My TSW Story (Topical Steroid Withdrawl)

I apologise now, this is a rather long one!

 Those of you who know me or follow my social media will probably know that I suffer with eczema, quite badly. I've had it on and off for as long as I can remember but never as bad as it has been over the past year I'd say. It started as little red spots all over my hands which were itchy and got to the point where it was getting red raw and sore and just wouldn't clear up at all. Even when they seemed to be getting better it'd come back just as bad as before. I never thought that I'd find any hope of a cure or something that would clear it up for longer than a week or so. Eczema isn't curable, just treatable, is what I believed for years.

I've used all sorts on my skin, and have done for a long time. I've tried Hydrocortisone, Eumovate, Betnovate, Diprobase (ointment and cream) and yes, they may have all worked, but with the exception of Diprobase, they are all steriod creams. I knew using them was bad for you. I knew it thinned your skin and didn't really help you in the long run. But I didn't know just how bad it can be until I met Nina. She was shopping one day in Leeds and came up to me while I was at work. She asked me loads of questions about my eczema, which by this point was red raw on my hands, and told me about how she had the same but all over her body and that now she's completely clear thanks to not using steroid creams anymore. Her skin looked amazing and it made me want to do the same.

Having eczema had never really bothered me before. I've had it since I was a little girl, and I've never been one for hiding something like that, especially when I had it on my hands, face, arms and legs. But by this point it was stating to become red and sore and I could see people looking at it - not something want when you worked in clothes shop.

My skin would go from red and spotty to dry and tight and then began to spread and become red patches.

At this point I was ready to try anything. Whatever the doctor prescribed me didn't work and they wouldn't refer me to a dermatologist. I got a few things from Nina to try, pure coconut oil was my first point of call which started to work and heal my hands but then made them red and painful again. Over the next few months I tried all sorts including cocoa butter, E45 hand cream, Vaseline, even 'normal' hand cream.

After using coconut oil, it began to clear up...

 

 ... Until it got worse.

 It wasn't until I posted on the TSW Facebook group that I decided to try dead sea salts (I used Himalayan salts) as a few people told me that it had helped them. I'd fill a bowl up with warm water and a good handful of the salts and soak my hands for 20 minutes. It worked amazingly. It took the redness out of my hands by the next morning and then I'd use one of the moisturisers I'd tried to stop them from going dry and itchy. But I still couldn't find a moisturiser that worked really well and that I was happy to stick with.

Let's rewind to my 22nd birthday in October 2015. My boyfriend bought me lots of Lush stuff to try (Lush's products are pretty good when it comes to wanting soft skin) and amongst all of the bubble bars and bath bombs was a Ceridwen's Cauldron. These little bundles of joy are a mesh bag filled with oats and cocoa butter. You can use them as a bath melt or to rub them over your skin. I run them under the shower and rub them on my hands and other areas where I have eczema. They're not good for clearing it up but are so good for getting rid of that morning itch and removing the dead skin.
Anyway, after having some success with these, my boyfriend told me to try using Aveeno cream as it is an oats based moisturiser. I'd heard it mentioned on Facebook so once again I thought there was no harm in trying it. I cannot recommend it enough. It's been amazing and I am still religiously using it to this day. I use it when I get out of the shower and have a little refillable pump in my handbag to use as hand cream during the day. It's really helped to keep it under control.

I also met another girl in work who told me that she had eczema and wore a pure amber bracelet. She said that when she wore it her eczema cleared up and when she didn't it came back. Again, being the open minded person that I am (a.k.a willing to try anything to get rid of my sore hands) I thought I'd buy one and give it a go. I don't believe in crystal healing but the amber is meant to use your body heat to heat up and release succinic acid which is a natural healing agent.

If all else failed, I'd bought a pretty bracelet!

I wore my bracelet  for a month or 2 and I didn't think it was really doing anything. With my salts and aveeno working, I thought that it will have just been those doing the trick. I took it off to get in the shower one day and decided not to put it back on. After a week or so my hands were beginning to get really sore again and it wasn't until one evening I twigged that I'd taken my bracelet off. Still not really believing in the healing properties I put my bracelet back on and after a few days my hands were beginning to feel better.

I started my TSW journey in November 2015. In the past 6 months I've tried a lot of things and it's definitely got worse before it's got better. But my skin, now, feels amazing. I'm still not 100% there but it is better than is had been in a long time. And the initial pain, your skin craving the steroids, is worth it!

