See: 80's Youth @ The Ritzy

I went along to the launch of new exhibition 80's Youth presented by Printer of Dreams, Upstairs at The Ritzy, the bar and venue above the Ritzy cinema in Brixton to see what it was all about.

The exhibition presents work from 11 of 'London's finest illustrators' who have re-imagined versions of classic 1980's movie posters including E.T and Back To The Future.

While we were disappointed at the lack of promised 80's tunes (I was hoping for some power ballads to be honest) the art work is inspired and got us all chatting about the films and our childhood memories of watching them.

Shanika Says the exhibition is small, but perfect for popping in after work, before a film or if waiting for a friend. It runs until the 6th June. Check out The Ritzy here.

What are some of your favourite 80's films?

Product Review: Mac Cremeblend Blush

I've been in mourning for my Laura Mercier illuminating powder in Coral Red for some time. It was my go-to daytime blush and I've been clinging to the smashed pieces for longer than I care to admit to.

I've finally found a replacement in this cream blush from MAC, Cremeblend Blush in Posey, £18. It's a great balance between pink and peach (it looks pinker in the pot than it is on) so perfect for daytime wear. The cream formula is easily blendable and you can build up the colour depth gradually - which means it works now while I'm paler and will work when I have a tan too. It sinks into the skin seamlessly when applied with fingers and leaves a soft, glowy sheen of colour. Shanika Says this is a perfect day wear shade and formula, perfect for using on the run.

Product Review: Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder

I am an avid bronzer fan. I have been since getting my first pot of Arabian Glow bronzing pearls from Avon aged 14, which I used for years. I've been looking for a less shimmery bronzer to use throughout the winter months and for contouring for some time. Everyone pointed me in the direction of Hoola by Benefit but I found this too light for my complexion, it didn't give me the glow I was after.

I spent some time at the Bobbi Brown counter and found this beauty. It comes in a few shades but Dark  (described as a dark copper brown) was right for my complexion.

Matte but not muddy, you have to be careful not to get too much powder concentrated in one area, but it blends beautifully and gives enough colour to lift my paler than usual skin, as well as being great for emphasising (or creating!) cheekbones. This bronzing powder is a great, non shimmery bronzer and well worth the price tag of £27.

What I really need is a holiday but until then Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder, with its chic black packaging will just have to bronze my face for me.

Eat: When Mac Met Cheese

I finally got to try this pop-up restaurant that serves the greatest of comfort foods - Mac 'n' Cheese. I say finally because I tried to go late on a Saturday night and they were no longer serving food as the kitchen had closed; kitchen closes at 10 and doesn't open until 6 on a weekday so you only have a very short window to get served here. But I popped along this week and was glad I made the effort to go back.

All wooden floors and black art painted on white walls, this pop-up is the ultimate in laid back cool, from the chilled alternative R'n'B soundtrack playing to the young trendy staff.

I started as I usually do...with a cocktail.

Lychee Martini - lusciously sweet, tasted like pure lychee, could be dangerous!

Macancini's to start.

The jalapeno and cheddar was just the right side of spicy without burning your mouth off.

The truffle and wild mushroom had a lovely nutty flavour. The cheese was very hot though when we broke into the breadcrumb balls so approach with caution!

I didn't really like that the mac'n'cheese was served in take-away boxes if I'm honest, felt a bit cheap.
Although i expected the actual mac 'n' cheese to be a bit more solid, the oozy cheese did really work.

Carlos The Cactus: Mature cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan, jalepenos rocket and sun-blushed plum tomatoes

Very nice even though they were regular cherry tomatoes inside. The jalapenos added another flavour.

Cheesy Green Afro: Vintage stilton, mozzarella and broccoli.

The strong taste of the stilton complimented the broccoli perfectly!
We went out afterwards and were still really full despite the modest portion sizes.

For dessert there's only one thing on the menu and that's Deep Fried Oreos!

Heart attack in a bowl or delicacy? You decide!

