Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon was a very popular Japanese kid's show (at least I think it was for kids) that ran in the
90's. It features the magical action-adventures of a teenage girl who learns of her destiny as the legendary warrior Sailor Moon, who must band together with the other Sailor Soldiers to fight for love and justice against the evil minions of The Negaverse to defend the Earth and it's Galaxy. To help them in their quest they heed the advice of two talking cats, Luna and Artemis, and the mysterious Tuxedo Mask.

In recent months the writers of this show have revealed that in the New Year a fifth season of Sailor Moon is set to be released in Japanese and English.

Just The Facts

1. Notably, Sailor Moon is the most popular and addicting series to ever come from Japan, with 200 Japanese episodes (182 in English) on TV, 18 books, 25 musicals and three movies. This covers the show. 

2. There are 10 Sailors named after 8 planets and the moon as well as chibi moon. 

3. Every guy in the show is either a dick or a nerd with little-to-no exceptions.

4. This show should not be watched at night without headphones while still living with your parents. 

Just the weirdness (and, The Story Too)

Based off the popular comic book series "Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon", Sailor Moon (real name apparently "Serena") was pretty much every little girl's favorite show. Why? Because half the time they're talking about cute boys, shopping, and being famous. And the other half consists of, well, crying.

Her friends are about as whiney and mindless as she is. The exception is what seems to be the only guy in the school, Melvin. And, being the world of Sailor Moon, the guy is a socially awkward nerd. And a stalker, which needs to be mentioned.

But, despite being a complete wimp/priss, Serena had freaking super powers. Which are pretty much useless, seeing as she doesn't do much else as Sailor Moon. Even after the cat "Luna" gives her pep talks, every episode it seems she's saved by "Tuxedo Mask." Or, in layman's terms: she always needs saving.
But that apparently didn't keep the girls away! Watching the pretty girls fighting evil-doers kept them glued to the tube. The unfortunate older brothers having to sit through this while waiting for Dragonball Z were treated to what can only be said as their first strip show.
I really wish I was kidding. 

Sexual Subtlety  (Minus the Subtle)

The Transformations

Anytime that they were in danger, any of the sailors could use the mighty pens and say some really silly catchphrase. Within 30 seconds, the Sailors change out of their school sailor uniforms into...well, sailor uniforms. GENIUS!

Freeze frame at any point, and you'll get some very, very weird thoughts in your head. With the, you know, addition of being completely undressed and exposed in all their girly wonder. Several boys, including the band Bare Naked Ladies, like them a little too much.

Devices

As with all standard girl anime, the girls can change only with the help of a relic that the damn cat can make appear from out of nowhere. The same, they say some silly catch phrase and change into their sailors. Now, look at the pen. As a kid, you can't see it. But as an adult, you question how this went by unnoticed. This pen actually changes Sailor Moon into other people. They are usually suspiciously seductive characters in the form of some popular bedtime role play games, like a school teacher, nurse, police lady, air hostess etc. Yes, they all wear short skirts, too.

The Lesbian Sailors

Coming out (literally) in the 90th episode, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune are lesbians.

However the english dubbed version has the characters played low key. What does this mean? 

They're cousins. 

This doesn't work with what a kid's show is supposed to display, and they do their best to cover this up. However, flirting with each other and getting very close is kind of hard to cover up. No doubt making guys very happy. 

Inappropriate Age Gaps

Sailor Moon's boyfriend in the show is Mamorou (Darian or Tuxedo Mask). This relationship begins by the end of season one when they find out that in their past lives they were married. Until season 4 Usagi (Serena or Sailor Moon) is still in middle school which means that in Japan she can be no older 15 years, Mamorou is in his last year of University making him about 23. Previous to the relationship between Usagi and Mamorou, he was the boyfriend of Sailor Mars, who is only one year older than Sailor Moon.

Molly Baker (or Naru Osaka) is a minor character featured throughout the series as Sailor Moon's best friend at school. At one point Molly falls in love with the villain Nephrite, a character who is an attractive man in his 30's, while Molly is only 14. There are episodes of Nephrite sneaking into Molly's room at night to watch her sleep and begins to become infatuated with her until he is forced to run away forever. Illustrations drawn suggest that Nephrite was married to Sailor Jupiter in a past life and was originally intended to become her lover in the series. Sailor Jupiter is 15 years.

Chad is a ragged looking young man who only appears in the anime and helps out at the "Hikawa Shrine" as a trainee Shinto Priest. In the English version he talks like a surfer dude

and describes himself as a struggling musician. When he first appears in episode 30, he is sleeping on the steps of the shrine. He is awoken by Rei Hinto (Sailor Mars) and immediately falls in love with her. As a result of his feeling begs her grandfather to stay and train at the temple to be near to her. Even though she does not reciprocate his love he always remains faithful and tries to protect her. She warms up to him considerably over time. It would all be very romantic except when this occurs Chad is 27 and Rei is 15.

Chibiusa meets Crayon Shin-Chan

In this episodes the writer's of Sailor Moon have obviously decided to feature a young boy who is behaving like Crayon Shin-Chan from the popular manga series, which follows the adventures of a rude and seriously perverted 5 year old, Shin-Chan. When Rini (Chibiusa) falls on the ground a boy says he wanted to show her something after throwing his Shin-Chan toy at her. Most of what happens in this scene was either completely cut or heavily edited out of the English versions. I had trouble even finding a Japanese version that contains the full unedited scene, and this was the best I could find.

The Popularity of Unrealistic Expectations

As with anything we grew up with in the 90's, some people just will not let it go and thus it remains popular. (This wasn't just Sailor Moon but also TV shows like Pokemon, Digimon, Card Captors, Will & Grace, Angel, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Charmed etc. ) It's not that all these shows were actual masterpieces worth the praise they are given, it's just that people who refer to themselves as "90's kids" often nostalgically look back at that decade through rose tinted spectacles.

Even today anime conventions are filled to the brim with many. many cos-players dressed as Sailor Soldiers or even the Man Moons (sadly). They all remember their childhood hopes and dreams that some guy in a tuxedo and a mask (called simply by that) will take them away while they fight evil with their super powers. It's not necessarily a bad thing as much as something some people over-obsess greatly with.

A very good example of this was the american 90's comedy, Friends. The series was based around a circle of normal professional working class friends in Manhattan. This was different from every other comedy previously popular because it did not feature any overly dramatic or theatrical characters like Basil Faulty or Hyacinth Bucket. None of the gags required much set up and most conversations consisted of predictable, cheesy, easy-to-get one liners which didn't really require good or hysterical acting. In the 90's this show was really popular because it was relate-able, fresh and modern. 

However, since the show ended in 2004, literally hundreds of shows with the same style of humor have been released successfully across the world and became popular. Friends is no longer new and the jokes are at this stage over used and stale. Yet, due to nostalgia for the 90's, people will continue to watch the same re-runs over and over and come up with a million and one reasons to explain that anyone who doesn't like Friends or hasn't seen it is odd. Anyone who watches Friends for the first time in this day and age finds it repetitive and boring. 

If you're a fan of anime be sure to check out the fifth season of Sailor Moon which is out very soon! Happy November! 

10 Famous Sideshows and Peculiar Performers

A sideshow is a secondary production associated with a circus, carnival or fair. In the middle of the 19th century a variety of different travelling circuses and freak shows began to gain popularity. The main goal of these shows was to shock and entertain the masses. During this era Vaudeville was a a major theatrical genre, with many strange acts becoming internationally famous. Promoter even enlisted bounty hunters to look for abnormal human conditions. Here is a list of the 10 most famous sideshows and peculiar performers.    

10. Sam Alexander - The Man With Two Faces. 

Sam Alexander was born a normal man, by his early 20s he was pursuing acareer in theatre and had been promoted at the Shubert Theatre in Chicago.One morning disaster struck his life.  The details are a bit sketchy, but Samwas involved in a huge gasoline explosion.  He was able to save his eyes bycovering them with his hands, but he received severe burns to his lips andlower face.  The situation was made much worse after his wounds festeredand became severely infected.  Doctors were forced to remove much of hislower face and lips.  One morning Sam read about the traveling Pete Kortes
Sideshow, which was in the city.  He attended the show and revealed himself
to Kortes, who hired him on the spot.
 
Sam began touring almost immediately and instantly caused a stir.  Billed as
“The Man with Two Faces,” Sam’s exhibition consisted primarily of a stage
monologue detailing his story.  Sam was a soft and well spoken man.  He lured
the crowd with his tail of heartbreak and then made the anticipated reveal of
his face.  Kortes made Sam the “Blow Off” attraction, which was an extra
attraction that people had to pay a premium to see.  He was labeled as “not
for the weak of heart.”  Sam Alexander was soon in demand. During his career
he joined the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey show, the Clyde Beatty
Circus, and worked for showman Ward Hall from 1960 to 1967.  Sam
Alexander passed away in 1997.Sideshow, which was in the city.  He attended the show and revealed himselfto Kortes, who hired him on the spot.  Sam began touring almost immediately and instantly caused a stir.  Billed as“The Man with Two Faces,” Sam’s exhibition consisted primarily of a stagemonologue detailing his story.  Sam was a soft and well spoken man.  He luredthe crowd with his tail of heartbreak and then made the anticipated reveal ofhis face.  Kortes made Sam the “Blow Off” attraction, which was an extraattraction that people had to pay a premium to see.  He was labeled as “notfor the weak of heart.”  Sam Alexander was soon in demand. During his careerhe joined the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey show, the Clyde BeattyCircus, and worked for showman Ward Hall from 1960 to 1967.  SamAlexander passed away in 1997.

09.  Pascal Pinon - The Two Head Mexican.

Pasqual Pinon was born in the late 19th century.  He claimed to have two
separate heads, with one smaller mass protruding from his forehead.  It is
possible to have two heads, a condition known as craniopagus parasiticus,
but Pinon's appearance was proven to be a falsity.  A true parasitic head is
always situated upside-down on top of the main head, as is the case with The
Two Headed Boy of Bengal.  The second head of Pinon was a fake.  The true
story of Pasqual Pinon is interesting.
 
Pinon was a railroad worker from Texas who had a large benign tumor growing
from the top of his head.  He was discovered by a sideshow promoter in
1917.  The promoter decided that the huge tumor protruding from Pinon’s head
was not odd enough and decided to create a fake face out of wax.  That mask
was placed over the growth and The Two-Headed Mexican was born.  He
went on to become a featured attraction with the Sells-Floto Circus in the
early 1900s.  After several years of popular touring, the Sells-Floto Circus
manager paid to have the cyst removed and Pinon returned to Texas.

08. Mirin Dajo - The Extreme Human Pincushion 

Mirin Dajo was born in 1912 as Arnold Gerrit Henskes.  His career began in1947 when he allowed an assistant to plunge a fencing foil right through his
body at the Corso Theatre in Zurich, Mirin.  The foil appeared to pierce
several vital organs, but Dajo was unharmed.  Mirin was forced to undergo
many medical tests and performed his act for baffled doctors.  After x-ray tests
were conducted, the legitimacy of his abilities were confirmed by the medical
community.  It could not be explained by any physician.  Mirin Dajo's sideshow
displays were often concluded with a lecture and a message of peace. 
During his act he would be impaled by three hollow skewers.  He would then
pump water through those skewers to become a human fountain.  On May 26,
1948, Mirin Dajo died from an aortic rupture.  He was not performing at the
time, but his death could have resulted from previous acts.  A true explanation
for his incredible ability is yet to be determined, maybe luck, faith, unique
biology, or mind over matter. 

07. Hadji Ali - The Great Regurgitator

   The Great Regurgitator, who was also billed as The Egyptian Enigma, was

born Hadji Ali in Egypt in 1892.  In the 1920’s Hadji Ali became a vaudeville
sensation for his unusual ability to swallow unique items and regurgitate them
in a specific order.  Ali also had a famous human water spout routine.  His
regurgitator act was a matter of controlled vomiting and repetitive training of
the muscles of the stomach and throat to clench at will.  Ali brought a lot of
unique elements to his act.
   

His foreign appearance captured attention, as did the vast amounts of water
he was able to ingest and expel with ferocious pinpoint accuracy.  In his finale
Ali would down a gallon of water followed by a gallon of straight kerosene.
Expelling the kerosene in a powerful jet, he would ignite objects and then
extinguish the inferno with the water he had swallowed.  While touring England
and enjoying a wave of unexpected popularity, Hadji Ali died of heart failure on
November 5th, 1937.

06. Willie and George Muse - The Men From Mars

The Muse brothers were born in Roanoke, Virginia during the end of the
1890’s.  In 1899, the pair was kidnapped by bounty hunters working for an
unknown sideshow promoter.  They were seen as an extremely lucrative
attraction, as they were black albinos.  To accentuate their already unusual
appearance, their handler had the brothers grow out their hair into long white
dreadlocks.  In 1922, showman Al G. Barnes began showcasing the brothers
in his circus as White Ecuadorian cannibals Eko and Iko, but that act did not
last.  Soon, they were labeled as the “Men from Mars.”  They traveled
extensively with the Barnes circus for a long while.  The brothers also toured
with Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus in the 1920’s.
   

In 1927, the brother’s mother tracked them down and demanded their release,
which was given.  However, the Muse brothers missed the public attention and
circus life, so they returned to show business.  During their first year back
they played Madison Square Garden and drew over 10,000 spectators during
each of their performances.  The pair made great money and their new
contract allowed them to sell their own merchandise and keep all profits.  In
the 1930’s the brothers toured Europe, Asia and Australia.  They performed
for royals and dignitaries, including the Queen of England.  The pair ended
their career in 1961 with the Clyde Beatty Circus.  George Muse died in 1971,
but amazingly Willie lived until 2001 and died at the age of 108.