For anyone who feels the same, I definitely recommend trying different things, hopefully I've helped you a little bit. The Facebook group is amazing too; there's so many people on there sharing stories and will help you if you feel stuck. Everyone's skin is different and hearing what different people have used gives you a lot of options and support knowing that it will get better.

I know I haven't had the worst time going through this, and I'm so grateful for that, and I've had a speedy recovery but it just shows what coming off of the steroid creams can actually achieve!

What we do in the Shadows (2014) Review

Guess who's back, back again!

Well hello there, it's been a while! I know I've been pretty rubbish with posting but I'm on a mission to write again, and I was to keep at it. I plan on posting once a week, on a weekend or Monday, and I already have some ideas so hopefully they'll keep flowing. But even so I'd love to hear what you want to read.

Anyway, on with the review!

Director: Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi

 "Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav are vampires who are finding that modern life has them struggling with the mundane - like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts." - IMDB

I've been wanting to watch this film since it was shown at Leeds International Film Festival in 2014, it appealed to me, it was something a bit different than your average Twilight era of vampire films. It tickled that weird funny bone I seem to have.

The genre of the film is comedy/dark comedy and after watching the trailer I thought that I'd be laughing my head off all the way through, which was true... For the first 5-10 minutes. It then lost it's comedy value and focused more on the 'documentary' side of things (the film is a mockumentary). Don't get me wrong though I still found it funny at times but I expected to be laughing more than I did.
I don't want to be a martyr and all because I did enjoy it and I really enjoyed the concept. It's something which is unique to anything I've seen in this vampire era (and I've seen my fair share.) What attracted me to What we do in the Shadows was the premise of watching the life of vampire roommates and how they weren't these flawless, terrifying creates that are usually portrayed - they're more like us, in whatever sense of that can be true. It is the humane portrayal of a vampire - they don't just go around sucking blood and killing people. They have rent to pay and chores to do.

The characters definitely make the film and it was definitely one of my favourite aspects of it. You have the 'Mr Bean-like' - Viago, the one who gets all the girls - Vladislav and the one who thinks he gets all the girls but is actually an idiot - Deacon.
Together they make a strange but comical trio and bounce off of each other creating lots of laughs, and conflicts which creates lots of laughs. I think what makes it funny is that you can relate to them, like an anti-hero. You shouldn't understand them, but you do. You see yourself doing the same things which they do but in their different way.

I think I was just a bit let down. I did enjoy the film and I did laugh but I expected it to be funnier from watching the trailer. Most of the funniest parts are already in there (sorry!) It's a clever concept and they handled it well. I didn't get bored, which I did get worried about, and I probably could have watched more, it just needed to be a bit funnier.
Don't let me put you off though, it is worth watching and I do recommend it.

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

"A spy organization recruits an unrefined, but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program, just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius." - IMDB 

 So Kingsman. The spy movie for people who hate spy movies! I loved it! And for a film that's over two hours long it really doesn't feel like it! It's exciting, captivating and you're left wanting to be invited to join the Kingsman (despite all of the danger!)

Let's talk about the casting. Colin Firth as one of the main characters. If that doesn't get me to go and watch a film I don't know what will! But in all seriousness, it was role which Firth could play wonderfully - Harry Hart/Galahad was a serious character (as serious as the Kingsman are) but with a quirky, jokey side to him. Whether it was written like that or whether Firth just played it like that I don't know, but it worked!

But we can't just talk about the former Mr Darcy when there are so many other wonderful actors in the film. Who doesn't love the lovable Michael Caine and I loved Samuel L. Jackson's Valentine weird, evil character. Valentine seemed like an innocent man who was creating something great for the world. You wouldn't think that he was evil with his lisp and welcoming attitude so it was great to see this different type of villain.

The Kingsman are a group of spies who are recruited after going through intense training at a boarding school like facility and I thought that this was done really well. The challenges they had to face were thrilling and interesting to watch. You obviously knew that Eggsy (Taron Eggerton) who was one of the main characters, was going to get in, but it was good to see how the underdog would survive amongst the boarding school swots. It was almost like The Hunger Games - The tributes from some of the districts having trained for the arena and we know they will come out top in the end but how when the other are more superior.

