PAUL RUBENS WATERCOLOURS

I've been painting again for about a year and during this time I've slowly been weaning myself off beginner art supplies,and investing in artist-grade materials, and I cannot believe what a difference it makes! I got some fancy watercolour paper from an art shop last Autumn, was a bit skeptical at first, but it blew my mind and I've not looked back. Having proper paper that lets the paint pool and blend and layer without buckling is a game-changer.

Painted using Paul Rubens watercolour and Opera paints

So I had nice paper, I got a nice new mechanical pencil, and lately I've been on the lookout for new paint! Up until now I've been using a Winsor and Newton student set, which I've had for years. It's been a great set to learn with and it was super affordable, but I hadn't even thought about the difference between beginner and professional paint until now. I learned that student/beginner sets tend to be cheaper as the paints contain less pigment and more filler, which means they can be trickier to blend, can get muddy, and it can be difficult to make vibrant colours. Artist grade paints are more pigmented, meaning they dilute and mix easily.

The problem was that professional paint sets can cost over £100, and the more I looked online, the more confused I got! I saw a lot of love for Schminke, Sennelier and Rembrandt paints, but as I tried to delve into the differences of these paints, I saw a lot of art reviewers/bloggers/youtubers highlight Paul Rubens watercolours, and remark on how Paul Rubens paints were much cheaper than the big European brands, but really held their own.

That was enough to convince me! It felt significantly less scary paying £60 for a new watercolour palette, than paying £120 (I also had a weird imposter feeling that I didn't 'deserve' the very pricey paint as I wasn't a real artist, but that is a weird insecurity for another day). 

Paul Rubens are a Hong-Kong based brand (which is possibly why I could only really find them on Amazon?), who boast that their watercolour paints are produced with high-purity and finely ground pigments, using natural gum arabic as the mixer. This means the colours are vibrant, easy to use, and easy to mix!

I ended up buying the 48 colour watercolour pan and LOOK how beautiful it is! It came packaged beautifully, and is a perfect pastel pink metal tin, with loads of space for mixing colours. All of the paints can be removed individually, so you can swap around the colours to suit yourself and add new colours in. The packaging is in Chinese, but that didn't bother me, and it includes all of the pigment numbers in English if you want to refer to them.

I also bought (because I'm a sucker) their bright neon Opera paints which were £20. I've been painting a lot of portraits lately, and I've really wanted to be able to capture bright make up in my paintings, and I thought this might do the trick!

I was quite nervous using them for the first time - what if they didn't live up to the hype and it was just a pretty tin? Pleased to say, they were a dream! The colours were rich and flowed beautifully - up until now I've thought my paintings often looked a bit pale or muddy, and I really noticed a difference with these. A little bit of colour went a long way too and they mixed really well together. I use a lot of yellows, reds and pinks, so it was nice to have a much bigger range to work with, and I'm excited to make my way through the palette and discover all the many colour possibilities it offers!

The neon Opera paints were amazing too - just look at them (first photo!). The photo barely captures how bright they are, it's like using highlighters on the paper. I found they blended well with the normal watercolours too, so I think they'll be quite useful when I want to add a bright pop to a painting, and it's just quite fun to have them in my art supplies!

Overall, I'm really pleased. I think I'll get loads of use out of them, and I'm happy to have found a product that's affordable, great to use, and looks super cute! Exactly my kind of thing.

BEST COUCH CO-OP VIDEO GAMES

Okay, I know this isn't the usual topic I'd write about, but I've always tried to blog about the kind of things that I want to read online, and I cannot tell you how many hours of my life have been spent trying to find the perfect couch co-op video game! 

I've been playing video games my whole life - I grew up attempting to play The Lion King on my friend's Nintendo before I got a Playstation of my own, and most of my life's been spent navigating one RPG or another. Luckily my boyfriend is a massive video game nerd too, so we love playing co-op games together.

Remember events? Photo from the National Museum of Scotland's super cool video game party

The problem is that I have a pretty narrow set of parameters that games have to meet, before I can get into them. I cannot COPE with games where we don't have equal control (it is torturous if Player 2 has no control or agency), I have limited interest in platformers, I can't be bothered with twin-stick shooters, I want a story, not just a party game, and I want a game with good artwork - nothing that feels too kiddy, or feels like ridiculous animation pitched at teenage boys! 

So, on the off chance you ALSO want these things, here's my favourite couch co-op video games. We played these games on Nintendo Switch or Playstation, but I'm sure a few are on Xbox too.

Eternal Sonata

I'm going to start with my favourite - WHAT A GAME. Eternal Sonata is a fantasy RPG centered on the life of composer and pianist, Frederic Chopin. The story is set in a fictional world that Chopin is dreaming of in his dying hours, influenced by his life and music, where you can play as Frederic (with appropriately music-themed attacks and moves) through a tale of magic, corruption, political espionage, rebellion and escapism. Throughout the game there's Chopin's music, and cutscenes featuring real paintings and photographs, so you travel through Chopin's life as you play and learn about the real man and his life.

I mean... that's bonkers, right? But AMAZING The gameplay is great, the characters are fun and cute, it takes you to all sorts of fantastical lands and interesting levels, and the co-op battles are challenging and fun as you can link your attacks and take part in fast-paced strategic battles! When you are navigating the world you can only have one character moving, so we took turns to be the person walking about, but otherwise the co-op is fairly balanced. We loved it so much, we ended up doing a little pilgrimage to visit the town Chopin lived in and felt emotional, because honestly it was like we knew him. Wild.

