Simply Beach Swimwear and Lingerie

SimplyBeach - Victoria Padded Balcony Bra - £26*, Victoria Mini Brief - £12*

I was recently asked if I would like to review a product from SimplyBeach.com. I was given a £50 voucher and free reign to choose whatever I wanted.

The site contains full ranges of women's swimwear and lingerie, as well as some nightwear, loungewear and a few bits for the guys too.

It was pretty difficult for me to choose something as there is so much to chose from. I first thought about some loungewear or nightwear, but then realised I already have so much of that. I decided against swimwear as I wouldn't be using it and it would just be a waste of a voucher so I ended up deciding on the Victoria Padded Balcony Bra in Berry with matching bottoms.

There were a lot of other products that I wanted but I found that a lot of the sizes were out of stock, which was really disappointing. I personally also found the prices a little expensive. I personally probably wouldn't spend my own £26 on a bra and then another £12 on the bottoms! That's one thing that really annoys me is the fact that we now have to buy underwear in seperates. Maybe that's just me though?

It didn't take long at all for the products to arrive so I was really happy about that. I was a bit disappointed by the blue parcel bag covered in brown tape though. I get the impression that this website is a bit better quality than most so I was expecting some really nice packaging. Packaging is always a big thing with a product such as underwear so I'll admit I was a bit disappointed to see a blue blob land on the door mat.

Overall I think the sizing is spot on and there is a great selection to choose from, I just wish more of the choices were in stock. They have some really nice nightwear, which I would definitely look into further with Christmas coming up.

This post contains PR samples

Timothy Roe Jewellery

Timothy Roe Flower Stud Earrings - £19*

I was recently contacted by the lovely people at Timothy Roe jewellery and was asked if I'd like to try something from their Spinning Jewellery collection.

Now, I'm not really sure why it is called a spinning jewellery collection, but I decided to choose a pair of earrings to review.

I absolutely love earrings so I had quite a tricky time deciding which pair to get, but I finally settled on the Flower Stud Earrings, worth £19.

Although I love earrings, I think £20 is probably my limit when it comes to buying them. Unless they were real diamonds of course! For a pair of sterling silver earrings I think these are quite reasonable. They're very dainty and pretty, great for special occasions!

I never usually wear stud earrings in my first set of piercings. I can usually be seen wearing some kind of dangly earring so it feels strange having studs in but it means I don't have to remember to put earrings in because I can keep these in all the time. I actually went to bed and forgot I had them in and they didn't dig into my head or anything so I'm very impressed.

The studs aren't too big or too small, just right. I think they look lovely and I'd definitely recommend checking out Timothy Roe!




This post contains PR samples

In the end it's all about where you want to go...

I now have a great excuse to buy some cute baby Converse trainers!! I'm going to be an Aunty! My little sister announced the news on Tuesday and although I thought my mum was joking when she first told me, I am very excited! It's due in July so will be a nice summer baby and I'm convinced it's going to be a boy!


In other news, I had another job interview yesterday at Hotel Chocolat. There's a cute little branch of the shop in my local shopping centre and I applied for a Senior Sales position. I think the interview went pretty well and it was fun trying the chocolate and describing it! I should hopefully hear back in the next week or so, fingers crossed!

I don't think I was successful with the Miss Selfridge job as they told me I'd hear back from them towards the end of the week. It's now Friday and I've yet to hear anything, so it's not looking good! I'm starting to desperately need a job now as my funds are getting lower and lower and I have a two week work experience placement to save up for! Travelling to London and back everyday costs a LOT!

Vince and I have come back home for the weekend as we had a gig to watch in Bristol last night. I originally requested an interview with A Day To Remember as they were playing Bristol. Everything looked like it was going to work out until about two days before when the band's press officer just completely stopped replying to my emails. She had seemed up for letting me interview the band for AmpedReviews.net and was even going to let me film it but then all of a sudden, I didn't hear another word from her. I would rather she emailed me to tell me it wasn't possible than to just ignore me and leave me hanging, it was very frustrating!

We decided to head to the gig anyway as I had already purchased the tickets and it was such a nightmare trying to park in Bristol. We didn't want to park in the car park next door to the venue as it would cost a bomb so we ended up driving around Bristol for about 40 minutes looking for a space! In the end, we parked about 20 minutes away and ended up walking to the venue. Once inside, we found that there was absolutely nowhere to go in order to be able to see the band! Everywhere was full as the gig was sold out, we ended up right at the back of the venue standing on the balcony furthest away. We had a pretty bad view and could just about make out the drummer, but as people started moving about we were able to see a bit better. The show itself was amazing, one of the best I've seen in a long time! They played one of my favourite songs acoustically, which they've never done before, so I was very pleased!

Tomorrow we're off out to meet our friends for an all you can eat buffet at The Mall. With us being in Southampton most of the time, we don't get enough chances to meet up, so deciding that we deserved a bit of a treat, we're going to eat until we're sick! Other than that, we're having a pretty relaxed weekend. We go back to Southampton on Sunday afternoon where we have another gig to go to, this time it's the Kerrang! Relentless Energy Tour which I'm going to review for Portsmouth News. :)

Until then...have a great weekend everyone!

My Chemical Romance live at Hammersmith Apollo

Sorry to bore you all with band stuff, but I really wanted to post this review.

My Chemical Romance live at Hammersmith Apollo
October 23rd 2010

Throughout the world, amongst rock fans old and young, there is a wave of excitement bubbling underneath the surface in anticipation for the return of the mighty My Chemical Romance. Every fan can feel it washing through them each time they read a news item or hear sneak peeks of tracks from the new album, ‘Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys,’ released on November 22nd.

These past few weeks have seen this excitement rumbling slowly up the Richter scale, and when the band announced their first UK tour in 3 years, MCR fans all over the country went wild, snapping up tickets within hours, realising that the bands return was closer than ever.


The now very colourful circus rolled into London’s Hammersmith Apollo to be greeted by fans who had been camping outside the venue since the previous night, braving the cold temperatures and rain in order to be that little bit closer to the band.

Handpicked by Frank Iero, Scottish Indie rockers Twin Atlantic took to the stage as the only support act of the night. Perhaps it was nerves that meant they took a little while to really warm up, but once they did, it was clear that they really gave it their all. They tore up every inch of the stage, dropping to their knees and scratching at their guitars while writhing around on the floor. It was great to see the audience singing and dancing along to tracks such as ‘You’re Turning Into John Wayne,’ and ‘Lightspeed,’ and for a band playing to a completely different audience than what they’re used to, they certainly did a good job and won over new fans along the way.

The thirty minute break after Twin Atlantic’s set was an agonisingly long time for the audience. Every roadie that took to the stage received a deafening cheer and it wasn’t long before the “MCR!” chants began.

Finally taking to the stage at 9pm, it soon felt like they’d never been away. They tore straight into their new single ‘Na Na Na,’ with almost every fan in the room already knowing it word for word. The new tracks were sandwiched cleverly between some of the band’s biggest hits, such as the delectable ‘Thank You For The Venom,’ which followed the new single, to the heart pumping ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise),’ which continued the mayhem that was the dance fuelled ‘Planetary (GO!).’

‘Cemetery Drive’ and ‘Give ‘Em Hell Kid’ whisk the audience right back to the bands ‘Three Cheers’ era, while a surprise performance of ‘Our Lady of Sorrows,’ a first in five years, separates the diehard fans from the rest and proves that MCR’s older tracks still stand up strong against their newer material.

Things wound down for a few minutes while the emotional 'I Don't Love You,' floated around the venue. The pace quickly picked up again when the cheeky 'You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison' started up, with Gerard ordering all the males in the audience to whip off their t-shirts and wave them in the air. Unsurprisingly, many obliged.

'Honey This Mirror Isn't Big Enough For The Two Of Us' was another surprise for the dedicated fans, and an even bigger surprise for the two twins who were pulled on-stage to sing along. Of course, they couldn't contain their excitement and messed up their timings spectacularly. Showing them how it's done, Gerard launched into the much loved track while the twins ran around the stage, hugging each band member before taking to the microphones to warble a few lines before being ushered off.

'Welcome To The Black Parade' and 'Helena' were the two biggest songs of the entire night. The raw emotion and elation from the tracks was felt by everybody in the venue, bringing everyone together for a mass sing-a-long. With 'Helena' usually being the band's closing song, nobody expected them to go on for a further 6 songs plus an encore. 'Mama' was a phenomenal burst of energy and power, while 'Teenagers' brought out everybody's childish side for a good old fashioned mosh.

'The Ghost of You' kicked off in a flurry of green smoke, while 'Famous Last Words' and 'Sleep' saw the band really giving it their all. Their love for performing live became apparent in the way they were left gasping for air as the final beats left the speakers.

As Gerard took to the stage alone for 'Cancer,' the lighters and mobile phones quickly rose into the air as the poignant and emotional track filled the venue.

It was a risky move to put an unknown track as the show's encore, but thankfully, the U2-esque stadium filler that was 'The Kids From Yesterday' had the crowd jumping and screaming like it was as familiar to them as any other track. As the song drew to a close, each member left the stage individually, leaving bassist Mikey Way and their then unknown drummer, Mike Pedicone, to bring the spectacular event to an end in true style.

For every fan in the venue, the gig they had just witnessed secured MCR back into their rightful place as one of the best rock bands on the planet. If, like me, you pushed MCR to the side as you discovered new bands to fill the four year long void they left behind, this gig reminded us why we turned to this band in the first place. Their electricity, emotion and happiness to be playing again contaminated the crowd and assured fans that the band are stronger than ever.


At the beginning of the show, Gerard Way said he and his band were not only excited to be playing again but they were also extremely excited for the next ten years for My Chemical Romance. That night, over 5000 people became just as excited as to what the future holds.


Review by Cherry Pullinger

My Chemical Romance - Na Na Na single review

Reviewing one of your favourite bands is possibly the worst and hardest thing to do but I feel I succeeded in it. :)


My Chemical Romance - Na Na Na

It’s been a long time coming. Over 4 years to be precise, since we heard anything in the way of new material from this little band from New Jersey.

Now as a foursome, the ferocious My Chemical Romance kick off their return to the scene with the release of their new single ‘Na Na Na,’ taken from their upcoming album ‘Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.’

Returning to their punk rock roots, this single is as wacky, thundering and eye popping as their new -futuristic, colourful-as-hell style. It’s surprising that a band of this stature still has room to grow but it’s clear that they have progressed and their confidence shines through the punching guitar solos and humorous lyrics.

My Chemical Romance aren’t afraid to push the boundaries and for them to release something as bold and brash as ‘Na Na Na,’ proves that this band are capable of pretty much anything. Like all of their releases before, their new sound will divide fans in half, and whether they love it or hate it, they will have to admit that this band know how to keep it fresh and exciting, leaving everything else in the dust.


Review by Cherry Pullinger.

Weston SUPER Mare?

I'm glad people are liking my CD reviews and are checking out the bands aswell! 

Anyway, on to today's subject, which actually came to me while I was walking around town looking for a Father's day card. In case you don't know, I live in Weston Super Mare and have done for around ten years now. Today I realised just how aweful it is. It might just be because I am young but I am so sick of seeing charity shops, phone shops, estate agents and holiday shops popping up everywhere! I know people are going to say that you can find some great stuff in charity shops, but as Weston is full of old people, you really can't find anything here but a smelly old jumper. So many shops are closing down in the town center, and then they are being replaced by things that are useless to us.

I have to go to Bristol if I want to do any decent shopping, here we have a small Topshop store that is about 6 months behind everything else, a Dorothy Perkins which I hate and a New Look which is really packed full of rails and is also about 6 months behind the times. It's really frustrating because Weston is a seaside town and the council just don't make use of it. It would be great to see quaint little cafes and tea rooms as well as cool, funky boutiqes and we desperately need a music shop!

Obviously this is just my idea of the perfect place to live, of course not everyone is going to want the same stuff as me. I guess the old ladies like their rubbish charity shops and I'll just have to make do with travelling an hour to Bristol everytime I want to find some decent shops!

Thomas Tantrum - The Last Kiss

Thomas Tantrum - The Last Kiss

Southampton is brimming with wonderfully talented bands at the moment and Thomas Tantrum are the latest four-piece to release an anthem fit for the summer.

Since the band’s debut album release in 2008, the band have been locked away creating its follow up, and ‘The Last Kiss’ is a sneak preview of what is soon to come. The track is full of breezy power pop melodies, but what makes this band really stand out amongst the childish power poppers currently on the scene is their more grown up, mature sound.

Megan Thomas’ vocals are strong and powerful against the tidal wave of delicious, sunny pop music that will not only appeal to those loving the current Southampton scene, but also to the masses.

Review by Cherry Pullinger

Zola Jesus - 'Night' Single Review

Zola Jesus - Night

Zola Jesus are flying the flag for Berlin based record label Souterrain Transmissions, as new single ‘Night’ is the very first UK release from the label, out on June 21st.

‘Night’ begins as a tortured soul. It’s dark and eery, leading you to believe you’re in for some gothic sounding treat but it slowly develops into a hauntingly delicious track that wavers into alternative pop territory.

Singer Nika Roza Danilova’s vocals are like velvet as they weave through the music and large chunks of inspiration from Kate Bush can be heard throughout. Female fronted bands are very popular at the moment and Zola Jesus could be compared to the likes of Florence and the Machine but on a much darker and more alternative level.

The new single could be the launch pad for Zola Jesus, throwing them into hearts of gothic tinged music lovers.

Review by Cherry Pullinger

The Lion and the Wolf EP Review

THE LION AND THE WOLF - EP

Lone wolf Thomas George has written, recorded and produced his debut EP under the alias name ‘The Lion and the Wolf,’ and what an EP he has created.

The EP was brought to life in Thomas’ bedroom in Southampton and it is clear that Thomas has put great amounts of effort and heart into this. While the Southampton music scene is dominated by rock bands and alternative artists, The Lion and the Wolf’s EP is something fresh, relaxing and new for people to sink their teeth into.

The five track EP is brutally honest and passionate as it effortlessly blends soft vocals and meaningful lyrics with a concoction of folksy ditties and more upbeat pop melodies. Each track is strategically placed to lead the listener through the toe-tapping highs of ‘I, The Warhorse,’ and ‘The Lion and the Wolf,’ to the calmer lows of ‘A Song for the Drunk and Downhearted’ and ‘This Town Needs Heroes.’

Thomas’ idols, Ray Lamontagne, Brand New and Ben Harper, to name a few, can be heard working their inspiration through the tracks, helping to create something that could stand it’s ground in the mainstream arena.

Review by Cherry Pullinger

Kids In Glass Houses - Dirt

This is quite possibly one of my favourite albums at the moment.

Kids In Glass Houses
by Cherry Pullinger

Take a listen to Kids In Glass Houses’ latest release ‘Dirt’ and I promise that you won’t be able to stop yourself from loving it.

Heaps of credit and praise go to these young Welsh lads, who have not only topped their first release ‘Smart Casual,’ but have also created a grown up, witty, sensitive and catchy as hell album full of hits and an unforgettable duet with Frankie Sandford from pop group The Saturdays, which, although it really shouldn’t, works tremendously well.

Of course, the album’s single releases ‘Matters At All’ and ‘Undercover Lover’ (featuring Frankie) are pure pop induced works of genius, but unlike many other albums, the genius doesn’t stop there. For starters, ‘Lilli Rose’ is a gorgeous flurry of pop punk melodies, culminating in a fantastically feel good track. The same can be said for ‘Sunshine’ which really gives off sparks of greatness as lead singer Aled’s vocals wind effortlessly through its fist pumping, chanting chorus.

The album keeps its punk tinged energy throughout thanks to the danceable ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ and the shattering ‘Hunt The Haunted.’ Every track on the album could be played on repeat for hours without ever getting tiresome. Ending on part 2 of opening track ‘Artbreaker,’ the album seals itself perfectly into a neat, successful little package, selling itself as the ultimate feel good album of the summer.

Paranormal Activity review

This film came out a while ago but I wanted to wait until the new issue of SONAR magazine was published before I put it up, so here it is.

Paranormal Activity
Directed by Oren Peli
Starring: Katie Featherston & Micah Sloat
Review by Cherry Pullinger

This low budget horror film started its life way back in 2007 when it was screened at various film festivals such as Slamdance and Screamfest and now the hype surrounding Paranormal Activity has seen it blow up in popularity, raking in millions of dollars from the Hollywood box office.

Katie and Micah live together in San Diego, California, but what Katie failed to tell Micah before moving in with him was the fact that she has been haunted ever since her childhood. Eerie noises start to wake the couple up in the middle of the night and Katie fears that whatever it was that haunted her before, is back. Help comes and fails in the form of Dr Fredrichs who refers the two to a Demonologist, who very conveniently, seems to be out of the country when the couple need him most.

The film has a particularly slow start and about as much paranormal activity as an episode of Most Haunted but stick with it and you find yourself gripped to your seat as you witness the strange goings on..including bizarre thuds, footsteps and general aggravation which develops into a full on attempted kidnap by the ‘demon.’

Although Paranormal Activity is in no way billed to be a comedy, there are some priceless comedy moments concerning Katie’s boyfriend Micah who’s whole take on the haunting leads him to filming every waking, and sleeping, moment, à la The Blair Witch Project. This causes Katie much annoyance in the process as she continuously has a camera shoved in her face and the fact that Micah has to pick up the camera before rushing to Katie’s aid adds some well needed giggles.

Although Paranormal Activity has been described as ‘one of the scariest films of all time,’ it can only really be compared to movies such as The Blair Witch Project and The Last Broadcast which both use the same style of ‘found footage,’ to engulf the viewer in terror. With a bigger budget, Paranormal Activity, could have been up there with the likes of Cloverfield, but its atmosphere and pure thrill would have been sacrificed.

