Top ten Netflix watches (so far)

Hello flower,

I hope you're well. I'm less grumpy this Monday, following a lovely Thanksgiving weekend at my boyfriend's family's house in London!

We have recently acquired Netflix in our flat. We started off with a month's free trial, then decided it was too good to let go when our month was up. I thought I'd use this opportunity to share with you some of the best things I've watched so far.

1) Breaking Bad

I'm sure you know the premise of the storyline for this series; a chemistry teacher with terminal cancer turns to producing and selling crystal meth to fund his treatments. Watching this series is like watching a car crash - it's horrible, it's heart-breaking, it takes courage, but you daren't look away. We see Walter White go from a kind, caring family man to what seems to be a truly bad person. I'm currently watching series three, and I can still see glimpses of the old Walter from where I'm standing. How will it end? Who knows. All I know is that this is the most dark, but intriguing television series I've come across so far, and nothing else will come close.

2) Lost in Translation

I'm cheating a little bit with this one, as I'd seen it before we got Netflix, but my DVD is horribly scratched and jumps around a lot, so I'd never really watched the whole film without missing bit. Lost in Translation circles around the friendship that sparks between an aging actor (Bill Murray) and a recent graduate (Scarlett Johansson) after they meet in a hotel in Tokyo. I love the cinematography (I adore Sofia Copolla's first film - The Virgin Suicides also for this reason.) Tom described it as "one of your arty-farty films where nothing happens," but I think the way it captures emotion is incredible. It also helped how I could empathise with Johansson's character being a recent graduate myself. I'd recommend this to anyone who hasn't found themselves yet.

3) Carrie

This is a classic horror film that I have been trying to watch ever since I read the novel aged about thirteen! (I'm a massive Stephen King geek and have read almost all of his books.) They keep trying to remake this one, but I really don't think there's any need, it's a cracker!

The film stars Sissy Spacek as Carrie, a shy and bullied teenager who lives with her religious fanatic mother. The bullying escalates until a practical joke at her prom causes Carrie to unleash her telekinetic powers.

4) Secret Diary of a Call Girl

All of the series of Secret Diary of a Call Girl are on Netflix, and it's the ultimate girly indulgence! Based on the real life diaries of Belle de Jour, Secret Diary tells the story of Hannah, a high class escort as she goes about her day to day life. I could go into how the series glamourises the sex trade, but I'm not going to, this is just a really enjoyable season to put on when it's raining, or you're a bit glum!

5) Fatal Attraction

Fatal Attraction is one of those films that I've been meaning to see after years of people saying "oh she's a bit of a bunny boiler," and me responding with a laugh, pretending to know what they're talking about.

It's a wicked thriller about a married man who has a short affair with a work colleague, and how it all spirals out of control when his lover refuses to let it end, resulting in stalking and obsession. I loved the build up of tension. I'd imagine this is most bloke's worst nightmare! 

6) A Film With Me In It

Black comedy at its finest! The story centres on an unsuccessful actor and clarinet player who ends up with a large number of dead bodies on his hands. Together with his friend Pierce (Dylan Moran), they attempt to escape their predicament by re-writing the day's events as if it were a film. 
This film is just hilarious, I swear I had tears in my eyes at several points.

7) Frida

I've always had a fascination with the artist Frida Kahlo, so when I discovered the biopic of her life - Frida - was on Netflix, I was really excited. It's beautifully shot, and it was fascinating to me, as I had no idea about the crippling injury that kick-started her artistic career and the whirl-wind marriage that fuelled her creativity. Stunning. 

8) Be Kind Rewind

I'm always a fan of anything silly with Jack Black in it, but I think this is my favourite of his films so far. The film is about two video shop workers who inadvertently delete all the images from the videos in the shop, and then re-shoot every film to keep the business running in the absence of the owner. Directed by Michel Gondry, who also directed one of my favourites - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, in Be Kind Rewind we see a similar level of surrealist genius, but this time in a comedic form. 

9) Secretary 

I'm sure this is the original inspiration for E.L James' Fifty Shades series, the bloke in question this time is called E. Edward Grey -  not a coincidence surely? Anyway I digress. The synopsis of Secretary: Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) becomes secretary to Grey (James Spader.) Their professional relationship develops slowly and unconventionally, with aspects of BDSM and dominance/submission. This one surprised me though, it's actually very romantic, with none of the sinister undertones of the Fifty Shades series. A really good watch.

10) The Talented Mr. Ripley

This is one of those films where everything goes horribly wrong. I'm not going to go into detail regarding the plot, because it's very complex. Just watch it. It's brilliant. 

I hope this provided some inspiration to someone who's stuck for something to get their teeth into!

Love and peace, 

Heppy

Winter skin: All you need is love! (And aqueous cream.)

Well hello there flower,

Sorry it's been so long! Too long!

I've been a bit chaotic as of late, and very up and down. More about that later.

I'm very much a summer person, always have been, and lately my skin has really been suffering at the hands of the wintery climate in the UK, along with my mood.

Having always suffered from eczema, when my dry and itchy skin returned with a vengeance this month, I decided I'd had enough and visited my doctor to be prescribed antibiotics and strong steroid creams.

I also discovered aqueous cream - what a revelation. And so I thought I'd share a little tip with all those of you also suffering this winter. The itchy eczema also attacked my poor face leaving me unable to wear make up and a bit glum.

Here is a couple of tips:

1) Use aqueous cream to cleanse and moisturise. 
When showering, wash your face with water only (I remove my make up with Simple cleansing wipes before bed) after your shower, slap a load of aqueous cream on your face (I mean loads, your face should be completely white!) then rinse off. Towel dry, then rub in some more as a moisturiser.
This, along with a little hydrocortisone (from a chemist) on the worst parts got my face back to its normal happy self!

2) Shower in luke-warm water.
Never use hot water on your skin. Especially not on your face, as it really drys it out.

3) Moisturise LOADS
Once out of the cool shower, kinda dab a towel on yourself, but don't scrub yourself dry completely. This way you're a little damp still, and then the moisturiser can work better as it traps in the moisture. NOW COVER YOURSELF IN AQUEOUS. I WON'T SAY IT AGAIN!


I hope someone finds some comfort from my advice, I know how horrible it is having dry itchy skin.

Here is a photo of my hand covered in henna in Morocco:

Look how angry, swollen and sore my poor hands have been in the past!

Here are my hands today. So much better, I bought new nail varnish (and a hat) to celebrate!:

Another thing to make me smile today: 

John Mayer's ability to make women's knickers fall off. 

And this never fails to make me laugh until I'm almost sick:

Love and peace, 

Heppy