I’ve been in France for over a week and the internet at my parents’s house is still down, so I’m having to tether my laptop to my phone to connect to the outside world and write this week’s Friday Faves post! As usual I have three favourite things I can’t wait to tell you about, along with my first Friday Faux Pas…
It’s actually been quite nice to have forced time away from my phone and laptop. I’d organised some posts for while I was away, so have been using my phone data to pop on a few times a day to keep me sane! I’ve been reading, eating far too much cheese and drinking too much wine and it has been flipping lovely.
Due to my obsession with crime (and more specifically murder) podcasts, a lot of people recommended ‘The Stranger Beside Me’ by Ann Rule. It’s the story of Ted Bundy, written by a woman who was his friend for many years, before and after his arrests. The legend of Ted Bundy is probably one of the most well-known tales about serial killers, mostly because he was such an unlikely suspect. Hearing the story from someone who was not only trained in crime reporting but also someone who knew Bundy so well, makes for a fascinating, if sometimes tough, read.
My second Friday Favourite could not be more different to the first: Revenge is light, fluffy and absurd in parts. It’s a standard American series: impossibly beautiful people living in an impossibly rich community dealing with murder, betrayal and affairs galore. It’s total escapism and has joined a long list of other shows I put on when I need background noise without complete distraction (see also: Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, Sex and the City…) It’s oddly addictive so be warned!
I recently went to the Dove 60th birthday celebrations and received the Dove Derma Spa Cashmere Comfort Rich Hand Treatment* to try. I try out a LOT of hand creams – with such a focus on my nails and hands on the blog, I like to keep them in tip-top condition. But I’m very picky: they cannot be too greasy, they have to sink in quickly, they have to smell nice, and they have to leave my hands feeling comfortable for a good length of time. This hand cream is quickly becoming a must-have for my handbag: it manages to be intensely moisturising without being sticky or greasy and smells of a vanilla/cocoa mix without being sickly and cloying.
I also have one Friday Faux Pas this week. It’s rare that I try something that doesn’t have some possible use. A product might be terrible for my oily skin but great for dry skin, or wonderful for those who prefer lighter coverage make up whereas I always go for medium-high coverage. So the new dry shampoo from Batiste really surprised me. I wanted something to take on holiday with me and the original formula Batiste is always my go-to dry shampoo. But the Batiste 2 in 1 Invisible Dry Shampoo & Conditioner comes nowhere close. It aims to solve the dry and matte look that can sometimes go along with dry shampoo by adding shine and manageability… sadly this was not my experience. I used it the day after washing, which is usually when my hair looks its best but needs a little boost at the roots. I was left with greasy and stringy hair that needed washing immediately. The only positive of this is the smell – ‘cocoa & cashmere’ – which is lovely, but sadly not lovely enough to redeem this product! Do please let me know if you tried this and loved it, I’d love to know if it’s just me!
What are your Friday Faves this week? I love hearing your recommendations so don’t forget to leave them in the comments below, or come and chat to me on Twitter: @talontedlex!
Lex
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