Hyper Japan

 

 

Last weekend I drove my brother and I down to London to attend Hyper Japan, the biggest Japanese culture show in the UK. We had an amazing day and came out with our purses/wallets considerably lighter, stomachs full of sushi and blistered feet after spending eight hours wandering around stalls upon stalls of kawaii goodness! There was a variety of entertaining performances including traditional Japanese arts, a Cosplay parade and, my personal favourites, J-Pop and J-Rock acts. Seriously. Watch Anna Yano's 'Shape My Story' music video all the way through; if this can't cheer you up on a bad day I don't know what can.

 

I adored getting to meet some sickeningly talented artists and buy their work. I treated myself to a orginal pencil and ink drawing by Shiitake Gensodo, an art zine by Japaneze Baby, and two portraits; one by Zephyrhant and the other by Chi Kutsuwada. Check them out!

 

Hyper Japan is coming back to London for a special Christmas edition in November 2014, and I will definitely be getting tickets. Hope to see you there!

 

 

 

 



July Wishlist

1/Distressed Sequin Jeans - Persunmall// 2/Sunglasses - Irregular Choice//

3/Hair Rings - Regal Rose// 4/Kimono - Oasap//

5/Rose Crystal Bullet Necklace - Shop Dixi// 6/Smoothie Maker - Amazon

Art, lately..

 

 

 

I finally put my phone down and picked my pencil up! I procrastinate and internet way too hard and spend hours upon hours of my free time scrolling through Instagram looking at beautiful tattoo artwork and wishing it was mine. I have discovered a new love for drawing mandalas and using dotwork, it's so theraputic in that it calms me and focuses my mind, almost like meditation.

It's hard for me to put my drawings out there into the internet world as I am so critical of my work and I get really conscious and awkward when people ask to look at it. But I really want to have more opportunities to be involved in creative projects and grow my portfolio of work so I'm going for it and trying to not let my insecurities keep holding me back from what I want..

So here it is. I hope to try and do some new work each week and make it a regular post on this blog; let me know what you think!

Hearts and Flowers

 

How adorable is this dress? This was my first purchase from the Depop app and it's safe to say I am officially an addict. I had the app on my phone for a while and I admit it sat there not doing much; I barely looked at it after intially setting my account up. Now I can't put the bloody thing down! I have made so many good buys off there over the last few weeks that I will be doing a seperate video/post on my purchases as they are too darn good not to share. For those of you who haven't heard of Depop before, it's basically a mobile app for you to sell/swap things (mostly fashion items but there's all sorts) set out in a similar format to Instagram so it's a much more attractive shopping experience than eBay. It's like a having a hip thrift store in the palm of your hand! A word of caution though; make sure you buy from reputable sellers, as with any good idea there are those internet spam demons out there ruining the experience for all the genuine buyers and sellers. So be careful and sensible and you will find some absolute gems on there! And those clothes in your closet with the labels still on, or the pair of shoes you thought were a good idea in the store but have been collecting dust since - sell them to a good home and get some extra cash, win win!

Outfit: The dress I am wearing is originally from Primark, I snapped this up for £6 which, to say postage was included, is an absolute bargain! It's very light and floaty which makes it perfect for summer and it can be dressed up or down. It has a cutesy vintage vibe to it; I personally adore this style of dress as it's flattering for my body shape. Location: The field of poppies is not far from my house, I drive past it on my way to work and when I spotted this gorgeous sea of red I just had to go and shoot there before they are all gone - I've never seen so many in this spot before!

May Wishlist

So the month of May has been and gone (already?!) - here's some of the pretties I've been lusting over the past few weeks..

1. Clear Framed Glasses - Lensway

Oh baby.

2. Septum Ring Clip - Regal Rose

I miss my septum piercing, but I'm not putting myself through the trauma of getting it re-pierced (it hurt like hell the first time!) so these gorgeous sterling silver clips by Regal Rose will do just fine by me.

3. Sternum Tattoo - (artist unknown)

Speaking of pain. Oh god I know Solar Plexus tats are supposed to be one of the worst to endure but I just can't stop thinking about getting one. I think the mandela style looks stunning - check out the hash tag #sternumtattoo on Instagram/Tumblr/Pinterest and you'll see what I mean.

