Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates

Hello Everyone,

Another book review here, today we're discussing Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates.

Let me be fully honest straight away, this book is everything, and I mean everything.

I had been hoping to read a few more books this year on the subject of feminism because let's be honest, I like women, I like men, I like equality, I like books... It stands to reason that I'll love books on feminism right?

Wrong!

I've tried one or two feminism books in the past and I've found that they come across preachy, unrelatable and pretty damn condemning of any man, woman or dog that doesn't fit into a rigid shape. Fear not ladies and gents, Everyday Sexism is here to save the day.

Laura Bates has used social research to complete this fascinating book, it is filled with simple facts, figures and true experiences from men and women in society now.

Yes this book includes men (which is what I've been trying to tell a fella in my YouTube video that I've made about this book, if he would just read it.... but that's a rant for another day), I found this refreshing because oftentimes people seem to forget that men can indeed experience sexism too.
Everyday Sexism delves into so many areas of our lives such as workplaces, motherhood, education, young girls, shouting back and rape culture in our society which shows the shocking prevalence of sexual assault in the daily lives of our women and girls (some of these testimonies come from girls barely hitting puberty) and if their stories don't make you feel a strong amount of rage at the state of society today, well then I don't know what will.

This is a book that isn't afraid to touch upon the uncomfortable truths that many of us don't want to think about, this is a book that will leave you feeling ready for action, this is a book that will make you laugh and make you cry but most of all, this is a book that will show you that 'sexism' isn't a dirty word and that together, with a bit of education and compassion we can all work to make the world a better place because I for one don't want my daughters to grow up thinking they have to put up and shut up and I don't want my sons to think they are only allowed to be macho and never show their souls.

Woman can be everything, men can be everything and as long as we all respect each other as human beings rather than as genders the world will be a better place.

Hope you enjoyed this review, let me know if you've read this or if you plan on reading it, I promise, you wont be disappointed.

Rosy xx

What's New For Benefit Brows

Hi Everyone!

Hope the weather is treating you all better than where I am, it's apparently still bleak mid winter in Scotland.

Anyway, moving on from my very British weather rant there, let's talk about why we are really here.

Brows.

It's no secret that Benefit dominate the industry where brows are concerned, they've been helping us transform our brows for years now with the only makeup counter you can visit that shapes your brows as well as offers you top of the range brow products, but ladies and gents, hold on to your hats because shit just got real Benefit have released a plethora of new and exciting brow products.

Brows are having a major moment right now, last year was all about the smokey eye but now everybody wants an Instagram brow (sorry Wayne Goss but it's true), but true to Benefit style, they know that not one size fits all and so they've released products for strong brows, natural brows, barely there brows... if you want it, they can help you get it.

In with the new products you'll find some of your old favourites too (such as Brow Zings and Gimme Brow) but they're now housed in sleek new packaging to slip into the brow collection.

One of the most exciting new releases for me in the Benefit Brow Collection has to be Ka-Brow which is a cream/gel pot that comes with a little eyebrow brush (heads up, think Anastasia of Beverly Hills Brow Pomade Dupe), it really looks fantastic when applied (yep I had my brows done) and you can vary how much you use to get a fuller or more natural feel, make sure you give it a try.

I have two of the new products sitting happily in my daily wear bag right now.

Precisely, My Brow Pencil (Which features a spoolie hidden in the end)

And I also have 3D BrowTones which is a really exciting idea, it is a brow highlighter to add a bit of depth to your overall brow look,

Benefit Brows know that colour is key and so they've added more colours to their range, you now have six shades to choose from to make sure you get the closest match for you.

Have you tried any of these products? I'm loving the ones I have so I'd be interested to hear your experiences.

Rosy xx

Edinburgh Spa in the City 2016 | 2nd and 3rd July

Hello Everyone,

Today I'm sharing something exciting for all you lucky people within reach of the gorgeous city that is Edinburgh.

Spa in the City is now onto it's 9th year of transforming St Andrew's Square Garden in Edinburgh into Edinburgh's biggest free health and beauty festival.

This year features a boho feel with new attractions such as a yoga in the gardens session hosted by fitness brand Luluemon, there will also be mindful meditation classes and gorgeous chocolate and tea tasting from The East India Company (heads up, don't miss this, I've tried some of their teas and chocolates and they're bloody fantastic!) 

For those of you wanting something a little more adventurous there is cocktail classes from Element (who again, I know from experience are amazing).

For those for you who are in it for the beauty, there will be ticketed masterclasses from Jamie Genevieve (google her, she is amazing!) 

Those of you in charge of kiddies that weekend aren't left out either as there will be face painting for the little ones in your tribe so make sure you bring them too.

Expect to see some of your favourite brands including, Harvey Nichols, NYX Cosmetics, John Lewis, Boots, Jenners, Debenhams, Toni and Guy, Neal's Yard Remedies, Sasssoon Salon, Superdrug and Lush.

So if this sounds like something you'd be interested in then get yourself up (or down) to Edinburgh on the 2nd and 3rd of July.

Oh and a final note, this not sponsored.

So let me know if you're interested or if you already know you're going.

Speak Soon

Rosy xx

Top 5 Annoying People On Facebook

Hello Everyone,

Today's post is a little different, perhaps a little antagonistic but overall, as usual, this is meant to be tongue in cheek and not offensive.

Disclaimer out of the way, let's continue with the Top 5 Annoying People on Facebook.

Facebook - an effective tool for keeping up with old friends and family, stalking your ex friends or lovers (let's be honest, most of us have done at least one of these in the past) and joining various groups or local area pages. Facebook really can deliver exactly what you need, however, there is a dark side of Facebook, a side that can make it hard to control your temper, your sarcastic comments or that all important 'unfriend' button...

Welcome to the Top 5 Annoying People on Facebook.

Chances are you will have a friend or 12 that repeatedly commits these offenses... perhaps you are one of these people yourself (and I'm not going to lie, I've been guilty of a few of these myself, but I'm not going to be admitting which ones they were!)

Without further ado, I give you the Top 5 Blood Boiling Facebookisms:

1. The Politically Affronted: No matter what is going on in the world, this friend manages to make it about them. If there's a bandwagon to jump on, they'll be the one already there checking the tickets as people hop on. This person repeatedly jumps from one political cause to the next, takes a blinkered view (no debates please, they can only handle their own views) and annoys the hell out of you by trying to start a revolution with facts and figures they've made up when you just want to see pictures of cats with funny slogans.

       2. The Perfect Life: Some people have lives we are so envious of, posting beach selfies with                  clear blue skies as they sip an exotic looking cocktail while you're crying into your decaff                    watching the rain wash away your summer dreams... (Just me?) But there are also the perfect              life fakers, the ones that post pictures of how amazing their life is, how everyone must be                    jealous of their amazing husband/designer bag/child prodigy/dream job but they forget that                  some people know them in real life and we know they're lying. This just gets awkward. I'm not            suggesting you tell the world that last night you ate a take away alone whilst sniffing your t-                shirt to see if you'll get another day out of it, this is something we all keep to ourselves, but                  please, don't tell us all that Bradley Cooper called and you were too busy planning a trip to                  Miami that you couldn't answer it, we all know you're lying.

       3. The Passive Aggressors: You know the ones, they post a vaguely threatening status aimed at              someone very obvious with loads of talk about how they'll be taking no more of this person's              crap... only to back down and all all cryptic when said person comments! Come on Meryl, it's              obvious you were mad at Jane, everyone knows it's Jane, Jane knows it's Jane, don't back                   down now because you look a fool!

          e.g. Meryl Somebody: Feeling Amused: If you're going to talk to my ex at least have the guts               to tell me yourself you low life slapper beginning with J, rhymes with pain.

             -  Comment: Jane Random: Is this aimed at me Meryl?

             -  Comment: Meryl Somebody: No babe, just having a bad day

         

         Really Meryl? Really? Am I the only one who wants Meryl to have the balls to finish what she            started?

      

      4. The Reward Seeker: This is a person who has done something they are really bloody pleased             with themselves over, perhaps they gave blood, they might be breast feeding but FML, we all               know about it now, the rest of us keep things like this to ourselves, maybe our friends know,                 maybe not, but all over facebook talking about how amazing you are, it's extremely annoying.            We applaud your enthusiasm and we're happy you're doing good in the world but stop                          facebook snivelling, there's one in particular on my facebook who always posts about how                  she's a better mother than any bottle feeding mum because she is going with breast feeding and            although I breast fed myself, I am not naive enough to think this is the sole ingredient to good              parenting, also, trying to shame other mothers on a daily basis isn't cool.

       5. The Selfie Submitter: Now let's get real, if I get a good selfie I'm going to post it, I don't care            how obvious it is that I'm in the mirror all dressed up with nowhere to go, I think the majority              of us do this now and then, but there are a select few that manage to post around 40 selfies a                day (no exaggeration). These are the ones that turn every single event into a selfie opportunity.

           Happy Birthday Best Friend: Insert fourteen pictures of yourself with said friend.
           I've Been Out For Coffee: Eight pictures of you smiling into a latte.
           Look, I Got A Cute Card For Nana: Insert you, smiling, holding said card.
           It's Raining: Thirty pictures of you looking sad about rain...

          Come the feck on mate, we know what you're doing, we all know what you're doing.

So I hope you can relate to some of these annoyances, maybe you're an offender yourself (I've definitely posted a couple of shameful things myself) but if you don't recall ever seeing any of these, scroll back through your feed... just to be sure.

Rosy xx

Melty Box from Imperial Candles | Subscription Box

Hello Everyone,

Today I'm talking about a new subscription box I've discovered - Melty Box, a soy wax tart box with 9 Melties that last for up to 20 hours each which sounds fantastic right? But what if I told you that each Melty is highly scented and inside one of them is a Jewel worth up to £2000 in either Stirling Silver, White or Yellow Gold? I know right!
Heads up, You can pick if you want a necklace, ring or earrings which is handy because I don't have pierced ears and I was worried I'd get a jewel that wouldn't be of use to me so I was happy to be able to pick a necklace.

The box itself is cute as hell and comes beautifully packaged with your 9 Melties sitting inside, the first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the smell, it was beautiful, one thing I hate about some candles is the false scent you get, I really can't describe it any other way than just really fake but I was really happy to find that all of these wax melts had gorgeous scents that are pleasant to keep coming back to (and you all know I'd tell you if they weren't!).

If you've never used a wax melt before, it is actually really simple, you just pop them on top of an oil burner and pop a tea light in, boom! Bob's your Uncle.

Melty Box costs £20 a month but if you buy in bulk that drops to £19.50 a box for three months or £19 a month if you go for a six month scent fest, but I have a little discount code for anyone who is interested: sparklesoflight76 will get you 15% off at the checkout (No I'm not on commission so don't worry, you're not paying my wages).
Also, I may have forgot to mention that one box a month contains a Jewel worth £3000 or an iPad Air.

My personal favourite part of this box though is that it is animal friendly and additive free.

Here's what I found inside my wax melt:

Have you ever tried a subscription box like this? Would you pick up Melty Box?

Rosy xx




*PR Sample

Maestra - The Book That Broke The Rules | Spoiler Free

Hello Everyone,

Whilst on a little shopping trip to York recently, those of you in the know (that's those of you who follow my YouTube channel dedicated to all things books *PLUG*) will be aware that I picked up a book on a whim, that book was Maestra.

Now I know they say don't judge a book by its cover and all that jazz but I'm not going to lie, I picked this up mainly due to the 18 sticker on the front.

I've never seen a book with an age rating before and so I was drawn (I also got asked for I.D. which was pretty awkward).

It sells itself as 'The Most Shocking Thriller You'll Read This Year' so was I shocked? Damn right!

First let me point out the cover, with the red colouring and the vaguely pornographic tear on the front (This is possibly me really, really missing the point but I think that tear looks a little rude), you could easily mistake this as a book from the erotica genre, but the cover assured me it was a thriller.

I went into this book pretty much blind, I looked up no reviews and the run down on the back is enticingly ambiguous and I think that is the way you should go into it, know little and be surprised.

So what can I tell you without spoiling the element of surprise for you? Well firstly there's the genre issue, I personally wouldn't class this as a thriller, yes there are huge elements of a thriller but also, this is unlike any thriller I've read.
Imagine book genres as actual people, Thriller, Erotica, Action, Adventure and Travel all meet at a special party... the kind where keys are thrown in a bowl, well things got wild that night and 9 months later, Maestra was born.

Be warned though, if you are under 18 or easily offended this might not be for you due to the *ahem* hardcore sex scenes (seriously I was reading this at the swimming baths of all places and I was blushing like hell), but if that doesn't bother you and you want a book that will mystify you and leave you feeling shocked, have you screaming '"What the hell!!!!????" and break all the genre rules then give Maestra a go.

I gave Maestra 3/5 on Goodreads if you're interested.

So have you read this or are you likely to? And please tell me you join me in seeing the rude symbolism in this cover?

Rosy xx

Top 5 Things Disney Failed to Prepare Me For

When You Wish Upon A Star,

Makes No Difference Who You Are,

When You Wish Upon A Star,

Bugger All Happens

That's Right, wishing upon a star does absolutely sod all and I'm an expert, I've wished on hundreds of stars and I'm still poor as eff, my horrible neighbour Beryl still keeps secretly measuring my trees with a ruler to make sure I'm not sneaking onto her land and my cat still keeps trying to poo in my potted plants.

Disney really did guide me through childhood, I was a princess waiting to be unleashed but sadly, life turned out to be a bitter shock and so here are the Top 5 Things Disney Failed to Prepare Me For, enjoy.

