Is Natural Beauty Skin Deep? UK Breast enlargements falling demand

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Frostie

The Era of Natural Beauty? Falling Demand for Breast Enlargements.

Are attitudes to cosmetic surgery changing among UK women and men?

The UK’s leading cosmetic surgery law firm, Cosmetic Surgery Solicitors, who have a decade’s experience in this field have brought the latest and startling figures from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (BAAPS) to our attention. If these figures are anything to go by, then attitudes are certainly changing. With overall figures for plastic surgery in the UK decreasing in 2014 by 10 per cent, it would seem that cosmetic surgery has lost its lustre among British women.

Is this part of a new Cosmetic Surgery trend?

Certainly, the influence of the fuller-figured celebrity seems to have waned considerably as British women last year opted for more limited beauty surgeries with subtle cosmetic enhancements replacing the more obvious charms of glamour model style boob jobs and dermal fillers.

The figures from BAAPS, an organisation representing most private cosmetic surgeons in the UK, shows clearly that for the first time in the last five years, cosmetic surgery is on the decline and in a large way.

Much of this slump can be explained by women avoiding breast augmentations. While breast enlargements are still by far the most popular cosmetic operation in the UK, their popularity among women has deflated by a huge 25 per cent. Cosmetic surgeons attribute this partly to the PIP breast implant scandal where some breast implants were filled with silicone unfit for human usage. This has meant women are now erring on the side of caution when deciding on cosmetic surgery.

But the overall decrease in cosmetic operations has also been driven by a desire for a more natural look that is currently more popular among celebrities. It would account for breast reductions increasing in popularity and bucking the overall trend. That attitude has been called ‘tweaked, not tucked’ and appears to have become a new beauty ideal with the demand for understated anti-aging surgery such as eyelid surgery and dermal fillers remaining mostly unchanged and popular while large cosmetic changes like tummy tucks and nose jobs falling sharply by 20 per cent.

And it’s not just women; there’s been an overall drop of 15 per cent for men. Nose jobs, the most popular procedure for men in 2013, dropped out of the top position with a massive fall of 30 per cent while the more subtle eyelid surgery is now the most popular reason for men to brave the surgeon’s knife.

Thanks to Cosmetic Surgery Solicitors for their input to this article. If you want to find out more about cosmetic surgery negligence then check out their website at www.cosmeticsurgerysolicitors.co.uk or call them on 0808 256 9318.

Romantic Food Ideas For Valentine’s: Queen of Tarts

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Frostie

The perfect savoury starter developed from the Good Housekeeping Institute’s famous Triple-Tested recipes, a team of expert GHI chefs have created and tested this dish to ensure it satisfies every time.

Queen of Tarts

Hands-on time: 15min

Cooking time: 25min

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the puff pastry:

225g (8oz) strong white bread flour
225g (8oz) butter, chilled
1tbsp lemon juice

For the filling:

300g (11oz) light cream cheese
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
200g (7oz) pack hot-smoked or smoked salmon, skinned and flaked
4 spring onions, finely sliced

Method:

Sift the flour into a bowl with a pinch of salt. Dice 50g (2oz) of the butter. Flatten the rest into a 2.5cm (1in) thick slab.
Rub the diced butter into the flour. Then, using a knife, stir in the lemon juice and about 280ml (9½fl oz) cold water to make soft, elastic dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Cut a cross through half the depth.
Open out the ‘flaps’ and roll out the dough, keeping the centre four times as thick as the flaps.
Put the slab of butter in the centre and fold the flaps over it. Gently roll out to make a rectangle measuring 40.5 x 20.5cm (16 x 8in). Mark off three equal sections from top to bottom. Fold the bottom third of the pastry up over the middle, and the top third down. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30min (or freeze for 5-10min).
Repeat the rolling, resting and turning four more times, ensuring the folded edges are to the sides each time.
To make the tarts, preheat oven 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Unroll puff pastry and cut or stamp out six individual-sized heart shapes, about 9cm (3½in) diameter. Arrange hearts on baking sheets, spacing a little apart. Score a border 1cm (½in) from the edge of each heart. Use a fork to prick pastry well inside the border.
Bake pastry hearts until golden and risen – about 20-25min. Remove from oven and use the back of a spoon to press down the pastry carefully inside the border to make room for the filling. Cool completely, then tip/scrape out any loose crumbs from the cases (so they won’t get into the filling).
To make filling, mix together cream cheese, most of the lemon zest and dill, and some seasoning (if mixture is too thick, loosen with a little milk). Spoon into cooled tarts, level gently, then top with the flaked salmon and spring onions. Scatter over the remaining lemon zest and dill, and some freshly grated black pepper. Serve.

