The Three Best Fake Tans To Try, Not Because A Beauty Editor or Influencer said So

My friend is a true expert with a lifetime of experience and helped me make the jump into the...

Georgina

2026-03-19T15:39:35.7600000 2026-03-20T07:31:48.4430000

When I read about a product in a magazine I understand the brand has probably almost definitely paid a PR agent to make the connection to selling their product. I am not a beauty expert and I don’t normally write about beauty products but I have really been enjoying hearing about the beauty products people genuinely love and use from the position of “it’s a beauty minefield out there” and wanted to share a beauty experiment I tried on the advice and encouragement of a friend who has helped me with finding a fake tan product I can use without ending up looking like an umpa lumpa. This is for anyone afraid of having a go at using a fake tan because they think their skin is just too pale, the contrast will be too great or they have seen too many bad examples of streaky girls to join the club.

My friend who is a fake tan expert, has been tanned ever since we met, come rain or shine, in the dead of the UK winter she always looks like she has just returned from two weeks in Barbados.

Me on the other hand you’d describe as pale and interesting although with no holiday escape to the sun booked I decided to have a go with a gradual tanning product recommended by my friend.

She has given me two, Effn and James Read sleep mask body tan. And recommended I purchase when budget allows Awesome Bronze Daily Self Tanning Lotion from Beauty Pie currently on sale at £25 and £15 if you are a member. If you buy a lot of beauty products she assures me the savings on a beauty pie £59 per year membership is well worth it.

I haven’t tried this one yet but my friend tells me of all her recommendations this is her favourite. I guess why she was able to gift me the other two.

So here are my findings for very pale skin. I tried the James Read sleep mask body tan initially to retain a natural tan and it worked really well. It was a gradual build up and extended the life of my natural tan for a good couple of months.

However when I tried to use it on really pale skin, the results weren’t so great. It did come out a little bit orange, I was putting it on super pale skin remember. The coverage is better than fake tans I have tried in the past and there wasn’t the usual build up around the ankles and knees, I did exfoliate pretty well before application and I did use a mitt to protect my hands.

On top of a natural tan I give the James Read product 9/10. On my natural skin 5/10.

The pluses were no terrible smell and it didn’t come off on my clothes or sheets.

The Effn Tanning Serume Medium Dark Honey an Ultra Dark Caramel colour which also comes in two other darker shades too, ultra dark mocha and dark maple at £23.99 in Superdrug, £28.00 on the Effn website, was better even on untanned super pale skin. It’s available in Superdrug in the UK.

The packaging is really nice, a muted nude tube with a lovely feel to it before you even start. This self tan is also vegan, cruelty free and states never tested in animals.

The best thing about this one it literally smells of absolutely nothing, completely fragrance free.

Because it states medium ultra dark caramel on the tube I was very cautious starting with a small amount evenly distributed and well rubbed it. It went on very smoothly, left no residue and I was able to build it up over a few days, again I didn’t have the knee and ankle build up although because I am pale and I didn’t put it on my face the difference between body and face was a bit noticeable so probably a little bit dark for me, even with only a couple of applications. I really liked it though, easy to apply, moisturising, no smell, a big one for me and did build up over time.

If the shade was a bit lighter or I was a bit tanned I would probably choose Effn over James Read for the end results and overall ease of application and moisturised feeling on untanned pale skin.

I have asked my friend to get me the Beauty Pie Awesome Bronze Daily Self Tanning Lotion to try when she next orders because at £15 member price I thought it was worth having a go although she tells me it’s the mousse that comes in a hairspray like bottle she prefers over all the others, sadly currently out of stock but when it comes back it should work out the best value and best overall result for me.

Great news, it’s called Beauty Pie Awesome Bronze Self Tanning Mousse and I’ve bought three boxes for £25 in total. A great steal on Vinted. One for me, one for my neighbour and one for my friend who has given all the advice and her two other products, the Effn and the James Read to try.

If You Need A Log Book V5C From The DVLA You Need to Complete A V62 At The Post Office

What happens when you take ownership of a car but the seller has lost the V5C log book

Georgina

2026-03-06T09:32:04.3270000 2026-03-09T09:08:03.3570000

I recently took ownership of a secondhand car, new to me but without an original V5C log book, that’s the green and red document from the DVLA with the New Keeper tear off slip inside which is usually handed to you when you buy a secondhand car so your can notify the DVLA you are the new registered keeper of that vehicle.

