She's just hanging in the blossom tree...

What's On My Mind: A New Feature on the Blog

2012-02-18T22:31:00.000Z

I've been doing a lot of outfit posts recently, I guess it's the novelty of actually being able to take them myself without having to rely on someone else! However, I do want a little bit of variety on the blog, and as I was at work the other evening, inspiration hit me. I'm going to do a series of pretty personal posts. I'm assuming that as I write them, a lot of unpopular opinions of mine are going to surface, and I'm probably going to say a lot of things people don't agree with or the sort of things that make people uncomfortable because they know it's true and they don't want to face up to it. These posts are definitely going to border on the too much information/overshare side of things that are appropriate for the internet. I'm not here to try and force my opinion onto people, and I'm not here to cause arguments, you're more than welcome to disagree with me and give your own opinions on any matters I choose to speak about. I just feel my blog has gotten a bit 'safe' recently, and I want to show there's more to me than pretty clothes and 'look at all these great things that happen to me!'

My choice of topic for this particular post is the internet and how much we use and depend on it. The majority of people these days use the internet on a regular basis, to even read this post, you need to have internet access. It's not groundbreaking for me to state that the huge increase in our internet usage has dramatically changed the way we interact with each other. It's not even radical to state that the way we use the internet affects how we behave in our offline life now. For me, there used to be a very distinct line between what was my offline 'real' life and my online life, but today, more and more, the distinction between the two is becoming increasingly blurred. The best example I have is the forum I am an active member of: it used to be that we were all internet friends, but as soon as we started having meetups, we started to become IRL friends too. Nothing seems to be entirely something that happens online anymore.

On the whole, I think this is an incredible thing: not only can you meet people who live in the same country as you, but you can have friends that live across the other side of the world. Everyone is connected to each other, and through social networks, it seems like we are constantly communicating. People meet people online, fall in love, and get married. There's no denying the internet has led to some beautiful things.

But like most beautiful things, there's a horrible flipside. I could write thousands upon thousands of words about the dangers of meeting strangers from the internet, about how communication via Facebook isn't real communication at all and is actually having an adverse affect on how we interact with each other in real life, but by now, I'm sure these are things you're already aware of and these are subjects that have been done to death already. No, what I want to talk about is the affect that the internet has on self image. As someone who chooses to blog about my life where anyone and everyone can see it, I feel this is the issue that affects me and other bloggers most on the internet.

Newspapers, magazines and advertising have been pressuring us to believe we must look and feel a certain way since time began, but now we have bloggers adding to these pressures too. So many bloggers out there project images of themselves onto their blogs that most readers either consciously or not assume is what this person is really like. Because they've chosen to write about their lives, people seem to believe that you can really know a person because you read their blog, but obviously, this isn't the case at all. There's so much pressure and competition: generally people don't tend to blog about their hardships in life, the bad things that happen to them; instead, we tend to write about all the exciting things we do, all the beautiful things we buy or have sent to us. What this does is create an image or front for us: we like to broadcast our 'perfect' lives.

Like the airbrushed models in magazines, the side of our personalities we choose to share on the internet isn't necessarily the truth. No one has a perfect life; so every blogger is hiding a little bit of themselves from their readers. Like the airbrushed models can cause insecurity in young girls particularly, our blogs and social networking profiles can have the same effect. By only writing about the good things that happen to you, by constantly showing off your new clothes, by sharing the samples companies sent you, you're setting a standard that other people want to live up to. People start to think that there's something wrong with them, because their blogs, and in turn, their lives don't seem to match up with yours.

I'm not suggesting that everyone stops blogging about the good things and start pouring all their misery onto their blogs instead, oh no, I'd much rather everyone continue as they are. I think there's a line to be drawn when it comes to what is appropriate to share on your blog or social networks, and you shouldn't be posting personal business all over it. But I think everyone would benefit from a step back and a reality check. Personally I like to read back over my blogblogs do what they do because they're far bigger than my little blog, and it's what their readers like to see. What everyone needs to remember is no matter how transparent someone tries to be: you will never know them properly or know exactly what is going on in their life just from reading their blog. So when you're feeling miserable because what you're reading makes you feel like your own life/blog (the distinction between the two can become so blurred!) isn't up to standard, just think about what we might not be sharing.

Like so many things in life, the image someone projects onto the internet of themselves, should always be taken with a pinch of salt.

Feel free to share your own opinions!

Pink and Ruffles

2012-02-17T17:20:00.000Z


Top: Lipsy/Skirt: Miss Selfridge/Necklace and Earrings: gifts/Pink Camera Ring: Temporary Secretary/Bracelets: Primark

Scarf: Miss Selfridge/Leather Jacket: Zara/Bag: Missguided

Just dropping in with an outfit post while I'm wearing something nice and I have the chance! I used to adore this top and wear it to death, but as with everything I own, I soon forget about it under the pile of new things I receive. Having recently purchased a pink bag though, it has made me hunt out all my items of clothing in similar shades so I can use the bag as much as possible. In fact, funny story about this top, when I ordered it, I received a phonecall from Lipsy shortly afterwards saying they were really sorry, but there was an error of some sort and it wouldn't be arriving with me for about 2 weeks. The day after that, I receive another phonecall, this time saying that the error was the top wasn't actually in stock, so they were really sorry, but they'd refund me. I was gutted. Then, they day after that, I received the top anyway and the refund ended up in my bank account, I essentially got it for free!

I'm feeling a little miserable right now. James is away for the weekend and I'm missing him obscene amounts and now I'm starting to feel really ill, but I've left it too late to ring in sick to work. No doubt my shift is going to make me feel worse; I'll just cling on to visions of curling up in bed with my leopard print hot water battle and leopard print onesie and a good book to read when I finish.

Hope you are all well and enjoying your weekend a bit more than I am!

Where does time go?

2012-02-16T14:15:00.000Z

Oops, I know I mentioned in my last post I wouldn't have time to post for a few days, but I didn't realise I'd end up as busy I have done and leave it a week before posting again! So, as I've mentioned on more than one occasion, at the weekend I headed down to Stoke on Trent to visit my cousin for her 21st birthday and she had a Harry Potter themed party!

Ravenclaw Tie/Hogwarts Badge

Here's me, my cousins Katie and Lois and their friend Matt. I was Luna Lovegood, Lois was moaning Myrtle, Katie was Fawkes the Phoenix and Matt was a death eater. Some of the costumes were seriously good, Voldemort in particular; I didn't like looking at him because his costume was so realistic I was actually scared! I was supposed to have robes with my costume, but I'm hopeless at packing, and forgot them. Luckily, I hadn't already applied my Hogwarts badge onto the robes, so I was able to put it on my shirt instead. I think I ended up looking more like a regular schoolgirl than a specific Ravenclaw student but hey, it didn't ruin the night! I had a really, really good time. It was so good to get out of Aber after being here continuously for a month and Staffordshire Student Union is way better than Aberystwyth. The drinks promotions were insane, and I absolutely adored their choice of music; the perfect blend between cheesy 90s pop, older songs and songs that are currently in the charts.

On Monday night, I had an unexpected night off work and ended up going to step and tone class at the gym with two friends. I'm not going to lie, I'm so unfit and grossly uncoordinated, but I still had a really good time. Afterwards, we went to an Ann Summers party. I've always had a soft spot for Ann Summers parties; my collection of lingerie is ridiculous in size. This was by far the best one I've been to though; the reps in Wakefield were always so focused on pushing a sale, and were really half hearted about games but in Aber, she barely seemed concerned with sales, we played a few really hilarious games (picture one person blindfolded, lying on the floor, while another person, also blindfolded, straddles them and tries to eat sweets expertly placed on the other person without using their hands...) and we got to test LOADS of lubes (flavoured ones, so we were eating them, not actually TESTING them...). I also won the raffle! So pleased, I rarely win anything! I won't go into detail about what I won, I have boundaries about what I will share on here, but I'm very happy, and you can't complain for three pounds.

