Cry Babies Magic Tears launch & Review

Don’t worry, I’m not about to launch into a rant about the effect pregnancy has on your figure or discuss ‘birthing hips’! Instead this week I had the great opportunity to catch new Cuban dance production Ballet Revolución.

When an invitation dropped into my mailbox, it didn’t take long for me to decide my response – hot, bare-chested dancers flexing their toned limbs to the sounds of Ricky Martin and Shakira? – count me in!

The Sadler’s Wells production running at London’s Peacock Theatre is fairly far removed from any typical night at the ballet, but not completely, as these dancers clearly have the skills to compete with any top ballet company. And instead of pirouettes, tutus and scrapped back buns, it was more a case of pirouettes, hip thrusts, hotpants and dreadlocks to a soundtrack of Ricky Martin’s She Bangs and Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie, not to mention some more recent hits such as Chris Brown’s Yeah 3x and Beyonce’s If I Were a Boy, performed by a talented live band.

The tempo of the production continued to pick up pace throughout the performance brilliantly showcasing the mix of ballet, contemporary and hip hop. By the end of the night, it was hard not to want to join in and shake a hip or two.

At the Peacock Theatre, London until May 19 – definitely worth booking a ticket!

CHRISTMAS is coming! And Netflix have the perfect offering for the festive season in the shape of Kurt Russell!

Well, not exactly Kurt Russell himself, but the actor playing Santa Claus in their film The Christmas Chronicles.

And so the chance to watch a special screening of the film saw my daughter and I up early to head into the West End to watch it in the cosy surroundings of the Ham Yard Hotel.

Bonus points already for giving the girl and I a chance for some mummy and daughter time, leaving baby brother at home with dad as the film is recommended for eight and above.

Alongside Russell, there’s Darby Camp and Judah Lewis as warring siblings, who’ve recently lost their father, but agree a truce for one night to attempt to catch Father Christmas in action on Christmas Eve.

The resulting chaos will have you hooked as the kids hitch a ride on Santa’s sleigh and ultimately join forces to ‘save Christmas’.

There were lots of laughs from the audience throughout – from both adults and kids, especially at the current day references (‘fake news’, Uber, elves doing the floss) littered throughout.

I can’t say too much without giving away the film’s many surprises, but I’d recommend it as one for all the family with Russell as the main attraction.

It’s out on Netflix on November 22nd, so don’t forget to add it to your viewing list!

You can watch the trailer HERE, and for more information on the film visit:

netflix.com/ChristmasChronicles

With no big names or celebrity performers, the real draw of Soul Sister at the Savoy Theatre is its telling of the Ike and Turner story against the backdrop of her legendary and extremely stageworthy songs.

Starring Emi Wokoma and Chris Tummings in the lead roles, the production which transferred from Hackney Empire, has a lot going for it.

A talented cast, the singing was top class, but with songs like Private Dancer, Simply the Best and River Deep, Mountain High hitting the audience hard and fast, a slight lack of development in the script meant the play was in danger of becoming a Tina Turner tribute concert.

Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but myself and my friend who joined me on the night, would have loved to have seen some further – and deeper – development in the script.

Wokoma who works hard to take on the characteristics of Tina, while still managing to make the songs her own, is undoubtedly the star of the show and ultimately keeps it from being the feared tribute concert. She’s definitely one to look out for in the future.

Soul Sister is at the Savoy Theatre until September 29, before touring the UK.

Media Mummy rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Believing my eyelashes to be one of my better features, I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for any product claiming to enhance their length or volume. But my desire for longer, fuller lashes has always been within a price range, so value for money would always be at the back of my mind when purchasing the latest volumising mascara.

And not wanting to go down the path of faffing around with false eyelashes, it was with some interest that I took up the opportunity to try out RapidLash Eyelash Enhancing Serum. With celebrity endorsement in the form of presenter/model Lisa Snowdon, it promises ‘up to 50% longer natural lashes with up to 75% more volume’ and already boasts over 1.5m sales worldwide

.     

Easy to use – you just apply to the base of your (make-up free!) eyelashes each night and wait for the magic to work… I’ve been using it for about four weeks now and I can honestly say I’ve noticed a difference – although with a RRP of £39.99 I’d be seriously screwing if nothing was happening!

The other day I even ventured out of the house without a single lick of mascara on. Not a big deal for some, but for me and the lone grey hair in my otherwise perfectly dark set of lashes – it was pretty momentous…!

My verdict? Definitely worth a try, if you have some cash to treat yourself.

RapidLash, RRP £39.99, available from Boots, ww.boots.com  and www.rapidlash.co.uk