FYI the Log Book is not proof of ownership it just connects you to the vehicle for driving offences like speeding and parking.

I am writing this as I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out what to do. First online, I had a photocopy of the log book with a number on it, not the correct number, I hit a road block and then on the phone with the DVLA, over an hour on hold to discover what I needed to do.

If you have taken ownership or bought a new secondhand car in the UK and the logbook is lost or not provided to tax your vehicle and get a new logbook you have to go to the post office.

It’s the ONLY way. Your application has to be completed by post and you have to pay a £25 fee. No getting around it so if a log book isn’t provided you need to deduct this fee from your agreed purchase price.

The form you require is a V62 and you will be required to provide your UK driving license number in this form also along with the VIN number for your car. This was tricky for me, I have never located a VIN number before, every car has a unique factory number that identifies it and it is located in one of three places on your car. 1. On the drivers side windscreen just above the dashboard. 2. On the drivers side door jam just below where the door latches. 3. On the front panel of the engine under the bonnet on the engine block or stamped on the chassis or metal frame.

The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique 17-character alphanumeric code assigned to every vehicle. It acts as the car’s fingerprint, encoding manufacturer details, model specifications, and registration history.

The VIN is essential for verifying a vehicle’s identity and preventing fraud. I found mine on the door jam but the position varies for every vehicle.

Once I had all the correct information the process at the post office was straight forward, complete the form, V62 and pay the fee, £25, you can tax your car at the same time.

The replacement log book is then sent to you in the post and takes about 4 weeks. Make sure you have another form of proof of owner ship, an invoice or letter stating you are the new owner of the car as a log book is not proof of ownership.

I also discovered if you are on a long hold waiting for the DVLA to speak to you you can ask for a call back instead of waiting and they guarantee to call you back before 7pm the same day. Which is probably better than sitting waiting to speak to them for anything else you may not be able to resolve online and need to discuss.

When I did get through to DVLA I did get the information I needed very quickly, it just took a long time to get through so hope this saves anyone else time.

Dating Apps the inside story, compelling and scary reality of the quest for love

BBC Three Inside Story about why we are all trapped in the swipe to find love

Georgina

2025-12-04T10:47:53.1400000 2025-12-04T11:10:33.6870000

This documentary is true to it’s warning it does contain some upsetting scenes but everyone who is on a dating app right now or has been on one should watch this. It will shock you to your core.

I am not suggesting everyone stop swiping right now, if you come off your preferred app how are you going to meet anyone? I get it however it’s really good to at least be aware of what these apps are doing to us all, how they operate, who owns who and why we go through that repetitive cycle of deciding to delete the app in question, swearing we are done with it and then reinstalling it and setting up a new profile sometimes days if not a few weeks later.

I had no idea The Match Group owns pretty much all the well known dating apps, obviously Match dot com, but also Tinder, Hinge, OK Cupid the most widely used app in the US, Plenty of Fish and a dozen or so more dating apps. Yep one company pretty much controls the whole space globally.

I’ve never been drugged or worse still raped, and or murdered, it has happened to others and the shocking testimony not just from victims but officers of companies like Tinder and Match especially in trust and safety departments talking about secrecy in the company about these issues was truly jaw dropping.

One safety officer described profile moderating targets of 52 profiles per hour, just over a minute per profile and another suffering PTSD because of the harrowing testimony of users and the companies reluctance to put people over profit.

One senior person running a team of 20 safety officers described his executive boss being paid 4 million dollars per year and his total budget for a 20 strong team just 1 million.

Co-founder Jonathan Badeen explains how he had the 'epiphany' to let users swipe at the screen as if a pack of cards – and the amount of time users spent on the app started to skyrocket. Founders grew the app user base exponentially starting in college campus USC, University of Southern California where student fees have gained the University a new better known acronym, University of Spoilt Children. When the user base was small and very exclusive it was a massive hit. These days the user base is closer to 10,000,000, they suggest the same size as a city like London with all the criminals and weirdos you find in a big city thrown into the mix but with none of the protections.

Soon it was time to monetise the user base for the parent company Match said to be worth and estimated 3.5 billion dollars and with an addicted user base that happened quickly. Users were happy to pay for additional premium services to unlimited swiping.