4. Platform Holographic Sandals - Public Desire

Kitsch, childish and oh so wonderful.

5. Maybelline Colour Tattoo - Superdrug (and most high street drugstores)

I never usually stray from my mac paint pots when it comes to cream eyeshadows but it's about time I joined the colour tattoo hype.

6. Mosaic Blush in English Rose - MUA

Feed my blusher addiction.

7. Mewclops T-Shirt - Kawaii Machine

I was browsing Etsy and oh my days. I can't handle the cute! If, like me, you enjoy dressing like a cartoon fairy check out this store out. Seriously.

Spring

Outfit:

Hat - H&M
Dress - F&F
Tee - Primark

Boots - Boohoo

It's been forever since I've done a proper blog post. The past few weeks have been pretty tough and it's taken up most of my energy to just knuckle down and carry on with day to day stuff, so I admit I have abandoned my little internet space as of late! I confess I have also been playing Final Fantasy XIII again so...yeah. But because I've been away so long I've got plenty of new bits and pieces to write about - watch this space!

April Wishlist

1. Oversized Graphic Tees - Romwe
I'm loving slouchy, comfy tees this month as I think they pair so well with the high waisted style of bottoms that I'm obsessed with right now (jeans, trousers, shorts, skirts, you name it - I'm rocking it high waisted!) T-Shirts are such a great way to make a statement about the things you get your geek on for as well; hence why this Breaking Bad tee is at the top of my list right now.

2. Mom Jeans - Topshop
Ah, the Mom jeans. 90's gold.

3. Mint Crochet Flats - New Look
Summer shoes! Free my feet from their confined prisons of tights and boots!

4. 48 Lashes - MAC
I'm blaming this one on the mac make-up artists I follow on Instagram. These lashes look freakin' amazing and I won't rest until I've tried a pair for myself.

5. Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder - The Body Shop
Spring is here and our ever short British Summer is fast approaching and no doubt will be gone again in the blink of an eye. However, whilst it lasts I need something to make my complexion look less Dracula and more bronzed goddess. Apparently this is the baby for pale faces to achieve a natural-not-sparklyorange tanned look.

6. Circle Contact Lenses - (I'm not linking to any retailer until I have tried and tested!)
I know, I know; there is a lot of stigma surrounding circle lenses and the health risks that comes with wearing something in your eyes that has come from a foreign manufacturer/not US or UK approved etc - I'm not getting into the finer details on this post; google it. But I have worn coloured circle lenses in the past with no problems and have the opinion that as long as you do your research and are sensible with any lenses and take the proper precautions (e.g. Wearing them for no more than 8 hours, washing and soaking them with appropriate lens saline solution, having clean hands when putting lenses in/removing lenses, purchasing from a reputable company blah blah blah) then any nasties can be avoided. (DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional, these are only my personal opinions. I cannot give medical/optical advice). Anyway, I want some and I want to try the range for prescription lenses. They look badass. If I lose my eyeballs, on my head be it.


What's on your wishlist this Spring? If you have got any of the products I've mentioned I'd love to hear what you think about them!

OOTD | Denim Edge

New outfit of the day video up on my channel :)

For more info on the prices of the bits from Primark that I'm wearing, check out my recent payday haul video here. The boots are from boohoo.com but I purchased them from an eBay seller as my size was out of stock. I love a good bargain outfit!

The Big Announcement

New video up on my channel!

It feels really good to be able to get this off my chest, and I can't wait to start documenting my journey whether it be a success or a failure.

Please subscribe to my channel if you would like to see how this pans out! I would also love to hear from you if you have had a similar experience or any advice..

xx

The Liebster Award

Recently I have been nominated by two fabulous fellow bloggers, the lovely Sian and Roseanne, to do the 'Liebster Award' tag!

"The Liebster Award is for bloggers with under 300 followers and the rules of the award is that the nominee must link back to whoever awarded them, write 11 random facts about themselves, answer the 11 questions from the award giver, and then nominate other bloggers and make up 11 questions for them to answer.  It's a great way for new and undiscovered bloggers to meet new people, get more followers and find some blogs that they want to follow."

