To say that I have been sceptical about serums is an understatement – I’ve shown nothing but a stubborn refusal to indulge in yet another age-defying luxe lotion.

As my brow furrowed in defiance I caught sight of myself in the mirror and witnessed the reason why these formulas are so popular and I realised it’s not only my face which is adopting an old demeanour it is my way of thinking. Eight days on and I am a changed woman!

So what’s all the fuss about these light liquids in very small containers? What’s their miracle ingredient? How do I make my choice?

Until recently we were most likely to experience a serum during a professional facial than at home. They’re not cheap – anything from £18-£180 for 30mls. They’re chemically formulated to penetrate deep into the skin. Their intensity is to do with them having smaller molecules than the average moisturiser.

Active ingredients like anti-oxidants and vitamins help puff out fine lines (furrows, in my case) and help to treat some skin conditions: they promise to help rehydrate the skin, reduce redness, puffiness and frankly fill in those wrinkles.

You have to read the small print for when it’s best to apply them but generally after a cleanse and tone.

After my super-sampling I’ve had nothing but compliments: and this is a week when I’ve had little sleep and monster PMT. I was even told I was “glowing” (unless they said “glowering” but I’m erring on the side of positivity).

Protecting the skin against free radical damage and moisturising the skin; their formulations are plump with ingredients committed to discouraging signs of ageing, whether they contain Hyaluronic acid (Liz Earle & Avon), intense skin firming pro retinol complex (Boots No 7), or Activinol (Avon) or Creme de la Mer’s unbelievably priced and self-important sounding Blue Algae Lift Ferment (per-lease!) – Not that I was privileged enough to try it! I’ve only been seruming my skin for a week but most companies reckon you’ll see real results in two- four weeks.

When I held my Arbonne Foot Spa party in January, I learned that their vegan Nutri min RE9 Reactiviating serum was the one product customers opted for if they bought nothing else. It’s also been touted by Vogue bloggers. I found it a little watery, which put me off buying it.

The same could not be said for the huge word-of-mouth success that is Boots No 7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum. This mid-priced wonder liquid flew off the shelves quicker than you can say “fill my face” and sales went stratospheric after it was given a major thumbs up by a BBC documentary. I absolutely loved it and it loved me. I couldn’t ‘feel’ it once applied; its ‘silkiness’ almost made me purr!

Its sister product, the ‘velvety’ No 7 Protect and Perfect Intense Beauty Serum, was a little too intense for my chops but my sister-in-law is reaping the benefits and loving it.

I’m great advocate of Liz Earle’s skincare products and while I like the packaging of the Smoothing Line Serum, and the effects were great visually, it didn’t feel as comfortable on, possibly because I smoothed it too near my very sensitive eyes.

As for Avon…if it’s good enough for the gorgeous Yasmin Le Bon, who is the face of Anew Reversalist Renewal Serum, then it’s good enough for me. Facially I’m a totally different ‘type’ to her (think Moggy verses Panther) so I couldn’t believe it would suit me. I haven’t suddenly morphed into a supermodel but I feel like one wearing it. It looks more like a moisturiser, comes in a snazzy dispenser and it equalled the Boots No7 serum, in my opinion.

I found the Avon Anew Clinical Derma-Full X3 Facial Filling Serum less comfy but like the Liz Earle serum it contains Hyaluronic Acid, and I’m wondering if that ingredient just doesn’t suit my skin?

Since writing this many friends have told me they use them. They seem embarrassed about splashing the cash on themselves and most use them as a treat rather than routine. I don’t know if my skin’s sudden lustre was the serum or the fact I’ve allowed myself some ‘me time’ – who cares, I’m converted.

I think my usage will be more random, like wearing really pretty knickers when I remember I actually own some. My dressing table henceforth shall sport a serum with pride.

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Kanye, how could you? Terrorizing a 19 year old in front of millions of people, media and celebrities?!? Not cool. The poor thing could not find her voice after you literally tore the mic away from her to acclaim Beyonce as the real winner of Best Female Video at this years MTV Music Video Awards.

