January 2019 Archives

Monthly subscription box Glossybox sends four or five sample and full-sized beauty and skincare products to subscribers. This January, the theme of the Glossybox is "Beauty Resolutions", and these products aim to help subscribers stick to beauty regimes in the new year by finding these new products and beauty tools. One of the items that I received came damaged and leaked into the box and on the other products, so I have been waiting most of the month for a replacement, and it isn't going to come for awhile. Let's see what I received in the January Glossybox!

417 Facial Micro Luffa Foaming Gel: This product is a foaming gel cleanser to exfoliate skin and remove make-up. I've been looking forward to a make-up remover in my box, but this has come damaged and lost a lot of the product in the box and is partially dried out so I will have to wait to try it.

MAYBELLINE Dream Beauty Foundation Sponge: This is a latex-free beauty blending sponge that allows the wearer of foundation to help blend into the skin to create a flawless complexion. Unlike some other blenders on the market, this one contains a handle so that the wearer doesn't need to touch the sponge to blend the foundation, which is a plus for me.

AVANT SKINCARE Deluxe Hyaluronic Acid Vivifying Face & Eye Night Cream: This is an anti-aging moisturiser to help rejuvenate tired eyes and skin; it helps to minimise pores and fine lines. It is perfect after a busy December and dry January months.

BATISTE Rethink Dry Shampoo (Volume): This lightweight dry shampoo promises to moisturise, repair, refresh, and plump up hair. Subscribers would have received one from a selection of four, and I received the Volume edition, but other ones promote de-frizz, hydration, or damage control.

HASK Repairing Deep Conditioning Treatment (Bamboo Oil): These are deep-cleaning nourishing treatments that contain natural extracts for hair. They promise to help nourish hair, especially damaged hair. Again, this is perfect after December where a lot of people would have been out and possibly harmed hair by over-styling. Subscribers would have received one from a selection of four, and I received the Bamboo Oil. Other options were Argan Oil, Keratin Protein, or Kalahari Oil. 

Last month, Shoreditch gained its first agumented reality street art mural. This wintery magical forest scene comes to life with its own characters, including reindeer and elves, when scanned with a mobile phone. The mural was created by New York-based company Gate Reality and experimental advertising agency Allover Media. This mural demonstrates how brands can use agumented reality to boost customer experiences.

I enjoy seeing new work that uses technology to help make it come to life and to add an additional dimension to it. Scanning the barcode downloaded the app onto the phone, and I could explore the mural by walking around and looking around me (through the phone). The mural was located on Redchurch Street near Shoreditch High Street overground station.

When my friends from the states visited Manchester in July, one of the items on our itinerary was to do a BBC Tour of Media City. One of my friends works in media at a university, and they are working with the University of Salford, which own buildings next to Media City. So, we had the opportunity to join a guided tour.  My friend and I both have background in media as we took a lot of the same classes (though we focused on different areas), and I used to work at the university's radio channel on Monday evenings, which I enjoyed.

There are a few different tours available, and each tour is a little bit different depending on which studios and rooms are available to view. We saw where a lot of television shows are filmed. There is a tour that is aimed more at children, and there is another tour that is aimed at fans of "Coronation Street".  There are also several props throughout the tour to allow you to take photographs.

The first studio we went into had a covered area with furnishings and an uncovered area as well as a sound room. This is used for the radio show "The Archers" and also to generally record audio. There are interior set-ups as well as exterior ones with a range of props to help generate specific sounds.

After that, we went into the large studio. The studio is sold off in meters, so it can be made smaller or as large as it is physically. It's actually huge. The television show "The Voice" is filmed in this studio, and at the back is a kitchen, dressing area, and seating area; all of these are used in the show and the spin-off show.

Our last studio stop was to the radio studio for Radio 6 Music, and it showed a set up of all the playlists as well as included instruments so that guest musicians could play in a live lounge. 

The last part of the tour included the interactive studio, which contains a replica of the breakfast show red couch, costumes from "Strictly Come Dancing", and a couple of Dalek props from "Doctor Who". The tour lasted an hour and a half.

After the tour, we went to a shop that they had in one of the studios for tours of the "Eastenders" set.

Have you ever been on a tour at BBC Media City?

My friends from the states flew to Manchester in mid-July, and I went to see them for the weekend, and we hung out and went to the Manchester Cat Cafe, shops, and the BBC Media City Tour. Another item on the itinerary that one of them wanted to see was the National Football Museum. I believe this museum replaces an older one that was located on the outskirts of Manchester. This is housed in a new building. I do not follow football myself, so I don't know too much about the game and history to go into too much detail here like I would on other subjects, but if you really enjoy the game, then I recommend this. It has several exhibits with various aspects of the game and participation areas to test various skills that the football players use.

The museum has extras to do, so if you want to get your photograph with the trophies or participate in some of the football-related games to see if you could play the game, then I advise you to buy this before you enter. We got a few to use.

The museum is a historical look at the game of football (or 'soccer' as it's known to people who live in the states). The museum shows several areas related to the game. One section looks at the early beginnings of the game and displays some old balls and fan collectibles. On display is a statue of the Great War truce held on Christmas day when the Germans and English soldiers took time out to play a game. One of two footballs used by men at The Battle of the Somme in July 1916 is also on display here.

Another section covers the radio commentary of football, and another looks at the fans and some of the nation's popular clubs. Related to this are the media and press and how it affects the players and games.

Another section of the museum shows the game of football with its global influences, including the World Cup with a selection of trophies, including the 1966 trophy that England won. Throughout are featured collectibles, ticket stubs, posters, and much more. The graphic design aspect appealed the most to me.

Stadiums are also looked at as well as stadium disasters. One of the turnstiles from the old Wembley Stadium, before it was demolished in the early 2000s is on display here.