1. Sleeping Beauty: 

The Dream - Don't worry if you're growing up in some weird dysfunctional setting wearing rags, soon as you're 16 you'll be returned to the palace you came from and, as long as you manage not to follow some weirdo up the back stairs and stab yourself on a sharp object, you'll be grand.

The Reality - I had all the markings of a good Aurora, sadly when I turned 16 I was given a Britney Spears doll and a Nokia... No trip to my real castle, turns out those dysfunctionals were my real family, who knew?

2. Beauty and The Beast:

The Dream - You meet a totally misunderstood man, he's all hairy and shizz but no one ever minded a bit of cross species dating, right? He has a precious rose that you best not touch or he loses his mind and there's also the fact that you're prisoner in his castle but apart from that he's lovely isn't he? And the candle and the clock keep telling you to go for it after all...

The Reality - Belle love, you've got Stockholm syndrome. Last time I was locked in a castle as a replacement for my wayward father and the furniture started talking to me I knew it had gone too far. 

3. Cinderella

The Dream - So your stepmother is a total cow and she wont let you go to the ball? It's fine because you'll turn up with some rats and a Pumpkin and the prince will bloody well swoon I tell you - SWOON!

The Reality - If I turned up on a date riding some rodents I don't think I'd get a second date, even if I did have tiny little baby feet that fit into the smallest slipper in the land... Heads up, my feet are size 6 so that's out the window.

4. Snow White:

The Dream - Most people are really, really kind and they don't mind if you break into their cabin in the woods, in actual fact, they'll probably welcome you with open arms and allow you to live there for the rest of your days, meanwhile, you stupidly accept food offerings from a stranger and chow it down cue #instadeath, luckily though some dude will spot how stunning your dead ass is and kiss you (necrophilia anyone?), day will be saved and you'll ride off with yet another stranger into the sunset.

Happily Ever After.

The Reality - Break into a cabin in the woods full of strange little men and I'm telling you now, it ain't gonna be pretty, I've seen enough horror movies now to know this would probably end up as some underground torture movie at worst, prosecution at best. Meanwhile, if a dude fancies you when you're dead/comatose and tries it on, that dude is a creep and you probably shouldn't ride off on his horse with him... again, underground torture movie.

Oh and don't take treats from witches.

5. The Little Mermaid:

The Dream - Sacrifice your voice for love, the prince you have your eye on wont mind that you can't communicate, walk properly or the small inconvenience that you think a fork is a hairbrush. Oh and of course he will just throw you to one side when he hears some lass sing but don't worry it'll be all fine in the end, he will realise he's been duped by some mermaids and marry you. Casual.

The Reality - I'll let you figure this one out, set your sights on a prince and try to make your way in a sheet across the lawn at Buckingham Palace and see how far you get, my guess is you wont be dining with Harry that evening...

So there we have it, Top 5 Things Disney Failed to Prepare Me For, do any of these strike a chord with you?

Have you tried to leg it across the palace lawns?

Rosy xx

A Little Luxury - The Kate Middleton

Hello Everyone,

Today I'm talking about treating yourself, we all know we deserve it now and then but often (in my case anyway) I'll watch a product for months, years even and still not take the plunge.

The types of products I watch for all eternity tend to me luxurious products, just that little bit out of my price range but close enough to be a reality, the dream team if you will.

Well my friends you know how this story goes, I've obviously been shopping again, I will be eating cheese on toast for the rest of the month but oh, it was worth it!

Laura Mercier, the brand name itself makes me feel a little bit special, like - That's right, I'm wearing Laura Mercier Body Crème because I am Beyoncé, ok?

So what is so special about this particular Body Crème in comparison with all the other body products out there? Well, to be honest, everything! I put this on in the morning after my bath and I can still smell it at bed time, the scent is luxurious and although sweet, there's nothing fake or nasty about it (which I have found with a huge amount of other body butters) and for me, there's nothing as long lasting or beautifully scented that I have tried - EVER.

Another thing I absolutely love about the Laura Mercier Body Crème is just how thick it is, none of this running all over drippy shizz, Laura Mercier has given us the real deal, thick cream to dot around your body that sinks in within seconds, no sticky after feel, no standing around waiting to dry, no screaming at your cat to back the hell up because you're going to get stuck to her... Just me? 

So yes, I spent a small fortune on what is essentially a body butter but, Oh Laura Mercier Body Crème, you're so much more than a body butter, you're luxury and class, you're accessible enough to aspire to but you're just out of reach enough to be truly special and so to me, you're the Kate Middleton of body care.

Do you need it? Technically no, Can you live without it? Probably yes...

But would you want to?

If any of you have used this yourself let me know, What is your Kate Middleton of body care?

Rosy xx