The event created lots of controversial buzz and MTV decided to publish the feedback they received after Kanye’s show stealing performance. After watching the video again, I’m still wondering: was all this fuss just a failed attempt of “scandal-promotion” or a real act of rebellion? Was it Kanye or Taylor that the crowed booed?

As any artist/celebrity (and everybody else on earth I guess), Taylor Swift has supporters and critics. Unfortunately for Swift, she has actually started to irritate lots of women, it’s has nothing to do with her music though, it’s the actual message she is spreading.

“Rather than choosing an established/evolved talent (Beyoncé) or a revolutionary (Lady Gaga), the Grammys chose someone who, according to her lyrics, has spent her entire life waiting for phone calls and dreaming about horses and sunsets.”

Ther rutheless ladies of Jezebel, Bitch Magazine and Autostraddle are pointing at Swift, showing her as the antithesis of feminism:

With her pretty face framed by a halo of blond locks she looks like an angel – a pretty face always helps to spread a message. However, with her supportive and wealthy family background helping her reach her stardom dreams, Swift doesn’t have the same credibility as other fellow-singers – as described in Autostraddle Lady Gaga would have fought Kanye West back on the MTV stage, and Beyonce at the same age was praising her independence and celebrating strong and powerful women.Another point is that Taylor Swift, who’s promotion pillar is the fact that she “writes her songs herself”, basically sings about girls, being outcast, waiting for the boy-prince to come and save them – see this brilliant infographic produced by Autostraddle.

It may be a relief for mothers to see Taylor Swift as a role model for their daughter, rather than high-heeled sexualized child like Noah Cyrus. However, Swift’s message cannot help young women to face real situations because she sings fantasy! For instance, Swift’s songs are simplifying relationships (the virgin against the whore, fighting for the love of the boy), mystifying sex and referring to old puritan concepts (take a look at her song Fifteen below).

Moreover, Taylor Swift’s habit to repeat over and over she is a freak, hiding behind glasses, is becoming pretty irritating. Come on Swift! Just take a quick look at the last Gaga apparition before claiming idiocies.

Talking about Lady Gaga – you know I’ve got a weakness for her – I was reading this article about the rocketing success of this young ambition-driven women and the way she managed to transform brands instead of giving her name and image for a campaign.

From a general point of view the front of the music scene has been pretty much a female only space (with Gaga and Beyonce leading the way). This article describes this fact this is a general trend:

“Jody Rosen, music critic of Slate, the online magazine, declared “we are living in the year of the diva”, when “boys’ music” such as hard rock and gangsta rap is fading both creatively and commercially.”

Is Taylor Swift a durable option in the pop music landscape? Will she survive in a jungle with all these amazons? And was Kanye trying to get his fame back, by sabotaging the speech of a new starlet?
Let me know what you think – and who you would have booed at the MTV VMA awards!

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Founded as a short film event in 2002, Birds Eye View registered as a charity in 2004 and went on to launch the UK’s first major women’s film festival in 2005. They are now developing year-round activities with the First Weekenders Club, BEV Labs, a touring programme and an online community all in pipeline. Read more about the charity and the festival here

Mindbubble Advice: Don’t miss the Closing Night Gala with Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut Whip It! & the roller derby extravaganza!

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JESS3 / The State of The Internet from Jesse Thomas on Vimeo.

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London is one of the biggest cities in the world; it is a massive player in the worlds finance, fashion, business, party, retail and social media industries. It’s a place where dreams can be made and literally anything can happen! But even though London has an unlistable amount of good points and amazing opportunities, it’s not perfect.

Co-Create London is a new website aiming to address London’s main issues and annoyances by listening to the people who know the city best – the general public.

Whether you have lived in London for your whole life or just passed through Co-Create London would like you to answer a very simple question ‘What Would You Do To Make London a Better Place?’ By gathering ideas, solutions and fresh thinking about the city the site hopes to address issues that are important to people of London and give citizens the platform to make positive changes.

