Road Trip

23 May 2013


This is the first of many 'rambling' posts, in which I aim to bore as many people as possible in one post. Over the past couple months, I have experiencing abnormal physical changes. I have started waking with headaches and experiencing intense backaches, amongst other things. Nothing about my routine has changed so I am finding it extremely difficult to pinpoint a cause but I did the ridiculous and Googled it. Apparently, I'm going through menopause.

I buckled the other day and bought a bouquet of those really-tacky-yet-secretly-fantastic glittery flowers from Tesco after a colleague of mine returned from her lunch break with some. I had been eyeing these up since Christmas and when I spotted them discounted at around £1.85, I nabbed them. I didn't nab them, I paid for them. They're pastel in colour so perfect for spring, and sparkle in the sunlight. Some other mentionable items I have acquired include a lip-shaped lipstick and two giveaway wins; a pack of Aero Bubbles and a set of three Eucerin Even Brighter products worth over £60.


My fitness and diet regime is going appallingly  This is the first time I've ever dieted or exercised and it's proving to be difficult. I'm not going to boast that I love working out when I don't, just to fit in. I hate it - there, I said it. Keeping track of calories consumes you and I find research to be more of a hindrance than help, with many articles contradicting each other. I'm looking to build up a regime from scratch and I am eating healthier, but there's a long road ahead. I'm also looking into buying a console and dance game, either a Wii and Just Dance or Kinect and Dance Central, as I used to play this religiously and it never occurred to me that it counted as cardio.

I'm looking to get beach ready for September as my friends and I are embarking on a trip of a lifetime and to say I'm excited is an understatement. We are extending our British Summer (if we ever get one) and jetting off to America for a road trip around the West Coast, landing in Los Angeles and heading anti-clockwise to San Diego, Las Vegas, San Francisco and back to LA. We will be travelling through Yosemite National Park and ending our journey down Route 1 to see the fantastic coastal view. We may even 'pop' into Mexico while we're in San Diego. The trip is being based on the Hangover films, the National Geographic channel and Man vs Food and we will be travelling by two 4x4 off-road cars. We will be doing and eating as many American things as we can and have set ourselves a holiday challege to convince as many Americans to believe a persona we have fabricated and adopted. We are under strict orders to eat well, exercise, come up with challenges/personas, save money and not fall out. We have already adopted Party In The USA by Miley Cyrus* as our song, as it is a secret love of ours even though the majority of the group are male and because it's entirely relevant - I'm even making sure that we pack a dream and cardigan into our carry-ons for when we hop off our ride at LAX. I have been annoying everyone with variations of the song including its goat-form and Pitch-Perfect-form. While in LA, I plan on doing some industry research to see if moving to LA for work is a realistic option. I also plan on drunkenly convincing at least one friend to get hitched in Vegas. What fun! If you have any tips or ideas, please share them in a comment below!


I have an exciting few weeks ahead of me, I will be seeing Muse at the Etihad for their Manchester stadium tour date, I may be going to Hay Festival courtesy of Oxfam and possibly even to an exclusive Vogue editor talk in London. If you just so happen to be looking for a Muse ticket for the 25th at the London Emirates stadium and live in the North West of England...if I cannot sell a spare ticket that I have, I will be hiding it somewhere around Lancashire tomorrow or the day after. I will tweet a photo of it with a hint and the first person to get to it can have the ticket for free. Be sure to follow me on Twitter for real-time updates!

*Subject to change

Red Carpet Ready | May Birchbox

18 May 2013


This month's Birchbox was red carpet themed and titled 'Red Carpet Ready'. Proceeding from the Bafta Awards and Cannes Film Festival, this box was incredibly fitting. However, while the magazine kept to the theme (as per usual), none of the products in my particular box did. Take away the cards and you wouldn't have made the observation, whereas last month's box had at least two products adhering to its theme. If I had received some of the other possible May products such as the bronzer or hair oil, the box may have kept to the theme a little more. 

The magazine, great as always had some great features. I'm extremely excited for both The Great Gatsby and The Bling Ring starring Emma Watson. The trailer looks super tacky, but I don't care. The great thing about this month is that Birchbox are supporting Fashion Targets Breast Cancer. 30% of e-shop sales goes to the cause and another £5 is donated when you successfully refer a friend.