Dragon's Crown 

It's fair to say that some of the character's outfits/attributes are questionable due to the stylised illustration, but we had a lot of fun with this game! It's a beat 'em up action RPG, where you can pick your character and head off on some dungeon adventures, getting treasure, fighting dragons, chasing thieves and going on quests. It's a lot of fun to play as a co-op as you get to blast through dungeons together, the fighting is satisfying, it feels like a really nostalgic old-school RPG game, so it's a good Sunday afternoon choice. You can also team up with random online players, and we had a happy couple of months playing with some random French person who often was online the same time as us. 

But the thing that makes it stand out for me? The surprisingly brilliant cooking minigame! Some dungeons trigger a little campfire scene where you can cook little meals that increase your character's statistics and it is SO weirdly satisfying and fun to play, we used to cheer when the sizzle of the campfire started. Worth it just for that.

Divinity Original Sin 2

You'll notice a theme with these games, I like an RPG! This game is hyped up, but it deserves it - it's a beautiful, complex, challenging game with a great story, interesting characters, a massive world to explore, and satisfying turn-based battles. Each character has a unique story, meaning you'll experience a different journey than your co-op partner, and throughout the game you are faced with choices which all have consequences and lead to different endings, so you have to think hard about who you want to be in this world! The whole world feels alive - you can pretty much go anywhere and interact with anyone (even animals), there's so much thought and detail put into it. 

Kingdom: Two Crowns

We played through Kingdom: Two Crowns in 2019 on the Switch, and we loved it so much we've started again on the Playstation. This is a side-scrolling strategy game where you build your kingdom, recruit subjects, and protect your town from the monsters that attack each night! It's a super cute game with pixel artwork, which is nicely atmospheric - and pretty scary if you get caught in the woods after nightfall! 

For us, this works so well as a co-op game as we both will pick a side of the town to look after - so I'll have one side to explore, build farms, build defensives and look after people, and my boyfriend will have the other. We'll team up to take on baddies and share resources and building costs, but it totally fulfills my need for independent gameplay in a co-op! It's hugely addictive, and even though it's pretty brutal if it all goes wrong (and it can! This game can throw pretty tricky things at you), we keep coming back to it. 

For the King

This is a super fun tabletop adventure game where you have to navigate around a map to battle enemies, go on quests, find cool new weapons and armour, and save the kingdom! It's a turn-based game which works great for co-op, we pick complementing character types and we can team up to take on challenging enemies, or go off and explore on our own. The game is cute, but it is hard, and you constantly have the clock ticking towards something bad happening so you have to be super strategic about how you spend your time. It's got a good sense of humour, and is a lot of fun to play.

Spiritfarer 

If you're looking for a very gentle co-op, this is it. Based on classical Greek mythology, this is a game about dying, but it's sweet, poignant and surprisingly soothing. You play as Stella, a ferrymaster who has to guide spirits across the seas to release them into the afterlife, but as you journey you can build a boat, go fishing, cook and care for your new spirit friends, explore islands to collect resources and even hunt jellyfish. There are a couple of things that annoy me - as Player 2 I play as the cat (which is great), but the cat can't talk to spirits (which is annoying), meaning I have to wait while my partner does some of the important parts. But it's beautifully animated, with lovely music and good vibes.

MY NEW BIKE: RALEIGH PIONEER GRAND TOUR

One of the highlights of last year was the time I actually got to go outside - I live in a flat without a garden, so the first lockdown felt particularly hard - I longed for outdoor space of my own, and I've never appreciated fresh air more! When I look back at last year my best days were definitely the ones where I made an effort to get out and go exploring.

For the last 7 years (!) I've owned a Dutch-style bike (this one!). It looked very beautiful, but it was very heavy and only had 7 gears which meant I was pretty limited whenever I wanted to cycle up hills. Living in the city, it's too risky to leave my bike locked up outside at night, which means whenever I want to use it, I have to carry my bike up and down three floors of stairs - not fun!

I've been swithering for a while, but as the weather has got nicer I decided it was time to finally bite the bullet and buy a proper bike - so say hello to my new steed, a Raleigh Pioneer Grand Tour!

My beaut new bike parked outside lovely Filmhouse Cinema

I hadn't planned to buy a bike online, but I went to a couple of bike shops (which are actually open, even in lockdown) and both had barely any bikes left in stock - apparently there's been a massive demand for them since last year, and manufacturers are struggling to keep up! I knew I wanted to buy a good bike (which meant spending a bit of money), so I really wanted to make sure I wasn't settling for whatever was left in stock, and I took time to find the right bike for me.

I've always like Raleighs, I've had them before and the brand has a great rep for making high-quality bikes. I knew I wanted something light (to make lugging it up stairs a little easier), that I wanted something with a low bar (I'm pretty short and I want to be able to cycle in a skirt if I want to!), and importantly, something with lots of gears to make it easier to get around Edinburgh's hills. My last bike had been beautiful but impractical, so I was trying to look past aesthetics, but obviously I'm a sucker for a nicely designed bike. 

I also needed a bike that was good for both city cycling and country adventures - so decided that a hybrid bike was the way to go.

