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By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor
The 2014 Forrest Wood Cup will be remembered as much for the randomness of the fishing as it will for its Hollywood-quality dramatic finish.
Anglers constantly talked about the inability to generate bites out of the same areas 2 days in a row and the need to be on the hunt for new water. Only a few ever felt like they were on a pattern and even fewer got on winning-quality fish. There were no 30-fish days as Lake Murray certainly showed its stripes as one tough summer cookie to crack.
The result, though, was the closest Cup in history as even the slightest change in conditions sent anglers scrambling to different spots in search of better fish. There were fish caught from the bank up the river to hard-bottom areas in 40 feet of water on the lower end and it was a run-and-gun affair that was ultimately decided by an ounce.
Here's how the rest of the Top 5 finishers came within a whisker of taking home the Cup themselves.
2nd: Scott Canterbury
> Day 1: 4, 10-00
> Day 2: 5, 11-03
> Day 3: 5, 16-00
> Day 4: 5, 13-14
> Total = 19, 51-01
Canterbury practiced on the lower end of the lake and was convinced the Cup would be won on schooling fish chasing blueback herring and shad.
"I got some bites on shallow points and bars down there – some good 2 1/2- to 4–pound fish," he said. "I saw Anthony on places and he saw me on places the first 2 days. I thought I could go down there in the morning and catch maybe three doing that had we started at daylight. By the time we took off and got down there, it didn't last long at all. Those fish seemed to bite better in low-light conditions."
He did something different each day of practice, including fishing brush and locating areas up the river that might produce some flipping fish.
"I had some confidence up the river," he said. "That's where I fished in '08 and I knew there were fish up the river. I know it was won on the mid-section of the lake in 2008, but I also knew if you could get fish on the lower end of clear lakes to bite, they're going to be better than average fish more than likely."
On the last day of practice, he got some bites fishing grass in the lake's mid-section.
"I didn't know how good it was, but I caught a 3 and figured I could get some bites in there during the tournament," he added.
He started the tournament on the lower end fishing for schoolers and on his second stop he boated a 4-pounder. However, he couldn't hit his goal of leaving there with two or three keepers. He headed up the river at 2 p.m. with one bass and was able to scratch out three more keepers, including two flipping, to wind up with four for 10 pounds even.
He headed back down lake on day 2, but at 9:30 his livewell was empty and he pulled the plug on the schooling fish.
"I went to some shallow grass in the middle part of the lake and it just clicked that day," he said. "Everything I went to worked. I could almost call my shots. I found a little pattern running shade lines with grass and wood mixed. The grass needed gravel or rock around it. A lot of the grass here has some kind of grass growing below it and I could never get bit in it, but if I could find grass that came out and had 2 or 3 feet of water in front of it and it had gravel or rock or a clean bottom I could call my shots the second day."
His grass fish mostly came on a buzzbait with various trailers. His 11-03 stringer helped him make the first cut in 9th place.
He never fished for schoolers on day 3 and instead ran a bunch of new water looking for the clean bottom in front of the shallow grass.
"I fished places I'd never been before and in the first 2 hours, I had 12 or 13 pounds," he said.
His 16-pound bag was the biggest of day 3 and moved him into 4th entering the final day.
On Sunday, he didn't run too far from takeoff and continued to fish the shade-line pattern, but he wasn't having the success he had on previous days.
"I went down a non-shady stretch and caught a couple good ones," he said. "They were more in the sun, but tighter on the wood. When they got tighter on the wood, I went and flipped a bunch more docks and I'd gotten bites on that jig on a dock every day on wood."
He had a key fish that likely would've won the event for him come unbuttoned during the afternoon.
"I don't think my fish changed or moved," he said. "There were a lot of fish up shallow, more than I thought there would be."
> Flipping gear: 7'6" heavy-action Halo Daylite casting rod, unnamed casting reel, 20-pound unnamed fluorocarbon line, 1/2-oz. Dirty Jigs pitching jig (pond bug blue), various chunk trailers.
> Fluke gear: 7'3 medium-heavy Halo Twilite casting rod, unnamed casting reel, 15-pound unnamed fluorocarbon line, 4/0 unnamed EWG hook, 5" Bruiser Baits Rad Shad (moonlight).
> Topwater gear: 7' medium-action Halo Twilite casting rod, unnamed casting reel (7.3:1 gear ratio), 30-pound unnamed braided line, Jackall Mud Sucker (ghost minnow).
> Buzzbait gear: 7'3" medium-heavy Halo Twilight casting rod, unnamed casting reel, same line as topwater, various buzzbaits (skirted and unskirted).
> Main factor in his success – "Following my gut instincts no doubt. I never caught fish out of the same area twice. This lake has a ton of fish in it, but it fished so tough. Most times when we go practice, we look for areas where we can get bites. Instead of looking for areas to get bites here, you need to look at areas that you think you can get a bite. You have to figure out what they're on and I really figured it out on the second day. That's when it clicked."
> Performance edge – "Everything I used. I couldn't have done it without any of it. It was just a matter of running on your gut and keeping your head straight and staying sharp."
Brent Ehrler averaged 13 pounds over the first 3 days, but fell short on the final day.
3rd: Brent Ehrler
> Day 1: 5, 13-05
> Day 2: 5, 12-07
> Day 3: 5, 13-05
> Day 4: 5, 11-10
> Total = 20, 50-11
Brent Ehrler's track record on the blueback herring lakes in and around South Carolina and Georgia is pretty stout. A 3rd-place finish at the Cup will only add to it.
He didn't light them up in practice and he said each day was different so he went into the tournament knowing he had to have several options for multiple sets of conditions.
"I found some schooling fish on the second day of practice and caught several in the morning," he said. "It was foggy and overcast and I had a limit in 30 to 45 minutes. They were pushing way more bait up than what we saw in the tournament. It was crazy. I never went back to it because I didn't know if we'd get an overcast-only type of day, but I figured if we did I could go there. Otherwise I could catch a few in the first hour or two and then it was done."
He focused on schooling fish first thing in the morning and had success with the Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits D Shad. He then had a milk run of brush piles in 12 to 20 feet he'd used to finish his limit before going shallow to try to coax an upgrade.
"What I'd do was run to some of the brush piles to finish off my limit, but as soon as I'd get my limit, I wouldn't fish any more of them because I just don't think there are a lot of fish living down there," he said. "I'd mix it up and run the bank and throw a topwater on schoolers and on the bank. I caught them both ways. I didn't know if I was going to catch them or not."
He put together consistent bags in the 12 1/2- to 13 1/3-pound range on days 1-3 and even went to a double fluke rig on day 3 when throwing at the schooling fish.
"For some reason, I wanted to try something different on day 3," he said. "I felt like I could cast the single one farther, but when I started casting it on the third day, I could cast it farther with the double just because it was heavier. I thought it would be cumbersome, but it worked better and I could cast it farther. Like with the umbrella rig, I think if they see more baits up there, they get more excited about it."
He caught a double on his first cast with it on day 3 and it helped him put a 13-05 stringer on the scale to give him a slim lead entering the final day.
His schooling fish didn't fire on the final day and he then started to fish brush piles with a dropshot later in the morning. He coaxed six bites all day and scratched out a limit for 11-10, his smallest of the tournament.
"The brush piles weren't as good as I'd thought they be," he said. "I could run up and catch a few on some, but it didn't pan out."
> Dropshot gear: 7' medium-action Daiwa Steez AGS spinning rod, Daiwa Steez spinning reel, 12-pound Sunline SX1 braided line, 8-pound Sunline Super FC Sniper fluorocarbon line (leader), Roboworm Rebarb hook, 6" Roboworm (morning dawn and red crawler), 1/4-oz. Reins Tungsten dropshot weight.
> Soft jerkbait gear: 7'2" medium-heavy Daiwa Tatula casting rod, Daiwa PX Type-R casting reel (6.8:1 gear ratio), 14-pound Sunline Super FC Sniper fluorocarbon line, Gamakatsu 4/0 EWG hook, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits D Shad (pearl white).
> Topwater gear: Same rod and reel as soft jerkbait, 30-pound Sunline FX2 braided line, 20-pound Sunline Super Natural monofilament line (leader), Lucky Craft Gunfish 115 (clear laser ghost).
> Performance edge – "Only two people had the new Lakemaster chips – Brett Hite and myself – and the thing about the chip is the mapping alone on the Humminbird is phenomenal. On those schooling areas, I could tell why they were related to a certain part of the point because it would show you points off to a side of the point that run perpendicular. The fish would be on those. Their electronics are so good, but the mapping is unbelievable."
Casey Ashley stuck to his strengths at the Cup after an abbreviated practice period.
4th: Casey Ashley
> Day 1: 5, 9-00
> Day 2: 5, 11-14
> Day 3: 5, 15-09
> Day 4: 5, 14-00
> Total = 20, 50-07
Casey Ashley made a strong comeback from a 9-pound stringer on day 1 that had him in 21st place. After an abbreviated practice since he was coming from the Delaware River Elite Series in Philadelphia, he opted to go straight to his comfort zone – shallow water.
"If I'd have had 1 more day, I think I could've figured out that deep brush a little earlier," he said. "That could've changed the game. I fished a good tournament, though. I didn't lose any fish."
He said there was no pattern to what he caught fish off of, saying it was "as random as random could be."
"I just covered water and caught some on points, ramps, grass, the backs of pockets," he added. "All I had was a bait that for the most part if they blew up on it, they were going to eat it."
He focused mostly on Hollow Creek and Bear Creek because he'd had success there in past tournaments. He said the fishing was tough during pre-practice in July, but he opted to not go into Hollow Creek.
"I never went in there because I knew it was tough and if I couldn't get a bite I didn't want to mess my confidence up in that area," he said. "Bear Creek is just a really good area and about 80 percent of local tournaments are won around there."
His plan for the tournament was to fish shallow and try to catch a limit that way, then if he was close to some deeper brush, he'd stop and try to catch some upgrades. The key to his success was simply covering tons of new water every day.