A large section was dedicated to toys and games available of that had been available, and this also included arcade machines. These vintage machines are in working order, and visitors can play the games and win prizes. Some of them are very unique. One annoying one was just a little puppet "The Jolly Goalie" that kept laughing, and it laughed for around ten minutes straight.

Another interesting section of the museum was the top floor where there is a photo gallery.

Three years ago, I visited Choccywoccydoodah off Carnaby Street and finally got to try hot chocolate and cake in their chocolate cafe. Of course, I had been to the London shop dozens of times to look in the windows at the chocolate creations on offer, especially during the holidays. They create some stunning chocolate creations, including huge cakes, and actually have their own television programme that started in 2010. Their flagship store is located in Brighton, and it was opened in 1994. I visited it in or around the year 2004 and bought a chocolate-popcorn bar, and I also received some for Christmas. It was a big deal in Brighton, so it was inevitable that it would open a branch in London in 2012. I'm a little late writing this post as I expected to return but have noticed that they recently (as of last summer) closed their shop at Carnaby Street and opened a new one at Seven Dials. The photographs of my visit and experience were located in their previous Carnaby Street location.

With their move, that means I will no doubt be checking them out again, but I really thought that since it is the end of the era, I had better post my photographs. I actually did not realise that they had even moved until I went to check them out whilst looking at the holiday lights and saw that they'd gone. I then had to look them up online to see where they'd moved to.

While on this visit, I had a hot chocolate and a slice of cake.  This came with ice cream with some white chocolate drizzled on top.

Their cafe was created upstairs with the shop downstairs filled with the chocolate creations. Below's photograph showcases their Valentine's Day range as I visited the shop in early January a couple of years ago.

Their chocolate is quite nice, but be warned that it is very sweet. I could not eat all of my cake because it was just too sweet, especially paired with the hot chocolate, so part of it went home with me. I am looking forward to checking out their new Seven Dials branch in London. Seven Dials is a favourite area of mine, so I am looking forward to visiting.

I love neon lights and coloured lights; it's always something I've been fascinated with and even had my own neon signs made up for my kitchen-dining area. So, when I learned several years ago about God's Own Junkyard, a shop in Walthamstow (London) filled with neon lights, I knew that I had to go and check it out. After several years, I finally got to go check it out last weekend, and I was not disappointed. 

God's Own Junkyard was owned by Chris Bracey for 37 years, and he created the neon artwork. His family now run the shop in Walthamstow, and the signs have been created from salvaged signs, displays, movie props, and other found objects. Bracey's work appeared in films such as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Batman", "Bladerunner", "Eyes Wide Shut", and other films. His signs have also been purchased by high profile clients and celebrities.

The little shop/museum of neon art and signs is a treasure hidden inside an industrial estate near Wood Street in Walthamstow, London. It actually doesn't look like much would fit inside, but you would be surprised. There is so much that you really cannot see it all when you start to look around. I found it beautiful and amazing. 

Also inside a part of the building is the "Rolling Scones Cafe", a little coffee shop selling cooked food, snacks, pastries, alchol, and drinks. I had a toasted cheese sandwich, a slice of chocolate cake, and I took a brownie away for later. The brownie was the best with just the right amount of gooey and sweetness, and finding a good brownie in England is a feat in itself. The cafe's tables and chairs are all set up amongst some of the neon artwork, so there is ample opportunity for selfies in front of the signs.

I cannot really say anything more about this place because I loved it, but I will let the photographs speak for themselves.

If you wish to visit, God's Own Junkyard is open from Friday to Sunday from mid morning until the early evening, but check the website out for more details and the address.

Those who love chocolate will need to know a wonderful little gem that I discovered in Brighton. While I am not a huge chocolate consumer, I am picky about my chocolate and enjoy good chocolate every now and again but I won't touch bad chocolate (or chocolate I just dislike). I was pleasantly surprised to discover a chocolate gem selling bespoke chocolates (all made in store) and hot chocolate. The name of the little chocolate shop is "Be Chocolat" by Michel Clement. Michel Clement is a world-leading chocolatier, and his first chocolate shops were in Barcelona and Bali before opening the branch in Brighton.

The chocolate is all made in store, and the byproducts are all ethical without the use of palm oil. The dark chocolate is also vegan, and the chocolate is gluten free. I treated myself to a small box with a selection of the different chocolates that were available in-store. Christmas chocolates were on sale as well as chocolate slabs, and I had a creamy and delicious hot chocolate to take away. 

Be Chocolat by Michel Clement is located on Duke Street in Brighton, near the historical shopping district "The Lanes". It's located not far from the main shopping mall "Churchill Square" in Brighton, so it is the perfect place to visit after having a walk around the shops or visiting "The Lanes".

This is one of the best hot chocolates that I have had, and the chocolate really is a great quality, so I recommend a visit if you find yourself in Brighton. 

This was my fourth year visiting Winter Lights at Canary Wharf. Winter Lights at Canary Wharf has become an annual festival for the past five years now, taking place for nearly two weeks from mid-January. I visited it on Wednesday this week, its second day. This year was not as cold as previous years, but I got soaked in the first hour, but fortunately the rain stopped. Overall, I found this year's installations to be a real treat with so many wonderful and diverse types of installation, and they were easier to locate and attracked crowds.

This year, the installations were much easier to locate. Park of this is due to me having worked out the map of Canary Wharf's "maze" in my head, but the real bonus was there wasn't a reliance on using the shopping mall for installations, as the shopping mall is a maze and some of the installations took a lot of searching for, and the volunteers couldn't even help me in the past. Last year, many of the installations were in the mall with small rooms set up, and they had queues with long waiting times. I am glad that they've done away with these this year and have showcased some great new installations, and these new installations are picturesque and have encouraged people to visit. They have generated large numbers during a Wednesday after work on the second night, and I know that the event does keep getting more popular.

