I hope you're doing well and looking forward to this weekend. I have been mad busy with my dissertation so I haven't updated my blog much lately, sorry! But today I've got a quick makeup review for you.
Today, I am reviewing I Heart Makeup's blusher in the shade Blushing Heart which is a fabulous little product.
I have been using this for almost a year and it hasn't even begun to run out at all yet! It is a perfect colour for Spring or Summer, it goes with anything if you apply the correct amount. I usually apply bit by bit to add a bit of subtle colour to my cheeks.
It is a lovely shade and it is very pigmented so you don't need alot on your cheeks. If you put too much on, it can look like you've been slapped!
The packaging is very, very cute but it is quite clearly a blatant copy of Too Faced's Sweetheart Blush, just at a very cheap price. I love using this and haven't found any other decent blushers just yet. I do think a few pounds should be knocked off the price because I wouldn't say it's worth a fiver considering the brand. But if you compare it to Too Faced, you're getting a hell of a deal and it lasts for ages!
This post is about the albums that have changed my life. I don't mean the ones I just like to listen to but the ones that really mean something to me. I was inspired to do this because of Emma Blackery's video which you can watch here. We have a similar music taste and I realised I've never really sat down and thought about what albums meant something to me. So, let's get into it!
Blink 182 - Blink 182 (self-titled)
Blink 182 was probably the first rock band I got into, thanks to my best friend. My teens just consisted of me listening to rock music and being a moody goth. These guys just seemed so cool and unique compared to everyone else and I loved Tom Delonge's vocals on every song he performed. They are probably the reason why I fancied skater boys (and still do!) so much. My favourite songs on this are: I Miss You, I'm Lost Without You and Feeling This.
Avril Lavigne - Let Go
I loved Avril so much! She seemed like such a cool girl and made me feel like girls can be rockstars as well. My brother got me into her and we'd spend hours singing our hearts out to her album in his room. Sk8er Boi was the first song I heard from her and I instantly loved it and it still gets me dancing like a crazy person in my room to this day. My favourite songs on this are: Complicated, Things I'll Never Say and of course, Sk8er Boi.
Paramore - Riot!
Again, I have my best friend to thank for getting me into this band. I was obsessed with Paramore for a long time and longed to look like Hayley Williams every single day of my teens. Like Avril, she taught me that girls can be badass and cool too. My favourites on this are: Misery Business, crushcrushcrush and That's What You Get.
P!nk - I'm Not Dead
This lady has always been my favourite female singer. I loved her earlier albums but this album was just incredible. She was just a completely different artist compared to everyone else and she was kickass! She can rock out and also perform beautiful ballads. My favourites on this are: Stupid Girls, Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely), Who Knew and Dear Mr President.
The Script - Science & Faith
The Script are my all time band and I have seen them live three times so far! Although I did love their first album, their second album changed my life for sure. I love every single song on it and it has my favourite song by them on it; Science and Faith. They make me feel all of the emotions and find the right words for my feelings when I can't. They've done alot for me and they are severely underrated. My favourites on this are: Science and Faith, If You Ever Come Back, Nothing and For The First Time.
Beyoncé - 4
Of course, the Queen would make it onto this list. Beyoncé is one of my favourite singers of all time, she is just an incredible artist. She is a stunning woman and is the perfect person to listen to when you feel like a badass diva. My favourites on this are: Countdown, Run The World (Girls) and Love On Top.
Twenty One Pilots - Vessel & Blurryface
Twenty one pilots came into my life sometime last year and I am so glad I got into them. I did a post dedicated to them a while ago. I haven't been this obsessed with an album (or two, in this case) in years until now. Tyler Joseph is an incredible singer and uses his insecurities and depression to help others through his songs. The lyrics are incredible and if you've experienced depression in your life before, they'll mean everything. My favourites on Vessel are: Holding Onto You and Guns For Hands. My favourites on Blurryface are: Ride, Stressed Out, Tear In My Heart, Lane Boy and Doubt.
So there you go, those are the albums that changed my life!
Hope you liked this, it's a bit different to what I normally post.
