Abida Mian's Blog
An outlier that's living, learning and being myself…Archive for June, 2010
Science Museum Lates
The Science Museum hold adult only events once a month, and it’s free entry!
Each one has its own theme. The first one I went to was in November last year. I managed to drag along a few boys from work, only because the theme was ‘Sex & Science’ and not because they were geeky. It starts at 18:45 on a week day, so most people come directly from work. What struck me was the length of the queue (you would be advised to get there early), and the number of young people (most looked like they were in their twenties/thirties). Although the boys were anticipating something more sleezy, they weren’t too disappointed as we ended up participating in a speed dating event (you had to purchase a ticket) organised by Xfactordates. I admit that it was somewhat bizarre talking to random people for a couple of minutes, but all in all most people were doing it for fun and not for looking for Mr/Miss Right. There was also an opportunity to get your grove on in the silent disco, but sadly I missed that opportunity.
I’ve been to a few more since that night, and I’m looking forward to the next one: The Science Of You (Wednesday 30th June): The Science Museum describes what the night will hold:
To celebrate the opening of our new brain science and genetics gallery Who am I?, we’ll be bringing you an evening packed with the pleasures of the body and the brain. Be one of the first to discover what your voice sounds like as a member of the opposite sex or morph your face to see what you’ll look like as you age on some of our brand new interactive exhibits. You’ll also have the chance to encounter striking object displays, iconic artwork and find out much more about your own identity. Plus all our regulars will be available for you to enjoy… come along and show off some dance moves that would make your ancestors proud in our Silent Disco or see how good your memory really is in our famous Pub Quiz.
J Brand’s Love Story
Although I wasn’t born in the 70’s, this has to be one of my favourite fashion eras – headbands, long hair, flares, flowers… In fact, I think I would have fitted in well as an Asian hippy 🙂
Whilst there are many jean brands on the market, I’ve found my favourite two (J Brand & Genetic Denim). I first came across J Brand two years ago, when Kate Moss was spotted in their Love Story style. I bought my first pair in Selfridges for around £180. Yes, it’s a lot of money to spend on a pair of jeans, but the quality and fit is superb. I had to get them taken up a bit as their 35in inseam is a tad too long for me, but great if you’re 6ft and can’t find jeans long enough.
Since purchasing them, I tend to wear them mostly in the summer months as you need high heels & good weather to make these work, whilst skinny jeans are more versatile. Luckily they’re still selling them on J Brand’s website & Shopbop; both offer international shipping. I’m contemplating getting another pair (this time in a smaller size, as they stretch a little) and in Dark Vintage rather than Ink – their light weight version would be perfect for summer months…
http://www.shopbop.com/lightweight-lovestory-jeans-j-brand/vp/v=1/845524441813043.htm
Born Rosie Sandals & Parcels2go
I love heels but most of the time that means painful feet, if like me you like walking everywhere… So, after reading reviews about this Rosie sandal by a company called Born, I immediately had to purchase them.
Only problem was that the online websites that stocked the sandal were in the US only, and they didn’t offer international shipping. I did however manage to get around this by purchasing off a site called zappos.com, and they shipped it to a warehouse address in Florida, that I paid £19.99 + VAT to rent for a year from a UK based company called Parcels2go.com
It sounds like a simple solution, being able to buy products from the States, get them shipped to this US address, which once received parcels2go will send you an invoice with the shipping cost to send the items to you in the UK.
I must say that I’ve never come across such awesome customer service than what I got off zappos.com, they upgraded my delivery to next day for free and you can call them 24/7, which means that you don’t have to worry about the time difference. The same cannot be said of parcels2go, eventhough I sent them an email a day before explaining that they should be expecting a delivery for me, in addition to a copy of the invoice and my customer reference number. Despite this a week after the shoes were delivered to the warehouse (with my reference number clearly labelled on the parcel), I heard nothing. So, I sent an email wondering what has happened to my parcel. Suddenly they replied and sent an invoice with the shipping costs. Once paid, I had no email confirming that the shoes had been shipped and were on their way, despite me sending them a couple of emails kindly asking them to confirm the status.
Now, I’m the most chilled out person normally, and although this renting a US address and getting parcels delivered to the UK is a genuine service (finally received them today), I felt that I had to chase them to get things moving, which I found frustrating at times, but they did eventually respond. However, all is now forgotten once my beautiful sandals came – thankfully they fit otherwise all that effort would have been for nothing!
Rimmel Nail Polish – Urban Princess
My nails (toes & fingers) are always painted, usually pink. I’ve bought a lot of nail polishes, but have found that the best quality ones are the most expensive (and that’s not because I’m some kind of brand snob). Favoured ones are Lancome, Chanel & Essie.
I’ve bought Rimmel before but have only used once and then it’s never been used again, until I recently purchased from their Pro range. The pink bottle (named Urban Princess) caught my eye. When I tried it on, I wasn’t expecting to be using this regularly. However, sometimes I can change my mind when persuaded, and the quality was superb, thick opaque barbie pink (not garish at all), their wide brush is the best for painting nails (better than Lancome or Chanel), the best bit is that it’s cheaper than what I’d normally spend 🙂
Pretty colour for displaying your toes in summer sandals…
Denbigh Terrace, W11
I pass Denbigh Terrace when I walk along Portobello Road. Very pretty street, pastel-coloured houses, and the pink rose bush on the corner caught my attention on a recent trip to Cath Kidston.
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