This year is the first year where the festival has put on "Winter Lights Bites", a small selection of food trucks outside of Cabot Square. I did not eat lunch, so my first stop was to Cabot Square to enjoy a small pizza from The Rolling Dough, which was just as tasty as it looks in the photograph above. I'm picky about my pizza, and this hit the spot. After walking to a few of the nearby installations, I returned to enjoy a strawberry and chocolate waffle from Waffle On and hot chocolate with toasted marshmallow at the same place but branded 'Fatties'. Both were really nice, and the hot chocolate was sweet and went well with the toasted marshmallow. I enjoyed these while I waited for the rain to stop.

So, in short, the event attracts more people and has its own small selection of food trucks with delicious food and hot chocolate when visitors are in the need of something warm. I know that in previous years, I got very cold so the hot chocolate would have hit the spot then. Now, for the light installations and artwork...

HEOFON LIGHT MAZE BY BEN BUSCHE OF BRUT DELUXE

This wonderful interactive art installation encourages visitors to wander inside to become lost in the maze. This light maze, located in Cabot Square, uses geometric imagery and all of the colours of the rainbow, which slowly cycle through. The maze is covered by mirroring images, and other visitors on the other sides of the panel create silhouette shapes, which reflects the colour and creates additional patterns. This is a fun piece and encourages visitors to take photographs whilst exploring it.

CABOT SQUARE FOUNTAIN

Not an official installation for the show however transformed is the Cabot Square Fountain. The water is illuminated with changing colours and patterns and sequenced to music. The Winter Lights Bites are at one end of the fountain, so the music can be enjoyed, and different movie themes are played to the dancing fountain.

BLUE NEURON BY ZAC GREENING

This art installation is placed between the trees in Columbus Courtyard, weaving amongst the branches with pulsating lights that move from one part of the installation to the next. The artwork was built from plastic bottles, and it looks like a creature or a biological part of the body where signals are sent, as demonstrated by the moving light. I managed to catch a part of the sculpture that lit up at once, but this changes quickly as various areas of the sculpture placed between the row of trees light up. The use of discarded plastic bottles makes this an environmental piece.

TIME & TIDE BY PAUL & PUTE

This installation represents an hourglass, covered in what appears to be plastic but is actually biodegradable material. The artwork pulsates with an on-off glow and its purpose is to remind the viewer about plastic pollution and that time is running out to conquer the pollution.

SASHA TREES BY ADAM DECOLIGHT

I loved the bright and colourful 'Sasha Trees' installation at Westferry Circus. These glowing fir trees slowly change colour, cycling between many different colours. They create this magical illuminated forest, which constrasts perfectly the tall skyscrapers of Canary Wharf a short distance away. The trees were created with four parts, and these segments all change colour, but I noticed that a whole tree and two or three segments were not working unfortunately.

AURA BY RONAN DEVLIN

This is an interactive art installation that requires a participant to be in front of a camera, and the camera captures the form and feelings to mirror them onto water spray in the dock. I think that it required moving around a lot to create different effects, but people just wanted to stand in front of it, but it reacted more to motion.

WE COULD MEET BY MARTIN RICHMAN

A couple of the installations at Canary Wharf are permanent ones, but they keep being included onto the Winter Lights program. One of these is 'We Could Meet', which is located in the ditch on the side of Crossrail Place. It has been in situ since 2015, and it is created using over 500 rods of light, which change in colour and frequency throughout the evening. The rods are designed to mimic what a visitor may find in a pond.

COLOUR MOVES BY ROMBOUT FRIELING LAB

This installation is located on Adams Plaza Bridge, and for the first time that I have seen, the bridge is open between One Canada Square and Crossrail Place. The installation explores colour and how colour is perceived by the mind by comparisons. The swirling patterns appear to cause motion, so what appears to be red could then appear to be blue. This one really brings to the perspective when looking at the different patterns on the walls and seeing them move and change colour when compared to the rest of the tunnel. It was a very uneasy and 'questioning perception' feeling.

RECYCLISM BY OSKAR KRAJEWSKI /ART OF OK

A small exhibition in a room at Crossrail Place showcases some of the sculptures and artwork of Oskar Krajewski. Outside the room is one exhibition, which is combined with sound to explain the sculptures. The sculptures are created in boxes or hung up, and they demonstrate items that have been recycled. They have been placed inside the transparent boxes in illuminated form to create, what appears to be, futuristic worlds. The wall artwork is created from recycled materials as well. The first sculpture was created completely from parts of old computers and the audio explains that society must stop being so wasteful. 

VENA LUMEN BY FONTYS VENA LUMEN TEAM

"Vena Lumen" means "pulsating light", and this installation is a large bench. Visitors are meant to interact with this artwork, which changes pattern and colour when it is sat on and when the visitor's hand is placed on the side over a button that measures heart rate. It is the heart rate of the visitors that makes this bench take on new meaning, creating patterns in the light between the two visitors on both sides of the bench. If no one is touching the button, the bench cycles through solid colours.

ENCHANTED CONNECTIONS BY TINE BECH STUDIO

The roof gardens at the top of Crossrail Place have been transformed into a gradually-changing light show. The trees and walkways are illuminated with different colours, each colour projected onto the trees or bushes. A light mist is also sprayed in front of some of the lights along the path to grab further colour. I loved this transformation of the roof gardens and the glowing of the colours on the trees and walkways. I would love it if this was a permanent installation.

