As a keen ballroom dancer I’m always on the lookout for makeup which looks fabulous, even after hours of jive or foxtrot. Our feet may be in agony and we may be dripping with perspiration but us dancing girls still need to look smart, fresh and simply fabulous. So I was delighted to test the two famous make-up labels – Illamasqua and Eyeko. I expected great quality and I was not disappointed. What is key to both these products is the high concentration of pigment – creating striking and vibrant colour which also lasts a long time – essential for the dance floor, but frankly, pretty important for an evening out or everyday use too.

Eyeko Limitless Eyeshadow Palette comes in three collections – 1, 2 and 3. Each contains six highly pigmented, long-wearing shades in matte & shimmer finishes, which work really well together. Collection 1 is for lighter-toned skin, 2 is intermediate and 3 is for darker skin tones, and also perfectly complements the obligatory fake tans for dance competitions. I loved the mixture of matte and shimmer finishes – making them suitable for daytime use but also for a glamorous evening party. I tested Collection 2 today and received a compliment on my eye shadow within an hour of going out.

The palettes are housed in light, shock-resistant rubber cases with a particularly good mirror – great for popping in your handbag. At £25 per palette they’re a truly quality product and make a lovely gift.

And for the lips – Illamasqua Loaded Lip Polish is pure indulgence. Fourteen amazing high-shine shades from various reds to shocking pink to purple and peach, I was spoilt for choice. For everyday use I love Rise, but fiery reds such as Vain would be great for a night out and there’s a simple Glaze too. The wand applicator was very quick and easy to use. My lips felt smooth and soft – no wonder as the Lip Polishes all contain almond oil and vitamin E – and the colour had a soft sheen and mirror-shine finish which looked natural and alluring. The highly concentrated pigment created a strong colour which lasted for many hours before needing a touch-up. On special offer at the moment at £12.80 from the Illamasqua website these are a great buy.

So whether you’re a serious dancer, enjoy a night at the local club or just like looking great all day long, the Eyeko Limitless Eyeshadow Palette and the Illamasqua Loaded Lip Polish are for you. After all those months of lockdown and covering your face with masks why not treat yourself?

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

I’m a Gemini. Impulsive. Curious. Headstrong. A twin. Heir to a throne I know nothing about. And it turns out, I’m Fae.

 But of course there’s a catch – all I have to do to claim my birth right is prove that I’m the most powerful supernatural in the whole of Solaria. And sure, technically that’s true as I’m the daughter of the Savage King. But the bit they didn’t put in the brochure was that every single Fae in this Kingdom would claim my throne if they could.

 The school they’ve sent me to is both dangerous as sh*t and one helluva party. Vampires bite weaker students in the corridors, the Werewolf pack has orgies in the Wailing Wood at every full moon and don’t even get me started on the dark and twisted ways the Sirens use their powers on people’s emotions, or how my sinfully tempting Cardinal Magic teacher hosts detentions that leave people needing therapy.

 Classes are totally interesting if you manage to live through them. And that Gemini star sign I mentioned? It now determines my elemental magic and affects my destiny, so learning astrology is essential if I’m going to beat down my classmates – which is actively encouraged by the way.My biggest problem is the drool worthy Dragon shifter who has his eyes on my throne. He and his three psycho friends are determined to make my time here hell.

 All I’ve got to do is survive. But fate might have other ideas.

 Dammit, why couldn’t I have gotten a letter to Hogwarts?

So says the blurb of this fascinating novel. It is no secret that I lack imagination, I tend to struggle when reading Fantasy books as I can not picture the characters, creatures and worlds. I was completely prepared for the Zodiac Academy to pose the same problem: writing to complex that I could not follow it. I am so glad to say that i was so very wrong about this. The characers are completely relateable, I could easily envision the world of Soloria, the dragon, the Nymph’s and the magic  it all revolves around.

I read this book in record time, it was such a breeze to read but full of suspense, plot twists and just a pinch of spice. It is like Harry Potter but for grown ups (though as I write this I realise that Harry Potter is for grown ups as well as children) .

I really enjoyed the fact that the book is pacey and told from multiple perspectives without it becoming hard to follow. Upon completion of Book 1 I was so hooked, I read book 2 and am currently reading book 3, happy in the knowledge that there are so far 6 books in the series with a seventh book being released later this year.

It has been a long time since i have been so excited about a series and i know full well that i will read them again and again and again and never ever tire of them.

So if you want to escape to a magical world then tuck into Zodiac Academy. I would 100% reccomend this sensational series to those who are 18+ and are Harry Potter fans, I promise you that you will not regret it, the world of Solaria awaits you.

Grant Tait has a brilliant new book out – a light hearted and clever read, aimed at all those who have ever had to deal with managers who can’t make decisions.

Tait has had a successful careerfor 25 years despite working with no-decision managers. He has gone on to write a blog on how to work with them and has just released his book ‘How to Become a No-Decision Manager,’  a light-hearted story educating his readers in the valuable lessons he has learned.

