You may have heard of the Australian bestseller, ' I Quit Sugar ', by Sarah Wilson. After reading her interview and recipes in YOU Magazine, I was intrigued. Dietary essentials are carbs, protein and veg... sugar is actually the one thing we don't need. 'That's easy!' I thought, 'all I really need to cut out is cake, chocolate, sweets etc. I still get to eat meat, carbs, dairy... '. The first meal time was a party. But that kind of diet has no longevity. I need food for lunch at work, food for on the go, and meals that are sustainable. So I stepped foot inside Sainsbury's to find some sugar-free delights. Here's a tip - THERE ARE NONE. I was wandering the aisles like a lost little match girl for an hour, clinging olives and salami close to my chest, gasping at how much sugar is in everything. The world is literally against people who are trying to cut out sugar. There was an aisle for products that had no gluten, no dairy, no wheat.....

Happy New Year! I spent my New Year in Paris. What a spectacularly, mind-blowingly, awesomely... shit idea. They don't do countdowns, fireworks or sing Auld Lang Syne. In true British fashion, I silently grumbled and shuffled off. I may do a blog post on the highs and lows of Paris eventually as I'd love to try and put the Moulin Rouge experience into words - attempting something more detailed than 'very camp'. Anyway, my first post of 2014 is unfortunately one of my employer's competitors, Coca Cola. I only spotted their new ad last night so forgive my tardiness. If you haven't seen it take a look below with the volume up. This ad is part of their 'Reasons to Believe' campaign, a campaign that has already run successfully in 70 other countries. I loved the gritty feel to the ad, using news clips and real footage. Brid Drohan-Stewart, Marketing Activation Director says, " This campaign takes us back to the heartland of what our brand ha...

I'm sure you have all by now seen or heard of Tesco Mobile's Twitter responses. If you haven't yet, check them out here . Tesco Mobile have been praised and raved about for the past month or so, because of the quick and witty comebacks they send to the internet trolls who mock Tesco's mobile service. It's a great idea. If you have seen the Tesco Mobile adverts , you'll see that they were the first to take the piss out of themselves. When they created the service, they knew that young people would be sending them abuse and calling them shit. So, when creating their social platform, Tesco Mobile knew they had to get someone to respond who could give as good as they got. It makes perfect sense for their brand. You have also probably seen the ' Best Twitter Conversation Ever ', whereby Tesco Mobile, Yorkshire Tea and Jaffa Cakes have humorous banter with each other. Now that other brands have seen this, they want a piece of the action. They want...

As a first time buyer, the recent Lloyd's ad really caught my attention. It's the first mortgage-related ad that has ever done that, most probably because it has been obviously targeted to people in their 20's, like me.  Take a look... So the guy has reached the point where he is fed up with the critical comments, the incessant questions and constant nagging that comes with living with his parents whilst saving to buy. At times I have too felt like this so I can relate to it well (apart from being 31 of course...) You generally feel quite hopeless. I'm sure most twenty-somethings still living with their parents will be drawn in by this familiar scenario, so the light at the end of the tunnel seems brighter when Lloyd's announce their first-time buyers scheme. Lloyd's make it sound ever so simple, '... I got a nice little place of my own with my own deposit, and some help from my parents.' Well, based on my experience so far, it's not that...

What other way to spend a lazy Sunday than channeling that creativity into making a scenic cake! Calorific AND fun - what could be better? However, I free-style recipes and have severe lack of patience. Do you really have to sieve? Do you really  have to wait for the sponge to cool before applying the icing? The aim was this: The reality was this: Didn't bother finishing it. Never baking again.

Last night I went to the Coronet Theatre's A Danse Macabre Ball as the Lichtenshtein comic book Crying Girl. For those who aren't familiar, this is her: And so this is what I looked like. I know there are probably 1000 tutorials on this already but fancied doing my own as I find make up tutorials can be quite annoying for two main reasons. 1) Video bloggers love the sound of their own voice and ramble for an 18 minute clip that could easily be under 5. 2) You are expected to use a range of different sized brushes and palettes of 24 shades from Mac to achieve your look. So, start with your face. Perhaps with an apprehensive expression that shows you hope this goes smoothly. Hair first as always. I pinned back the longer bit of my hair first so it looked like I had short hair, then pinned down the front as colour spray works best on hair that is secure and already in place. (Nightmare to style hair after you have sprayed it) Then get some Snazzaro ...

Last Saturday was my boyfriend's birthday. I wanted to spice up the evening and take him somewhere he would never forget. To naughty underworld for a delicious experience. We made our way to Old Compton St in Soho, and I took him here: A man inside was wearing a tight vest and sporting a bondage mouth gag ball casually around his neck. As I spoke to the man, my boyfriend was shifting a few paces behind me, unaware of what we were about to do or what I had planned. We were taken downstairs and squeezed passed a few sexy looking people in black, until it opened up into an underground cave filled with booze, dinner tables, and very normal looking people. Disco music was blaring out from Prince to Jackson 5, and the bar staff were powering the electric atmosphere by downing shots with punters. This is La Bodega Negra. A mexican restaurant. I won't do a whole review of the food as I am not a food critic, however I had Octopus and Chorizo skewers and my boyfriend...

So my favourite time of the year is quickly approaching... A week long fright-fest filled with masked balls, intricate pumpkin designs, ghost stories, fancy dress and Hocus Pocus on repeat. I would be happy if every Christmas, Easter and birthday was replaced with Halloween. I love it so much you'd think I was American, and it saddens me that many of my friends don't appreciate this holiday. I always try and out-costume myself every year. In 2011, one of my costumes was Frank the Playboy Bunny (see Donnie Darko) And one of my Halloween costumes for 2012 was a Molly Dolly Now this year has to be bigger, better. One, two costumes is not enough. I am already going to The Dance Macabre Halloween Ball at the Coronet London, but I need more! Last year I spent actual Hallow's Eve night on my own watching A Serbian Film, which I have to say was a let down in many respects. This year is all about preparation and here are my inspirations for this year.  Wis...

On my train into work I saw this ad I wonder what anyone's first reaction to this ad would be? I'll tell you mine. The copy and the picture do not go together. If you'd shown me sunshine, then I might think Villa Plus. If I'm looking at this ad, then I do not think Villa Plus. The poor woman is being pelted with balls like she is in some kind of Freudian nightmare, whilst some gigantic luminous satsuma is heading her way. When you read the small print, (if you get that far), you see that the villa's include table tennis. OH RIGHT! The woman actually has SO much opportunity to play table tennis that she can't even handle it and needs, not one, but two paddles to fight off the unlimited supply of balls. This turns the idea of playing table tennis at Villa Plus into a terrifying prospect. My point of this blog post is that first impressions count. I had to read that ad fully to be able to understand it, and I only read it fully because it has been ...

Marmite is the most revolting thing known to man, but my God do they know how to advertise. Yesterday I saw the new End Marmite Neglect ad and I was compelled to write a post about it. Take a look: Despite thinking Marmite tastes like the devil himself, I cannot fault their long running 'Love it or hate it' campaign. If you have read my previous posts, you'll know I love products that tell it like it is. Accept the fact that not everyone likes you, and you'll be on the right track. I think I fell in love with this ad when the shaken new recruit sobbed, 'I've never seen one that small before'. This pet rescue-style ad ticks all the boxes, mainly because it is so so British. It reminds me of a dry humour comedy, such as The Office, and I look forward to seeing what happens next. This AdamAndEveDDB campaign will run for 2013 and includes nationwide sampling, outdoor and PR promotions, and social media. Speaking of social media, don't think Marmit...