The World Goes Pop at Tate Modern

After visiting The World Goes Pop exhibition at Tate Modern in London a few weeks ago, I decided that I had to blog about it. My love of pop art stems from my GCSE Art days, which is when I was first introduced to the genre. When I heard that there was going to be an exhibition at Tate Modern, I thought it would be a great way for me to remember my art school days and also discover some more artists from that period.

What I like most about the exhibition is that it shows you a different side to pop art, hence the slogan - this is pop art, but not as you know it. Most of the artists I studied at school in this genre were American, but this exhibition shows you art from Latin America to the Middle East from the 1960s and 1970s, and how different countries and cultures responded to the global movement. Themes of politics, sexuality, the female body and protest are all displayed through pieces of artwork, across mediums such as canvas, wall installations and even pinball machines!

There are 10 rooms to explore in this exhibition, so give yourself a good couple of hours to walk through and take everything in. The room I found most interesting was room six which focused on Pop Bodies. This was around representations of the body and some female artists even found ways to express female liberation at a highly political time.

Tate Modern will be showcasing this exhibition until 24 January 2016, so if you get the chance to go, I would highly recommend it for any pop art fans.


© Radhika Recommends. All rights reserved.

Blogger meet-up in Leicester

I was invited to a local blogger meet-up in Leicester on Friday night and it was a great opportunity to meet fellow bloggers and network. Organised by Laura Hadland, the blogger event was fantastic with a few surprises for all that attended! Thank you to Laura for organising a great local event for bloggers. I didn’t know any of the bloggers that were going to the event, so it was great to meet new people and see what kind of different blogs people write for.

The event started with a trip to Danique Hairdressing, who were very welcoming to the bloggers. We were given delicious peach bellinis to drink and then sat down on the salon chairs to watch some fantastic hair tutorials. Keri (the salon manager) showed us some Fashion Fixes from label m (a haircare brand that I discovered at London Fashion Week earlier this year). These hair styles are quick fixes that allow you to change the way your hair looks with simple techniques. The staff at Danique Hairdressing were also kind enough to give us some goodie bags at the end, which included information on the Fashion Fixes, some label m products to try and a hair voucher).

After the hair tutorials we went to the Cosy Club for some dinner and had another surprise which was a goodie bag on each of our chairs! These contained special treats from some local businesses and the tote bags were handmade by Laura Hadland herself! The staff at Cosy Club also brought over a bottle of Prosecco for our blogger table, which was really nice of them. I enjoyed the buttermilk fried chicken served with chips which was delicious!

The final surprise of the evening was a trip to Meatcure. I had never been to Meatcure before but their hard shakes (milkshakes with an alcoholic twist) were amazing! We were treated to complimentary drinks at Meatcure and I tried the ‘Dirty White’ hard shake (Vanilla, Oreos and Amaretto). I would highly recommend trying the drinks in Meatcure – I’m going to try the food next time!

It was a great event and night out, so once again thank you to Laura for organising and getting various brands to sponsor the night. Thank you also to Sammy from Zig Zag Photography who took all the photos during the evening.

*Photography credits to Zig Zag Photography

The British Guild of Travel Writers Awards - What I Wore

I was invited to attend this year's BGTW Awards at The Savoy in London on 1 November - attended by top travel industry representatives. The dinner and the evening was sponsored by the Development Foundation of Armenia and the champagne reception by Pas-de-Calais-Tourism. The evening was a great opportunity to meet other travel writers, journalists and bloggers. It was great to meet travel and fashion writer Bonnie Rakhit, a former fashion editor and now a freelance fashion stylist and writer. I have admired Bonnie's work and her blog for a while (thestyletraveller.com) so it was nice to finally meet her in person!

With Bonnie Rakhit

As the event was a formal one, I decided to wear a purple dress I bought last year whilst I was in Thailand. I don't own many floor-length dresses, but this one I had especially made for me so it was a good opportunity to wear it again. I paired this with jewellery from Jon Richard and a darker shade of lipstick to what I usually wear.

Birthday Night out in Rome wearing a Luxemme dress

I celebrated my birthday last week in the beautiful city of Rome and I was very kindly sent a black dress from the forward thinking fashion brand Luxêmme, which I wore on my birthday night out in the Italian capital.

The stunning Nyane Luxe Cut Out High Neck Dress is daring, elegant and chic. The dress is part of the limited edition range and also part of Anita Kaushik's AW15 range. Figure hugging and definitely flattering, the dress has an open back making you stand out from the crowd. The high neck is the most interesting feature of the dress and also what attracted me to the dress the most.