He didn't get dialed in on the brush-pile bite until day 3 when he yanked a 4 and a 2 3/4-pounder off one spot.
"On day 1, I fished some and actually broke one off because it surprised me when he bit," he said. "On day 2, I ran some other brush, but I was in the wrong area up the river.
"On the last day, I fished some brush around 10 a.m., but there wasn't any fish in them and I only had one," he said. "Then I went to the back of this creek that I'd found that was full of 2- to 2 1/2-pounders. There were a ton of fish in there and I'd found it on the first day of practice. I fished it on day 1 to catch five. I never fished it on day 2 and caught another limit in there on day 3. I caught two more on day 4."
After he came out of the creek, he ran more brush and finished his limit with two more good keepers to run his weight to 14 pounds.
> Topwater gear: 6'8" Quantum Smoke PT Inshore casting rod, Quantum Exo PT casting reel (7.3:1 ratio), 15-pound Hi-Seas monofilament line, XCalibur Zell Pop (Z-Shad or Arkansas Shiner).
> Buzzbait gear: 7' medium-heavy Quantum Smoke PT casting rod, same reel (6.6:1 ratio), 17-pound Hi-Seas monofilament line, unnamed buzzbait (gold blade with shad color skirt), Zoom Horny Toad trailer (green-pumpkin pearl).
> His bait of choice when fishing brush was a 10" Zoom Ol' Monster worm.
> Main factor in his success – "Just being open minded and covering a lot of water."
> Performance edge – "I used all Quantum rods and reels. That Smoke Inshore rod with that popper bait allowed me to work that a little better. It's more parabolic and has a real soft tip so when the fish get it, they ate it."
Steve Kennedy holds up the bait that helped him catch the tournament's heaviest stringer on the final day.
5th: Steve Kennedy
> Day 1: 5, 9-13
> Day 2: 5, 9-15
> Day 3: 5, 10-09
> Day 4: 5, 20-02
> Total = 20, 50-07
Steve Kennedy was the lone angler among the 10 finalists to weigh progressively bigger stringers each day of the tournament. He capped it off by a tournament-best 20-02 bag on day 4, matching Mark Rose's day-1 stringer from the 2008 Cup at Murray.
He also didn't devote any time to schooling fish on the main lake. Instead, he focused all of his time in the Saluda River, junk-fishing for resident fish until the final day when all he threw was a Zoom Horny Toad, skipping it back under trees and into shady spots.
"I only got 1 1/2 days of practice and the first day I ran around on the lower end and found some stripers," he said. "The second day I ran up the river and the water was really high from the rains they had the previous week. The river was muddy and the pockets were kind of clear.
"I actually saw 5-pound class bass gulping mayflies. It was something I'd never seen before. We had that off day in practice and going back up there first day of the tournament, the water had dropped maybe a foot. Up the river it had dropped 4 or 5 feet. I scraped out a limit that weighed 9 pounds but I never saw those big fish for 2 days and then Saturday it started stabilizing a little bit. I got two big bites and lost both of them. I knew where they were setting up and they were getting positioned where I could read them a little better."
When the water in the river was high in practice, he was able to make it nearly all the way to Lake Greenwood.
"The water was up and flowing and I finally came to a place where there were rocks and I quit going," he said. "There were some random logs, but I was waiting until noon to run so I could see the bottom. Occasionally, there'd be a rock the size of a boat in the middle of the river, but reading the current is what I've done since I was a kid."
He went up the river the first 2 days of competition, thinking those bigger fish would be there for the taking, but he wound up having to scratch out a limit both days.
"I was catching what I could on days 1 and 2," he said, adding he caught fish on a jerkbait and worm, among other things. "I just wanted to catch five. On day 3, I wanted to be in that 15- to 16-pound range."
While he didn't reach his goal, his day-3 bag of 10-09 was enough to get him into the Top 10 by 1 ounce. That set the stage for a furious finish on day 4.
"My history with the Horny Toad is not good," he said. "It cost me (B.A.S.S.) Angler of the Year back when (Mike Iaconelli) won. I missed a 5-pounder on it. It's just a love-hate relationship."
On Sunday, it was a love affair as he filled the boat with above-average fish, including a kicker he estimated to be in the 6-pound range.
"The key deal was skipping it back under the shade, especially in the morning when the wind got up pretty good," he said. "For a while I was sliding it into places that even amazed me. I was skipping it way back under the junk, into little key spots where they were set up. I caught two off the same bush and two off the same willow 2 hours apart."
When he pulled up behind the Colonial Life Arena in advance of Sunday's weigh-in, he was giddy and thought he'd caught enough to pull off a miraculous 10th-to-1st rally. In the end, he came up 11 ounces short.
"I just got five key bites and put them all in the boat. I just big-eyed them a little bit," he said.
> Frog gear: 7' extra-heavy unnamed casting rod, unnamed casting reel (7.1:1 gear ratio), 50-pound unnamed braided line, 2/0 unnamed EWG hook, Zoom Horny Toad (various colors).
> Main factor in his success – "That's all I had. I went looking for schooling fish that one day. I knew that's a risky way to fish and it's amazing that they catch them every day doing that. Obviously, the guy who lives here and knows the place was the one that pulled it off. Figuring it out in 1 1/2 days, you can't do it."
> Performance edge – "The whole thing has to work and it did."


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subset: commoncrawl


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If this is a medical emergency, call 911.
Thrombosis is the process of forming a blood clot in a blood vessel. Most of the time, clotting is a normal, healthy process that stops bleeding.
Blood contains cell fragments called platelets. Platelets stick to wounds in our blood vessels and to each other to help form blood clots, or plugs, where damage occurs.
When a blood vessel is injured, it activates a chain reaction of clotting proteins. This creates a protein thread called fibrin that knits together with the platelets to form a clot.
Blood clots can form when we damage the surface of our bodies. You may see this in the form of a scab.
Clots can form internally, too. For example, when tissue inside our bodies gets damaged, we may bleed and clot inside. Normally our bodies dissolve these clots over time, once we no longer need them.
Sometimes clotting in blood vessels can be harmful. Health problems that relate to clots include thrombophilia, deep vein thrombosis and peripheral arterial disease.
People with these diseases tend to form blood clots easily, or to form clots when or where they aren't needed.
This refers to a clot in a vein deep in the body, most often in the lower leg. Lack of movement is one reason for DVT. For example, people who spend many days lying in bed because of illness or surgery may get a clot in one of their legs.
Peripheral arterial disease is a reduction of blood flow in the small arteries, most often in the legs. This disease is more common in older people who have some other health problem that makes their arteries narrow over time. A clot can be another reason for reduced blood flow here.
Any time a clot forms inside the body, there is some risk that it may be so big it blocks blood flow through a blood vessel.
Also, there is some risk that the clot may break free from the place where it formed. Then it will flow through the blood vessels until it reaches a vessel that's too narrow to pass through. There the clot can get lodged and block blood flow.
Blockage of blood flow can be serious, even deadly. Here are some problems that relate to clots that block a vessel:
Pulmonary embolism is blockage of a blood vessel in the lungs when a clot travels to the lungs from elsewhere.
One reason for a stroke is a clot that blocks a vessel to the brain.
One reason for a heart attack is a clot that blocks a vessel to the heart.
A blood clot can form in a blood vessel any time there's bleeding inside the body. Risk may be higher after heavy bleeding, such as after a major injury or surgery, because the clotting system may be especially active at that time.
Some other health matters or lifestyle choices may increase risk, too, mainly in adults. For example, cigarette smoking and obesity increase the risk.
Women are at greater risk for blood clots when they are pregnant because the weight of the baby presses on veins in the belly. This reduces blood flow from the legs through the belly back to the heart. Also, the levels of many clotting factors are naturally higher in pregnant women.
These health problems may increase risk of the thrombosis disease thrombophilia:
People who do not move their legs much, such as people who must stay in bed, have greater risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Long airplane rides and car rides also pose a risk of DVT because sitting decreases blood flow from the legs somewhat.
To find a clot and check its response to treatment, we use special ultrasound or X-ray testing.
Here are some of the common treatments for blood clots:
Some children with blood clotting problems need treatment only on a short-term basis. Others may need lifelong treatment. This depends on the reason for the clots.
Your child's doctor can talk with you in more detail about your child's clots and the best way to care for them. We will also work with your child's other doctors to coordinate your child's care.
At Children's Hospital, we offer a full range of services to diagnose and treat thrombosis. If your child has a problem with clots, our doctors can give a number of treatments, based on the cause.
In many cases, parents find out their child has thrombophilia when someone else in the family gets a clot and then the child is tested.
Even if the child has never had a clot, we can provide helpful services.
For example, we can help assess the child's risk for a clot, counsel the family about the effects of thrombophilia, and suggest steps to reduce the chance of clots in high-risk situations, such as surgery.
Read more about our experience and treatment of blood diseases through our Hematology Program.


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" Brand: Montagne Jeunesse / Type: Face Mask / Suitable for: Face / Skin type: for dry skin and for all types / What it does: Smoothes, "
* Prices may differ from that shown
I like to use a face mask on a weekly basis to keep my skin in tip top condition and one of the brands that I favour is Montagne Jeunesse. I find that their products usually smell delicious and work very well too. They are also a vegetarian company which makes them a perfect choice for me. in addition, they do not test on animals. I tend to buy their masks when they are on a multi buy deal, as they often are somewhere. Where possible I try to pick a nice new "flavour" mask to use alongside my old favourites. This lead me to pick the Fruit Smoothie mask which sounded as though it was made from a particularly lovely range of ingredients. These include raspberry, peach, mango, pomegranate and aloe vera plus a natural clay base. I paid £2 for this and two other 20g masks in Poundworld - on their own they usually cost around £1.00 -£1.20 when purchased somewhere like Boots or Superdrug. You can't miss the sachets, they are always brightly designed and this one is no exception, as it shows a lady whose eyes are unfortunately covered by the fruit. It's definitely not recommended that you follow her example!