Bag/Bag/Dress/Dress/Top/Top

In other news, my hours are slowly but surely creeping back onto the scale of absolutely ridiculous again. No matter how many times I stress that I have a degree/driving lessons/social life/sleep to maintain as well, my hours always end up increasing again. As a result, I've been on a massive Missguided haul. I didn't realise until I'd clicked checkout, but everything I bought comes in pairs, I just bought different colours, oops! I'm starting to think maybe I do have genuine problem when it comes to shopping obsessively. I'm not letting bother me though; I can afford it, so why not? Although, admittedly, I've got a few things to save up for now (romantic weekend away, hello!) so this is probably my last splurge for a while.

I've also been for a browse around Next, luckily though, this was because my boyfriend's mum and stepdad got me a giftcard! I wouldn't normally look in next, and I wasn't too overwhelmed by what I saw in there, but they've got some really cute accessories, like the elephant scarf, my ring, and earrings pictured above. There was also a cat print shirt which I may have to go back and purchase with what's left on my giftcard.

So lovelies, what have you all been up to?

Leather and Lace

2012-02-09T16:12:00.000Z


Necklace: gift from boyfriend/Lace Peter Pan Collar Top: Topshop/Leather Shorts: H+M/Flatforms: ASOS

Posting another outfit that I didn't actually wear on the day I'm posting it, sorry! I really love these shorts, but they're still something I'm getting used to styling. Separates always cause concern for me; a dress and tights is so simple yet shorts, I always struggle with. I do like this outfit though, although I think the shorts look better with another top. As for the top, I love it, the light was dodgy when I took these pictures so you can't really tell just how vibrant the royal blue of the top is, but it's lovely in real life. I wouldn't normally wear blue, but this top was so cute, and I didn't realise that they did it in black as well when I was buying it.

This is just a quick post, because I'm getting used to posting more regularly now, and it would feel strange if I left it for a while. I know over the next few days, I won't have time to post. I will say that I'm toying with the idea of a new feature for the blog though. However, it's a bit 'risky' for me, as in, there's people reading this blog that maybe I wouldn't be so comfortable with them reading some of the things I'm thinking of writing about, and I know that if this blog starts getting noticed, the stuff I'm thinking of writing about is also the stuff that attracts 'haters' - not so sure if I want to have to deal with that sort of stuff yet!

I just want to show there is more to me than an obsession with material possessions; particularly my clothes. When I started this blog, I intended to write about much more than fashion; I'm a feminist, I'm interested in what's going on in the world, and I don't think this blog really represents me as such anymore.

What do you think?

Pink and Spotty

2012-02-07T14:09:00.000Z

Jersey cardigan: Topshop/Pink and black polka dot dress: ASOS/Belt: came with the dress/Flatforms: ASOS/Camera Ring: Temporary Secretary/Pink feather earrings with matching pink studs: H+M

Cheating a little bit today, as this is actually yesterday's outfit rather than what I'm wearing today. I had such a busy day yesterday, I didn't really have time to blog. Perhaps if I didn't have the overwhelming desire to have an hour's nap everyday, things would be better off, but seeing as I'm so rubbish at sleeping at night, I never deny myself the opportunity to sleep in the day because it's always much better than any sleep I get at night! In fact, the photos were taken in a rush after I finished my nap but before I started work, hence the less than desirable hair and off centre shots. I'm practising and (hopefully) improving though!

Anyway. Yesterday. Monday is the only day I'm in university, I often wonder what my £3000+ a year actually pays for. Yesterday, I was supposed to partake in a group presentation at the beginning of my seminar. However, just before I set off, I received an email from one member of the group saying she was ill and wouldn't be attending, and when I actually arrived, the other member of the group 'had rubbish internet all week so I haven't done my part of the presentation.' Shocking what people get away with really. I'm proud to say, instead of running away, I stood up and did my part anyway, and managed to answer everyone's questions afterwards. After university, I had lots of reading and note writing to do, along with the fact that I've actually started writing my dissertation now, scary stuff!

As for the outfit, the dress and shoes are new and I'm in love. They're my first ever purchases from ASOS and they've definitely convinced me to go there again. I adore the dress, it fits me so well, and I like how long it makes me look, as in reality, I'm so short! As for the flatforms, I'm a little upset that despite being a size 3, they're a little big and don't stay on my feet very well - I have however, resorted to tissue and insoles and this helps the situation dramatically. I've decided flatforms are my favourite shoe now - they make me tall, without the pain of heels. What's not to love?!

Stripes

2012-02-04T20:25:00.001Z


Leather jacket: Zara/Sequin beret: H+M/Stripy jumper: Topshop/Leggings: Primark/Doc Martens: Oxfam/Necklace: gift from the boyfriend

Today's outfit of the day - another one of my favoured jumper and leggings combo. I thought today I'd include how I keep warm when out and about as well, simple really: add a hat and my leather jacket! This was supposed to be worn while I ran some errands in town, but when I saw the weather, I decided the errands could wait! I wasn't even going to leave the house to get coke to mix my Jack Daniel's with tonight until my housemate offered to drive!

The Doc Martens I've had for years. I wish I wore them more often, but they give me such bad blisters, and I've never managed to break them in. As for the necklace, it was my Christmas gift from James. I try and wear it with as many things as possible, I love it so.

Let's talk about my friend's birthday Thursday night. I intended to take loads of pictures but that failed. The surprise we had planned for her went down so well though and I'm so glad I can talk about it now! We ordered her a male stripper! He drove down all the way from Birmingham. It was one of the most funny nights I've ever had in my life. Yesterday was my boyfriend's birthday. He didn't want to make a fuss about it, so we just treated him to a takeaway and we had a Bones marathon. We'll have finished all my DVDs soon! I also finally got round to giving him his Christmas present this morning; yes, Christmas. Due to a mishap with the postal service, it only just arrived today. I was so stressed out about it, but he seemed really pleased, win!

So, why am I writing this blog and not out partying in Liverpool? Due to problems with our transport, I didn't end up going. A little bit gutted, but to be honest, a bit relieved because I've got so much work to do this weekend. I'm going out in Aberystwyth tonight instead, and I've got the entire weekend off work, so every cloud has a silver lining!

Hope you're all having a fabulous weekend!

Animal.

2012-02-01T19:02:00.000Z

Sequin Fox Jumper: Topshop/Leopard Print Leggings: Missguided/Black and Gold Flats: New Look/Necklace: Belong to my Grandma

Hooray! I had time to play with my camera and new tripod today. I'm still getting the hang of it, and my camera isn't the greatest/I'm an awful photographer, but already I'm liking these photos better than those ones I did in the mirror at the top of my stairs! Hopefully with a bit of practice, I'll be at least half as good as my favourite bloggers at outfit posts!

This is one of my go to comfy looks. It looks like I've made some effort to think about what I'm wearing, but it's still super comfortable. I really love leggings and jumpers at the minute. Yes, yes, I know, another fox jumper, but I couldn't resist! It's more subtle than my other one, most people struggle to realise the pretty sequins are in the shape of a fox. Here's an up close photo of it:

As for the leggings, I love leopard print, and they add a bit of colour to what would otherwise end up being an all black outfit. With the fox on the jumper and the leopard print leggings, the outfit is a bit animal orientated, hence the title of this post!

Unfortunately, I didn't wear this to do anything exciting. I just popped out to the supermarket and lounged about doing a bit of reading for university. I'm reading The Diamond as Big as the Ritz and Other Stories at the minute by F. Scott Fitzgerald and so far, I'm really enjoying all the short stories in there. The title story was absolutely bizarre, but very interesting!

