The Woman Warrior : Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts by Maxine Hong Kingston - Discussion / Quick Review

'A Memoir of a Girlhood Among Ghosts' is the best title that can be given to this book that doesn't stick to just one genre. It is a memoir but there is a great deal of creative story telling by bringing Chinese folk tales, including the story of Hua Mulan, into her autobiography. 

Of course, ghosts are commonly known as an element of fiction, so how can this be an accurate memoir of Kingston's girlhood? And by highlighting that the focal point of this is growing up as a girl, more specifically in America in a Chinese community, is this book too complicated for those who are currently in their girlhood?

I recently finished reading 'The Woman Warrior' by Maxine Hong Kingston and, as I shut the back cover, I understood a new type of feminism that a white British female could possibly never come across. I try to educate myself on different views from different races, backgrounds, countries (etc.) on feminism because if you are going to support the issue you need to support it with many views so that successful developments can be made. 

Kingston not only had to face the problems that many girls face growing up, but also as a girl confused about what to do (although she tells her mother she knows what she's going to do) in a Chinese community in America. 

This community, to me, seems as though they are not actively as strict on traditional personalities and roles that girls should have, however they talk about it as though they are. Kingston see's her future being very different from her mother's, because they are not in China and America is so different. That being said, her mother's life as a young woman is not so different to how Kingston thought.

I'm have created a discussion on DISQUS about 'The Woman Warrior' (here) so if you've read it and would like to share your views or agree/disagree with something I've written about it then join in!

Nivea Caring Micellar Water Review

Buy here for £3.99

I've finally decided to find out what all the fuss about micellar water is. Maybe I'm always a bit late with trends but I'm quite set in my ways when it comes to beauty products and I don't want to try something out if it's going to be a waste of money.

That being said, I can confirm that I regret not trying it sooner. My love/hate relationship with make-up wipes is over because micellar water has taken their place by my sink.

The Product

Nivea's take on micellar water is a 3-in-1 cleanser that removes eye make-up whilst caring for your eyelashes, effectively cleanses your skin deeply to remove other make-up and moisturises your skin too.

Simply apply a decent (but not too big) of an amount to a cotton pad and get removing your make-up!

In comparison to make-up wipes, this certainly removes make-up quicker and doesn't leave a strange feeling of moisture on your skin. Even if you accidentally put too much of the water on a cotton pad and make your face a bit wetter it will dry without leaving a residue.

Does It Work?

Above is a picture of the evidence to show it works. I had put eyeliner, foundation, glittery eyeshadow and lipstick on my hand and afterwards, as you can see, it has gone. Everything apart from the eyeliner was removed after I had wiped my hand with the cotton pad once, it took a few more wipes for that to go.

However, I pointed out that the eyeshadow was glittery because afterwards there was still a few glittery molecules on my hand meaning there could also still be make-up in my pores.

I always cleanse twice, once with a make-up remover then with a cleansing facial wash. This makes sure I get all the make-up out my pores and I end the day with a completely clean face. I would recommend doing this after using the micellar water, especially if you suffer from spots or blocked pores.

Conclusion

As I mentioned at the beginning - I'm a convert. Not only does it not leave an unfavourable residue behind on your skin like make-up wipes do, but it takes less time that a wipe too.

It doesn't remove every speck of make-up but I wouldn't expect it too as a make-up remover anyway. I think this micellar water would be great if you were camping or somewhere without a place to remove your make-up, however, because it does a pretty good job.

I also think it moisturises your skin very well and if I didn't do a cleansing wash after using this then I wouldn't need to apply any moisturiser because my skin doesn't feel dry at all and I suffer from dry patches of skin every so often.

The only negative thing about this is that it's almost £4 and in just under 2 months I have almost finished the bottle. If it would be committed to buying this product again if it was marginally cheaper but I am still not sure if I should buy another one again.

I give this 4.5/5

Have you tried Nivea's caring micellar water? What do you think about it? Or do you know of another brand that does a better version? Let me know.

6 Tips on How To Keep Cool and Survive Hot Weather

Attention! The world is currently in a state of heat and people are struggling to keep their body temperatures cool. England, Germany, Hong Kong, Las Vegas and Honolulu are all experiencing temperatures at 30°C and above so, wherever you are, here is how to survive. 

1. Open windows early then shut them when the outside temperature is higher than your house. It will help if you have a thermometer that tells you inside and outside temperatures. If the room is facing away from the sun then keep those windows open.

2. Between 11 and 3, stay under a tree. When the sun is at it's highest in the sky it does the most damage to your skin and makes you very uncomfortably hot. During these times find shade or stay inside and make your sunbathing times in the morning and the afternoon.

