Hunger Games, Twisties candles, and Glitter Revenge
The giveaway this week is ‘The Woman in Me’ by Britney Spears
Hi all,
I hope you’re having a pleasant week free from frustration.
I’m tying up loose ends ahead of my four-day trip to Melbourne this Thursday. Of the tasks I listed last week, I finished the application for the editor role I mentioned and have made decent progress on the two health articles I’m working on. They involve interviewing experts and a case study, so I’ve been busy with a fair chunk of people-wrangling.
In the meantime, I bring you this week’s instalment of Becks and the City, packed with as much positivity as I can muster. Keen to read the Britney Spears memoir or perhaps looking for a good, girly Christmas gift? I’ve got you covered with this week’s giveaway. There are also my thoughts on the latest Hunger Games movie, a Facebook page recommendation full of kind thoughts, and the latest way to, er, weaponise glitter in relationships.
Until next time, have a beautiful, blissful week!
News
1. Can’t decide whether I love this or hate this. Suspect your partner of cheating? Get some craft herpes on the case. TikTokers are apparently using glitter to help them catch their two-timing significant others. Genius in theory, but it might turn into the prank from hell if you accidentally misjudge your delivery on this. Opt for eco-friendly glitter rather than the micro-plastic kind for earth-friendly cold-blooded revenge.
2. I often blow hot and cold with my admiration of technology, but here’s using it right in a big way. Researchers have made an app to help those with Parkinson’s disease to improve their gait (they tend to take small, shuffling steps). It offers a steady beat to shoulder more of the mental load for those who struggle with walking, as well as helpful tips and awards to help people improve. What a fab innovation.
3. Once again, I’m in two minds about this news. Am I intrigued? Am I horrified? Who can say. Now you can buy candles that smell like either cheese or chicken Twisties. What I want to know is, if you have the munchies, will lighting one of these soothe your hunger pangs or further fuel your tummy rumbles? Honestly – go home, marketers, you’re drunk.
Reviews
1. We caught a showing of the newly-out Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes movie on the weekend. Having read the original trilogy, seen the four original films, and read the book version of this prequel story, I was anxious about this movie. The book was good, without eclipsing the original trilogy. I’m not a big fan of prequels, but the book neatly sidestepped many of the potential pitfalls of going back to a time before. This movie was a fitting addition to the originals. Stylistically, it looked like the same world, but a version many decades before, featuring a young Coriolanus Snow well before he rose to power as president. Despite the fact we know how evil he becomes, the film does an excellent job of encouraging the audience to warm to him and care how he ends up. I thought the film was truly well done, but I’m not sure it’s one I’d cherish rewatching, as it has some dark things to say about humanity.
2. I joined the Kind Humour (Polite, International, at-No-One's-Expense) Facebook page on a whim recently and it’s brightened my feed no end. They tend to post cute riddles, uplifting anecdotes, questions about your dreams and favourite things, and adorable animal photos you don’t see elsewhere. Pretend to exercise your smile muscles plenty with multiple posts each day. Zero regrets clicking ‘like’ on this one.
3. Despite spending my younger years with my nose constantly in women’s magazines extolling the virtues of the ‘cleanse, tone, moisturise’ routine, I have still yet to learn what toning actually does. With that in mind, I recently tried a tiny sample pot of Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Pore-Tight Toner. Apparently, its benefits include exfoliating and moisturising. It’s vegan, smells like watermelon, dabs on in a clear dewy liquid, and left my skin feeling nourished and not oily. Would I buy it in addition to a cleanser and a moisturiser? I’m not sure I’m convinced, but I’ll enjoy this sample while it lasts.
What I’m Feelin’ Right Now
A cute, neutral weekender bag like this Louenhide number
Trying strange new juice and smoothie combos. Pink lychee? Calamansi? Honeycomb banana? Come at me!
Pearl-coloured nails
Finishing things, tying up loose ends, and NOT STARTING ANYTHING NEW (this is more a stern reminder to myself than yelling at you)
A swimsuit in an ocean blue
I’m a spice wuss generally, but I’d give this spicy peach and avocado salad a crack (scaling back the chilli a tad)
Reading anthologies of essays and short stories
Hitting up all the local food festivals for assorted tasties
Giveaway
This week’s giveaway is The Woman in Me by Britney Spears. Fill your name and email address in here to enter.
Playlist of the Week
All the sparkles in the twinkling sky: