Wicked at the London Apollo Victoria Theatre Review*

I mentioned Wicked briefly in my London post but I was so blown away by it that I had to give it a proper review and dedicate a full post to it, the story and the cast, just everything about it was honestly amazing. 

Source

We went on Friday 18th November, our second night in London. We got there quite early so there was a bit of waiting around but as you can't actually get to your seat straight away there was plenty of time to buy any food/drink or merchandise. They let us go to our seats just after 7pm and we could tell when we we were walking down to them that we were going to have a great view. We booked tickets months ago so we managed to get seats on row K in the stalls for a great price. Once we were sat down I was surprised at how small the theatre felt. It has a capacity of over 2000 and it had been so busy when we were waiting to go in but it actually felt really small and intimate. 

The show started at 7.30pm, straight away I could just tell it was going to be special and I was going to love it. If you don't know anything about Wicked, the story is about two young girls at a sorcery school, Elphaba and Galinda. Galinda is a very popular girl who has always got what she wanted, and Elphaba is a misunderstood green girl who has powers she can't always control. They have a very rocky relationship and when a new prince arrives at the school, Fiyero, they both fall for him. After eventually becoming friends, they realise their friendship is more important than their love or a man and work together against the Wizard and Madame Morrible, but their lives end up taking very different paths. Galinda has a desire to be popular and loved whilst Elphaba is determined to stay true to herself and others, which causes shocking problems for people around her. Galinda eventually becomes Glinda The Good and Elphaba is known as the Wicked Witch of the West.

The whole story was great and easy to follow throughout, the songs were also brilliant! My absolute favourites were The Wizard and I, Defying Gravity and No Good Deed. You could tell the cast put everything into it. Their voices were just amazing. We were so lucky to get to see Rachel Tucker playing the role of Elphaba. I had read so many reviews where people had said she is the one to see, and she is the best Elphaba. I am now one of those people, you have to see her at some point in this role! She was fantastic and you can just feel it when she acts and sings that she loves playing Elphaba. I was so excited to see her sing Defying Gravity which was brilliant but the song that blew me away was No Good Deed. When she first started singing it felt different to all the other songs and I was just thinking wow this is amazing. I asked George afterwards which one was his favourite and this was one of them and he said the same, that when she sang that song, that was the one that really makes you realise she was going for it and putting everything into it. That song for me was a real moment that I won't forget. Rachel Tucker has now finished her run playing Elphaba and even though it seems unlikely she will be coming back, if she does I highly recommend booking tickets to see her, I thought she would be really good but she was honestly just insane. I feel really lucky to say I've seen her play Elphaba. Suzie Mathers who plays Glinda was also incredible! She was so, so funny and it was great when she sang Popular. There were so many funny and witty lines from her and I was laughing out loud at points. Again, you can tell she loves the role and she gave it her all. I would love to see her in this role again one day.

It was emotional at times aswell as funny, you just feel so many things throughout. You can tell there is real chemistry between all of the cast, they all work together amazingly and of course the two leads were great together. I got a bit teary at certain songs, there was so much feeling in them, and I had goosebumps from the beginning. 

I don't really know what else to say apart from you just have to see this show at least once in your life. I've never seen any bad reviews and I don't have a bad word to say about it. The theatre was lovely, it's easy to get to by tube, the seats were so comfy (it felt so nice to just sit down for a few hours after doing so much walking around London) and overall the show was just outstanding. I had been so looking forward to seeing this, literally for months and months and it didn't disappoint. It exceeded any expectations I had. I honestly can't recommend this show enough, it was a really special night for us and just made our London trip.

We booked our tickets months in advance online and if you're wanting to see the show, you can do the same via www.theatretickets.co.uk. Aswell as Wicked you can find tickets for all the west end favourites e.g. The Phantom of the Opera, Dreamgirls, Les Miserables and so many more! You'll also find tickets for plays, comedy shows, children shows and dance performances all at great prices.

www.theatretickets.co.uk

Have you ever been to see Wicked? What did you think? Have you seen any of this cast?

Read more about our London Trip - 2 Nights in London!

*This post is in collaboration with TheatreTickets.uk, as always I only work with companies/brands I feel are relevant to me and my blog.

Follow Me - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest & Bloglovin!

How To Reduce Cellulite With Pulse Light Clinic*

Cellulite is something most people get at some point in their life and it's caused by a variety of things. It doesn't necessarily relate to being overweight, it can be because of high stress levels, pregnancy, smoking, crash diets and life changes such as the menopause. Women are more prone to it than men, as if we weren't already unlucky enough with everything else we have to go through! If you didn't know it is caused by fat clusters in the hypodermis (the innermost and thickest layer of skin). Fat pushes against the connective tissues which make the skin pucker up and this is why it looks so bumpy. This also causes blood circulation to reduce meaning the skin looks more dull and has a poorer texture. 

