FORTY TWO.

I went shopping again.

In my defence though, I did take some stuff back that I bought on last week's splurge. I also spent a fair bit on ASOS but I didn't buy it all with the intention of keeping it and I've stuck to my word. I'm sending it all back except two dresses.

Apologies for the rubbish pictures - I can't be bothered to fanny around with the camera and uploading them etc etc.




Said ASOS purchases. They were £21 and £12 respectively, I'm aware they look extremely similar but they're totally different colours, promise! I wasn't sure about the first one at first but after some persuasion on Twitter I'm going to. I'm thinking of wearing some long gold chains with it but I'm not sure what to wear on the bottom half? It'll have to be leggings of some description because it's too short to wear with tights but.. what colour? Black is boring/will look odd.

The second was a BARGAIN, it was reduced from £35. Love it, you can't tell from the pictures but it's pinks and purples with a navy-ish base colour. Perfect for summer days, and long enough to wear with tights if I want to dress it up.





These two dresses were also mega bargains, £4.99 each from H&M. I saw these by the counter as I was returning some stuff. Essentially, I was GIVEN £5 for these because the stuff I took back was £15.98 and I swapped them. That's my attempt at rational thinking/justifying it anyway. That works, right?

I have some Body Butter and a few hair products and fake tan I'm thinking of selling, would anybody be interested? I'm just wondering if it'll be worth doing a seperate post about them or not..

FORTY ONE.

Another music post but I just had to share this with everybody. I was listening to a 'feels like crying' playlist (clearly letting my inner emo out) on Stereomood, a website that my friend Lyndsay told me about earlier today, and this amazing song played.

It's called Society by a man called Eddie Vedder, I've not heard of him until now but I've just done some more research on him and he was apparently the lead vocalist and one of three guitarists in Pearl Jam. The album the song is featured on came out in 2007, it was the soundtrack for the film Into The Wild and was his solo first album. It's such a beautiful song and the lyrics and sound of his voice match perfectly. Please listen!

"When you want more than you have, you think you need,
and when you think more then you want,
your thoughts begin to bleed.
I think I need to find a bigger place,
'cause when you have more than you think, you need more space"




I'm loving hearing songs I haven't heard before from genrés I wouldn't normally listen to. Do any of you lovely lot have any recommendations?

FORTY.

I've just made an amazing musical discovery and it's been a long time since I've said that! As far as I know, admittedly I am usually slow on the uptake, she might already be mega famous here but either way, I've only just heard of her. She's called Lissie and is FANTASTIC. Her voice, her lyrics, her band, everything. I've got a soft spot for female vocalists anyway (think Kate Nash and Laura Marling) and Lissie has that sort of feel about her voice, it's a lot more folk/rock though. Not sure if that's the right word to describe her! Anyway, I first heard her cover of Bad Romance and it's by far the best I've heard:



And then I listened to In Sleep, which is available now on iTunes. She's playing Summer Sundae here in Leicester as well as Bestival.



Definitely worth a listen!

THIRTY NINE.

Right, first things first! My friend Nat has started a new blog with some friends, Niche Capiche, which everyone who reads this should follow (and I made the complex header for it!) :)

Today was Loan Day and because I am a good student, I went shopping. It was definitely a long overdue splurge though because my wardrobe is looking particularly shabby just recently. I didn't get a massive amount, but it still felt good. It was literally so uncontrollable though - I'd find myself in shops just picking up things and liking them, holding onto them to see if I did really like them while I browsed and then the next thing I knew I was casually strolling out the shop with an additional carrier bag and a somewhat lighter purse.


£7.99, H&M


£12, Peacocks


Cardigan of dreams, £19.99 H&M



£8, New Look. Not the best photo..


£14, Peacocks


£14 Next, these are actually men's because my legs are too long for most women's pyjama bottoms



£2.95, Barry M Nail Paint in Colbalt Blue


£2.95, Barry M Nail Paint in Pale Purple. Sorry about the wangy thumb, I hate waiting for nail varnish to dry! I love love love this colour though and it's pretty much the same as a Chanel one I wanted.


My collection of Barry M so far, one day very soon I will have the whole collection.

I also got some black leggings from Next and I finally jumped on the jegging bandwagon (yes, yes, I know it left WEEKS ago) and got myself a pair from Dorothy Perkins. I got a few other bits the other day too but they're in the wash already. I got long, a nude coloured top/dress with ruched sleeves from H&M, a long cream t-shirt from Dorothy Perkins, a black bodycon-esque skirt (the first skirt I've ever bought and worn can I just add!) and a chiffon style top with a birdcage and three birds on it which I can't find on the website which is annoying, both from New Look.

I have also had Kate Nash's new album on repeat all afternoon and it's fantastic, I'll probably review it at some point in the week so I can have a welcome distraction from the hours of revision I plan to be doing...

THIRTY EIGHT.