05. Carl Herman Unthan - The Armless Musician 

Carl Herman Unthan was born on April 5th, 1848 in Sommerfield, East Prussia.
He was born without arms, but his father insisted that he be treated like any
other boy.  Carl was soon able to grasp objects and write with his feet.  He
practiced daily on the violin and quickly became very skilled.  Unthan began his
stage career similar to most limbless marvels.  He would perform various tasks
like shuffling cards and smoking cigarettes with his feet.  However, Unthan’s
ability with music and as a talented marksman soon took precedent.  He was
recognized more as a legitimate act than an odd exhibit performer.  He toured
the world and was invited to play before Strauss in Vienna.  During WWI,
Carl served with the German Army in a moral role.  He would visit hospitals
and demonstrate his abilities to recent amputees.  In 1928, Carl Unthan
passed away at the age of 80.

04. Chang - The Chinese Giant

Often billed as Chang Yu Sing the Gargantuan, Chang Woo Gow was born in
Fychow, China in 1845.  Chang’s enormous frame was extremely unique during
the middle of the 19th century.  He was 7 foot 9 inches tall.  Gow's enormous
size made him a celebrity.  He spent many days delighting the emperor of
China as part of his royal court.  In his late teens Chang decided to travel to
England.  He gained a reception beyond his expectations and thousands of
curious patron’s paid good money, up to three shillings each, to witness the
exotic giant speak and display traditional Chinese garb and etiquette.
 

Chang went on a tour of England and even performed in front of the Prince and
Princess of Wales by request in 1864.  He was often exhibited as a single
attraction, but sometimes he was paired with a dwarf in order to accentuate his
huge proportions.  The Chinese Giant was an intellectual, kind, and well read
man.  In 1881, P. T Barnum contracted Chang to his Greatest Show on Earth.
At $600 a week he was one of the most well paid attractions of his time.  He
was billed as a giant “as strong as Heracles” and “as beautiful as Apollo.”
Chang passed away in 1893 at the age of 48.

03. Tom Jack - The Ice King 

Tom Jack was born as Karl Breu on January 10, 1884 in Dubiau, which is now
Northern Bohemia of the Czech Republic.  Karl Breu was born with severe
albinism, a hypopigmentary congenital disorder characterized by a lack of
melanin pigment in the eyes, skin and hair.  Karl’s albinism manifested as snow
white skin, colorless hair, and pink eyes.  From early childhood Karl showed
an interest in illusion and manipulation.  With the success of Houdini, Breu
saw an opportunity and began performing under the American name Tom
Jack.  He studied feverishly and focused on chain escapes.
  His escapes were based around illusion, trickery, physical contortions, and
restraint manipulations.  Tom Jack became successful and routinely performed
for sold out crowds. He was labeled the Ice King due to his frosty appearance.
Tom Jack routinely toured Europe and also nearly died during a performance
in London when he was tossed from the Tower Bridge into the Thames.  He
failed to escape from his restraints.  The Ice King passed away on October
17, 1953, at the age of 69.

02. Schlitzie The Pinhead

The most common opinion is that Schlitzie was born as Simon Metz on
September 10, 1901, in the Bronx.  It is likely that Simon was sold to a
showman at a very young age.  Schlitzie was born microcephalus, a condition
characterized by an abnormally small and often pointed cranium.  The
condition often results in retardation and Schlitzie himself had the cognitive
ability of a four-year-old.  Pinheads were nothing new to the sideshow world
and were often billed as a species apart from man or the last member of an
ancient race.
  Schlitzie was extremely popular with crowds, his colleagues, and caretakers.
As a sideshow entertainer, Schlitzie was employed by every major name in
the business.  Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Clyde Beatty
Circus, Tom Mix Circus, West Coast Shows, Vanteen & Lee Circus Sideshow,
and the Dobritsch International Circus all had Schlitzie in their shows at some
point.  He also had a role in Tod Browning cult classic film Freaks.  He was a
true performer and his act was extremely lively and interactive.  Later in life
Schlitzie could often times be seen feeding the pigeons and ducks with his
guardian.  He died in 1971 at the age of 71.

01. Frank "Cannonball" Richards - The Punching Bag

Frank Richards was a carnival and vaudeville performer.  He started his
career in 1932 and featured one of the most usual acts in sideshow history,
which included taking massive blows to the stomach.  Early in Frank’s life he
took to letting his teenage friends punch him in the stomach.  Richards act
included allowing spectators to jump on his stomach and absorbing blows from
a two-by-four and sledgehammer.  He famously took body shots from former
heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey.  Finally, in a feat Richards
would forever be remembered for, he took to being shot in the belly with a 104
pound cannonball, fired from a spring loaded cannon.  All reports indicate that
there were no gimmicks at work during his performances.
   

Frank developed an incredible immunity to physical trauma and his act would
likely have killed or severely injured an average man.  Nothing like “Cannonball”
Richards has ever been seen since his disappearance from the sideshow
performance scene.  The date surrounding the birth and death of Frank
Richards is not known by public records. 

