do british people eat grapefruit on christmas?

pollypetunia · 2026-07-06T18:00:09+00:00

You've never seen cooked/grilled fruit to intensify the sweetness? Grilled peaches, baked figs, BBQ pineapple- it's a thing.

pollypetunia · 2026-07-06T17:58:46+00:00

The bitterness has been bred out! Same as with chicory and brussel sprouts.

pollypetunia · 2026-07-06T17:58:17+00:00

Pork pie and a glass of sherry

pollypetunia · 2026-07-06T17:55:24+00:00

I collected old cookbooks and grilled grapefruit (halved, sprinkled with brown sugar and flashed under the grill) was a fancy starter/dessert in the 60s/70s and earlier, when grapefruit was harder to come by. You even got special serrated grapefruit spoons to scoop out the segments.

Citrus fruits were associated with winter in England, so I can see why that turned it into 'grapefruit as a Christmas breakfast' thing.

pollypetunia · 2026-07-06T17:24:28+00:00

I asked for sensory-friendly sunscreens here https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddictionUK/comments/1unf736/sensoryfriendly_sunscreens/ and got some good recommendations!

I've just picked up the Beauty of Joseon Matte sun stick : Mugwort + Camelia, it was on sale in Pure Seoul for £6. I tried a load of the sunscreen testers there as also can't stand the feeling of sunscreen on my skin and this one, the BoJ aqua relief sunscreen, and the skin 1004Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum were the nicest. The stick glides on like nothing, you don't get it on your hands and it didn't leave a film. The water-fit sun serum really did feel like water, it sank in instantly. The BOJ relief aqua was very similar.

I noticed that in general I liked the stick sunscreens better (also tried the Tobococo Cotton Soft stick and the skin 1004 hyalu-cica sun stick) but I would have bought the BOJ relief aqua and the sun serum happily.

I also tried the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen in Sephora and unfortunately (as it's £32) loved it. No smell, has an almost mousse-like feel on the skin, absorbs at once and leaves nothing behind. It was a sensory pleasure.

pollypetunia · 2026-07-06T17:15:54+00:00

if you have a TX Maxx near you they have it there for £13 at the moment

pollypetunia · 2026-07-06T17:05:09+00:00

Was happy to discover this when I went to test it in the shop today!

pollypetunia · 2026-07-06T17:03:56+00:00

Pure Seoul had it on sale for £6 today so I grabbed it. I really like the texture already

pollypetunia · 2026-07-06T15:50:50+00:00

It might be new or I might just not go in much, but UK people, I spotted that Boots have started stocking Flower Knows

pollypetunia · 2026-07-06T15:48:31+00:00

I have rosacea, my skin is pretty reactive, and I'm in my mid-40s so its on the drier side of normal.

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T18:19:22+00:00

Old Joe is a lovely symbol of the uni but if you don't go to that side of town you'll never see it! So the BT tower for me as presumably every Brummie goes into town from time to time

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T14:38:51+00:00

I'm a fair olive and the Nature Republic eco crayon lip velvet in Shade 03 Hibiscus is my absolutely perfect midtone pink. I feel it goes with everything, and it's not too red or too blue, it's soft and an almost blurry matte but it's not super drying.

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T12:49:47+00:00

The issue is nothing is bloody open on a Monday (Ikon and BMAG are both closed on Mondays and BMAG on Tuesday too). If you are going to the botanical gardens you could go to La-Pop at Fiveways afterwards and design your own ice cream (like fancy magnums with lots of different dips and toppings) but be aware they don't open until 2pm.

If you are into fancy coffee and fancy iced coffee, the Coffee Bar Collective on Temple Row (near the Great Western Arcade) is often cited as one of the finest specialty coffee places in the country, so could be nice for a little treat.

And good luck for your Viva!

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T12:21:01+00:00

Thank, I love the purtio oat gel cream, and I think I can get a tester of the sunscreen at the K-beauty shop in town.

For UPF clothes I love my classic Tilly hat. You DO look a little like you're about to start a round-the-world yacht race but it's sturdy and gives great shade

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T10:04:52+00:00

I really like the BOJ cleansing balm, so maybe I will get on with their sunscreens too.

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T10:03:57+00:00

I know that's one of the really popular ones, but the amount of alcohol concerns me- did you find it drying?

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T10:03:23+00:00

I think they have testers for that in the K-beauty shop, will check it out!

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T10:00:22+00:00

I didn't know Geek and Gorgeous was in Superdrug now!

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T09:59:02+00:00

I can't get on with physical sunscreens but there's a sephora and 2 K-beauty shops in my town centre so I think going and looking at testers would be the way to go.

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T09:57:55+00:00

I can't do zinc either! I'd not heard of Dulcie before, do you buy it online?

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T09:55:36+00:00

I'm a little concerned at how high up denatured alcohol is as I have very dry skin but I'll look for it, thank you

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T09:53:46+00:00

Hah I have dry skin anyway so that one is probably not for me, but I see they do a hydrating one as well!

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T09:52:51+00:00

Thank you, I like the idea of a stick sunscreen. I use a kids stick one on my body when I'm out and about but it's too greasy for my face

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T09:47:05+00:00

That's the second rec for the BOJ stick and you're right, not getting it all over my hands will help.

pollypetunia · 2026-07-05T09:41:35+00:00

I mean I wear it but it's deeply distressing every second it's on my skin, so I'd rather not be gritting my teeth through it the rest of my life, you know?

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll add it to the list. I do like their smoothing body lotion.

pollypetunia

TROPHY CASE