SeiSei

Musical Review: Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
At: The Palace Theatre, London
Cast: Jason Donovan, Oliver Thornton, Tony Sheldon

WARNING: POST CONTAINS SPOILERS. 

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I was lucky enough to see the musical 'Priscilla Queen of the Desert' for my friend's birthday celebrations this week. Based on the Australian film of the same name, it features 3 drag queens who travel across Australia from Sydney to Alice Springs in an old bus named 'Priscilla'. The stand-out character for me was the brilliant Bernadette; the aging transexual full of witty one-liners, portrayed perfectly by Tony Sheldon. The wickedly fun Felicia played by Oliver Thornton was also very similar to how I remember him/her in the film. The tension and banter between these two characters is the predominant source of humour in the show. The other main character, Tick who is otherwise known as Mitzi, brings them together with his quest to perform in a casino in Alice Springs. The other characters do not know his real reason for wishing to embark on this journey; he has a wife and a son in Alice he has not seen for many years.

I have just one negative point to make: I thought Tick's storyline was slightly out of place. The uplifting songs, brilliantly extravagant costumes and jokes made by the characters juxtaposed against a somewhat serious storyline didn't work together in my opinion. In the film I remember seeing more of the character's emotions which didn't really translate across to the musical. It does however, successfully deal with issues such as homophobia and feelings of being an outcast from society.

The strength of the musical is that it is incredibly fun and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face! The songs are upbeat, catchy and guaranteed to have you singing along (at least in your mind!). The sets are beautiful, I particularly liked the inside of the bus 'Priscilla' complete with palm trees, banana bean bag and flamingos!

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The highlight though was definitely the incredible costumes. They were designed by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner who also designed the costumes for the film! My favourites were: the cupcake dresses, the Marie Antoinette-influenced dresses which created the shape of the Sydney Opera House, the extremely glittery dress worn by the opera singer who sang on the shoe on top of the bus, the amazing headpieces and the animal influenced outfits at the end.

To summarize, it was a thoroughly enjoyable show, one I highly recommend!

The new Issey Miyake campaign "Pleats Please" caught my eye recently. The photographs feature pleated clothes arranged to form shapes inspired by sushi. What I find intriguing about these pictures is how neatly the fabric is arranged, and how this lends itself well to the tidy presentation of sushi.

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I have been a fan of No.7 products for over a decade now. One of my favourite products is their 'Instant Radiance Concealer' which is perfect for covering those dark shadows that live under my eyes so often.  I also decided to try their eye cream and as I spent over £20 I got one of their little gift packs! It was a small round box full of samples which are a great way to allow people to try different products they might not consider usually. 

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Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum
This was not new to me but I highly recommend it. It really does wonders for your skin and makes it feel a lot healthier.
 
Time Resisting Day Cream
It's not bad but it's not my favourite product. In all honesty I probably wouldn't buy it.

Lash 360 Mascara
Haven't tried this yet simply because it's a small size and suitable for taking with me when I travel.

High Shine Lip Gloss
Very nice - neutral colour that would probably suit most people, slighly glittery but not overpowering, remained on my lips for a reasonable amount of time.

Cleanse & Care Eye Makeup Remover
It works very well, removing all traces of stubborn mascara.
 
Blissful Body Wash
Again, haven't tried it yet as it is a good size for traveling.
 
Soft & Soothed Cleanser
I liked it a lot - very smooth skin after using. However, I didn't notice any dramatic differences between that and my current (and less expensive) cleanser.

My best dressed picks from the Costume Institute Gala 2009. In no particular order:

Left to right: Diane Kruger in Chanel, Catherine McNeil in Ronald Mouret, Claire Danes in Armani Prive, Giselle Bundchen in Versace, Alek Wek in Ungaro, Sasha Pivovarova in Giambattista Valli

Left to right: Ashley Olsen in ?, Arlenis Sosa in Alberta Ferretti, Coco Rocha in Issac Mizrahi, Shalom Harlow in ? with Amber Valletta in James Galanos , Sharlom Harlow in Bob Mackie, Jessica Stam in Rodarte, Daria Werbowy in Balmain

Left to right: Hilary Rhoda in Thakoon, Iris Strubegger in Givenchy, Nadja Auermann in Lanvin, Oluchi Onweagba in Oscar de la Renta, Anna Jagodzinska in Altuzarra

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In some ways I prefer Resort and Pre-Fall collections to the main SS and FW collections. Why? Because there are generally lower expectations and who doesn't enjoy a pleasant surprise?

Bottega Veneta is not one of my favourite fashion labels but I usually find some nice pieces in their collections and this was no exception. Bold colours, thin stripes and loose fitting items convey an image that is casual yet sophisticated. Most of all I love the way the accessories (scarves, belts and handbags) really make the clothes stand out.

My highlights from this collection:

I've decided to expand the topics I talk about in this blog.

New topics will include:
+ Style
+ Shops & Shopping
+ More entries about my life

I might also write about some of my viewpoints on the current happenings in the world.

So ultimately this will become a slightly more "general" blog.