#i will cover the world in plant designs hehehe

[oshetart]

OVERGROWTH case design for Drop!

[shinygoku]

Top 10 CSatM Episodes (2/2)

See part 1 here

As a few paragraphs and pictures for 10 episodes in a row makes a rather long, unruly beast of a post!

The second half of my personal preferred picks for a Top 10, though the order they’re being listed in doesn’t correspond to my favour, but the order how I watch them on my DVDs. I still suggest you read the first half of the list before this one, all the same~

Spoilers below the cut, be warned! ✂

Crater 101

So this ep is pretty much a sequel to Lunarville 7, and is followed up with Dangerous Rendezvous. Neither of those made the cut of my list though, and even isolated from those it makes a solid story. The most Space-y of all the episodes and a visual treat, cause while we mostly stuck to the stark accommodations of Lunarville 7 in that episode, here we see the grey grimy gloom of the outside of the Moon, and the sharp, delightful contrast of the Mysteron’s fantastic plastic Complex. Here, vivid marbled colours and flashing lights join inorganic shapes that suggest something of the Mysteron’s nature, but as always, nothing conclusive.

Moving away from the lovely Aesthetics, this is also a strong one for characterisation. We get some sweet interactions with The Lads and for this episode only, the Best Female Character in the whole show. Linda Nolan is the controller of Lunarville 6, a smart, capable woman who had her own cool space mission referenced and in fact critical to the plot. She is also relatable in that she catches feelings for Scarlet, so while she’s barking up the wrong tree I still have nothing but respect for her, hehee.

Eerie, tense, interesting and still somewhat funny, this is another episode that eeks into an even higher ranking list than 10, I could comfortably put it in 5 and mmmaybe 3. Though I’m not gonna be able to say definitively as the best episodes all bring something different to the table, and this may just be the strongest in the uniqueness regard.

Fire at Rig 15

I get the feeling this may be an unorthodox choice, somehow? But yeah, I just really enjoy it. It’s not a funny episode, but it is rather exciting, and contains some lovely new music and a sweet scene at the end. The Mysteron’s plot is pretty simple, but should it succeed, devastating as it would be crippling Spectrum’s operations by removing the unique type of fuel all the craft uses.

In a way, it’s kind of like a dark mirror to a typical Thunderbirds setup; whereas in that show the initial fire would be more likely to be accidental or just maybe some ne’er do well like the Hood, this time it’s as simple as the Mysterons reopening the master valve. When traditional firefighters would eventually retreat to make room for International Rescue, here Spectrum themselves have a rather passive role as a professional rolls in. And of course, said man finds himself very, very dead due to further Mysteron interference (see picture), with Black seemingly hypnotising the poor bloke into standing too close to the explosion.

From there his duplicate half buries his original corpse and later receives direct instructions from Black to suicide bomb the nearby refinery, and it’s en route to this is where the thrilling car chase takes place! Scarlet saves the refinery but the whole SPV he was driving is completely ablaze at the end of it. Like my thoughts on Point 783, I really appreciate the human touch to the last scene, with soft music as arrangements are made for Scarlet to recover from the horrible state we’re spared of seeing. Seeing how his ability to recover from death is one of the cornerstones of the whole premise, I love it when we’re allowed a bit more insight into what the other Spectrum personnel do in the situations, in this case White specifically instructing Dr Fawn to make sure Scarlet is comfortable as the process takes place.

Treble Cross

A notable and unique spin of an episode, where a rather routine Mysteron threat takes quite the turn when their assassinated target is brought back to life! It seems by the 2060′s we’ll have cool machinery to do CPR for a couple of hours as well as doctors ready to play god when they happen to drive by the car crash scene, heheh

Seriously though, this is a really fresh premise, that the villains who have been using doppelgangers for their devious schemes get the tables turned. This time the duplicate gets perma-killed while the original Major Gravener willingly participates in an undercover mission to help draw Captain Black into a trap at last... However, an easily overlooked factor in the driver who was also killed had been duplicated offscreen, so even with this amazing chance Spectrum can’t catch Black. But the World Capital, Futura City, is saved and Spectrum find the Mysterons themselves can’t tell their own copies from the original person, so it’s all in all a net gain!

Also this episode contains the World’s Happiest Clock, so that’s a neat plus.

Flight 104

We start this story on the incredible note of Captain Blue singing in the shower of the Hotel room he shares with Captain Scarlet. Scarlet then orders them both room service for some lunch. And if that sounds like the start of a fanfic plot, it may well be, but it’s also literally right there in the episode, baybee!

Charmingly domestic opening aside, I love this whole shebang. Again it’s the usual Mysterons threatening of an individual who Spectrum are bodyguarding, but the way both our heroes and villains go about this is different from the norm. Scarlet and Blue are trying to avoid drawing attention, so they spend the whole episode in normal clothes (Blue spending 1/3 of this in that comfy bathrobe!), and don’t have their comms. What’s more, they get a pair of reporters suspicious, and the two trail them looking for a Big Scoop.