MJ claim this mask is deep cleansing and that is will leave you with "fresher, cleansed and softer skin." There isn't a specific recommendation for which skin types this mask is aimed at, so I resume it is supposed to suitable for all who are looking for these skin benefits. My own skin is combination with an oily t zone.
I wasn't sure what the texture of a mask that was called a fruit smoothie would be like, until I saw the clay listed in the ingredients. I thought I would be on safe ground there, as it couldn't be too runny. Thankfully I was right, although I do think it has a bit of a looser texture than some. This does make it easy to slather over your face. Your hands will get messy, as you just have to dive into the sachet and scoop it out and smooth it on. The sachet is quite well filled but the mask seems to settle at the bottom so at first it looks as though you don't have much product inside. Once you start squeezing it out you realise that as usual there is ample to cover your face with thickly. I would say you need to finish applying it quite quickly however. I used a little bit on my face and then started to give my skin a second layer once I realise that I had enough to do that. Even though I did this immediately, the first layer had already started to dry and go "tacky" to touch which made for a distinctly sticky experience for a short while. It doesn't feel as heavy or dense on the skin once on as some clay masks do so I did enjoy using it a little more than average, once the application was over!
The scent of the mask is as lovely as I hoped. I think clay masks have quite an earthy smell at times, but the fruit used here help to disguise that beautifully. I think raspberry is the most obvious scent to me followed by the sweet mango, but the overall impression is an appealing fresh fruitiness. It lasts all the time I have the mask on, and remains on my skin afterwards too, judging by how it lingers on my fingers.
The mask is a very pale pink at first but as it dries it turns whiter. It also gets harder as it dries out but it isn't the sort of mask that makes you feel you have a boa constrictor on your face! It definitely tightens but stays comfortable for the 10-15 minutes you are required to leave it in place. When the time was up, the mask had a slightly cracked appearance - a bit like me I suppose as there is nothing subtle about the look of this. I don't care if I look a fright with it on as face mask time is me time and my family disturbs me only in emergencies!
Although the mask had dried out, when I came to rinse it off, the contact with water made it go thick and a bit gloopy again. This meant it took longer to wash off than I was expecting and even when I thought I had removed it all, my skin felt a bit sticky so I had to start again. It does come off eventually, and my skin was none the worse for wear for all my splashing - just a bit pink which soon fades. There are some masks that I would use as a last minute skin boost before going out, but this isn't one of them because of the time it took me to feel the mask was really gone and because I needed to re-moisturise afterwards. It is rare for me to find masks drying but this one certainly is for my combination skin. For that reason, I doubt this mask would be suitable for those with really dry skin. I would say the dryness was most obvious to my touch, rather than by the appearance of my skin though.
Apart from the drying effect mentioned above, which was easily solved with one application of almond oil, I found that using that mask had a very positive result on my skin. My face felt very soft, bar the drier cheek areas. My whole complexion looked clearer and smoother. I certainly felt relaxed and refreshed, largely due to the masks lovely scent. I don't need such a deep cleansing product as I used to, but my skin certainly looked clean and that includes my larger pores. I also felt that my oil prone t zone was effectively mattified, an effect which was still obvious the next day.
I use masks weekly, and I can't say that after a couple of days my skin still looked better from using this particular one but I look at them as more of a short time boost for the complexion.
I have already re-purchased this mask and I know it is one I will continue to enjoy using. The scent makes up for the slightly prolonged removal for me. I would recommend it if you are looking for a good general purpose mask to reveal clearer and more radiant looking skin although the slight drying effect would mean I would exclude those with dry skin from that recommendation. I don't have sensitive skin but I didn't experience any irritation from using this.
Available at Superdrug, Boots, Savers, Wilkinson's and many other places.
My husband bought me a range of face masks from my daughters for part of my Christmas present last year and this was one that he bought me which I loved. The masks are available in supermarkets, chemists and discount style stores, they sell at about £1 each or can often be found in 3 for £2 offers which is fantastic value.
The mask comes packaged in a brightly coloured plastic packet with a little nick on the side for opening, it states "deeply cleansed, fresh and sparkling" and says it's crushed raspberry and mango. On the back of the packet it tells you it's a smoothie of raspberry, mango, apricot, peach and pomegranate and when you look in the list of ingredients on the packet you find it also contains dead sea salt and aloe vera both of which are known to be good for your skin.
To use you simply have to tear open the packet and apply to your face with your fingertips, you need to open your pores before hand with warm water for best results and then you simply wait 10-15 minutes whilst the mask dries. Once the mask is dry you simply have to wash it away from your skin which I have found is easiest to do with warm water.
I love the smell of this mask and it is really pleasant and relaxing whilst you wait for the mask to dry, the smell is just exactly like a mixed fruit smoothie, I find the mask is easy to apply and easy to remove and there is enough in one sachets for 2 applications if you apply it thinly which is all you need to get results. After using this I find that my skin feels clean and really refreshed, I have dry patches on my cheeks and I found that my face felt really smooth even the dry parts. To keep the rest of the sachet fresh I simply fold down the packet and then apply a peg and I find that this is still perfect for use a week later which is how long you are advised to wait between applications.
This gets 5 stars from me it performs brilliantly, is pleasant to use and is fantastic value.
With the impending arrival of baby number 3 looming ever nearer I'm very conscious that as a busy mum of 2 year old twins "me" time is going to become very limited therefore I'm currently trying to pamper myself whilst I can! During the week because Mr Lools works long hours I find that I do not have much time (or energy) to spend time pampering and usually once my two monsters are in bed I grab something to eat then collapse on the sofa. On a weekend however, I have been trying to make more of an effort and grab time to have some peace and quiet whilst pampering myself with a face mask. One of the first items I purchased for my pamper sessions was the Montagne Jeunesse Fruit Smoothie Face Mask.
***Montagne Jeunesse Fruit Smoothie Face Mask***
The description on the packaging of the Montagne Jeunesse Fruit Smoothie Face Mask is "Bursting with healthy goodness, this thick smoothie treat of Raspberry, Mango, Apricot, Peach & Pomegranate isn't a drink but it is bound to leave you in a smiley mood."
The face mask is described to have many properties and benefits from the ingredients that it contains. Mango smoothens skin, softens and unclogs pores. Raspberry and pomegranate contain anti-oxidant properties whilst peach hydrates and helps to improve skin.
Montagne Jeunesse describes this product to be for weekly use.
You can purchase Montagne Jeunesse face masks from Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's and B&M stores to name a few. My local Asda store sells the 20g sachets for £1.00. Each pack lasts two applications therefore this is reasonable value, maybe not as cheap as purchasing a larger bottle of face mask from a high street brand but definitely cheaper option than premium skincare branded face masks!
***Application ***
The directions for use on the packaging state "Thoroughly cleanse face with warm water only (do not use soap or detergent). Apply evenly over face and neck with fingertips, avoiding eyes and lips. Lie back, relax and de-stress. Leave on for 10-15 minutes or until dry. Rinse with water. Pat dry."
The Fruit Smoothie Face Mask comes in a foil sachet. The packaging is very similar to the other face masks from the Montagne Jeunesse range and has a lady on the front with lots of fruit and a face mask applied to her face. The packaging is functional however after using a number of these types of products over the years I have found that generally the sachet contains enough product for two applications. This is the case with the Montagne Jeunesse Fruit Smoothie Face Mask so when opening the sachet I carefully cut open the sachet at the top as opposed to tearing it open. This means that after the first use I can fold and then tape the top of the packaging back over and store in the bathroom cabinet so the sachet can be used the following week and will not dry out and waste the product.
Before application I ensure my face is clean and clear from all traces of make up and dirt. I also tend to scrape all of my hair back and pin my fringe back as from experience I know that it can often be difficult to wash face mask out of hair.
As soon as you open the packaging the delicious fruity smell is apparent. There is a very fresh and fruity berry scent mixed with the creamy soft scent of the peach and mango ingredients. I find many face masks have a very sweet and sickly scent however this is not the case with the fruit smoothie it is delicious fresh and fruity and almost good enough to eat (but not advisable!).
I applied the product liberally to my face onto my forehead, cheeks, nose. When applying I do not apply around my eyes and only apply to my eyebrows and leave a space under my eyes. I also avoid applying to my lips and directly under my nose although I do apply on the skin between my nose and top lip. The face mask is a very light pink colour so in my opinion it is quite girly and feminine although I do not think males should be put off by this. Secondly the consistency of the cream was a little thicker and a little bit more like a moisturiser than I expected and did not have the hard thick clay like consistency that I was expecting. This made it very easy to apply to the face.
As soon as I applied I felt no discomfort or tightening on the face which I sometimes feel. Once applied I sat back and relaxed in the bedroom whilst reading a magazine. I must admit I use the term "relax" loosely as I could hear Mr Lools having a battle with my twin boys over something downstairs but if the house had been entirely empty I do feel that this would have been a thoroughly relaxing experience and in future I learnt to send the three of them out on an errand in order to achieve tranquillity.
Although there was no tightening on first application I could feel the mask drying out and starting to tighten on my face after around 5-7 minutes. After around 10 minutes the mask had dried out and no longer had the wet feel but I did not encounter any discomfort or stinging once the mask had dried. I did get the feeling that my face could crack which you get with face masks but I did not get the tight uncomfortable pulling type sensation that often occurs when you come close to washing off time.
Once the 15 minutes were up I decided to rinse the mask off which I found surprisingly easy unlike some face masks. It was a simple case of rinsing warm water on the face and I used a flannel to remove the mask from more awkward areas. The mask actually washes off with a little water and does not require scrubbing off like many face masks do. I did find I needed to use a little pressure with the flannel around my hairline and eyebrows but this was more of a wiping than a scrubbing motion.
Once removed my skin looked clean and fresh. I did feel my skin especially my cheeks had a slightly flushes pink look to them but this was more rosy as opposed to red and irritated. My skin when dry had a lovely soft feel to it and felt silky smooth.
