OUI The People My New Favourite Skincare Cheat Sheet Out Of America

The all in one fixer Tri Acid Serum for skin with blemishes dark spots and sun damage

Jenny Smith

2026-03-15T10:55:00.0000000 2026-03-15T12:39:52.4730000

I just returned from a businesses trip to the US. And when I had a bit a of downtime I spent most of it in the massive Sephora store near my hotel. I like Sephora, I shop with them online. It’s a very easy company to deal with and the shops around London I like to. I don’t necessarily make a special trip but if I am passing I do like to do in, usually the one in Westfield Mall, W12.

The American Sephora is like another world a labaryth of undiscovered beauty it took me three or visits just wondering around picking up bottles, reading boxes to literally get the hang of and get my bearings. for anyone who likes a beauty supply shop this is heaven plus 1. Literally 80% of the shop is brands I’d never even heard of let alone tried.

The one stand out brand for me, was Oui The People. they say they deliver body care experiences that are luxurious, nuanced and soulful and found the product I invested in to deliver all of the above.

It was a serum, recommended to be used sparingly to deal with skin a little battered from sun exposure, I like sunbathing it has to said and being tanned but now in my mid thirties the skin around my chest area is quite freckly and can get a bit lumpy and tight. This is the area I wanted to work on.

I purchased the Oui the people Cheat sheet overnight resurfacing body serum, a little more expensive than I’d usually pay at around $100 (converts to about £65) but I absolutely loved it after just a couple of applications.

What it is: basically a resurfacing body serum with AHA, BHA, and PHA acids that work overnight to visibly diminish dead skin cells and unclog pores for smoother, brighter-looking skin.

Skin Type: Normal, Dry, Combination, and Oily

Skincare Concerns: if you’ve got Dark Spots, Uneven Texture, and Bumps/Ingrowns.

Highlighted Ingredients:

-Tri - Acid Complex: Glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids visibly exfoliate, smooth texture, and brighten darks spots and hyperpigmentation.

- Proline: Super amino acid supports collagen productions.

- Atlantic Sea Kelp: Replenishes skin barrier, promoting hydration while calming irritation.

Ingredient Callouts: Free of parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, sulfates SLS & SLES, triclocarban, triclosan, and contains less than one percent synthetic fragrance.

It is also vegan, gluten-free, cruelty-free, and comes in recyclable packaging.

I am always nervous about anything that feels like it’s burning when it hits the skin, I don’t like that but there is none of that sensation here. A light tingle that’s it and no redness or tenderness afterwards. Your skin appearance just is improved, smoother, tighter, the result I wanted.

It was clearly extremely popular as I have struggled to find another from Sephora or the brand directly. The OUI The People Cheat Sheet Overnight Resurfacing Body Serum appears to be currently unavailable or sold out at major retailers like Revolve and Anthropologie. While not explicitly confirmed as permanently discontinued by the brand, its widespread absence suggests it may be discontinued, rebranded, or undergoing a long-term restocking issue.

I’ve managed to find a couple online from other beauty supply places so if you want to give it a try on your problem areas you need to get in quick.

Evolve Beauty Haul At TKMAXX Clothes Rubbish But Go And Check Out The Skincare

TKMAXX You Can’t Get The Designer Clothing Bargains Anymore But The Skincare and Haircare Still...

Jenny Smith

2026-02-23T11:06:00.0000000 2026-02-27T14:37:23.6900000

Age defying Lifting Serum

True Balance Gel Cream

Bio Retinol Gold Mask and

Cotton Fresh Deodorant Cream, from evolve beauty which sounds weird but I was very keen to try.

Sometimes in TK Maxx you can find a whole beauty regime on a budget.

I love the Evolve Beauty Range, the simple packaging the all natural ingredients.

Evolve Organic Beauty is a purpose-driven, independent British beauty brand, something I love, made in the UK, creating innovative, eco-conscious, natural beauty products that nurture healthy, radiant skin and total body wellbeing.

The Bio retinol gold mask retails for £30 so to find it alongside the serum and true balance gel cream for half the price was a great discovery.

it’s golden inside the pot, created for age-defying and nourishing. A face mask that actually does reducethe appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and leaves your skin moisturised and dewy in texture. It works quite quickly too in just 5 minutes or 10 minutes after application the Bio-Retinol Gold Mask makes a difference in my skincare routine.

Bio-Retinol from Bidens pilosa works to deliver the same benefits as Retinol, but without causing the redness and irritation, something I don’t like. That burning sensation is a no no for me. This cream mask also contains organic Argan Oil and Rosehip Oil so it smells lovely too.

I honestly was super surprised to see it in TKmaxx for £14.99. I bought three products I love for £45 which would have cost me double that, even with the 10% discount you get at evolve for subscribing.

If you can’t find the Bio retinol gold mask in your TK Maxx I have seen it on other websites reduced to £24.00 but you’ve got shipping on top.

The lifting face serum was even a better deal at £14.99 regular price £54.00 and the true balance gel cream, again £14.99 not such a massive saving retailing at £26 but still much cheaper than anywhere else I’ve seen it.

This I love because of its light and innovative gel-to-cream formula, which uses natural actives to leave oily and acne prone skin like mine clear. The best thing of all about this product it protects and balances the microbiome, formulated with plant ingredients like Moringa and Noni stem cells, to detoxify and reduce sebum (skin oil) production. The best thing about this product is for anyone who suffers from enlarged pores and blackheads around the nose, chin and between the eyebrows this really does minimise this problem.

Overall £90 worth of product for a 50% saving.

You can’t guarantee you’ll find anything good in TK Maxx, the clothes, sunglasses and jewellery were pretty rubbish but for homewares, towels, bedding, they are still quite good and this weekend the skincare and haircare was restocked and some pretty good savings on branded luxury products. I also picked up some Redken shampoo I love and some Olaplex No. 3 hair protector I normally have to buy in a kit for £92 in the reduced red ticket area.

My Love Island All Stars Round Up 2026 - The cast, the couples and the gossip behind the scenes

The story so far, Mille and Charlie, Scott and Leanne, Jess and Tommy, Sean and Belle, Whitney...

Jenny Smith

2026-01-25T13:15:00.0000000 2026-01-26T14:09:52.8430000

Many of us are indulging in that twice a year guilty pleasure, Love Island, right now it’s all stars where you don’t quite remember everybody but a week of watching and you think you know the cast better than own next door neighbour.

We start off saying do you remember them? Do you know them, and then trying to place who is who in the reality cast of characters. The EBay ads are like an old pair of slippers, where old clothes are like the island and they’ve just got voted off, or the red “I know where you are going” dress we all repeat word perfect.

Yes I do feel like I am stepping onto a fairground ride I’ve ridden so many times before but just cannot stop joining the queue to ride again. I don’t buy the merchandise or watch the after show or outtakes I am proud to say but that 9.00pm slot is more addictive than cigarettes we’ve vowed to quit in Jan 2026.

One VT worth mentioning for anyone who didn’t realise, the funny clip about the ICK being like a disease that infiltrates the body and just won’t leave is Olivia Atwood before all the surgery. Yep we didn’t recognise her either. It does show what these kids not that much younger than me to be fair, are doing and how they are completely modifying themselves into people we the audience can’t even recognise for fame and fortune.