11 Random Facts About Me

1. My birthday is on New Years Eve (31st December) and I am well and truly a Capricorn.

2. I am a cat momma to two beautiful boys, Gary and Robbie.

 

3. I am the eldest of four siblings. I have two younger brothers, Sam and Thomas, and a little sister, Eleanor.

I would move mountains for the lot of them. <3

4. I am a massive geek.

5. I suffer with anxiety and every day is a battle to fight the fear.

6. Fruit Bat is the pet name my Mum has called me since I was little.

7. One of my dreams is to travel around Asia.

8. My boyfriend is seventeen years older than me and we have to deal with a lot of prejudice because of that. Age is just a number and love is limitless.

Plus he's a babe.

9. These are my earth angels.

10. I did Ballet for eleven years and wish I had stuck at it.

11. I am absolutely hopeless at getting up in a morning. I am in love with my bed.

Sian's Questions for Me

1. What made you start blogging?

I used to keep an online blog in my early teens, back in the days when Open Diary and Live Journal were king; so it's something I've had an interest in for a long time. Even then it was a great community to be a part of and I made lots of friends through having an online 'journal,' some of which I am still in touch with even after *cough*eleven*cough* years. I love reading different blogs and discovering new ones, there's so many out there now! I have also become unhealthily addicted to YouTube, again, the amount of great channels available to watch is insane. These all inspired me to start blogging/making videos again and I also made a resolution that I would be more creative this year - so here I am!

2. What is your biggest achievement?
Oh god, I hate questions like this as I'm always very hard on myself and don't ever feel like I've accomplished anything extraordinary. It probably sounds trivial, but the feeling I get when I finish a piece of artwork is when I am at my happiest. I like tangible things.

3. Favourite song?
I don't think I could pick just one favourite song; there are so many close to my heart. But if I have to I think it would be 'Lua' by Bright Eyes.

4. Milk, dark or white chocolate?
ALL OF IT.

5. What is your favourite palette? 
The Urban Decay Naked palettes are always winners.
6. Have you still kept your New Years resolutions?
Yes and no. My main resolution was to be creative again. I'm really happy that I decided to start this blog this year and can't see me giving up any time soon! However, I still want to start drawing and painting again and I haven't made the time to do this yet. All the other resolutions to get fitter and eat healthier went out the window long ago.
7. Biggest fear?
Spiders. Death. Death by spiders.
Living with an anxiety disorder it's difficult to pin point one fear as my biggest. I am constantly worrying and overthinking things which leaves me feeling scared the majority of the time. Most of my anxieties will revolve around fear of dying or fear of failure so they would probably be my biggest.
8. What is your favourite part of your make up routine? (Do you love contouring, applying mascara etc...)
Taking it off! Can't beat that feeling of having a freshly washed face.
9. Favourite colour? 
Red lips. Black clothes. Turquoise jewels. Pink hair.
10. Black or brown mascara? 
Black, by a country mile.
11. What is your favourite blog to read?

I love The Little Magpie by Amy Bell; this lady could wear anything and make it look like it's come straight out of Vogue. I also like Frilly and Fancy by the super cute Kalel and the outfits and quotes on Candyfloss Curls, Cupcakes and Couture by Elizabeth Daisy.

Roseanne's Questions for Me

 1. Favourite makeup brand?

My heart will always belong to Mac.
2. Favourite highstreet store? (beauty, fashion, anything...)

Waterstones - I can spend HOURS in that shop.

3. Favourite candle scent?

Pretty much all of the Yankee candles.
4. Mac or Benefit?

Hands down, Mac.

6. Favourite quote?

"This too shall pass."
7. Beauty/Style icon?
Here are some lovely ladies that inspire me with their unique style:

Maia Leech, Amy Bell, Anastasjia Louise, Marzia Bisognin, Zoe Sugg 
8. Favourite holiday destination?

Italy or New York.
9. Most used/repurchased beauty product?

Nivea Lip Balm
10. What do you like to do on a rainy day?

Stay tucked up in my pjs with my ipad and plenty of snacks, and listen to the sound of the rain.
11. Guilty pleasure?

Erotic fiction. And X-Factor.

Phew! That took longer than expected, cheers ladies! I really enjoyed writing this post, and I hope it gives you a little bit more of an insight in to me and the things I like.