Hair of the day. I've never done one of these posts before because my hair is usually fairly similar to a bunch of rat's tails, but last week I did one of those haircut/make-up/photoshoot days at a top salon (which I'll do a post about if anybody wants me to - the only highlight really was my hair) and oh my God! The hairdresser cut my hair AMAZINGLY and he persuaded me to buy some 60 second deep conditioner for a tenner. I was probably ripped off because since searching online I've found it for around £7, but nevermind. It's by Goldwell and is called Dualsenses Rich Repair, def recommend! Anyway, onto the photos:






Please excuse my pyjama top! I should have probably got changed... As I said though, the conditioner is amazing and probably the best one I've found for repairing damaged hair. I'm the one hairdressers tend to hate because I'm killing my hair one strand at a time. I wash it everyday (I know, I know) and thus have to blowdry and straighten it but since using this conditioner everyday for about a week and a half I can definitely tell the difference. It's no longer as frizzy after blowdrying, I can straighten it almost straight away instead of having to wait a few hours AND, the best bit, I can go outside minutes after straightening and my hair will stay put (usually)!

THIRTY SEVEN.

Somebody please take me to Shanghai?






I also subscribed to Bloglovin', there's a link down the right hand side if anybody wants to follow me using that.

All images from Flickr

Growing up too soon?

Since moving out of my parents' house and into a shared one at uni I've discovered that I have more of an eye for decorative features and general interior design. I find myself lusting after various ingenious kitchen utensils while browsing around John Lewis, looking through the homeware pages of the Next catalogue as well as almost purchasing an array of colourful bathroom accessories just to 'brighten ours up'. Although having said that, a contemporary toilet brush and toothbrush holder aren't exactly going to instantaneously revamp our dingy student digs!

I also enjoy browsing through artwork, particularly cityskapes of London and New York (and as soon as I've been to Paris, that'll be included too). There's an artist called Paul Kenton who does some incredible stuff although it's pretty pricey. One of his originals was going for £6000 in Harrods and some of the limited edition prints were £650! But still, when I'm a top London journalist, price won't be a problem..! Mum's offered to buy me some of his work for my 21st next year but I'm not sure I'm THAT ready to grow up just yet!

THIRTY FIVE.

Clean On Me - 'creamy clarifying shower gel' by Soap & Glory

I know, I know. This has probably been reviewed a million times over but here is my humble opinion of it anyway!

I'm quite partial to the Soap & Glory collection but I always see it more as a gift, whether I'm giving it or receiving it. I think it's mostly due to the packaging and when I'm being lazy and have no other inspiration for presents I usually turn to trusty toiletries... but I probably shouldn't have admitted that!

Anyway, I picked this 500ml bottle up in Boots a few weeks ago for £3.33, reduced from £5. I'd always been tempted to buy it before then but I didn't seem to be able to justify the price tag for some shower gel, however, from now on I certainly will be. Admittedly, I wasn't best impressed when I first started using it though. Yes, it smells amazing. Yes, it leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed but because of it's creamy consistency it didn't seem to go far so I'd end up having to use quite a bit each time I showered. But, all this changed when I purchased some exfoliating gloves from The Body Shop and I started using them in unison with the shower gel, and now I get the full effect of the moisturising part as well as it leaving me smelling amazing and I'm only using probably half as much as I used to.

I've also stopped moisturising after using it because on the bottle it says there's no need to and I've found that to be true - I actually saw the water slipping off my skin because it was so smooth and my skin hasn't suffered as a result.

Definitely going to buy this again whether it's full price or not, and I may even treat myself to some more of their products..

THIRTY FOUR.

I hate being at home at times like this because all I do is update this thing. It's the first holiday in almost four years that I haven't worked and I'm not sure I like it! It's weird having absolutely nothing planned and nothing to do. Albeit, I should probably be revising but I enjoy putting that off; I've still got around four weeks until exam time!

I've just had my bedroom decorated, it's the third time it's been done since we moved into this house which was 11 years ago, so I thought a good idea for a blog would be to show pictures of my bedroom. While I was trawling through 146 pages of my Photobucket account I had an emotional trip down memory lane, it was bizarre seeing a load of photos that I'd uploaded years ago for various different reasons. But anyway, here we go:



Lovely and green. This is how I first had it decorated, I was probably around 12 when I picked out these colours. What fantastic taste I had back then..



Then I decided I wanted it brown and cream, that was the 'in' thing at that time. I was probably around 15 when I had this done. There's not much to dislike about it really!







And this is how it is now! Only the bedding and curtains have changed but it definitely makes my room seem a lot bigger and it's not dull anymore. Sorry about the bad quality of the final few photos, I had to manually resize them once they were uploaded and they obviously didn't agree with me doing so.

I guess in a way, without getting too deep, the different decor that I've chosen over the last decade or so somewhat reflects my personality and feelings of me during particular periods of my life.

THIRTY THREE.

Barry M in Mint Green. I picked this up in Superdrug for £2.95, it says on the bottle it's a new one out but I'm not convinced..