Good afternoon, everyone! This is my first Music Monday of 2016! I haven't done one since about December which is just mad. But I have a whole load of new music I've been loving. So let's get into it!
I have been loving Sia's new album which came out in January I think, I'm not too sure. This song is so good, it has such a good beat to it and the chorus is a little unusual. I think she has brought out a new video for it now and it has Sean Paul featuring on it now as well. Well worth a listen!
I have always loved Kelly Clarkson, I may not have listened to much of her recent stuff because I've gone on to listen to different stuff. I've listened to her since her Breakaway album back in 2004 which me and my brother listened to over and over again. Recently, she performed an acoustic version of this song on American Idol which blew everyone away because of the pure heartwrenching emotion she was displaying. So much so that she couldn't even finish the song due to her tears and she even had some of the judges crying. So I YouTubed the original version and although it has more of a dancey-ish beat to it, I still love it. It is heartbreaking but very empowering towards the end. If you're gonna listen to this one, keep a few tissues handy because you'll need them!
This one is not a new song, I think it's actually a couple years old now. But I had never heard of it before until I saw it on my telly the other day and I instantly fell in love with it. Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake's vocals go together so well. It is such a feel good song and has you dancing around in your room. But it also makes me sad because Michael is not here with us anymore and we can't hear any more great hits like this.
I am loving The 1975's new album! This is possibly my favourite song out of all of them. Matty Healy just looks so good and the song has you singing into a hairbrush at all hours in the morning! Well worth a listen.
I would never have thought Beyonce and Coldplay could sound good together until now! Coldplay have been bringing out some good songs lately and this is one of them. It took a while for me to get into it and there was alot of controversy about the video because some people thought they were using Indian stereotypes and they were using cultural appropriation, particuarly with how Beyonce is dressed throughout the video. But I find it celebrates the wonders and beauty of India but each to their own. It is such a good song, it is such an anthem that has you stamping your feet and clapping along.
Little Mix have really become a girl band that I actually like! They always have great songs to dance to and sing along with. This one is a little different, a bit slower and it features Jason Derulo. I'm not a huge fan of Derulo and I think the song would've worked even better without him but it still slays because of the girls' vocals. Their voices have grown and gotten so much stronger, especially Perrie. Unbelievable, definitely listen to this.
Ellie Goulding is just so beautiful and a fantastic human being. I saw her a couple of weeks ago in the Echo Arena for the second time and she was incredible as ever. Dancing, singing and shimmying across the stage as well as playing guitar and the drums. She sounds exactly like she does on her albums. Her new album is so good and well worth a listen! These two songs are a good place to start.
So, those are my favourite songs of this month!
Do you like any of them? Do you have any recommendations for me?
Hi, guys! I've got another makeup review for you today. This time I am reviewing an eyebrow pencil from MUA so let's go!
MUA isn't the best brand of makeup I find but I have really enjoyed using this eyebrow pencil. I get the shade 'brunette' and it is only £1! To be honest, I haven't used any other eyebrow products, certainly not expensive ones.. for fear they won't work and I'll have wasted my money. But I think I'll try some others in the future. But right now, I really like this one.
For the price of it, it is very pigmented and works very well. I'd recommend it especially for those who are trying out eyebrow products for the first time. It's a great size as well. I kept my first one for well over a year and all for £1!
The brush at the end is great for blending out the pencil and making it look more natural and finish off your makeup look nicely. It's a little bit hard, bristle-wise, so I wouldn't press down too hard. Also, take care with sharpening the pencil itself. The product is fairly creamy and soft and does break off easily when pressed hard but it's great overall. You're always left with lovely eyebrows which is what everyone wants!
I hope you are having a wonderful day and are happy to be a woman on this great day.
I'm going to name and talk about a few inspirational women who stood up and changed history forever for us girls. It's bit of a long post but I think it's fitting for a day like today. Let's go!