So the cast members we remembered in our house include, Helena, after the humiliation of the Harry and Shakira love triangle last year she’s back, we were hoping for 2.0 Helena new and improved with more genuine self worth but sadly it’s the same 1.1 Virgin Atlantic version, still being binned off by Shawn who should feel lucky to have a girl like her. Helena doesn’t understand why she’s not being successful, she’s not realised yet she got to be harder to pin down. Belle and Millie have shown this year, standing your ground doesn’t put boys off, it makes them fight harder. Helena totally Adorable but still crying and boyfriend less allowing horrible Shaq to play the field whilst keeping her dangling, got her dumped. Head Girl Millie modelled girl power to the power N when she booted out LOVE RAT Charlie for playing her and her girl Jess for fools but she’s entering hot water when she suggested HEAD BOY Scott was in her sights, currently happily coupled up with Leanne, who is completely unaware her first date picnic and meeting the family talks is potentially about to be shattered as Scott is revealed to be not all he seems. Then in walks Curtis and Scott’s back on Millie’s back burner. Things change quickly in the villa.

We don’t like Whitney, of course we don’t know her and not wanting to judge but she’s not coming across so well on screen. She’s got Jack and Connor (whose name she can’t remember) on the go, well actually now just Connor as Jack, son of pop musician and Notting Hill song “you say it best when you say nothing at all” artist Roman Keating. It’s not personal she just says “Charge It” too much with a resting bitch face, whatever that means. Interestingly Jack has stepped away, saying Whitney’s not a fit for his low key personality which has made her keener, proving stepping back once again has the opposite effect.

Sammy and Kieran seem to be settling into each other, they don’t get that much air time so even though we did remember the faces we don’t have any background, we don’t know why, pretty people but still a little vanilla. Except Lucinda has bombshelled, stealing Kieran from under Sammy’s nose. “clearly” says a less than delighted Sammy at the last recoupling around the fire pit.

Sean, The Candy man and Tommy are the mamma’s boys back for another go on their bikes around the block. Sean started out with Belle and then Helena but both have got the ICK already so he’s waiting for a bombshell, Lucinda, but wait a kiss with Belle on the terrace and that’s put the cat amongst the pigeons and put Shaq’s proverbial back up and Tommy who began sliding into the DMs of Jess before the show, binned her off for kissing Charlie and now is angling for some one on one time with Lucinda, except Lucinda’s shock pick of Kieran has left Tommy and Jack out in the cold.

Lucinda Stratford joined the cast on Friday night, 23rd Jan, 2026 entering the villa with ballroom dancer Curtis Pritchard who ended up finishing fourth with Maura Higgins in 2019 and then came third with Ekin Su in all stars 2025. When you break it all down and remember Ekin Su won the show with Davide in 2022 you can see this is actually now a soap format more for entertainment purposes and celebrity and print media career building than actually coupling up real people.

The cast continue to make fools of themselves amongst a network of people they have all met and know (for our guilty pleasure) producers get to play with their emotions (for our guilty pleasure) and ITV gets to make a whole load of cash.

Every year I say I am not watching again and yet again in January when the nights are long and cold the lure of this cringe fest is irresistible.

Last season introduced us to two of my favourite Love Island personalities ever, winner from Boca Raton, Florida and the Las Vegas, cocktail waitress Toni and Yas GTP as she came to be known, the girl with the perfect posture, looking for a Labrador for her black cat alter ego. Both the relationships failed to go any distance.

The show illusion could be shattered once and for all if either return as all stars to the show format. I think once you’ve made an impression for all the right reasons there would be just no going back.

Fortunately Love Island All Stars 2026 50% of the cast we have no recollection of ever meeting before in my friendship group, I think why I am back in with full force this year. It would be good to see some of the cast members actually mature for real and show us how strong relationships can be founded on camera but hey producers would probably hate that.

And why Curtis is actually a love island producers dream. The minute the likes of Curtis Pritchard are back in the frame, doing his quick Salsa moves on Jess within minutes of entering the villa (giving everyone the ICK) and then diving in head first with lovely Millie, we know when it comes to Love Island it’s going to be more car crash TV. The cast already asking on camera how many times Curtis has been on Love Island and looking up to him with celebrity status aspiration.

There again maybe that’s the reality we all actually tune in for. Check out Love Island history as Millie dumps her own partner Charlie. First time ever in the series history. And then gets wooed by cringy Curtis. The story continues.

Chanel Allure Noir No. 10 Mascara VS Chanel Le Revolution Volume Mascara When size just doesn’t matter

Go through your free gifts put aside and forgotten about: there might be a miracle waiting

Jenny Smith

2026-01-24T10:09:00.0000000 2026-01-24T12:32:28.7570000

I’ve been reading a few snoops on here, the ten beauty products you cannot live without and thought I’d share a story from over the holidays that is going to make me purchase the Chanel Allure mascara when I get paid at the end of January. The full size costs £40 against £37 for the Revolution Volume Mascara but I have seen a few of the miniatures on secondhand sites for between £10-£20 if you want to give either products a try before investing. I’d say Allure lasts pretty well too against the Revolution volume because I don’t know how long I’ve had them in the drawer, probably over 12 months and the Allure was in better shape than the Revolution Volume which was drier and clumpy. I got to try both the allure and the revolution volume, I had both samples. The allure Chanel mascara came out the winner for me in more ways than one.

This year my family and friends decided not to buy Christmas presents. Which had its benefits for sure, no stress deciding what to get people, no stress wrapping and now even though January is a long month I am not dreading the credit card bills for the first time in years right now. It did feel a bit weird on the 25th with none of the usual suspects, books, make up, new PJ and underwear so I went to my own regifting drawer where I keep free gifts, gifts with purchase and things I just haven’t got a round to using and in there were these little black pouches I wasn’t even sure what they were at first.

Turns out the tube of mascara I absolutely love was the Allure Noir and I have continued to use throughout January until it’s almost finished. The other one just wasn’t so good for me although it could have just gone past it’s 6M use by date.

I don’t usually wear a lot of eye makeup but in the winter when I don’t have a tan I feel better with a coat on my top lashes. Makes my eyes pop out a little more on grey days and gives me a bit of a lift too.

One of the things I really like about this is the size, and it’s in a tube with a tiny brush so very easy to apply, just a couple of stokes necessary and my OK quite long but not tinted lashes really get a boost, like I say in just a couple of strokes and yet no clumps.

The one down side is I don’t think it’s water proof as I have come back at night with slight panda eyes from watching a sad movie or if it’s pouring outside but nothing a q tip cannot fix.

When I think about my top 10 beauty products this little mascara has become my go to at number 2. Number one is a product that’s been discontinued so not sure what I’ll do when the one I have runs out, if anyone at Chanel is reading this it’s the factor 50 correction BB cream, the SUPER ACTIVE COMPLETE CORRECTION SPF 50 totally sold out everywhere. I’m always on the look out for a new one. I wear shade 20 in the summer, 30 in the winter. It’s just incredible coverage in a high SPF.

No. 3 is probably Corsodyl, I know not very glamourous but hey bad teeth not a good look. And a chapstick of some kind, except not Nivea, cannot stand the smell. I’ll usually buy something with a flavour, the last one I tried that gave good hydration was Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Kiss Cupuaçu Lip Butter, I picked it up at NK Space for about £12. I also really love the lip plumping, moisture and low key colour of Dior Addict Lip Glow 48-hour hydrating lip balm - pH-activated colour, I go one up from clear cool pink undertone, cost around the £30 mark but I use this pretty much every day to with a lip liner, usually Mac. I know everyone loves the MAC liners.