3. Instantly cool down by putting and ice cube, cold water or anything cold on your wrists, neck, inner elbow or inner knee. These areas are pulse points and pressure points so they are the hottest parts of your body. 

4. Sleep downstairs at night if the heat is just too unbearable (if you live in a two-story house). Heat rises and there's nothing you can do about that so if the heat is keeping you awake at night then simply move to the cooler places in your house.

5. Change your bedding to a thinner one, or if you don't want to spend money on new bedding then you can always use a sleeping bag because the material is thinner. However, sleeping bags are insulators so try opening it up and use it as a normal duvet.

6. Drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated and keep bottles of water in the fridge. This allows you to have instant access to cold refreshing water straight away.  

Let me know how you are coping in the heat. What's the hottest temperature it's been this summer where you live?

Look Into My Life | Small City Break in Lincoln

I go to Lincoln at least twice a month yet I had never been to the City of Lincoln because I visit my grandparents. There really is such a big difference when you go to the city as it is pretty busy (we went during the week before the school holidays so I imagine it is much busier on weekends and during holidays). I'm going to let you have a Look Into My Life to show you what I got up to there.

Me, my Dad and my brother hired out 40/42 Michaelgate, right on the corner of Steep Hill, through the National Trust. This is probably the best location to be a visitor of Lincoln as the cathedral, the castle and other attractions were almost on the doorstep and the house was lovely and welcoming.

Not only is Steep Hill home to many small shops selling all sorts of things but my great grandparents owned a store where the shop is in the picture below. In 2015, there was a festival celebrating the history of Lincoln and all the shops decorated a figure of a guard, which were still displayed in the windows.

 A highly anticipated trip to the cathedral was also on the agenda with the castle, which you can see the cathedral in all it's glory by walking on the castle walls.

There was some fantastic views of every angle of Lincoln from the walls. In the picture above you can see a block of flats peaking up on the right side of the horizon which is near where my grandparents live.

We only stayed 4 days in Lincoln and that's my holiday getaway for the summer over! I really enjoyed myself and it was a nice change to go somewhere more local and learn about a place that I go to so often.

Have you ever been to Lincoln? What did you enjoy about it?

Why You Should Drink More Green Tea

To many, including me, green tea seems like a miracle drink. The health benefits are exactly what you can wish for in a drink and I'm about to tell you why...

• It has almost no calories (technically it has 1 calorie that you will burn off by making your green tea) plus it increases your metabolism which makes you burn off calories faster.
• It contains antioxidants that will flush away all of the bad toxins in your body.
• Because of the antioxidants, it's very good for your skin and will help prevent imperfections from spots to wrinkles.
• The small amount of caffeine it contains is the right amount to keep you feelings energised all day. It actually contains half the amount a cup of coffee has so you can have it if you're sensitive to caffeine.
• This amount of caffeine also produces a more focused "buzz" than coffee meaning you'll be more productive sipping on your green tea than your coffee.
• Studies have shows that drinking green tea often can reduce your chance of getting type 2 diabetes, cancer and Parkinson's disease. 

Too good to be true? Well maybe there are a few cons but the pros easily outweigh them. I'll go through them to pre-warn you before you start a green tea binge.

• A lot of the pros can only be completely felt by drinking about 5 cups a day over an extended period of time. That being said, I know people who can drink that many cups of coffee and fizzy drinks in a day so if you're the same then simply replace them with the greener alternative.
• When you first start having green tea the taste can be really hard to stand. To make it taste better, you can add honey or lemon (both of which also have health benefits). You can also buy green tea that is already mixed with other nice tasting things such as salted caramel although I'm not sure I would be that keen on it....

Try doing a green tea challenge and replace two of your drinks a day with this healthier alternative and let me know how you get on!

4th of July : Red, White and Blue Fashion

Red, White and Blue Fashion by zin-s

With the end of June comes the beginning of July which means the 4th of July! Whilst I'm not American, red, white and blue are also patriotic colours in Britain (at the moment.....) so this post is more about celebrating the great collaboration of these colours. 

Wearing these bold, block colours work so well and I think you should be able to wear them together without looking like a flag. Nonetheless, wearing them in a way that subtly hints at the flags colours, such as in this outfit, you'll be turning heads because of your great fashion sense instead. 

This outfit is also quite minimalist because there isn't any detail. Wearing a swimming costume into your outfit is an especially clever idea for summer. If you're going to the beach, a pool party or even the local swimming baths, it's an easy way to quickly get ready to make a splash.

Dressing for the 4th of July doesn't have to be done by wearing as many items as clothing with the flag on, but simply using the colours. 