Products In Box
S OPI - Nail Lacquer
S Elemental Herbology - Cell Plumping Facial Moisturiser SPF 8
S B/Attitude - Body Soufflé
F Makebelieve -Enhance Shimmer Lip Gloss

Beauty Extra
S Doctor Duve - Anti-Ageing & Firming Eye Cream

Lifestyle Extra
S Kusmi Tea - Detox Tea


Although I would've liked to see a full size polish much like other boxes, I was happy to receive an OPI polish especially in this colour 'Call Me Gwenever' as I don't currently own any orange nail polishes and I hear they're great for bringing out a tan.

You can never go wrong with moisturiser but I would've liked something a little more interesting as I have received moisturiser in every box since I subscribed. However, it's a very good sample size and I'm interested in seeing the effects of "cell plumping". While I dislike of the abundance of rose-scented products in Birchboxes, I feel as though I am becoming accustomed to the scent - so much so that I'm now willing to try products with this fragrance.


B/Attitude is a skincare line by Buddha Bar Restaurant and Spa. It's looks and feels extremely luxurious and comes in a good-sized sample pot. It smells just like any other lotion however, with it smelling not dissimilar to the La Sultane de Saba Body Lotion included in a Birchbox a few months ago. I do adore the baroque/Versace-esque print on the lid though.

The colour of the Enhance Shimmer Lipgloss is nameless as it is the only one available by tanning company Makebelieve. It is a light peach but very sheer with little to no colour showing up on the lips. The shimmer is multi-coloured and iridescent with a very sticky texture. I'm not a lipgloss fan myself, which is a shame as this is the only full sized product in my box. This is part of the Enhance range which is the beauty line by Makebelieve.


I calculated these samples and worked out that they're worth around £20 as their RRP is a whopping £115. I do tend to be unimpressed at first with sachet samples and fragrance vials but seeing as though the RRP is so high, I figure that this must be worth quite some bit and as I haven't yet used my Gerda Spillmann Renaissance Age Serum and they are about the same volume, I also figured that I could use them together and shave off 10 years overnight and look like I'm 14 by the morning.


While this was the first product I pulled out from the box, it was the last I actually opened. This is because this tin is extremely difficult to get into. I'm not sure if it's because of the sample-sized tin or if all their tea tins are like this but I spent a long time pulling the lid off this for it to make a mess all over my floor. But honestly, this tea couldn't come at a better time. I'm trying to diet and eat healthy so I feel that this particular type of tea (Detox) would be great for this. It is made from a combination of green tea and lemon-grass  I've never tried either so I'm looking forward to jumping on the bandwagon, as I hear green tea is full of antioxidants. 


The box included a little card that shows you how to look after and check your breasts. With just under 10,000 deaths caused by breast cancer in 2010 alone and an increasing mortality rate as you get older, it's important to know how to check yourself and I feel a lot of us, perhaps even the majority of us don't know how to. I know I didn't until I read the card, as I previously thought it was just a simple lump-check job.


Calculations
OPI Nail Lacquer - This is a sample size of 3.75ml with the full size being 15ml. The Birchbox RRP is spot on at £11.50 making the sample worth £2.88

Elemental Herbology Cell Plumping Facial Moisturiser - This is a sample size of 30ml which is a decent size for sample as the full size is 50ml making this sample size just over half this amount. Again, the Birchbox RRP is correct at £42, making the sample size worth £25.20!

B/Attitude Body Soufflé - This is a sample size at 50ml which again, is a decent-sized sample. The full size is 200ml and while Birchbox states this is £24, this is actually 23 Euros which converted is about £19.46 making the sample worth £4.87.

Makebelieve Enhance Shimmer Lipgloss - This is the only full size product at 15ml and accurately stated as costing £10. 

Doctor Duve Anti-Ageing & Firming Eye Cream - This is a sample size at I would guess 6ml (no volume indicator) with the full size being 30ml. It costs a whopping £115 as accurately stated on the Birchbox leaflet, which makes these two tiny sachets worth £23!