I have cellulite and even though it isn't my biggest worry, it does bother me when I catch a glance of it it in the mirror when I'm getting dressed! I know I'm not the only one who feels like this, I see so many women especially on TV, in magazines and even on social media complaining about their body and things like cellulite that they feel they can't get rid of, but there are ways to reduce it!

Pulse Light Clinic offer Cellulite treatments in London for those who are worried about it and would like to find a way to reduce it. They use the Velashape III which is the only FDA approved machine for cellulite reduction. This is a completely non-invasive and non-surgical treatment for body shaping, body contouring, circumference reduction, fat reduction and of course cellulite reduction. It's safe and effective and it can be used on various areas of the body. As it's non-invasive and non-surgical, there is no pain and you don't need to worry about downtime after the treatments, just carry on with your day as normal.

This treatment uses a combination of 4 different technologies. These are infrared light, bi-polar radio frequency energy, vacuum and roller massage. It works by the infrared heating up the hypodermis and radio frequency spreads the heat equally through the skin. The heat stimulates growth of new cells for the connective tissue, this then decreases skin laxity and body volume. The vacuum and roller massage is used to stimulate blood circulation and lymphatic drainage which improves the texture of your skin. All together they work to reduce cellulite with the added bonus of body contouring and fat reduction.

A series of these treatments can help reduce your cellulite, leaving you feeling more confident and comfortable in your own skin. Everyone wants to feel happy within their self and feel comfortable so if cellulite is a worry for you, this treatment may be something to consider!

Contact Pulse Light Clinic to book in a free consultation and patch-test. You can contact them by email - info@pulselightclinic.co.uk or give them a ring on 02075235158.

*This is a collaborative post with Pulse Light Clinic

Follow Me - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest & Bloglovin!

November Favourites - The Missing, New Shoes & Hot Chocolate!

I actually can't believe it's December already and it's time for another monthly favourites, this year has just flown by! My November favourites include a few brilliant TV shows, some new music and a few other random extras!

The Missing Source, James Arthur Source, Dark Angel Source.

The Missing - This has been my favourite thing on TV for the last few months now and it finally came to an end last Wednesday. If you didn't watch it then what have you been doing with your life! It was amazing! If you don't know anything about it then it is basically about a woman who has just returned in Germany after being missing for 11 years, she claims to be Alice Webster but the mother has doubts and over 8 episodes we found who she really was, where she had been and who had taken her. It was such a complex story and there were twists in every episode, every time I thought I had it figured out, something massive would happen and I would be just as confused as I was at the beginning! Every episode was great but the last few were just brilliant. I didn't want it to end.

New Look Camo Pumps - I never buy new shoes but last month I ordered these Camo Slip On Pumps from New Look and they have become my new favourite pair. I wanted them for London and Manchester as I knew we'd be doing a lot of walking and I couldn't face wearing my boots for both trips as they kill my feet. These were on offer for £7 down from £15.99 which I think is a great price for shoes I know I'll get a lot of wear out of. I wasn't sure how they would look on me, these are definitely out of my comfort zone and so different to anything I've had before but I think they actually look really nice. They are so comfy and go great with skinny jeans, I'll definitely be looking for more like this in the future.

Hot Chocolate - I always love having hot chocolate at this time of year, with loads of cream on top and mini marshmallows. I go mad with the cream but that's the best bit! It's been so nice to have one of these as a treat at the weekend, it makes me feel so cosy and christmassy.

James Arthur Back From The Edge - I loved James Arthur back when he was on the X Factor and I'm so glad he's back after a few years away with a new album. I love his first single from this album 'Say You Won't Let Go' it's just a great song and the lyrics are so lovely, it makes me emosh. There are a few other brilliant songs on the album too including Back From The Edge and The Truth. Definitely recommend giving it a listen if you haven't already!

Dark Angel - This was a two part series on ITV in November about Britain's first ever serial killer, a Victorian lady called Mary Ann Cotton. Over a period of time she killed several people including husbands and children aswell as others too, it is thought she killed up to 21 people before she was caught! Joanne Froggatt played her and she was brilliant, so convincing and really creepy! To say there were only two episodes loads happened and it never got boring or felt too rushed, we hadn't even planned to watch this, just found it on ITV and got hooked by it. It's still online to watch if you missed it.