Honorable Mention 

Susie The Elephant Girl

Ichthyosis is a family of genetic skin disorders.  All types of ichthyosis produce
dry, thickened, scaly or flaky skin.  In many cases the skin is said to resemble
the scales on a fish.  Susi was born in 1909 as Charlotte in the western
district of Berlin.  She had ichthyosis that manifested aggressively and her
skin quickly thickened, turned grey, and cracked.  It looked similar to that of an
elephants.  Due to the severity of her condition, Susi endured physical pain
daily.  Her pain was made worse by multiple infections and illnesses, as
bacteria invaded the major cracks of her skin.
 
Susi first came to the United States in 1927 as part of a troupe consisting of a
giantess and a bearded lady.  During her career, Susi often exhibited herself
at Hubert’s Museum on 42nd Street in New York and Coney Island.  She even
worked at Madison Square Garden for the Ringling show in 1967.  Her last
confirmed public appearance was at the Great Allentown Fair in Pennsylvania
as a single attraction billed as “The Swamp Girl.”  Susi passed away in 1975
at the age of 66.

Girls Crush of The Month: Jessica Lange

Jessica Lange, Born in Cloquet, Minnesota on the 20th of April is an American actress who has
worked in film, theater and television. She's worn two Oscars, two Emmy's, five Golden Globes and one SAG Award, she's one of the most celebrated actresses of the modern era.

She was discovered by producer Dino De Laurentiis while modeling part time and made her professional debut in his 1976 re - make of the 1933 action classic King Kong. In 1982 she became the fist performer in 40 years to receive two Oscar nomination within 40 years.

Lange lived quite a chaotic lifestyle as a child, and due to her father's profession, hard - drinking habits and "extreme personality" her family moved a dozen times to various towns and cities throughout Minnesota before finally settling back down in her hometown and graduating from Cloquet High School.

In 1967 she received an art scholarship to study art and photography at the University of Minnesota where she met Spanish photographer Paco Grande. After the two married in 1970 she left college to pursue a more bohemian lifestyle, opting to travel throughout the United States and Mexico together. When the couple moved to Paris they drifted apart and while there Lange studied mime theater under the famed instructor Etienne Decroux and joined the Opera - Comique as a dancer.

While working as a waitress in New York and sharing an apartment with Jerry Hall and Grace Jones she was discovered by fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez and began working part time as a model for the Wilhelmina Modeling Agency, which as a result (and brings us back to) was discovered by Hollywood producer Dino De Laurentiis.

After her debut role in King Kong Lange went on to lead a successful career in show business that has lasted almost 50 years. In 2011 Lange joined joined the cast of FX's anthology series American Horror Story. In the first season AHS co - creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck originally wrote the part of her character Constance Langdon as a supporting role, but after Lange acquired the part they expanded it considerable. Murphy, a longtime admirer of Lange's stated that he chose her because he wanted to expose her work and style of acting to a new generation of viewers.
The show was a huge success not only for the network and creators but also for Lange who received a resurgence in her popularity with a rave of reviews and several rewards for her controversial role.

She returned as the star for the second installment of AHS titled American Horror Story: Asylum to which she once again won several awards and a rave reviews. She is currently playing another leading role in third AHS installment titled American Horror Story: Coven.

Though she does not follow any set religion she periodically practices Buddhism. She once admitted "It has been a discipline that makes sense more than anything because it's like a science. I've never been a religious person. I've always looked for some kind of spiritual meaning. I didn't grow up going to church, my mother's side were Atheists and my father's side were confused." 

Lange has also revealed that she suffers from severe bouts of depression, once admitting "I have never been a believer in psychoanalysis or therepy or anything like that. I've never done that."  She confessed "Thhough my darkside is dorment right now it continues to play a big role in whatever capacity I have to be creative. That's the well I'm able to tap into, where all the anguish, rage and sadness is stored."

Lange is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nation's Children Fund (UNICEF) specializing in the AID/HIV epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo and of spreading awareness of the disease in Russia. She has also been a fervent human rights supporter for the Buddhist Monks of Nepal.

She has also been a respected public critic of former US president George W. Bush, once calling his administration" a self - serving regime of deceit, hypocrisy and belligerence". 

In the early 1990's she fostered a child with disabilities from Romania.

Body Shop Haul and Review

So today I went to The Body Shop at Angel, Islington and I got 5 brand spanking new products. I love products!

For those of you that don't know The Body Shop is a fair trade, cruelty free international beauty company, with 2,400 stores in over 61 different countries. This company was founded back in 1976 in the UK by Anita Roddick, and is now part of L'Oreal. Anita Roddick came up with the idea after visiting a small shop in Berkeley, California called The Body Shop, which sold soaps and was run by two women, Peggy Short and Jane Saunders. They used only natural ingredients in their products and helped to employ and train immigrant women. The natural, environmentally minded and intimate cosmetics shop inspired Roddick to open her Body Shop here in the UK. The rest is history.