Number seven is my list of top 10 beauty products eyebrow gel, my brows are unruly so I stick them down most days using Boots number 7 eyebrow gel tint at £8 I’ve tried Refy brow products, the serum I didn’t think did anything and the Refy brow tint gel is OK but at £18 the boots No. 7 tinted eyebrow gel does exactly the same job.

8, 9 and 10 are my nails, decent nail file, I don’t stick to one brand as they usually disappoint to be fair, Chanel Le Vernis nail enamel and my face massager. I treated myself to a glidelif endosculpter before Christmas and although it wasn’t cheap and you have to be bothered to do it. Watching Love Island is the perfect time I love the feeling and the results I am getting. I don’t like the sensation of the electrical ones so this works really well for me. There’s something therapeutic about it. They are regularly £214 but now you pick one up for £128.

I absolutely love the Chanel Le Vernis nail enamel, I haven’t found a better polish for staying put and really shinning. My only problem is every time I go to the nail shop, more and more are saying they don’t use normal nail polish anymore, only gel and a few times I’ve had to leave with no polish on my nails and polish them myself….. not the best DIY.

Gigi Hadid 2018 Designer Sunglasses VO4309S 8 Things Tell You You’ve Got A Fake

Vogue Sunglasses Gigi Hadid 2018 when shopping secondhand beware of designer dupes

Jenny Smith

2025-12-20T07:33:00.0000000 2025-12-21T17:04:43.5270000

It’s a problem when you want to buy something widely copied and you decide to take a risk. You can’t afford to buy direct from the manufacturer so elect to purchase, secondhand. Even if you get an authenticity guarantee or go through the checks offered by some secondhand sites like Vestiare or Vinted the chances are if it’s a bargain, too good to be true, it’s going to be fake, especially when it comes to sunglasses I have discovered. And the scale of how many fakes are in circulation is staggering when you start to have to validate and prove your case in order to get a refund.

When I decided I wanted to buy a pair of Vogue Gigi Hadid sunglasses 2018 the retail price was £118, you can pick them up for £100 now from Vogue Eyewear directly or from Sunglasses Hut for less around £80, still a lot for anyone on a budget, who’d prefer to save a little by going recycled, preloved.

When I saw a pair on a secondhand site that looked amazing, good images, great seller with 100% feedback for £40 I thought fantastic. I purchased. I even checked ahead asking the seller if they were authentic, of course they assured me all was fine.

When the glasses arrived it was obvious to me the glasses were fakes however when I asked to return them the seller refused and began a hostile exchange accusing me of calling her a liar, suggesting it would be better I just said I didn’t like them than the classic deflection of insulting her integrity.

This was where my difficulty began, proving my case without the platform being able to see the sunglasses, to be fair they were pretty good copies.

The giveaways things to look out for with these particular sunglasses you can actually buy online for about £15. Here are my 8 pointers how to spot fake sunglasses, Vogue Gigi Hadid 2018 VO4309S

1. Originals have an etched V on the upper corner of each lens, difficult to see and expensive to fake so if it’s missing it’s a dead giveaway.

2. Also on the nose bridge cushions, no tiny V branding, no two giveaway.

3. Serial numbers

The serial numbers on my fakes were absolutely accurate, the giveaway was they were printed not etched. Run your finger along the inside arm, you can feel if you are dealing with the real thing or a copy.

4. Lens shape and size, check the dimensions, if they are too long and thin, that’s a giveaway. It’s the wrong shape, they need to rectangular closer to square not a thinner oblong shape.

5. Also if the case feels cheap, the zip doesn’t run smoothly or the logo text looks off these are things to look out for. 6. The glasses should come with authenticity paper work and

7. A branded duster so if these are missing it’s also a red flag

8. Proof of purchase, ie a receipt but do check this as some people fake these too.

I purchased on Vinted and expected to be able to return the glasses as soon as I reported them not as described. This was not the case. It took a few weeks for the site to find in my favour and force the seller to accept a return, she wasn’t happy about it but eventually I was able to send them back. And I did get a refund in the end but not without providing two sets of images and doing a whole load of research myself.

I knew designer sunglasses were faked but didn’t expect a less well known brand like Vogue, even with a celebrity endorsement to be so widely available blatantly branded for a very low price. I have even found them on scam websites for $39 that offer free shipping worldwide that never even send out the product so buyer beware if you see any site offering free worldwide shipping this is altogether a whole other scam.

My advice when it comes to sunglasses, the only way you can be sure what you are buying is to buy direct from the brand or from a reputable outlet like Sunglasses Hut.

I am saving up for another pair.

I’m including just for reference of what the site URL looks like where if you order nothing is ever arriving, fake or not. If you happen to land on a site like this, usually clicking through on an image check the URL address, if it’s weird like wwwblackfriday with free worldwide shipping simply avoid, you are about to get ripped off.

TK Maxx I’ve discovered now sells many more own brands than designer brands

There have been a few exposé on TV too regarding TK Maxx and their “designer bargains”

Jenny Smith

2025-11-22T15:25:00.0000000 2025-12-20T07:32:04.7600000

I used to be in TK Maxx at least once a week. That is until I bought a few skincare and haircare items that just weren’t the kind of products I was used to getting from there and stopped going in quite so regularly, choosing to shop online for skincare and haircare instead.

I supposed it was fair enough I wouldn’t know all the product names, you don’t always recognise the brand names either but I have come to expect a higher priced item for a deal and have been lucky enough to find Mrs Rodial, Elemental Herbology, Lange Paris, Opalex, even Balenciaga discontinued fragrance which was a real find in my local TK Maxx store.

I made a special trip today for some day and night cream hoping to find a bargain. This time I was a bit more savvy and had in mind the items I was looking for, not open to try yet another item I’d never heard of.

With my criteria narrowed and my mind a little more closed off following a few precious mistakes, I came home empty handled when it came to my day and night cream and I think I have discovered why.

I found this massive jar of Ketatin anti frizz hair mask, DiVa hair care, not a brand I’d heard of like Kerastase, Phillip Kingsley or Dr. Barbara Sturm which would have been an absolute bargain for £7.00 but it did look amazing.

Diva haircare laboratories is a TK Maxx line or product range not a range created and sold independently as far as I can tell.

The place was packed, the queue was really long so while I was standing in line I did a bit of research on the hair mask only to discover it is not branded product at all but it looked like a product created for the TK Maxx audience.

Made me think about all the pots of face cream, neck cream, night cream and hair care products I’ve invested in still sitting at home on my bathroom counter that just didn’t measure up.

By the time I’d got to the checkout I’d figured out the £7.00 red clearance ticket wasn’t such a good deal after all as I could buy the exact same product directly from TK Maxx for £8.99. Not the £50 product for £7 I was imagining.

In it’s heyday TK Maxx used to be the place to snag the very best designer bargains, everything from luxurious skincare and haircare, to cashmere socks, la Perla and Wolford lingerie and Halston to Hilfiger PJ and silk nighties, I’ve shopped Alo to Varley in the athleisure department (the gold label section used to be packed full of high end couture brands too from Gucci to Altrazurra 5 years ago) these days, it’s certainly full to the brim with stocked shelves for the crazy Christmas rush but my advice check the brand names online before you buy into the strap “designer labels for less”

You’ll more likely than not find out, it’s a made for TK Maxx label that’s more good design, than good designer.

