Sunday 1 November 2015

116. October Favourites

Hello everyone and Happy November!  Hope those of you who celebrate Halloween had a fabulous time yesterday whether you were out trick or treating or attending a party! I'm pretty sure I say this at the start of every monthly favourites post but I can't believe how quickly the last month has gone by. At work, we've already decided on the venue for the Christmas lunch, it's insane just how close we are to the festive period once again. I can't wait for Christmas this year as it will be the first time in six years that I won't be revising for January exams during the Christmas break (sorry to rub it in to anyone studying for A-levels or a degree) but hold your horses, we still have November and most of December to get through first! Here's what I loved in October:

1. Barry M Gelly Nail Polish in Chai - My love for neutral nail polish shades continued from September and I've been loving this grey shade from Barry M. This is probably the first grey nail polish I've worn as far as I can remember and I love how versatile it is. As for the formula, I wouldn't say the Gelly range is more shiny than the standard Barry M nail polish.



2. Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Lip Balm - Every winter, I like to have a new lip balm. Last year, I used Lush's Lip Service but because it was in a tin, I decided to go for one in a tube this year. This has a very subtle vanilla scent much like the Nivea original blue lip balm and it has good staying power, I only top this up once during the day. This has SPF 20 too so is great for all year round.



3. Ted Baker Kassady Leather Crystal Bobble Matinee Purse - After over two and a half wonderful years, my Cath Kidston button spot folded zip wallet broke (R.I.P) :'( I fancied a change so decided to go for Ted Baker because their purses are real leather and I just love their vibrant colours and patterns. I went for bright pink so it's easy to spot in my bag. I love how it has card compartments on different parts of the purse so I keep my four most used cards at the front. This purse also has an ID window where I usually keep my staff card. The rose gold hardware and monochrome pattern compliment the bright pink and tone it down.







4. Schuh Wonder flats - I wanted some new flats for work which weren't Chelsea boots so decided to go for these lace ups. A lot of you may not know this but if you write a review for the Schuh website, they reward you with a 15% discount which lasts for 90 days. I reviewed my Crocs sandals a few weeks ago so thought I may as well use my discount code on these. What attracted me to these was the white sole and the tan detailing. Also, as they are real leather at a mere £55, you can't go wrong. I've worn these most days since purchasing them. Honestly, whenever I buy a pair of shoes from Schuh, I wear them so much.








5) George Animal Print Socks- My Mum and I were in Asda and I spotted these and they were so adorable that I just had to get them. The colours are gorgeous and the animals are so cute, my personal favourites are the robin and polar bear so I'm saving them for Christmas. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be on the George website so I'm unable to include a link but check in your local store if you want some. I've worn the fox ones so far #foxsox




6. Icestone Gelato, Oxford Road, Manchester - So a new dessert place has opened near work which is great news as most of my friends, colleagues and I have a very sweet tooth. Two of my colleagues and I went to Icestone Gelato for lunch I kid you not (yes, just to reiterate, we had dessert for lunch and no main in sight). My colleagues and I all had banana in our desserts so at least we got one of our five a day, teehee. I went for the banoffee cookie dough and one of my colleagues went for a banoffee and Nutella waffle. My other colleague decided on a crepe with strawberry, banana and cookies and cream gelato. Their gelato flavours sound amazing, they have everything from Jaffa Cake to Bounty so there's something for everyone. I can't wait to try them all next summer!







7. The Apprentice Honest Subtitles - Have any of you been watching The Apprentice? I am so disappointed with the girls this year, they all spend most of their time bickering instead of paying attention to the task. I miss Nick but love Claude as he's so brutal. After each episode, there's a short video uploaded onto BBC iPlayer with the highlights and honest subtitles and it's so funny.  My favourite moments of the series so far have been the guy who was trying to sell fish to a vegan cafĂ© and the guy who was fired in week one who suggested "Sugar Babes" as the team name. In the honest subtitles for episode 1, when the secretary answers the phone, the subtitles are "You can go through to get shouted at now". Watch all the Honest Subtitles here.

8. Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates - This is the first piece of feminist literature I've read and it certainly won't be the last. Many of you will be familiar with The Everyday Sexism Project which was quite prominent on social media during 2012 and 2013. It is a website set up by Laura Bates that allows women and girls from all over the world to submit their experiences of you guessed it, everyday sexism. Bates has gone onto write this book and it was a fantastic read. What I loved about this book was how the different chapters focused on a particular oppressed group in society, examples of chapters include Women in Politics, Double Discrimination and Women in the Media. Each chapter starts with vital statistics, for example, did you know that the UK parliament comes 57th in the world for gender equality? For a developed country, that's awful. Laura also includes a chapter about the difficulties men face in society and I think that was a brilliant idea.



I am a feminist and I'm incredibly passionate about encouraging more young women to study STEM subjects and work in those areas too, however, gender equality has to work both ways. Men need to feel comfortable in society so they are able to seek help for eating disorders, domestic abuse and suicidal thoughts. 

I give Everyday Sexism 5/5 for taking a hollistic approach to sexism and also using statistics to back up the points made. It's a great introductory read for anybody looking into reading more feminist literature like myself.



9. Bridget Jones' Diary - I am a massive Colin Firth fan, I don't think it's possible for a film to be bad if he's starring in it. Surprisingly, I've never seen Bridget Jones' Diary from start to finish (shameful I know) and after seeing some scenes on Gogglebox, I watched it last weekend. I love British rom coms from the early noughties like this, Wimbledon and About a Boy but obviously I was too young to watch them when they were released initially. *SPOILER ALERT* Bridget and her friends are just so lovable and it was great seeing a few other familiar faces including Celia Imrie, Jim Broadbent and Sally Phillips. I'm so happy Bridget and Darcy end up together because Daniel's a lying cheat and I can't believe he blamed Darcy for being unfaithful when it was him all along. My favourite scenes are when Bridget and Darcy prepare her birthday meal together (blue soup, yum yum) and when she runs after him in the snow at the end.



I had to give this 5/5 as it is such a classic and has become one of my all time favourites. The above picture includes my favourite quote and I really must read the books soon. 



10. Paddington -  Paddington and I have quite a bit in common, we both love marmalade and own a blue duffle coat. Colin Firth was originally cast to play this iconic lovable bear but the film's release was delayed and Ben Whishaw ended up taking on the title role and he did a marvellous job. *SPOILER ALERT* After an earthquake in darkest Peru in which Paddington's Uncle Pastuzo unfortunately dies, Paddington's Aunt Lucy sends him to England after she moves into the Home for Retired Bears. Explorer Montgeomery Clyde visited Pastuzo and Lucy long before Paddington was even born and they told him all about Peru and in return, he taught them all about British culture after he realised that the bears could speak English. The Brown family spot the eponymous bear at Paddington Station but Mr Brown is determined for Paddington to move out. Mr Brown isn't the only one Paddington needs to worry about because a Cruella de Vil-esque taxidermist is after poor Paddy. Mrs Brown and their children are much more welcoming of Paddington and want to help him find Montgomery.


My favourite scenes were when Paddington wreaks havoc in the Browns' bathroom and when he carries a random dog down the escalator after taking a health and safety sign literally. Although this film is aimed more at children, it's a fantastic film for the whole family to enjoy and laugh at. I love marmalade and how quintessentially British Paddington is so I have to give this 5/5 too. 


Phew, well done if you made it to the end of this post, have a great November. I have
a couple of exciting posts planned for this month so see you soon. 

Until next time, take care.
Love,
Mancunian Sheep x

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