Carmen Reid - An OK Read

Advantages: Good for escapism, light-hearted, fun
Disadvantages: Not the best of it's kind, others do chick-lit better

...Annie Valentine is stylish, savvy, mulit-tasker extraordinaire and she is the central character in Carmen Reid's 'The Personal Shopper'. I've never read anything by Reid before and I nearly didn't read this after I noticed the appallingly cheesy tagline on the back of the book - 'A fabulous read. A sexy read. A Carmen Reid'. But I decided to overlook this minor 'flaw' and give it a go - after all, you should NEVER judge a book by its cover! Annie Valentine is the single mother of a stroppy teenage girl and painfully shy eleven year old boy. She is a super-busy personal shopper in a super-swanky department store. She spends her days mentoring and re-inventing her clients through the medium of clothes and she's damn good at her job. It seems though, that she is so good at her job that she leaves no time for her personal life. Will she...

dkm1981 16.12.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Personal Shopper - Carmen Reid

A Spa on a budget?

Advantages: bubbly, interestingly pampering scent, good body wash!
Disadvantages: may be slightly too aromatic for some, possibly too girly to appeal to men?

...I never actually bought this, I sort of acquired it! Some time ago, in Sainsbury's, my mum had decided she was fed up with the soap getting soggy in the shower soap holder and, since the Imperial Leather handwash was on offer, we somehow managed to end up with a buy-one-get-one-free on both types of product! (The other shower gel in question was the far more eye-catching bright icy blue Icelandic Spa one, but that was used up before I had chance to sample it.) So, for variety, we also went for the cream-ivory coloured Japanese Spa shower gel . . . and then my dad decided he couldn't get used to body wash instead of soap - he's not the kind of dad you'd buy toiletries for at the best of times! - and my mum isn't really a high-maintenance person in the bathroom either. Therefore, they finished the blue shower gel and the offer was open to...

KateHurst 30.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Imperial Leather Japanese Spa Shower Creme

CARMEN REID IS A FABULOUS READ!

Advantages: A feisty, funny, memorable heroine plus a great story
Disadvantages: It came to an end

...wonderfully rounded. They are all given great parts in this busy story and not one is a disappointment. I loved and hated them as necessary. No way does the story focus totally on Annie's job as a Personal Shopper. You won't find screeds of fashion tips and hints cunningly included within the plot. You will find some, of course, but the theme is certainly not intrusive. We meet a few of Annie's favourite customers and their parts are well written and the interaction between them and Annie is not in any way unnecessary to the story. There's no padding in Ms Reid's writing. Oh! And I have to tell you that Carmen Reid is also the only author I've read to date who can write a lovemaking scene which is actually delightfully sexy and funny and not at all clinical or mucky. With lots of love and laughter, a little sadness and a huge...

Louizalass 24.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of The Personal Shopper - Carmen Reid

A wonderful and relaxing spa with plenty of choice.

Advantages: Not as expensive as other spa's and they're nicely decorated.
Disadvantages: Why can't I afford to come here every day?!

... What is Aqua Sana? Aqua Sana is a chain of spa's, there are 4 Aqua Sana spa's in England and each of them are situated at a different Center Parcs. You can visit the spa whilst on holiday at Center Parcs, or you can just visit the Aqua Sana spa for the day, or an overnight stay. Full details on the soa's and prices are available at www.aquasana.co.uk Each Aqua Sana spa has 14 spa experiences boasting the widest selection in the UK, and of course there are the usual selection of treatments to choose from haircuts and pedicures to massage's and facials. I personally prefer to go for a spa day without any of the treatments as the spa itself is a very relaxing place and not too badly priced considering the prices of some the spa's in the UK! Inside the Spa I have been to the Aqua Sana spa at Whinfell Forest...

GemmaC25 21.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Aqua Sana Spa

Great Modern Carmen

Advantages: Smooth voiced protagonists, nice sound
Disadvantages: Slightly tame Escamillo, maybe lacking in some french style

...Arguably the best recording of Carmen in the past 30 years. Teresa Berganza has a smooth and warm voice here, rather darker than Victoria de los Angeles (Thomas Beecham conducts, EMI) but smoother and lighter than Maria Callas (Georges Pretre conducts, EMI) and Regine Resnik (Schippers conducts, Decca). Her performance is similarly balanced - dramatic without being too vampish and with that sultry latin quality (a little bit lacking in Victoria de los Angeles in my opinion). She sings with greater precision in the runs and leaps than Resnik and her voice seems like balm after the altogether different instrument of Maria Callas (even at the later's best she growls rather more than Berganaza which you either love or hate). Placido Domingo is a king amongst recent Don Joses on record. Jose Carreras with Karajan may bring more passion to...