1. Susan B. Anthony
First up is Susan B. Anthony. She was one of the driving forces behind the women's suffrage movement. She was a devoted equal rights advocate and a social activist. She dedicated her life to not only fighting for women's equal rights but for the equality of all people. Although, she was deeply self-conscious of her looks and speaking abilities, because of her Quaker upbringing she overcame these fears and was encouraged to express herself and fight for equal rights. She spent much of her life travelling around the country, speaking about equal rights, discussing petitions and helping to organise local women's rights and labour organisations. Amazingly, she was actually the first woman to be printed on a circulating U.S. coin in 1979-1981 and minted again in 1999.
2. Marie Curie
Marie Curie was a ground-breaking Polish chemist and physicist who worked mostly in France who became known for her historical research on radioactivity. She is the first and only woman to win the Nobel Prize in two fields. She was also the first female professor at the University of Paris and coined the word radioactivity and part of her achievements included theories in radioactivity. She was responsible for several techniques used in isolating radioactive isotopes as well as discovering two elements; radium and polonium. To this day, there are many locations, schools and foundations named after her.
3. Helen Keller
Helen Keller was born in 1880 and was healthy until an illness and a severe fever left her both deaf and blind. She was quite intelligent but her childhood suffered due to her handicap as she was unable to communicate, causing her to get frustrated and have frequent tantrums. After many years, help arrived when she was seven in the form of Anne Sullivan. Anne herself was also blind and became Helen's teacher, teaching Helen sign language. Long story short, Anne's future husband, John Macy helped Helen to write her first book about her life. After completing her education, Helen began lecturing and sharing her story with others with the hope of opening up more options for people with disabilities. She spoke about rights for others as well, including women and founded/co-founded numerous foundations including the American Civil Liberties Union.
4. Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks attended segregated schools throughout her childhood which included a long daily walk to the African American school house while the white students in her community took a bus to a large, new building. She briefly attended secondary school but had to leave to take care of her ailing mother and grandmother. Instead of returning to school, she got a factory job and married Raymond Parks at the age of 19. Raymond was a member of the NAACP and helped Rosa earn her high school diploma. She became a civil rights activist alongside her husband and served as a youth leader for the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP. The Montgomery city code insisted that bus drivers had to segregate black and white passengers on the bus. If buses became too full, the black passengers had to give up their seats to accommodate white passengers. If they refused, the bus drivers had full authority to call the police to have them removed.
Rosa Parks became an icon when she left work on 1st December, 1951. Riding the bus home, the bus filled up and soon the white half of the bus was full, leaving some white passengers standing. The bus driver stopped the bus and ordered the first row of black passengers to get up and the three passengers in Rosa's row did so but not her. She refused to move and was subsequently arrested for it. After her arrest, the NAACP organised a bus boycott in support of Rosa and racial equality.
5. Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall is a famous animal rights activist and environmentalist. She has made many discoveries in her long term research into chimpanzee society about their behaviour, diet and interactions with one another. She travels around the world, giving lectures on primates and their behaviour. She started the Jane Goodall Institute which now has 19 offices across the world and she spends a significant portion of her time fighting for chimpanzee's rights.
And finally, YOU!
That was cheesy, I know but it's true! You, yourself, are an inspiration either to yourself, to family or to your friends. Whatever you are going through or have been through, you are incredible and have amazing strength. Whatever your dreams and goals are, you have the strength and power to achieve them. I am proud of you for getting this far already and you have so much more to offer this world.
To close this post, I think it is only fitting to include a bit of Beyoncé and Destiny's Child!
All the women who are independent throw your hands up at me!
A good note to end on, right?
Have a great day and enjoy the fact you're a woman today.
Hey everyone, I just felt like doing something a little different today. I wasn't actually tagged to do this but I was bored and I play by no rules! So, here we go!
1. What is more difficult for you, looking into someone's eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone's eyes when they are telling you how they feel? Definitely looking into someone else's eyes when I am telling them how I feel, especially if it's a really deep subject. I like engaging with other people when they're telling me how they feel because I want them to know they have my full attention. But I just get anxious and fidgety when I'm talking about my own issues.
2. Think of the last time you were REALLY angry. WHY were you angry? Do you still feel the same way? I genuinely don't remember the last time I was very angry actually. I'm trying to be less angry and less opinionated about things these days.