My skin is a combination of oily and dry and I find my forehead nose and chin get greasy and the skin on my cheeks is quite dry. I found after using this face mask the oily areas had benefited the most and looked soft silky and smooth and had no excess oil. Even after a few hours the oily buid up had not returned. The dry patches on my cheeks looked a little less dry but in all honesty still had a very slight dry feel to them therefore I probably would not recommend this product to those looking for a face mask to hydrate and moisture dry skin.
I will definitely be purchasing the Montagne Jeunesse Fruit Smoothie Face Mask again as I feel the scent of the mask is gorgeous and is a great way to pamper the skin whilst relaxing. After use my skin looked brighter and silky and felt very soft without and irritation. I would say on my combination skin the mask was most effective on the normal to oily patches and the dry patches of skin on my cheeks still felt very slightly dry. Therefore I would probably not recommend to those with very dry skin as a way to improve the condition of their dry skin and add moisture
At £1.00 for a pack this is reasonable value but a downside of purchasing the 20g sachets is even when applied liberally there is enough for two face mask applications. Therefore you need to ensure that you open the sachet carefully so you can fold over and tape down the top of the sachet once opened and then use again otherwise you do waste a lot of product.
A great way to have some "me" time without breaking the bank.
Well as you can guess if you're a reader of my reviews I just love face masks any brand any type I just love them. I had another huge pile for my birthday and Christmas, quite a few I haven't tried yet.
Montagne Jeunesse - Fruit Smoothie Deep Pore Cleansing Masque:
'Bursting with healthy goodness, our thick crushed Raspberry and Mango smoothie delight will leave you with fresher, cleansed and softer skin. Lavishly apply and treat your skin to a pore cleansing, sensational awakening.'
Suitable for-
* Dry Skin
* Sensitive Skin
* Combination Skin
* Normal Skin
My Findings:
Montagne Jeunesse is my favourite brand when it comes to face masks, there fun they source none animal tested ingredients. Most of all it gets you that much needed 'me' time with some great results. However this one didn't scale up to the norm for me.
First off you need to cleanse your face I used a gentle vitamin E facial cleanser, patted my face dry and applied the mask. The mask is smooth, thick and smells simply divine. It states to leave on your face for 10 to 15 minutes, during that time I laid down on my bed and just relaxed.
I could smell the fruits within the mask and if I could have spread it on a cake I would have! In my opinion the raspberry and apricot are the strongest aromas within the mask. Though when my sister used this mask she found mango to be the stronger scent. While waiting for the mask to work its magic I could feel it set slightly on my face. It doesn't have a tight sensation like a peel off mask can do though.
Once the time is up it is time to wash the mask off I normally use plain warm water and a face flannel as I find it much easier to remove that way. It does take a few minutes to remove all the cream from your face. When I had removed the entire mask I patted my face dry with a clean towel, but I really was hoping for better results.
The product claims that it is a 'deep pore cleansing' masque but other than feeling like a normal washed face, I didn't have that super clean or soft feeling. In fact once removed this mask made my cheeks feel a little dry so I had to use moisturiser after use. Normally there is no need to use a moisturiser after using one of these masks. So sadly I don't rate this one highly at all.
Although the outcome wasn't as good as other Montagne Jeunesse masks I have used I was still nice to relax. The fragrance from the mask also lingered slightly on my face which was rather nice as I do like the scent this mask gives off.
The packaging like always is bright and eye catching so they certainly stand out. It comes in a sachet where you have to rip the marked edge to push the product out. It is a little messy but some of these now come in plastic squeeze tubes. Once empty the packet can be recycled.
Price and Availability:
Most supermarkets sell these masks and are around the £1.09 mark however if you have a Bodycare nearby you can pick them up from around 70p. Superdrug and Asda also do offers, like 3 for 2 etc. You can also purchase these direct from their web site.
Well I have to say I was somewhat disappointed with this product compared to the others I have tried from this brand. I would have liked for it to have more of a moisturising property and a better cleanser.
Two out of five stars from me
Thanks for reading.
Additional Information:
Montagne Jeunesse does have a rather fun looking web site where you can find out about their new product, and the rest of the Montagne Jeunesse range. They don't just do face masks their is also bath, hair, lip and massage products.
Montagne Jeunesse is Vegetarian Society Approved, BUAV Approved, Not tested on animals and has received Prima Beauty Award.
I really like the range of Montagne Jeunesse face masks, as there is a lot to choose from and they are at a reasonable price. These are normally 99p for a sachet from places such as Asda, Boots and Superdrug. They are also on offer sometimes at three for £4. I have found that one sachet enables two uses, or three at a push. However, they are good to share on a girls night in and to use at the same time, as if you keep the sachet it is not resealable and the mask dries up. It is nice to buy a few of these masks and use them weekly as a treat.
This smoothie face mask contains raspberry, mango and kernal oil amongst other natural ingredients. It is really nice to use and smells lovely. It is one of my favourite face masks to use due to the scent and the lovely feel on your skin.
To use the mask, just tear open the sachet and apply to your face. I like to wash my face first before applying, and then I tend to leave it on for about ten minutes but it is entirely up to you. When applied to your skin, it has a shiny and glittery tint which great, and I definately feel a difference when I use the mask. The mask helps to exfoliate your skin as it contains small kernels, and makes my skin smoother and more matte after use. The mask also washes off easily with a small amount of warm water.
The only downside to this product is that I wish it came in a bottle so you can use it again and again, but making do with buying several packets is fine with me!
Face masks are great for a bit of pampering or even just as part of your weekly skincare regime. For a bit of pampering I decided to use this Fruit Smoothie mask; listening to music while I let the mask dry into my skin. It is one sure way to relax.
I usually use Superdrugs Mud Therapy mask. This has always been great to my skin, leaving it clear, smooth and radiant. So I am not quick to try anything new anymore. But I received this mask as part of a christmas present and I enjoyed these masks before so it was nice having something new to try.
** The Range **
I am sure most people reading will have come across Montage Jeunesse products. They are the face masks that feature a woman on the front very happy to be using the product and usually a fruit or veg combination on her eyes. They have a wide range of products for all types of skin with an even wider range of 'flavours' for want of a better word. So if one product doesn't suit, its quite possible that you will find another that will.
The masks are also approved by the Vegetarian Society - a huge plus in my book as a vegetarian. Its not tested on animals, doesn't contain any nasty chemicals, they try to be as eco-friendly as possibly and their ingredients are naturally derived. All great pluses, I am sure you will agree!
** The Fruit Smoothie Mask **
This mask is marketed as being deep cleansing, getting deep into your pores. And if the woman on the front is anything to go by, wearing this mask is really fun! Or maybe she smiled when putting the mask on before realising that if she moved her face now its going to crack? Either way, she seems really excited to be wearing it. But does it live up to this expectation?
On the front, the flavour of mask is raspberry and mango but it also contains aloe vera, pomegranate and peach. All combining for what sounds like a great mask (and partly sounds like a great drink!)
** Using the mask **
On opening this packet you are hit with the scent of raspberries initially; lovely fresh raspberries. On closer sniffing inspection the light freshness of the mango seems apparent. But I feel the raspberry overrides the mango by a long shot. The smell reminds me of summer: sitting in the garden, with the sun shining down and eating lots of fruit and fruit-based iced lollies. All that was missing was the scent of sunscreen to complete the picture.
The mask is quite thick and spreads quite easily over the face (avoiding eyes and lips). As you get quite a lot in one sachet you can get quite a good layer on your face with quite a lot of mask left over . This makes it good if you have someone else in the house who may be interested in using it. I'm unsure of how long the mask lasts in the sachet once opened. It does seem like a bit of a waste though.
Once the mask is on the smell is not so apparent, but for 10-15 minutes you get a bit of relaxing time. So sit back with a good book or lie in the bath with candles around you. Though, the mask will dry and you will be left unable to make any facial expressions (or talk!) without cracking the mask. This may please your partner (or they may just try to annoy you to make you smile and crack the mask). The mask also turns white (so if you fancy giving the neighbours a fright if they look through your window...).
Once the mask is dry you can wash it off. I find this is either best done in the shower or through the use of cotton pads (if you dip them in the water I find you can use three to remove the mask off all your face).
After I removed the mask was where the disappointment started for me. Usually on removing a face mask I'd expect my skin to feel smoother. But in this instance it didn't; quite the opposite in fact. Once I was out the shower my skin looked no different and did not feel any different. I'd have been as well just going for a shower as usual and not using a mask on my face. And on inspecting my pores (I have quite oily skin, so they are quite noticeable and can get quite clogged) and saw no difference. Or I could have given my face a real treat by using my usual.
** Price and Availability **
The mask costs about £1 and can be bought from many retailers such as Boots, Superdrug, Tesco and Asda or directly from Montage Jeunesse.
** Conclusion **
I can't say I will be using this mask again. It may smell good and you may get a good amount per packet, but the results were just too disappointing. So I do not recommend it. As I agree with the ethical standpoint of the company I will be checking out others in the range as I remember some of them being quite good. But this one was just a huge disappointment for me.
I love Montagne Jeunesse masks and I have tried nearly all of the range. I like to use a different mask every week. You can pick up these masks in all supermarkets as well as places like Boots and Superdrug. A sachet costs 99p.
This particular mask is called 'fruit smoothie' because it contains a blend of crushed raspberry and mango. The mask is suitable for all skin types. It is meant to deeply cleanse your pores leaving your skin soft and smooth.
The ingredients are all natural and are listed as;
Kaolin, Dead Sea Salt, Vitamin E, Mango, Aloe Vera, Peach, Apricot, Pomegranate, Raspberry.
To use this mask you simply wash your face with warm water only, and apply a thin layer over your skin. You then relax for 10-15 minutes before rinsing the mask off with clean warm water. The mask has a very thick consistency and spreads really easily on the skin.
This mask is meant to be for one use, each sachet contains 20g which I find is very generous, for this reason I use half a packet and then fold the top over and use the other half a few days later!
I have sensitive skin which is prone to irritation from face masks particularly ones that dry on your face. This mask however does not dry on your skin.