operalover2000 04.04.2008 · Read review
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Review of Bizet: Carmen

Lush Carmen Miranda - My Fruit Cocktail

Advantages: A great all round soap for anyone
Disadvantages: None

...This is, without a doubt, my all-time favourite Lush soap. And it was my very first Lush soap, too! There I was, in a virgin Lush shower with Miranda and I was having such a fantastic shower, all because of a piece of soap! Needless to say my boyfriend thought i'd gone mad, as he said and I quote "its only a soap". Oh no my friend, its not just a soap its a Miranda soap! Originally named Carmen Miranda (the singer from the 70s, who dressed in very elaborate head- gear made of fruit. She was as famous for her singing as she was for her fruity head dresses) it was created as a big soap "pie" decorated with huge pieces of carved soap fruit on top. Truly, it was nothing short of a work of art. But then it was briefly discontinued, reformulated, and returned as Miranda, a white to light green soap with the fruit now being stirred into...

sweetpeas01 02.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Lush Carmen Miranda Soap

Search for the thief Carmen Sandiego all around the world!

Advantages: Good graphics and has educational value.
Disadvantages: Can sometimes be difficult to defeat enemies and not alot of storyline.

...Age Rating: 7+ 1 Player PS2 memory card required. Trainee A.C.M.E agent Cole Gannon is searching for the elusive thief Carmen Sandiego. By cracking puzzles and fighting supernatural spirits, Cole will be able to gain clues that take him all around the world after Carmen. The thief is looking for several drums that can reveal a hidden diamond but spirits are trying to stop her from taking the drums. The main aspect of the game is exploring different areas for clues to Carmen's location, these are in the form of compasses that you have to pick up before you can get to the next level. Once you collect all of the compasses and finish the level the in-game GPS will appear and find your next destination. When you enter a new country a small window will pop up, Shadow will begin to talk about the country and its history. Another part...

Mistybrook 13.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Carmen Sandiego The Secret Of The Stolen Drums

Champneys Spa Day

Advantages: wonderful massage and facial
Disadvantages: intituional feel, poor general facilities.

...My husband and I went for the spa day which included a thalassotherapy session, a massage and a facial at Champneys Springs in Leics. I was not impressed by the building and the internal environment - long corridors with lots of people wondering around in write robes gave it an institional feel and the buildings were ugly and sprawling. The massage and facial we both agreed were wonderful and personalised and thalassotherapy pool was pleasant enough though I wouldn't pay for it separately. The shower rooms toilets had a mildewy smell. The gym was small and steamy. The coffee was awful and all other drinks (not tap water) had to be paid for. Lunch was buffet of salad though a freshly cooked wrap was offered - basic (Compare this to the wonderful 3 course lunches at Eden Hall). I thought it had little to offer if you didn't have any...

maddimoo 18.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of Champneys Health Spa

My hands just experienced a Japanese Spa . . .

Advantages: indulgent alternative to everyday soap, appealing fragrance
Disadvantages: slightly drying on the hands - could be too much for sensitive skin

...say it looked more feminine than masculine. Topped with the red ribbon Imperial Leather logo, the words "Japanese Spa" are printed entirely in lower case plum-purple letters and underneath a cropped, graphic-looking floral shape in pink and pale green is finished off with simple flower shapes and a figure that looks like it is from the Japanese alphabet, so again there is quite a pronounced feeling of "delicacy". As each bottle holds 300ml I think it has lasted fairly well considering it must be getting used about four times a day. I'm not sure what I'd expect a spa in Japan to smell like but I certainly think the highlight on the front of the bottle telling me that it contains green tea, rice milk and jasmine plants the suggestion of an oriental atmosphere in the mind. Having just washed my hands I am now sitting here smelling them (yes...

KateHurst 14.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Imperial Leather Japanese Spa Handwash

Nirvana Spa - my idea of heaven!

Advantages: serene, tranquil, perfect
Disadvantages: expensive

...I was incredibly spoilt last Christmas when I discovered that my lovely husband's present to me was an 'Essential Escape' day at Nirvana Spa. I was thrilled to bits but due to such a hectic life wasn't actually able to take it up until just recently, although luckily, all gift vouchers can be used any time up to a year. Let me tell you a little bit about Nirvana Spa itself first. It is the most serene, tranquil place on earth (or at least in Berkshire)! It is also quite exclusive as it is incredibly pricy (more about that later). It has a number of different pools including a hot hydrotherapy spa pool with lots of different jets which work on all the different parts of your body, and both fitness and relaxation pools. There is a small gym, treatment rooms for all different types of massages, hand treatments etc, and a lovely...

kingfisher111 08.09.2006 · Read review
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Review of Nirvana Spa