Don’t want to dis TK Maxx too much as I do actually really like the Charing Cross Road store, I’ve been to few special events there in the past and I have bought a lot over the years at some significant savings, things I’d never have been able to own except for the fact TK maxx took stock from the big name designers, however, it is a bit confusing now with products like Diva, not an independent brand in the same sense but stock produced by TK Maxx for TK Maxx. I guess they don’t want to put TK Maxx on the hair care, which would make things clearer for the customer, this one’s “not a designer brand for less”

I did shop today for my nieces and bought a load of inexpensive stocking stuffers, make up products, nail care, eyelash curlers, make up mirrors, sponges, hair and make up brushes, contouring sticks, eye shadow pallets and mascara sets, the kind of things teenage girls love to to explore with, stick on nails and fake eyelashes so TK Maxx is the perfect place for random inexpensive stocking stuffers.

Calzedonia the dream realised of Italian Riviera Beachwear on a budget

Where do you go to find an off season bikini for less than £100

Jenny Smith

2025-08-23T10:14:00.0000000 2025-08-23T10:47:15.6400000

I like to try on when I shop for a bikini, 👙 have big boobs and smaller hips so I also need to buy tops and bottoms separately and Calzedonia on the Kings Road has become my firm favourite for this job if I want to buy two or three bikinis for my summer holiday.

Like many people I elect to travel in September or October when the prices drop significantly especially this year when summer holiday prices and flights especially seem to have skyrocketed into another stratosphere.

I have invested in a few bikinis I love, brands like Melissa Odabash and Maryan Mehlhorn but they get trashed too quickly if you get in the pool or ocean in them so I keep my expensive one just for lounging that way they last a whole lot longer.

And there is no where I have found better for the wear to death bikinis you take on holiday wear for a couple of seasons and then leave behind for the cleaners at the hotel to enjoy. It has become a bit of a ritual, showing gratitude in a hot place with your beachwear and swimwear you are not going to wear again for at least another year. The staff are usually to delighted to share in the holiday suitcase. And appreciate items they may not have access to on a Greek island or somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

Calzedonia is always my go to place for the mix and match bikinis I like to have. You can pick up a bikini for £50 usually, they have great sales and often 3 for 2 offers. It’s an Italian company so the styles are chic and stylish. The Italian fashion and retail group founded in 1986 in Verona, Italy, by Sandro Veronese with headquarters in Dossobueno, near Verona.

The shop on the kings road is my favourite and although I don’t live on that side of town, I wish a visit to Calzedonia is usually what draws me to Chelsea.

There’s usually a pretty good selection even off season although when October comes around the shop will definitely be more leggings, athleisure wear and tights for the UK winter so if you are bikini hunting now, August is the best time to shop as you’ll hit the sales too.

For girls with different size tops to bottoms it’s the perfect place to shop for a bikini as the Calzedonia group also owns lingerie brand Intimissimi and base layer lingerie brand Tezenis so the bikini tops are well cut, go up to a DD cup and fit like a glove.

I am an E cup and the Calzedonia DD fits me perfectly.

The only negative thing I have to say about Calzedonia is the staff in store can be a little bit sales hungry but I have got used to this and just take my time before deciding what I want to buy.

You can get a refund within 30 days online however getting a refund in store may be trickier if you make a mistake. Like many stores now they are reluctant to give money back and you may find yourself stuck with a credit note you are not going to use if you make a hasty decision or purchase without trying on.

I save myself any hassle on returning by being completely sure what I want to buy before handing over my money.

How Do I Cancel My Apple TV Subscription?

Cancelling Apple TV is much easier than cancelling Amazon Prime

Jenny Smith

2025-07-21T14:45:00.0000000 2025-07-21T15:44:20.5970000

If you want to cancel your Apple TV subscription it is much simpler than cancelling Amazon Prime which I signed up for by mistake when purchasing a book by an independent author not available to buy anywhere else. I clicked the wrong button and before I knew it I was an Amazon Prime member. A membership I didn’t want or need. It took me a while to get myself unsubscribed electing to pay the exorbitant shipping charges instead about £7.99. I knew I wouldn’t be shopping on Amazon in the future so preferred the one time fee. Amazon asked me several times if I’d prefer free shipping instead before finally giving up and allowing me to purchase with my shipping charges in place.

Apple don’t make it nearly so difficult. Just navigate to settings on your phone, find your Apple account, I used the search function and then click on your subscriptions. My Apple TV subscription was right there with my renewal date and one click was all it took, Apple TV subscription cancelled.

I read an article in the Telegraph recently waying up the pros and cons of an Amazon Prime account with links through to Amazon (and then the paper getting paid as an affiliate for anyone who clicked through and signed up, yeah you see where I am going, not exactly impartial journalism ) that said 70% of adults in the UK have an Amazon Prime account paying about £95 a year one time fee (£8.99 per month if paid in installments) for the privilege of shopping on Amazon. Staggering really. How one business could manage to get so many people to pay a monthly fee to shop with them on the basis of free overnight shipping, the consequence of which the said 70% instinctively go back to Amazon whenever they need to buy anything keeping all the business in one place.

I don’t have an Amazon Prime subscription. I don’t agree with the alleged labour exploitation and in stark contrast have read about the struggles of Chris Smalls co founder and former president of the labour union ALU Amazon Labour Union in the US set up to begin trying to protect the rights of Amazon workers through the legal channels available.

I resisted a subscription to Apple TV for the same reason, if you are paying you feel obliged to watch the offering, £8.99 per month to have the option or not of watching the programmes on the popular cable network channel sounds like a deal if the content is brilliant.

In the first month of subscribing I watched a few things that I loved, a great series about Supermodels. a drama about the life and rise of Christian Dior, and a few made for Apple TV movies all things proprietary to Apple TV and the subscription felt like great value for money but as the months have passed having spent more time scrolling than actually watching I have found myself not going to Apple TV at all, in the mindset I have exhausted and the offering, what’s up there now stale and picked over like a department store with no fresh stock, you’ve seen it all before so eventually you just stop going in.

However in the case of Apple I was still paying, not watching but paying £8.99 per month.

I’ve allowed this to continue for about 6 months before actually cancelling the subscription. Something I am sure there are millions of customers still doing, paying for something they never actually watching because of FOMO fear of missing out.

Apple TV is a big brand name with loads of marketing hype around it’s programming and big name stars like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Julianne Moore, making made for TV movies instead of the big budget Hollywood blockbusters of old. Like every business how we all consume movies is very different these days with much more choice.

Another appeal of the Amazon prime subscription it includes the TV subscription as well for Prime members. These guys have got us locked in. I do still pay for Amazon Prime TV £3.99 per month so I admit my principals aren’t so strong when it comes to my TV subscription choices as unfortunately Amazon Prime does have the best selection of movies old and new across the board I have found.

I do think it’s a game of snakes and ladders with Amazon Prime, most of the content I actually want to watch is pay per view, an additional fee on top of the monthly subscription but I have discovered if you wait long enough most of the movies you want to watch will come around to being offered for free anyway.

With TV subscription and pay per view in my experience it’s a game of cat and mouse. Browse a while, search for things you are interested in, don’t purchase, avoid the snakes stay on the ladders and then leave and browse elsewhere. When the algorithm recognises you are not going to watch unless it’s free they’ll give you something you are interested in. They need viewers for their advertisers so if they cannot get you to pay they do want to ultimately keep you on their platform.

It just takes a little patience to beat the house when it’s as massive as Amazon Prime.