Looking like a happy potato

I spent AGES looking through all the options, watching videos, reading reviews, and obsessing over the difference between a 14kg bike and a 15kg bike. It was also tricky trying to work out what frame size I wanted - it would have been nice to be able to try some bikes out, but I just had to make do with sizing guides online.

In the end I took the plunge and bought the Pioneer Grand Tour in Low Step. It pretty much ticked all my boxes: it's got a light aluminum frame; 24 gears; big grippy tyres that are happy on pavements and country paths; and it came with mudguards, a pannier rack and a bell, so I didn't have to pay extra for those. It was £525, which feels quite expensive to me and was definitely the top of my budget, but I know I'll get years of use out of it (and we don't have a car, so it really is my main mode of transport these days!).

The bike is an absolute DREAM. I was worried that I'd get carried away imagining how much better this was than my old bike - like, how much difference can a few extra kgs and gears make? Turns out, it's LOADS. The gears are a life-changer! Hills are so much easier, I'm much faster, and I feel so much more confident cycling in traffic. The bike doesn't have suspension, but the seat is fitted with mega springs, so it's much comfier going over cobbles or uneven ground. It looks great too!

Now the weather's improving, I've been able to go out for a few rides already, and I love it. Such a great decision to buy! I'm really looking forward to going farther afield on warm sunny days - bring on the summer! 

BOOKS I'VE READ LATELY

I realise I'm pretty late to the party with this one, but this year I finally got introduced to Goodreads, and guys, it's really good?

If you are stuck in the past like me, let me introduce you. It's a social media site just for reading, so you can track the books you've read, make lists of the books you want to read, set yourself reading challenges, and easily discover things you might like. No more panicking that you're about to go on holiday and haven't worked out what books to take! Or being hopeless at remembering exactly what you've read (I am bad for this - if I like a book, rather than love or hate it, it sort of disappears in my brain. I have read Girlfriend in a Coma twice without realising until the end, because I thought it was 'fine' so it disappeared into my brain's netherworld).

So it's great! And as I'm paying a bit more attention to what I want to read next, I think it's making me read more, which is wonderful! Here's a little recap of what I've read lately.

The Sunlight Pilgrims - Jenni Fagan
I was lucky enough to read Sunlight Pilgrims in the very perfect place. I was up north, staying in a tiny yurt with a crackling fire, tending the logs and reading this book while the wind whipped the tent and rain lashed overhead.

Set in a Scottish caravan park during a freak winter, this book tells the tale of a small community living through what people think may be the end of times. It feels like you are going on an adventure, that you're looking for yourself in the stars, that you are standing in deep snow, about to take your next step. It was a delight, and I can not wait to read more of Jenni Fagan's work.

Normal People - Sally Rooney
Let me join the entire world's chorus: I loved this book. Somehow it reached into my head and my heart and articulated every moment of hopefulness and anxiety I have ever had. It described the exact moment that I kissed my first boyfriend, the emptiness of my break ups, the feeling of steadying your heart and mind, ready to take on the world again. How?! It's perfect, oh my god, you need to read it.

The Way of All Flesh - Ambrose Parry
My expectations were always going to be sky-high after Normal People, so I think The Way of All Flesh got a slightly short stick in my world. It's a really fun 19th century Edinburgh medical thriller, where we follow a scrappy-but-well-meaning medical student who is sent to train under the intimidating eye of the famous Dr Simpson. There's scandal and murder and suspense and it's set right where I leave (I can't tell if it's fun or distracting to read your own street-name as the scene of the crime! Maybe both?). I liked it.

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott 
I have owned this both for YEARS, but have never managed to motivate myself to pick it up. I have just finished it, and WAHHH, what took me so long? Sometimes old classics can be a slog to read, but it is sweet and funny and surprisingly progressive! Yes, the religious morals are a bit much and it can be overly saccharine in places, but I was surprised by how much I liked the characters and how quickly the story trotted along. I'm looking forward to Greta Gerwig's hipster remake of the movie now too!

If you'd like to follow me on Goodreads, you can do so here!

THE HOLY GRAIL OF TIGHTS: SNAG TIGHTS

Like many women/tights-wearers, I feel like I've been on an eternal hunt to find tights that look nice and, more importantly, fit properly! For years, I've been plagued by irritating tights. Tights that fall down, tights that bunch around your ankles, tights that ladder immediately, tights that sit too low or too high, tights that need pulling up ALL DAY LONG. AAARGH.

I would have given up on tights a long time ago, but I a) wear dresses all the time, and b) live in Scotland, so going bare legged just isn't an option. I had accepted my irritating existence, then one day I spotted an advert for Snag Tights, and it got my attention. Their tights were only £6.99 too so, not expecting anything, I ordered them. And reader, at the risk of hyperbole, they changed EVERYTHING.

I can hand on heart say they are the comfiest, best fitting tights I have worn in my entire adult life. They don't fall down! You just put them on, and they are comfy, and you don't think about your tights all day. That should be the norm, but it made me realise how uncomfy I've been on a daily basis, and how I've just accepted that it's the only option for me. No more.

Normal tights vary in length, but not by width, which is why it can be such a struggle to find tights that actually fit if you don't have a cookie cutter body shape. Snag tights are genuinely different sizes, which are sized based on your dress size, height and body shape.

