Hair

Am contemplating dying my hair back to it's natural colour. I have been for some time. It will be around ten years since it's been solely brunette. I'm scared. And indecisive. Fingers crossed this doesn't turn into a blog about my spiral into self-decline and reclusivness over my hair (sounds melodramatic I know - but it could happen).

It's been a busy week for convictions - Levi Bellfield has been given three life sentences for the 'bus stop murders' of Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange (he may also be charged with the murder of Millie Dowler and up to eleven other murders/disappearances), Mark Dixie was conviction of the horrific murder of Sally Anne Bowman, and the 'Suffolk Strangler' Steve Wright has been given a 'whole life' sentence meaning he will never be considered for parole. But although it great to finally have these men behind bars it has dragged up the capital punishment debate which I think is best left well alone. There is no doubt that these men and all criminals should give up all their rights but I think that this would be better done by removing all the luxuries from prisons. There should be no creature comforts - it should be a living hell where no-one wants to go. Instead we hear about Ian Huntley being able to order TV's etc from the Argos catalogue, while Rose West has gained vast amounts of weight from gorging on prison food. The problem with the death penalty is that there will always be those innocent people who are falsely accused. It's bad enough that they should face time in jail but it is unbearable for the families of those who were executed only to be pardoned later. I'd rather watch these murders die after a life time in solitude with no comfort rather than getting let off with lethal injection.

I'm still recovering from the over expenditure of Christmas but that doesn't mean there aren't some beautiful treats out there for those of you who managed to be a bit more sensible over the festive season (can't believe it's the end of February already). On the higher end of the spending scale Chantecaille Protected Paradise Eyes Palette is £75 and too be honest, looks so lovely that I can't imagine ever being able to bring myself to use it. A slightly cheaper (and probably more usable) option is Dior Flower Blossom Floral Illuminating Powder's for Face which is a more reasonable £35. My favourite is The Body Shop's Blushing Daisies in 01 Light which is £15 but pretty difficult to track down. I love these - it proves that the time to shine is not yet over xx

R&R

Oh my goodness I'm not sure there's anything better you can do on a freezing (literally) Tuesday night than go with a good friend to get a massage. As a relative massage virgin I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Last time someone other than Mr J rubbed me it was in Turkey with my family and I'm not kidding when I say that I came out feeling like I should have asked for a gynecological consult while I was there. It is not for the faint-hearted.

But not so in the Buty Salon on Hammersmith Grove. With soothing music and a great massage it was really worth chasing away the January blues and spending some hard earned money on. Miss E booked us in and off we went with our £10 vouchers (its is January after all). It was freezing we'd been at work all day we had no idea what to expect (both of us stood, in separate rooms, whilst the masseuse stood outside waiting for us to take our clothes off, they had to come in and tell exactly what to do!). I'm always slightly aware in these situations of the luxury of paying someone to rub you while you are semi-naked but I have to say after five minutes I was in a world of my own. It was so good that I returned two days later to disloyally get my eyebrows waxed (I've been going to the same place for the past two years but since I moved last June it's become a bit of a trek).

The Buty Salon do a whole range of treatments from massages and facials to waxing and tanning. We went for a 30 minute back and neck massage which is not very cheap (£30) but actually worth every penny. They use products by Decleor which contain no preservatives and are 100% natural so you do not have to worry about whether you are going to react badly to anything - it's unlikely. You can book appointments online and with salons in Hammersmith and Fulham they have created atmosphere's to relax and soothe you after a cold day back at the office. Definitely worth a look - the Buty Salon xx