After using this my skin felt really clean, my pores felt unclogged and I didn't experience any irritation. I noticed that my skin was soft and smooth, I didn't need to use any moisturiser afterwards which I have had to do in the past with other masks. This mask also has a lovely fruity smell, it smells more of raspberry than anything else but this is nice especially when you are relaxing.
I think everyone is partial to a bit of me time, but how each of us spend our me time is probably completely different. My me time is usually spent watching trash tv (think Tool Academy, it's my guilty pleasure) whilst laying back on my bed with a face mask with a few candles burning int he background, I can't think of anything more relaxing! I used to be a big fan of the Lush face masks but I would never be able to finish a pot before the use by date, so I moved onto Montagne Jeunesse. The one I'll be reviewing today is Fruit Smoothie, and happens to be one of my favourites.
I was initially using the White Chocolate formula, but it wasn't really doing much for my skin other than making is smell divine! I decided I should probably read the packet and find out what each one is for instead of just choosing the one that sounds the nicest. This is how I chose Fruit Smoothie, it is marketed towards people with problem pores and therefore says that it will deep cleanse your pores and leave your skin fresh and sparkling.
I think everyone is familiar with Montagne Jeunesse packets, even if you aren't aware of the brand. This particular packet is mainly red and yellow with a very happy looking lady pictured on the front. The lady is pictured wearing a face mask and has leaves, mangoes and raspberries arranged over her eyes as these are the fruits that are contained within the smoothie. I don't tend to put fruit on my eyes as my snacks usually go into my mouth, but this is a nice touch. These foil packets also provide all of the information in both English and French, although I stick to reading the English portion of the packet because I don't speak much French. The back of the packet shows that this is approved for vegetarians and tells me the ingredients and directions whilst also informing me that the Crushed Raspberry & Mango smoothie also contains pomegranate, peach and apricot. Sounds delicious!
As with any face mask, you simply cleanse your face with warm water and apply the mask evenly over your skin. You then wait 15 minutes, or until the mask has dried before washing it off with warm water and continuing with your cleansing routine. Easy!
Opening the packet couldn't be easier, simply tear off the marked foil area and squeeze the mask out. You can instantly smell the fruity aroma when you open it up, and it really does smell good enough to eat! The apricot and mango notes are the most noticeable, but they all blend together to make a tropical scented mask. The mask itself is a very pale peach/pink colour and looks just like yogurt. It's very smooth and contains no added bits for exfoliation or anything. I prefer smooth face masks as I exfoliate at other times anyway, but for those of you looking for an exfoliating mask then this is not for you!
It was very easy to apply, but as with all of the Montagne Jeunesse packets, they give you far too much product for one application but don't give you a way to re-seal the packet to use it again. This means you either have to use the rest of it as a foot or hand mask before a manicure/pedicure, get a friend to share it with you or throw the rest in the bin. The packets only cost £1.01 from Boots so you aren't wasting too much money, but it would be much better if you could get two applications out of the packet instead of one.
I left the mask for roughly 20-25 minutes so that it could dry thoroughly (and I was too busy watching Tool Academy to notice the time) and then washed it off with warm water. Before I continued on with my usual cleansing routine, I noticed that my skin looked much brighter and was actually glowing without the help of makeup. I inspected my pores (most of you know about my relationship with my pores!) and noticed that they weren't clogged and were much more refined. Job done. The mask claims to deep clean your pores and it certainly did. Most masks usually leave my skin red and tight, but this left my skin glowing and just like a babies bum - and by babies bum I don't mean sore, stinky and with a rash!
As with any skincare products, I won't recommend it until I've used it multiple times and am sure that it won't cause breakouts or anything. I have sensitive, dry/combination skin with large, clogged pores (I'm not as ugly as I sound, promise) and have experienced to irritation or breakouts even after using this once or twice a week for the past month. Obviously everyone's skin is different so you may have a different experience, but I personally have had no issues and have nothing but good things to say about the mask itself.
As previously mentioned, the mask costs £1.01 from Boots for 20g and is available in Asda for 99p. I only do this mask once or twice a week, so it doesn't cost too much to keep my skin glowing but I still think they should either sell smaller packets or resealable packets so that you can get the full use out of the product.
Thanks for reading!
This horrible winter weather had left me feeling in need of a bit of pampering! I haven't used one of the Montaigne Jeunesse facepacks for years, but keep spotting reviews on here so decided, at the glorious price of 99p from Boots, to pick one up on a recent shopping trip.
There are many different face packs in this range and I have to admit it did take me a while to choose one. They all sound delicious and it's a bit like choosing a desert in your favourite restaurant - lots of fruit on offer but surely you'll have to opt for the chocolate one (yep, there is a white chocolate face mask in the range). But eventually I picked the Fruit Smoothie version which contains raspberry, mango, apricot, peach and pomegranate and promises cleaner, smoother skin.
The sachets are easy to open (as long as your hands are dry) and I think there is enough in here for two applications - just make sure you seal the top up somehow! This particular face mask is a pale, creamy pink colour and is a very thick consistency - much thicker than a cream. Despite this, it is surprisingly easy to apply to the face - it goes on smoothly and easily and, like I say, there is plenty in the sachet. There is a definite fruity smell to the face mask but not as pleasant as I had expected from the description. Having said that, there isn't a bad smell - just not as fresh and fruity as I had hoped!
The back of the pack says to leave the mask on for 10-15 minutes. I could feel the mask drying on my skin rapidly, giving my face a slightly unpleasant (but not painful) "tightening" sensation. It is also advisable to stay away from young children or other vulnerable people while wearing this mask as it's not a particularly pretty sight and you do risk scaring unsuspecting onlookers. My husband helpfully commented that I looked like "a right weirdo" and, to be fair, I think the pink-layer-of-creamy-crust look is not particularly flattering to anyone. Perhaps I should have placed slices of exotic fruit over my eyes like the lady on the front of the sachet.
But I digress... after the allotted 15 or so minutes, the mask was pretty much completely dry on my skin and had started to look a bit flaky in certain areas. I hadn't moved my face for most of the time due to the strange tightening sensation (except to give a suitable response to my husband following the above comment), but just before rinsing off I did look in the mirror and make some funny faces. The mask started to crack all over ... again not one to try in front of anyone of a nervous disposition.
I washed this off in the shower and I am happy to say that although it had gone all dry and crusty, it did wash off pretty easily, becoming creamy again quickly with the addition of water. Do check in the mirror afterwards though as you are bound to have missed a bit - I had a nice pink splodge left on the bridge of my nose (again helpfully pointed out by my observant hubbie).
Usually after washing my face in the shower it tends to feel dry and tight quite quickly, and I can't wait to use moisturiser. But after using the face mask, my skin felt incredibly soft and smooth, and not at all dry or tight. I was very pleased - and even more so when I saw in the mirror that my skin had a nice healthy pink glow! It really did make my skin look clean and fresh.
Best of all, in the morning (I used this before bed) my skin still felt beautifully soft and smooth, and looked healthy. So all in all I think this is a great product for the price - especially if you can get two applications out of the sachet. It is very easy to apply and wash off, and leaves skin looking and feeling great afterwards. I didn't expect such good results from this little sachet so I was delighted.
I shall treat myself to these a little more often from now on, and I can't wait to try out a few others in the range!
This is a gorgeous face mask and is a really indulgent treat when soaking in the bath.
I tried this recently and it made me feel very summery as it has a lovely fruity smell and it really does smell look a smoothie and definately smells good enough to eat. It smells of lots of different fruits and definately has strawberry in it which is always a winner.
I got this mask in a 4 for £3 offer and I think they cost about £1 normally so I don't use one every day but usually once a week. The packet of this face mask really appealed to me as it is bright and looks fruity and it caught my eye in the shop.
It is very simple to use you just tear open the packet, apply it to your face with your fingertips then leave on for 10 to 15 minutes and wash off.
I found this to be a very relaxing face mask because of the smell but it is also very refreshing and after using it my skin looked brighter and healthier and it left my skin feeling soft and smooth. It left me and my skin feeling wide awake and healthy.
A lovely indulgent treat of a face mask.
Fruit smoothie face mask good anough to eat! I tried this one this morning as I am feeling a little sorry myself with having a second cold within three weeks.
This I have to say has made me feel better in myself but also bought a bit of colour back to my skin. I have broken skin around my nose and mouth due to my cold and this mask seems to have calmed it down as it doesn't sting or even look sore now. I can smell it slightly but remember the smell from the last time I used this particular one. Its real fruity and smells good enough to eat. It smells refreshing so its a perfect mask for the morning to awaken your skin and get you ready for the day.
The last time I used this mask was the night before my wedding. The next day I was stunned to find my skin looking beautiful the most its looked good in years, it did wonders. It made my skin look so radiant and clear I was gobsmacked well and truly! I didn't need to use the amount of make-up I usually need for the daytime so that was really nice for my wedding.
It really has tighten my pores and evened my skin out. The dry and shiny patches have gone and left my skin looking flawless. I was getting the usual compliments that brides get but also compliments about my skin from my friends and family that know my skin isn't perfect.
This contains crushed raspberry, mango, seed oil, kernal oil, leaf juice friut extract and more. Montagne Jeunesse does say that ALL there ingrediants are natural from plant and mineral sources. They are vegetarian certified, most of there products are dairy free, and suitable for vegans. Not tested on animals. Nothing nasty and no chemicals. They care for the enviroment so they scrutinized all product materials and there packaging can be recycled.
This product I get from tesco which costs me 99p. They sometimes have offers on such as buy three for £4. I have now spotted there website which I will buy from now as they have a much bigger, wider variety of products that I'm sure I will get addicted too!
They do mens range, face scrubs, body scrubs, eye treatments, hair products, bath bits and pieces, foot and leg treatments (foot cooling gel, lovely for the summer I bet! and tired leg moistiriser, perfect for working legs!) shimmer moisturisers for the body, anti cellulite body masque and loads more!
They also do free delivery over £7.50 which I think is great which delivers to you within three to seven days.