My Reading Challenge by Frances Colville

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Frostie

How many books can you read in a year? It recently occurred to me that life is far too short to read everything I want to read. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day or years in a lifetime. So I’ve set myself a challenge for 2015 – to be organised about what I read, to make deliberate choices and above all to emphasis variety. But there has to be quality there too. I haven’t any time to waste.

So here’s the pick of the books I’ve read in January. First up were two Agatha Christie novels. The first, Ordeal by Innocence was a re-read and the second, Death in the Clouds, new to me. I thoroughly enjoyed both. For me Agatha Christie is a master craftsman, able to weave together the intricate threads of a plot in remarkably few words, and at the same time create a view of her world with all its idiosyncrasies. Agatha Christie paperbacks are readily available in secondhand bookshops.

Next I moved on to Stoner by John Williams (First published 1965, Vintage classic reprint 2012). Another brilliantly crafted book and a beautifully written one, it tells the story of William Stoner, an American academic, who seems to stumble through life with a sense of not being quite sure what he is actually doing there. I was hooked from the first page although it’s hard to analyse why. Perhaps it’s just simply enough to say I recognised him. I would like to have known him.

And then something completely different; a memoir entitled Love, Nina written by Nina Stibbe (Penguin paperback 2014) telling the story of the time she spent as a nanny for a family in London in the 1980s. This well written and very humorous book particularly resonated with me as I too worked as a nanny for a London family in my gap year. Nina Stibbe has a delightfully light and self-deprecating voice and a casual way of dropping big names (Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller for example) into her writing, adding both depth and interest. I see she has also written a novel and I look forward to checking that out – though maybe not this year.

My final book this month was Margaret Forster’s Good Wives? (Vintage paperback 2002) With a mixture of biographical writing, and personal reflection, Forster tells the story of three ‘good wives’ from different times (Mary Livingstone, Fanny Stevenson and Jennie Lee) and tries to work out just what it is that makes a good wife. It’s an interesting premise for a book, and generally a good read, though it suffers from being neither biography nor memoir, falling somewhere between the two. Perhaps inevitably I am left feeling dissatisfied and wanting to know more – about the people whose stories she tells and about her.

So I end the month by adding yet more books to my list – further biographies of the three ladies, and re-reads of Margaret Forster’s novels. Not quite what I’d originally planned.

Spotlight On Coffee By Wendy Breckon

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Frostie

Espresso, Cappuccino, Americano, Flat White, Skinny Latte, Mocha, or Frappuccino

Which one do you choose? Have you ever wondered why you drink the one you do.

Mine is an Americano with cold milk and a jug of hot water. I have been known to enjoy a cup of filter coffee too, (although wrestling with the individual ones can be very stressful). Occasionally, for a change, I lose myself in the froth of a cappuccino.

In the 60s, my younger brother drank endless amounts of liquid Camp coffee … remember that iconic, nostalgic brand? Apart from a few subtle changes, the bottle looks the same today, as it did when it first appeared on our shelves in 1876. I am convinced my mother mixed this with the milk in his bottle. He is still totally hooked.

The first time the significance of coffee had an impact on my life was in the early 1970s. As students, we wrote our essays fuelled by cheap instant coffee and cut price biscuits. A group of us at a teachers’ training college in Hertfordshire had just heard the news. It was what we had been waiting for … WOW. Noel Edmonds was opening a new record shop nearby. Not to be missed. One of those occasions. My friend Sally, the original lateral thinker, grabbed our very large tin of instant coffee from the common room. She led us briskly down the street … we followed with more anticipation than the excitement of a first date.