They are a small UK-based brand, and bit-by-bit they've been expanding their range so now they offer 80 denier, 50 denier, sheer tights, fishnet tights, shorts and kids tights, plus all of their products are really affordable. I've thrown out all my old tights and won't look back, bye baggy denier, hello (not so) holy grail!

SUDIO SWEDEN WIRELESS HEADPHONES

I've been using the same beat-up sellotaped headphones for years (because I am a scruff), so it was a total treat when super-cool Swedish tech designers, Sudio got in touch and gave me the chance to try out anything from their range (yes, yes please).

I'm a fan of over the ear headphones, so my eye was immediately drawn to their Sudio Regent wireless headphones - which boast cutting-edge Bluetooth tech, 24 hours of battery life, mega sound, and an ultra modern appearance.

Let me tell you now - I never knew how much my life needed wireless headphones until I got these ABSOLUTE JOYS. I use headphones almost every day - I commute to and from work, and occasionally need them in the office (when I definitely have to concentrate, or I can't handle my work pals playing another 80s playlist). And for years, without really thinking about an alternative, I've been faffing around with wires, getting annoyed when my headphone cord gets caught in my jacket, or scarf, or gets twisted around my bag strap, or caught up in my keys in my pocket. Wireless headphones change everything! It's honestly been a bit of a revelation.

I'm also seriously impressed with the sound (I guess that's the important part). I can't tell you the positives in any technical terms, but it sounds really clear and crisp, and you can turn the volume up waaaaay louder than you could with my old headphones. The headphones are also surprisingly great at noise cancellation - it's taken me a few days to get used to how weird buses are when you can't hear your fellow passengers!

The (synthetic) leather is super soft, they are light and comfy to wear, and fold pretty little so they aren't too bulky in your bag. As you'd guess from a Scandi designer, they are simple and stylish - the headphones come in black or white, and also have interchangeable headphone caps if you want to mix it up (including very on-blogger-brand black and white marble).

The Sudio Regents retail at £79, which seems very much on the reasonable end of wireless/noise-cancelling headphones. They also come in a very nice box! (Help me, I'm such a sucker for nicely wrapped presents, I'm an old lady now).

I can't tell you how much wireless headphones are BLOWING MY MIND - has everyone known that they are a cool thing for ages, and I somehow missed it? Either way, I'm glad I've finally found out.

If you're at all tempted by these, or anything else in the Sudio range, you can actually get 15% off using the code eversojuliet. So they're only £67... kinda a bargain? Treat yo' self!

LUSH SPA: THE GOOD HOUR

I'm a big fan of Lush, and ever since they opened their first spa in Edinburgh, I've been steadily working my way through their treatment menu. Lush is animal-friendly, with fresh, 100% vegetarian products that are never tested on animals, and they use simple, minimal packaging. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I love the signature Lush scent, and I'm easily won over by their quirky, cool style, which is reflected in their spa design and the treatments they offer.

Over the years, thanks to my family's tendency to get me a Lush gift card at Christmas,  I've had the chance to try quite a bit of what the spa has on offer: Synaesthesia (loved it!), Hard Days Night (not for me - turns out I am not that much of a Beatles fan), and the Comforter (loved it so much I've had it twice!).

This time round I was seriously considering getting a Comforter treatment for the third time, but as I'd been getting plagued with a really achey shoulder, I thought it was good opportunity to go for The Good Hour - Lush's only deep tissue massage.

The Good Hour promises 70 minutes (a good hour indeed!) of full-body, deep-tissue massage using trigger point techniques and jelly discs to set you free from long-term areas of tension. It's also themed around ships and sailors. Of course.

The music for the treatment fuses folk music with heave-ho sea shanties (think - hipster pirate songs), and your therapist massages you in time to the rhythm of the tide, as the sound of waves fills the room. I know that does sound a bit ridiculous, but if anyone can pull it off, it's Lush.

When you arrive (in the super cute spa that's hidden under their busy store), the therapist talks you through the treatment, inviting you to pick out a massage bar that they'll use (I selected the Hottie, a ginger and black pepper bar specifically designed for the treatment). When you go into the treatment room they put a Big Blue bath bomb into dry ice to give it all a misty, seasidey vibe, and the ship sound effects are in full flow - I thought it might be a bit cheesy, but the creaking ship and gently splashing waves are really atmospheric, and totally set the scene.

The massage itself was great. Because I was keen to get the knots out of my sore shoulder (and I'm brave) I told my therapist to be pretty hard with the pressure (they ask you at the start, so you can flag if you are looking for a lighter touch!). Deep tissue massages are quite intense, but I could feel all the crunchy bits being worked out of my back, and particularly knotted bits were soothed with cold jelly discs which felt amazing.

I was really sensitive afterwards, and was advised to have a few baths over the next week, as my muscles were likely to be pretty tender. I was a little sore, but it didn't last long, and my grim achy shoulder has been great ever since!

The Good Hour is £90 for a treatment, which ain't cheap but it is good, so think of it as a special occasion treat. It was good to get a massage that felt like it was fixing something, but I think next time I'll go for one that's all about relaxation... I've got my eye on the Validation Facial, and I can but dream of Karma (definitely out of my budget!).