With weekly specials, Shanika Says if Mac 'n' Cheese is your thing go and try some different flavours. When Mac Mac Met Cheese is at 43-45 Porchester Road Bayswater until 5th June.

Live: Elli Ingram X Will Heard @ Bush Hall

Admittedly, my friend Louise and I initially bought tickets for this gig to see Will Heard live again. We had both first heard him at Laughing Boy, a music and comedy night I've been to regularly over the years, and Louise totally fell in love with his voice so asked me (at repeated intervals) to let me know if I heard of him doing any more gigs. So when I found out he was supporting Elli Ingram at Bush Hall, we bought tickets pretty sharpish. One of the best things about discovering up and coming talent is how cheap the tickets are - we got these for £8 and I still remember going to see Ed Sheeran for a tenner at a pub in Balham before he blew up. Since Will was supporting this other artist, Louise and I decided we better check her out. And what a treat!

But first Will Heard. Despite having tuning problems with his guitar, he still delivered a raw, soulful performance. His throaty voice cuts right through you as he delivers songs that would be perfect played on a sun kissed beach (or in the garden more likely..this is England)

He seemed a little rushed on his cover of Drake's 'Girls Love Beyonce', I've seen him perform it better, but the chorus still got all the girls singing along.

Will's relaxed style is charming and he is clearly still developing so can still seem quite contained in his performance but he is clearly into his music which is infectious.

And then for Elli Ingram. Before she came out, some vintage-esque props were added to the set - I'm all for a strong aesthetic theme, so this went down well with me.

Brighton hailing 20 year old Elli has just signed to Island Records and she is probably about to be the next big British female vocalist. She moves with such ease on stage, grinding away clearly in tune with her womanly physique and sensuality; her stage presence is effortless. Very down to earth, she became more chatty with the audience as her set went on and confided in her girlish voice that she had thought her management were crazy for booking Bush Hall; she seemed genuinely shocked and humbled that it had sold out.

She is clearly influenced by R'n'B and hip-hop, from her incredible cover of Kendrick Lamar and Drake's Poetic Justice to her dark lipliner, and it works beautifully with her soulful, jazzy tone. Her voice floats languidly over the music and has drawn comparisons with Amy Winehouse, her lyrics full up with bad boys and drinking too much, another similarity. Personally I love a sweetly sung F bomb and Elli has plenty of them.

Her band were amazing - a huge double bass was brought out for tender ballad 'The River' and a saxophonist grooved over the tracks so sexily. Looking at the band screwing up their faces because they felt the music so much, around at the crowd clapping and singing along as Elli dipped it low and asked the audience why they were there if they didn't wanna party - it felt like I'd witnessed the birth of a star.

Shanika Says: Check out these hot new artists now!
Elli's EP's 'Sober' and 'The Doghouse' are available through her website

Eat: Death by Burrito @ The Candlemaker

When we found The Candlemaker pub nestled on Battersea high street, it felt a bit like stumbling on a cool Shoreditch bar...but this is South London so the vibe was a little more chilled and a little less contrived. The staff were still pierced and tattooed but really friendly and helpful and while most of the clientele were in there twenties there were a few patrons you could tell had just popped into their local for a few drinks.

I'm a big fan of Mexican food so was very excited to try Death By Burrito from the Rebel Dining Society, who having previously had a pop up at Catch bar in Shoreditch, now have a permanent home at The Candlemaker for their contemporary Mexican street food. Maybe they nicked their staff too? But first drinks!

We saw the frozen Margarita machine and were going to go for those but our friendly barman suggested some of The Candlemaker's home-made bottled cocktails which were the same price (£6.50) so we went for those instead.

We went for Oh my Pie! - Cinnamon vodka, Disaronno, apple, lemon and cane sugar but our fave was the Whiskey Shed - Jack Daniels honey, pineapple, lemon and honey. Yum!