I tag Alexandra and Maia to have a bash at this and my questions are:

1. Describe yourself in three words.

2. What is your holy grail beauty product?

3. Dream destination?

4. What is your star sign and do you think it fits your character?

5. Do you have any special items of jewellery that you wear every day?

6. Favourite Blogs or YouTube Channels?

7. Favourite item in your wardrobe?

8. An Artist or Author whose work inspires you?

9. Red lips or winged eyeliner?

10. Describe your perfect Summers day.

11. Do you have any OCDs or strange habits?

xx

March Wishlist

1. Pink Mohair Longline Coat - New Look
Nnngghh. I need this coat in my life. I tried it on in store a few weeks ago and I absolutely adore it. I mostly wear black and denim and this coat would be the perfect outerwear to chuck on and brighten up any outfit for Spring. Unfortunately as this is a perfect dupe for the popular Topshop coat that was a sell out, this coat is probably not going to be available for much longer... *strokes screen*

2. Skurar Series Plant Pot - Ikea
I think pretty much every beauty blogger/youtuber owns a Skurar plant pot to store their make up brushes! And for a whopping £2 who can blame them?! Ikea never fail to amaze me with their amazing value for money for the brilliantly designed homeware products. I love the pastel pink and green versions of this beautiful little pot with its clever lace style detailing.

3. Cyd Underwire Bra - Lonely Hearts Label
I discovered this lingerie brand through instagram and oh my. Delicate lace and silk vintage-inspired lingerie with a modern twist. The entire collection is absolutely gorgeous but if I had to pick a current favourite it would be the Cyd bra in lilac or mint green. Come to momma.

4. Sweethearts Perfect Blush - Too Faced
I'm such a sucker for packaging. I really shouldn't be able to justify spending £26 on a blusher to myself but this product looks so bloody pretty and tempting. I've managed to resist its siren call for another month..

5. Coltrane Boots - Jeffrey Campbell
Yep, I well and truly missed the Coltrane boat. It just went sailing on past as I stood on the shore forlornly waving my empty purse and shedding a tear as it disappeared into the horizon. I can't even get my hands on any decent dupes as my size sold out before I had chance to recover from my JC dreams. Forever alone.

6. Rose Bubble Bar and Enzymion Facial Moisturiser - Lush
A little bit of Lush lust to finish this months wishes. I love the Lush bubble bars and I prefer them to the bath bombs as I think having bubbles in my tub time is a must! Also, they are much better value; I got 6 uses out of my last Karma bubble bar! Roses are my favourite flowers and I can't get enough of rose scented beauty products, so the Rose bubble bar will definitely be my next Lush purchase. I got a sample pot of the Enzymion Facial Moisturiser on my last Lushie haul and this stuff is brilliant. I suffer with very oily skin and this is the first moisturiser I have used that I can apply before my make up and it really reduces the shine and oil that builds up throughout the day. It acts almost like a lightweight mattifying primer as a base for my make up and doesn't feel greasy at all; my skin drinks it up! Oh, and it smells bloody amazing as well.


What products are you dreaming of this month?
xx

February Favourites

Better late than never!

 Check out my latest favourites video for the fashion, beauty and other bits I have been loving recently. I'm even getting a bit saucy this month.. ooo matron!

xx

OOTD | Tres Cool

Hi guys! Just a quick outfitoftheday post and video. It's my first so I felt such a dork showing my clothes on camera; I'm no model but show some appreciation for the clothes and ignore my awkwardness ha.

Fedora Hat - H&M//Tres Cool Cropped T-Shirt - H&M//High Waist Skinny Black Trousers - H&M//Leopard Faux Fur Coat - eBay//Boots - Boohoo//Jewellery - Misc, Accessorize and Pandora

