing!). I actually had a bit of a field day down the Charlotte Street area, past the media agencies and advertising studios. That took me back years when I used to work in the industry.

As long as your London tastes are pretty tame, you will find the Kingsley Hotel to be at the heart of the action in relation to London's main shopping venues including Oxford Street and Covent Garden, museums (British Museum, Tate Britain) and entertaining hotspots (The West End). The beauty of it was that I could even nip back to the hotel during the day if I wanted to put my feet up for a while, change shoes, brew up a coffee or whatever tickled my fancy. This was no rock'n'roll city break, and this is probably why I got bored somehow!

In terms of refreshments taking you from AM to PM, there's only so many Starbucks, Prêt A Mangers and Costa Coffees you can handle. They have watered down the high street to saturation level and if you are telling me their expansionist mission has not yet reached its peak I scream!

On the retail front, some stores had me wobbly with anticipation but sadly didn't live up to my (somewhat inflated) expectations. Anthropologie (on Regent Street) was one of them. As much as I find the brand identity cool online, it fell pretty flat on the high street, in terms of store design and display. The wares looked lost in store. Interestingly I am told that Regent Street used to be a pretty exclusive shopping destination, once boasting an array of high-end one-of-a-kind flagship stores whereas now it seems to be nothing more than an extension of Oxford Street, pure and simple.

Kate Spade London (Covent Garden)

Talking of Oxford Street, I was left disappointed by another American brand that had me raving years ago when I first discovered it on a trip to Santa Barbara, CA: Urban Outfitters. The one on Oxford Street failed the test. The store design was a shambles and no wares actually caught my eye. I left empty-handed. Where are those cool vintage tee-shirts?

A trip to London wouldn't have been so without Liberty and Selfridges on the list. Liberty is still packed-full with style and character, despite my initial fears. Their stationery department is a treasure trove, and the iconic Liberty floral fabrics still have that magnetic hold on visitors.

Liberty's fresh flower stall

Selfridges is one big high-end shopping mecca, a house of mostly luxury brands that enabled me to get close and personal with the likes of Christian Louboutin and wonder what this is all about, unless you are planning to trade your looks as Belle de Jour... I wandered down the Tiffany aisle and then even treated myself to a deluxe microdermabrasion facial at Groom.

While I was at it, I even booked a hair colour from the Toni & Guy Academy (New Oxford Street) across from my hotel. I might as well have. The colour was fabulous and it made me feel good for the rest of my stay. (to be continued)

The (Late) Lowdown on London (Part 1)

Crikey, here is a piece I had planned to write on my return from London at the end of March! I got sidetracked somehow. I wish I had a valid excuse as to why I couldn't deliver the goods there and then rather than five months later, almost as an after-thought, but erm actually I don't have any excuses. Will you ever forgive me though?

There's probably a hidden message there somewhere. Sure there is. London was London, I just wasn't me for the whole nine days I was there. When I go to England, I go 'home' to Manchester, my hometown of 16 years. I just slip into that comfort zone, the familiar haunts, familiar faces, recapture memories and let my moods tickle my fancy.

London just isn't home. Nobody forced me to go to London, I just went along an idea I'd had with a girl friend of mine, Isabelle, and off we went.

The London I had experienced years ago had been exhilarating. The London I experienced back in March was... erm flat boring. I wanted excitement. I imagine the lack of it was a bit like how an out-of-body experience must feel: you are somewhere else but know you are not supposed to be there, your heart's not in it.

I stayed in luxury in a Bloomsbury hotel, but I'd had more fun times staying in grotty B&Bs those years back. Back then London was full of opportunities and possibilities to me. Now there was nothing it could offer me that I was looking for. No happiness, no satisfaction. No contentment. I tried to amuse myself with the London shopping experience, but once the initial awe had subsided after I stepped into Selfridges and Bond Street, I couldn't help but feel lonely, feel at odds with it all.

I became moody. I didn't like my own company anymore. I started missing people and that wasn't a good sign. Isabelle and I who should have got on like a house on fire, ended up avoiding each other and go our separate ways. As much as I love and cherish England, as much as I am a fan of London, on this occasion I wanted to go home.

Then as soon as I landed back on French soil, I got busy, I got caught up in life... Better, faster, shinier things to do and experience I guess than finalise that post about London... I put the blog on hold. I understand now that I had to come full circle before I could come to terms with that journey. As much as a geographical trip, it had been a personal journey, a life journey. I was lost and it took me five months to refocus my energy and determine where I stand in life. I am in a better place today and there is no stopping me! (to be continued)

March 2012 - Five Random Faves (Part 4)

Cook up a storm vintage-style with a little (great!) help from The Vintage Tea Party Book by Angel Adoree!