The Buccaneers on Apple TV while I am on the subject of what to watch

Or not. Big Christina Hendricks Fan after Madmen so decided to give it a go

Jenny Smith

2025-07-13T09:33:00.0000000 2025-07-20T13:17:22.4670000

I cannot tell you who was in the new Apple TV historical drama series based on the unfinished work of literature The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton.

I found out about it watching Christina Hendricks on The One Show, something I caught by mistake and as a fan I was

Interested to find out what she was promoting. The Buccaneers was on my radar. I did my due diligence and to be honest the reviews were more good than bad. Even a review in the Guardian by Lucy Mangan someone I listen to for an objective viewpoint painted an appealing picture, a series offering “enormous fun for Bridgeton fans” and as I have only a couple of weeks left before I plan to stop my subscription of Apple TV (another snoop entirely as I have been paying £8.99 per month for 3 or 4 months without watching anything) I decided to give it a go for Saturday night viewing. I’d seen friends during the day. It had been brutally hot. Was knackered and fancied some good TV and an early night. The heat, a good old gossip and a few glasses at lunchtime had got the better of me.

I was excited to get my teeth into something new, light, fun, colourful, historical, classic. I thought the Buccaneers would be perfect for a bit of binge that could easily spill over into Sunday before work on Monday.

The reviews to be fair were very mixed and some people did describe the Buccaneers as “cringe worthy and historically inaccurate” but I listened to Lucy Mangan instead.

The opening scenes take you through a frenetic wedding preparation in a grand house, a bevy of young women, the brides attendants in bottle green taffeta making preparation for Conchi (Cordelia nuptials) flowers being delivered, amidst the obvious calamity of plans going arwy, we don’t know yet what has actually happened.

We meet Christina Hendricks character, the mother of the bride, in a fluster asking about the wellbeing of Conchi, the attendant in charge fobs her off to rush upstairs clearly with other more pressing matters to deal with like a missing groom.

I got as far as the pink poodle languishing on the bed when we enter Conchi’s bed chamber, what kind of name is that anyway. And we see the bride scantily clad in corset and stockings having a terminal breakdown, the dialogue script just wasn’t believable or credible for the period, cringe worthy for sure and the giant standard poodle dyed pink as a dog lover I honestly couldn’t cope with and immediately switched off.

I probably watched less than five minutes. Some who watched might say it gets better or you should have given it a chance. I was pretty sure I didn’t want to waste my evening on a dampened down crucified literary classic. It might be a great introduction to Edith Wharton if you are five years old but then the sexy content would probably be too much for a much younger audience so not sure who Apple think this drama series would actually appeal to.

Not me that’s for sure.

Love Island Movie Night compulsive viewing for the ITV hook up show

This season has been the best ever after ITV cast more regular boys and girls

Jenny Smith

2025-07-12T13:48:00.0000000 2025-07-14T14:33:42.7130000

it’s fair to say I am a big fan of Love Island. In past seasons I haven’t got into the show, that puts singles altogether in a Villa in Majorca and by pulling each other for chats, the objective for the singles is coupling up, until much later in the format. This one I’ve watched from the start.

The incentive for cast members to participate and potentially make a complete fool of themselves on TV (it takes a strong character to watch everything they say and do over weeks in a confined space constantly being filmed).

to find a genuine connection and £50K if the public vote you and your respective other half the winner at the end. The couples participate in challenges that usually involve some kind of kissing then random texts are sent “I’ve got a text” for the cast to gather around the fire pit for recoupling ceremonies, where the boys and girls take it in turns to decide if their present partner is the one or to trade them in for someone else. If you end up alone you risk being dumped from the island the jeopardy of the whole show if you don’t manage to stay in a couple.

The action is all hosted by glamourous girl TV presenter Maya Jama, following in the footsteps of presenters Caroline Flack, Emma Whitmore. It’s definitely a water cooler show, at the hair salon it’s all anyone talks about.

The cast this year have been a bit different in that instead of casting botoxed beautiful people strutting around in beachwear producers have elected to go for more run of the mill girls and guys with jobs and lives, not necessarily looking for a celebrity couple status career following the show like previous winners Molly Mae and Tommy who went on to have careers in the public eye. For me this has improved the authenticity and made the show all the more watchable.

It’s been a struggle for genuine connections to actually be established the cast appearing to be more real when coupling up and under taking the challenges, the result has been a lot of swapping around instead of people sticking in couples just for the win, something that has happened in previous seasons I think to the detriment of the show.

After Casa Amour when the residents of the main villa are split into boys and girls, separated and then tempted with three days in the company of potential new partners to “test” their allegiance to partners they are coupled up with we saw pretty much everyone join together with a new partner so the cast virtually doubled in size overnight because no one was really getting along, only two couples remained in tact Meg and Dejon, and Harry and Helena, everyone else choosing a new partner instead of their old one with pretty exciting consequences to be fair. I bet producers couldn’t believe their luck when they saw the massive switch up and the car crash left behind with feelings still raw for many of the players.

And then came Movie Night, much awaited and historically probably the best episode of the whole season when the lies and the liars are exposed, traditionally ending in an almighty scrap of some description.

Only this time it was the girls who ended up in fighting, attacking one another and the badly behaved boys who in the most part caused all the upset and drama by “boys being boys” got off Scott Free even though it was more than clear to the women what was going on, a lot of lying, two timing and generally poor show conduct when it comes to being straightforward, truthful and respectful to the girls.

I actually could not believe it, instead of the women, Meg, Helena, Shakira, Yasmine, Toni, Billy Kiss and new girls Andrada, Lauren, Emma and Lucy sticking together in solidarity the boys managed to get them pitted against one another and deflecting all the pain, disappointment and hurt they were fundamentally responsible for.

I don’t know if I was the only one who noticed the women letting the men get away with blue murder. Instead of staying calm, sticking to their guns as a group and demanding better from what quite frankly is a group of blokes if you put them all together you couldn’t find a completely straightforward individual after the two decent people Emily and Georgio went home when they chose to reject new matches after Casa Amour, and both their existing partners recoupled with someone new, Tommy with Lucy and Yasmine with Jamie.

Debriefing the show today with my friends at Brunch, a few interesting points were made which I’ll share, one of my friends, a psychologist pointed out Dejon’s coersive control of Meg, treating her poorly under the previso of being open to meeting other people, leading new girls on when she wasn’t around but telling Meg he had made it clear to everyone she was his priority. Not the truth. And when both Billy Kiss and Andrada pointed this out to both Dejon and Meg neither took it well for different reasons, Meg feeling like a Mug and Dejon putting jealousy from Andrada and Billy Kiss as the reason for his exposure back on the women he’d blatantly flirted with when rejected by him.

Attention seeking Harrison was busted for flirting with feisty Toni when he returned from Casa Amour with new amour Lauren and she got to see his antics not only messing Toni around but Helena as well.

And the heat on the boys didn’t stop there. My friend also pointed out Helena is so used to being poorly treated by the opposite sex she is unperturbed by the horrid Harry who has more respect for his badly chosen wardrobe than the women in the villa. producers have even recruited his ex of three years still reeling from him cheating on her with another women in the home they shared together that ended their relationship in real life on the outside. Connor who has been coupled up with 6 different women in total during his quest to find a match in the villa is regretting the day he hooked up with Emma now hell bent on making sure everyone including Helena know exactly the love rat he is. Whilst Helena seems completely oblivious and accepting of the shoddy treatment Emma becomes more and more incensed leaving Connor left in the middle, Harry’s mate wishing to God he’d never dipped his toe in something that may be done between Emma and Harry but definitely isn’t dusted. Wait a minute, and Connor is putting the moves on best mate in the villa, Shakira, 7 his lucky number.