I think the worst part of all was the companies understanding of the validation a match brings to the user, the dopamine hit and the underlying goal to monetise that addictive pattern of behaviour at any cost.

Users described not being able to get off tinder, constantly swiping for hours on end being in trouble at both work, university and school.

I’ve tried online dating, and whilst I didn’t experience the horror some people have described it didn’t work. I met three people in person after which I decided it didn’t work. You cannot experience chemistry on an app, that only happens in real life.

I’d recommend anyone using dating apps right now, and it’s a lot of us, a global market, to check out this documentary film. Like I said you may enjoy your dating app experience however you will learn a great deal from this film that will likely change the way you use your app and probably help you to stay safe and improve your experience.

And if you don’t use a dating app or have had a bad experience and stopped the film will help you to understand who was to blame and ease the trauma you may have experienced.

Have You Been Charged For An Amazon Prime Account You Didn’t Sign Up For?

Warning check your bank statement if you have an inactive Amazon Account you never use

Georgina

2025-11-07T15:24:00.0000000 2025-11-07T16:35:48.2930000

A friend of mine from Slovenia told me she learned English in "the Warehouse" she was describing working for Amazon and how employees had adopted "the warehouse" as a play on the Victorian "workhouse." After hearing about the treatment and conditions first hand, she doesn't work there anymore, simple things like not being allowed to sit down and having to queue for long periods of time unpaid (after clocking out or before clocking in) to enter and leave the building, it changed my shopping behaviour.

A few weeks ago another friend of mine, this time not an employee of Amazon, or ex employee, just a regular consumer was ranting about being charged an Amazon prime subscription she didn’t sign up for. When she had looked into it, it wasn’t on her actual Amazon account and without providing the email to the “correct” account she was unable to get to the bottom of it of get the transaction cancelled. Even a neighbour with a hotline to Amazon customer service who shopped a lot on Amazon and seemed very experienced with the platform, their offers and navigating over charges and charge backs was unable to assist in this case. She didn’t know if it was a hack or just plain cheek on Amazon’s part.

The most difficult part of all was the shut down by Amazon. All they could tell her the charge was not on her account but because of data protection they could not tell her whose account the charge was made to even though it had come out of her bank account. She ended up taking it up with her bank and did eventually get the money back and the payment stopped.

Then the exact same thing happened to me, except I am not an Amazon shopper. I have an account for watching the occasional thing on Amazon prime. But apart from 2 or 3 purchases made on the TV in the last few years I never go to the Amazon website, so how I was suddenly signed up for Amazon Prime at £8.99 per month was a complete mystery.

I have been anti the Amazon monopoly for quite a few years now, following the journey of labour activist Chris Smalls in the US and having watched Inside Amazon, the dispatches documentary and the recently released real stories documentary on You Tube How Amazon Took Over The Internet I couldn't support Amazon as a Prime account holder. So I knew without a shadow of a doubt I had not clicked anything by mistake.

I immediately called the bank to see what could be done. They did suggest I had signed up inadvertently even though I was emphatic this was impossible. It was clear the agent at the bank didn’t believe me. Everyone shops on Amazon right? In the end the only course of action was to stop my bank card, which would prevent Amazon taking any more payments and also prevent me from watching any paid TV programs via Amazon. A price I was willing to pay.

It was a lot of trouble and aggravation to go to for £8.99 but had I not spotted it, Amazon could have got away with taking the monthly fee for ages.

It does make me wonder how many other people with live but inactive Amazon accounts are finding that £8.99 monthly subscription all of a sudden appearing on their bank statement.

I have to say they are tricky, Amazon, a few years back I did by a book on Amazon, a title published by a friend not available anywhere else and I did get caught up in an Amazon prime subscription inadvertently even though I’d elected to pay the £6.99 shipping cost as a one off purchase instead, I knew I wouldn’t be shopping with Amazon again so wasn't interested in the Prime account offering.

When speaking to someone else about this, she mentioned remembering watching a documentary about Amazon labour exploitation where the delivery drivers schedules were so gruelling, they didn’t have time for bathroom breaks and were forced to pee in disposable bottles that were building up and causing bio hazards around the country.