The Body Shop is one of my favorite places to buy beauty and skincare products because as of December 31st 1990 this organization does not sell or use either finished products or any ingredients that have been tested on animals. In fact, in October 2009 The Body Shop was awarded a "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the RSPCA in recognition of it's uncompromising policy which ensures that all of it's ingredients are not tested on animals by it's suppliers.
The Body Shop is also 100% Fair Trade.

So now on to the actual point of this blog .. the products!

1. The Body Shop's "Lightening Touch" Concealer in 01.
   
   As far as make up at Body Shop goes the quality is usually quite good and I have yet to be dissapointed. However, they're selection is not as advanced as the likes of MAC Cosmetics or Bobbi Brown i.e, you can't go into a Body Shop store asking about color correction products or diffusing colors. At least I have never come across anything like this at a Body Shop before. I was pleasantly surprised today when I came across this peachy toned concealer. It's really easy to apply and it's great for hiding dark circles under your eyes. Pink, Peachy and Salmon concealers will diffuse dark under-eye circles, the two colors cancel each other out. It costs £14,
   or £11.67 if you have a membership discount, and is
    well worth the cost.
   
   
   
2. The Body Shop's "Radiant Highlighter" cream.
   
   
   
   If I could compare this to any other highlighting cream product it would be MAC's Strobe Cream. It
   goes on the same, has the same effect and texture only a little more subtle. It's perfect for day or evening make up as it's long lasting and keeps skin illuminated for hours. It only comes in a 25ml bottle but you don't need to use much to get that natural looking highlighted effect, and like I said a sentence ago, it's long lasting. For 50ml's of MAC's Strobe Cream you would pay £23.50 online, that's double the amount for 50p cheaper as Body Shops Radiant Highlighter costs £12 per 25ml. But if you're willing to pay £1.20 extra ,like me, you can get it for 20% less, that's £10. Strobe Cream or Radiant Highlighter?
   What do you think? I'm on the fence.
   
   
3. The Body Shop's "Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser"
   
   
   
   I have used this cleanser quite a lot before because it suits my skin incredibly well. My skin can be quite oily, especially around my T-Zone area, and it can also be very sensitive. This cleanser is made with sensitive skin in mind and gently but thoroughly removes make up, impurities and daily grime without irritation. If you're like me and you have oily, sensitive skin then this is the cleanser for you. Whether you are a man or a women you really should be cleansing your face daily to look after your skin. Especially if, like me, you live in a big, busy city such as London and wear make up on a regular basis. It's a really good cleanser and for £8 it's practically stealing. Once again, if you have a membership
   card with you it's 20% less, £6.67.
   
   
4. The Body Shop's "Aloe Calming Toner"
   
   
   
   I can't stress enough how important it is for you to cleanse your face, but it's also very important to use toner as well. Skin toner refreshes and rejuvenates your skin, and removes any oils that cling to your skin. Toners contain fortifying elements such as Vitamin A, C and E which stimulates cell production and reduces the damage done by free radicals. It  increases your skins hydrolipidic film, a protective barrier that will help your skin retain moisture and maintain the capillary walls. Most toners contain exfoliating agents that removes dead skin, and toner can also help balance the PH levels of your skin. So, if you didn't know why toner is important before, you do now.
   Again like the Aloe Cleanser this toner is designed for people with sensitive and oily skin in mind. It is or course once again a steal at only £8, or £6.67 with a 20% membership discount.
   
   
5. The Body Shop's "White Musk Libertine" body wash
   
   
   
   This is actually a body wash fragranced with the White Musk Libertine perfume by Body Shop. They smell exactly the same and it is so good it's difficult to remember it's not edible. It is a blend of three musks (cruelty free musks) combined with floral accords and a hint of Turkish Delight. You wanna be all shiny and clean then you can't go wrong with this soap. The only downside is that it contains sodium hydroxide, which can be an irritant to sensitive skin. But it came free when I bought my membership, so I can't complain! It's sold in stores for £6.50, or at £5.42 with a membership discount.

In summary, I'm actually very satisfied with my visit to the Body Shop today. All my products gave me satisfying results, are cruelty free and fair trade. An added bonus, they all smell AMAZING! Yes, even the make up products.
I would also like to advise people that paying the £1.20 for Body Shop memberships is well worth the price of admission. You can use it the day you sign up for it to receive a free gift and a 20% discount on ANY products, in any store throughout the UK. The original total before savings was £57.50, after the deductions of my free gift, 3 for 2 offer on make up, skincare and bath products and my member discount I saved £18.30, bringing my total down to £39.20.
The Body Shop also accept Student Cards to give you even further discounts as well as student deals all year round to help your skin through those stressful years of late nights, parties and exams.