I've got a really exciting extended weekend coming up: I've got another driving lesson tomorrow which I'm actually looking forward to, then a marathon 8/9 hour shift at work. Not so much looking forward to the work shift, particularly when I'm used to very short shifts at the minute - I only worked for 50 minutes tonight! However, it's being followed by my best friend's Aberystwyth birthday night out. We've got a huuuuge surprise planned for her which I'm super looking forward to, but on the off chance she's reading this, I can't say anything else at this point! Friday is my boyfriend's birthday, and again, I've got a little surprise lined up for him too! Then on Saturday, we're heading down to Liverpool for a night out. I'm seriously, seriously enjoying my life at the minute.

Review: Temporary Secretary

2012-01-31T17:13:00.000Z

Hooray! I've been reunited with my camera! I've come up with a few new outfits recently that I really, really like so I can't wait to start doing outfit posts again! I dipped my toes into the pool of narcissism and bought myself a tripod for my camera too, so hopefully, no more relying on other people for outfit photos or pictures in dirty mirrors! For now though, I've got something a little different.

I've been meaning to review Temporary Secretary for a while, it's now one of my favourite stores for jewellery since I purchased some rings for myself, and a Christmas present for my sister. Sadly, I didn't manage to get a chance to take any pictures of her present - I got one of the five items for £10 goody bags for her. I was seriously impressed with what was in there though, earrings, necklaces and rings if I remember correctly, and she loved her present too!

So, when my parcel arrived, I was delighted to open it and see pretty pink tissue paper! The package also contained an adorable little postcard with a lovely little thank you message on the back. Obviously, while the product I'm paying for is the most important thing when I buy online, it always make me happy to see care has been taken in packing it.

As for the actual items themselves, I love them. I bought Foxy Ringo and the Pink Camera Ring. The fox ring has already been seen in this post, and here is the camera ring! Excuse my nails. I'm the process of trying to grow them...396903267th lucky hopefully! Excuse the camera flash too, I promise the ring is really a lovely shade of baby pink.

If you're looking for cute, quirky jewellery that is worth what you pay for it, along with gorgeous packaging, I definitely recommend having a look at Temporary Secretary!

Hello Kitty!

2012-01-27T20:57:00.000Z

This week, there has been a new addition to my life: a kitten! Two of my housemates clubbed together to buy her, and I must say, I've fallen in love with her too. A bit lazily, she's just named 'Kitty' but we're giving her a good home. We even had someone come out and inspect our house to make sure it was suitable for her.

As my housemates have busy lives, I've been doing a bit of babysitting recently, which is when I took the pictures of her. The other night, my friend had a 5-11 shift at work, so when James came round for our evening of watching Bones, I had Kitty. Before he arrived, she'd been asleep on my arm, making my internet surfing very awkward! When he arrived and we sat down to watch Bones, she climbed onto his chest and curled up asleep on him. It was absolutely adorable I promise you!

I'm a little sad that this is my last few months in this house, and that Kitty isn't really mine, but I'm going to make the most of having her around! I'll definitely be back to Aberystwyth to visit her anyway!

In other news, I'm still without a camera, the pictures of Kitty are from my Blackberry. I was planning on buying a new one soon anyway, but I need to save up my wages first, and I'm reluctant to buy a new memory card knowing I own a 4GB one already, I just don't have it at the moment. However, I'm doing my best to blog on a regular basis this year, and to say I've been camera-less, I think I'm doing very well. The most posts I've made in a month before has been 9, and I believe this post is January's 9th and there's still a few days left of this month - there's hope for this blog yet!

Tomorrow is my last exam. Not just my last exam of the semester, but my last exam of my degree ever. It's a bizarre feeling. I'm feeling confident though, and definitely looking forward to the celebrations that will occur afterwards! Everything is going really well at the moment: my boyfriend and I managed to head out to the beach for a little picnic yesterday, which was great after a week or two of not really spending any time together properly and I've started up driving lessons again! Anyone who has been reading this blog from the beginning will know that last time, I was terrible! I'm glad to report now that things have changed; my last instructor was just really poor. I did more in my first lesson here than I did in 10 at home. On Wednesday, I drove quite a long way, I did some manoeuvres, I changed gears loads, and just generally built up my confidence. It's looking like I might have a driving licence when I finish university after all. Hooray!

Favourite Beauty Products

2012-01-26T19:37:00.001Z

As I'm sure everyone else does, I've got hair and beauty products in my life I just couldn't live without. Here are some of mine!

John Frieda Colour Renew Shampoo
I'm assuming not all my readers are blonde (although my article about being blonde is my most read blog post!) so by reviewing this I'm excluding some of you, sorry about that! However, this shampoo is a holy grail of sorts for me. While in the previously mentioned article, I was a little obsessed with this shampoo - I eventually realised it was the culprit behind my hair drying out and my frequently greasy fringe. I'd used John Frieda before, but didn't really thing much of it for the price you pay for it. I've since changed my mind: I want to be blonde, rather than white blonde these days, and this shampoo keeps my hair free of yellow/orange tones without making it any whiter, perfect! The conditioner is also amazing: my hair, although it will never be in perfect condition again, is so soft and not half as damaged as someone who uses as much bleach as I do should be!

VO5 Heat Protect Styling Spray
Heat protection spray is an absolute must for those of us that use heat to style our hair. Although not the cheapest spray out there, it isn't ridiculously priced and seeing as it actually does a really good job of protecting your hair, I don't mind paying a bit more for it when I could just get something out of Poundland instead. I once received a different brand of heat protection spray for Christmas and to be honest, it did nothing for me. This one however, really does help protect my hair from the almost daily blow drying, so well, I've never felt the need to try a different spray.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Tropical
Again, another instance where I won't try any other brands because I'm always disappointed. I don't wash my hair everyday because it's bad for it, and sometimes, the sad truth is I just don't have time to wash my hair before I have to go out and I'm sure it's the same for many of you. Batiste is a life saver in this respect - although it doesn't really make your hair feel any better, it makes it look so much cleaner and more refreshed. The 'flavour' you choose doesn't matter so much, they all work just as well, I just like the smell of the Tropical one most!

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder
I'd been using Rimmel Stay Matte powder for about two years before I decided it just didn't last long enough for my liking. Although great when first applied, I'd find myself needing to reapply in an hour or two and it certainly couldn't withstand a shift at work. Enter Maybelline: although it doesn't last for ages as I wish it would, it does last much longer than my Rimmel powder did. It also gives really nice coverage; it's a little white if you apply too much (the shade I use is Rose Ivory though, I'm so pale) but so far, it's my favourite powder I've personally bought.

Lush Bubblegum Flavour Lip Scrub
I've eternally suffered from really dry and chapped lips in the colder months, and Vaseline, lip balm etc have never really seemed to help all that much; and then I discovered this. It's essentially just bubblegum flavoured sugar in a pot, but it removes all the dry skin from your lips and leave them soft without drying them out so you have to apply more and more. Bit pricey for what it is, but it tastes so good, I really don't mind.

Maybelline Falsies Black Drama Mascara
My sister has the nicest eyelashes ever; even without mascara, I'm jealous of them. When she does use mascara however, they are impressive! Wanting to get the same effect she does, I went out and bought the same mascara as hers, which turns out to be this Maybelline one. At first, I didn't really like it: the brush wasn't what I was used to at all: I like big chunky brushes. Once I got the hang of it though, I realised I really liked it. I broke the brush off the handle of mine though and lost it in the tube which I'm gutted about, and I haven't yet brought myself to spend around 9 pounds on a mascara again!

Eylure Naturalites in Shape 101
While Maybelline mascara is just fine for the day for me, it doesn't really cut it for nights out! So when it's time for a night out, I turn to false eyelashes. I've tried a few brands, and although I liked Girls With Attitude, Eylure are without a doubt my favourite, especially 101. They're big and thick enough that you can see they're there, but do so without weighing my eyes down or looking ridiculous. I never, ever thought I'd be a false eyelash person, but university was full of surprises!

Rimmel Hide The Blemish Concealer
I never really used concealer before I started using this one, so I can't compare to anything else, but I really like it. It definitely lessons the appearance of bags under my eyes, and does so for the majority of the day without reapplication. Winner!

Superdrug Deep Action Daily Exfoliating Wash
I've been having really bad skin for the past few months, and nothing would make it go away! I was religious about taking my makeup off, I tried things like Simple and Garnier face washes, but new spots kept appearing and they would take ages to fade away, if they did at all! Eventually I gave up, and just went for the cheapest face wash I found, which happened to Superdrug's own one. Miraculously, my skin has started to clear up, and I haven't had any new spots since I started using it. I'd definitely recommend this to others.

What are you favourite beauty products of the moment?

Currently lusting after...

2012-01-22T15:18:00.000Z

1/2/3/4/5

So, it's absolutely no secret that I love shopping. It's also absolutely no secret that as a student, I can't always afford to go shopping, but that never stops me window shopping and that always means I've got a wishlist. Today, I'm sharing some of the things on my wishlist with you! First up, the Missguided dresses! Missguided is a recent discovery for me - someone blogged themselves wearing a dress from there and it sparked my curiosity - bad news for my bank balance! I bagged two new pairs of tights, some leopard print leggings and tried two dresses. Sadly, when the dresses arrived they were way too big and have since been returned; this isn't the fault of Missguided though, I ordered size 8 knowing full well that I've lost a lot of weight recently and even before that occurred, I was always a size 6. So sadly, I didn't get two new beautiful dresses, but since then, they've added the two featured in this post, and these are available in size 6. They come in loads of pretty colours, but if it came down to it, these are the two I would actually buy.

Next up, the Too Faced palettes. I've never actually owned any makeup from Too Faced before, but seeing as it tends to be next to the Urban Decay stand in Boots, and Urban Decay is my favourite, I've looked at it many a time. At the minute I've got a Rimmel bronzer and a Rimmel blusher, neither of which I'm ecstatic about. The blusher/bronzer palette pictured above is so beautiful, I'm determined to own it at some point. As for the natural eye kit, I'm quite obsessed with 'natural' eye shades at the minute, because my makeup has to be natural for work. I'm running out of my usual colours in my Urban Decay palettes, and I'm wanting to try something new now, and it's looking like the Too Faced Natural Eye kit is going to be the winner!

As for the flatforms, LLYMLRS blogged about hers recently, and I've decided I need a pair of my own ever since. I'd prefer the pair she has to the ones pictured above, but sadly they're sold out. I'm a tiny little girl, and heels pain me, so I love the idea of flatforms to give me that little height boost I enjoy so much.

What's on your wishlists at the minute?

Emily's Girl Power Mixtape

2012-01-18T19:17:00.000Z

photographs via weheart it

Hello everyone, today I have made a mixtape of some songs I really like at the minute for you to listen to :) my music taste definitely isn't for everyone, but I hope there's at least one track you can listen to on here. I've called it 'Girl Power' because the vast majority of bands I listen to are female fronted. While when I was around 13, I did this on purpose, I've just never really grown out of liking female fronted bands and even though I don't actively search solely for them these days, they still make up most of my music taste.

Today, I am a very happy girl. Although I still have one exam left, I've got the very worst exam out of the way today. I didn't realise just how much stress it was causing until it was over and I felt relief wash over me. I got home and started laughing to myself I was that happy to be done. I'm having a relaxing evening tonight; just doing what I want to do guilt free and the boyfriend and I are going to be cooking some enchiladas together. Then, tomorrow, it's back to revision for my final exam and research for my dissertation, along with a pesky shift at work. Overall though, I'm feeling so much more relaxed now!

Enjoy the mixtape!

Emily's Girl Power Playlist by emiiilyjane on Grooveshark

Film Review: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

2012-01-15T22:42:00.000Z

Hello everyone. Yes, yes, I'm posting another film review. Sadly I don't really have much else to blog about: my camera is still MIA, and since I've come back to Aberystwyth, my life has revolved around my job, exam revision and dissertation research; not anything you want me to blog about to be honest! I was a bit unhappy with the blog layout, so you may have noticed I've tweaked it a bit. I felt the three column footer at the bottom of the page was a little messy, and it seemed strange to me to have to scroll all the way to the bottom to find the blog navigation. As a result, I've tidied up the footer and moved the navigation up top. I hope you all find it looks better!

Anyway, on to today's film review. The final film I went to see at the cinema in my brief period of regularly visiting the cinema was Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. I know most people would look at me, and my taste in films, and be like 'eh?! No way is she gonna enjoy a Mission Impossible film!' but I actually really enjoyed it! In fact, when I was a fair bit younger, maybe around 10, my brother and I would watch Mission Impossible II every single day, and spend the rest of our time quoting lines from it, replacing 'bastard' with 'b word' - yes, we were that young. I'm not too sure how we got away with watching it all the time, as my mum was quite strict with what we were allowed to watch - we weren't even allowed to watch Power Rangers!

Back to the film actually being reviewed: as I said, I liked it. Not the best film I've ever seen by any means, but certainly not the worst by a long shot. The opening is very dramatic and fast paced; you're not too sure who the characters are and what their aims at this point are, but it's interesting enough that you pay attention to it. When we are finally introduced to the character of Ethan Hunt, we are faced with a scene of absolutely chaos, again, very exciting to watch.

The plot itself is reasonably good. It isn't very challenging, and what I suppose is supposed to be a twist, isn't very twisting. There are one or two unexpected revelations, but nothing extremely groundbreaking. However, the plot is interesting enough to stick the film out until the end and the action is so good that if you're into that sort of thing, you'd watch this film regardless of the quality of the plot.

My only problem with this film is that it is really quite ridiculously unrealistic, but I suppose anyone who goes to watch Mission Impossible films isn't looking for the sort of film that could genuinely happen in real life, so you can decide for yourself how important the realism of the film is. If you like films that have very exciting action that borders on completely fantastical, you'll definitely enjoy this film.

Overall, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is your typical action film, and if you enjoyed previous Mission Impossible films, you'll like this one.

Film Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

2012-01-13T15:50:00.002Z

Yes, I've been to the cinema a lot recently! There's always good stuff on at this time of year I guess! Today, I'm reviewing the second Sherlock Holmes film, and out of the three films I saw at the cinema these past few weeks, this one was definitely my favourite. While I really enjoyed the first Sherlock Holmes film, A Game of Shadows was vastly superior. The action was better, it was funnier, it was darker: it was what a sequel should be!

Although it would be preferable to see the first film before going to see this one, I imagine it would still be understandable and enjoyable to watch even if you hadn't seen the first film. Although attention does need to be paid, as it's one of those films where every tiny detail counts, you can still understand who Professor Moriarty is and why he sees Sherlock as an enemy. The plot itself is quite separate from the plot of the first film, so the only confusion that could arise from not having seen the first film before watching the second is that you may not be able to grasp who all the characters are as quickly as those who have seen both films.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows maintains viewer interest throughout, it's the sort of film you'd watch right until the end despite an intense need to go to the toilet throughout the duration of the film. I didn't think there were any parts of the film where the story lagged and you were waiting for something exciting to happen, although it is not all action all the time, the less active parts of the film are still key to the plot and entertaining to watch.

As for the ending, without spoiling it, I will say I found it rather unrealistic but still absolutely brilliant. I'm delighted to say it definitely sets us up for another sequel.

Film Review: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

2012-01-11T19:46:00.001Z

Before I can properly review this film, I have one very important thing to say about it first. I'm generally not a fan of trigger warnings; when I first encountered one, I thought it was a good idea, but they've since become what I feel is incredibly overused and in a lot of cases, I don't even think they're needed. I also believe it is absolutely impossible to fully protect anyone from triggering material; warnings or not, people are going to get triggered by something or someone one day. However, all this in mind, I was absolutely gobsmacked that I saw no warnings anywhere about the content in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I won't go into detail, but the film features very graphic rape scenes. If you're sensitive to this kind of thing, I seriously recommend passing this film by.

Now that has been said, I can talk about the film properly. Without the scene referred to above, I think that the film was very good. Others I have spoken to have stated it was quite slow to begin and hard to follow the story but I disagree with this. The beginning of the film I feel sets up Mikael's background as a character and without it, I don't think that we would truly understand some of the events that occur at the end of the film. Of course, it is hard to explain exactly what I am referring to without spoiling the film. As for the way the film in the early stages cuts between scenes with Mikael and scenes with Lisbeth, I assume this is why some people find it hard to follow. However, I think when you are watching a film where it cuts between two different stories, it should be obvious to the viewer the eventually the two characters stories will intertwine. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo does show us how Mikael and Lisbeth are related to each other and how they end up meeting eventually so I don't think the filmmakers were doing anything wrong by not making the connection between the two main characters immediately apparent.

Once the story really gets going, there are some gripping and intense scenes in the film - the kind that make you lose your breath because it's so tense and you're genuinely scared for the characters in the film at that moment. Although you know something bad will happen, you're not sure exactly what and you can't tell how things are going to turn out.

The story itself also keeps you interested. For those who don't know, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo follows the story of Mikael, a journalist secretly hired to investigate the disappearance of a young girl many years ago. He employs the help of Lisbeth, a private investigator. I found myself wondering throughout the film who could have possibly kidnapped the girl and whether she could possibly still be alive or not - I think the film is quite successful in not giving the game away too quickly, you don't guess who the culprit is before the characters in the film do. Personally, I'm not a fan of films I can work out straight away, so this is a positive aspect of the film in my eyes.

As for how the film relates to the book, or the 'original' film, I'm afraid I can't help you out there. I've never read the book or seen the other film, so I can't compare and contrast. However, when books are adapted into film, vice versa or films are remade, I try not to see any of them as the definitive version, the 'right' version. I try to view them all as separate entities. Since I've started doing this, I've found I can enjoy things a lot more!

To conclude, if you're in the mood for a bit of a mystery, with suspense and action in between, you can't go wrong with this film. It's definitely worth a trip to the cinema for. I'd just keep in mind the graphic sexual violence in the film though, as it is something very capable of deeply affecting people and it is so strong, it could ruin the rest of the film for you.

Hello 2012

2012-01-08T21:00:00.000Z

image via weheartit

So, we're a week into 2012 so far and I must say, although I haven't done anything particularly exciting yet, I'm enjoying it so far. As I mentioned in my previous post, my New Year's Eve celebrations were much more relaxed than I'm used to. Most years I can remember since I was a teenager, I've been going to parties or going out and getting drunk. This year however, I did my epic train and coach journey down South to see James instead. Our original plan was to head into London to watch the fireworks at midnight there, but when we checked the weather forecast, it said there was going to be heavy rain, and when we actually thought about it, hours standing around in the cold didn't really seem that worth it. Instead, we went for a meal and to the cinema, and came home just in time to watch the fireworks on television. The meal was better than I expected - we went to a place called Coal which I'd never heard of and wouldn't have been my first choice had we actually had a choice (do not recommend last minute booking on New Year's Eve people!) I had quesadillas to start which which were delightful and a pizza for my main - I can't remember the exact toppings, but I know it was covered in goat's cheese and rocket which are among my favourite things. The film we went to see was The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo which I certainly have mixed feelings about - there were scenes it I could definitely have done without seeing but ignoring that, it was a pretty good film. I'm toying with the idea of doing a proper film review, time permitting.

I spent the rest of the week at James'. The plan was to get revision done but I think there was one day where that actually happened. Instead we ended up going to the cinema yet again, to see Sherlock Holmes this time, which I loved. We went to town to do a spot of shopping, I ended up with a new faux fur coat, a jumper, some shorts and a new shopping bag, all of which I'm ridiculously pleased with and he also took me to a jewellers to find out my ring size (!!!) A large amount of time was also spent watching Bones, to which I was generously treated to on DVD, seasons one to five, by James for Christmas!

On Friday, we travelled back to Wakefield to spend a bit more time with my family before heading back to Aber. Again, we've been to the cinema: to see Mission Impossible this time which I really liked as well. We also had a delicious meal at Pizza Hut. Today, we went to my dad's. My baby brother has just started talking and today he's been babbling about and to James all day. It truly melted my heart to see James and Robert holding hands, and hearing Robert ask where James was every time James went somewhere else.

So, 2012. Definitely a strange one. Since I can remember, I've always been slightly obsessive about New Year: I've always needed a new outfit for the occasion, right down to underwear, I've always got a huge list of resolutions, I've got a brand spanking new diary and pile of other organisational treats. This year, I just wore a dress I got in Paris, I haven't made a single resolution, and I bought an academic year diary in August so I haven't even got a new diary to decorate and scribble in. I felt a little lost at first, unprepared, but I'm starting to like it now: I don't feel like I'm placing ridiculous amounts of pressure on myself. I'm slowly starting to think my only resolution this year might be to live my life as it comes, instead of constantly trying to set silly goals for myself. Of course, with this being the year I finish university and need to find a 'real' job, I fear I may need to start planning things and setting goals for myself seriously in a short while. Whatever happens though, I'm doing stuff that makes me happy this year!

Top 11s of 2011

2012-01-05T17:47:00.000Z

Hello everyone! As you can see, I've finally got round to updating the layout of the blog! I've been working on it for so long that now I've actually put it up, I'm a bit sick of it already. Still, it's nice to have a bit of a change round here and now that I've been reunited with Photoshop and slightly reacquainted with my web design skills, I hope the layouts and graphics on this blog will gradually get better and better. I hope everyone had a great New Year celebration - mine was way, way, way more relaxed than I'm accustomed to but I loved it. More about that later!

These lists are going to get longer and longer each year! It all began with my Top 9s of 2009, then my Top 10s of 2010 and now we're finally at my Top 11s of 2011. I think now it's 2012, I may have to revert to the more traditional style of the Top Ten List when it gets to the end of the year! Anyway, the title of this post is pretty self explanatory: here it is: my top 11 lists for various categories of last year!

Top 11 Bands According to Me

Garbage
Hole
Sleater-Kinney
Wednesday 13
CSS
Auf der Maur
The King Blues
The Donnas
Lily Allen
The Pretty Reckless
Lady Gaga

Top 11 Bands, In Order, According to Last.Fm

Garbage
Sleater-Kinney
The Donnas
Hole
The Pretty Reckless
Lady Gaga
The King Blues
Wednesday 13
Lily Allen
Horrorpops
Bratmobile

I always like seeing the difference between my own perceptions of what I like best, and the actual playcount of the bands I listen to!

Top 11 Books

The Third Life of Grange Copeland by Alice Walker
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathon Safran Foer
This Book Will Save Your Life by A. M. Holmes
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Ariel by Sylvia Plath (poetry)
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon
Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart

Top 11 Films (not necessarily films that were released in 2011, just films I saw in 2011/continued to adore in 2011!)

Black Swan
Sucker Punch
American Beauty
American Psycho
Apocalypse Now
Shutter Island
30 Seconds or Less
Super 8
Zombieland
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Kill Bill - as always!

Top 11 Moments

Waking up to loads of missed calls and a voicemail from my dad and realising it was because my new sibling had been born, and then finding out said sibling was a sister called Florette
Meeting James
Going to Paris
The moment in February where I realised I was capable of cutting certain things out of my life
Holding Florette for the first time
Hearing Robert say 'Love you Em'
My birthday
Free champagne at Pier for our anniversary meal
The day Orla and Yaz came back to Aberystywyth and we had a night out with Sophie and Leanne
Realising I was actually pretty well off financially for a student
The first time James said I love you to me

Other little joys 2011 brought: watching the entire series of Dexter, the specific nights James and I had to watch Dexter where we'd always cuddle up, playing Pokemon, being a student, the family holiday, every occasion on which I've seen members of my extended family, my Dad coming to visit me in Aberystwyth, George coming to visit me in Aberystwyth, being able to say my brother has played Leeds fest twice now.

Lovelies, I hope you have enjoyed 2011 as much as I have, but now, it's hello to 2012!

Goodbye 2011, I hardly knew ya!

2011-12-31T20:00:00.003Z

from the top, left to right: me entering 2011 in a Wakefield night club, the sea at Barmouth, the Paris trip, me and my sisters, Christmas meal with the boyfriend, my birthday trip to the butterfly house

I can hardly believe I'm sat here writing my obligatory, 'guess what, the year is ending!' post again, already. It seems to have come so quickly - don't get me wrong, every year I can remember has left me thinking 'hang on, it's over already?!' but 2011 has gone quicker than any year I can imagine.

I was looking back at my previous end of year entries, and I found this link. It's still just as relevant to me as the first time I read it, back in 2009, if not even more relevant: I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but 2012 is really going to be the year of change for me, whether I like it or not.

So, 2011. Everything has changed since the beginning. It's insane how much of a different person I am now. I entered 2011 engaged, pretending to be happy, pretending I was in love. I soon realised I was strong enough to cope without the security and comfort that relationship offered me and my life has improved dramatically since. Of course, the biggest surprise to me wasn't that suddenly, I wasn't getting married anymore, it was actually that I managed to fall in love again so soon. I've realised now that when the right person comes along, they come along and there's nothing you can do about it. James has made me so happy, and whether we're together forever or not, I'll always cherish my memories with him.

University improved dramatically for me this year as well. While I definitely enjoyed my Freshers year, I was so unsure of myself and what I wanted from life in general. I was shy and although I gained a large group of acquaintances, there were few that were really good friends. Coming back to university after Christmas, I really started finding out who my friends were, and I really started to enjoy my life. I ended up with a job that has given me so much financial security and I realised how capable I am of getting consistently good grades, despite the rubbish the universe tries to throw at me along the way.

Like 2009, the biggest addition to my life in 2011, was the addition of a brand new life: this time, that of my baby sister Florette Joy. Although I already had two sisters previous to this, and I love them both more than I ever let on, I really don't have much memory of them being babies at all, so having Florette, a proper little baby sister around has been so delightful. From August to December, I didn't really see her at all. At one point, my stepmum posted a photograph of her on Facebook and I didn't even recognise her! Finally getting to see her and hold her these past few weeks, has been both a big shock because she really is growing up so fast, and absolutely wonderful. She's still got that newborn baby smell and her smile melts my heart.

Summer 2011 was among one of the best. It began, of course, with my first trip abroad without parents or teachers, made even more special by the fact that it was with James. Paris was definitely one of my favourite parts of 2011 in general, not just the summer. Not to mention our family holiday to Llandrillo, which James unexpectedly ended up attending as well. Among other things, it was great to see my younger siblings on a more regular basis, we had some lovely picnics and days out, it was great to have an unexpected break from working and it was wonderful that I got to go back to Aberystwyth in August before things could turn sour at home.

The last few months of 2011 have certainly been, shall we say, testing, but I always come out of things much stronger and happier than I was before. I'm enjoying my final year of university so far, and it's great to be living with people I've wanted to live with for ages at last. I wasn't expecting much from my module this semester, but they have actually ended up being challenging and interesting. To summarise: 2011 has been juuuuuuust fine!

How about you: are you happy or sad to see 2011 go?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T22:03:00.001Z

I'd like to wish a Merry Christmas to all of my followers, or, if you don't celebrate Christmas, I just hope you're enjoying what is a festive period where people get time off work! Me, I'm having a good Christmas I guess! It's not something I'm really bothered about anymore. Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful for the gifts I receive, and I like spending time with my family, but it really isn't the same now I'm getting older. It used to be such a family orientated time but the past few years, I'd always disappear throughout the day to see my now ex, this year; it's my brother disappearing to see his girlfriend, and we've been kicked out of the living room now because my sister and her boyfriend are in there playing on his new Gamecube. Christmas dinner was beautiful and I've got some good additions to my possessions today.

I did have an outfit post planned for today, and I wanted to be vain and boastful and post pictures of all my presents, but sadly, I went and got drunk in Leeds on Tuesday and left my camera in the possession of a friend. I did consider trying to do the post with my BlackBerry camera, but my pictures are awful quality as it is anyway, so I won't subject you to that. In case anyone is curious: I got money, jewellery, a new beret, a headband, some lipgloss, Jack Daniel's, Fruuli (a strawberry flavoured beer, if you ever get the opportunity, try it!), Alice Walker's memoir, a cute little mug with a doll face on it, a dalek mug (to help me face my fears ;)), and Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Perfume. That latter is probably my favourite present, because I first smelt it in New York in 2009. I decided to 'think about' purchasing it, and sadly never had the opportunity to go back for it. I've wanted it ever since, and today, I finally got it. Smells divine.

I guess it's tomorrow I'm really looking forward to. I always spend Boxing Day with my Dad, stepmum, for the past two years: my baby brother, and for the first time tomorrow: my baby sister. Probably a huge cliche, but we all know the best thing about broken families is getting two Christmas Day's! I jest, of course, but I do like being spoilt. Instead of Dad cooking us Christmas dinner, he's started taking us to Cafe Rouge which is one of my favourite restaurants ever. I am so excited! Also excited because it seems to be tradition for my stepmum to buy me Urban Decay eyeshadow box sets, so fingers crossed! Christmas will really happen for me on Friday though - after what I think has probably been our longest separation since we met, I'm seeing my boyfriend. So anxious he's gonna hate his presents from me, but after my birthday present from him, I'm a little overexcited about my present from him. Of course, the real treat for me is seeing him again.

I guess this Christmas is a weird one for me, as I actually have absolutely no idea what position I will be in this time next year! I'll have long finished university - I'd like to hope I won't still be living at 'home' but at the same time, I really can't imagine being anywhere else! This isn't a bad thing though, especially after drinks with my best friend from school last night, I'm so excited about the future. I'm vaguely aware of writing this somewhere before (it was possibly my diary though, so wouldn't know about that!) but this is the first time since I was four that my life is genuinely changing. OK, university was a pretty huuuuuuge change - moving to Wales, living away from home for the first time, having to learn to cook and basically grow up sharpish - but it was just a move back into education, and education is what I've always known. After this year, I'm done with education; well, a formal education anyway, we all know education never really ends. Unlike a lot of my friends, I didn't change courses after first year so I've not got an 'extra' year in Aberystwyth and I'm definitely not considering any sort of postgraduate education. Whatever happens, I'm going out into the real world.

Home Sweet Fox Den: An Outfit Post

2011-12-17T20:07:00.002Z

I can't believe it, I'm finally back in Wakefield after just over three and a half months! It's the longest I've ever stayed away from home before, and for the first time ever since starting university, I was actually looking forward to coming back! I think some of my stress this last semester must have come from being home sick. My house is a bit topsy turvy at the minute because we're having a loft conversion, so technically, I'm not even home yet as I'm staying with my mum's boyfriend. It all feels a little bizarre really!