To be honest, the whole film was quite funny. It was portrayed in a serious way but then had ridiculous and funny elements to it: For example, Harry has a fight with the 'rebels' in the bar and then casually sits down and finishes his Guinness. I think it's these elements that made the film so enjoyable - a serious subject taken in a lighter way as you don't usually get to see this type of thing. Films like the James Bond series aren't as comedic and it's nice to see a serious 'spy' movie still be lighthearted.

Like I said, Kingman is definitely a movie for people who don't really like spy movies.And even if you do I'm sure you will still love it!

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014) Review

 

Director - Francis Lawrence

When Katniss destroys the games, she goes to District 13 after District 12 is destroyed. She meets President Coin who convinces her to be the symbol of rebellion, while trying to save Peeta from the Capitol. - IMDB

As you may or may not know I am a massive Hunger Games fan and having read the books I'm always excited for the films. Although I couldn't remember exactly what happened in Mockingjay

as I read all of the books before The Hunger Games was released, I thought that they had changed the plot in the film, but aarently they hadn't!

Anyway I enjoyed the film, as I always do, and I couldn't wait to see it, as I always do. I did feel like it was a bit slow though and there wasn't really much of a climax, but I guess that's what you get when you split a story in half, and to be honest I found that the books could be a bit slow in the beginning anyway.

I've had a lot of people say that not a lot happened though, which I agree with but Mockingjay Part 1 is just a build up Part 2, just hold on to your hats!

Jennifer Lawrence was fab, as usual, and what a beautiful singer! If you haven't heard it check out The Hanging Tree!

I thought that Peeta's 'destruction' was done really well; without spoiling anything, he gets captured by The Capitol where they brainwash him and he goes a bit md. They added make up to his face which made him look ill and miserable. It was a nice effect!

So I'll make a confession... I went and saw this a few days after it came out back in November and this post has been sat unfinished in my drafts for a while now and I can't 100% remember what I thought #SoUnprofessional.

Hope you enjoyed reading anyway!

Music Review: Damien Rice - My Favourite Faded Fanatsy (2014)

Wow, it's been a while! I guess I've just been super busy and haven't had the inspiration for anything but I feel like I'm making a comeback now. I've picked up my guitar tonight (which I haven't done in months) and I feel ready to write! Why it's at 23.30 on a Thursday night I will never know but whatever works for you ay!

So just to spice things up a bit I thought I'd review Mr Damien Rice's brand spanking new album because I'm a little bit obsessed with it lately!

I've been a big fan of his since I had my guitar lessons back when I was 15/16 and my teacher taught me The Animals Were Gone and when I started listening to the rest of his stuff I was transfixed. How a man can write and perform such beautiful music is beyond me. If you've never listened to him before, just go and watch some live performance and you will see what I'm talking about! The guy is pure talent! Every time I watch a performance of his I fall in love even more. I think if I don't get to see him live in the near future I might combust.

Anyway, back to the point... *Fangirl mode switching off*

After a long awaited eight years for new material I wasn't disappointed! I was really excited to go out and buy this after seeing some previews on his YouTube channel, and my obvious love for him. I bought it on the day it came out and put it on my phone almost straight away and listened to it the next day on my way to uni and I had goosebumps walking through Leeds City Centre. You know you're listening to good music when you just forget everything around you.

I will admit though, I don't love everything on there. I think a few of the songs are a tad slow, especially at the beginning of the album and towards the end and ones that I would probably skip past (mainly because I listen to music on my walk to uni and I don't need chilled out tunes). I'm not saying it makes it a bad album though, not at all. Obviously you're not going to love every single second of the album, no one does, everyone has different tastes. I think he should have maybe reconsidered the order of things on it as it definitely picks up a few songs in.

I will mention my favourites though because they are bloomin incredible! And probably some of my favourite songs of his (if I dare say that!) and probably some of my favourite songs of the year (and even all time.). Like I said before go and listen to them live because they are a million times better!

1. The Greatest Bastard (listen to it acoustically here), which I have been playing for the best part of the night.

2. I Don't Want to Change You

3. Colour Me In

So now I'm just here waiting for him to announce some UK dates I can actually go to while falling in love with him more and more and dying a little bit inside every time I watch a video of his live performances because I can't be there.

Mr Rice, if you're reading this (which I highly doubt but you never know), I'm not crazy.