What do you think of wearing these three colours together? 

7 Quick and Easy Essential Beauty Tips

Good things don't come to people who don't try and the same goes with beauty. Unless you have been blessed with a natural beauty that doesn't change with age, emotions, or bad habits then the way to achieve then keep good hair and skin is by applying these 7 essential tips to your daily life.

If you're missing one or more of these tips in your routine then start doing it today. You'll soon realise that your beauty would not have been able to survive without it! 

Do you have any other essential tips that you would add to this list?

7 Quick and Easy Father's Day Gift Ideas

Father's Day is this Sunday and, if you're like me and don't have a present for your Father yet, here are a few quick and easy ideas that your Dad is sure to appreciate.

Paperchase Fountain Pen - £16.50

Paperchase Travel Mug - £7.50 

The Body Shop Modern Gent's Shaving Kit £25.00

Letterfest Typographic Story of my Dad Print - £30

Good Day Organics Beard Oil Travel Set - £18

Sparks Clothing Personalised Polar Bear Socks - £15

Tom Friedman The Senior Moments Memory Workout - £6.95

Now get out there and get shopping for your Father!

Luna - Free Somebody MV Outfit

Luna - Free Somebody MV Outfit by zin-s 

Luna has released her first solo album with the title track 'Free Somebody' and I cannot stop listening to it!  Everybody loves a good feel good pop song and that's exactly what it is. However, I am not reviewing the song in this post, but the outfit and how to achieve the same look without spending £225 on that DHL t-shirt.

Firstly, because the main feature of this outfit is the bright and bold statement t-shirt you want to find something similar. This doesn't have to have anything on it at all but the point of this outfit is centred around some sort of logo or symbol at least. 

To keep with the simplicity, the rest of the outfit is very easy to achieve. Team your top with some black shorts (I think Luna actually wears running shorts but denim is fine) and some block heels. This outfit has taken different elements of 80's fashion but brought them up to date with the current trends. 

Finally, put in your daring dangling earrings, some pretty pink lipstick and flattering false eyelashes and you're ready to go out and free somebody. 

I absolutely adore this look, do you?

May Favourites | First Half Of The Year Review

As if it's June already? It feels like this year is flying by and soon I'll be doing an end of year review again, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Here are my favourite things from the first half of 2016 so far.

Burt's Bees Hand Salve - £10.99

If you've been following my blog for a while then you'll know that I get dry hands often so I'm always searching for good quality hand treatments and Burt's Bees did not disappoint. I've only been applying it at night time (mostly because it's a bit pricey and I don't want to use it up really quickly) but within 3 days my very flaky hands became smooth and hydrated. 

Since, my hands have gone through phases of getting a bit drier but they have never once been as bad as they have been.

Nivea Lip Fruity Shine Watermelon - £1.99

I had been searching for a lip balm that didn't have too much colour in it and I came across this one and it's perfect! I like to wear it on top of a lip tint during the day to add a bit more colour to it. This is the second one in the Nivea Fruity Shine range I have bought so go and have a look at the other colours they have to offer too.

Simple Spotless Skin Rapid Action Spot Zapper - £5.49

For a few months, my skin started to break out in small white head spots and I tried a few spot treatments that did absolutely nothing so when I used this and it worked I was super happy. It initially reduces the inflammation of your spot and within a day it's dramatically reduced. I am usually left with a small mark where the spot was for a few days but that's fine with me. And since my breakouts keep happening, I'm very glad I have this.

Soap and Glory The Fab Pore 2-In-1 Mask and Peel - £10

I have done a review on this which you can read here. Though I found it isn't actually a peeling mask, it is a refreshing mask that truly makes your pores feel like they are breathing! I love using it once a week to help keep my face as clear as I can. 

Great Modern Artists by Andy Tuohy

I bought this from my trip to Liverpool where I visited Tate Modern. I love the design on it and I've been using it for all the pens and pencils I had laying around my bedroom. I would love to take this to college to show it off but everything I take there looses it's quality somehow, but I'm happy enough with it fitting in with the aesthetics in my bedroom.

Singing in the Rain

My grandparents lent me this DVD and it is such a good feel good and entertaining film. It's great to watch on a rainy afternoon when you're bored. The talent the actors have is on a completely different level to how it is nowadays and I was shocked at how actual humans could do some of the dances that they did. Because it's quite an old film, it's not very expensive so I would recommend going to buy it.

BABOSARANG Katcha and Chandy in Wonderland Diary

Unfortunately, this diary is no longer available but BABOSARANG (you can look at their range on YesStyle.com) have loads of great stationary items so have a look at their other diaries. I have loved the art and cuteness that the diary has and I would seriously be lost without it because I am using it daily.