It was just another reminder for me why I won’t be shopping on Amazon. My kind neighbour provided the Amazon packaging for this image.

Forte Forte an Italian haven in Knightsbridge

Georgina

2025-05-30T07:41:59.4400000 2025-05-31T14:31:01.6700000

The only piece of clothing I have ever bought from Forte Forte was from a second hand designer shop Rescue Lux. I’d never heard of the brand before but the top was so unusual and the exact colour I needed to match a pair of pants I wanted to wear to an event, a sort of yellow, sounds disgusting I know, who wears yellow? I was really suntanned at the time and the cut and design really suited me, also the fabric when it arrived was so incredibly beautiful, cotton but like nothing I’d ever seen of felt before.

I’d picked it up with the tags on for under £100. I didn’t know it would probably have retailed closer to two hundred or even three hundred if I’d bought it in store from the brand.

I didn’t know this little shop was even here and would never have gone in had I not already bought this one item a couple of years ago which has turned out to be a gem in the summer, very unusual cut and design I always get compliments on.

I love it as well because I found it for a lot less than I’d have had to pay in the boutique or in Harvey Nichols where Forte Forte is also stocked.

If you like really unique yet conservative design, modest pieces with a bit of edge in gorgeous natural fabrics, silks and cottons have a look at Forte Forte.

The prices are not cheap so out of reach for most however it’s really good to know about how lovely smaller brands like Forte Forte are so when you come across something from here in an unusual place like Rescue Lux or Vinted for a song you know to go ahead and snap it up.

BBC Radio Four And Anita Rani

Georgina

2025-04-07T14:48:12.2130000 2025-05-14T15:16:17.2900000

Where would we be without Woman’s Hour on the BBC radio 4 network? I cannot think of another specific radio show for women, historically the show began in 1923 at the BBCs inception when then bosses were looking to capture and grow their audience and latched onto the fact married women were at home during the day.

The show has done the rounds over the years on BBC light and BBC radio two, woman’s hour currently airs on BBC radio hosted by fellow Leeds girl, who in my humble opinion has brought the show into the 21st century for a growing younger audience of listeners. I am only 30 and when I tell people I listen to woman’s hour they keel over and say things like I don’t even think my Gran listens to that anymore.

My gran was a massive fan of the show, Martha Kearney along with other notable female journalists Jean Metcalfe, Marjorie Anderson, Sue MacGregor and Jenni Murray and it was definitely something we shared listening together along with well organised trips to the cinema to watch inappropriate releases for me at the time, films she wanted to see, a few PG 13 eye openers, a complete education for me and the fondest memories.

I was probably about 5 or 6 when I began listening and enjoyed the doing it together more than the actual content. We’d listen to the Archers too.

The show has seen the hosts change over the years when Jane Garvey gave up the gig in Dec 2020 after 13 years presenting the show.

After such a long tenure when Jane Garvey left, the show seemed to take a 180 degree turn from Jam and Jerusalem women’s institute type content to more modern relevant stuff, current affairs and less academic and stuffy discussions under the feisty curation of Emma Barnett in 2021 with none other than the imp that’s Anita Rani as her side kick, taking over the lead presenting role on a Friday and Saturday.

If you hear the words Woman’s Hour and immediately think of a bunch of women in tweed skirts and Aran cardies think again.

It’s had a revamp. Emma Barnett will kill you and Anita Rani will make it look lovely with her signature red pout.

These two are about as warm and fuzzy as the silent assassins in killing Eve. The questions are hard and the subject matter ranges from Hollywood A listers to women’s rights to inspirational guests, one that stood out was the girl, Preet Chandri known as polar Preet who trekked across Antarctica and raised every penny for the expedition herself. And now she's set her sights on her most difficult challenge yet – hoping to become the first woman to travel solo to the North Pole. Just one of the interesting and memorable Woman’s Hour interviews.

Any hoo have a listen ladies. The BBC in general I think is a misogynistic old boys club in the most part where the gender pay gap is still in full swing, complaints are ignored or brushed under the rug and women and everyone else who doesn’t identify as male is a second class citizen when the chips are down.

I follow Ms Rani on Instagram, she’s healthy, hard working, got the most beautiful teeth and she’s funny in a quiet, patient sort of way.