Although the dress is available in both black and white, I personally feel that black gives it a classic and timeless feel. It's perfect for a night out in the upcoming party season! Take a look at Luxêmme's wide range of clothing.

Luxêmme dress 

Earrings: Finchittida

Watch: Hugo Boss

Shoes: New Look

The Luxêmme fashion brand combines Parisian chic with Manchester street style, offering luxury fashion at an affordable price.

Thank you so much to Luxêmme for sending me this lovely dress for my birthday night out!

Holiday in Marrakech

I recently went to Marrakech for a relaxing holiday but also to explore the city and the surrounding areas. I would highly recommend visiting Marrakech as a city break but it’s also great if you want to chill out, especially if you pick a hotel with a pool and spa. The transfer time from Marrakech airport to the city was only 15 minutes, making it great if you’re only staying for a few days as you’re pretty much in your destination within an hour of your flight landing. There is also no time difference to the UK, so no need to worry about jetlag!

I stayed at the lovely Medina Gardens hotel which was centrally located and only a 10 minute walk from the main square and souk. The hotel was perfect for relaxing as it had a main pool, a quiet pool as well as gardens where you could chill out in the shade. Another aspect of the hotel which I really liked was the hammam spa. During my stay I had a facial and a hammam treatment, which involves a skin scrub, mud mask and oils.

The main square in Marrakech is definitely worth visiting during both the day and night. At night, the square comes alive with enchanting storytellers, snake charmers, food stalls and magicians with crowds gathered around them. The square is buzzing with locals and tourists and is a must-see!

The souks are great to explore as it's essentially a labyrinth of 15,000 shops with hundreds of streets to walk through. It's fantastic for buying local pottery, oils and spices and clothes.

If you like an adventure, I would highly recommend a day trip to the Atlas Mountains. We traveled in a 4x4 with a tour guide and the  journey takes you into the panoramic and stunning Atlas Mountains. On the trip, I traveled through the Berber villages and mountains and got a real insight for how the Berber families live. I also tried mint tea for the first time and I'm not usually a herbal tea fan, but I have been converted as the mint tea instantly refreshed me and it's also really good for you.

On one of the last evenings in Marrkech, we spent the evening at So Lounge which is a bar in the famous Sofitel hotel. On the night that we visited, there was a live band playing and then dancers afterwards. It's a comfortable and luxury setting with table service for drinks so we enjoyed some nice cocktails!

Have you been to Marrakech before? What did you enjoy the most?

Top 5 Boots lip products

In my latest video I talk you through my favourite lip products from Boots ranging from lip gloss to lipstick and balms.

Products mentioned:

L'Oréal Glam Shine Lip Gloss http://tidd.ly/4593cada
Revlon® ColorBurst™ Matte Balm in Sultry http://tidd.ly/4289e67d
Revlon® ColorBurst™ Matte Balm in Standout http://tidd.ly/4289e67d
Revlon® ColorBurst™ Lacquer Balm in Coy http://tidd.ly/4f3a0aa8
Benefit lipstick in Lady's Choice

Some of the above links may be affiliates.

Favourites | September 2015

Image credit: variety.com

Autumn is here as we are now in the month of October and here are the things (and places) I have been liking, using and watching last month in September.

Marrakech

I went on holiday in September for one week to Marrakech. I've never been to Morocco before so it was great to explore a new country. Marrakech was perfect for relaxing as well as exploring the city and surrounding areas, as my hotel was in such a great central location. I loved exploring the souks, the main square and also the Atlas Mountains. I would recommend Marrakech to anyone looking for a cultural city break.

Downton Abbey

Whilst I was on holiday in Morocco the last ever series of Downton Abbey started! I love Downton Abbey and I have watched all six series since it started. I think I'm really going to enjoy this last series as it's set in 1925 where they show how the world was changing rapidly at that time.

The X Factor

Now that we are in autumn The X Factor has also started again and I love watching the show every season. I especially like the judges panel this year with a good mix including Cheryl who is my favourite judge! I have heard rumours that this year's X Factor is going to be the most fashionable ever, with Cheryl and Rita Ora wearing different designers each week.

Rituals Precious Mineral Foundation

Onto my beauty favourites last month - I was given a sample of the Rituals foundation when I went for my spa session and I have used it a few times and I really like the texture. It's not a really heavy foundation and if you put too much on it can be quite liquid like. You only need a small amount to blend into your skin and it's very light wearing and natural looking.

Sephora Colourful blusher in the shade No.5

When I was on holiday in Corfu earlier this year I bought a pink blusher from Sephora. It's very pigmented and long lasting and you only need a tiny amount on your brush to blend into the cheeks. So far I'm impressed with this blusher and it will last me a very long time which is great.