Which Came First - The Chicken or the Egg?

It's a question that has perplexed humanity from as early as the ancient Greeks all the way to the 21st Century, and we're still dyeing to know; Which came first – the chicken or the egg?

The question would be simple if you took it literally, egg laying animals existed long before the chicken came about, so technically the egg came before the chicken. But this question, better worded as the chicken or the chicken egg, focuses more on the cause and consequence. That is, if a chicken came from an egg, where did the egg come from? Another chicken presumably, which too must have come from an egg. So which came first?

Team Chicken


Research suggests that the protein essential for the formation of chicken eggs, called OV – 17, is only found in chicken ovaries, without it the chicken egg shell could not be formed. So without a chicken you technically can't get a chicken egg. But this all depends on the nature and definition of a chicken egg in the first place. After all, is a chicken egg an egg laid by a chicken or one that simply contains a chicken? Obviously the
 OV – 17 containing chicken had to come from somewhere, but if an elephant laid an egg from which a lion hatched would be an elephant egg or a lion egg?

This leads to the other side of the story.

Team Egg


During reproduction to organisms pass on their genetic information in the form of DNA, but the replication of this DNA is never 100% accurate and often produces minor changes for the new organism. These minor mutations in DNA over thousands of generations create new species. Mutations influence speciation. But these genetic mutation must occur in the zygote or initial cell.  So a creature very similar to a chicken, which we will call the proto – chicken, would have made it with another proto – chicken, and because of a small genetic mutation would have created the first chicken which grew in an egg. So the egg came first?

Well team chicken might argue …. that this was a chicken growing inside of a proto-chicken egg.


However no one mutation can ever really constitute a new species. Even though we humans like to classify all creatures into different groups and names ( domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species etc.), but this is based on how things currently are and not how they were millions on years ago. The process of evolution is so gradual that no one proto – chicken to chicken birth could really be considered a new species at the time.


Much like how dogs have come from wolves. As humans began to interact with and domesticate wolves there was no one single point where a wolf gave birth to a dog. Rather, as particular traits came about from selective pressures, such as choosing wolves who were not afraid of hums or choosing ones that were less aggressive. Over many generations we can see big genetic and behavioral trait differences. So where does this leave us?

The Two Scenarios


Some early egg laying species gradually led to the creation of the proto – chicken which laid proto – chicken eggs. In one of these eggs there was a mutation causing a slight change and selective advantage and this was ultimately the chicken which then went on to lay chicken eggs. In this case the chicken technically came first.

or...


We have a proto – chicken that gave birth to a chicken in what we classify as a chicken egg and as such, the egg came first.


Which brings us back to the nomenclature and the question of what is a chicken egg, which is a fairly meaningless question. But at the end of the day what we can all agree on is that regardless of whether it was a chicken egg or a proto – chicken egg, the first true chicken came from and egg.

So in the question of which came first – the chicken or the egg? 

The Egg Came First.

For my next blog I'm going to explain the science of heartbreak and some helpful tips on how to start over!

Thank you xoxo

And for more interesting science info - check out AsapSCIENCE on youtube. 

My Top 10 Tips To Be Happy

1. A goal without a plan is just a wish. Make sure you know what kind of person you want to be and what kind of career/life you would like to lead.  Then, re-focus your short term goals so that your life takes you towards that direction.  To help me I use mood boards and vision boards to help me keep my eyes on the prize.
   
2. Be kind to yourself, because even the best of us mess up sometimes. When it finally happens, and you finally catch on, drop the ego, admit your mistake fully and make amends.  Learn from it so you don't have to go through the lesson again later on.  Then forgive yourself and move on. Life is hard and we are not made to be perfect.
   Also, listen to your body.  If you are exhausted ....sleep!  If you are hungry .... EAT!
   
3. Life is better when you're laughing, because laughing can get you through ANYTHING!  I was never a fan a comedies until I went through some heartbreaking, rough times, and they were life savers.  Plus laughter is so healthy for your body.
   
4. Cherish good friends.  I have had, lost, and still have, a few friends who know me and love me

   

   Good friends are invaluable

   unconditionally.  This is and invaluable life lesson;  make and keep good friends and always be loyaland honest with them.  They can be like your umbrella in stormy times. ^.^
   
5. Your mistakes do not define you.  It is better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all. Think and analyze your decisions in carefully, and once you feel reasonably sure you have a good choice, just trust yourself.  Be bold and go forth into the wilderness.  Whatever happens you will have gained and experience that only the courageous can boast of.
   Mistakes allow us to grow so much in our lives and careers because it's the best way to learn.
   