Me thinks hard hitting spectacle wearing ballsy journalist Emma Barnett and her sidekick Anita Rani are as enigmatic for the thinking woman as Tess and Claudia are to the dancing woman.

Woman’s Hour is broadcast daily Monday to Friday at 10am with an omnibus edition on Saturday at 4pm.

Prada Caffe Harrods Knightsbridge

Where Harper Beckham had her birthday party?

Georgina

2025-03-12T13:04:38.6230000 2025-03-17T09:53:47.4400000

Billed as the taste of Milan in London when it opened, the one thing I think this place shares with Milanese is the people watching. The Prada Cafe was a pop up experiment, set to close in January 2024. Due to the cafe’s success this has now been extended to April, 2025.

Harper Beckham celebrated her 12th birthday July 10th, 2023 at the Prada Caffe in London and ever since seeing the pictures on social media I’ve wanted to go. The images looked absolutely incredible and the Italian designer I do like, the brand reflects my appreciation for clean and simple design and I was excited to see all the details come together, the decor, custom tableware and menu.

The cafe aesthetic is gorgeous. No doubt about it. When you actually get sat down.

Even with a birthday booking we waited over an hour to be seated. Which set the celebration off on the wrong foot to begin with.

There were more influencer types in abayas and eyeliner and expensive handbags snapping photos and posing, we did take a few pictures however the level from other guests felt excessive so this “pick me pick me” behaviour from other surrounding tables dominated our conversation.

The cafe is open and airy, high ceilings black and white tiles all accented with Prada’s signature mint green.

The food was OK for the price.

So we had a £1 cover charge per person and a 12.5% service charge added at the end. I didn’t pay as everyone split the bill for my birthday but I can tell you a croissant cost £18.

I had eggs Benedict/florentine at £15 and a kinda coffee cake (all the cakes were about £18 a slice) with 2 glasses of champagne at £24 per glass, we could have had Prosecco for £16 per glass. The eggs were runny and the hollandaise smooth, the service slow and chaotic.

The touches like Prada on the cakes and biscuits, Prada in chocolate dusted over the latte’s were cool and we did have fun, more so laughing at the in crowd with their Chanel handbags and designer trainers poking out from under the flowing black gowns whispering behind veils, snapping pictures and what looked to me like under ordering, a coffee here and there but aside from that not much food.

Definitely a place to be seen. It is a scene. Be prepared to wait even with a reservation. I did love it, not for the reason you normally love a bar or restaurant.

Would I go back. Unlikely. Too expensive for what they actually offer unless it’s the photo opportunity you seek.

Filling Pieces Leather Sneakers Last Forever

After 6 years hard wear sneakers still going strong

Georgina

2025-03-08T08:38:50.2230000 2025-03-27T11:49:51.0030000

Read about these guys and be inspired. I am. Guillaume Philbert has grown an international movement from one sneaker in 2009.

I like to wear things out. I like to wear things made to a standard that align with my values. I like to find things no one else has got, well not many people anyway. I like to be unique and different, not follow the pack when it comes to my style and the things I buy. I’d say I am not easily influenced. If I like something I know immediately. I am also a bit of a runner, not far, 5K here and there so I need a decent comfortable shoe.

I found these Filling Pieces shoes, I’d never heard of them in a discount store for about £70. They were leather, I wasn’t 100% about the aesthetic but when I tried them on they were so comfy I decided to go for it.

When I got home I did a bit of research and was surprised to discover Lewis Hamilton also liked the Filling Pieces shoes. I remember thinking I liked them a little bit more when I found out Formula 1 super heroes liked them too.

I also discovered I’d got a killer deal retaking around £250 which again made them even more appealing.

That was 4 or 5 years ago now and you can see aside from needing a clean they are the most amazing comfortable runners I’ve ever owned and I don’t even think they are supposed to be runners.

It’s time to buy a new pair of trainers, not because these have worn out but because I fancy a new pair. I’ve looked at ON Cloudmonster and I really like them but the more I look down at people’s feet the more I see so I am guessing dupes and fakes are already available.

It’s hard to find something incredible no one else knows about so sharing the Filling Pieces love.

I’d buy a new pair of these except would have to be secondhand. I can’t afford another new pair.