Movie Night on Love Island was car crash TV in the best possible sense. Us girls got to see exactly why we fall looking for something serious and lasting and why men end up in the dog house wondering what exactly they have done wrong. When it comes to women, men don’t connect even if they say they want to and can move on in a kamikaze fashion without ever acknowledging they have made a poor choice or done anything underhand, Harry is the perfect in your face example, everyone wants the bad boy, Shakira, Helena, Emma at same time acknowledging he is the worst of the bunch when it comes to blatant disregard for anyone’s feelings except his own. Dejon a little more sneaky is acting in pretty much the same way except covering his ass a little better, Megs instincts are on fire but the affirmations in private are enough to keep her hooked in. Harrison wants his cake and to eat it too, and nice boy Tommy ruthlessly threw Emily under the bus or in the dustbin whichever metaphor you prefer, the minute younger more glamourous sexy Lucy came into the frame on a mission to get into the main villa even if it meant coupling up with the lost lamb with a broken leg in the short term.

The stronger feistier girls, calling out the bad behaviour, Shakira, Toni, Andrada and Billy Kiss painted as bitchy, jealous, or both when calling Bullshit on what’s going on right in front of them.

The number one mistake they made on movie night was allowing the hurt, humiliation and bad feelings culminated over the last few weeks, over take the reality of a bunch of badly behaved not good looking enough to behave in such a way, blokes, causing one almighty scrap amongst themselves.

I bet the producers of Love Island couldn’t believe their luck. But I guess that was pretty much the plan all along. To cause one almighty fight. It was just a shame it ended up being the girls calling each other out instead of the sad bunch of specimens sitting on the opposite couch dressed up in Dinner Jackets.

I am not down on the guys or Love Island executives. I think the show is fabulous. I just hope the women in the show and the women watching recognise it doesn’t matter who he is, he cannot help it. He’s wired that way. He wants them all and doesn’t think twice about how he gets that, the consequences afterwards or who gets harmed in the process. It’s a boy thing that never actually changes unless she is able to always be one step ahead, never give an inch and drop him from a great height the minute he steps out of line.

The females are in charge when it comes to coupling up. If only the females cast in Love Island could see that instead of in fighting, (giving producers TV gold) and ultimately what men love to see, women fighting over them. As viewers it’s plain to see if the ladies lucky enough to be cast could stand back for a moment, all the women watching would be empowered and not find themselves in the vulnerable position of being hurt by blokes who are not good enough for them anyway.

A successful TV show’s aim is to get us all talking and engaged and movie night on Love Island definitely did that.

Melissa Odabash Swimwear mix and match tops and bottoms

American and Australian swimwear brands are better than most for tricky bodies

Jenny Smith

2025-06-05T07:03:00.0000000 2025-06-05T08:12:18.9130000

With the boob job came a load of women with tops bigger than bottoms by choice.

This is something I have struggled with for a lifetime naturally, a big bust 34F on a significantly smaller frame about a Uk size 8 to 10 at the bottom so an off the peg bikini has NEVER worked for me.

The tops even if I go for a size 16 or 18 are always too small to deal with the boobs in the cups and the back too roomy so I find myself either dropping out underneath or constantly trying up the back or adjusting the straps.

And I like to jump off boats and dive into the water and I prefer a bikini to a bathing suit unless I am water skiing and hopefully staying in it. Which can be an issue.

The beauty of an American or Australian swimwear designer is the structure is there. Melissa Odabash offers a complete beachwear and cover up range combining fresh modern contemporary design. She works with plain and printed fabric so whether you are looking for exotic cruise wear or something more basic black or navy you can style with everything she’s got you covered and working as a model for many years and living in Italy for a while she understand a European aesthetic where some American designers can be a little bit dated Melissa Odabash manages to combine well fitting and structured tops (so good for older women too, my Mum loves her) as well as younger women with perhaps more troublesome bodies.

The best thing and something lots of brands do now admittedly you can buy the tops and bottoms of your bikini separately so if you need a big top and little bottoms like me, not a problem. She also offers a whole range of Pareos, beach wraps and cover ups to go with.

Not my style really as I am inclined to throw on a pair of yoga leggings over my bikini but for girls who like a pretty beach dress and straw basket she can certainly give you a cruise wear ensemble worthy of any 5 star beach holiday.

I started in the pool as a teenager in a Speedo swimming costume I developed a big bust in my early teens and it was the only thing I felt comfortable in in the pool as it kept everything strapped down and in place. I still have one and it’s usually my go to for water sports like boogie boarding or water skiing.

I have had some success with Australian brand Seafolly who seem to understand the needs of active women; all shapes and sizes as the cover girls up to a size 18 or 20 and do a lot of options versions of a sexy wetsuit, zip up fronts and with sleeves for getting in the water when it’s less than tropical.

Maryam Mehlhorn, Onia, Heidi Klein (although this brand’s quality I think has gone down over the last 5 years) and Nishi Beachwear I have had success with too. Maryam Mehlhorn cuts tops like no one else. Super well fitting and very flattering for big boobs and girls who don’t want to feel completely covered, a bit sexy and young but still secure. I have a bikini of hers I love so much I try not to wear it too much as I know once it’s gone it’s gone and bikinis have a short shelf life for me, usually two or three vacations and they are completely shot.

I’ve spotted a Calvin Klein mix and match top and bottom I like online £45 for the top and £45 for the bottom which is certainly more affordable than Melissa Odabash or the other brands I have mentioned.

I probably won’t go for it though as the younger audience American brands like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger whilst I love the visual of the designs in the photo styling and marketing online when they come, for me the material is usually too flimsy and the straps too skimpy to deal with the weight of bigger boobs.

My advice if you have the same issue, go for a halter neck tie, or something that is properly structured like a bra with straps, I’ve had a couple of successes on the less expensive side of the bikini spectrum with Italian brand Calzedonia. But again I steer clear of anything bandeau bikini or strapless which this brand make a lot of.

If you have budget and want to try a really incredible bikini you’ll feel incredible in even with a tricky body you cannot beat a Melissa Odabash bikini for uncompromising fit. It’s going to cost you over £100 per piece but well worth it.

A brand I love for other things Zimmerman, also Australian is one to avoid if you got big breasts. The tops of their bikinis are minuscule.

Melissa Odabash now lives in London and has another shop in Nottinghill Gate.

Space NK Space Not Happy About Returns

You can return but

Jenny Smith

2025-04-22T08:40:00.0000000 2025-04-22T15:51:27.1330000

Have you noticed if you make a mistake it’s getting harder and harder to return especially to a beauty supply store. Brands don’t want to take stuff back. What was once an order 2 or 3, see what works best and send the rest back is no more. Serial returner even have their own name now, Bracketeers like racketeers with a B. The activity of buying clothes stuff, wearing using and then trying to return is called Bracketing. Perhaps why returning is being greeted with some hostility at Space NK Space.

Whilst the policy remains clear we all have 28 days to return unopened unused product within 28 days getting our money back and refund processed is proving difficult for some customers including me. Whilst I haven’t yet been banned from shopping, I guess I don’t buy return enough, brands are definitely cracking down on returns. I know Pretty Little things had to apologise to customers a couple of years ago for closing accounts and banning shoppers based on returning.