3. You are on a flight from Honolulu to Chicago non-stop. There is a fire in the back of the plane. You have enough time to make ONE phone call. Who do you call? What do you tell them? Bloody hell, this is a deep question. I'd definitely call my mother and tell her how much I love her and how much I've always appreciated everything she's ever done for me.
4. You are at the doctor’s office and he has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? What do you do with your remaining days? Would you be afraid?
I'd definitely be afraid but I'd spring into action! I'd write individual letters for every single one of my friends and family members to tell them what each one means to me. I would give all of my money to my family and I'd donate all of my clothes to charities/those in need. I'd probably throw a big party and get really drunk with my favourites.
5. You can have one of the following two things. Love and Trust. Which do you choose? Why? That's a hard question but probably trust. I'd rather be trusted 100% by everyone rather than loved but not trusted. My loyalty to people is one of the best things about me so I'd hate to lose something like that.
6. Do you make your own decisions or let others make them for you? It depends haha. When I was younger, I obviously needed people to make certain decisions for me but now that I am 22 this year, I am making more decisions for myself.
7. What would be (or what was) harder for you to tell a member of the opposite sex, you love them or that you do not love them back? It'd definitely be harder to tell someone I don't love them back because I care about people more than myself so I couldn't stand the thought of hurting someone's feelings.
8. Your best friend confesses that he/she has feelings for you more than just friendship. He/she is falling in love with you. What do you (or did you) do/say?
I'd be freaked out considering we've been friends for 21 years and she's a girl who's dated boys and is currently with a boy.. BUT, I would talk it out with her and try not to act any differently.
9. Think of the last person who you know that died. You have the chance to give them 1 hour of life back, but you have to give up one year of yours. Do you do it? Why or Why not? Well this is awkward because my cousin recently died but we weren't at all close, I didn't know him at all really so I don't want to count him. So I'm going to choose my auntie who died back in 2009 and I'd definitely, more than anything, have 1 more hour with her. I miss her so much.
10. When was the last time you were nice to someone and did NOT expect anything in return for it? I paid for my mum to get her car fixed because she really needed it done. I didn't expect anything in return or the money back because she's my mum and I'd do anything for her. So, there we go. We got real deep there, y'all! But it was fun to answer these kinds of questions. I tag anyone who fancies having a go at these questions too. Thankyou for reading. Laura. TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | TUMBLR | PINTEREST
Hello, everyone. I am so excited to finally review Deadpool!
I know it's already been out for a few weeks but I've been ill and busy with uni work so I couldn't see it sooner. But I went last night with my brother and we both loved it, it was so much better than we expected. So, let's get into the review because it's a long one!
The Background
Directed by Tim Miller, Deadpool is Marvel Comics' most unconventional anti-hero and this film tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson. This film follows Wade as he fights to live after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Desperate to find a cure and live a life with his girlfriend Vanessa, Wade goes ahead with treatment that he believes will cure him. Instead, he is subjected to a number of excruciating experiments that leaves him with accelerated healing powers and a whole new look. With his new abilities and dark, twisted sense of humour, he adopts the alter ego Deadpool to hunt down the man who nearly killed him.
My Thoughts
First of all, I didn't realise this was an instalment of the X-Men series despite the fact there was two X-Men characters in the entire film. I also didn't know much about Deadpool himself but I got really, really excited about going to see the film. I mean, before the film even came out, you must've seen the marketing for this film! It is easily one of the best marketing schemes I have ever seen for a film. Taking the mick out of Hollywood cliché film posters (particularly spoofing Nicholas Sparks') and more, have a quick look:
Anyway, back to the film! The opening credits were enough to make anyone laugh/quickly become engaged. Normally, when you have names pop up who were involved with the making of the film, you have some pretty big names when it comes to a Marvel movie. Not Deadpool. The opening credits literally listed the people as such: "some douchebag's film, produced by asshats, starring God's Perfect Idiot, a hot chick, a British villain and a CGI character, directed by an overpaid idiot". How cool and unique is that?!