Over the next few weeks the site will be collecting ideas and encouraging users to vote on their favourites. The ideas that receive the most votes will be taken forward into a co-creation workshop. The workshop will see Londoners who contributed to the cocreatelondon.com website come together with London experts to turn the ideas into positive and real solutions.

These solutions will then be marched to Town Hall and presented in front of London Mayor Boris Johnson. The hope is that Bojo will listen to Co-Create London and the ideas taken from the website will become a reality, making London a better place to visit and live.

To let Boris know exactly what you would do to make London a better place – or just read & vote on some great ideas, head over to www.cocreatelondon.com

Check out the Co-Create London video below!

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My Valentine’s eve wasn’t spent exactly how I’d planned: I found myself in the dark shuddering with confusion and indecision in the company of a serious man, whereas the company I had been expecting was that of a single man.

Do I sound like a slapper? Well that’s because of my own inimitable use of miscommunication; the very same miscommunication texted between my, neither single nor serious, partner and myself.
Leaving domestic duties at home I’d whisked myself ‘up west’ to have lunch, to see Keira Knightley in a matinee performance of The Misanthrope and head to an early screening of Colin Firth’s latest film, or so I thought.

My partner knew I wanted to see Colin in action and when I texted him to ask me where The Quiet Man was playing, he understood what I wanted and told me which cinema to go to and what time it started. All I had to do was run to the cinema, pay and jump in my seat. He corrected my text told me where and what time to find A Serious Man. I assumed he was right, he assumed he was right!

Expecting a weepy I joked with the girl in the next seat about needing tissues; the lights dimmed and I watched in dismay as the film opened with subtitled peasants droning on about Dybbuks. What unfolded was a maelstrom of disillusion as a 1960s’ professor’s life falls apart in the Coen Brothers Jewish Mike Leigh-esque study NOT Gucci Genius Tom Ford’s directorial debut A Single Man.

I leaned to my neighbour and said: “I’m in the wrong movie – Where’s Colin Firth?!” She guffawed and said: “So am I, I don’t know!”

I walked out into the foyer making my exclamations to the Odeon staff who said several people had made the same mistake…

Don’t get me wrong had I expected it, A Serious Man would have been a brilliant, if dour, experience although it’s no match for a naked Mr Firth.

It got me thinking – how much bother a bit of miscommunication can cause.

You only have to go back to last November to read about the lack of understanding between one a search engine giant and Chinese authors. According to Chinese State Media the country’s scribes had their quills raised in rage against Google Books for a possible breach of copyright laws, by scanning Chinese books for its online library

In January 2010 Google admitted there had been poor communication between itself and the Chinese writing community and apologised for inadequate discussion between them. But China may not be the only country pitting itself against the tech giant on such an issue: America, France and Germany may soon follow suit on the Google Books debacle.

Closer to home a recent study undertaken by coaching company Think Feel Know (TFK) revealed that poor communication between line managers and employees could hamper our recovery from the recession, in 2010.

Nearly half of the 4000 employees surveyed were unsure what was being asked of them by their line managers, which resulted in huge time wastage, up to 40 minutes per day, which is equivalent to 83 employees in a company of 1000 doing NOTHING each day.

So, if you line managers don’t want to get your staff to feel as flummoxed as I was in the flicks, here’s how to reverse the negatives revealed in the TFK study:

1. Know what your employees do, or what their role in the organisation is before delegating tasks.
2. Be clear about what you want: don’t assume employees know what you’re talking about.
3. To maximise staff morale keep your customers informed to avoid confusion and loss of business.
4. Don’t assume…anything!

TFK’s CEO James McCarthy makes a good point:

“The key to moving forward is recognising people will always communicate and interpret information in different ways but by understanding how individuals work and tailoring approaches accordingly an aligned and productive workforce can be built.”

And, from my experience take responsibility for yourself… if you don’t understand something ASK. Like I should have: “You do mean the Colin Firth movie don’t you? Please text me the cinema’s number and I’ll call them myself.” Sorted.

