Author: Rachel Dalton

10 desirable items worth saving your money for…

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All tested or bought by yours truly, here are 10 items in the shops at the moment that are worth saving your money for! From bargain to blowout, you choose the items that fit your budget…

Clinique Clarifying Lotion

Clinique Clarifying Lotion

1. Clinique Clarifying Lotion

Only £23 for 400ml and guaranteed to make your skin feel smoother!  At Clinique stands, they will be able to tell you your skin type and advise on the best products. Coming from someone who uses this daily, I couldn’t live without it!

Moisturising Foundation from The Body Shop
Moisturising foundation with SPF15 from The Body Shop

2. Body Shop moisturising foundation

At £13, it’s a bit more expensive than your average foundation but a lot less than ones by high end brands like Dior. The Body Shop’s moisture foundation is a healthier alternative for your skin with SPF15 and gives you full face coverage with a softer and smoother feel. Luckily, you can save on the hassle of trying to find the right skin tone as the Body Shop give free makeovers!

Postcard purse from Accessorize

Postcard purse from Accessorize

3. London postcard purse from Accessorize

From a Londoner with love…You may have seen it on TV or been one of the lucky millions that visit the city every year. Now you can have your very own souvenir without paying for the ridiculous train journey! This London postcard purse has all the famous attractions from Big Ben to St. Paul’s Cathedral and is big enough to fit all your loose change. At just £8, it’s a quirky little accessory for girls who love London.

Paperchase floral diary

Paperchase floral diary

4. Floral diary from Paperchase

As summer approaches and hopefully the nice weather that comes with it, how about a new vibrant diary to document the highs and lows of British summertime. Starting in July 2011, it takes you right through to September 2012. At only £6.50, you can scribble all day long to your heart’s content!

Boots Pink Cow bath and shower gel in 'Mint Candy'

Boots Pink Cow bath and shower gel in 'Mint Candy'

5. Boots’ Pink Cow bath and shower gel

I use this stuff religiously! It smells good enough to eat and comes in a big bottle that lasts at least a couple of months. For only £3.05, it’s a bargain too. If you’re not a fan of mint then it’s also available in Vanilla Biscuit, Gingerbread, Strawberry Sundae, Coconut Creme and Lemon Cheesecake! Yummy.

Maybelline Line Definer Liquid Liner

Maybelline Line Definer Liquid Liner

6. Maybelline Line Definer

This line definer glides like a pen, making it easier to create smooth dramatic lines across your eyes, without the awkward messiness of liquid liner. At just £5 from Boots, it’s a bargain!

Frontcover Rainbow Eyes Kit from Boots

Frontcover Rainbow Eyes Kit from Boots

7. Frontcover Rainbow Eyes Kit (Exclusive to Boots)

This £16 make up box gives you the option of natural browns, a smoky effect, feminine chic and even a brave neon look. Whatever your mood, rainbow eyes allows you to experiment. The only disadvantage is that you can’t take out the individual colours, so Frontcover has made small pots too!

Wilkinson's Sword Quattro bikini razor

Wilkinson's Sword Quattro bikini razor

8. Wilkinson’s Sword Quattro bikini razor

Forget the hassle of painful waxing with a cheaper and equally effective alternative. And with a razor and a trimmer, it gives you more options! Just £9.69 from Boots or local supermarkets.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55

9. Sony Cyber-shot digital camera

If like me you like taking photos, then this camera is for you! The sweep panoramic settings allows you to capture full landscapes or cheesy snapshots! It’s a bit more expensive than your usual compact digital at £239 but if you have a bigger budget, then why not treat yourself!

Nails Inc Limited Edition in 'Portobello Road'

Nails Inc Limited Edition in 'Portobello Road'

10. Nails Inc Limited Edition nail polish

I love pastel nails but can never find the right shades. This £11 baby blue nail polish from Nails Inc gives complete nail coverage and lasts much longer than your usual 2 day varnish. Nails Inc have so many colours to choose from, you’ll be spoilt for choice!

The truth about speed-dating…

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Couple at dinner - Photo by dannyman (Flickr)

Couple at dinner - Photo by dannyman (Flickr)

Apparently I’ve missed Singles Awareness Day – a day to celebrate being single, or rather wallow in the SADness of it…get it? Well anyway, for a recent radio package, I found myself singled out to try speed-dating. I am not a fan of public humiliation but truthfully, I wanted to find out what it was really like!

Speed-dating has its origins in formal matchmaking events organised by Aish HaTorah, a Jewish Orthodox organisation, in a bid to get young Jewish singletons to meet ‘the one’ and marry. More recently, the tradition has been made popular by TV shows like Sex and the City, Gilmore Girls and The Vicar of Dibley.

I have to be honest with you, my version of speed-dating was a mock up, but for all intents and purposes, it felt like the real thing. My colleagues had picked the men and I was expected to offer my funniest jokes and best lines in a bid to win their hearts. Embarrassing doesn’t come close to what I felt.

As the day drew closer, I looked up the top questions asked at speed-dating to get some tips. What I found was the cliched “Where do you see yourself in five years?” And “What’s the most romantic thing you’ve done on a date?” Cliche or not, it’s better than what I had, “If you were an animal in a jungle, what would you be?”

So, the moment of truth…how was the speed-dating? I’m not going to lie, I was a giggly wreck, if only to mask my embarrassment of the situation. And the men, well obviously I hadn’t expected Brad Pitt, but a girl can still hope for some eye candy, even if it’s research for a story, right?

No, I’m joking, they weren’t that bad and it was actually quite a laugh. Except the moment when one of the guys asked my jungle question to which I replied “A lion because they’re king of the jungle and I like to be in control, roarrrr”. It can’t have been that cringe-worthy though; when I asked the same guy what he was doing the following week, he said “Taking you out” with a cheeky wink.

So go on girls, give it a try. If only for the funny memories that you can tell your friends for years to come.

Listen to the Mode girls talk about speed-dating on our podcast here.

What if…you had to marry the first person you kissed

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Unhappy bride

Unhappy bride - Photo by Johnny Jet (Flickr)

On average, a woman needs to kiss 22 men to find Mr. Right, according to new research. For some, that might not seem like a lot, to others, it might seem like plenty. So what if you could give up the search and settle for the first guy you kissed?

Don’t get me wrong, there are the lucky exception who meet the man of their dreams right away, but unfortunately, for many of us it’s not that easy. I for one, am still searching.

Looking back, the thought of marrying the first person I kissed doesn’t seem that appealing. To start with, I was 11 years old and it lasted all of 10 seconds. His name was Kyle and he was my primary school boyfriend.

If we’re talking about “real” kisses, by which I mean, not as a result of teenage truth or dare, then it would be with a guy I met at sixth form and dated for 2 years. At the time, he ticked all the boxes – tall, dark and handsome. The thought of marrying him may have been a little apprehensive, seeing as we were only 17 when we met but for all intents and purposes he was ‘the one’ I wanted to be with.

Three years later, and it’s a totally different story. We broke up, I went to university and he dropped out of college with UFC, girls and the pub taking full priority over his life. Bitter? Absolutely.

Remaining friends with an ex is hard at the best of times but if I had to marry the first person I kissed, I think I would go insane. Having been through a couple of bad break-ups and seeing friends who were dating, now not be able to stay in the same room as each other, I’ve become quite cynical towards relationships and marriage in general. I guess only time will tell, maybe once I’ve kissed 22 frogs, I’ll finally find my prince.

Step-by-step guide to a yummy banana cake!

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Banana cake!

Banana cake!

The good thing about this cake, is that you can feel better about eating it…I mean bananas count as one of your five a day after all. It’s really easy to make, and coming from someone who has burnt pasta before, I really mean it!

Ingredients:

2-3 bananas
140g self-raising flour
65g butter
85g demerara sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
65g milk

Method:

First, pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees/Gas Mark 4 so it’s nice and warm when you’re ready to start cooking and then weigh up all the ingredients.

All ingredients

All ingredients

Pour the milk into a jug and crack the egg into it. As you begin mixing, add the rest of the ingredients, whisking until smooth.

Mixing the egg and milk

Mixing the egg and milk

Now comes the messy bit, mash up the bananas with your hands and stir to make a caramel coloured mixture.

Mixing the banana and other ingredients

Mixing the banana and other ingredients

Grease two baking tins and spread the mixture evenly into both. And that’s all it takes! Put them in the oven for 30 minutes and if you want, you can prepare the topping while you wait – whether it be melted chocolate, warm raspberries or honey that takes your fancy.

It only takes half an hour!

It only takes half an hour!

When it’s done, remove the tins carefully from the oven – using oven gloves or a thick tea-towel. Remember, safety first!

The cakes are ready!

The cakes are ready!

You can check it’s cooked by sticking a knife into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean then it’s ready to eat, if not then stick it back in the oven for a couple of minutes. Now you’ve got yourself a yummy golden banana cake, you can now enjoy the subtle sweet taste! It can be eaten with ice cream, custard, chocolate, butter, jam…the list is endless. Oh and don’t forget to lick the spoon afterwards :).

Don't forget to lick the spoon!

Don't forget to lick the spoon!

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