This is such a great range and I think it's clever where you can just buy a sachet and if you don't like it its cost you 99p and you've not got more just to be wasted!
Perfect for girlie parties, if your daughter is having friends to stay then this would be fun for them and just having me time, you could buy all of the products and do a top to toe treatment!
Its my Mums birthday soon and as they do anti ageing products for face, neck, hands and body I thought this would be nice idea. She would love these as she can have some birthday me time as well as feeling better after treatment.
I think I could possibly get my hubby into this product as the packaging for the men is really manly.
You apply to face and neck avoiding eye and lips, leave on for 10-15 minutes and reove with warm water. I found this easy packaging to work with as I rolled it up first to push all the product up to the top then tore off from the easy tear marking and carried on rolling it up till all product was out. I do find that there is enough product for two applications so I personally take what I need then fold it at the top and save for another day.
This is worth five out of five in every way.
Thank you for reading :-)
I am quite lucky to have normal skin and don't tend to get spots, but I still love pampering myself from time to time with face masks, to make my skin feel revived and fresh looking. I hadn't enjoyed simialr face masks by this brand but was tempted by the fruit smoothie mask hoping it would be better than the last mask I tried.
What is a Fruit Smoothie mask?
It is a face mask which contains fruity ingredients such as Mango seed butter (great for adding moisture to dry skin), Peach kernel oil (leaves a lovely fresh fragrance), Aloe Vera leaf juice (very soothing and great for sensitive skin), Pomegranate seed oil (fruity and good for cleansing) and raspberry fruit extract (great for moisturising the skin).
How do I use it?
Simply cleanse the face as usual to remove excess dirt and oil then apply the mask to damp skin, avoiding the mouth and eye area. Try to apply evenly and leave for 10-15 minutes before washing off thoroughly. Use once a week.
A 20g sachet costs 99p, they are sometimes on offer. I find this a little expensive considering the price of a bottle of face mask and the small quantity this sachet contains.
I ran a deep bath and got ready to relax with this product. It is quite a thick and creamy texture and a pale pink colour. It smells very fruity but a little synthetic at times. It was very easy to apply and went on my skin nicely, without stinging or soreness. It dried on my skin within 10 minutes but i kept it on for 15 minutes to pamper my skin. It felt nice, and I would recommend chilling the sachet in the fridge first so it feels nice and cool when you apply it, perfect for the summer too! The product took a little effort to wash off because it was sooo thick but this wasn't really an issue. Afterwards my skin felt velvety soft afterwards and very refreshed and cleansed. I was suprised at how good the product was. I would use this again but maybe try another brand as it is expensive for the small ammount you get.
I love these packets of face mask and I am slowly working my way through the whole Montagne Jeunesse range. As I have two horses I don't get to spend much money on me and as these were on multibuy offer in Asda at 4 for £3, I bought some more. You can buy them individually for 97p though if you wanted.
The fruit smoothie mask packet is yellow and orange with the usual Montagne Jeunesse smiling lady on the front. She has leaves over her eyes with raspberries and mango on them. This mask is said to be pore cleansing and is meant to smell like crushed raspberries and mango. It actually has mango, peach, apricot, pomegranate and rasberries in the ingredients along with dead sea salt. This mask is for normal, dry or t-zone skin and is suitable for vegetarians as it is BUAV approved. The mask is meant to leave your skin feeling fresher, cleansed and softer.
The directions for the mask are:
Cleanse skin with warm water only, apply mask evenly over face and neck, leave for 10-15 mins or until dry, rinse with warm water and pat dry. Use weekly.
When you open the packet, you are immediately hit with the fruity smell. It smells just like a smoothie. You can definitely pick out the smell of the raspberries. The mask itself is pale pink in colour which changes to white as it dries. It is a good consistancy and it was easy to apply to my skin, it was a bit like putting yogurt on your face. It stuck to my skin well so I was able to get a decent layer of it all over my face. It smells lovely on your skin too so it was quite tempting to lick a bit from near my mouth but I resisted. The mask tightens over your skin as it dries which feels a bit weird but made me feel like it was doing something.
The mask took a bit of time to rinse of where the kaolin clay had dried but I was really pleased with the results. My skin was matt, hte tone looked even and it was plumpier than before. It really did feel cleaner. I wouldn't say fresher but my skin was definitely smooth. I would use this again before a night out as it left my face looking really good and I wouldn't need to wear foundation after using this product.
This little packets of face masks are really handy for girly nights in or just for when you want to feel girly all on your own. I bought my Montagne Jeunesse Fruit Smoothie Face Mask from my local wilkinsons for 99p for a 20g packet. Each packet gives just a little over one application, 2 at a push if you wear it thinly. That is quite expensive if you think about it, as a bottle of face mask would cost approximately £2.50 - £5.00 depending on what brand you get. You would usually get about 10-15 applications per bottle, so in comparison 99p for one applications is a little expensive!
The face mask comes in a foil type packet that you rip open and simply squeeze out. What I dont particularly like about this is that when your hands are already wet from touching the face mask you have to squeeze the packet, which can be a little hard to do especially with slightly slippy fingers. This thus means you either have to wash your hands to squeeze the full contents out or simply go without.
The ingredients / flavours of this ´fruit smoothie` face mask allows you to get the aroma of raspberry, mango, apricot, peach and pomegranate, which kind of makes you want to eat it actually. Yum. When this mask is on, it doesnt half give you a craving for a refreshing fruit drink!
The texture of the mask is soft and a little thick, which I prefer to those thin masks you can get. Applying the mask is a little messy and sticky and access from the packaging isnt the best to be honest. However once the product is on, you get the fruit fusions, which helps you relax. When the mask is on, you can feel your face to be a little itchy, which I always think means that its working. After 10-15 minutes, depending on how thick the application is and the air around you, you can rinse the mask off with warm water. The mask washes off easily and when your face is clean and dry, you can certainly notice that your face is softer! My face felt fresh after using this and not at all dry, which is something that happens to my skin when I use masks. Something I hate.
I have to say that even if this product is 99p per application, I certianly would be buying it again. It left my skin feeling fresh, clean and soft. Whats more is that when it was on, it gave a nice refreshing and relaxing smell. I cant stand it when you have to wait for something that smells!
A good face mask, would certainly recommend it!
I tried this out for the first time the other day when my mom finally started using the Montagne Juenesse gift set I got her for her birthday and she had a lot left over when she had applied her mask so I got to test it out as well. Im actually starting to wish I had bought the same set fro myself because the two masks I have tried from my moms set have both being amazing and delivered fantastic results.
I couldnt believe this product wasnt already in the dooyoo database so I finally got around to suggesting it a few days ago and it was accepted this morning so I had to crack on and get this review done.
A Bit About The Product [According To The Packet]:
This particular mask is actually a Crushed Raspberry & Mango "flavour" and is said to leave your skin feeling and looking soft, fresh and best of all clean. It is also said to treat your skin to a pore cleansing and unblock any clogged pores on your face leaving your skin soft and blemish free.
Recommend for normal to dry skin and specifically your T-Zone area.
Montagne Juenesse products are vegetarian friendly and are not tested on animals which means most masks are suitable for vegans.
This can be a messy process because it is contained in a tiny sliver of plastic and you have to scoop it out with your fingers. You just scoop out generous amounts of this cream and start to apply it all over your face and neck trying to cover every part of the skin evenly.
Then I think your meant to leave it on for about 15 minutes but I usually sit there for at least half an hour with one of these masks on.
Out of this one 20g packet we managed to get three full masks, one for my mom, one for me and one for my little brother so there is at least 3 applications out of each packet.
The Mask:
This goes on really creamy and spreads across your face really well and evenly. It takes about 10 minutes for the mask to completely set and it does go rock hard which feels a bit odd for quite some time but after a while you do start getting used to it.
Even whilst this mask is still on your face you can feel it working. My face felt a lot fresher and cleaner and that was before I had even washed it off.
The Smell:
The smell of this mask is absolutely gorgeous and it really does smell like a smoothie. The raspberry scent is certainly the strongest but you can definitely smell the mango when you move and just catch a quick whiff of the mask. The smell reminded me a bit of yoghurt but trust me that is not a bad thing at all.
Getting It Off:
This only take about 1 minute tops and all you do is rinse your face with warm water and then towel dry. Some people like to apply some moisturiser after washing it off but if Im honest I dont really think you need to.
The Results:
The smell didnt stick around after I had washed the cream off my face but then again I wasnt really expecting it to so that didnt really bother me. As soon as I washed this off I could feel the difference in my skin. It felt sooo soft and really moisturised and best of all my skin felt really clean and fresh. The mask promises to clean out your pores and I think it did exactly that for me because not only did my skin feel amazing it looked pretty great to.
I didnt need to apply extra moisturiser after I washed this off because I found my skin felt soft enough already which was a good thing because that saves a lot of time.
Overall Opinion:
My skin felt amazing for days after I had washed this off and I could certainly see and feel a massive difference. I love all the Montagne Juenesse products and if you love their range but havent tried this one yet I highly recommend you do. Alternatively if you haven't tried any of their range yet this is a great mask to start off with.
I got this as part of a 6 sachet gift set on amazon for £5 but I think separately they are less than £1 so a real bargain in my eyes!
Thanks For Reading
x-0 Salz 0-x


text:
Game 4 of the Tampa Bay-Texas series was the least-viewed Major League Baseball postseason game in TBS history.
Going head-to-head against the NFL, the Rays-Rangers game had just 2.2 million viewers (1.5 rating).
San Francisco-Atlanta (2.6/4.2 million) and Philadelphia-Cincinnati (2.8/4.6 million) did slightly better in the afternoon.
The NFL appears to be king … except in the city of Philadelphia.
The Phillies victory over the Reds averaged a a 27.7 local rating (835,000 house holds) on TBS compared to the Eagles-49ers Sunday Night Football contest, which earned a 24.1 local rating (725, 000 households) on NBC.


text:
Fedora Linux Plans Changes for Open Source OS
". . . none of the proposed Fedora products focuses on mobile" -- at least not yet. And yes, Fedora is boring, mainly because it's so very current-Gnome.