Now the food. Being Good Friday both Kirsty and I went for fish; the Baja fish burrito for me and the tequila and beer battered Death by Burrito burger with lime and chilli mayo for Kirsty. The fish burger was served on deliciously soft, sweet brioche bun and the fish burrito had a nice spicy kick.

We also had fries which came with chipotle ketchup; the smoky sweet flavour was a nice touch.

My friend Portia joined us a bit later on and went for the chilli and Agave glazed chicken wings. (She forgot it was Good Friday which means fish and then felt terrible LOL)

On Sundays, DBB do bigger dishes like baby back ribs, flat iron chicken and stuffed aubergine served with sweet potato mash, spicy slaw and salsa. On Monday's The Candlemaker have a quiz night and I also spotted various board games dotted about, including my absolute favourite Articulate.

There is some nice art referring to the proximity of the old candle making factory from which the pub gets its name, a knight in shining armour and softly lit outdoor areas that would be lovely to relax in during warmer weather.

Shanika Says: The Candlemaker has a wonderfully chilled vibe and later on they were playing some on point hip hop, both old and new. I'll be back to sip home-made cocktails outside when we get some proper sun!

Read: Big Brother by Lionel Shriver

I found out the personal parallels between author Lionel Shriver and her protagonist Pandora Halfdanarson only after reading the book, for which I'm glad. It gave an additional layer of poignancy and I can see that perhaps the novel was a work of catharsis but had I known in advance, Pandora's character would have been painted with even more self-indulgence.

Shriver's own brother was morbidly obese and died of cardiac arrest. The book explores the complicated relationship the Western world, but particularly America, has with food.
The book begins with Pandora stating her case to take in her annoying yet brilliant brother Edison who has hit hard times, despite her husbands blatant dislike for him; he is her big brother who she hero worships and has done since they were children growing up with a fame hungry TV star father. However his arrival is a shock, in the few years since they have last seen each other Edison has gained so much weight he is barely recognisable and has become the sort of person that other people are visibly disgusted by without the lingering aftertaste of sympathy. He is HUGE.

He is also brash, loud and an incessant brag who elicits pity from Pandora's teen step daughter Cody but fails to impress her step son Tanner and constantly rubs her perpetually on a restricted calorie diet husband Fletcher up the wrong way. In many ways Fletcher and Edison represent Shriver's views on the two opposing relationships Americans have with food - over indulgent, glutinous and perilous versus pious, restrictive and joyless. Pandora's character seems to stand for a female take on food; all her food memories are tied to events and occasions rather than flavours, her favourite photographs based on how thin she looks.

Pandora takes on the mammoth task of spearheading her brothers weight loss - moving in with him and even joining him on a diet of powdered drinks - and risking her marriage to save his life. Although this scenario seems unlikely, Shriver manages to pull this off through her detailed explanation of the precarious situation and the pressure it puts on her personal relationships. The weight loss is supposed to pale in comparison to the change in personality Edison undergoes, humbled by the experience of hitting rock bottom; there is a horrifying scene where Pandora literally has to scoop up Edison's runaway shit. That has to be rock bottom for anyone. However it falls flat because Edison is a rather 2D character full of grating catchphrases and we never really scratch the surface of the emotional impact of his life threatening size, we never feel truly sorry for him nor despise him.
Pandora, whilst much more developed, as a self-sacrificing reluctantly successful business woman with a desire to blend in and be normal in her anonymity, seems an exercise is self-flagellation after finding out Shriver's own story.

We Need To Talk About Kevin, Shriver's most well known novel, is so twisted and complex that I was approaching the end of the book which appeared to be wrapping up neatly, wondering if she'd lost her edge. I needn't have worried; I was quickly met with two gruesome twists, however they felt a little like after thoughts and were under developed if brilliant. Either one would have worked beautifully if just left to sit with the reader a little longer.

Shanika Says: While by no means perfect, Big Brother is an interesting examination of food, family and how the two are so often linked.