SOCIAL & COCKTAIL

Cocktail parties are great, but cocktail parties with your own professional bartender (and no need to do the washing up afterwards!) are so much better. That's exactly what Social & Cocktail offer with their mobile bar packages, pretty much guaranteeing that you'll be the best host around.

I'm a fan of cocktails, pals, and the excuse to dress a bit fancy for no reason, so it was a very obvious yes when Social & Cocktail got in touch and asked if I fancied trying out their service. All of their cocktail packages include a state-of-the-art mobile cocktail bar, a professional cocktail bartender, glassware, a selection of expertly prepared cocktails (which you can choose in advance), and the option to take part in a cocktail masterclass with your friends.

They bring all of the ingredients and garnishes so you have literally nothing to do to prep for your party, other than let them in about half an hour before your guests arrive.

This all sounded great (obviously), although I'll admit to feeling a bit weird about having a bar and a stranger in my house. My flat is pretty tiny, with a combined living room & kitchen, so I wasn't totally convinced that I'd fit a bar AND my friends in without it all feeling a bit squished and awkward.

I also was a bit nervous about the bartender, because the whole thing just felt a bit out of my depth. You don't usually spend Saturday nights with a person you've just met, making them serve drinks in your small kitchen.

But it was BRILLIANT. Yeah, it was a little bit strange at first, when my pals all turned up in nice dresses and heels and we made super polite not-really-sure-what-to-expect small talk. But it barely took any time at all for that to disappear, and it so quickly became the best, best fun. 

Our bartender was absolutely lovely too! He somehow managed to make it feel completely natural that he was my kitchen, and was super friendly, occasionally dipping into our chat, but mainly just getting on with things in the background.

We were served five cocktails each: a french martini, a cosmopolitan, a strawberry daiquiri, an appletini and a mojito. Everyone remarked on how much nicer cocktails are when they are properly made (so true, it makes such a difference), and even though they were on the sweeter side of the cocktail scale, I was really happy with the menu we were served.

We were all pretty happy to just be handed cocktails (particularly top-ups of cocktails!), so none of my gang tried their hand at playing bartender, but if you fancy it, Social & Cocktail can also teach you how. 

I'm amazed by how good value this is - prices start from £25 per person if you pick from the popular menu (which is what we did), which gets you the whole package (bar, bartender, five different cocktails, and very generous servings). Some Edinburgh bars charge £8 per cocktail!

Social & Cocktail offer mobile bar hire in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, and you can find out more information on booking a package here: Social and Cocktail events. Why should hen parties have all the fun? Yeah, it's indulgent, but who cares! It's worth it.

BABYLISS DIAMOND STRAIGHTENER

I cannot quite believe I'm saying this, but I've found straighteners that are better than GHDs.

BaByliss Diamond Straightener* - £40

One of the perks of blogging is that nice companies, like BaByliss, occasionally offer you things to review (which is brilliant, as there are so many things out there to write about, and definitely not enough pounds in my purse to afford them all!).

BaByliss have a new-ish range of products - the Diamond Radiance Shine Collection (made up of a hairdryer, curling tong and straighteners), and asked me to try one out, boasting that the straighteners were possibly the best out there. Pssssssh, I thought. Of course they'll say that. But I'm a sucker for playing with hair stylers so I was intrigued to see how they'd match up with my super trusty GHDs (and, I'll be honest, I was quite keen to get a spare pair of straighteners to keep at my boyfriend's house).

The straighteners boast a Diamond Radiance Shine System, which combines diamond-infused ceramic plates (so fancy) with active ionic conditioners (which essentially reduces the frizz of static electricity when straightening your hair). The plates are longer than those on most other straighteners which means you can style larger sections of hair at one time, and the sides are curved, meaning if you are one of those wizards that can curl hair with straighteners, it's even easier.

They also heat up to a top temperature of 235ºC (with two lower heat settings) and are ready to use in 15 seconds. Aaaand they've got universal voltage (handy) and automatic shut-off (which is SO useful, because I spend far too much time in my life freaking out about leaving my straighteners on).

Left: Scowly, curly hair
Right: Sleek, straight, happy hair!

It all sounded very impressive, but I thought it was just enthusiastic marketing chat, until I used them!

I first tested them on super annoying hair (illustrated in my mega unflattering, scowly photo above) - I'd left my hair to dry naturally so it was all kinky and wavy, and my hair's pretty thick so it takes a while to straighten (which makes me worry about the damage I'm doing to it).

These straighteners just glided through it SO quickly, leaving the shiniest, nicest, straight hair in their path! I had them on the hottest setting at first, which was super hot (it almost scalded my hand when I touched a just-straightened strand), but I reckon my hair was exposed to less heat overall, as it was just so quick to style all of it.

Afterwards, my hair was super soft (shown in the happy photo above), and it stayed straight for the whole day - no annoying waves creeping in, just super lovely hair. They've now replaced my GHDs for good, and I've been getting comments on how shiny my hair is.

Love love love love love. The Diamond 235 straightener is only £40 and it is my new favourite thing. Can I rave about it even more? LOVE.

MAYBELLINE BROW SATIN

One of the very best makeup lessons I have ever been taught is to pay attention to your brows! Looked-after eyebrows frame your face, make any type of makeup look better, and just make you look like a much more polished human!

It took me years to learn this though. I have really fair (almost blonde) brows, and because most of my teenage life was spent with a fringe, I did not touch them at all - until my best pal pinned me down with a pair of tweezers and an eyebrow pencil, and showed me the wonderful world of brows!