I actually quite like this, I wasn't sure at first but it's grown on me. I think it'll be a lot more appropriate for Summer because the weather right now doesn't quite do this colour justice! It took about 3 coats before it looked decent though (although my sister hated it this way - she put one coat on and preferred it like that. Each to their own and all!) and I always find Barry M takes an annoyingly long time to dry - I smudged it about seven times and in the end had to leave my thumb looking a mess because I had to be somewhere and I wasn't prepared to be late waiting for my nails to dry!

Obviously I'm never going to stop buying Barry M because the array of colours is amazing and it's more in my price range than other brands.

THIRTY TWO.

Happy Easter everybody! I made these on Friday:


And as I have nothing else of much interest to write about, I decided to fill out this little make-up survey after seeing it around a few people's blogs.


How many times do you wash your face daily?
Twice, once in the morning and once in the evening

What skin type do you have?
I'm not sure really, I'm quite prone to spots but it's not so much oily or dry. I do moisturise loads though so that's probably why, although it has improved so much over the last few months or so which I am loving!

What is your current facial wash?
Simple

Do you exfoliate?
Yes, admittedly have only just started though, I bought some exfoliating gloves from The Body Shop and I love them

What brand do you use?
Simple, The Body Shop and Soap & Glory

What moisturizer do you use?
Simple

Do you have freckles?
Only really in the summer

Do you use eye cream?
No

Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
Kind of, it used to be a lot worse than it is but I have nowhere near perfect skin still and I still get the odd breakout every so often

Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
No

What foundation do you use?
I have MAC NW20 and Chanel Pro Lumiere

How about concealer?
Benefit Erase Paste

Do you know your undertone colour?
No

What do you think of false eyelashes?
I love them but I can't put them on for shit!

Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes, and I do usually try to change it

What brand of mascara do you use?
At the minute I have Maybelline's The Falsies

Sephora or MAC?
I've not heard of Sephora so MAC

Do you have a MAC pro-card?
No?

What make-up tools do you use in make up application?
Tweezers, foundation brush, blusher brush, eyeshadow brush, hard-angled brush & an all-over-face brush (essentially a big blusher brush)

Do you use make up base/primer for the eyes?
Yeah, FY... Eye by Benefit

For the face?
Not so much, I've used various different products but none seem to havr the desited effect

What is your favourite eyeshadow (colour or shade)?
Greys and blacks

Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
Both

How often do you poke your eyes with a pencil eyeliner?
Not as often as I used to!

What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
I've never used them

Do you use mineral make-up?
No

What is your favourite lipstick?
I've only ever used Chanel Coco Rouge

How about lipgloss?
Bobbie Brown

What is your favourite blush to use?
MAC

Do you buy your makeup on Ebay?
Nope, if I had an Ebay account I probably would

Do you like drugstore makeup?
I do occasionally but I usually buy over-priced rubbish!

Do you go to CCO's (cosmetic company outlets)?
No?

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
No

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
Not so much anymore, I used to be awful when I put eyeliner on

Name a makeup crime that you hate?
When people pile on loads of concealer-coloured on their lips, and white eyeshadow..

Do you like colourful shades of makeup (lipstick, eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
I like dark eyes and quirky lip colours. As for neutral though I’m LOVING the pale pink lips trend, I think it’s too cute.

Which celebrity always has great make up?
Cheryl Cole, Lily Cole & Anne Hathaway

If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use?
God, erm.. maybe my Smokin' Eyes by Benefit

Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
Only when ridiculously hungover and I need supplies to see me through the day

Do you think you look good without any make up on?
No!

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
MAC, Chanel, Dior & Bobbi Brown

What do you think of make up?
I live for it! It allows so many different looks, and can instantly change you from looking God awful into something amazing. It can be applied as much or as little as desired and I find it gives some people personality and I love how some people have their own personal touches they add to themselves with certain things they do, for example I ALWAYS have smokey eyes, if I go out with just mascara on I will always get at least one person asking what's wrong with me!

THIRTY ONE.

THIRTY.

On Wednesday night I went to the cinema for the first time in God knows how long, me and a friend took full advantage of Orange Wednesdays and went to see The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Män som hatar kvinnor). I'm not even going to waste any time in saying this, but it's a MUST SEE film, and that's coming from me; someone who has literally never said that about a film before!


It's a Swedish thriller and is in subtitles. It's about a journalist and a female hacker, I'm not going to lie - it is extremely graphic in parts but it's so, so good and by far not normally the type of film I'm into, it's definitely not similar to my usual tastes anyway (think Mean Girls, Sex & The City, A Bugs Life..)! It's quite hard to explain what happens without ruining it or making it sound ridiculous, but let's just say I'm going to buy this on DVD as soon as it comes out purely because the emotion within is captured beautifully and it is in no way at all predictable. There were times that I was covering my eyes, fearing for my life and others where I was close to tears through sheer happiness.

It's based on the book with the same title, written by Stieg Larsson. I haven't read it but I think it needs to be on my 'to read' list because I'm interested to know how much they've changed/if they've stuck to the original storyline. And as you can tell, I'm not the best writer of film reviews; just go and see it!