6. Be devoted to the moment.  This present moment of your life is alive and full of potential.  Learning to be mindful has helped me tremendously by keeping me in life, as it happens.
   Whether you are playing, sleeping, working, lounging, exercising, learning or around the people you love devote 100% of that moment of your life to it.
   Putting yourself whole-hearted into each moment you have can change the way you relate to life.
   
7. Before go to bed every night forgive everyone and sleep with a clean heart.  Hatred is poison

   

   Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong

   and it creates illness and a sad life. Let go of old feelings and and try not to judge others, because we all have our own lessons on this journey through life. Sometimes people fall down and make poor decisions and that's okay. :) Instead of judging the people who do wrong by you, send them your love and forgive them, distance yourself, but do not judge.
   "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong." - Gandhi
   
8. Know your own strength.  You are unique, there is now, ever has been and ever will be only one of you in the whole universe.  No one else has your strange and magical mix of genes and experience. Learn what make you tick and keep building on that.
   Be true to yourself and you will make wonderful thing happen.
   
9. Take charge of your own life, this is the beginning of self-esteem.  Although sh*t happens, ultimately you are solely responsible for your own actions. When we deeply understand this to be true, life takes on a whole new meaning. Whatever has happened until the past moment is gone forever, this present moment is again yours and you have the power to do whatever you want with it.
   
10. Death is what makes life real.  In the words of Steve Jobs; " Remembering that you are going to
    die is the best way I know of avoiding the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."
    Death can come at any moment for any of us, so we don't have forever to be who we are. In fact, we owe to ourselves and those who love us to be truly alive and authentic in each moment we have been gifted with our lifetime. It is the only legacy we can be proud to leave behind.

Dare to live; your dreams are counting on you!

Thank you for reading! ^.^ xoxo

Girl Crush Of The Month: Hayley Williams

First and foremost, I would like to start off by apologizing to the people who have been reading my blog for not being very consistent with my posts :( I've been working a lot, completing course work and just been distracted. I promise to begin posting more regularly, okay? .. Okay! ;)

I will  that Hayley Williams is a person I have admired since the age of 12 or 13 when she and her band Paramore first released their debut album "All We Know Is Falling" in July of 2005.     

Now today I still admire her, for her talent, funky songs and sounds and her epic hair and fashion! I definitely have a majorly big case of girl crush for Hayley!

Photo shoot for Nylon Magazine

She was born in on December 27th of 1988 in Meridian, Mississippi. In 2002, age 13, Williams moved from her hometown Meridian, Mississippi, to Franklin, Tennessee, where she met fellow band members Josh and Zac Farro in school. Shortly after arriving, she began taking vocal lessons with Brett Manning. Paramore continues to endorse Brett Manning today. 

While still in school, she tried out for a local funk cover band called The Factory, where she met bassist Jeremy Davis. Williams introduced the boys together, and Paramore began. In 2005, John Janick, founder of record label Fueled by Ramen, signed a contract with them.






In the 2007, Kerrang! Readers' Poll she finished second to Evanescence's Amy Lee in the "Sexiest Female" category, going on to win the first place spot for "Sexiest Female" a year later in the 2008 poll. She also appears as a playable character in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour. 

Hayley Williams and Chad Gilbert

In the September 2009 issue of Alternative Press, Williams and Paramore guitarist Josh Farro confirmed they had been dating for nearly three years before splitting in the fall of 2007. "We didn't know if it would look bad," says Williams. "We were so young, and it seemed like it would look like a big joke," Their relationship was later confirmed again by Josh Farro in his "Exit Statement."

Williams is now openly dating New Found Glory guitarist, and former Shai Hulud singer, the incredibly hunky Chad Gilbert. 

Her style can be described as very unique, most definitely one of a kind. She won the Premio Fashionista award in 2009 from Latin America's MTV Awards, NME's Award for Sexiest female in 2009, Kerrang! Sexiest female in both 2008 and 2009 as well as Spin Magazines reader's poll for Sex Goddess of the year, also in 2009. 

Hayley Williams in collaberation with Mac Cosmetics

Last Year she also releaseda 4- piece collection with Mac Cosmetics which featured shockingly vibrant oranges. She stated "I didn't wear make up at all. Photographers would beg me to put on chapstick and I'd say no. I went to a store and picked up an orange eyeshadow by MAC, and that was the beginning of the end" .

You can follow Hayley on Twitter @yelyahwilliams or on Instagram @yelyahwilliams

If you're a big fan like me don't forget to keep up to date on all things Paramore on Paramore.net

Also be sure to check out Zedd's new single ft. Hayley Williams, Stay The Night

THANK YOU FOR READING, HOPE YOU ENJOYED! XOXO