Kusmi Detox Tea - This is a sample size at 20g with the full size being 125g. This I feel is also a good sized sample. Birchbox states this is £13.85 but it is actually £12.50 making the sample worth £2.

In total, there are six products. Five of which are samples and one of which is full sized. While this is particularly low, I feel this box is still value for money. Not only are the sample sizes large and/or valuable but the actual worth of this box is £67.95 and while Birchbox incorrectly estimated it closer to £70, it is still a very varied box with a high value.

£67.95

Overall, I am very happy with this box even though I only received one full sized item that I won't use. I am excited to try the tea, the nail polish is going to be great for summer, the soufflé is not edible :( but great for my dry skin. The facial moisturiser I will use in attempt to acquire the scent of rose and the eye cream I will be using in conjunction with my Gerda Spillmann Renaissance Age Serum. More importantly, I am so thankful to have received information on how to check my...er...ta-tas. I hate to admit it but researching how to check my boobs hasn't been on the top of my priorities. I guess my ignorance had the better of me. Sometimes, you don't know what you've got until it's gone and with a box filled with seemingly superficial items, it's important to remember that health and happiness are what's really important.




How To Get A Job In The Fashion Industry | Company Magazine Fashion Forum 2013

16 May 2013


The Fashion Forum is a fashion careers event held by fashion magazine, Company in association with New Look. It covers issues raised regarding work in the fashion industry including CVs, interning, gaining experience, industry tips and everything else. It covers a broad spectrum of professions from buyers to journalists, and offers insight from editors to stylists. Tickets cost £25 per ticket which includes a glass of wine/champagne (or juice for the designated driver) and a generous goody bag. Their April events covered Manchester as well as London, the former of which I attended. It took place in The Renold Building campus of The University of Manchester and lasted 2 hours overall.

The speakers included editor of Company magazine - Victoria White, Company's associate editor of  fashion - Oonagh Brennan, blogger at A Little Bird Told Me and freelance copywriter - Jen Holmes, senior digital content manager at New Look - Kathryn Kenny, senior brand manager at New Look - Siobhan King, stylist - Karen Jones Russell and regional business manager of New Look - Brooke Pattison.

I've been to a few fashion industry careers events but this has been the most insightful, so far. I had my heart ripped out at one point but it finally answered a question I had been asking myself for almost 3 years and that was "Was my fashion degree a waste of time?" Although it wasn't a definitive yes, the speakers really emphasised the importance of hands-on industry experience and how they favoured this to University degrees, often overlooking them completely. Although this was a generalised industry ideology and therefore cannot accurately conclude its relevance to my degree, I assumed there were at least some admissible points - especially when some weren't exactly revelations to me. I would have liked to have seen a buyer as a speaker like they had on their very first panel back in November 2012 in London and particularly because the profession was mentioned on their most recent Fashion Forum page on Company.com but the forum was insightful nonetheless and definitely worth the £25.

Top Ten Tips

1. Meet and keep as many contacts as possible; they may be useful or say positive things about you. 
2. Never turn down an opportunity because it may never come again.
3. Experience is more important than academics; the more qualifications, the more time out of the industry.
4. Do a variety of things; you may discover a better career path.
5. Age doesn't matter; Company recently had a 28 year old intern.
6. No blog is better than a poor blog.
7. Make your CV stand-out; be fun but to the point as employers don't have time to read life stories!
8. It takes time to break into the industry but once you're in, you're in.
9. Start from the bottom; be prepared for humility.
10. Mould but don't change yourself and remember how lucky you are.


- Victoria on how talking too much landed her in her dream job

If you want to find out more tips to break into the fashion industry, be sure to follow Company and New Look on Twitter and keep an eye out for news on future Fashion Forums. With regards to my goody bag, at first - I was a little disappointed because I had previously seen the London goody bags which included a deep cleansing oil and retro sunglasses in a funky case, but after seeing that my bag was packed with essentials (some helping me cross out items from my shopping list), I was extremely glad with what I got.