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Avon are carrying out an exciting research project and they want YOU to get involved!

There has been lots of excitement at Mindbubble towers recently, due to a very exciting project happening with Avon.

Avon are looking to find out what women like you think about make-up, and what your needs are.

We’re helping them out with this project and would love to get lots of Mindbubblers involved.

The project will kick off in early March and run for 2-3 weeks. The questions will be very simple and will take up very little of your time. However, it will be a lot of fun – who doesn’t love talking about make-up?!

As an added incentive, there will be lots of great Avon products up for grabs. You could be in with a chance of winning products ranging in value from £40 – £150 - just for taking part!

If you’re interested in taking part, aged between 25-45 and living in the UK, please register at:

http://www.mindbubble.co.uk/belle/survey

We’ll then get back in contact with you in the next couple of weeks to let you know if you’ll be taking part.

We look forward to you getting involved!
In the meantime, we’re sure the guys and girls at Avon would love you to take a look at what they’re currently doing.  You can see all of the great products they currently have, here: www.avon.uk.com

The Mindbubble team

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Today, Mindbubbler Sarah recounts her incredible encounter with Amelia Russell & Dan Darley, a couple who decided to spend their holidays trekking to the North Pole! If you want some inspiration on how to complete a once in a lifetime challenge… Read on!

Late and flustered and breathless from a mere 40-yard sprint I arrived to meet a couple who are about to take on one of the biggest challenges of their lives.

On February 27^th Amelia Russell and Dan Darley will leave Canada’s remote Resolute Bay to walk unsupported to the North Pole. I greeted them in their cosy south London idyll with a cry of “I’m not worthy!”

In under 70-days time Amelia, a 27-year-old A&E Doctor, looks set to become the first-ever British woman to make the walk unaided; her partner in snowshoes is her boyfriend Dan, a 33-year-old investment banker whom she met at their college rowing club at Cambridge University.

On top of their busy careers, this dynamic duo has spent the last two years saving (around £100,000) and preparing for their adventure – without the luxury of a sponsorship deal. The economic climate hasn’t been on their side and soon they’ll be dealing with the challenges of a different climate altogether.

While I grew up dreaming of making my Academy Award Oscar acceptance speech, Amelia’s desire for a life less ordinary also began in childhood. However, unlike mine, her dream is fast becoming a reality, but why? She says:

“I’ve always been someone who’s wanted to achieve and get out there and do something a bit different, not just wear pink and be a princess, but sometimes I like doing those things too. I’ve always had a drive to push myself and it’s amazing what you can achieve.”

Amelia and Dan are acutely aware that it’s the mental endurance that will be the real test of their adventure.

Consequently they’ve complemented their physical training – easy stuff like hauling heavy tyres around to replicate their sledges – with psychometric training to help them understand their compatibility, in a bid to deal with potential conflict – such as making the decision to stop the trip if danger arises – as well as the tedium thrown up by days of isolation.

(The fact they’re sharing housekeeping chores has got to be a good start.)

Personality tests set out by John and Elaine Peck highlighted their shared drive but they still have their demons. Amelia’s knee problem is a major concern but, on a personal level, she admits:

“I’ve never spent two months on my own with somebody else, or two months where I’m almost continually tired and cold and I have to see how I cope with that.”

Long nights on call pale into comparison with the endurance Amelia is about to face. “I’ve got 60 days on call, effectively, so it’s going to seem relatively easy being a doctor!”

If they want to reach the Pole, (the Geographic one, that is, not the Geomagnetic one or the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility), days off aren’t an option.

For starters the fact they’re ‘unsupported’ means its skis, snowshoes and immersion suits from the off – no huskies, kites or snowmobiles to help them, no supplies being flown in, nothing – just Amelia, Dan, their fuel, food (mostly Pemmican, the ground meat, fat and fibre concoction Shackleton and Scott would have partaken of) and the elements.