When I was first watching this, I was expecting the journalists to get killed by Black to be the Mysteron Pawns, but no! They’re both fine from the start to the end! Then we find Black doing ....something.... to the Flight Crew of the titular Flight 104, but they aren’t killed either, just drugged. Instead, the Mysterons remotely pilot the plane on a slow collision course with the Alps, but are undone when an Electrical Plant interferes with their control.

As breaking into the pilot cabin had the side effect of jamming the landing gear, the plane has to crash land at the airport, but almost everyone being unharmed makes this one of the most gentle episodes of the lot... of course, Scarlet himself is still heavily implied to have been killed from the crash, but even his injuries seem pretty minor this time. And yet, it’s not lacking in excitement, as the tension of Spectrum trying to communicate with the two without their Comms and the inability to override the Mysteron’s control until that pre-established Electrical weakness kicks in holds for a while.

Inferno

Those who know of me from Thunderbirds are Go (the 2015 TV series) discussion are likely to know how much I love the episode from Season 1, Tunnels of Time. It heavily features my favourite ship in that show as they explore an ancient South American Temple which is full of peril. The temple is destroyed by the end of the episode.

So anyway, Inferno features my favourite ship in this show as they explore an ancient South American Temple which is full of peril, and tragically the temple is destroyed by the end of the episode! Heheeheheee~

Ok seriously though, eerie parallels aside this is another utterly beautiful instalment, with set design and lighting that really blows other episodes out of the proverbial water. And the pyrotechnic team clearly had fun with the seemingly unending explosions at the end of the adventure. An all-around visual feast!

Main plot is relatively simple, like in White as Snow, the Mysterons kill a Satellite and its crew and steer the reconstructed version towards their target of the week. Unlike WaS, they succeed in the end, a reminder that they’re still not to be underestimated. No human lives are lost, but the important complex and more tragically, the 800 year old temple that’s otherwise intact, get bombed to smithereens. Something something additional cost of warfare on Culture and History.

But while this is the end of my personal Top 10 list, it’s not all bad, because the Scarlet and Blue antics in the temple are utterly lovely and [chef finger kiss] splendid cinema~!

That about wraps up this Two-part post of mine! Picking 10 out of 32 is easier than 10 out of 100, but it’s still tricky as most of the episodes are very good, with only a few I’d promptly write off as a candidate for the list. And in some ways I wonder if I went about this the right way, some eps I only saw once and might feel strong enough to pip one’a the ones I did choose.

I have been rewatching each of the eps covered, and a few that didn’t make it, but my initial choice was made looking at the full list and letting my gut grab a few, having to think over more as the slots filled. Some fan favourites like Lunarville 7 came close, but I hope I’ve been able to clearly convey what it is about this selection that gave them the edge ;3

I will write further posts on Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons in the future, but after this mammoth and also the Notable Episodes list I’d quite like to enjoy it for a while without thinking about points to talk about, haha

[daisychaindaydreamsblog]

This year I’ve been upping my skincare routine… especially during the cooler months, I’ve noticed lots of dryness and basically lack-lustre skin (I’m not complaining though, I have pretty good skin) but it was in need of a serious pick-me-up… so a little while back I started using face masks more regularly and exfoliating and moisturising every other day. I have noticed a great improvement in my skin’s hydration and a subtle natural glow (in the right lighting). So this week I thought I would share some face-masks on my radar at the moment, including some of my new favourites as well as my wishlist… enjoy!

Cover Image created by the incredibly talented Jasmine Dowling

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Glow Recipe

To say I am excited to try the Glow Recipe skincare range is an understatement. Founded by beauty industry gurus Sarah Lee and Christine Change featuring technology, sensorial textures and amazing formulas that help create noticeably healthier skin. Glow Recipe is a natural skincare line which maximises real fruit extracts for a soft, plump and hydrated complexion.  Two of their natural face asks are currently available at Mecca…

Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask: a decadent, creamy sleeping mask packed with skin soothing ingredients such as avocado, honey and PHA to thoroughly hydrate and nourish overnight.

Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask: formulated with watermelon extract, hyaluronic acid and AHA, the Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask deeply hydrates and nourishes, for a post-facial glow by morning. 

Image Source

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Innis Free

Innisfree’s My Real Squeeze Masks are a K-beauty staple: essence drenched single use sheet masks, and there’s 18 different types! They’re known for using all-natural organic ingredients, these are the sheet masks you want to stock up on and use every week or so to unwind.

These sheet face masks come in a wide variety of flavours to target all skin concerns (including hydration, firming and brightening), are all natural and organic ingredients, and are aimed to keep skin looking radiant and hydrated.

Innisfree suggest their masks can be used as pre-makeup prep, or after your nightly skincare routine.  When using them in a multi-step K-Beauty routine its best to use them after an essence but before a sleeping pack. Oh and did I mention the lovely packaging designs…

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Antipodes

Antipodes is a Scientifically Validated Organic Beauty™ brand pioneering a new niche in skincare globally: certified organic and premium natural products with skin performance proven by science. Antipodes skincare products are all natural and feature revolutionary Vinanza antioxidants from New Zealand grown superfruit, nutrient-rich avocado oil, and anti-blemish manuka honey.