As previously mentioned the film does take a while to really get going but once you’re in, you’re not getting out, as it makes for seriously gripping viewing and you will be left with an imagination that will run wild after witnessing the films fateful ending that reveals enough, but not too much.

Product Review: Polaroid Pogo Instant Printer

The Polaroid Pogo Instant Mobile Printer uses the latest ZINK, Zero Ink Technology which means no buying expensive ink cartridges every few weeks.

The ZINK paper that comes with the printer already has cyan, yellow and magenta crystals implanted in it, with a protective polymer cover over the top. When it comes to printing a picture, the printer activates the colour crystals and forms the image.

The Pogo printer is very simple to use, you simply connect your Pictbridge compatible digital camera with it's USB lead in order to print your pictures or you can send your pictures via mobile phone bluetooth. The product came with 10 pieces of zink paper, but it is not expensive to buy more.

The printer itself is about the same size as an iPhone but a little heavier. You simply remove the back of the printer to put the paper in and away you go. The printer is very portable and will probably fit nicely into your pocket or handbag so it is great for printing spur of the moment pics.

Printing time takes about 60 seconds in total which for a printer that doesn't use ink catridges, is pretty impressive.


The instruction booklet that comes with the printer should be pretty easy to follow but if something goes wrong with the printer, there are no explanations or help within the instruction manual so you will have to resort to looking online. I initially had trouble with connecting my digital camera and searched online for reasons why it could not be working, however, one clever boyfriend later and it's working perfectly. This was only a reflection on my stupidity and not the product itself.


In the UK, the Polaroid Pogo Instant Printer is reasonably cheap. I found this one on Amazon.co.uk for £20 and other websites are selling it for between £20-£30, which is very reasonable.

As you can see, the printer itself is pretty small which means small pictures, 2x3 to be exact. The pictures are the perfect size for fitting into your wallet or displaying around your rooms as the pictures also double up as stickers. If you want a printer that will print normal sized photographs, I wouldn't recommend this one.

The final images are of a good quality and the product itself is particularly good for the price you pay. I would certainly recommend it, it is a fun piece of gadgetry and especially good for printing mobile phone pictures.

Young Guns - Winter Kiss

It seems to be becoming a bit of a trend for bands to release their music as free downloads, but if the bands are happy to miss out on making money in favour of pleasing their fans, then we are all for it.

Young Guns are the latest band to offer up their latest creation as a free download, available from January 25th. Talking about their choice to do so, front-man Gustav Wood said “we wanted to release the new track as a free download-only single, because we wanted to give something back to those that have given us so much; it’s the least we could do.”

In the blink of an eye, Young Guns have become one of the nation’s best kept secrets and recently reached number 1 in the ‘Best British Newcomer’ category in Rocksound magazine’s Reader’s Poll. And it really is no surprise at all as their new single ‘Winter Kiss’ is another outstanding piece of work from the guys. The track is a little darker and heavier than their previous releases but it is definitely a positive reflection on the band as it shows just how much they are willing to push themselves in order to make good music. The track has some epic stadium qualities about it and the strings and piano give it an almost haunting yet beautiful coating.

Young Guns are on their way to huge things. The band embark on Kerrang! Relentless Tour this month alongside The Blackout and All Time Low, so they have some giants to contend with, but we’re sure that Young Guns will pull it off. 2010 looks set to be a top year for Young Guns.

Busy bee

So, I have to write a book review for Styleclone.com on the new Audrey Hepburn: International Cover Girl book.



I got it free from the website last week and as it's about £25 in the shops, I'm pretty happy. Audrey Hepburn is an absolute style icon but I've never reviewed a book before. I will post it here when I'm done with it.

This post contains PR samples

Alberta Cross - ATX

Alberta Cross - ATX
Released September 14th 2009

Taken from the band’s debut album ‘Broken Side Of Time,’ Alberta Cross are set to shake things up with the release of ‘ATX,’ on September 14th 2009.

The track, which came out of a drunken jam, is apparently about David Bowie’s ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth.’ “It’s about an alien, being out of place,” says front-man Petter Ericson Stakee; and a galactic vibe can certainly be heard throughout song. Standing at a solid 3.39 minutes, the track is plugged with fuzzy, distorted sounds, accompanied by the eerie vocals from Petter.

Though sounding like something from another planet, the track works well as an experimental alt-rock marathon but is unfortunately thwarted by its abrupt and disappointing ending.

The track is a huge leap away from their acoustic based EP ‘The Thief and the Heartbreaker,’ which was released back in 2007. Alberta Cross have experimented with everything in their reach to create this beast of a track.