Dan’s concerned that despite their two years of preparation they may be overwhelmed by the experience – in the first week the weather will be at its most chilling and their load will be at its heaviest. He doesn’t want to fail but explains, “It’s never as bad as you think it’s going to be – overcoming that inertia to get yourself going is what’s important.”

Ambition is part of Amelia’s constitution but why is she following in only two other women’s unaided footsteps to the North Pole – and each of these completed the journey with their partners, like Amelia?

Back in the golden age of British Polar exploration it was the woman’s role to stay at home with the kids, but Amelia thinks it’s still seen as a man’s domain – the danger, lack of home comforts… she admits:

“There’s no shame in it but a lot of my friends don’t want to spend two months on holiday in those conditions, they’d rather spend the money and have a nice time somewhere and…most of my female friends are not quite so competitive as me or want to challenge themselves in such a physical way. The women it does appeal to seem to be like me.”

So, is it the possible glory Amelia is looking for? “It would be a great achievement but that’s not the reason I’m doing it. I’d want to do it if a hundred women had done it.” And I truly believe her.

Throughout our chat Amelia and Dan stress their extreme adventure isn’t about success or failure but the process of the challenge.

Oh, and romance – they look forward to cosying up in their tent watching the Aurora Borealis whirling around them.  Can’t think of a better view to enjoy with him indoors – unless my view was from the comfort of a four-star ice hotel!

Keep up with Amelia and Dan’s progress at: www.northpolechallenge.co.uk

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Last night, when I got home from work, the very first thing I did was to turn my computer on and check Facebook.

It was at this very moment, after reading another invitation to join another stupid group, another Farmville pig sharing request, another invite to an event taking place tomorrow in another hemisphere… I felt like a huge urge to put an end to my facebook life… forever.

Why would I delete my profile?

They are actually lots of reason not to like Facebook. There’s even a Wikipedia page listing criticisms of Facebook.
 I think the biggest concern has been the change in policy, beginning with the fact that users have to accept Facebook T&Cs and “grant [the site] an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, […] any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service”

Every change Facebook has made to their privacy settings has been followed up with official disclaimers to fight back fake rumours about users’ content. Fears and hoax claims are surely coming from real facts and I would recommend any Facebook user to read both their privacy settings (and all the small print) and this very enlightening interview with an anonymous Facebook employee.

How did I delete my Facebook profile?

Very good question indeed: As pointed out in Michael Gracie’s article, it’s a piece of cake to get rid of your MySpace account (apart from bands, who’s still using MySpace nowadays?): you can easily find the link and after following a couple of verification steps, your account, and any track of your presence on the site, are deleted. However, it’s a mission to delete your Facebook profile.

There is a deactivation link in your settings pages, but it’s impossible to find the actual deletion command on the site. The magic link exists though, but it’s usually found on third party websites or via google.

As Gracie comments, all through the deletion process, Facebook’s tone is rather apprehensive and they seem rather reluctant to let you put your profile down in a definitive way.

“Facebook communication makes them sound apprehensive about deleting your information. They may claim that this is for your own protection, but I consider the sequence and tone more that of one that wants to carefully review you

r information first, just in case there is something of value to them within.”

Considering a suicide 2.0?

Entrepreneurs saw there was an opportunity to build a new offer around this trend: for example the Web 2.0. Suicide Machine. The Netherlands based start-up is offering a clean and complete social network suicide: they promise to do all the manual dirty work to delete your presence on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn, thanks to a script that deletes all your “friendships”, comments, pictures and other user-generated content associated to your account.

201,766 friends have been unfriended and
337,044 tweets have been removed since launching.

2,769 people went before you!