Jumper: Topshop

Trousers: Cafe Society (Aberystwyth)

Shoes: New Look

Fox Ring: Temporary Secretary

Earrings: Primark

This is the outfit I wore today. Shock horror: despite featuring trousers, it's actually one of my favourite outfits at the moment!

I've developed a little bit of an obsession with foxes recently. As you can see, they feature twice in this outfit. It started because of my boyfriend's surname - I wanted to have a little wearable tribute to him but have since realised that foxes are actually awesome. I saw a fox scarf which originally sparked the idea but I wasn't too fond of the scarf. I decided a necklace would be cute, but found this jumper on my searches and knew I had to have it.

Eyeshadow: Barry M Eyeshadow Trio with Limecrime Candy Eyed Eyeshadow Helper

I wore the outfit for a little jaunt into town with my sister. It was supposed to be for a few essentials and to look for Christmas presents I haven't yet bought. I bought no presents and ended up with lots of goodies for myself, oops! I bought yet another fox ring, but managed to resist a fox bag and fox tail bag candy. I've also acquired some new pyjamas, new underwear, a new dress, lots of new earrings and my sister bought me a new headband and a beret (bit obsessed with those at the minute as well!) for a Christmas present.

The rest of the day was spent revising. I got my first essay back on Thursday and while the grade is good, I know it could be better so I'm determined to use the Christmas holidays wisely and really work hard to get the degree I want. Very happy to say that so far, work towards my dissertation and revision for my January exams is going very well!

Link Love List

2011-12-14T18:23:00.001Z

Hello lovelies. Today, I am in the mood to share with you, some of the wonders I have seen on the internet recently. A bit of a half hearted post I know, especially considering my long period of unexplained silence again, but I can almost promise you that I'm going to stop letting real life get in the way of my posting now. The past few weeks have been horrible, I won't go into detail other than the stress of being in my final year was nearly too much for me at one point. However, I've pulled myself back together now, my illness is finally under investigation by a doctor, all my essays for this semester are handed in, and I've already started my revision so I can be pretty relaxed now! Hope you enjoy these links xx

Honeybean Boutique - I believe I've shared Kaelah's blog on my blog last time I did a Link Love List, and today, I'm sharing her online shop with you. When she first posted about her dreams of having a mobile shop, I was fascinated. I was completely unaware such a thing could exist. As her dream came together, it was so delightful to watch, her little caravan really is so adorable. Now, her little Honeybean has its own online shop and it's definitely worth a look. Pieces I'm lusting after include this, this and this.

The F Bomb - I've actually stumbled across this website a few times in my search for some more thought provoking stuff to read after I've spent a while refreshing my Facebook newsfeed. I've never really found much to be interested in on it before, but I spent a good while on it the other day and have been checking back ever since. This piece here was pretty good and this shed some insight on Libya that I was completely unaware of.

Temporary Secretary - I'm probably jumping the gun by recommending this before I've actually received my goods from them, but this website is full of pretty jewellery that made it hard to resist! I've never really been a jewellery girl - it's always been clothes, clothes, clothes for me. I tend to lose anything nice I get, hence why my Vivienne Westwood necklace is mostly hidden away. However, Temporary Secretary definitely made me want to branch out into the wonderful world of jewellery. Although initially picking up one of their goodie bags as a Christmas present for my sister (Eve, if you're reading this, pretend you didn't) I couldn't resist picking up two rings for myself, here and here. Expect a review when I'm home for Christmas...Did I mention there's also a blog?!

Pearls, Lace and Ruffles - I started reading this blog a few weeks ago and I must say, it hasn't disappointed yet. Not only is Dee absolutely beautiful herself, so is her blog and she has one of the most amazing senses of style I've seen in ages. She pulls off colours I always want to, but always end up running back to my safety net of black. She isn't updating much at the moment, but I believe that is because she's moving house, so make sure you keep checking back!

Cool Girls Advice - while I certainly don't agree with everything they post, more often than not, they'll post absolute gems that as cheesy as it may be, help me turn around my thinking, even for just a little while. If you're wanting a little pick me up, there's bound to be a quote that makes you feel better about your situation in there somewhere. They also have Twitter.

Pugly Pixel - absolutely amazing resource for design inclined bloggers! In fact, I have now been inspired to give my blog a complete redesign over Christmas. It may surprise some of you to know that when I was 11, I had my very own domain name and website. I was pretty confident with Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro and I could do HTML, along with a little CSS and PHP. Websites like Blogger have made me so much lazier! I fully intend to gain back a little of the knowledge and talents I had back then.

Here are some songs I've been in love with recently:

And, of course, pretty much every song, by Garbage, EVER.

A Feminist Flash Fiction

2011-11-28T21:49:00.000Z

Exasperated, she attempted to ignore yet another comment suggesting she must be a lesbian who doesn’t shave her legs or wear makeup if she dares to associate herself with the word feminist. What was hardest for her to grasp though was not the derogatory comments towards herself – no, it was that here, in 2011, people still thought feminism is a joke, that feminism has nothing left to achieve. “What madness…” she thought to herself, as she considered why she’d chosen to call herself a feminist in the first place. She was grateful for those women before her: those who had secured her right to vote, those who had secured a woman’s right to work and be paid as a man would be paid. She thought of the way the media destroys women’s body image today. She thought of women in far off places: some don’t even have the right to drive! And then, like a flash, she knew what to do: put pen to paper and show how feminism is relevant, even to you!

This is an entry for the Mookychick blogging competition, FEMINIST FLASH FICTION 2011. Enter now.

Pretties in the Post: Limecrime Makeup, A Review

2011-11-27T22:29:00.000Z

The Parcel.

A year or so ago, I discovered Lime Crime Makeup. At the time, they only did the magic dusts but I loved the look of them - such pretty colours. Then came the Candyfuture lipstick collection - there were colours in this collection I'd never even considered could be lipstick colours, it was round about this time that I decided that one day, I was going to own some makeup by Limecrime.

from left to right: Glamour 101, Coquette and Cosmopop

The other day, my wish came true. I finally got my tax rebate back from work, and I decided I don't work as many hours as I do to not treat myself to something every now and again, and Limecrime was my treat of choice. I ordered three lipsticks: Cosmopop, Coquette and Glamour 101. Having been using the same primer for two years now, I also decided to give the Candy Eyed Eyeshadow Helper a go too.

The lipstick packaging

I must say, I haven't been disappointed. Despite coming from America, I received my parcel containing my goodies a week after I placed my order. When I opened the package, I was delighted to see pretty purple tissue paper with my lipsticks and primer enclosed. The packaging of the makeup itself is exquisite. I don't want to throw the boxes away at all! Not to mention the lipstick tubes themselves; what's not to like about pink tubes with silver, sparkly unicorns on them?!

look how the boxes correspond with each other!

The eyeshadow helper is fantastic. I've been using Urban Decay's primer for years now, and while it does it's job excellently, I was a bit fed up with the wand. With the wand, you'd always get too much or too little primer and end up with your eyeshadow caking in the creases in your eyes. I'd recently started putting loads of primer on the wand - then dabbing my finger in it and applying it to my eyes that way. With Limecrime primer, there's no need for this - you simply put as much or as little as you want on your finger and apply it straight to your eyes. It also lasts all day, and can even edure my shifts at work, which I've found not a lot of make up can stand. One night, I was too drunk to remember to take my makeup off, and it was still perfect when I woke up.

the primer packaging.