Art and Anxiety

I haven't made the time to do any artwork for so long now. Sometimes I think the reason why I suffer so much with my anxiety is that I'm not allowing myself to vent those emotions with a creative outlet. When I'm lost in drawing, writing or reading I'm completely absorbed and calm and I know I need to make more time to do these things that I love. I have been passionate about art since I was very little; I would spend hours and hours imagining stories and drawing the characters. My Grandparents are all very creative and growing up they really nutured my love for drawing, painting, sewing, writing, etc. Going through school was quite tough for me as I was bullied; I was always quite 'out-there' with the way I dressed and presented myself and a lot of people couldn't accept that and made me feel afraid to be myself. I remember always having a sketchbook with me and I would sit at the back of my classes doodling away and it helped me through the negative emotions I was going through at that time. I then went on to study Fine Art at college and this was a real rollercoaster ride for me. I went through a really shitty relationship and was taking drugs, I was hardly eating and weighed about six and a half stone. Amazingly, with the support of family and friends, I pulled through this and achieved top marks in my qualification and got offered a place at University. I left the crap behind and felt the best I had in ages. I ended up leaving University after the first year; I wasn't enjoying the course and I felt I had hit a wall with my artwork and that I wasn't going anywhere. I lost all confidence in my creative ability and since then I've been scared to put my pen to paper and try again. It's infuriating as doing my art used to be my release for all my feelings of fear and stress, and now I feel like my anxiety is holding me back from doing something I care about. I have made half-hearted attempts to sit and produce something, but it's been years since I was able to make art without worrying that it won't be good enough. Which is ridiculous, it's my art, it shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks.

Sorry for rambling on. The point of this post is for me to put my feelings in to words and to make a promise to myself that this year I am going to make a conscious effort to start making art again. For me. Starting this blog and my Youtube channel has made me realise how much I miss being creative and how important it is to me. It's in the very fibre of my being. So here it is. I promise to make more art.

What's in my Fizz Tank #1

Lush, Lush, Lush. I'm a lover not a hater.

If I find myself walking a high street and I get a whiff of that oh-so-familiar scent that means there is a Lush store in the vicinity; I can't help but follow my nose and go inside to see what treasures await!

I've been a Lush fan for many years now and when I'm feeling a bit fruity with the old bank card I just love to go and stock up on my favourite products and as well as try new ones. (Random fact: I got offered a job at my local Lush store a few years ago after being one of the few selected from over a hundred applicants; but I had to turn it down as the hours they offered weren't enough. Yes I turned down the opportuity to have 50% staff discount at Lush. There ain't nothin' goin' on but the rent!)

This month I bought some bath goodies as part of David's Valentines Day gifts. Now, I know it may seem a bit of a girly present to give to a bloke, but what's more relaxing and romantic than having a nice bubble bath together? I also bought the 'Fizz Tank' which is tube made from the recycled Lush black pots. I usually store my ballistics and bubble bars in a glass jar in my bathroom so their prettiness can be seen; but as these were a present, this tube was an ideal way to package the products without being too girly or the faff of gift wrapping it myself. I'm now actually a litte bit in love with this Fizz Tank as it really is a great way to store my bath bombs as they can be messy little buggers. And if you don't like the design why not get a bit creative and jazz it up to match your bathroom!

On to what's inside...

 

Ah, two of my old favourites. On the left we have the 'Sex Bomb' bath bomb; this was one of the first bath bombs I ever bought from Lush and to this day I still love it. It contains jasmine, ylang ylang and clary sage so it has a very heady floral scent which isn't everyone's cup of tea. I tend to steer towards floral, spice and citrus scents and dislike anything that is overly sweet such as vanilla and cocoa butter (for instance I can't stand the well-loved 'Rockstar' or 'The Godmother' soaps in Lush). So if your tastes are similar to mine then I would definitely recommend this bath bomb, but if you're not a fan of floral scents, steer clear! This bomb fizzes away nicely without leaving too much residue and also turns the bathwater a gorgeous pink colour. The rice paper rose sort of floats around for a while but it does dissolve eventually. This bath bomb has never stained my bath tub and it doesn't contain any messy glitter which saves time on the post-bath clean up; always a bonus! On the right is the 'Karma Bubble Bar.' Karma is one of Lush's signature scents and one of my all-time favourites; I pretty much own every product from the Karma range. Again, it is very floral and citrusy as it contains orange and patchouli, so it's right up my street. I can get about three to four uses out of this bubble bar as I just break a bit off and place it under the running hot water tap in my tub to get lots of lovely Karma-smelling bubbles! A little really does go a long way with the Lush bubble bars so don't use it all in one go and get your moneys worth.