Bath and Body Works Hand Gel - This was something I won in a giveaway, and it smells amazing. The scent is Coconut Pumpkin Latte, one I would probably never think to choose. It smells really sweet and it lasts for hours! I put a bit of this on my hands when I first got it and even though I then went to have a shower, when I got out my hands still smelled of it and they did for hours and hours. It just smells lovely and it's great to keep in my bag or pocket for when I'm out.

London & Manchester - I couldn't not mention our two trips away. Both were so lovely and it was great to just get away and relax. London was amazing as always, Oxford Street was so pretty with all of the christmas lights on and Wicked was incredible. Manchester was great also, I love that we go every year for the Christmas Market, it's something we always look forward to and I think this year they had the best stalls and food compared to previous years. I already can't wait for next year.

In case you missed it, last months favourites - October - The Fall, Herbal Essences and Thorntons!

If you want to read more about our trips - 2 Nights in London // 2 Nights in Manchester

Follow Me - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest & Bloglovin!

2 Nights in Manchester - Christmas Shopping & Christmas Markets!

After 2 fab nights in London, we had one day at home then went to Manchester for 2 nights. We always go to Manchester in November for the christmas markets and we always like to get some of our christmas shopping done there! Our first trip there was so special and I can't imagine a year where we won't go so even though we had booked London we still made sure we got a few days in Manchester too. 

We went last Monday and we were both still pretty shattered and achy from all the walking around London but as always we were really excited and happy to be back. We started off at the Christmas Market in Albert Square which is just around the corner from the hotel we stay at. We had to get a Doughnut Pretzel like we did last year so that was the first thing we bought and after a look around we headed to the Arndale Centre. Pretty quickly we found Homesense which is just one of the best shops ever. They had so many christmassy things and more gold and copper homeware bits than you could imagine, I wanted it all but I refrained as I just would have spent loads otherwise. We did pick up a few presents from TK Maxx, they had so many great home and beauty bits, I don't know why I don't look in the ones local to us more often as they had some really great things. We then picked up a few bits from Clintons that were on offer and of course I had to get some sort of christmassy candle. I went for the Yankee Candle Candy Cane Lane Melt which smells so sweet and minty. I can't wait to use that soon! We just had a really chilled first day and it was really lovely. We stopped for some of the Costa Christmas drinks that afternoon, I went for the Gingerbread Latte, which I actually love, I never normally like anything with coffee in but for some reason I just love this. We had a Costa while we were in London too, I went for the Mint Hot Chocolate then and it was one of the best hot drinks I've ever had. 

I mentioned in my Manchester Plans post that we were thinking of going to the Trafford Centre on our second day but we decided against that as there was so much more of the Arndale to get round and it was just much easier to get our shopping done in the centre. On our way there we went back to the market and picked up some food. This time we tried some Patatas Bravas from a Spanish stall and they were insanely good. I could eat them again right now. We're going to try and make our own again next week as I need them back in my life. 

We ended up back in TK Maxx after that and I got some lovely home bits for us even though we really didn't need anything! I got some gorgeous glasses for only £2.99 each! They are quite tall and just have a gold band around the bottom, I love them so much. I also picked up this lovely copper candle holder from The Card Factory. I would never ever think to look there for things like that but they had a really good range of home things and this holder was only £1.99, it's so different to anything else we have and it goes perfect in our living room! We picked up a few extra christmas bits from The Card Factory like little snow globes and a christmas countdown. I really want to make the whole flat so Christmassy and cosy this year so we got a few different things to put up. 

After a day of shopping and a nice stop at Cafe Nero for a break we went back to the market for the last time this year. We had to get a pork sandwich as they always look so tasty and we've never gone for one from the stalls before. We also got a huge brownie to try from this stall that is always there and they always do huge muffins and cakes and brownies. I always look forward to getting something from there!

We were home by about 3pm the next day, we had a really relaxing few days away and it was great to get our christmas shopping down in both trips! Now we only have a few extra bits to get and then it's all done, most are wrapped already aswell! I just love going to Manchester every year and carrying on the tradition, I don't ever want it to stop. Even if we can't get anywhere else in the year we always make sure we get to go away in November and I always get so excited for it. I'm already looking forward to next November, it just went way too quick, both trips did. We're hoping next November will be very special for a few reasons and another trip like this will be included. It might sound boring or a bit sad to other people but I don't think it would be the same for us without going to the christmas markets so we'll definitely be going back again! 

If you liked this post you might want to read about what we got up to in London - 2 Nights in London - Buckingham Palace, Oxford Street & Wicked!

Follow Me - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest & Bloglovin!