The Impossible | Movie Review

Things that make Jade cry 

(in no specific order)

1. Extreme Makeover Home Edition
2. Weddings (particularly the moment when the groom catches the first sight of his bride).
3. Funerals (the speeches kill me. I've gone to funerals for people that I don't even know (don't worry, I am not a funeral crasher!) and I've always been led to tears during the speeches about the deceased!) 
4. When the wine runs out.

I am not a crier. As you can see from the above list, very few things makes the waterworks flow for me, but I'm terribly bad at watching anything to do with devastation. I also appear to be really bad at watching anything incredibly happy! (Although they would be tears of happiness rolling down my cheeks - I still get teased and laughed at for it!)

In 2004, a tsunami swept through South East Asia. The devastating news made international headlines. Many were killed, thousands left homeless. Many lost their loved ones and the lives that the Thai had built up was completely destroyed. 

The Impossible is a harrowing tale based on an incredible true story of a family of five who were in Thailand on the 26th December 2004, when the tsunami hit. It is a film about the families strength, belief and stubbornness to not only survive the disaster but to also find each other again - fighting the odds and keeping hope and faith.

When the tsunami came, the family was ripped apart and had no idea if they had survived the tragic event. 

Naomi Watts (mum,) seemed to have suffered the worst of the injuries but quickly spots her son amidst the chaos. She lets go of the palm tree that she had clung herself onto and got swept into the vicious water after her eldest son. The two finally manage to grab hold of each other as the are flung around in the water. They cling onto each other for dear life as to not be separated. 

The tsunami took Ewan McGregor (dad) and the two younger boys on another course but, miraculously, they also manage to stick together. 

This spine-chilling film follows both mum and dad as they fight for their families lives while they go on a journey to find each other again with no way of contacting each other to find out if they had even survived the traumatic day.

Naomi Watts gave an absolutely breathtaking performance. In fact, all of the acting was jaw-dropping. Ewan Mcgregor, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin and Oaklee Pendergast were equally as compelling and hoisted this film up to reach the highest of highs.

The scenes were beyond gory and graphic - making it literally impossible for even the manliest of men not to shiver. If you've got a weak stomach for blood and wounds, I wouldn't suggest that you watch this film but it really is so worth it. At times I did have to close my eyes and look away if I wasn't already wiping the tears from my eyes with my blanket or cringing from the gore. 

This film just took my blew me away and does such a good job of reminding us of the ghastly events that took place on the 26th December 2004. 

Thursday's Trio of Blessings

Blessing One: 

  

Today is my birthday.

I managed to make it through another year of life without breaking any bones, spraining any ankles, crashing my car (oh wait.. did that. Whoops), picking up a mass amount of body fat from the amount of Pringles I devour.. or dying.

Hurrah.

Success!

Here's to another year ahead of dodging bullets in life.

Blessing Two:

After getting kicked out of bed by my excitable mother this morning at 5am, I have received over 50 birthday messages, 4 massively slobbery dog kisses, a mass amount of cat hair all over my black work attire, a wonderful delivery of my favorite feta and butternut cous-cous salad for lunch, an incredibly special phone call from Canada, a handpicked single white rose, a bottle of deeeeelicious white wine from my French friend and some horrendous karaoke style Happy Birthday songs sang via a phone call or alternatively (and mortifyingly,) in person from my from my friends and family around the globe.
 

It's safe to say that I'm feeling pretty special - what more could you want for your birthday besides world peace and the day off work?

That's blessing enough for me :)

I'll be spending my evening at my absolute favorite Portuguese restaurant: O'pescador's (it's my tradition. I go to the same restaurant and have the same food (ladies rump steak followed by delicious orange pancakes) every single year. This is probably my 12th year going there. It is still under the same ownership - we don't even need to book a table anymore! They already have the best table in the house booked and ready for us when we arrive and are the most incredible hosts!)

Wine, steak and surrounded by family.... I couldn't ask for more.

Oh... and of course.. caaaaaaaaake.

Blessing Three:
(I just had to add this in - because I was in hysterics)

My dad still has both eyes and some form of eyebrows after I trimmed them with a pair of scissors. Phew.

They were horrendously hairy - and in need of a good clipping. 

It was, needless to say, hilarious.

How has your Thursday been??? Anything exciting and wonderful happen to you on this beautiful day to be alive?
I'd love to hear all about it. 

Love, light and happiness to all - and to all, a good night ;)

Vichy | NormaDerm Global Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care | Product Review

I don't know why, but I have been having such bad breakouts on my chin lately. I hate it!! They go all big and swollen - it's sore too! 

I've been told it's hormones. 

Bloody hell. 

Just my luck.

After applying minty toothpaste to my chin every night for over a fortnight (making me look like a complete moron and getting laughed at and teased by my folks), the pimples just kept coming - and I have never ever suffered from bad skin before! 

I can literally count how many pimples I've had in my life - so why the hell is it suddenly so bad!?

I went to Dis-Chem and spoke to a lady behind the counter who confirmed that it was definitely hormones. 

That's where you get breakouts if your hormones are going haywire.

Fantastic.