After initially wishing doom upon the girl beside me when I saw her pick up a baby pink polish from her bag while I got grey, I realised that I had far too many baby pinks anyway and didn't own any grey polishes (which are useful for nail art). One gripe though was the smell, it smelt of wall paint. The Popchips were the first to go, the Miners Matte Factor Lip Paint in Cappuccino matched my lip colour exactly and oh my - smells like a cappuccino! A few items remain to be used like the tanning lotion which will be used prior to my holiday and the temporary spray-on hair colour which I also plan on bringing on holiday...then using on an unsuspecting friend while in Vegas. I was over the moon to receive the deodorant and toothpaste as I had just run out of both; these have quickly become new favourites. I love nail art so the ones included have been added to my growing collection of nail art stickers/wraps. The Kleenex blotting tissues are by far the best I've ever tried so I'm glad I received two. I added the Batiste dry shampoo and Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula to my existing collection and the toothpick which was a bizarre but amazing thing to include, has been added to my make-up bag for hot-male-in-the-vicinity emergencies.



The only problem with the bag was that while I was very excited to read the latest issue of Company which I'd seen included in the London bags and even some of the Manchester bags, there wasn't one included in my bag. I can only assume that they didn't have enough magazines to fill all the bags but it would've been great if one was included with mine, as I am constantly working on mood boards and rely on magazines for a lot of my images.

Overall,  I would definitely recommend the Company Fashion Forum events. £25 is not a lot for a generous goody bag, bubbly and valuable industry advice from people who actually have first-hand experience of the industry. This is what I'd call an investment, and who knows this could be the best £25 you'll ever spend.

What's On My iPhone

12 May 2013


I found this image on Pinterest and I had to have it. I'm trying to exercise more and felt this image satisfied both my visual needs and my physical motivational needs. My service provider is Vodafone and while they offer fantastic rewards and are currently sponsoring my Formula 1 team, Vodafone has atrocious reception and were also responsible for a cross-conversational signal issue earlier this year where customers such as myself would hear occasional snippets of other phone conversations. I have an iPhone 5 which I have a love/hate relationship with since it has such poor battery life and is as tough and durable as fine china.

The first page of apps is dedicated to my essential and most used apps. I hate to be caught out in inappropriate weather attire as I'm susceptible to the cold, so I always check the weather before I choose my outfit. AccuWeather is the best weather app I've found so far as it offers in-depth analyses, hour-by-hour forecasts and RealFeel technology which gives a more realistic representation of the temperature outside. Cozi is a fantastic app for the organised and/or the forgetful. It is a online desktop system and iPhone app that allows for the smooth running of a household. It includes features like meal plans, to do lists, shopping lists and much more. I find it incredibly useful for keeping on top of to-do lists on the go. For those like myself who used iGoogle and was devastated by its untimely demise, this is a fantastic alternative and far superior.

Customisable to your interests, Flipboard is fantastic for keeping up-to-date with political and social news. It works just like a flip board and for that, it's very efficient and doesn't consume as much time as say, reading BBC news articles. Vine shares 6 second videos that give an insight into what you're doing. Sort of like Twitter and Instagram but more animated and less vain (which is why I deleted Instagram). The great thing is that you can use stop motion animation to show 6 seconds worth of video that actually tells a longer story. I find this much more enriching than seeing a sea of low-quality front camera duckface photos on Instagram in Daguerreotype.

Recent favourite is an app called Happier. From October onwards, my thinking began to change for the better, for the first time in my life and I learnt to appreciate the smaller things in life.You submit and view things that make yourself and others happy and learn to appreciate life for what it is. Shazam locates real-time song details and is very handy when you're out and about. However, you have to bear in mind that if you have Shazam and Facebook linked, anything you "tag" appears on Facebook and you run the risk of showing everyone that you've just enjoyed and Shazammed JLS.

As you can see, I have not yet brought myself to remove Mailbox from my dock bar. It's not a great app and I would advise against downloading it. Read my review here.


My second page is organised into categorised folders with the relevant apps located within. In my Utilities folder is an app called i.Decide which is useful for the incredibly indecisive. Device Locator is an app I found after hearing a news story about how a thief stole an iPhone unaware that an app installed on the phone, was a mask for a camera activator that when operated by the original owner, secretly takes photos of the person in possession of the phone. The actual app used in this story is not Device Locator but is similar. Check Mate OCR is a bill splitter that offers a way to split a bill appropriately rather than equally (as I don't particularly think this is fair on those who choose cheaper meals).