All four girls squeezed into the smallest of spaces to see Noel. In our flared jeans, tie-dyed t- shirts and hippy beads, we bopped to Elton John’s ‘Crocodile Rock’, one of the chart sounds of 1973. The wonderful Noel Edmonds scribbled a good luck message on the side of the tin.

“Keep up the good work! Hope you become great teachers love Noel x”

So off we went, Sally still in control, newly motivated and inspired. And … of course a cup of cheap instant coffee suddenly became liquid heaven.

NEW YORK! NEW YORK! Don’t you just love that vibrant city. The energetic people; noisy yellow taxis; sparkling Times Square and the coffee…

I joined the queue of busy office workers, circling round the side of a lively, New York deli at eight o’clock in the morning.

“Next.”

“Coffee please.” Boy was I thirsty. “Just a cup of coffee”.

The waitress yelled in her New York drawl. “Just a cup of coffee?” Her desperate eyes gazed out for sympathy. “What kind of coffee?”

There was a collective gasp, a bit of a shudder. The line of workers collapsed like a pack of cards behind me. Panic set in. Sweat ran down my cheek bones. I hurriedly chose a coffee from her recited list. Off I slunk, suitably chastised, clutching my take-a-way frappuccino. Welcome to the ‘Big Apple’ Wendy.

In pursuit of my favourite beverage, I slowly saunter down Broad Street in Lyme Regis, to the Bell Cliff cafe on the right. The enchanting sea, sometimes still but often stormy, peeps out as you reach the bottom between the old buildings.

On a warm day, it is relaxing to sit outside by the old canon and black railings, overlooking Lyme Bay and the magnificent Jurassic Coast. Sometimes, I perch upon the cosy seat by the window inside. Tucked away, it is easy to find inspiration.

The owner of the cafe is the very friendly and delightful Paul Ranson, who took over fifteen years ago. Originally, this building was two fishermen’s cottages and was constructed from beams reclaimed from ships built in the seventeenth century.

The delicious coffee which I am addicted to is called Narobi American Filter. Paul feels that the type of water in an area can affect the taste. The soft water of Lyme Regis compliments the brand they use perfectly. As a customer I could not agree more.

Naomi, the manageress on the right, and Jayne the waitress are both very friendly and welcoming, especially when they are serving cake! Jayne told me an irresistible fact that seven years ago she married Chris, the man who delivered the coffee. A charming story.

As I enjoy my second cup, surrounded by yellow spring flowers in the window, the days of cheap instant coffee, flares, tie-dyed t- shirts and shaking hands with Noel Edmunds seem very far away.

Elle Macpherson Wears Tim Ryan

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Frostie

Who: Elle Macpherson
What: Tim Ryan Black Fringed Jacket
Where: Arriving to the ABC studios for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Hollywood
When: 29th January, 2015

Elle Macpherson looked her usual stunning self arriving at ABC Studios for Jimmy Kimmel Live! Can we have her wardrobe please? And her figure. Sigh.

New Social Shopping Site Launched For New And Expecting Parents

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Frostie

Parents need all the help they can get. Which is why we think BerryClever, a brand new social shopping site for new and expecting parents is great. It aims to make online shopping more fun and interactive by giving parents the power to discover and choose the perfect parenting products by reading and sharing honest advice from the people they can trust the most, their friends. BerryClever has had over 7,000 members joins since it launched 3 months ago.

Online shopping has revolutionised our lives and the range of product choices available to parents for their little ones has never been greater. But with this overwhelming range of choice often comes more questions than answers, especially for first time parents who are under pressure to buy all sorts of baby essentials that they often know nothing about. BerryClever’s research found that an incredible 91% of people surveyed admitted that they had wasted money buying the wrong products for their babies. What’s more 86% of people surveyed wanted their friend’s recommendations when making purchasing decisions. So where do you start when it comes to choosing the right products for your baby? That’s where BerryClever comes in.