Cabury’s Cream Egg it’s a classic best deal ever at Aldi

Georgina

2025-03-07T16:33:52.1370000 2025-03-07T16:55:07.7330000

Who doesn’t love a Cabury’s cream egg. I know everyone has their own special way of eating them. It’s a thick chocolate shell with a creamy sugary centre, white with a yellow yolk. I cannot believe I just missed out on the killer deal at Aldi. Cabury’s cream eggs for less than 50p each.

How do you eat yours? All in one go? Personally I like to lick the cream out and then devour the chocolate. Sometimes with my finger or sticking a bit in and then eating the cream before the chocolate melts.

They used to be around all year. These days the Cabury’s cream egg appears in the shops around about now and then disappears after Easter so now’s the time to enjoy one or two.

I’ve even noticed Dominoes Pizza have jumped on the Cabury’s cream egg band wagon offering a whole one melted inside a cookie. Not sure how much they are but certainly tempted to try one.

Love to hear your thoughts particularly if you’ve tried the Dominoes Cabury Cream Egg cookie.

About as good for you as a deep fried mars bar.

The cookies are available throughout the UK from Monday, February 24 until Sunday, April 20.

They retail for £6.99 for a pair of signature cookies and each cookie contains 370 calories.

If you stick with just the egg, then it’s 160 calories.

I like mine straight from the fridge.

A box of five will cost you around £2.95 from Aldi link below or about £1.25 each if you buy individually.

Although some very happy shoppers picked the boxes of 5 Cabury’s Cream eggs up for an unbelievable deal, £1.49 for five with some shoppers reporting they purchased as many as 18 or 20 boxes. Not sure I could eat 100 even if they were free but hey let’s share the love.

The offer ended sadly on the 2nd March, 2025 or while stocks lasted according to Aldi but who knows when a deal like this will pop up again.

Dame Emily Thornberry MP for South Islington

UNWRA Gaza and the USA

Georgina

2025-01-29T14:07:46.7630000 2025-03-17T09:56:11.3430000

I watched Dame Emily Thornberry MP for Islington South, London awkwardly skirt around the proposal by the new White House Administration, How to stop the war in Gaza on the UK’s Channel 4 news.

The segment was actually about UNWRA and the humanitarian work and aid desperately needed in Gaza running alongside the story the Biden administration’s decision to stop America’s funding contribution to the agency.

I wouldn’t call myself a socialist, I did not vote Labour at the last general election and yet I am not sure whether Dame Thornberry’s seeming diplomacy, stemmed from not wishing to upset the incoming president Trump any further after Keir Starmer publicly backed V.P. Kamala Harris for the win before she lost or because she genuinely didn’t know what to say.

I wonder what everyone in England would say, the English, including Dame Thornberry if all of a sudden we, England was invaded attacked by our neighbour; say Scotland, thousands killed and the solution to end the conflict was to move everyone English to say Finland?

Would we just go? Would you say OK? Would we could we be so broken down and weak we’d just comply? Or would you say hell no, we’ve lived in this land for centuries, generations, stop attacking us and leave us alone.

This would be blanket ethnic cleansing if it was even suggested let alone allowed to happen.

In the week Jews around the world recognize the 80th anniversary of the liberation of concentration and dehumanising camp Austwitz I struggle to see why we all as ONE WORLD cannot see we are doing the same thing, repeating the same behaviour just to somebody else.

First They Came is a poem by Martin Niemoller

First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me

_

I am not a Jew, an Israeli, a Muslim, or a Gazan. Just a concerned citizen of the world speaking out.

The Traitors Season 3 UK

Georgina

2025-01-20T10:40:00.1500000 2025-01-20T11:26:29.7870000

I told my friend I absolutely love watching the Traitors, the UK edition hosted by Claudia Winkleman and she said “what do you love about it” and then I had to think.

I replied I like the process of working things out and then she said “ah but no one is working anything out”

She said all she could see was a bunch of sheep all following each other. One person makes an incorrect assumption based on nothing and everyone else follows suit and it got me thinking about the format and the lack of game playing footage actually making it into the edit.

I didn’t watch the first season in the UK, 2023 at all then last year there was tons of marketing and press around Claudia Winkleman’s “Scottish/Highland” wardrobe which did peak my interest and got me tuning in here and there.

I don’t know if the hype spread all the way to Paris but in June 2024 Dior hosted its first fashion show in the highlands of Scotland for more than 70 years. When I watched all I could think about was “The Traitors”

Miss Winkleman’s stylist Sinead McCaffrey has certainly been on hand this season with plenty of plaid and fair isle thrown in the gothic mix of taffeta and tweed pared with chunky knits, kilts and knee high socks.

I digress this is not a formatted show around fashion.

The show if you haven’t seen it is set in a Scottish castle, the premise 22 people, split into two groups by the status they take on during the game, Traitor or Faithful work together to build the prize pot completing a series of outdoor activity challenges whilst trying to decipher who are the faithfuls and who are the traitors.

Each evening the group come together at the round table to present their accusations, arguments to try to sway the group, to vote with them to banish a traitor.

There is no doubt the format is clever but it relies entirely on the casting, which is where I think season three has completely fallen down. We are half way through and although 2 of the three original traitors have been banished from the castle, Armani and Linda there has been very little jeopardy.

We’ve got people saying nothing, people saying they’ve got no idea, no one digging or asking awkward questions, (they tried to show a bit of a confrontation between Leanne and Linda in the kitchen but it ended up with neither the traitor or the faithful being clever enough to steer the game.

And the only traitor left Minah gets hardly any airtime at all so we don’t get to see any of her interactions and whether the faithfuls are getting closer. It’s a bit boring when there’s only one traitor. The format has obviously not gone to plan this year because they have had to force faithful Charlotte to become a traitor.

The whole show would have been ruined I guess with only one traitor left, if the faithfuls found Minah the game’s over leaving with the BBC with a massive scheduling problem.

This show would be absolutely explosive if the players were able to think more independently, were more skilled at manipulating the narrative and could come up with more strategies and quick fire questions to unnerve expose potential traitors.

After watching one and a half seasons not sure the show format’s good enough this year to keep me hooked. For me it’s all about the cast and the edit. Too many followers and not enough leaders, talking for the sake of it, not enough sleuthing, playing the game or sticking your neck out this year for me.

Basically a bit boring.

Bite Studios Made in Portugal

and Sweden

Georgina

2025-01-19T11:45:47.5730000 2025-01-19T12:00:06.2930000

Bite studios are not super well known but I think deserve a mention. I absolutely love their clothes.

The aesthetic is simple. Classic styles that can be worn by women of any age really appeal to me.

But what appeals to me more is Bite Studios commitment to doing things better, using gorgeous textiles any woman would feel lucky to wear and making things with garment workers wellbeing and our planet not just in mind but a primary concern.

The clothes aren’t cheap. It’s impossible to do everything well and sustainably without a cost to the consumer, if we don’t want garment workers exploited we have to shop differently and pay a little more for our staples.

It like me you are a sucker for super well made classic tailoring in soft comfortable wearable fabrics check out Bite studios.

This is one online store you can order from and when it arrives the garment is actually better than the picture.

Hampstead Motor Services UK

Small local mechanic in North London

Georgina

2025-01-17T14:34:04.9600000 2025-03-17T09:57:22.0200000

I’ve been a passive snooper for a while. I’d say for about 12 months I’ve been curious about the snoopers, (my fella is one) but never thought about joining until now.

And it’s because a small business got us out of a jam yesterday, quickly and efficiently when a giant like RAC was unable to help.

We found Hampstead Motor Services online. We were in a crisis, stuck and needed help. Even the local metropolitan police officer who did his best to find someone to help us was unsuccessful.

Calling a stranger, a business we’d never even heard of let alone used before in a place we weren’t super familiar with was a little daunting. But we had no choice.

The experience was so positive and quick it motivated me to join PS and give this small independent business a massive feel good pat on the back.

In a world of bad moods and a post Christmas general unwillingness to engage let alone put yourself out Hampstead Motor Services deserve a rave review.

Within 30 minutes of SOS calling for assistance a lovely smiling man from Morocco 🇲🇦 had us back on the road heading home.

It was smooth, quick, extremely painless and for central London where you’d expect a bill for £200, someone helps you out of a crisis be prepared to get ripped off but not at Hampstead Motor Services where the bill was a very reasonable £45 plus VAT.

I wanted to write this as I may never have another opportunity to give these guys business but want the world to know when I needed help it couldn’t have been more action driven, no fuss, no drama, just sorted.