Friday Five: Beauty Regime

Someone said to me yesterday that they never wore make-up. Fair enough, I thought, I rarely do either. They then went on to say that they just settled for foundation, blusher, mascara and lip gloss, which obviously left me wondering, how is that not wearing make-up?

Someone else said that the amount of make-up they wore was inversely proportional to how good they were feeling. If they had slathered it on, you knew they were feeling like crap. Good point, I thought, I understand that thinking. On the other hand, if I'm not feeling my best, I will take the extra ten minutes in bed that are otherwise spent on make-up application. Who am I kidding; I will always take the extra ten minutes!

But, I'm not totally au naturel. There are some beauty products I use, and I'm not paid commission to write this either.

5 Everyday Beauty Products:

1. Lush Coalface - I use it every morning and night instead of soap; gently exfoliating and freshening for the skin.
2. Oil of Olay - my mum used to use this too, although it used to be called Oil of Ulay. I use the Complete UV Defence SPF 15 every day and it's softening and protective. And the smell reminds me of home. I also use the one with a touch of foundation too, when I want to look like I've made an effort.
3. Moroccan oil - a miracle hair conditioning treatment, and it also comes in a handy travel-sized bottle.
4. Fair Trade Foot Lotion - another product from Lush, this is brilliant for foot massages after long runs or days of standing up and climbing ladders in what is otherwise known as retail. It contains peppermint and spearmint essential oils and Arnica to soothe and calm tired feet. Aaaah... 
5. Nivea lip salve - For the times when I have a cold or am dehydrated, or sunburned, or just want to give my lips a moisturising pick-me-up; there are lots of flavours and even a shiny one, but even the basic variety tastes and smells good too. And it's cheap.

Daylight Saving: Unrealised Potential

Daylight Saving

Tempo Theatre Inc

10-25 May 2014

Every autumn when the clocks go back (if you live in the half of Australia in which they do), you get a ‘free’ hour. What do you do with it? And if something happens in that magical in-between time, does it really happen? These are questions which are raised in Nick Enright’s Daylight Saving, or should be.

Felicity (Rina Ornorato) owns a successful restaurant but is unhappy in love as her husband, Tom (Bill Kolentsis), neglects her in favour of the young tennis-player, Jason Strutt (John Brennan), whom he manages. When Tom abandons Felicity on their wedding anniversary, she sets up a romantic assignation with Joshua (Jason Morton) an old flame, over for a brief visit from America. The planned candlelit dinner, however, is constantly interrupted by her busy-body mother, Bunty (Joan White), and their nosy neighbour, Stephanie (Nicky Lyn Hunter).

As the seeds of deception are sown and the resulting confusion is reaped, the action resembles a French farce, with conservative morality winning through. The pace is too slow as though the actors are favouring clear diction (and every word is clearly heard) to speedy delivery. This becomes a problem as the reason for the dissatisfaction in Felicity and Tom’s marriage is that they haven’t got time for one another, which isn’t portrayed in this somewhat staid version, directed by Michael Weston.

As well as lack of pace, there is also a sameness of tone, so the stakes of involvement don’t seem high enough. Felicity is potentially about to discard a marriage in favour of a fling, but this isn’t given the magnitude it deserves; there is no distinction between her annoyance at an uninvited dinner-guest, and her frustration that husband doesn’t love her. She does well, however, to try and maintain the cut and thrust between her prospective suitors – it takes three to tango in this instance, and unfortunately both Kolentsis and Morton are rather leaden-footed.

The play has wonderful minor characters, and Hunter and White revel in their roles. Hunter brings a neurotic lack of awareness to the insensitive Stephanie with swift movements to match her snap judgements. White, meanwhile, imbues Bunty with an equally oblivious calm and threatens to steal the scene with her assured authority. Brennan has the whiny teenager shtick down pat, but his stooped posture and slouching gait are ill-fitting with his supposed athletic prowess as Jason Strutt – the clue should be in the name.

Much mention is made in the text of the beautiful moon, romantic light and the Pittwater (Sydney North Shore) location, but very little of this is evident in the setting. The view of the patio and outdoor area is limited, and it would have helped to hear the sound of the waves to heighten the ambience. The staging is purely functional and misses an opportunity to be atmospheric. The moon and tides are said to affect hormones, and yet they are timeless and inevitable. The performance of this play is solid if not spectacular, and the dream-like potential of daylight saving remains unrealised.