When writing the book, Grant came up with two subtitles: Become an enlightened subordinate working for a no decisions boss, putting the reader in a subordinate’s shoes explaining how to work happily with a no-decision manager and still have a career. In the second subtitle: Manage a team of no decision managers, he shows how to detect them while managing them, to keep subordinates from leaving.

The book focuses on analysing the inner workings of managers who avoid decision making at every possible turn. He discusses how these kinds of managers can make life difficult for subordinates and are capable of destroying a business.

Grant teaches the reader the common behaviours and tactics these managers use to dodge making decisions and how to detect and even effectively work with them. He has identified 15 different tactics, to which  all no decision managers adhere .

Using  his experience working as a manager across many organisations, Tait’s expertise has gone on to help many others discover what traits these people have. He has also written humorous articles about the workings of multinational organisations often written anonymously to protect his job or under the pseudonym Grant Petrie.

‘I am hoping that my book helps many learn how to identify a no-decision manager and learn the different positive ways to work with them. I’m pleased to share my knowledge of how they survive in organisations and how to detect them.’

To find out more: https://nodecisionmanager.co.uk/

Do you ever stare at the last dregs of wax in a beautifully presented candle and wonder what to do with the lovely holder? Some are works of art, aren’t they? I’ve converted glass ones into drinking glasses before, but they’re never quite right and, it pains me to say, sometimes I’ve simply thrown them away.

That’s why I was thrilled to try the wax refill kit from Constant Candle Co founded by Rachael Clark and Nicky Hoad. Next time you finish a candle I recommend you replace it with one of their kits – they are just great fun, easy to do and you get a great new candle.

The new wax (which smells amazing) arrives in a cardboard tub, together with a new wick and a wooden spatula with a hole in it. Just take the lid off the tub and pop the whole thing in the microwave for between one and two minutes, use a drop of the melted wax to stick down the new wick in your (cleaned) old holder, then pour the remaining wax in, using the hole in the spatula to keep the wick in place, and leave the wax to set. That’s it, a new candle, which took ten minutes and lots of fun to make – and with no mess either.

And what a fabulous candle. The wax is made from rapeseed and soy oils, not paraffin. Paraffin wax can emit toxins which can aggravate lung disease such as asthma and may even cause cancer, so best avoided.

If you’re not a hoarder like me, and don’t happen to have a supply of previously loved candle holders, Constant Candle Co have thought of this too with a lovely set of ceramic ones available, created by Somerset Ceramics Artist Bridget Hemmings.

The website has really useful candle advice too. I was particularly interested in Memory Burn (no, I’d not heard of it either – it’s when the candle burns deeper in the centre than around the edges). Simply light your candle for long enough to melt the wax right to the edge each time and it won’t happen. 

And while on their website, check out their full range of scents for their wax refill kits, created from essential oils, spices, flowers and fruit. At just £15 for a wax refill kit you get a high quality sustainable new candle – what’s not to like?

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

I’m a great believer in ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’.

As a doctor I strongly recommend seeking medical help and using modern medicines when needed, I’ve known too many tragic consequences when people haven’t. However preventing illness with healthy lifestyle is equally important and nature has provided wonderful plants and herbs to help us. Tea has natural anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and other healthy properties so why not enjoy delicious teas every day and feel better too?

Quality and freshness are important though. An aged bag of builder’s tea from a supermarket bargain basket may not be the all-powerful elixir we envisage.

So this is why I’m excited about VAHDAM® 100% Pure Indian Teas. The founder, Bala Sarda, is a fourth generation tea exporter who was concerned that most tea passes through multiple middlemen, thus losing freshness and potency along the way. So now he procures his teas from plantations and farmers within days of harvest, then ships directly around the world. He also donates 1% of revenues towards educating the farmers’ children.

Can you taste the difference? A resounding YES. I was delighted to sample a collection of VAHDAM® teas and I’m sipping India’s Original Masala Chai Tea as I type. As soon as I opened the resealable pack the aroma of fresh spices hit me – cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and black tea. Following the helpful instructions for a perfect cuppa I waited for it to brew for three minutes, and I wasn’t disappointed. Beautiful aroma, smooth and calming, I could feel wellness pervading me, and as I sipped, layers of flavour bathed my tongue. Just relaxing and enjoying this very special tea was a mini-meditation.

I really can’t wait to try all the samples – green and white teas from the Himalayas, second flush black teas from Assam and Darjeeling and fabulous tea and spice blends too. Next on my list is Turmeric Spiced Herbal Tea Tisane, with cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, cardamom black pepper, lemongrass and bergamot – caffeine-free it’s great for bedtime.

Already a favourite of Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey and Mariah Carey, these teas are a must try.

And if you’re looking for a present for someone special, check out their beautifully presented gift sets.

VAHDAM® India products can be bought online at www.vahdamteas.com and from Amazon – treat yourself, you won’t regret it.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.