My Reference folder holds an app called iDream for fun dream interpretations. Postie offers up-to-date and accurate postage quotes on packages. Based on previous experiences, RunPee suggests the best times to literally run and pee during a cinema movie. BandsInTown automatically updates you with new local music events so you don't miss out.


My Lifestyle category includes Gift Genies which suggests gifts for friends and family. Their gifts can be pricey so it's best to use this as gift inspiration, then do a little shopping around for a better deal. 2DoBefore is a customisable bucket list in app form. WhereToGet.It is not an app but a bookmark. Users submit fashion and beauty wants and others will suggest where to obtain similar or exact items. Trip Planner Pro is powered by Trip Advisor and is a travel and itinerary app.


I don't tend to play many games on my phone but in my Games folder, I have Tap Tap Revenge 4 which is a game along the same lines as Guitar Hero. I love(d) this game but refuse to play anymore as Tapulous lost my Level 37 account and reset it. I also have Draw Something which everyone knows is a drawing game and 20 Questions Mindreader which is great to play with kids.


In my Audio folder, I have The Radio which is a mobile radio app. I also have Songify which mashes up voice recordings to pre-recorded melodies. Sleep Talk Recorder is an app for those who talk in their sleep like myself. It's great for picking up hilarious and nonsensical recordings. Instead of Spotify, I have Grooveshark. Again, this is not an official app but a bookmark. Some tracks are self-uploaded and less professional but Grooveshark always offer the most current songs, while I find Spotify only publishes tracks after they've been officially released.


My Visual folder contains an amalgamation of photo effect apps; Photo Wonder is great for its sharpening tool, Picfx is great for bokeh effects, Color Cap is great for adding text to images and Color Effects is good for adding colour to grayscale images. FiLMiC Pro is an incredibly technical and complicating video recorder which I have not yet mastered. PhotoBlab is an app created by Tom Kirk, visual manager of Muse and is an app that combines slideshows with audio.


In my Office folder, I have Employment Law Cloud which outlines employment laws. I have this in case of exploitation or unfair treatment. As a Regus Businessworld gold card holder, this app allows me to book meeting rooms, offices and business lounges from my phone. Genius Scan uses the camera to scan and send documents in high-quality pdf formats and is more professional than just taking a photo. MyPrice is incredibly useful for blogging, it helps me work out what I should be charging for my work.


My Navigation folder contains Hailo, a taxi hailing cab mainly used for travel around London. While there are many petrol station locator apps, I find that MyGas is the most reliable. AA Parking locates nearby car parks and gives information on prices and times. Journey Pro is one of my all time favourite apps as it makes public transport in London extremely easy. I use this for the Underground in London. However, you have to prepare the app before you head underground as you lose reception and wont be able to refresh data. Airport + Live Flight Tracker gives details of individual airports; flights, shops, hotels, car hires etc. Plane seats are reviewed on SeatGuru and from this, you can work out which seats are best suited to your needs. You may require a bassinet for your baby or want to be located near the toilets. Another bookmark, Journey Price helps you calculate the cost of a motoring trip and will also help split the costs between passengers.


In my Food folder, I have BigOven; a food app with user-submitted recipes. The app is great for encouraging healthy dieting and also offers recipe suggestions for left over food. HungryHouse as you may all know is a takeaway app that lets you order from a variety of nearby takeaways.


In terms of my Health folder, I have WebMD which is an app that helps clarify medical conditions. I also have Map My Run which is a fitness app known for its multi-functionality and the British Red Cross First Aid app in case of emergencies. Livestrong's My Plate app is great for tracking calories and meals. It also has an active community and weight monitoring. As I suffer from depression, I have Depression Calculator for quick and easy evaluations. I've seen more in-depth apps but I think it's important not to let apps (which are just guides) overwhelm you with information that could be inaccurate. I use this app to determine whether I need to visit my GP, not directly effect the treatments I undertake.