. . . users are no longer as passionate about Linux distributions in general as they once were, especially in an age when most of the exciting things that are happening in open source software development involve mobile devices, the cloud and container virtualization. . . .
They're passionate about Linux distributions that work well for them, like Mint or Arch, or even Slackware. And I'll continue with Debian [Testing], thank you.
Actually, Fedora works pretty well for me, as do Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and PCLinuxOS (which I'm using right now on my laptop as I type this). Slap an LXDE desktop (my personal favorite) on it, and most major distros are equally acceptable to me.
Fedora runs great for me.
It has been a very stable and solid OS and I have not had any problems.
Fedora is my favorite distribution but I also like Slackware as it is always challenging to work with.
|All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:06 AM.


text:
The Marlboro Township Volunteer Fire Co. added four new firefighters, including one female volunteer, to its roster during a June 3 swearing-in ceremony held as part of a fire board meeting.
Mary Fox, of Alliance, is a lifetime resident of Marlboro Township and recently graduated from Marlington High School. She is trained as an EMT and will continue her education at Malone University in the fall.
Greg Langford, a one-year resident of Alliance, is a graduate of Waterloo High School. A Level 1 firefighter, he previously served with the Atwater and Deerfield fire departments. He will continue his EMT training in the fall at Stark State College.
Adam Nemeth, a two-and-a-half-year resident of Alliance, is the husband of state Rep. Christina Hagan. A graduate of Manchester High School, he is attending Malone University and Stark State College.
Nathan Sorge, a one-and-a-half-year resident of Alliance, is a graduate of Central Catholic High School. He received his EMS degree in 2012 and completed firefighter Level II training in 2013 from Stark State College, where he will continue his education in the fall.
Chief Tom Linerode said the department has 25 members, three paramedics, 11 EMTs, four EMT intermediates and four first responders. Twenty-three of the 25 members are certified firefighters.


text:
YonKa Lotion PS Alcohol-Free Mist for Sensitive/Normal/Dry Skin Reviews
Not sure if this is doing anything for my skinThis might be breaking me out but I'm not exactly sure. It does make my skin very oily when I spray it on at night, don't use any moisturizer, and the next morning I have very oily skin. My skin right now is normal combination. The scent is very herbal. I don't really feel it hydrates my skin. The spray does not come out in a fine mist but kinda large droplets so I don't feel it goes on my face evenly. — 3 years, 8 months agoSubCulture | 332 reviews
The only toner I can use!I have very sensitive skin, and generally toners will cause it to break out, even ones designed for sensitive skin. Lotion is great for me, my skins' happy and healthy. — 7 years, 4 months agoJustine77 | 2 reviews
Awesome smellWhenever you use this lotion you'll feel like you just stepped out of a spa. It smells great. Has a tendency to make skin a little dry if used too much though. Once a day should suffice. — 7 years, 10 months agodancarina | 114 reviews
Skin HeavenI use this every day, some times more than a few times a day. The spray on lotion is cool and the essential oils comforting both in smell and to the skin. It provides a light hydration before applying moisturer. On humid days (and there are a lot where I live) I sometimes skip my after moisturer and this takes me through the day. This is also a great boost midday. It can be sprayed on over makeup ...read moreand patted to absorption. This is one of my favorite skin care products. Each bottle lasts a surprising long time despite it's regular use. — 8 years, 5 months agoBigGirlBlue | 3 reviews
Great smellLove the smell and feel of this one — 9 years, 1 month agoanneangel | 25 reviews
Great StuffLove this stuff. Makes your skin soft and smooth! — 9 years, 1 month agoMark512 | 44 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 1 people said helpful
OkayThis lotion smells nice and goes on smooth. — 9 years, 1 month agoLucyD914 | 77 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 1 people said helpful
Yonka = Superior beauty resultsI have used Yonka products for several years. I do not go out and face the day without it. It is light, refreshing and keeps my face hydrated. You only need a light spritz of this products, gently pat it into your skin and you are good to go. It helps your skin creams and makeup adhere to your skin. I have many complements on my skin tone and I know that it is because of Yonka. — 9 years, 2 months agobeth444 | 4 reviews
i love thisperfect hydration in the winter before makeup- also if you feel a little "chalky" after makeup a quick spritz and you are dewey again. — 9 years, 1 month ago
nice smellinghydrating toner- i feel like i'm doing something nourishing for my skin. — 9 years, 7 months ago
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text:
|Donner Canyon and
Mount Diablo State Park,
California State Parks,
Contra Costa County
5 mile partial loop up Donner Canyon, then past a series of waterfalls. There are a few steep sections of fire road, and many short steep stretches on the trail.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 5.0 mile partial loop hike is moderate, with about 1300 feet in elevation change. Although the featured hike is not long, I found it more difficult then expected. Trailhead elevation is about 540 feet, and the hike's high point is about 1700 feet. The hike has a few steep sections that are really tough when conditions are muddy, and trails wander up and down considerably.
Mostly exposed, with some pockets of shade.
Trail traffic:
Trail surfaces:
Dirt fire roads and trails.
Hiking time:
3 hours.
Too hot in summer. Best in late winter and early spring.
Getting there:
From CA 24 or Interstate 680 in Contra Costa County, exit Ygnacio Valley Road (exit 46b, at the 680 split). Drive east on Ygnacio Valley Road about 7 miles, then turn south (right) on Clayton Road. Drive south on Clayton Road (which becomes Marsh Creek Road in Clayton) about 3 miles, and turn right on Regency Road (this road is easy to miss -- begin looking for it after you pass the junction with Marsh Creek Road). Drive to the trailhead at the end of the road.
Get driving or public transit directions from Transit and Trails:
GPS Coordinates* for Trailhead:
(* based on Google Earth data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, stores, restaurants, and pay phones about 3 miles north near Ygnacio Valley Road. The state park has several drive-in campgrounds, but these are reached from roads near the top of the mountain, not from this trailhead.
Trailhead details:
Side of the road parking at the edge of a residential neighborhood. No entrance or parking fees at this trailhead. No maps. No toilet facilities. No water. No designated handicapped parking, and trails are not wheelchair accessible. There is no direct public transportation to the park.
Most trails are multi-use. A few are open to hikers and equestrians, and some and hiking-only. No dogs. Technically, the park is open from 8 a.m. to 45 minutes before sunset, but this trailhead, with street parking, permits you to get an early start and stay a bit later.
The Official Story:
CSP's Mount Diablo page
Mount Diablo Ranger Station 925-837-6129
Map/book choices:
This hike is described and mapped in 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: San Francisco, by Jane Huber (yup, that's me, the creator of this website). Order this book from Amazon.com.
Download the park map pdf from CSP's website.
Mount Diablo (& Surrounding Parks) map, published by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, is invaluable (order at http://www.mdia.org).
Afoot and Afield: San Francisco Bay Area, by David Weintraub (order this book from Amazon.com) has a great map and descriptions of a Donner Canyon hike.
David Weintraub's East Bay Trails has a good map and descriptions of this hike (order this book from Amazon.com).
Geology Trails of Northern California, by Robin C. Johnson and Dot Lofstrom (order this book from Amazon.com) has a nice geological description of this hike.
Donner Canyon in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to the featured hike.
View 88 photos from this hike.
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page
you've ever been hiking on Mount Diablo in the summer, you
may have found the mountain to be well-named. It gets devilishly hot and
dry here, and a day spent hiking on the sun-baked slopes can leave you
feeling dehydrated and worn-out. It's difficult to integrate the image
of Diablo's dry, brown flanks with the lush green vegetation and waterfalls
that winter and early spring bring. Even more incredible is the sight
of snow on Diablo's tallest peaks. Most people drive to the summit to
frolic in the snow, but it's also a good plan to hike in the quiet northeastern
section of Diablo a day or two following a winter storm. You probably
won't hike far enough uphill to encounter snow on the trails (unless you
hike uphill past Deer Flat), but you'll have great views of the white-dusted


text:
Mustard-stuffed chicken
Prep: 10 mins Cook: 20 mins
This is so good we'd be surprised if this chicken fillet recipe doesn't become a firm favourite. Save it to your My Good Food collection and enjoy
Nutrition and extra info
- Easily doubled / halved
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal367
- fat19g
- saturates10g
- carbs0g
- sugars0g
- fibre0g
- protein49g
- salt1.93g
Save to My Good Food
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Mix the cheeses and mustard together. Cut a slit into the side of each chicken breast, then stuff with the mustard mixture. Wrap each stuffed chicken breast with 2 bacon rashers – not too tightly, but enough to hold the chicken together. Season, place on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 mins.
Recipe Tip
Make it veggieCheesy baked mushrooms: Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Mix the mozzarella and cheddar with 1 tbsp pesto, then spoon into the hollows of 4 portobello mushrooms. Place on a baking tray and roast for 15 mins or until the mushrooms are softened and the cheese is bubbling.
You may also like
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Comments, questions and tips
11th May, 2013
I halved the recipe and prepared it the day before. I baked the 2 chicken breasts in a small dish (rather than on a baking tray) and because the chicken cooked in its own juices it was the most succulent chicken I have ever eaten! Hubby isn't that keen on mustard, so next time I make it I will leave the mustard out of his portion, but he still enjoyed it. I served it up with a small salad as a light late night supper (we both work shifts - so I literally popped it in the oven when we got home). I will definitely be making this again. It would be a good (and easy) recipe to impress friends with, especially as it can easily be prepared the day before and then thrown in the oven!
20th Apr, 2013
Had this tonight with peas and served on half a jarred roasted pepper- SO. GOOD. had plenty of cheese mixture so put the leftover on top for extra delicious cheesiness with some halved vine tomatoes, also added 2 tsp of natural yoghurt to ensure it was moist and the chicken was unbelievably tender, only used one piece of back bacon each which seemed like it wouldnt be enough but with a bit of poking was fine! However! do not squish them together in an attempt to cage the mixture as it stopped the chicken cooking- at the end of the 20 mins we just put it back, separated, for 7 mins on 215C fan and it was fine :) remember to pour the juice over once it's plated!!