LAST PARADE BY ALEXANDER REICHSTEIN

This video installation has been placed in the water channel next to Crossrail Place, and it contains illuminated silhouettes of animals that walk along the side of the wall. There are a wide variety of animals, each parading from one side to the other side, and the animal sounds are part of the illumination. Lions, birds, elephants, zebra, rhinos, bears, antelope, and buffalo all made an appearance. The animals also appeared to interact by stopping to look around or taking a drink from the water.

LIGHTBENCH BY LBO LICHTBANK

These light benches, which slowly change into different colours, have been a permanent installation at Canary Wharf for the past couple of years now. They are located in Canada Square Park, and I've covered them previously before they were a permanent piece and after (last year), and they have also been on show at other events. They are quite an attraction and encourage visitors to have their photographs taken with them. 

SUBMERGENCE BY SQUIDSOUP

A highly-interactive installation was located in Montgomery Park this year for Winter Lights, and it was fascinating and attracted the largest crowds. This installation contains thousands of lights on ropes that hang from the sky, and visitors can walk inside of the artwork and interact. This was generating a lot of photographs and people standing around. The sequence was a little difficult, however. The installation was slow to progress with many of the lights remaining off and then slowly coming on and fading out before all of the lights were on and changed colour, and this part of the sequence did not last very long. I wish that the lights stayed on for longer instead of the very slow build-up. Other than that, it is a great piece.

ANGELS OF FREEDOM BY OGE COLLECTIVE

These angel wings were dotted around various sites at Canary Wharf, and a couple of them were located in the mall with a further three along the trail. They are no stranger to Winter Lights at Canary Wharf as they have previously appeared a couple of years ago. They are highly interactive and encourage a visitor to stand in front while a photograph is taken, giving the participant an angel-like appearance with the illuminated wings. The visitor becomes a part of the artwork.

LIGHT, STONE, PAVEMENT BY RAOUL SIMPSON

This art installation is an illuminated game of hopscotch. The chalk lines have been replaced by illuminated ribbons. This one attracted attention from a couple of children visiting the event.

FLOW BY SQUIDSOUP

This light installation visualises the flow of energy from one point to another, and this is visualised by patterns and design ripples. The lights flow from one part of the pattern to the next, and sometimes the whole pattern is illuminated before it changes again.

FLOATING ISLANDS BY MÜRÜDE MEHMET

Local children from Tower Hamlets have created these colourful floating forms with the help of community artist Mürüde Mehmet. All of the floating and illuminated artwork has been created from plastic recycled bottles. They have been placed into the fountain at Jubilee Park to showcase an awareness of plastic pollution and for viewers to see the damage caused by one-time-use bottles and the waste generated.

PRISMATICA BY RAW DESIGN IN COLLABORATION WITH ATOMIC3

Giant and illuminated prisms have made a new appearance for this year's new Winter Lights at Canary Wharf. This time, the tall prisms are in the shape of triangular towers and placed onto pedestals that spin when the visitors interact with them. The spectrum of the colours shift and change when they are interacted with, and these attracted a lot of attention with visitors participating in the creation of the artwork. On my visit, I found it particularly difficult to obtain a decent photograph because the installation proved to be extremely popular.

TWO HEARTS BY STUART LANGLEY

These two giant illumiated red hearts are projected onto one of the buildings at Canary Wharf. The hearts pulsate gently, glowing and fading in luminosity. They demonstrate the life and support of the buildings. They remined me of Valentine's Day, which is only a month away now.

BIT.FALL BY JULIUS POPP

Another permanent piece that is showcased each year on the Winter Lights at Canary Wharf brochure is this illuminated water feature. I've showcased it each year with a different word, but I did not hang around it as much this year because it was getting late, but I managed to capture the word "entangled". The artwork blends technology, water, and light to create a set of falling words that have been taken from 'The Times' website.

WHALE GHOST BY PITAYA

This one wasn't working when I visited it, but apparently it was earlier in the evening, and I should have seen it as I started off a few yards away at Cabot Square. I have seen a video of it, and the strucutre is formed to look like a whale skeleton, as the name suggests. It is illuminated into a gradually-changing colour, but it moves as a whale would move, and whale noises can be heard around it. It is another environmental artwork that showcases the plight of our sea creatures.

Previous visits to the Winter Lights at Canary Wharf can be seen below:

Winter Lights @ Canary Wharf 2018
Canary Wharf Winter Lights (2017)
Winter Lights @ Canary Wharf (2016)

I do not get to Bristol too often, so I've had to make some guesses to what was painted for Upfest 2018 and then what was painted previously to 2018's Upfest. Bristol has some stunning street art, and its street art scene rivals what is happening in London at the moment. It does have the largest street art festival in Europe, though, and it is the home of Banksy, so I would not expect anything less. I hope you enjoy some of the photographs I captured of Bristol's street art this summer.

Inkie, 2016

Angus

Loch Ness

Birdo

Penfold

Diff

Xenz and Will Barras

Aspire

Unauthorised Heritage

Inkie and Cheba

For Upfest 2018, please follow the below link:

Bristol Upfest 2018

Waltham Forest, which covers the area north of Stratford including the London areas of Walthamstow, Leyton, and Chigford (which used to be their own towns/villages) to the northeast edge of what has now been consumed by London, is this year's Borough of Culture. This is the first year that London has had a Borough of Culture. The goal of this is to bring together the community with artists and other creatives to celebrate that community. Waltham Forest London Borough will aim to highlight diversity, character, art, and culture throughut the year with different programs and events taking place. The opening night for this venture, dubbed "Welcome to the Forest" has taken place this weekend from Friday to Sunay nights.

"Welcome to the Forest" took place on January 11-13, 2019. I visited it on Saturday night after spending a day in Walthamstow. The events of the evening included illuminated projections with music and a celebration of the area on the Town Hall, a parade and display of flames and neon signs on Forest Road, and a light show at Lloyd Park.

