Is This Mutton?

I've been missing in blogger action for a few days so here's a quick catch up, featuring five things I've liked recently. Leslie at Once Upon A Time And Happily Ever After uses this format and it's a good way to discover new books, music, brands and so on.

1. Beauty Bag Treat (above)

I loved "Lucky Bags" when I was a kid and now I adore the grown up version of "free" beauty bags and boxes. I wasn't very tempted by the Marks and Spencer summer box this year - my friend Anna writes about it on Muttonstyle - but I did like the look of the Feelunique exclusive June beauty bag. This was a free gift if you spent over £100. At the time I was browsing for a few replacements and staples - shampoo, conditioner, brow pencil, body lotion and so on - and I did manage to get to the threshold (!).

The swag includes a transparent plastic bag with orange and pink handles (not very eco-friendly) and a combination of products I've used before plus a few I haven't.

The St Tropez Watermelon Influsion gradual tanner has impressed: you simply apply it immediately after a shower, to towel dried skin. You don't need to apply body lotion first. It dries quickly and is non-streaky with the first application giving a pleasing colour, not too pale.

I'm also keen to try "Glow Reveal" moisturizer from cult Finnish brand Lumene, Barry M Illuminating Strobe Cream and Karine Jackson The Protector, a multi purpose hair primer, which is a perfect size for travelling, and Living Proof Blowout styling and finishing spray.

It doesn't look as if the bag is available now but I'll keep my eyes peeled for you.

2. I actually bought something in the sale!!

I'm not one for sale shopping - I find it dispiriting, all the endless rows of crumpled clothes. Online sale shopping isn't much better - there's just too much to choose from. But I did buy this claret coloured velvet skirt from Hope, reduced to £19 from £95. I have a few other piece of claret and burgundy, for winter here and here, and I'm already thinking ahead.

I realised this week that I much prefer winter clothes to summer ones, which has perked me up a little because I always used to dread winter.

There's more variety in textures, with fabrics like velvet and cashmere; more footwear to choose from (long and short boots) and the opportunity to vary your look in many more ways by adding jackets, or capes, or cardigans, and scarves, mufflers and hats. Summer clothes are mostly just light, flimsy numbers.

3. Podcasts

I've mentioned before that I love podcasts and listen to several each week on my drives to and from Cambridge.

I like true crime and crime thrillers in particular. Some of the US providers, like Wondery and Gimlet, excel at the crime thrillers. I would highly recommend "Dirty John," which became a TV series after the podcast, "Dr Death" and "Over my Dead Body." If you like true crime, you may enjoy "Mens Rea," which means "guilty mind." The honeyed Irish tones of narrator Siobhan seduce you into a false sense of relaxation because some of the crimes featured are truly appalling. Many famous recent crimes are included, such as the murder of Sarah Payne and the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. I find the Irish, Australian and US murders featured are fascinating because they're often new to me.

Another podcast I rate highly is "Fortunately with Fi and Jane," where two well-known women presenters over the age of 50 debate all manner of things with their weekly guest. It's like a gossipy catch up with two friends. This week's guest was Radio 2 DJ Ken Bruce and the conversation included "how do you sex a tortoise." How indeed?

4. Book Binge Reading

When I enjoy a book by a new author, I'm thrilled if I find they have a back catalogue. I absolutely devoured "The Perfect Child" by Lucinda Berry because it was difficult to predict how it was going to end. The story concerns an abandoned and severely traumatised child who's adopted by one of the doctors and his wife. But as her behaviour becomes more and more challenging, the story takes some spine chilling twists.

I found out that Lucinda Berry is a trauma psychologist and leading researcher in childhood traumas. Her other books also use her clinical experience to create psychological thrillers. I'm now on my fourth one, "The Missing Limb."

5. My guilty pleasure

I don't watch too much on TV lately. The second series of Killing Eve was a big disappointment I thought, as was the most recent series of Line of Duty. Two programmes which make me smile (and sometimes weep) each week are "Say Yes to the Dress UK" and "Curvy Brides Boutique." They're both about wedding dress shopping but very different. In the former, David Emanuel, who, with his ex wife, designed Princess Diana's wedding dress, helps a couple of brides choose their gown each week in an Essex bridal salon. Expect bored or appalled looks from the entourage, brides who can't decide between a fishtail or ballgown silhouette, and brides who want to show (or hide) tattoos.

Curvy Brides Boutique also features a bridal showroom in Essex but this one is deep in the countryside. The brides, as the name suggests, are curvy and the gowns are immensely flattering. Some of the women have hardly any self confidence and haven't worn a dress for years. Their joy, when they see how good they look in a proper wedding dress, is a delight to behold. Also on Youtube,

Sharing this post with Claire Justine, #WelcomeToTheWeekend, and #BloggerClubUK at My Random Musings.

For More Mutton

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Don't forget to come back on Wednesday for the #WowOnWednesday link up.