BerryClever has created a unique online environment, which allows you to connect with existing friends and new like-minded ones to discover the products they love, regret or simply can’t live without. Kristi Flax and Emma Kafton, who are both mums themselves, recognise that parents in particular prefer recommendations from people they know and trust when it comes to buying products for their babies. Because the reviews on BerryClever are written by friends in your network, you know they have no vested interest in promoting certain products and that they are just sharing their own honest and experienced views. Emma explains that “the idea is to make online shopping for your baby feel intuitive rather than the transactional and anonymous experience you get on many other ecommerce websites. With so much online content being disingenuous, the ability to read information from people you trust is ever more valuable”.

BerryClever’s reviews, known as ‘tips’, are no longer than 150 characters making them quick to write and read on mobile devices and ideal for busy mums on the go. As parents overwhelmingly prefer reviews from people they know, BerryClever’s unique algorithm ranks reviews based on their social profile so they will always be shown the most relevant products reviewed by their friends and the people they are most similar to first.

Users can also upload Pictips – a product photo review, watch recommended videos from the web and create lists of favourite or most wanted products for themselves or to share with others. The ability to explore friends’ lists provides a simple way for experienced parents to help their newly pregnant friends find everything they need for every stage of their birth and child’s development, from weaning and feeding to potty training, playing and learning.

Not only does BerryClever help parents make the important decisions on what to buy, it also quickly and easily links directly through to their Amazon account or the retailer’s website to allow them to make the purchase. There is even a ‘demand a lower price’ feature to help parents, who on average spend £5,000 in the first year of their child’s life alone, save money on expensive items like buggies and car seats. If a lower price can be found, the user will be sent an email within 48 hours confirming an offer which they can choose to either accept or decline, with no hidden small print.

Every feature is intended to make BerryClever a place where shopping can become a fun, social and resourceful experience.

Bio Oil Review

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Frostie

Bio Oil is hugely popular amongst pregnant women, new mothers and people with scars to the point that it is ubiquitous. But does it really work? We tried it to find out.

Our tester put it on an existing stretch mark twice a day as instructed. She did notice a visible improvement after a few months. The stretch mark was very purple when she started and it was fading more as time went on. Of course stretchmarks tend to fade anyway but it take years for them to go from the red/purple angry scars to the silvery/white tiger stripes. Bio Oil does speed the process along. Boots.com frequently do a buy two get one three deal so you can also save yourself some pennies.

Have you used Bio Oil? Did it work for you? Would you recommend it to a friend?

This Month’s Top Books

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Frostie

It is still bloody freezing outside, so what better time to curl up with a good book? Here are some of our top books for this month.

I Should Have Said Daisy de Villeneuve

The French have a particular expression for when words fail – ‘’Pensées d’escalier.’ It refers to the inability to think of the perfect response in painful or awkward situations until you’re out of the door – a scenario many of us can relate to at some point in our lives.In I Should Have Said, London born illustrator, designer and writer Daisy de Villeneuve pools together her personal experiences of friendships, flirtations and full-blown romances to equip you with quips for when dialogue dramas strike.From forthright frenemies, bemusing boyfriends or lukewarm liaisons, Daisy’s artistic, anti-romantic antics will be your armour against unrequited amour so that shocked silences, desperate dilemmas and wavering words are a thing of the past.

We loved this book. Wonderful illustrations and witty retorts. Daisy de Villeneuve is effortlessly cool and this book is fun and entertaining.

I Should Have Said…: Quick-Witted Comebacks I Only Wish I’d Said – to Friends and Lovers is available here.

100 Ideas That Changed Advertising Simon Veksner

Like it or not, advertising shapes our lives. This book is thorough, entertaining and educational without being boring. Perfect for anyone with an interest in advertising. 100 Ideas That Changed Advertising takes a look at the key concepts and developments that have shaped the world of advertising, from the early Twentieth century to the present day. Divided into mini-essays, it explores the socio-political and cultural factors behind these changes and the impact that they have on the ads we’re exposed to every day.