I get mine tinted and shaped fairly regularly at a Benefit Brow Bar, but as they are fair, I need product to keep them well defined between appointments. I've tried pencils, waxes, powders and all sorts, but now have a new favourite - Maybelline's Brow Satin Eyebrow Pencil.

Left: No brows. Right: Brows!

Brow Satin is a precise pen and filling powder duo (which basically means a mechanical pencil at one end and a creamy powder shadow at the other), that comes in four shades: dark blonde, medium brown, mahogany red and dark brown. I've been using mahogany red (which feels like such a treat to have an eyebrow product aimed at redheads!).

It boasts that it blends seamlessly for natural and fuller looking brows, and I definitely agree with it (I hope you do too!). It's easy to be heavy-handed if you are just using a pencil (remember, small strokes everyone!), but this has such a soft and creamy consistency the colour doesn't ever feel blocky.

To use the pencil Maybelline recommends that you fill your brows in with the pen, then blend with the powder. I didn't read any instructions before using this (because who reads makeup instructions?), so instead I've been using the powder to fill in the thickest inner part of my brow, then using the pen to define the arch and outer end of my eyebrow,

Either way, it's a super easy product to use, and has found a very welcome home in my everyday makeup bag. Brow Satin costs £5.99 (bargain) and can be bought in Boots and other highstreet shops.

SKINCARE FAVOURITES

I've been lucky enough to have well-behaved skin for most of my life, which means I tend to be very lazy with an almost non-existent skincare routine. But the winter months (of horrible weather and festive feasts) means my skin needed a little more TLC.

Here's a few products that I've been using lately that I love! I've noticed a real difference - my spots are gone, my skin feels hydrated, and still looks fresh at the end of a long day.

Aveeno Cream
I've used Aveeno as my daily moisturiser for years, and I absolutely love it - it's super hydrating, but doesn't feel too heavy on my skin. Aveeno also contains colloidal oatmeal (oat flour that soothes the skin), which means it's really great if you have skin prone to eczema, or any other skin conditions.

Quick Fix Facials Charcoal Mask
I was originally drawn to the Quick Fix Facial masks because of their lovely packaging, and I'm very pleased that they've lived up to my expectations! This mask contains active charcoal to clear deep pores, dragon fruit containing Vitamin C to moisturise your skin, and cinnamon extract with antiseptic and astringent properties to clarify skin. It doesn't feel too dry (some charcoal masks feel awful on), and my skin has been feeling so much softer since I've been using it.

Clean & Clear Facial Scrub
I have a terrible habit of only using makeup wipes to clean my face, so I forced myself into getting a facial scrub to try and get a bit cleaner! (I know, I know, skincare basics). This scrub has lemongrass and fruit extracts, and is a nice and gentle exfoliant that can be used everyday.

Quick Fix Facials Brightening Peel Mask
I find peel masks SO satisfying (is that weird?) as it feels just like you are removing a layer of dull skin and leaving really soft skin behind. This mask contains papaya extract to help create healthy and glowing skin, mulberry extract to help even out skin tone, and goji berry extract to stimulate and energize skin to boost radiance. I've been alternating between this and the charcoal mask, and my skin just feels so much happier!

Chop Chop, Edinburgh

I've heard all sorts of great things about Chop Chop. They've been voted Britain's most popular Chinese restaurant, have received multiple AA Rosette Awards for the quality of their food, were on Gordon Ramsay's F Word, and their factory sells millions of dumplings each year. My friends rave about them, and I have lived within easy visiting distance for YEARS.

I've been meaning to go for ages, but am hopeless, so hooray for Chop Chop for inviting me along to try out their Leith restaurant.

Chop Chop specialises in authentic Chinese cuisine,  making all of their dishes from fresh ingredients with no artificial colourings or preservatives. Food is served as soon as it's ready, encouraging diners to order together and share their dishes, so you can mix the textures and flavours of all food on offer. 

You can either pick and choose off the menu, or order one of their unlimited banquets (which look incredible, oh my god), where food just keeps coming until you are defeated.

It's BYOB too (I wish I'd known this before we visited!), with a £5 corkage charge (per bottle...). 

Joshua and I couldn't really decide what to go for, so we ordered EVERYTHING. That included: pork dumplings; seasoned chicken wings; spicy squid; green beans and chilli; garlic with cumin seed (sounds weird, but it was SO good); aubergines; and stir fried spicy beef (amazing amazing amazing).

Both of us tend to make dumplings quite a lot (you can buy them in your local chinese supermarket, and they are the best lazy dinner/comfort food!) so wouldn't normally order them in a restaurant, but it felt rude not to try them as they are such a famous Chop Chop dish!

The food was all beautiful - I would make a special trip just for the spicy beef alone (it melted in your mouth, and was just, oh, hello). The vegetable dishes were all great too, it's easy to get lost in a world of noodles and meat, but these were so much more than side dishes.

The restaurant was fairly informal and had a nice, relaxed vibe, but unfortunately the staff were slightly too relaxed... and left us sitting for about thirty minutes after finishing our meal. We had been so pleased with the food that we were dreaming of dessert (and more wine), but by the time we managed to get someone's attention, we were both too full and ready to go.

