Food to enjoy, skincare to try, places to visit and things to experience – In focus is a quick round-up of everything the focus team loved recently.
SELF MADE: INSPIRED BY THE LIFE OF MADAM CJ WALKER
Put this four-part miniseries about Madam CJ Walker onto your Netflix radar. This series is a fabulous celebration of a gutsy black woman in the early 20th century who, in spite of all the odds, built a beauty empire and became the first female self-made millionaire in America. Octavia Spencer (The Help, Hidden Figures) plays the fiery and formidable character of Madam CJ Walker and is perfect for the role. With detailed period costumes and sets, the series covers her personal history, the many facets of life for black people in the late 1800s, politics, gender oppression as well as the important relationships in her life. There’s a definite serious note to the series but overall, the tone stays fairly light and, in parts, there is some great humour.
WESTWORLD
It’s hard to beat Game of Thrones, the supergiant that took the world by storm, but HBO is not giving up and are hoping Westworld will become a successful replacement for the world’s favourite TV show.
‘Westworld’ is a huge and mesmerising ‘amusement park’ for the rich people of the future. A day in this park is worth $40,000. Why so? Because this park, built in the best traditions of the wild west movies, is inhabited by androids who look, talk and behave like real humans but with one tiny exception – no matter what you do to them, they can’t hurt you. So, people come here to satisfy their wildest fantasies, most of which revolve around violence and sex. But what if after 30 years of successful operating, the machines become so advanced, they actually gain consciousness?
This TV show was created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. If you’ve watched Inception, the 2010 sci-fi movie written and directed by Christopher Nolan, this surname should already be familiar to you, so you can imagine what unpredictable, crazy, twisted plots this brother duo can produce when it comes to the dystopian future and way too smart machines. Just like Inception, Westworld will definitely keep you intrigued and lost in all the twists till the very last episode.
ARTURE YOUTH PRESERVE – RETINOL 2.5%
Retinoids, the umbrella name for all vitamin A derivatives like retinol, have been a game-changer for skins for so many reasons. Major benefits include the boosting of collagen and elastin production which helps your skin look plumper (fewer lines and wrinkles) and it stimulates the production of new blood vessels in the skin, thereby reducing mottled patches and giving your skin a more even tone.
Arture Youth Preserve uses the milder form of natural retinol, but at a higher concentration.
Retinol can increase photosensitivity within your skin so it’s important to only use it at night and to protect your skin from the sun. If you haven’t used retinol products before, take it easy at first with Arture Youth Preserve. After cleansing and patting down your skin, use it sparingly on your face, neck and décolletage for about a week, before upping this to twice then three times a week. It’s also a good idea to wait at least 20 minutes before applying other serums and moisturisers.
For the first few weeks, your skin might feel a bit dry and flaky but that’s a normal reaction. As your skin adjusts, you’ll start seeing results – probably about three weeks in. The idea is to use retinoids in your skin routine for life but take it slow and ease back if your skin has any major reactions.
Apart from the great overall results we saw with our skin, we love the fact that the Arture range isn’t tested on animals, is 100% natural and is made in New Zealand.