First up, I started the evening at Town Hall where I arrived an hour earlier (one of the museums closed earlier than stated on their website) and waited around. The stewards didn't know what they were doing and it was all very disorganised; after asking twice, I was told to wait in the wrong place and then they changed their mind and didn't tell me, so I was not impressed considering that I was the first one there an hour ahead of time. So, after that disoganisation, I finally got in and watched the two illuminations projected onto the facade of the Town Hall.

The first segment was a selection of small videos of performers that were singing/playing a song about the borough. This was put together by Addictive TV. This was a shorter segment and was created to showcase the different musical styles of the borough, blended together.

The second segment, created by Greenaway and Greenaway and Talvin Singh and titled "Into the Forest", was almost half an hour long and celebrated the history of Walthamstow as well as its current incarnation, diversity, skills, and how the past has shaped the area. Street art, gentrification, diversity, culture, art, music, employment, and housing were all celebrated or discussed with various views.

"Gods Own Junkyard", a local business specialising in neon signs that have sold to celebrities and have had their signs used in popular films, provided some neon signs for the trees in front of Town Hall. Other local groups provided diverse entertainment along Forest Road.

The last stop was to Lloyd Park, a short walk away from Town Hall. First up and in front of the William Morris Gallery was a group of flames lit up into patterns that artist William Morris is known for. The main attraction was a immersive sound and light sculpture called "Nest" by Marshmallow Laser Feast. The lights are projected into the sky, changing shape and pattern to a soundscape.

Overall, it was a great opening ceremony to showcase the arts, culture and diversity of Walthamstow, an area of London that I have never been to until this weekend. The only aspect that was not done well was work of the stewards; this should have been more organised.

Each year, Pantone® decide on a colour to define the upcoming year. The Pantone® "colour of the year" has been decided for 2019, and it is PANTONE 16-1546, better known as "Living Coral". This is a warm but vibrant pink shade, and according to Pantone®, it promotes comfort in ever-changing times (1). It is an optimistic and intimate colour that also seeks intimacy and connection. Pantone® describe it as working well in a world where social media plays an important part of life, and it also helps to ground us to nature. Last year's colour was vibrant purple (ultra-violet), which is a luxurious and spiritual colour.

Pantone® helps to set the colour trends. Expect to see this colour used in the world of fashion, interior design, home furnishings, and graphic design over the next year. The past few years of Pantone® 'colours of the year' are listed below.

2018: Ultra-Violet
2017: Greenery
2016: Serenity & Rose Quartz
2015: Marsala
2014: Radiant Orchid
2013: Emerald
2012: Tangerine Tango
2011: Honeysuckle

1) Pantone®. https://www.pantone.com/color-intelligence/color-of-the-year/color-of-the-year-2019 [7 December, 2018].

UK-based street artist Dan Kitchener (also known as Dank) has been painting a series of his cityscapes known as "Ghost Cities" to start off the new year well. One of his most popular walls to paint on last year was on Pedley Steet at the corner of Brick Lane. I last covered his work from Bristol' for Upfest 2018, though I know that he had painted at least one other mural on the Pedley Street wall that I wasn't able to photograph in time. Other cityscapes on this wall that have been photographed are included in the links at the bottom of this post.

Unfortunately, the mural has been tagged only a few days after it was put up. But, the scene if of a Tokyo night cityscape with a portrait of an Asian female. The subjects are common with the artist's work.

For more work by Dan Kitchener (DANK) featured in this blog, please read the following links:

Dank Paints 'Ghost Cities - Bristol' for Upfest 2018
Dan Kitchener Paints "Meeting of Styles"
'Future Tokyo and Tokyo Ghosts'
Dank "London Rush"
Dan Kitchener's Street Art on Sclater Street and More
Street Art: Dan Kitchener
"Downtown" Mural by Dan Kitchener
Goswell Road

Yesterday was January 6, and that day (also known as Ephiphany) marks the official end of the Christmas season and the day where all Christmas decorations should be taken down or left up all year to prevent bad omens. I celebrated the end to the season by going to Bankside to watch "the Lions part" perform their 25th traditional Twelfth Night traditional events and celebrations (I've previously been to their Apple Day at Borough Market 'October Plenty'). These traditions included the Green Man (Holly Man) arriving across the river Thames, Wassailing through Bankside, a Mummer's Play, traditional dancing, and the crowning of the King Bean and Queen Pea. I will explain more in detail about these different traditions below. (Last year, I celebrated Twelfth Night at the Geffrye Museum, but the museum is currently closed for a couple of years due to renovations.)

'Ephiphany' comes from a Greek word that means "manifestation", and in Christain religion, this was written as the day when the wise men arrived to see the baby Jesus and presented him with gifts. Further back in time, this time of the year was celebrated as the Winter Solstice when the days start to get lighter earlier again. The Romans called it "Saturnalia", and they spent the time feasting, exchanging gifts, playing games, and swapping social status. They also decorated the buildings with greenery to welcome the promise of spring and warmer months. The bonfire was important to keep a Yule log alight through the dark winter months. A "Lord of Misrule" was appointed on Twelfth Night to conduct the merry-making. These traditions continued throughout the past years with some evolving into indoor Christmas trees, pine branches, and mistletoe and chocolate Yule logs.

The Twelfth Night was the final day of celebrations before people had to return to work in medieval England. What happened on the night was the "topsy turvy" gender and social status reversals, which was one of the traditions carried over from the Roman Saturnalia. Master and slave would have had rules reversed, but in medieval England, the person who found a pea or a bean would be queen or king for the day. The Twelfth Night also meant playing games, drinking, and feasting. 