text:
Being Alexander
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Preview (read now) Add to my own site Add to my wishlist Author's page Publisher's page
moreAlex was a pushover. Alexander pushes back.
Alex was a chump. Alexander is a champ.
Alex moved in the gutter. Alexander hits the fast lane.
Everyone likes Alex Fairfax. He's dependable, friendly, hardworking. He is also a sucker. A sucker who sits by while his oily coworker maliciously sabotages his advertising career, then steals Alex's girlfriend from under his very nose. But Alex is a sucker who has finally had enough of "yes sir" and "thank you." Enough of kowtowing to the powerful. Enough of being polite.
So Alex transforms himself into Alexander—avenger of the maligned. Sure, he lost his job and has to share a crummy apartment with a bunch of twentysomething hippies, but nothing will stop Alexander from exacting sweet vengeance on the long list of those who have done him wrong.
With the right clothes, the right hair, and the right attitude, Alexander plots to ascend through the ranks of the elite, tear down the company that refused to stand by him, and humiliate his snake of a colleague and disloyal ex-girlfriend. But while pulling off one stealthy stunt after another, wooing away clients and ruining a few choice careers, Alex discovers that being a shark isn't all glitz and glamour—and that his own heart still beats to a very tender drum. . . .
A sharp, edgy, witty novel of delicious revenge, Being Alexander stars the best kind of character—one readers can't quite decide whether to loathe or to love. But in the end, the fact remains: for Alex to truly find himself, he had to become someone else. The result is an irresistibly wicked comedy of ill-manners.
From the Trade Paperback edition. less
Random House Publishing Group; Read online
Title: Being Alexander
Author: Nancy Sparling
Title: Being Alexander
Author: Nancy Sparling
moreEverything that could go wrong has gone wrong in the last seven days.I could order the incidents from best to worst or most humiliating or most surprising or even most funny for onlookers, but that would spoil it. Chronological order is the only way. Event building upon event building upon event.
Monday morning, and I'm talking early Monday, in the wee hours of the morning you still think of as Sunday, I only say Monday because you have to get the date right for the insurance people, I was woken by a car alarm. Or, rather, by an elbow in the ribs and a voice in my ear. "Alex,are you awake?"
Spluttering, I came to, snapped away from an all-too-
vivid dream in which I was growing smaller and smaller,shrink-
ing in size until I was slightly larger than a penny. I don't
know what would have happened if it had continued. Would I
have shrunk to nothing and died not only in my dream state
but also in reality? Should I have performed some sort of
post-Freudian, post-Jungian psychological interpretation of
this dream? Was my subconscious trying to tell me that I was
nothing? Or that I was in danger of becoming nothing? Was
it a warning sign? An early warning sign my complacent, com-
fortable,content waking self would never have recognized?
"Alex. Alex, wake up." Sarah's voice,so gentle and lilt-
ing in the day,seemed harsh and screeching, unkind even, as
if her lack of sleep was all my fault. As if she were blam-
ing me.
"Wake up."
"I am awake."
"Then do something," she said..
The car alarm, lost to me in the confusion of my pull
from deep sleep, suddenly seemed to grow in volume. The
more I listened to it, the louder and more strident it became.
"Damn things,"I said, pulling my pillow over my head
to dampen the noise. "Bloody nuisance. Don't know why peo-
ple bother."
Sarah snatched the pillow away. Slowly, as if she were
explaining the concept of crayons to a dull-witted five-year-
old, she said,"It's your car alarm."
I leapt from the bed and raced to the window, snatching
the curtains aside. Out on the road, three floors down, I could
see a group of four teenagers. Male, of course. Probably no
more than fourteen, with that particular aura about them so
you just knew they were going to be spotty and greasy, and
stringy, squeaky and unpleasant in a way that girls never are,
no matter how big their glasses, how shiny their metal braces,
how riddled with acne their own faces. For a second I felt
sorry for them, for their ages, for what they were suffering,
for what they were going to suffer in the next few years, then
I saw what they were doing. Surrounding my car. Kicking my
car. Breaking my windscreen. Slashing my tires.
"Hey," I shouted. Idiot. Of course they couldn't hear
me. I grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor and tried to pull
them on as I ran to the door. Why is it that when you're in a
hurry something always goes wrong? I should have been sen-
sible and logical and known that I couldn't run and put on
jeans at the same time. Instead, I tried to do both and wasn't
very successful at either. So, hobbling with one leg hampered
by the jeans I couldn't quite pull up, I flung open the door
and ran out into the hall. Thud. The door slammed shut be-
hind me and I quickly became aware of a few things all at
once. The door was locked and I didn't have any keys. I'd
only managed to pull my jeans up to my thighs. Mrs.Roberts,
the sixty-something insomniac from next door who'd taken
to roaming the stairs at all hours of the night, was staring,
goggle-eyed, at the first male testicles she 'd seen since her
husband had run off with an air stewardess the year before.
And I wasn 't wearing any shoes.
Okay, okay, I admit it. They weren't necessarily all of
the same importance, but that's what happened. I'd like to say
that I shrugged it off, zipped up my jeans and ran outside to
kick the shit out of those four little punks, but this is Alex
we're talking about, not Alexander.
I blushed beet red as Mrs.Roberts (I don't even know
her Christian name)continued to stare, and to make matters
worse, as if it were aware of the scrutiny, as if it wanted to give
a poor lonely old woman something to remember, my own
flesh betrayed me.
"Hello, Alex," said Mrs. Roberts as she stared, a smile
hovering around her lips.
I yanked my jeans up, nodded and ran down the stairs as
I tried to do up the zipper. I felt as if I'd betrayed Sarah. And
with a woman older than my own mother. I decided not to
think about it, to leave the incident unanalyzed, fearful of what
conclusions I might draw.
So, bare-chested, bare-footed, I raced down the stairs,
sick at heart, sick to my stomach, certain only that I was an-
gry. I flung open the foyer doors and went out into the street.
They were gone. I didn't even have the satisfaction of
shouting at them or chasing them down the street. I didn't
even have the chance to get into a fight. They were gone and
all that was left was my poor, battered car.
It was defaced. It was wounded. Sacrilege. Tires slashed
and deflated, front and back windscreens smashed, all but one
side window gone. The clear outline of a boot print on the
driver's door. Indentations up and down the bonnet. Key
scratches ruining the paintwork. The stereo --one of those
where you take off the front panel so thieves can see it's not
worth breaking in to steal it --smashed in and useless. The
leather seats --soft and welcoming and so inviting --slashed
and hacked into pieces. Even the car alarm was broken. Ru-
ined. Vandalized.
A Jaguar XKR Supercharged Coupe is a work of art. Its
contours are smooth and rounded, the paint shiny and fresh,
the tires a perfect fit, the lights sexy and sleek. I'm one of those
men who loves cars the way women love clothes and shop-
ping, the way other men are mad about football. If it were up
to me, the Tate Modern would be filled with sports cars, lux-
ury cars, seductive, shiny points of worship. Who needs the
cross-section of a sheep or a pig's foetus in formaldehyde when
you can have a Porsche? A Jaguar? A Lamborghini? That's real
modern art.
Okay, okay, our flat's in Finsbury Park, I should have
known better. It used to be safe when I lived in Clapham and
had my own garage (a wide one so I didn't have to worry
about scraping my car), but Sarah wanted to move in to-
gether, I wanted it too, and we ended up in her flat.(She in-
sisted on living north of the river to make the journey out of
London to see her family in Luton as easy as possible. Never
mind that it was better for me to live south of the Thames to
see mine.) I know I shouldn't have parked it on the street, but
the waiting list for a garage that's reasonably close and wide
enough inside to open the driver's door is over two years. I
wasn't going to give up my car. I couldn't wait that long. Any-
thing can happen in two years. I could be dead in two years. I
decided not to store it in my old garage all the way across
town, as it was impractical and inconvenient. I'd thought it
was worth the risk. I'd decided --maturely, logically --that I
could cope if it was stolen. It was beautiful. There's no other
word to describe it. It never crossed my mind that it would be
subject to this sort of mindless violence. Only a man with-
out a soul would wantonly cause such destruction to a Jaguar
XKR. Or a handful of spotty youths. Philistines.
They didn't even try to take it on a joyride.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
More Fiction
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Ribbed Cold Shoulder Tee
Standard Price $14.99 Sales Price $3.99
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Product Model Size:Model is 5'9" tall
Product Fit:Model is wearing size small. Size small measures 24.5" from top to hem.
Product Care:rayon / spandex / machine wash cold / imported
Cold shoulders give this ribbed knit tee a stylish upgrade! Sleek scoop neck tops a fitted silhouette, while long sleeves drape down the sides below cute cut-outs. Curved hem rounds out the look below!
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Return or exchange in any Charlotte Russe store within 30 days of your ship date, or use the mailing label included in your package to send it back right away.
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amt2nd commented on the post, Barrichello begins IndyCar test at Sebring 5 years, 7 months ago
I've been watching F1, and the preceeding series, for over 50 years. At first, just the British events (Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Goodwood) but. as the television coverage grew. eventually all the races.
When, […]
amt2nd commented on the post, Judge says Ecclestone payments was a "bribe" 5 years, 9 months ago
Quite agree! What a well deserved Christmas present for the evil dwarf.
amt2nd joined the group F1 5 years, 10 months ago


text:
Artist description:
Attempted drawing of a Death Note.
Flash Draw Created Jun 25, 2007 470 x 338px Unless noted Copyright 2007 Alkaiser.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
LOL, I know man. I acknowledge that I suck at drawing, so alls good.
your best one yet! lol keep drawing stuff.
im not sure how that is manga besides the fact that it is a comic.... cool square tho! lol jk


text:
UPIKE Men's Basketball vs St. Ca... / Embed
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My daughter made her own birthday cake last week and I helped to decorate it. The blue bunny onesie girl doll is standing on top of the cake too.
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