Hey folks, I'm just back from London and what a great time I had! But before I get into the nitty gritty, I wanted to share one of my great shopping finds: it's a cookbook I randomly sourced from Selfridges, Oxford Street's defacto flagship department store, the nec-plus-ultra fashion mecca at the heart of the high street.

Let's not be fooled here because this is no ordinary cookbook, it is an experience, straight from the heart and soul of a slightly eccentric character and business entrepreneur in the name of Angel Adoree who despite the bright hair and odd piercing holds good old-fashioned values firmly at heart and with this in mind put together a book that exudes Britannia in a cooler form than the so-called Cool Britannia clique from back in the 90s could have ever done...

More kudos than your nan's dining room (pict source)

In her book, Angel (Angela by birth, in case you happened to wonder) presents easy tea party recipes direct from her Vintage Pâtisserie venture to suit any time of day and budget, with hints about hairdos, vintage crockery, flowers in season and personal comments,  like a friend can only make them.

I told you, this book is an experience! For now, I keep it on my bedside table. I might consider relocating it to the kitchen to try out the recipes, but for now I'll keep it upstairs as I never tire of flicking through the pages, reading the anecdotes and gazing at the beautifully propped, nostalgia-laden photographs! (to be continued)

** Stop Press ** Look who's been talking to me on Twitter? Angel Adoree herself!

Pluses & Minuses (Part 3)

Material Girl: Habits die hard and I would be in denial if I claimed I do not miss certain aspects of my life in Britain, including people and places. When you are confined to an island, reclused to a fairly remote village an hour's drive from the nearest town, shopping takes a totally different dimension.



My Summer favourites: Toni Pons sandals (Padua model)

When in Manchester, it was easy for me to take Selfridges, Kendals or John Lewis for granted when they were virtually on my doorstep and I was a frequent visitor. Now there are days when I'd happily part with my dearest belongings, just for an hour of full-on city life! And the little add-ons too, like a decent cappuccino, a top-notch beauty treatment, an interesting TV documentary or a good old night out, where you can wear your hair down and are spoilt for choice in terms of venues...

Also once upon a time going for a drive opened a window of opportunities, whereas where I live now, whether heading north or south there is only the one road. Talk about that claustrophobic feeling...

Family Guys: Bring two generations with strong personalities and diverging views together under one roof, with limited space and (what seems like) unlimited time, add a lovely albeit sometimes lively Jack Russell Terrier (Tickle!), spice the scene up with frequent changes of plans and unsettled financial situation for the new arrivals, and you get a picture of disjointed family harmony. Family support has become a double-edged sword and you believe that their interference impacts on your progress. Mind you, at least, in their own peculiar way, they are showing us some interest...

  
Prospects: We came here for a chance to change our lives for the better. I was keen to move away from office-based jobs and a stalled career, and start afresh as an entrepreneur. In the meantime we were keen to find jobs, any jobs really, to sort ourselves out. Maybe we were naive to believe this would be easy.

One of the specificities of the local job market is that it is geared towards seasonality to respond to the peaks and troughs of the tourist industry, making it versatile in a hire-and-fire sort of way, with wage expectations right down to the bare legalities of the job market (i.e. the minimum wage) and 4 months of working day in day out, without a single day off. France might be reputed for its labour ethics, the reality is it's the jungle out there!

Moreover the current economic climate is not favourable to would-be entrepreneurs in need of a cash injection, and business plans must come up with a well thought-out USP to buck the recessionary trend, beat competition, convince the grey suits at the Chamber of Commerce and attract lenders. On a par with Britain, the latter have become more reticent and cover themselves with more guarantees.

Business loans are not what they used to be in terms of attractivity, and they come with a string of conditions attached. For instance in France, if you wish to run your own agricultural concern, you need to attend agricultural college first in order to benefit from preferential loan rates. The process of setting up your own business also implies an off-putting amount of red tape, although a streamline version of self-employment was pioneered in France in recent years, with mitigated success: auto-entrepreneur.

Techno-Flops: Last but not least, another flipside to that Cut Off from the World feeling that badly affects communication in this part of the island is the inadequation between the supply and demand in terms of electricity and telecoms. This invariably translates into power cuts, down telephone lines and a chaotic/ inconsistent broadband internet service, all colluding against consumer expectations in terms of the bare foundations of a modern lifestyle. The violent winds that sweep the northern Cape also cause power cuts. To these inconveniences, add a non-existent or bare-minimum public transport service between the most remote villages, and the feeling of isolation quickly becomes exacerbated beyond reason.

The Low-down: Logic tells us to add up all the pluses together (4) and then all the minuses (8), and to deduct whether this relocation experience was at all worthwhile... Although the answer seems quite obvious at first glance, it is not that clear-cut at the same time because it involves a number of parametres like family ties and the fact we have already invested a fair amount of time, effort and cash in this adventure.

Although giving up now may appear like the obvious option we feel we have to give it another shot, maybe review some assumptions in the process, and read the small print on family relationships!