Still, the food was marvelous (and as soon as they realised we were there to review it, a very nice man came out and gave us lots of chat).

Chop Chop have two restaurants in Edinburgh (Leith and Haymarket) and are opening a Glasgow branch in October 2014. They also have a delivery service and run a membership scheme that gives you a discount on each visit, and sends you celebration vouchers across the year. Yum. Thanks for having us Chop Chop, we'll be back!

MoroccanOil

Ages ago there was a lot of hype about MoroccanOil - it suddenly appeared on loads of blogs & everyone was raving about the new wonderful hair product. I was sorely tempted to try it out, until I realised that the RRP was close to £30 for a 100ml bottle - ouch! 

So it sat in my amazon basket for practically a year, and now and again I would swither about it & then decide it probably wasn't worth the cash. Until Christmas, when I got some vouchers & thought I'd finally buy it and see if it lived up to the hype... 

MoroccanOil - £26 for 100ml

My first impressions weren't particularly good - it comes in a nice bottle with a pump-top, which broke as soon as I tried to attach it. Not great! 

But, that's where all negative opinions end. The oil has a really rich smell (which I really love, although if you prefer flowery products on your hair this might be a bit strange), and surprisingly, doesn't leave an oily residue on your hands or hair.

I use a couple of drops, rub my hands together, and then apply it all over the ends of my hair and it's WONDERFUL. Seriously, amazingly, notice-from-the-first-use wonderful.

My hair feels much softer and shinier, and generally feels in much better nick. I've found since using it my hair dries faster, and stays straighter for much longer - so overall I'm using less heat on my hair. 

I thought I would like MoroccanOil, but I didn't realise just how much I'd love it! My hair is naturally a bit mental and frizzy (I've chatted about this - with terrible photos - here), so anything that helps keep it tame and healthy is in my good books.

I know it's expensive, but the bottle does seem to be lasting for ages as you use only a little each day, so I'll definitely be re-purchasing it. Proper love love love.

Synaesthesia at Lush Spa, Edinburgh

Last week the very first Scottish Lush spa opened up in Edinburgh - on Princes St just a little bit along from the old shop, sitting straight across from Edinburgh Castle.

I'm a HUGE Lush fan, but who isn't? They are animal-friendly - using only vegetarian ingredients (and never, ever testing on animals), and people friendly - creating fresh products with little or no preservatives or packaging.

So I was super excited when I was invited down to try out the signature spa treatment, Synaesthesia*. This is a ninety minute treatment where scent, sound, touch & sight all combine to create your chosen state of mind. It sounded a bit bonkers, but I was definitely keen to go with it, and see what actually happened.

The spa is in the basement of the brand new Lush shop (which is much more spacious than their previous home). It feels nothing like what you'd expect from a spa - instead it's based on the founder's own kitchen, and is a cosy, homely space for you to relax and chat with your therapist before the treatment. (I want those chairs!).

There's a large blackboard in the kitchen and you are invited to pick the word that jumps out to you the most, which your treatment is then built around. I went for mind-cleanser (which sounded LOVELY) and was told I'd be getting a treatment of a head and face massage, hot and cold stones, leg massage, back massage & my choice of a stomach rub or chakra massage. Phew!

Then I was asked to pick from one of a row of coloured bottles - scents that were going to be added to my treatment, but I wasn't allowed to chose by smell. Again, I had to just go for whatever appealed to me most. I picked a tiny bottle that said happy on it.

You are then given the choice to shower/clean your make up off before the treatment (they have all sorts of nice lotions and potions in the bathroom for you to use). When you're ready the therapist gets you settled in the room and explains exactly what you should do (which is so helpful, especially if you're like me & get stupidly nervous you'll do something wrong!).

I don't want to spoil the surprises of the treatment for you, but it was BRILLIANT! The treatment is choreographed to specially composed music which takes you across a day and night - I found myself drifting in and out, and every now and again would realise that birds were softly cheeping. Surreal but lovely!

Afterwards you are given a cup of tea (brewed with some of the oils used in your treatment), a massage bar and bubble bar & a chat with your therapist who answers any questions you have. I was so chilled out that I couldn't think of any apart from asking who does the famous Lush handwriting (turns out it's one person called Jo!).

I felt AMAZING afterwards - so ridiculously blissed out all day, and I ended up going to bed at 11pm and sleeping until 1pm the following day (and felt brilliant and chilled when I woke up too!).

Treatments start at £40 and you can see what's on offer at lush.co.uk/spa. Thank you so much to Lush Edinburgh for having me along!

Book love

One of my very, very favourite things to do is read. I love it. I can't understand why you wouldn't read (and to be honest, I slightly distrust people who don't like reading...sorry!). I have always been a very speedy reader, but doing an english literature degree really stepped it up a notch.

So I've decided to start a new monthly feature on my blog - a wee recap on the books I've read in the last month. I think it'll be fun to see how many I go through in a year, and hopefully will provide reading inspiration if anyone out there is looking for a new book!

As this month has been taken over massively by nanowrimo I'm including October's reads too (which includes all of my holiday reading!). I should point out, these aren't meant to be 'real' reviews (I'm too rambly for that), just my thoughts of each one!

Summer of Night - Dan Simmons 
Dan Simmons writes terrifying books. I couldn't read The Terror if I was alone in the flat. I had to stop reading Drood because I had really mental nightmares about it (an embarrassingly true fact). This book is a total cracker though! It's one of his earlier books, and it is so so so scary. Read it & freak yourself out. Then read the Terror, because it's amazing.

Embassytown - China Mieville
I am a big fan of China Mieville, but found this a really tricky book to get into. I sometimes think I'm maybe just not smart enough for his books because they are always based around such a clever concept.. and with this one it meant I was spending more time trying to figure out what was happening, than enjoying the plot. He's an incredible author though - Perdido Street Station is a brilliant piece of fantasy fiction.

Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
I'm writing a young adult book at the moment, so thought it would be useful (and fun!) to read some books aimed at the same age group. This looked pretty good ("number one bestseller!" etc), but ohhhh I HATED Artemis Fowl. What an annoying character. He's just amazing and clever and perfect at everything. And he's not nice to his mum. No thank you.

Un Lun Dun - China Mieville
More young adult reading - this time a good one! I raced through the book really quickly, which was a nice change after my slow pace through Embassytown. He's just so creative and funny and good. I like him a lot. I can't wait until my book-loving niece is old enough for this, I think she'd love it.

Warlock - Wilbur Smith
I am a sucker for historical fantasy - I had read River God a few years ago, so was quite chuffed to find out that there was another novel in his Egyptian series (even though it came out in 2007... I am seriously behind the times). It was a perfect book to read on holiday - light enough to dip in and out of, but exciting enough that I absolutely raced through it!

American Gods - Neil Gaiman
This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for years, but I hadn't gotten round to reading it until last month. Neil Gaiman is really wonderful and you should read at least something by him, if you haven't already. Next up on my list is Anansi Boys, which (sort of) follows on from American Gods.

Patrick Ness - The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer & Monsters of Men
These books make up the Chaos Walking trilogy and they are practically perfect in every way. Buy them buy them buy them! (I really can't recommend them strongly enough. Love love love).

Those in Peril - Wilbur Smith
I am usually quite of fan of an action/adventure book, but in this case - oh, bore off Wilbur Smith! If you've read any of his other books you really don't need to read this one. It's packed with one-dimensional characters who do daft things in daft situations. I really can't be bothered with female characters who are presented as being SO STRONG until they melt in the arms of an even stronger man. Whatever.

The Tommyknockers - Stephen King
I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book. At the beginning and end it was exciting & scary & quite thrilling. But the middle went on FOREVER and it did feel like it was taking me months to read it.

The Casual Vacancy - J.K. Rowling
Ahh, we're definitely not in Hogsmeade any more! Like the rest of the world, I would have bought J.K. Rowling's new novel regardless of what it was actually about... she is an amazing storyteller and character writer. But small-town political dramas aren't really my cup of tea. I sort-of liked it. I definitely wouldn't re-read it though (sorry JK, I still love you).

Glove love!

Brr, it's cold in here! There must be some toro's in the atmosphere!

I know I always bang on about the weather but this is okay because I am British (it's the national past-time) and I live in Scotland, where it is COLD. So, when the nice folk over at Paramount Zone got in touch & asked if I wanted to try out any of the products from their Christmas Gifts 2012 promotion, I obviously said YES to gloves. Cause I love gloves (see what I did there?).

Touch screen gloves - £4.99*
Manic winter face - Model's own

I received a pair of their touch screen gloves, which mean you can use your iphone (or other touch-screen product) without having to take your gloves off and freezing your fingers. This is ace because I constantly take photos on my phone, and I can do this now without being cold. Hooray!

They are pretty cosy. The conductive thread is pretty subtle, so it doesn't look like you are rocking mad metallic fingers (always good). The only downside I can find is that they make me a lot slower when using my phone, so I can only really text at mum-speed. Still, that's a price I'm willing to pay for cosy hands!

Elemis tranquil touch bath elixir

One of my favourite things to do is disappear into a big bubble bath, listen to good music & shut the world out for half an hour (or an hour if I'm feeling especially lazy!). A little while ago the nice people at Pure Spa (who did my nails & hair all fancy last year) got in touch & asked if I'd like to review on of their Elemis products. Obviously I said yes, please!

I received a sample of the Tranquil Touch Bath Elixir* - a "sensuous bath soak". Ooooh. As well as being the leading luxury British spa & skincare brand, Elemis have got seriously good morals. They don't test on animals or use any animal extracts in their products. It's all natural oils & organic extracts.

This elixir is made up of a combination of patchouli, cedarwood and vetivert aromatic oils, and enriched with natural cocoa butter. I had never heard of patchouli or vetivert before, but after a quick google discovered the former is a mint plant (earthy, musky aroma) and the latter is a tall tropical grass (sweet, woody aroma). Another fun fact, vetivert oil is known as the 'Oil of Tranquility' because of its excellent calming action. Yes please. 

This is a bath. Not a sink (ha).

I normally use quite girly, flowery bath products, so it was a real treat to use this. The scent is really rich & does make me feel like I've just stepped into a spa. It produces a good amount of bubbles (which to me is pretty much the most important part of a bath product!) and my skin felt super smooth afterwards. 

A full-size bottle (300ml) costs £21 so it is quite an expensive product, but it definitely feels super luxurious (and would be perfect as a present for the busy person in your life). Thanks again to Pure Spa for giving me the opportunity to treat myself!