L'oreal Super Liner

I've wanted to learn how to do the cat-eye liner for so long and I've watched beauty vloggers do it hundreds of times so I decided to buy a good liquid eyeliner and practice doing it myself. The L'oreal Super Liner has a thin applicator which makes it easy to apply and so far I think I'm doing well with the cat-eye looks!

What have your September favourites been?

Haircare routine with L'OCCITANE and ghd

Watch my latest YouTube video on my current haircare routine. From L'Occitane shampoo to my ghd hair styler, I take you through all of the products I am using for my hair with a mini review of how I am finding using them.

Products mentioned in the video:

Organic Argan Oil with Lavender 

L'Occitane Repairing Shampoo for Dry & Damaged Hair 

L'Occitane Repairing Conditioner for Dry & Damaged Hair 

label.m Intensive Mask 

label.m Sleek Blow Out Cream 

L'Oréal Elnett Heat Protect Spray Straight Hairspray 

Pantene Dry Shampoo Instant Refresh for Normal Hair 

ghd IV Hair Styler 

Favourites | August 2015

The beginning of September means ... it's monthly favourites time! Here are all of the things I have been liking, using or enjoying during the month of August.

The Beauty Blender

When all of the beauty bloggers and vloggers started using the Beauty Blender make up sponge last year I really didn't see what all of the fuss was about and I never thought to even try it. However, I recently bought one for myself as I saw it on offer and I can honestly say that it has changed the way I apply foundation! I think it's a great product and you can really tell the difference when blending your foundation and bases. It's definitely worth a try!

The Balm 'Balm Shelter' tinted moisturiser

This is great for those days that you don't want to use a foundation as your base as it just gives you an even finish. It's not greasy either which is great.

Lush bath bombs

I have always been a fan of Lush bath bombs as a bath time treat! My favourite is the classic 'sex bomb' which turns your bath water pink and smells divine. I like having a bath to relax after a long day.

Vaseline Spray and Go moisturiser

This is great if you are a lazy moisturiser like me as you simply need to spray the product on your body and quickly rub it in. I think the Vaseline Spray and Go moisturiser will be my body moisturiser from now on as it's not greasy at all and dries really quickly.

Yo Sushi

I love sushi and for some reason I have been twice in this month which must mean I am loving it a lot at the moment! My personal favourite dishes are the avocado maki, cucumber maki and chicken katsu curry.

Made in Chelsea LA

It's my guilty pleasure but I do love Made in Chelsea and even more so this month as the cast are in LA for the whole summer! It has inspired me to visit LA some time soon!

Lily Pebbles Vlogs

Lily Pebbles is one of my favourite vloggers and I really enjoy watching her weekly vlogs as she is so down to earth, you can really relate to her and I love how she shares the different things she does each week from restaurants she went to and clothes she bought.

Cooking Fever app game

I saw my cousin playing the 'Cooking Fever' game and it looked so cool and addictive so I downloaded it for myself and I haven't been able to stop playing it since!

Harrods tea bags

As a regular morning tea drinker I decided to give the Harrods Ceylon tea bags a try and they taste great.


What have your August favourites been?

Rituals City Spa

Image credit: rituals.com

Peace and tranquillity can be found in even the most busiest of places. I recently visited one of the Rituals City Spas for a few hours of relaxation and some pampering. It is often thought that you need to go somewhere rural or in the countryside to find a spa where you can relax, unwind and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. However, I recently discovered that Rituals have their own City Spas in selected stores. You can enjoy spa treatments and relaxation in one of the selected Rituals stores. I visited the Leicester Highcross Rituals City Spa and had a lovely few hours of relaxation and treatments.

I was first treated to a manicure with a shape and polish. My hands were left feeling smooth and soft and the nail polish I chose was in the shade Ruby Red. My therapist then showed me the relaxation and treatment room where I relaxed on an elevated chair and enjoyed a facial. The products used were the Sensational Soft Cleanser, Brightening Exfoliator and Intensive Moisturising Mask. The facial was really beneficial for my skin and left me feeling refreshed and relaxed. The mask is non-drying and leaves your skin feeling moisturised. A refreshing spray 'Happy Mist' was used at the end of my treatment and this is also great for using at home and even on your pillow at night.

I ended my visit to the Rituals City Spa by purchasing a few products to try myself at home. I treated myself to some shampoo, body wash and also a face mask which was used during my facial (see below).
Visit rituals.com for a list of city spas and where you can also buy their products.