Some apps in my Home folder include Box It Up which is a handy app for moving home and Basket Buddy by Hot UK Deals, which locates the best supermarket offers local to you, helping you make the most out of your grocery shop. AirBnb is a fantastic app which allows for the safe booking of overnight rooms. These rooms are more affordable than hotels, safer than couch-surfing and are often more luxurious. AirBnb is especially great for last minute bookings when all other hotel rooms are fully booked or have had their prices massively inflated.

I hope you've enjoyed my iPhone app overview, if you would like to suggest some apps, just leave a comment below and I'll be sure to check them out. If you try any of the apps above, let me know how you get on with them.

Q: What are your top 3 apps and why?

DIY Pretty Ballerinas 'I Love You' Shoe Clips

4 May 2013

I've been eyeing up these shoes for years and years now with the full intention of recreating them in a DIY of my own. Four years later (I've been busy), I've finally made it happen but with a twist. Instead of making the shoes, I made the hearts as clips which can then be used on shoes, clothing and/or hair. It only cost me £2.50 in total to make as I only needed to buy the leather. All other instruments and materials, I already had at home. This particular design is just one of many from the Rosario range by Pretty Ballerinas and will set you back a hefty £160.

Step 1: Prepare your leather by de-constructing all the pieces then laying them flat. For this, I am using a seam ripper. Skip this step if you already have a flat piece of material.


Step 2: Using a heart stencil or cookie cutter, draw four hearts on the side of the material you don't want showing. For me, that is the felt side. You can use a normal pen, dressmakers chalk or an invisible pen.


Step 3: Using a pair of fabric scissors or a pair of very sharp household scissors, cut out the four hearts as neatly as you can. It is best to do this in long cuts rather than short snips.


Step 4: Trim any errors and fix any mistakes, then work out which two are the neatest hearts; these will be the top facing hearts. Place some fabric glue in the centre of the heart on the inner side, then spread the glue with a spatula all the way to the edge. Align and glue the sides together with the neatest hearts staying on top. You may also want to glue the around the edge if any sides are felt, this will keep the flyaway fibres down and professional-looking.


Step 5: Using a pencil, very lightly sketch 'I' and 'you' in the font of your desire. 


Step 6: Using a very fine paint brush and black acrylic paint, paint in your sketch. You can use toothpicks to add finer detail and to remove any mistakes, however for this - you must wait until paint is dry to scratch off any paint.


Step 7: Using some sandpaper or a nail file, sand down the surface of the crocodile clips.


Step 8: Align your clips to the backs of your hearts. You want to position them so that the clip does not show at the top. If it shows at the bottom, you can use some pliers to break off the bottom. You only need to break off the visible part (the forward facing part of the clip). The longer the clip at the back, the more secure it will be.

Step 9: Using superglue, adhere the crocodile clips to the hearts making sure they are straight.


You're now complete! You can slip these onto shoes with a low vamp (the ones that show toe cleavage!) for maximum comfort. It can also be used as a hair accessory or fashion accessory. You can switch from I and You to You and I, or you could just wear 'you' alone clipped onto your pocket, lapel or better yet, wear your heart on your sleeve...literally!


Overall, the project cost me just £2.50. You may want to search different places for red leather type materials as I found it incredibly difficult to find, I went to many craft shops including Hobbycraft and no-one had anything remotely like it. I purchased the material in the form of a purse I found for in a charity shop so it may be worth it to take a look in your local Oxfam. In total, I saved £157.50. You could even skip out the clip part entirely and stick the hearts directly onto old ballerina flats.


I hope you enjoyed this DIY, I would love to see your photos if you decide to replicate this DIY. If you want to see more DIYs, follow me via GFC and/or Bloglovin and check out my Oxfam Blogger Page.




Person of Interest | Batman Meets George Orwell

2 May 2013


The actual term 'Person of Interest' is more often used by law enforcement in reference to criminal activity and more specifically, a criminal suspect they are looking to detain. While this is partly true in CBS crime/thriller/drama appropriately named Person of Interest, the persons of interest can often be the victim, not just the perpetrator and in some cases, the victim is the perpetrator. Person of Interest is set in modern day New York City and focuses on an unlikely but fascinating duo John Reese, a tramp-formerly-CIA-agent (and devilishly hot) and Harold Finch, an highly mysterious "reclusive billionaire computer genius".