The celebrations of Twelfth Night started on Bankside about ten minutes prior to the main event with entertainers dressed as drinking pirates firing up the crowd.

When the time came, part of the group paraded through the street of Bankside to arrive at the crowd. These included the bell-ringers and a symbol of the apple tree. They announced the arrival of the Green Man, known as the Holly Man in winter form. The Green Man is meant to arrive by boat on the Thames, but they have not been permitted to arrive by the river for health and safety reasons for the past couple of years.

The Green Man conducted the Wassails. The first one was for the boat, and the second wassail was for the symbolic apple tree present and being carried.

The tradition of wassailing is a rural one. Wassail is a drink of mulled apple cider or ale, and on the Twelfth Night, a group of people would gather together. They would be led by the king and queen of the wassailing party and sing and put drink amongst the apple trees to promote good health and to keep away the evil spirits. If successful, this would produce good harvests. The wassailing can also be done in the town from house-to-house where people would sing and drink the mulled drink. Today, the tradition of caroling replaces wassailing.

The Green Man drank the drink from a wooden bowl, as per tradition, during the Wassail.

The Green Man is a symbol that pre-dates Christianity and has been adopted by Christianity possibly in earlier days to promote pagan conversions to Christainity. He is almost always depicted as male and can be found in cathedrals. He is depicted with vines and branches making up his head or coming from his head. "The Green Man" is also a popular name for English pubs. He has become a motif, and his symbol essentially means "rebirth". 

After the Green Man performed the boat and apple tree wassails, the event continued to the front of the Globe theatre.

We met the mayor of Southwark, who attended the special Twelfth Night event.

The Globe Wassail was then recited.

After this wassail, the event continued with the Mummer's Play. What is a Mummer's Play? A Mummer's Play is a traditional play, and it essentially involves two characters who participate in a sword dance and sword combat; the loser of this combat is then revived by a doctor character. These plays are usually held on special days, such as Halloween, Bonfire Night, Shrove Tuesday, and Twelfth Night.

The primary characters are King George and the main opponent (sometimes called the Turkish Knight as a country of conflict to the nation), a doctor, Father Christmas, and Beelzebub (devil). The mummers would paint their faces and wear their coats inside out, adorning it with colourful rags. 

Mumming was the most popular in the late 19th and early 20th century. It slowed down after the Great War. There are slight variations of the story based on the time of the year.

The Mummer's Play started off with singing and dancing. I was lucky to have a space in the front to watch considering that each aspect of the event required moving and walking around to a different area on Bankside, so it did not matter how early you visited but you needed to be in the right place at the right time.

After the doctor brought King George back to life, the singing and dancing continued, and Twelfth Night cakes were handed out. Traditionally, these are fruit cakes, but the cakes passed out were modern day sponge cakes. A pea or bean could be found in any of the cakes, and this would make the finder the Queen or King of the day.

A little girl found the pea, and she became the queen and had a straw crown and had to also carry a parsnip. An older man found the bean and was crowned, and he had to carry a cabbage and sprouts.

This was then the beginning of the group wassail through the streets from The Globe theatre, through Borough Market, and to the George Inn pub.

The George Inn is a listed building owned by the National Trust and dates from the medieval ages. This is the only surviving galleried coaching innm and it was frequented by Charles Dickens. This part of London had many inns, and one of those was the Tabard, where Chaucer started to write "The Canterbury Tales"; it was demolished in the late 1800s. The George was rebuilt after a fire in Southwark in 1677. These types of inns with galleries were used for Elizabethan theatre productions, called inn-yard theatre. So, this was a perfect place for the continuation of the Twelfth Night celebrations.

The events continued with the "George Inn Wassail" to celebrate the old building, its patrons and drinking. And several people started to drink and enjoy the festivities.

The George Inn also had a wishing tree. A wishing tree is a tree that has spiritual value, and people place offerings on the tree in the hope that the wish is granted. One type of wishing tree is a tree trunk that has coins hammered into it. Some timbers in pubs have a beam for coins to be hammered into them as offerings too. In addition to hammering coins in, pieces of cloth can also be tied to trees as offerings. This tree had ribbons tied to it.

Morris dancers also started to dance at one end of the inn's yard, and the other end of the yard also had traditional dancing, though I am not sure if it was Morris dancing or not.

And, this concludes with the Twelfth Night celebrations. I did not stay at the George Inn for too long because I had had a long day and I went to the celebrations by myself so wasn't really in the mood for hanging around by myself. I did not event attempt to get a drink as I thought that the pub would be busy. However, I enjoyed this event and learning about the traditional aspects of Twelfth Night and celebrating the day or understanding how to celebrate the day as it had been celebrated in the past. I think that it would be very nice if we continued to celebrate this day as in a lot of places, the event and festivities end after Christmas Day. Imagine if we had a few more days to have parties. Spreading it out may make it less stressful.

At the end of last year, I visited "The Case is Altered" pub for my last Sunday roast lunch of the year. "The Case is Altered" is a Grade II listed building dating from the 16th century in Eastcote, London. It was recently reopened in 2017 after being renovated, and I've been wanting to visit it since then. It's only about a ten-minute drive from me, so I finally got to visit it for Sunday lunch. I actually really enjoy going to a nice country pub with a roaring fire at this time of year. There's something so cozy and English about it.

First of all, it is a beautiful building as you can see from the above photograph. The name of the pub "The Case is Altered" comes from Caze d'Altair in Spain; this is where the Middlesex Regiment won a battle, and the officers were granted land. On the land, they opened some inns, such as this one. However, the local population did not like the name, so it was evolved to "The Case is Altered".

This pub is located not far from the middle of the village of Eastcote Village and a short walk from the high street or Northwood Hills. On Sundays, they do a traditional Sunday lunch roast meal. Food is also available for lunch or dinner on other days of the week.