Next up, on the left, is the 'Lord of Misrule' bath bomb. (At this time I could not find this product on the UK Lush website so I have linked the US site for the product info). I think this product smells slightly similar, but not as strong and intense, as the Karma bubble bar as they both contain patchouli. This bomb also contains black pepper oil and vanilla, so even though this is described as spicy it actually smells quite sweet to me. I haven't got round to using this one yet but I've read that it's a colour changing bomb and it turns the bathwater a light green and then a deep purple colour, ooo. It also contains popping candy! One of the customer reviews on the website describes the ballistic: 'The color was fabulous. I was Daenerys Targaryen bathing in the blood of thy enemies.' Hands down the best Lush review I've ever read. Finally, on the right is the 'Tisty Tosty' bath bomb. Surprise, surprise it's floral and citrus scented. It contains geranium, jasmine, rose oil and lemon oil and dried rose petals. I had to get this one as it's a clear staple in a gift for Valentines Day. As it is white it doesn't colour the bathwater and the rose buds and petals float on top creating a perfect romantic treat for a tub for two... Or one! Treat yourself to some Lush love, go on you deserve it!

If you enjoyed reading this post, keep your eye out for the next 'What's in My Fizz Tank' and let me know what your favourite Lush products are in the comments below.

Leading Lady

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful and inspiring woman; my Grandmother.

79 years beautiful!

<3

February Update and MeadowHAUL Video

New haul video up on my channel!

I've been up to lots of lovely things over the past week or so. Had some really nice days with both mine and David's family as well as going out and spending some quality time together as a couple. I've eaten so much scrumptious food as well I'm stunned I can still fit into any of my clothes! 

I've had my Aunt's, my little Sister's and my Stepdad's birthdays to celebrate so far this month. My Aunt and I went out for a days retail therapy sesh at Meadowhall, including a big breakfast and a pitstop for nachos and wine! She spent the night at my place and we had a curry, more wine, and rested our weary legs from the shopping miles we had done. My Sister, Eleanor, turned 5 the same week and I went along to her party where she and her little friends got to go round a farm park and of course us 'adults' had more fun than the kids and ate most of the party food. I did get some video footage of the day which I will upload soon. 

Valentines weekend was exceptionally lovely. On the 13th David took me out for one of the best meals I've had in ages at The Copper Beech; the food was bloody gorgeous and really good value for money. On Valentines Day itself we spent a cosy night at home and I cooked a meal; nothing extravagant, but it was so nice to have a romantic and relaxed evening together enjoying each others company. 

Over the weekend we had David's daughter and my little Brother and Sister stop over (I was on babysitting duty as my Mum had taken my Stepdad out for his birthday) so I made sure we had all the essential treats for a sleepover: DVDs, pizza, popcorn and plenty of sweeties! The following day we cooked a big Sunday dinner for everyone and got my Stepdad a surprise birthday cake and sang Happy Birthday! 

So that's some of the highlights of my February so far! Have you done anything special this month? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.

Xx

February Wishlist

1. Lilac Winged Handbag - Accessorize
I'm in desperate need of a new handbag. I'm not one of those girls that has a cupboard full of bags; I tend to wait until I see one that I fall in love with and use it until it's falling to bits. I spotted this beaut on the Accessorize website and then checked it out in store and knew this was the next "The One."

2. Holographic Platform Chelsea Boots - Missguided/Boohoo
I recently bought these style boots in black and I adore them. They are so comfortable and versatile as well as bang on trend. I don't want to wear any other shoes at the minute! The holographic pair are definitely next on my list; they're so shiny and pretty..

3. Iridescent Chain Bracelet - Topshop
I really didn't think I would like the whole chunky chain trend, but do you know what? It's really grown on me! Teamed with Spring pastels I think these chains look amazing and add an edge to a simple outfit. Topshop currently have a really good range of necklaces and bracelets to choose from.

4. Amethyst and Turquoise Neckaces - Dolly Bow Bow
I've just discovered this gorgeous shop through Instagram; they sell a collection of jewellery, floral crowns and home/gift ware. My favourite pieces from the collection are the Elixir Amethyst Crystal Necklace and the Turquoise Seven Spike Necklace; I like that there is the option to have gold or silver and they are very reasonably priced.