After the 9-11 attacks, Harold Finch and his co-partner Nathan Ingram design a mass surveillance machine that monitors email, security cameras, electronic devices and audio worldwide (an Orwellian Big Brother affair) and can therefore accurately detect acts of terror before they materialise. From this, the pair aim to prevent future terrorist attacks by having the machine send out social security numbers of the persons of interest through coded messages dictated from public telephones. However, the machine detects all acts of terror not just possible large scale terrorist attacks like 9-11. Under the US Government, these small scale attacks are deemed irrelevant even though the creators feel a strong moral obligation to help prevent all life threatening attacks. This then develops into the partnership of Harold and John after Nathan mysteriously dies.

From this, major twists and turns arise that are complicated enough to put British soap operas out of broadcast and new alliances are formed with characters such as Detective Carter, Detective Fusco (or Detective 'Fiasco' as he is referred to in one episode) and Bear, an attack dog that only understands Belgian whom John rescues from Aryan Nationalists. There are also reoccurring characters who provide a variety of complexities to the drama, notably like-minded advocates Zoe Morgan and Samantha Shaw, Leon Tao who is constantly getting into trouble (his number appearing more than once) and is one of those douchebags-you-love characters (comme Schmidt from New Girl), Special Agent Donnelly (the Orange-mobile-phone-cinema-advert-guy and no, you can't take him seriously at first) and more importantly, "Root" - a female high intel killer out to seek Finch and Reese, and ultimately the machine.



With the help of Carter, Fusco and of course Bear, Reese and Finch do their utmost to prevent any fatal crimes from being committed (a Batman-fighting-crime affair) regardless of the history and background of the situation and from this, the viewer is constantly reminded about the importance of compassion. Reece and Finch have the entirety of their personal details including their social security numbers, wiped so as long as anyone is concerned, neither of them exists which precedes a confusing manhunt. This is mandatory, otherwise their efforts and their work would be compromised. Snippets of their personal lives are rarely revealed and we come to an anti-climax when Finch is spiked with ecstasy and offers to reveal information about himself after partying hard beside a microwave (don't do drugs kids).

The cast of Person of Interest is adorned with people-you've-seen-but-don't-know-the-names-of including, where-have-I-seen-her-before and I-know-that-face. Most impressively, Person of Interest was created by Jonathan Nolan. Recognise his surname? Well he's Christopher Nolan's brother, director of the The Dark Knight films (which I love). Not enough? The producer is J. J. Abrams, creator of Lost and Alcatraz (also love and still grieving over its cancellation). For you Lost fans, you may recognise Finch as he plays the leader of The Others. Still not enough? Co-executive producer Richard J. Lewis worked on CSI (again, love). What's that Oliver Twist? You want some more? Composer Ramin Djawadi is best known for his work on Iron Man, Prison Break and Game of Thrones (love, love, love). Still hungry for more? Co-producer Stephen Semel edited the film 'You So Crazy'. Never heard of it? Me neither.

 

Person of Interest is without a doubt, an impelling watch exploring elaborate circumstances that include suicide and locating a murderer of a man whom had not yet been murdered. It also addresses the controversial topic of corruption in the Government as well as in the police force, in which it is mainly referred to as 'HR'. It is a hub for discovering new music such as Polica (I Googled the track I heard immediately after the episode 'Identity Crisis') and will bring out your inner conspiracy theorist.

"Person of Interest separates itself from the gimmick pack, not only because of superbly nuanced characterization and writing but also because of how it engages a post-9/11 sense of paranoia in its viewers."

- David Wiegand (San Francisco Chronicle)
Person of Interest is broadcasted by CBS in America, Channel 5/Five USA in the UK and available in 41 other countries. The machine featured in Person of Interest has only just come to production but its details and depths are not yet known, and while we hope for its success and its rights to be used by the most sincere, we can only hope that tragedies like 9-11 and the Boston Marathon Bombings can be avoided. For the month of April, I have not chosen a specific charity to donate to but have created care packages and hand-written cards for the fatalities and victims of the bombings. Appallingly, due to the American healthcare system, all the victims are facing huge medical bills as a result of this. To donate, please check the Philanthropy page to find details on how to do so.

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