Friday Faves: Zombies, Autopsies and Living Intentionally

2017 needs to slow down, I don’t understand where it’s going. People always warn you that as you get older time speeds up, but this is just bananas. But I digress! Friday means it’s time for Friday Faves. What have you been loving this week? I would love to hear your recommendations for books, films, TV programmes, podcasts, beauty, fashion –  anything!

Bad Week: I went out for dinner with my in-laws on Tuesday and must have accidentally eaten something from my banned list (the short version: gluten, onion, garlic or leek) because by the time we left the restaurant my stomach had inflated and I was in agony. It was so bad that TWO women gave up their seats for me on the tube because they assumed I was heavily pregnant. So embarrassing and horrible. I am usually very good about asking for allergens in food when I eat out, but I was a little bit tipsy and didn’t want to make a fuss as everyone was so hungry. ERROR. You can read about how I identified my intolerances HERE if you’re interested.

Good Week: I realised this week that if you Google ‘rosacea’ (not even ‘rosacea blog’ or ‘rosacea uk’… just ‘rosacea’ in general!) my blog is the 7th listed resource to come up. That is so crazy and not something I ever imagined would happen when I first decided to talk about my skin on the internet. Thank you to everyone who reads my ramblings, shares my content, recommends friends and supports me. You are flipping brilliant.

I have two podcast recommendations this week that have a similar goal but a very different vibe. The first is the Me & Orla Hashtag Authentic Podcast. It’s led by a wonderful blogger from the UK who has a seriously beautiful Instagram feed. Her podcast focuses on her passion – Instagram – and gives great tips as well as interviewing really interesting bloggers. The second podcast I’ve been listening to is focused more widely on creative entrepreneurs – The Lively Show. It’s run by Jess Lively who is a blogger, business coach and all-round inspiring person. The podcast homepage is really helpful as you can filter episodes based on what you’re interested in: blogging, parenting, business, simplifying, food etc. Some of the episodes were a bit too much for me, a bit too woo-woo (there’s a lot of talk of ‘living with intention’) but there are some really inspiring and helpful interviews so just have a nosey through the topics.

I am very aware that a large proportion of my recommendations in these Friday Faves have been focused on death and gore. I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve always been a fan of horror, crime, mysteries, even as a child. Sorry ’bout it. This week’s TV recommendation is Autopsy: The Last Hours Of… which was originally on Channel 5 but is now on Netflix. Hayley told me about it and I started watching it that same evening and it’s BRILLIANT. Each episode focuses on the death of a different celebrity and they analyse autopsy results and try to break it down for the layperson. Michael Jackson, Anna Nicola Smith, Marilyn Monroe, River Phoenix… all the big ones are here. The reenactments are a bit… ummm…Channel 5-y (hopefully you know what I mean!) but the actual information is really interesting.

If you’re a fan of horror films, and the zombie genre in particular, Train To Busan is the best film I’ve seen in ages. When it was released it broke all South Korean box office records and became the biggest Korean film of all time. It’s pretty gruesome and intense but it’s the first film to totally capture my attention in a while – I even closed my laptop to focus on it which is BIG for me! It’s available to buy or watch on Amazon Prime.

I usually do three Friday Faves per week, but I just wanted to squeeze in two extra products that have been impressing me recently: The Dove Advanced Series Oxygen Moisture Shampoo* and Conditioner*. I have fine hair but I have a LOT of it, so my hair gets weighed down easily and quickly gets greasy at the roots. This shampoo leaves my hair clean and bouncy, even after the outrageous amount of dry shampoo I use! I tend to skip conditioner more often than not as I find it leaves my hair heavy and too silky (please tell me it’s not just me who doesn’t like super-soft hair?!) but this conditioner is wonderful. It’s lightweight enough to keep it bouncy and fresh, but still leaves my ends looking healthy and cared for. The range is currently half price at Boots as well, so now is a good time to try it!

Don’t forget to tell me your Friday Faves below, I love reading them!

Lex

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