I'm wholeheartedly impressed with the lipsticks as well. Up until this point, I've only owned three lipsticks, and they're all different shades of pink, so this was a little daring for me! I love Coquette, the nude shade, and probably the 'safest' shade I chose. It goes with any outfit, and although I've only worn it as part of my day time look so far, I'm sure I could rock it on a night time too! Cosmopop, the orange shade, hasn't failed to delight either. I bought this jumper the other day and I think Cosmopop really completes the look. As for Glamour 101, I've been wanting a shade of red like this for ages. All other reds make me look really washed out, and they're just too orange based for my liking - this however is beautiful and deep and doesn't look as hideous on me as I feared. Unfortunately, I can't be an accurate judge of how long the lipsticks actually last. I drink about 4 litres of water a day so nothing remains on my lips for too long. They do seem to be enduring though, and other reviews I've read have said they last for ages. I also haven't managed to take any pictures of me actually wearing the lipsticks - I can, however, confirm they do accurately match the swatches on the website.

So, what are you favourite brands of makeup? Are you interested in Lime Crime, or do you already own some Lime Crime make up? Anyone got any experience with the magic dusts?

Mini Summer Book Reviews

2011-11-24T22:44:00.000Z

Today, I'm going to review the books I managed to read over the summer. As an English student, I don't often get to read books that I've chosen by myself to read so my two summers since starting university have been very relished occasions. I realise it's November now and summer is long gone, but by now, I'm sure you can all work out why this post is so late in coming!

To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
Of the few books I managed to fit in this summer, I think To Kill a Mockingbird is my favourite. As I do joint honours American Studies with English Literature, I'm very surprised it hasn't ever been on any of the modules I've done. The book follows the story of the trial of a black man accused of raping a white woman through the eyes of the young girl Scout. It's a very interesting look into racial issues in the Deep South of America in the 30s and 40s. However, the fascination with mysterious Boo Radley throughout the novel also makes the novel a charming insight into childhood and the way in which children view the world. This novel is also one of the very few in the world where I actually enjoyed the ending - I love it so much I won't spoil it for you and just encourage you to read the book yourself, I genuinely recommend it!

Beauty and the Beast (Marie Le Prince de Beaumont)
This was the first book I read on my Kindle. I'm not too sure of its history, I just downloaded it when I went mad for all the free books you can get on your Kindle, but I think it might be considered the original version of the well known fairy tale? What struck me most about this book is how much her writing style is like Angela Carter's in The Bloody Chamber! Thinking back now, I think Beaumont was said to have inspired Carter's style in my lectures I had on the Bloody Chamber - anyway, I digress. If you're into fairy tales, and I mean real fairy tales, not the Disney versions, this is an enjoyable read. There's some very pretty language in it and I like the characteristic way of writing.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)
My review of this book can be found here.

I'm Not Scared (Niccolo Ammaniti)
This book was a donation from a friend and definitely not something I would usually pick up. I'm pleased to say though that I enjoyed it! The story is an adventure - it is written through the eyes of a child who makes a shocking and horrible discovery one day while he is completing a forfeit for losing a game. Although the language is a bit too simple for my liking at times throughout the book, I believe this is because the book was originally written in Italian and in translation, any more complex language has been lost. Not to mention it is supposed to be child's story, so any complicated language would be uncharacteristic. I'd recommend this book for anyone wanting a quick, easy read but one with lots of twists and turns.

The Zombie Survival Guide (Max Brooks)
At first, this is a very entertaining read. Brooks has written his guide in such a way that you take him absolutely seriously: he writes as if he truly believes in zombies and for that reason, you find yourself truly believing in them too. The book is full of interesting facts: it offers a scientific type explanation for how and why zombies exist and tells you how to tell the difference between true zombies and zombies that are the result of Voodoo magic. Sadly, the writing does get a bit too tedious and factual at times, and detracts from what should be a very silly and fun read.

The Hobbit (J R R Tolkien)
This summer wasn't the first time I read The Hobbit, as it was a book forced upon me when I was around 8 or 9 by my dad. Although I use the verb 'forced', I've always appreciated the books my dad tells me to read, I am rarely disappointed. In fact, To Kill a Mockingbird (yes, reviewed above) was another recommendation from Dad, and I've ended up using it as one of my main texts for my dissertation. Back to The Hobbit - I loved it when I was younger and I think it's possible I enjoyed it even more this time round. A lot of people would much prefer to watch Tolkien's work as a film than read his books but that isn't the case for me. I personally love his long and detailed descriptions and I adore the thought that has gone into creating Middle Earth. If you don't mind what a lot of people seem to think is difficult reading, and you haven't already, go read The Hobbit.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters (Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters)
Having been a big fan of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, I was very excited to discover the existence of this book. Although I don't think it was as well written as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, as the introduction of the sea monsters wasn't as seamless as the introduction of zombies - I was still not disappointed. Being a big Austen fan, I sometimes feel that I should be a little outraged at what has been done to her novels, but I find once you've read them, you can't fail to find them entertaining.

Female Chauvinist Pigs (Ariel Levy)
sexualised in this day and age - many see this as a form of women's liberation, a sign of how far we have come, but Levy argues that this is not the case: our obsession with porn stars, strippers and showing flesh actually shows we have gone backwards, not forwards. While I don't necessarily always agree with the way women are presented as sexual objects in the media etc, I did not like the way this book completely dismisses the idea that working in the sex industry could be liberating or empowering at all. At times, Levy also writes in a very transphobic manner, not something I appreciate from someone who claims to be a forward thinking feminism. Despite this however, Female Chauvinist Pigs still offers some interesting food for thought and should you be interested in a bit of feminist non fiction writing, I'd tell you to have a look at this book.

So, what did you read over the summer? What are you reading now? Have I inspired you to read any of the books I read?

An Outfit Post - 7/11/11

2011-11-08T16:53:00.000Z

Hello readers - how are you all? Today I am featuring an outfit that I wore to visit the library and run some errands in town. It's a weird time of year - I always take ages to adjust to the changing of the seasons, I never manage to wear my 'hot summers day outfits' at the appropriate times and then when the weather gets dramatically colder, I can never quite work out which are the best outfits for both still maintaining my own personal style but keeping me warm. Needless to say, I'm having a bit of fun playing with clothes I haven't worn for what seems like ages - the dress featured in this post being one of them. Forgive me for the horrific quality of these photos, my camera is on the way out and I don't have anyone I feel confident enough to say 'hey, will you take pictures of my outfit for my blog for me?' in Aberystwyth...

Dress: Miss Selfridge

Black flats: New Look

Necklace: A gift from Spain

Earrings (not pictured): Dollydagger

Most people, upon encountering this dress, assume it's a skirt and top but I promise you it's not. I do sometimes wish it were a top and skirt though! Most people exclaim: 'oh I love your skirt!' but my mum, always the exception, was like 'oh, I love that top!' The flats are a recent investment - I haven't had any for ages. My black brogues have pretty much fallen apart now (sob) and I've left them at my boyfriend's now as an emergency pair of flat shoes seeing as I have what must be to him, an incredibly annoying habit, of finding my way back there instead of going home after a night out. Therefore, when I caught sight of these little cuties in New Look for something quite good like 12 quid, I figured I deserved them.

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is 'how do you manage to stay warm when you're always in a skirt?' My secret is of course, 3 pairs of tights. I promise you, that keeps me just as warm, if not warmer, than jeans or trousers do. Of course, this winter, I am finding myself leaning more towards jeans - but I'll never abandon skirts entirely.

My makeup was my usual 'casual daytime BUT I don't have to be TOO natural because I don't have work tonight' look - foundation, powder, a neutral shade on the lids and a thin line of eyeliner, with a few coat of mascara and some lip balm on the lips.

As for keeping warm while I was out and about, I went for my trusty beret (a real Parisian one!), my scarf and my leather jacket.

Anyway, that's yesterday's outfit for you. I should be doing seminar work right now/getting ready to go to work, but I am in desperate need of a break. Honestly, a blog post was a far more productive idea with the mood I'm in. Luckily, I am having a much needed getaway from Aberystwyth at the weekend - the boyfriend and I are heading down to his hometown for his brother's birthday!