I did recently try to send back a lipstick to Beauty Pie, they have cut off their phone support and never responded to my email. I didn’t per-sue it. I gave up and ended up keeping the lipstick actually I ordered in error. I took that as my fault.

Then in the hair dresser I heard another funny story of someone sending product back to Charlotte Tilbury and the brand asking for the free samples included with the order back before issuing the refund. Yikes. It seems too many people are taking this proverbial piss, placing an order, for the freebies and then sending the main item back for the refund.

They are onto us ladies, gents and anyone else who loves beauty supply shopping.

The time has come when discounts, offers, free shipping, gift cards, free gifts and free returns all things to encourage us to purchase, have to stop. We’ve taken advantage and now we’ve got no money to indulge ourselves on whims and fancy (but are still in the habit of shopping opps) the brands are slowly but surely taking away our ability to just take it back.

Part of me thinks how dare they but part of me recognises this behaviour is NOT sustainable for any business.

I do like NK Space and I am always in the one in St John’s Wood High St, or this one on Cheapside in the City.

It’s my lunchtime pursuit. Shopping for make up and cosmetics.

Redd and Roberto Hair St Johns Wood

The most relaxed friendly hair salon for nervous customers in London

Jenny Smith

2025-03-28T18:00:00.0000000 2025-03-27T13:41:00.8830000

Are you sick of hairdressers who don't listen? It's not surprising every time I walk by this newly refurbished and renovated hair salon in the heart of bustling St Johns Wood somewhere I love as you get the great brand shopping all within a neighbourhood feel for a shop after you've had your hair done, it's always a hive of activity with customers spilling in and out.

I've had my hair done in here 6 or 7 times, have had all the stylists and I always leave happy. The team Redd (who they call Ali not sure why) is always smiling and very happy to listen to specific issues or concerns is the new proprietor along side his business partner Roberto who is equally skilled with a pair of scissors and a round brush.

There is a lot of local competition for the glamourous ladies in the affluent neighbourhood. I like Redd and Roberto assisted by colourist and expert eyebrow and lash lady Sibelle because they always make me feel so welcome from the moment I step into the salon to the moment I leave.

They have even loaned me their umbrella until next when it's raining and I've seen going the extra mile in so many ways like a complimentary blow dry on your birthday to running after you when you forget your phone.

Some hairdressers just do great hair, these guys genuinely care and it shows. Anyone who is nervous or hates going to the hairdresser these guys are a great option. They are kind and will take care of you. I am getting married in 3 months and it's Redd and Roberto who will be taking care of me and my bridal party on the big day.

Alo Yoga Premium Lifestyle Brand shop

A wonderful retail experience in London

Jenny Smith

2025-03-09T11:27:00.0000000 2025-08-23T10:13:35.5730000

I bought a pair of Alo yoga leggings a couple of years ago online. I really loved them; nice and long in the leg and fit me really well. I wasn’t familiar with the brand at the time. I just liked the design, they were interesting and a little bit unusual.

Fast forward to my weekly visit to Maddox St, W1 and I noticed walking from the tube a gorgeous big window display on Regent St. I don’t know how long the Alo store on Regent’s street has been there; I had time so decided to have a peek inside.

This shop Alo yoga on Regent street is possibly one of the nicest shopping experiences I’ve ever had. When I walked in to the shop I didn’t really know much about the brand when I walked out I was a wealth of information. The amazing oasssionate staff filled me up and all for the price of a cute baseball cap. £40.

Mine black with white writing was in the sale, a long peaked baseball style cap. The two new styles are both snap back. A district trucker cap and off duty cap which include the new limited edition colour, spruce green also comes in black and white but with the same colour stitching instead of contrasting. The price is £58 for the off duty, £68 for the district trucker, higher sit in the head with a mesh back.

More than just a shop you can get involved in IRL (in real life) yoga sessions for £10 a go.

I didn’t sign up as the timing wasn’t right for me but the staff were super passionate and well informed and also told me about the first alo studio shop space opened in 2023 on the Kings Road in Chelsea. Who knew.

I am planning a visit to 33 King's Road, London SW34LX very soon for the next scheduled alo sanctuary.

The next Alo sanctuary in London is scheduled for ???? and costs ????

The experience in the shop was amazing and I was inspired and I did shop however when I tried to get involved I discovered most of the classes and groups are in the US and then when I looked further I found most were closed to new people.

With customers online alleging the alo community is fake and just to drive sales and the only added value was for social media influencers with over 100K followers.

On the alo website there are currently absolutely no upcoming events scheduled. And in the Alo studios section where classes are detailed it appears the only Alo studios currently active and open are in the USA, Georgetown and Williamsburg. The Pacific Palisades studio in Southern California is currently closed because of the fires in Los Angeles.

So disappointing to discover alo as a brand not quite living up to all the wellness and community hype after such an uplifting positive experience in store.

L’Express Coffee

Not really a coffee shop more a healthy buffet

Jenny Smith

2025-01-10T11:54:00.0000000 2025-01-10T12:04:58.7270000

The photo doesn’t extol the virtues of the vibrant fresh buffet inside.

There are not many places where the salads and the vegetables are as important as the meat. Why I was happy to come across L’Express coffee just off Regent St, London. Which incidentally is not a coffee shop. We had been rushing around shopping, and didn’t have time for a whole sit down experience.

It is the kind of on a budget place for the workers, a buffet style home cooked canteen, where the prices are linked to the size of container you choose to fill.

I picked the big bowl for salads only; there were a lot of options for anyone plant based or vegan, three different slaws, red cabbage, olives, pasta, a mixed bean salad along with potatoes, shredded carrots, a chilli and leaves salad, chickpeas, radishes, hummus and all super fresh and vibrant.

The bowl was pretty big and there was a lot to pick from. The only one I didn’t try was beetroot and grapefruit, or maybe pineapple, not a big beetroot fan but I had a little of everything else and it was delicious.

They even had three or four homemade dressings to choose from, ranch, Caesar, blue cheese and French.

I really lovely healthy inexpensive lunch option on the go in Central London.

Erika Jayne Bet It All On Blonde

A reality show following the life of Beverley Housewife Erika Girardi

Jenny Smith

2025-01-03T10:56:00.0000000 2025-01-06T09:22:11.5070000 Event date: 20/01/2025 19:00 - 09/02/2025 22:00 Export event

I watched the two shows that were meant to be 10. Two 45 minute episodes full of heart rending content. A Real housewives of Beverley Hills spin off reality show following the come back of vilified and most hated housewife Erika Giradi.

_

Except she’s not the most hated, she’s always been my favourite and although this close up look into her life at this critical juncture is not the Erika Jane we know, I watched intently. The girl had literally fought for this commission, it wasn’t made in Hollywood fluff where what is delivered for the audience is a version of the reality Made for TV.

Although Erika was unable to deliver her raunchy, sometimes scary, fierce Erika Jane persona throughout, and I’d guess the reason she got cancelled, for me the show, which follows Erika’s journey with her long standing creative director Mikey Minden putting together a residency show “Erika Jane, Bet It All On Blonde” at The House of Blues Las Vegas, situated at the Mandalay Bay Hotel was strong woman compulsive viewing.

What was blatantly obvious watching Erika work to rebuild, even the cast reference how difficult the double task of choreographing and rehearsing a whole Las Vegas residency whilst filming a reality series, was just how massive the impact both physically and emotionally had been of the break up of her marriage.