First up were the starters. I normally don't go for starters, but it just felt right to this time. The bloke had sausages and I had butternut soup.

For mains, the bloke had the roast sliced beef, and I had the turkey. The turkey had a lot of flavour and was not dry at all, and all of the vegetables and the Yorkshire pudding were spot on.

Last up were the desserts. We had to wait awhile for the desserts, so we got these for free. I had the chocolate pot, and it was delicious! The bloke had a selection of ice cream, which came upside down with a cone.

I will return to "The Case is Altered" as the food is really good, and I recommend paying a visit if you're ever in the area.

It's already January, and I bought several Lush bath bombs and soaps to use up before Christmas, but I found that the time went super-quick and I did not get time for relaxing in the bath during the season. I visited a Lush shop at the end of September. I enjoy visiting the shop to see which products they have brought back for a new year and to check out their new products. Golden Wonder, pear soap, butterbear, snow fairy, and Luxury Christmas pud were a few of the past products that came back this year.

From top left: Cheery Christmas bath bomb; Golden Pear soap; butterbear bath bomb; Luxury Lush Pud bath bomb; Strawberry Santa bath bar; Iceshoggles soap; Naughty Elf bubble bar

I loved the festive Candy Cane Bubble Bar pictured above.

Puddy Holly Bubbleroon is the above product, and I love how festive this one looks. It's a soft butter-bubblebar with a thin layer of ultra-soft body butter in the middle.

The new collection above consisted of the Princess Bath Bomb, Snowman Bath Bomb, and Santa Bath bomb (pictured in both photographs above).

The World's Smallest Disco bath bomb is dark grey with bright pops of colour and one that I was instantly attracted to purchase.

Holey Night Bath Bomb is pictured above.

Ghost in the Dark Soap was one of the Halloween products that I thought was really cute. Lush are certainly getting bigger on Halloween now, especially since they have now expanded into America where Halloween is a big deal. A few years ago, there was only one or two offerings for Halloween, such as the pumpkin soap or 'cinders' bath bomb, which is more of a Bonfire Night treat.

Eyeball Bath Bomb was another one of the Halloween products at Lush for last Halloween.

Located between Kensignton and Notting Hill is a very festive pub called "The Churchill Arms". It is completely covered in Christmas trees and Christmas lights/decorations. It really is a sight to see! Last month, I had a drink here before completing my day out in London. Inside and outside, the pub is festive. They also decorate the pub for spring and summer, so I hope to return.

The pub got its name because it was frequented by Churchill's grandparents. To honour the past prime minister, Churchill-related items are located inside the pub.

Have you ever been to The Churchill Arms?

Before the holidays, I visited Toby Carvery to have their Fesitve Menu. I also had the Toby Carvery Festive Menu a couple of years ago and never posted about it, and I accidentally deleted one of my photographs of my soup starter from this year. Oops. It was a simple mistake as I'd ran out of space on my mobile phone and was clearing out some old photographs and accidentally deleted it before I could stop myself. For those who are not aware, Toby Carvery is a chain of restaurants that offer traditional British roast meals. It is also a stop on some tour groups. On one visit, a bus load of Chinese tourists came in to the restaurant to sample the British traditional food.

The Toby Carvery Festive Menu comes with a meal of two or three courses (a starter and main or main and dessert) and a Christmas cracker with a paper hat, joke, and small plastic 'toy'. 

I had the soup to start both times, and the first time, the bloke had pate.

The main course was a visit to the buffet where visitors can choose the meats that they wish to have from a small selection. The selection alters somewhat but typically includes turkey, roast beef, gammon, and it can also include pork. This is served with a Yorkshire pudding. Vegetables are also seasonal but can include peas, carrots, leeks, sprouts, mashed potato, roast potato, parsnip, cabbage, broccoli, and califlower. Pork crackling, stuffing, and gravy are also available. There are also vegetarian options.

The dessert options on the Festive Menu are limited, but they can include a sundae or a warm dessert. The first time, I had the ice cream.

The second time, I tried the brownie, which was really tasty. This included a dollop of cream and strawberries. 

Overall, I enjoy visiting Toby Carvery for a traditional British roast meal without having to cook several different items and then clean up. The food is always consistent. I think that the Festive Menu is a good touch as well.

I'm still catching up from last year. This past Christmas, the beauty and skincare subscriber box Glossybox has released their first ever advent calendar. I expected it to fly off the shelves. As soon as it was available, I purchased it because I saw a sneak preview of what was inside, and I loved the different selection of products. They were all different brands and mainly products that I had never tried before. I was impressed at the selection of the different types of products in the calendar, and these will all come in very useful over the course of this new year.

I loved the box that the advent calendar came in with the individually-designed boxes. It's a good-quality box that can be reused. I've added several photographs of it below. Sorry that none of these are the best photographs, but I had a very busy November and December and had to rush the photographs and didn't get time to use natural light or plan a pretty set-up. Also, getting what I did capture was a little bit in a feat itself as my two Maine Coons love to be in the limelight.

Now, what did I get? Here's the updated list organised by day:

NARS Velvet Lip Glide in 'Immortal': Two different colour options were available, and I received the pink or fuschia-coloured 'Immortal' instead of the bright red 'Burning Love'. This suited me fine because I already own this product in a bright red colour, and I don't care much for bright red lipstick. The matte application is long-lasting, and it is a matte finish. The colour is still a little bold for me, but I will find a use for it.

Nip & Fab Dragons Blood Fix Plumping Serum: This skin-care serum helps to firm and hydrate skin. It contains a product from a tree called 'Dragon's Blood' that has been used since ancient timesto plump and heal skin, and apparently it helps dry skin and eczema too. With the harsh winter weather, I have a little bit of dry skin on my face, so I am interested to try this.

Yankee Candle Christmas Edition ('Berry Trifle'): One of three festive scents could have been included in the advent calendar. The others were 'The Perfect Tree', which is a pine tree smell or 'Season of Peace', which is a relaxing scent. I received 'Berry Trifle', which is a sweet berry scent. I have previously had this scent in a smaller candle.

Philip Kingsley Body Building Conditioner: This conditioner helps to boost volume, hydrate hair, and prevent static. I'm curious to see how this product behaves with my hair as some of this brand's products go very thick and make my hair appear greasy. This product is suitable for coloured hair too.

MDM Great Than Mascara: This highly-pigmented mascara comes with a brush that applies the product in a desired way with a thinner or thicker end. It curls and adds volume with a thick and dark colour. I love the gold packaging for this product, so this would be something to add bling to my handbag.

3ina The Lip Primer: Lip primer helps to add long-lasting colour to lips. It should be used before applying lip colour, and it helps to moisturise lips as well as making a brighter colour. I've never used a lip primer before, so I am excited about trying this one.

Patisserie de Bain Strawberry Cupcake Body Wash: I love the branding of this kitsch bath and shower gel, which was created to remind users of French patisserie sweetness. This sweet scent is 'Strawberry Cupcake' and lathers up in the water. I'm not overly keen on the scent of this one for the shower, but I love the branding. 

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush: Perfect for applying cream and foundations to blend without the mess, this brush is actually a best-seller. I need some good make-up brushes, so I am interested in trying this one out.

Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Body Booster Mousse: This hair spray mousse promises that the wearer will have bouncer and fuller-volume hair. It can be used on colour-treated hair. I am a little less keen about this product because a lot of them make my hair look greasy or over-styled.  

bareMinerals © SKINLONGEVITY™ Vital Power Infusion: This product helps to hydrate and add vitamins to skin during the dry winter months. It will help improve overall complexion. My skin has been very dry already, and it's not really been too cold for long, so I could use this.

Bellapierrie Kiss Proof Lip Finish: This clear lip gloss is meant to be worn on top of lip colour. It adds a bit of gloss and increases the colour of your lipstick and adds to the longevity of the lipstick as well. The product prevents your lip colour from transferring from lips.

MUA Cosmic Vixen Palette: This eyeshadow palette contains fifteen different and highly-pigmented shades to choose from. These shades are all perfect for the festive season and are highly-blendable, and they can be used together to create just the right shade for your party look.

Karmameju Konjac Sponge: This Konjac sponge helps to keep acne at bay if used daily by cleansing the skin. The sponge also contains charcoal to help scrub away dead skin. Konjac is a plant that contains amino acids and vitamins to help purify and smooth the skin.

Elgon Concentrated Restoring Mask: This hair mask promises to restore, add shine, and nourish hair as well as to remove the harm caused by chemicals and hair products. I'm excited to try a new hair mask product.

INC.redible Jelly Shot Lip Quencher (Ex Revenge): This interesting transparent lip product is a lip balm to help the wearer get through the cold winter months. This product contains 24k gold flakes to help give the wearer's lips a shimmery glow. In addition to looking good and having a nice package design (pictured below), the product helps to moisturise lips.

Pop Beauty Eyeshadow Pigment (Metallic Copper): This highly-pigmented powder can be used on eyes, cheeks, nails or lips. It can be combined with lipstick to create a festive glittery lip glow or mixed with transparent nail polish. I love these highly-pigmented powders. This one is a metallic copper, but I would consider it a deeper red colour.

Luxie Rose Gold Tapered Highlighter Brush 522: This tapered highlighter brush helps the wearer add highlighter products to give the face and eyes a definition. A good set of brushes is essential to have for your make-up regime, and I needed some new brushes to help me apply my make-up.

Lollipops Highlighter: This travel-sized highlighter comes in a cute little tube and adds shimmer and definition to areas of the face, such as cheekbones, nose, and brows.

Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater & Pink Peppercorn Hand Therapy: I do love the Crabtree & Evelyn scents. This is a deeply-moisturising hand cream. It is perfect for the dry winter months. I also love the fact that I find their products easily absorb into the skin without feeling greasy or heavy on the skin.

Steve Laurent Lipgloss (Eggplant): A very lightweight formula designed to moisturise and make lips look good, this lipgloss is also highly-pigmented. It is a dark but popping berry shade, known as "Eggplant". This looks like a perfect festive shade.

Pixi by Petra Fresh Face Blush (Beach Rose): I love the brand Pixi by Petra. This shade of blush is 'beach rose', and it is a powder blush. It promises to be a long-lasting and natural mineral blush.

Zelens Transformer Instant Renewal Mask: This anti-aging face mask promises a more youthful complexion and firmer skin. It contains ingredients to remove dead skin cells and other vitamins and ingredients to oxygenate the skin.

Eyeko Fat Eye Stick (Satin): This fat eye stick is a shimmery eyeshadow to allow the wearer to create a smokey eye effect. I'd previously received one of these in a subscription box, and the product is a little too thick for my liking to apply easily. The shade that I received is 'Satin', which is a copper shade.

Mitchell & Peach Flora No.1 Fine Radiance Oil: This facial oil should be applied overnight to firm and tighten skin and provide a youthful complexion. It has a subtle floral scent.

Huda Beauty Winter Solstice Palette: This pearly highlighter palette can create an instant glow to skin, and the shades are perfect for the winter months. The pearl makes them luminous. I am looking forward to trying these highlighter shades.

That wraps it up for the Glossybox "All I Want" 2018 advent calendar! I am excited to try these products as I have not tried the majority of them. I was really impressed with Glossybox's first ever advent calendar.