Illustrated throughout with hundreds of examples of classic and contemporary ads from companies such as Apple, McDonalds, Dyson and Coca Cola, it’s an accessible and informative read that offers a fascinating insider’s insight into the ad industry.

100 Ideas that Changed Advertising is available here.

Obsession in Death J.D Robb

Another brilliant crime thriller from J.D Robb AKA Nora Roberts. Entertaining and indulgent.

A crisp winter morning in New York. In a luxury apartment, the body of a woman lies stretched out on a huge bed. On the wall above, the killer has left a message in bold black ink: FOR LIEUTENANT EVE DALLAS, WITH GREAT ADMIRATION AND UNDERSTANDING.

Eve Dallas is used to unwanted attention. Famous for her high-profile cases and her marriage to billionaire businessman Roarke, she has learned to deal with intense public scrutiny and media gossip. But now Eve has become the object of a singular and deadly obsession. She has an ‘admirer’, who just can’t stop thinking about her. Who is convinced they have a special bond. Who is planning to kill for her – again and again…

With time against her, Eve is forced to play a delicate – and dangerous – psychological dance. Because the killer is desperate for something Eve can never provide – approval. And once that becomes clear, Eve knows her own life will be at risk – along with those she cares about the most.Nora Roberts published her first novel using the pseudonym J.D. Robb in 1995, introducing to readers the tough as nails but emotionally damaged homicide cop Eve Dallas and billionaire Irish rogue, Roarke.

With the In Death series, Robb has become one of the biggest thriller writers on earth, with each new novel reaching number one on bestseller charts the world over.

Obsession in Death is available here.

At The Break of Day Margaret Graham

Another brilliant novel from Frost favourite Margaret Graham. Brilliantly researched and engrossing. A must read.

It is 1946, and as Europe slowly picks itself up after the trauma of war, Rosie Norton faces a bright future in America. Evacuated in 1939 by her grandfather, she escaped the cramped streets of London to a new world in Pennsylvania.Suddenly, at the age of sixteen, she is called home to a Britain bruised by war and still suffering the hardships that America knows nothing about.While struggling to become accepted again by her family she is supported by her childhood sweetheart Jack.Until Jack is sent to war in Korea and a homeless Rosie, together with the child he doesn’t know they have, is left to fend for herself in London.

At the Break of Day is available here.

When I Met You Jemma Forte

The new novel by best-selling author and TV personality Jemma Forte. When I Met You is the third book from Jemma. Jemma writes about a range of hugely relatable issues with reverence and emotional intelligence including family, illness, life decisions, romance, love and growing older. This is the perfect novel to lose yourself in. Imaginative, clever and addictive.

Marianne Baker is happy. Sort of. She’s had the same job for 15 years. She’s 31, still living at home with her mum and sleeping in a single bed. Playing the violin is her only real passion – but nobody like her does that for a living.Then one night everything changes. The father who abandoned Marianne as a child turns up on the doorstep, with a shocking secret that changes her live forever. Suddenly her safe, comfortable world is shattered. If her father isn’t the man she though he was, then who is he? And more to the point, who is she?

When I Met You is available here.

And if you are getting married…

Check out our editor’s book The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity by Catherine Balavage. It has had some five star reviews and covers every aspect of wedding planning from the perceptive of someone who survived planning their own wedding. It is well-researched and entertaining.

Engaged? Daunted by wedding planning? Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, this book is a no-nonsense guide to planning the perfect wedding no matter what your budget. With time and money-saving costs, advice on handling difficult relatives and hints and tips to plan your perfect day. This is the only wedding book you will ever need.

The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity is available here.

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

Author Archives: Frostie

Is Natural Beauty Skin Deep? UK Breast enlargements falling demand

Romantic Food Ideas For Valentine’s: Queen of Tarts

My Reading Challenge by Frances Colville

Spotlight On Coffee By Wendy Breckon

Elle Macpherson Wears Tim Ryan

Bio Oil Review

This Month’s Top Books