The idea is good and, as you can see in the testimonial part of the site, lots of suicidal users have taken the step and deleted their accounts. However, Web 2.0 Suicide Machine had to suffer the consequences of their guerilla activity: Facebook sent them several warning and lawyer letters, stipulating that Web 2.0. Suicide Machine was illegal:

“Facebook provides the ability for people who no longer want to use the site to either deactivate their account or delete it completely. Web 2.0 Suicide Machine collects log-in credentials and scrapes Facebook pages, which are violations of our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. We’ve blocked the site’s access to Facebook, as is our policy for sites that violate our SRR. We’re currently investigating and considering whether to take further action.”

Having said that, and as described in this article from cnet.com, there is still that hidden link to get rid of your Facebook profile in a much more efficient way than that of the Web 2.0 Social Machine.

Failed suicide attempt?

At this stage, I must admit that I did delete my old account… to create a brand new one. Even if it didn’t convince me about the actual value of my Facebook relationships with the rest of the world, it was probably the most effective way to “cleanup” my online presence on the social networking site. They are actually few steps you can take to privacy-proof your profile.

Going further: In her last blog, Lucy weighed up the pros and cons between Twitter and Facebook. Is there a general saturation of socialisation on the internet? Are people as excited to know what their network (or “friends”) are doing in real time anymore? Did Gmail Buzz launch too late as people are now looking for slow-pace networking?

In the case of Facebook-overdose, login to your Facebook account, and break the emergency glass below:

https://ssl.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account

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Today, Sarah, one of our Mindbubblers, has investigated the impact of politician participation to women & mums online community.

As a Mumsnet virgin I had never before considered how politicians are accessing influential women through social communities.

Despite being the mother of two small boys and with education at the top of my worry list as Big School beckons for Eldest in September, I have found politicians so remote, their sound bites so devoid of humanity that I’ve buried my head in the sand and ignored most of their rhetoric and promises, thinking it irrelevant to me.

Then, with some prompting, I tapped into the Mumsnet interview with Gordon Brown and found myself wishing I’d heard the webchat for myself. (Our PM admitted he lost his web chat virginity to the website).

Unless I’m working I rarely take time out at home to scour my PC for anything other than my computer weakness for house websites.

I’ve never sat back with a ‘virtual G&T’ to partake in a bit of online goss, but sitting with Gordon Brown rather than Gordon’s Gin in front of me I felt, for the first time, like I was part of a community and he was talking to me.

His instant response to members of the Mumsnet community, who’d asked clearly thought out and executed questions on issues entirely on my radar, was an absolute breath of fresh air as were the conversational but factual answers in English, rather than in the Westminster-boys-club garble we’re used to hearing on telly.

I’m not saying I’m suddenly going to campaign for Mr Brown but it gives me the opportunity to look over the interviews and weigh his arguments up against the opposition in order to make a clearer decision when the time comes.

There is criticism that Internet campaigning is ‘dumbing down’, but we’re not all political animals. Many of us, I speak for myself, just want to hear the bits relevant to our life at the time and how it will impact on what we imagine will be happening in the coming years: for me that’s education, pensions, healthcare and care for the elderly.

As Dominic Campbell, founder of consultancy FutureGov says: “Politics is possibly getting diluted and dumbed-down but that is not always a bad thing. There needs to be varied spaces online for different kinds of debate.”

And I agree –  I need the simplicity – but I still can’t find myself jumping on the Ed Miliband-wagon and becoming a top Twitterer like the Energy and Climate Change Secretary. That just seems a 140-key taps too much of a waste of time for me at the moment.

The party leaders have each made a canny decision to stop in at Mumsnet on their journey towards the next General Election? Are they softening us women up, tapping into our ego?

It’s a great coup for Mumsnet’s founders Justine Roberts and Carrie Longton, to have landed the crème de la crème of British politics but will we find in a year’s time, that these men are simply the masters of woo?

Will their eagerness to take part in such a personal form of interview, like the new-fangled web chat, stop once the Election results have been revealed?

By the time of the election, if Mr Brown’s chat is anything to go by, I will be sitting down with a virtual vineyard of plonk at every opportunity. But, be warned pay little attention to our pleas and concerns after the event and you’ll leave us all feeling as cheated as a deserted wife, and a woman scorned…

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