Posh Pocket Left Brain/Right Brain : 50 Puzzles to Change the Way You Think - £5.99

My college course means that I'm not doing a lot of brain work and, for some odd reason, I missed my high school days where I was challenged in a range of subjects. I'm sure I can't be the only one who has thought this... Nonetheless, I bought this pocket puzzle book which has really challenged me and helped me to think in ways that I haven't done for a while.

Akdong Musician - Spring Vol.1

One of my favourite South Korean artists, Akdong Musician, have finally come back with a new album and it certainly has not disappointed me. As usual, they have brought a range of different styles and moods making it perfect to listen to at this time of year. I love listening to music that matches the weather. "Haughty Girl" is good for listening to in the rain whilst "How People Move" is a really upbeat song that I like dancing to alone in my room. Seriously, have a listen to their album.

What have your favourites been for the first six months of 2016? Let me know.

The Never Ending Wish List | Topshop Shoes Summer 2016

Recently I've been falling in love with many items at Topshop, and some of them have been shoes. If you're like me and prefer to have a minimal amount of shoes (3, including a pair of running trainers) that can go with a range of everyday outfits then you'll understand my struggle of wanting to buy shoes but having to think practically about when you'll wear them. Also prices at Topshop can be very out of my price range....

So, without further ado, here are 7 Topshop shoes that I wish I could buy.

CYPRUS Lace-Up Trainers - £22.00

I already have a pair of trainers just like this, but they're white. I love pale colours especially nudes and pinks because they can go with so many outfits.

HASEL Tassel Sandals - £22.00

These would be perfect for hot weather, which this British summer is set to be. The minimal detail means they'd easily go with many outfits. I think they would look nice with cropped jeans and a loose top.

SUMMER Print Slipper - £22.00

If you're not a fan of sandals but still want footwear that won't make your feet overheat then slippers are a great alternative. Because these have quite a bold pattern, I would try to work the rest of my outfit with it by focusing on blues and whites.

OYSTER T-Bar Shoes - £32.00

Party shoes without a heel? I need them! Silver and white are a hot trend this season so these would go great with a white dress and also add a casual vibe to your outfit. Of course, these can also be worn as everyday shoes and you'll be the height of fashion in them.

Limited Edition PAVLOVA Mid Heel Mule - £89.00

Perfect for a formal summer occasion (and I wouldn't spend THAT much on shoes unless it was for that purpose), the ribbon is so delicate and pretty I would put these on display when I wasn't wearing them. Again, these could also be worn with a casual outfit that matched the pale colours.

MEGHAN Block Heel Sandal - £29.00

I think these sandals would be great for prom. And with prom season coming up very soon, these would be a perfect finish to your dream look. On the casual side, I wouldn't wear these with trousers or shorts and they would go better with a dress or skirt.

ALEGRA Lace Ankle Boots - £75.00

The boldest and darkest shoes on my wish list. How can you not fall in love with these? These would go with absolutely anything and would take you all year round, not just summer. I think the Alegra Lace Ankle Boots would be well worth the money if you were happy to spend it.

What do you think about these shoes? Have I added any to your current wish list or would you chose other shoes to put on instead? Let me know!

Look Into My Life | 24 Hours In Liverpool

I recently spent 24 hours in Liverpool with my grandparents and I thought I would share some of my visit with you.

12:40pm - We arrived at the Staybridge Suites but our room wasn't going to be ready until 3pm. We hung around the lobby for a bit (which had great interior decorating can I just say) before we decided to go to the very lavish Costa for some lunch.

13:20pm - We went up to the Liverpool One shopping complex and spent AN AGE looking at shops but, with me being the incredible indecisive person that I am, I didn't buy a thing!

17:30pm - We finally headed back to our hotel room and chilled for a long time whilst we searched on our phones for nearby places to eat.

19:30pm - We decided to eat at Browns. The food AND interior were great (but I forgot to take my camera to take a pic). Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel because my grandparents were quite tired after walking all afternoon and we watched TV.

10:15am - We woke up to a cold and drizzly morning but our hotel was right beside the Liverpool Wheel so after breakfast we went out and had a look at the city from above.

10:45am - We visited Albert Dock as it was also nearby and they had quite a few shops and museums there.

11:30am - One of the places we visited was Tate Liverpool where we finished our 24 hours in Liverpool and headed back home.

And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed reading and looking through my trip to Liverpool and let me know if I should do more posts like this. Have you been to any of these places in Liverpool? What did you think about them?