5. Rose & Co
I pretty much want everything from this store. I use the Rose Petal Salve all the time; it's my favourite lip balm product. The products from Rose & Co are vintage apothecary inspired and the packaging and scents are simply stunning. They also stock Paul and Joe cosmetics which I really want to try.

6. Heated Rollers - Argos
My hair is currently the longest I've ever managed to put up with growing it. As my hair is so thin and fine, the longer it gets the more lifeless and flatter it looks and it just doesn't hold curls very well at all. So my next volumising experiment is heated rollers.. Another purchase I will solely blame on Youtube tutorial videos if they fail miserably!

7. Final Fantasy X/X2 HD Remaster - Pre-Order
I just can't even. I have been following the updates and news on the release of this remastered edition since it was first announced in 2011. IT'S SO CLOSE I CAN TASTE IT.

Monday Blues and a New Video

New video up on my channel!

This has been an absolute bitch. My attempts at getting a video uploaded over the past couple of days have been thwarted by numerous laptop/internet issues. It doesn't help that my patience is wearing rather thin at the moment (geek cue "Like butter..scraped over too much bread.")

Forked out a load of money last week to get my car through her MOT and the poor old girl got a broken spring on the way to work this morning. So I had to turn around and take her straight back to the garage for another expensive repair. Oh and, of course, because the part is a 'special order' I won't have her back until later today; so I've had to call in work - which is always a joyous task - and will have to battle the elements ON FOOT to my doctors appointment this afternoon.

On a brighter note; I hope you all enjoy my first ever monthly favourites video. Despite all of the technical frustrations, I love writing this blog and making videos for my channel; it's so nice to be doing creative things again and taking babysteps towards being more confident in myself and not let negativity hold me back!

Super quick falsies!

Apologies for the lack of blog posts over the past week, I've been a busy bee! Lots of exciting things happening, which I can't talk about yet but you'll find out soon... I promise! 

Today I thought I'd show you my really quick and easy way to apply false lashes. I rarely wear falsies for a number of reasons, mostly due to (lack of) time and money and the fact that I wear glasses and can't stand when the false lashes brush against the lenses when I blink - it's super annoying! Also I have naturally long eyelashes anyway, so I don't feel the need to apply falsies, but every now and again I will wear them for a more dramatic make-up look on a night out/special occasion..

What you will need: A pair of scissors, eyelash glue and one false eyelash (and eyelash curlers if you prefer to use them in your routine). Here comes the genius part...

 

Cut the eyelash in half, as demonstrated by my glamourous assistant Robbie. Now, I do this for two reasons. Firstly because, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I have issues with false lashes as they bash against my glasses when I blink and it's irritating as hell and this reduces that. Secondly, it is so much easier to apply these 'half-lashes' than trying to get a full lash stuck on your eyelid, and this is all about being quick and simple...

 

Get your face sorted with your base make-up and eyeshadow look and apply an eyeliner on your top lid. I use the 2true Effortless Eyeliner in black which you can pick up for next to nothing from Superdrug.

 

Apply your eyelash glue to the strip on the lash and leave for 30-60 seconds until it becomes sticky. I use the Eylure Lashfix Strip Lash Adhesive, this is also super cheap on the highstreet. Using your fingers or tweezers, apply the false lash to the outer half of your eyelid, making sure the longer lashes are the right way and that they are as close to your own lashline as possible. Hold in place for a few seconds and let the glue dry for 2-5 minutes before applying your favourite mascara to your top and bottom lashes to complete the look.

 

Tadaa! And you're done. Like I said this is just a quick and easy method I personally use to achieve a simple winged eyelash look. For a more effective 'flick' on the lashes I would definitely recommend using an eyelash curler - but I seem to have misplaced mine, oh nooo.

Let me know if you found this post helpful in the comments down below, and share some of your falsie tips, tricks and issues!

xx

Glasses at home [part 2]

[part 1]

So I got my second set of home trial glasses this week; much excite! I was far more impressed with this bunch of frames than the last lot I ordered, so much so that I'm actually struggling to pick which pair I prefer. Luckily, after contacting Glasses Direct about the mistake with my previous home trial order, they have kindly offered to extend the January 50% discount for me - all the more reason to feed my glasses addiction!?