It was clear how crashing from a 254 million dollar “it’s expensive to be me” lifestyle had taken its toll.

Erika who always appeared care free and curvy in RHOBH, eating at every opportunity and proudly showing off her curves in sexy photo shoots and videos, something she obviously enjoyed when the purpose was to entertain her 37 years her senior lawyer husband. The pressure to perform for her survival wasn’t coming so naturally and this was impossible to ignore.

By default it created great jeopardy for the two shows that were made as Erika struggles to rehearse and learn the routines and creative director Mikey spends more time with his head in his hands than his usual high energy sexy showmanship.

I don’t know Erika Jane, I am just a follower a fan, but you cannot knock her for trying, you have to admire her. Like she said there isn’t a housewife from any franchise that could have endured the onslaught she endured simply from being married to the wrong man.

Erika makes a wonderful villain for the media, she’s brave, she’s beautiful, every man and a lot of women want to sleep with her, even the gays idolise her, I’d imagine anyone who might be a bit different see Erika in a different light, one of courage and solidarity.

I didn’t see the show LIVE but I will support the next thing Erika does.

In 2025 I’d love to see Erika back to eating with gusto, back looking vital and beautiful playing Roxie Hart on Broadway and then a Toni award maybe. She returns to the Ambassador Theatre Jan 20th to Feb 9th, 2025. Tickets are available on

Yes that’s what I wish for Erika Jayne in 2025.

I absolutely loved it when she talked about telling her son she wanted to die, she wanted to commit suicide, and he said “well you are not going to that right now, you are going to fight.”

For anyone thinking about giving up this is a good one to watch. Watch Erika fight for her life. It’s really inspirational.

FYI I just went to buy two tickets for Chicago, 21st January, 2025 and the total price including fees and taxes was $562 6 rows back from the stage. Same seats with Roxie Hart played by Bianca Marriquinn who takes over the role from Alyssa Milano in January 2025 at the Ambassador theatre, NYC cost $412.

Erika is the big draw clearly.

La Bellezza del Cibo Italian Street Food

Very busy

Jenny Smith

2024-12-12T13:43:00.0000000 2024-12-12T14:01:40.9530000

I am on Maddox St all the time. My hairdresser is there so always looking for a new quick lunch spot.

I was very encouraged when I spotted this little hole in the wall, serving pizza, pasta and salads buffet style, it was absolutely packed so like everyone else I followed the crowd.

It must preface I have only ever been once and I’ve never noticed it before so it could be new and finding their feet.

It also could be I just ordered the wrong thing.

I went for the plant based spaghetti bolenese which came with three toppings but the toppings were cold, like salad items, so I just went for olives, there wasn’t anything else that would really go. I didn’t really want salad items like cucumber, corn, tomato with my pasta.

It was a very generous portion so no complaints there, enough to feed two people for about £10.

What was it like?

Imagine ordering spaghetti with red sauce in a hotel off the children’s menu and that pretty much sums it up.

Very simple, very plain, but like I said I could have just ordered the wrong thing.

People like it. There’s usually a queue.

Labour Behind The Label

40,000 Bangladeshi workers face threat of prosecution

Jenny Smith

2024-11-28T13:24:00.0000000 2024-11-28T14:27:59.1000000

A week or so ago I saw this post on Instagram sent to me by a friend. We both spend more money in Next than we should and I think she was thinking what’s this all about and sent it on to me.

It’s basically a protest that is going on in Bangladesh where thousands of workers are being prosecuted for protesting against unfair wages and working conditions back in 2023.

The Bangladeshi workers managed to get their cry for help onto thousands of garments destined for the UK, and into the hands of fellow workers at Next, H and M, Primark and Matalan.

This was on the 19th November and I’ve been watching the press since to see which paper would pick it up.

It’s gone completely dead.

I cannot even find mentioned of it in the Guardian.

So I have a question for the boss of Next, Simon Wolfson. What is this all about and what are Next doing to sort it out and help the factory workers who are making their stock.

As a long standing customer of Next and my Mum before me. And her Mum, my gran, now passed, a great fan of the Next name and brand, I want to say we are not comfortable shopping with any company that isn’t engaged with their work force.

When I think of all the trouble those people half way across the world went to get their message and plight out, how terrible their predicament must be.

I cannot go and enjoy my Christmas shopping with the same verve and gusto. It’s just not possible. All I can think about is this label effectively saying “Help Us”

Kemon Northern Ireland

Run by Brian

Jenny Smith

2024-09-30T12:35:00.0000000 2024-09-30T12:54:45.1500000

I am a professional stylist with my own business. I was getting my Kemon Cramer hair colour and Kemon 20% by volume 6% peroxide through another stylist’s supplier and then they returned home to Italy and I was stuck with no supplier.

The product is the very best I have found for covering 100% grey an getting and incredible consistent result so I didn’t want to change.

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Married At First Sight

TV format for channel 4 from CPL Productions

Jenny Smith

2024-09-22T09:07:00.0000000 2024-09-22T09:24:27.3270000

I have to say when I watched the first couple of episodes and I was back in like a baby reconnecting with its blankie. Then I was thinking how when I first heard about this format I thought it was a joke, absolutely ridiculous, how no one in their right mind would ever marry a stranger. And to be fair telling the parents, extended family that participating individuals were taking the

Plunge in this highly unusual (desperate) way was a big part of the format before any wedding ceremonies happened. That was the jeopardy of the show, taking this big step and getting family and friends onboard.

Roll on 10 years (show launched in 2014) they’ve got more people signed up to be on it than they know what to do with, it’s as normal as anything to turnaround to a stranger or walk down the aisle to a stranger and we all tune in desperately waiting to see if the perfectly professionally matched pairs get their happy ever after ending.

This week we’ve met Ross and Sacha, a sex maniac and a celibate, Emma and Casper, Casper is attracted to slim and Emma is very curvy, Eve and Charlie, Charlie falls in love two quickly and is very needy, Eve is private, quiet and detached, and Adam and Polly, Adam likes petite brunettes and drop dead good looking, Polly is a curvy redhead.

So we’ve definitely seen fireworks this week, but it’s not my view for all the wrong reasons and I fear a more sinister motive may be at play than genuinely matching individuals by producers.

We all know men struggle to stay faithful even when they really fancy a woman, so to imagine anything will get off the ground without some physical connection in the beginning, is unrealistic.

As Emma earnestly said to Casper “if you didn’t like me in my gorgeous wedding gown or in my fabulous bikini, I don’t think there’s any hope.”

Adam told Polly’s best friend and confident Alfie she wasn’t his type, basically he didn’t fancy her. She of course was completely gutted and we ended up turning over we felt so bad for her.

I have an instinct, (read strong suspicion) the TV production company and I’ve done a bit of TV so I am not singling this one out, like the jeopardy and the media swarm caused by conflict a bit too much and certainly more than possibility of securing a real love match against all the odds.

Of course in the end these shows are all about money which doesn’t come without ratings but at the expense of the participants particularly the women, I am Not down with that.

It’s the women on the show who do tend to be kinder and more open to compromise, Kristina asked for a tall man but told Kieran at 5’ 5” he was 6 foot tall in her eyes because of his other qualities, although I do think this will be an issue down the road. If you like tall you like tall.

I think it’s pretty obvious now what casting have done which makes it painful and cruel watching for me. It’s not good TV watching someone with self esteem issues in the first place being told by their new husband or wife they don’t fancy them. Especially in the previous frame having told the relationship experts exactly what they are looking for physically.