I asked her what product she would recommend and Vichy was what she suggested. 

I'd never heard of this French brand before and she told me I could really benefit from it with my combination skin, so she gave me a few samples to go home and try out before purchasing a bottle.  

After 24 hours, my skin was already feeling the effects. 

It had never felt so hydrated, smooth and wonderful!

Within a week, all of the lumps and bumps on my chin had vanished - all that remained was my annoying scarring from the pimples that had already unleashed their wrath onto my poor face. But that sort of scarring often fades within a few weeks so I was happy to cover it up with some concealer. 

Eventually, the tester sachet's that the shop assistant had provided me with had run out and I was mortified. Vichy had become my own personal facial drug. Yip. Sad.. but true.

Strapped for cash and with no salary coming in next month (details on that in a later post!) - I decided I needed to buy this cream regardless. 

So I marched off to the chemist desperate and needy for my Vichy Normaderm Global Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care  product and purchased a bottle with my savings. 

I decided that I just couldn't live without it. Nope. No way. Couldn't.

This product targets a number of different skin problems such as:

1. Blemishes
2. Irregular Complexion
3.  Pores
4. Oily Skin
5. Imperfection Marks
6. Shininess

It states this on the packaging and although I don't really suffer from any of those - it really visibly improved my sudden breakout and made the world of difference to how my skin felt in general too!

Pros:

• Paraben Free
• Fragrance is mild and not over-powering. It's subtle and refreshing.
• Non-greasy
• You don't need to use much - one little blob of this cream is enough to cover and hydrate your entire face, so the bottle lasts for ages. 
• Light - this green-tinged cream isn't 'heavy' or 'thick.' Although it feels and looks thick when you pump it into your hand, it feels light as a feather on your skin.
• It comes with a pump so it's hygienic and neat.. non of the excess cream dries around the edges like sometimes happens with a tube.
• Ideal for a make-up base.
• Suitable for sensitive skin.

Cons:

• Expensive - at just over R 200.00 ( around about 20 USD (I think.. online converter gave me that) ) this is one of the more pricey facial products I've tried - but LOVED. I suppose it completely depends on what you're willing to spend on your facial products. Personally, I don't use any facial wash etc. I wash my face with water and that's it. I don't even use a toner - so I can afford to splash out a leeeeetle more on a good face cream.

I think that I have finally found the facial product that is meant for me. 

I'm usually always swapping and changing brands and checking out what else is out there but when I finally find a product that I love to pieces - I can't imagine using anything else.

My skin feels incredible and revitalized and I would recommend it to anyone with a combination skin.

Thursday's Trio of Blessings

I'm reading a book at the moment where one of the characters writes down three blessings that occurred in her life at the end of each day. I adored the idea of doing that but thought that every day would be a bit of an overkill to share to the online world... especially as sometimes my blessings can get quite sarcastic (you'll see how later).

So welcome to Bohemian Muses: Thursday's Trio of Blessings

If I have the discipline to keep up with this as a weekly post - you'll be reading three blessings that happened to me during the 24 hours of my Thursday, every Thursday!

It's a great way to reflect on the day and appreciate the good things - no matter how small and insigificant they may seem.

Can I just add here that I know it's a blessing to be alive, to have food on the table and a roof over my head. I know and appreciate that - this is just a silly, fun post purely for my own wacky entertainment. 

So here's this Thursday's Trio of Blessings: 

1. The hot chocolate hadn't run out when I woke up at 4am and couldn't fall back asleep. Reading in bed during the early hours of a misty morning with a mug of frothy Cadburys...
   Pure Bliss.
   
   

• I did not run over my ex-boyfriends fiance. 
  I have no broken toes and no blisters from my heel wearing yesterday
  (even though I changed into slippers halfway through the day much to my bosses disgust!)
  
  
  
  

• The market next to where I work finally stocked my favorite Chilli Olives.

Nom nom nom.

How has your Thursday been? I hope it was as blessing filled as mine was (haha).

The New Man in my Life

I have a new man in my life - he's wonderful.

Slick, suave, sexy and so far he proves to be most reliable.

He's sleek and slender - neat, organized and just keeps on surprising me.

My friends and family have all been replaced for a while as I bond with him. Our connection is grand and I've been dreaming of him for so long. If I'm honest, I've been an absolute perv over him for well over a healthy amount of time too. I finally nabbed him. Put my rod into the ocean and reeled him in. I couldn't be more thrilled!

He's really intricate though and it is going to take me a long time to learn him and he's modernized ways.

He has all of these hidden qualities that I have yet to discover.

He's super expensive though - buying him gifts such as protective gear and bags etc proves to be quite steep. Although I suppose that good things never come cheap.

I've called him - Optimus Prime. 

Of course my new Mac has got to be a man. His name may change if I find something more fitting.

I've already fallen head over heels in love with him.

 

Isn't he handsome??? 

Blogging is going to be so much fun now - especially with all the new and exciting news I have lined up for you all this month. Not only is it the month that I turn 23 (in exactly nine days), but it is also the month of big, big changes. 

I'll let you all in on my new shenanigans on a need-to-know basis ;) 

Until then.. keep tuning in.