My current favourite is the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask featuring mauka honey extract, vanilla pod, madarin blend and organic avocado oils which are rich in Omegas 9, 3 and 6. I have rather dry skin, especially during the cooler months, and this luxuriously hydrating face mask replenishes vital nutrients and restores natural radiance and ‘glow’.

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Lanolips

Lanolips is a multi award-winning Australian beauty brand founded by Kirsten Carriol, whose mission was to create an ultra-pure medical grade lanolin that’s nourishing, comfortable and has a glossy finish.

The Aussie Flyer Leave-on Recovery Mask claims to be “the ideal solution for dried out, dull, travel-weary skin, delivering an instant and long-lasting pick-me-up and high dose of hydration.” This face mask is packed with a hit of lanolin, a zing of mint, a punch of caffeine and ginger.

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Go-To Skincare

Founded by the inspiring & hilarious Zoe Foster-Blake, Go-To describes itself as “uncomplicated and straight-talking skin care” and uses all-natural ingredients (and a healthy dose of fun) for products that love your skin. They currently have one sheet face-mask called Transformazing for glowing and brighter skin, which is an affordable ($9) introduction to the brand if you’re interested in testing out their range…

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Frank Body

Another Australian skincare company (now more commonly known as A-Beauty) making waves in the beauty industry is Frank Body. Whilst they may be most famous for their original coffee scrubs, they also have a few face-masks. I’m yet to try them myself, but I’ve heard good things about them…

Frank Body Glow Mask: this natural face mask is infused with a nourishing blend of antioxidant-packed goji berry extract, deeply hydrating shea and cocoa butter, caffeine and vitamin E rich arabic coffee seed oil to tone and firm, and cranberry and respberry seed oil, full of vitamin A and omegas 3, 6 and 9 to plump.

Frank Body Anti-Drama Face Mask: this calming and detoxifying night time treatment acts to draw out daily dirt, oil and pollutants. This mask is formulated with decongesting charcoal to unclog pores, chamomile and honey to minimise inflammation and combat bacteria, lavender to treat stubborn blemishes and evening primrose oil to firm, smooth and soothe skin.

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Summer Fridays

Summer Fridays was founded by Lauren Gores Ireland and Marianna Hewitt and has quickly reached Instagram-famous status and are a cult favourite amongst blogger across the globe. These three gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing face masks have been on my radar for a little while now, and I’m excited to take the plunge and splurge on one (or three) soon… hehehe!

  Jet Lag Mask: claims to upgrade your skin to a business-class complexion. This is a multi-use product is filled with skin-loving ingredients, resulting in an instantly renewed complexion, radiant and ready for anything!

R & R Mask: treat your complexion to a little TLC with this 2-in-1 mask, which lovingly buffs skin brighter before hugging it in a plush mix of restorative natural oils, including two forms of skin-brightening Vitamin C to target dark spots and pump up the antioxidant protection against pollution and dehydration. This luxurious face mask also features one of the world’s most precious essential oils, the Bulgarian Rose.

Overtime Mask: is a brightening and clarifying mask that works over time so you don’t have to. This mask claims to refresh stressed skin and is suitable for all skin types. It contains pumpkin extract (brightens), apricot seed powder (gently exfoliates) and oat kernel proteins (soothing and protecting). Sign me up!

They all sound dreamy to me! Needless to say, they’re all sitting pretty at the top of my skincare wishlist…

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Tatcha

Tatcha is a luxe skincare company with roots in Japan founded by Victoria Tsai on a search for a more considered approach to beauty. I recently read somewhere that she was inspired to create Tatcha by a chance encounter with a modern-day geisha, and ultimately created luxurious skin care that pays homage to the geisha’s rituals and employs pure & proven ingredients. Whilst their products are a *little* expensive (their full size products start around $100), I’m excited to try some Tatcha skincare products one day…

Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask: this is a cult-status brightening and tightening anti-aging mask, and is packed with Japanese beautyberry, vitamin C and AHAs to deliver a supple, glowing complexion.

Tatcha Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Sheet Masks Set: inspired by the essence-infused silken masks traditionally used by Geishas, this powerful treatment mask delivers serious results in only 15 minutes. Each sheet mask is saturated in coconut water and enriched with moisture replenishing red algae.

Tatcha claims these masks instantly offers plumping, smoothing, toning and radiance-boosting benefits for a taut, youthful-looking complexion. Plus, a trio of antioxidant-rich whole plant green tea, rice bran oil and algae work to combat damaging free radical activity.

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Have I mentioned any of your favourite face-masks?

I’d love to hear your recommendations, let’s keep the conversation going in the comments…

I hope you enjoyed this week’s beauty blog post and found some lovely new face masks to add to your collection! Stay hydrated lovelies!

Daisy Chain Daydreams xox

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BEAUTY: Moisturising Face Masks to Try This Winter… This year I've been upping my skincare routine... especially during the cooler months, I've noticed lots of dryness and basically lack-lustre skin (I'm not complaining though, I have pretty good skin) but it was in need of a serious pick-me-up...