The first pair pictured are from their Cosmopolitan range. When I initially got them out of the packaging I thought "Oh god, these are huuuge" and was expecting them to be way too large for my face shape. But these are actually my overall favourite frames from both home trials and I will definitely be purchasing them; I love the bright colours and frame shape, they really are a statement accessory which is right up my street. The second pair (Cosmopolitan range again!) I'm still unsure about. I adore the deep red colour, I'm all about red glasses as you know, but I can't make my mind up about the frame style. Even though they are a similar size to the previous pair, these do look slightly too large on my face, so I think I'll be giving these a miss. The third pair is from the Lucky Brand range, and although the frame shape isn't something I'd usually go for; I can't resist the gorgeous and unique colours of these glasses! The tortoiseshell is really distinctive and is complimented perfectly by the bright pink on the arms. The final pair had me from the word go, as they have leopard print detailing on the inside of the frames... I'm such a sucker for leopard print. I don't even care that it can't be seen when the frames are being worn, I know it's there, that's enough for me. Aside from that, the frames are a beautiful dark purple and in a retro shape without looking too Dame Edna. So far I have decided to order pairs 1, 3 and 4 from this post and the pair I favoured in my part 1 post. Unless my finances conscience kicks in and I decide to just get two pairs... but which ones?!

To see my initial reaction at trying these glasses on check out the video on my YouTube channel:

Cat children

The past couple of days have been pretty crappy, so I've not felt very inspired to sit down and write anything or do any editing. Things have been getting me down at work, which means I've been coming home tired and grumpy. Yesterday was particularly bad so David took me out for dinner; we ended up sharing a bottle of red with our meal, so I've failed on my tee-total January challenge. Although I'm still chuffed that I've managed two weeks without so much as a sniff of alcohol, even though we've still got so much left in the house after Christmas. Today has been much better; I've spent most of the day just hanging out with my cats Gary and Robbie. I love my boys, they always cheer me up when I feel down. There's nothing better than the unconditional love and trust of a pet and the comfort it brings. THEY ARE MY FURRY CHILDREN.

Anime eyes!

Okay so we all knew I was going to buy this. 

I mean it's got the word manga in it. It was always going to happen.

I didn't even do my usual thing of scouring beauty blogs and youtube reviews before purchasing. I was at work and I received one of those annoying text messages from o2 that promote local offers and the L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara happened to be on there (as Boots and Superdrug had it at the introductory offer of £5.99). So I checked out the link, took one look at the marketing campaign - cartoon pandas, Barbara Palvin looking stunning - yep L'Oreal, you got me good and proper. I mean, who doesn't want anime eyes, c'mon!? 

So I went straight to Superdrug after work to bag me one. They were promoting the hell out of it; there must have been a point of sale for the mascara at the end of every aisle and till. They had run out of the Turqouise and Violet shades, but that was probably for the best because if they had been there I would have no doubt bought them on a whim, even though I only ever use black mascaras.

And the results...

(photograph 1: before mascara application, photographs 2 & 3: after mascara application)

I freaking love this stuff! I'm really, really impressed with this product. The amount of times I've stepped out of my safety zone with mascaras and been bitterly disappointed, it's brilliant to find one that actually does what it says on the tin and at a bargain price! It's not the best mascara I've tried in regards to volumising despite the packaging boasting 'mega volume,' but the wand itself is fantastic at seperating and lengthening the lashes and I just applied a second coat to get the volume I desired. And just look at my bottom lashes! I've managed to get great coverage on them without getting any black smudges under my eyes; double thumbs up as this is a major problem I have with the Maybelline or MAC mascaras I'm so fond of due to the wands being quite chunky. The wand on the L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara is also flexible which I think is one of the reasons why the lashes get such good coverage if you use a zig-zag motion when applying. Once dry, the mascara isn't flaky or clumpy and my lashes still feel flexible and 'bounce back' when I touch them, not at all like they are going to break or stick together.

I won't waffle on any longer about how much I like this product, the photos speak for themselves. I can see this definitely being in my January favourites video..