The entire film was fantastic, funny and action packed. I've never read the comics for Deadpool but apparently it stayed true to its spirit and Ryan Reynolds amongst others worked so hard to get this film made (11 years, yo!). This is a film I recommend to anybody, a fan of Marvel films or not just because of its humour. That being said, it is definitely NOT a family friendly movie. I saw a mother trying to get her kids into the film when I was buying my tickets.. like lady, you don't understand. It's rated 15 (UK rating) for a reason!
First of all, there is a shed load of blood and gore in it. For Deadpool to work, it had to be R-Rated and my god, it worked. The fight scenes were beautifully and amazingly choreographed - I was blown away by Deadpool's fighting style. Literally, at one point, he cut someone's head off and kicked it at another person. The violence was so gritty and very realistic and really shook up the superhero category. The film is also FULL of bad language and controversial jokes as well as some brief but intense sex scenes which to be honest is NOT a good thing to be watching with your older brother in all honesty!
There's a fair bit of nudity with all genders and to be honest you don't bloody complain when you see Ryan Reynolds naked. Seriously. This man is a god! Also, you see his nether-region in a certain of the part and I almost died.
What I also loved about this movie was the incredible, badassery of the women in it.
First of all, Wade's girlfriend Vanessa totally holds her own and isn't just some same-old, boring love interest. She is funny and banters with Wade Wilson so easily. The end fight scene really shows off her skills too. Go, girl!
Secondly, Angel Dust is an awesome mutant that has you gobsmacked when she completely bitch slaps Colossus and shows him she's not worth messing with. Their fight scene together is cool as hell and it's great to see her give just as much as she takes.
Lastly and definitely not least, Negasonic Teenage Warhead held her own as well. I thought she'd annoy me as a stereotypical teen but she was actually quite funny and badass too. Her super power is epic and completely not what I expected. She can kick arse and does so! Thankyou to the Deadpool team for showing that women are just as cool as the guys can be.
As far as origin stories go, Deadpool is probably my favourite. It jumped from the present to his past and then back to his present situation in a quirky way. Some moments had me squirming and cringing in my seat because I'm not used to seeing so much blood in a superhero movie and I've been a fan of Marvel for a long time now so this was something new. But what it confirmed for me was that, it was how EVERY superhero movie should be. That may be a controversial thing to say because kids obviously love these movies too but it did make me think how some Marvel films could've been so much better if they were R-Rated. However, Hugh Jackman's last Wolverine movie in 2017 is reportedly going to be R-Rated after Deadpool became such a huge success so that's something.
In conclusion, Deadpool is worth seeing in the cinema but only for people over 15!! It's not for young kids who sneak in or lie to their parents, trust me. Some of the torture scenes were harrowing and it could be potentially disturbing for kids to watch stuff like that. But other than that, it is an incredible movie and it has already crossed $500 million at the global box office in less than 2-3 weeks despite only having a mere $58 million budget. If that isn't persuasive enough, then I don't know what it is. Join the hype like I did, y'all!
Hi everyone, hope you're having a lovely weekend so far!
Today I am doing a review of something new on my blog. Nail varnish! I actually like wearing nail varnish and all kinds of shades but I'm also very lazy and have to really be in the mood to paint my nails. Yesterday, I did my nails for the first time in months and loved the colour so much that I wanted to review it! It's going to be a quick, little review so let's get started!
This is the Quick Dry Nail Lacquer from Kiko Make Up Milano in the shade 809 Dahlia Purple. This was very easy to apply thanks to the large flat brush with extra bristles and it dries very quickly as its name states!
The colour is really beautiful and when dry, the polish has an impressive, shiny finish. There are no streaks left which is always good! The first applied layer is a beautiful plum purple and when you add a second layer (which I did), it becomes a much darker shade of purple. Almost black, in a certain light. It's perfect for the autumn/winter seasons.
You can buy it from Kiko's site for £2.90 as it's currently on sale!
Have you used this nail varnish before? What did you think of it?
Hey, everyone. I just realised I haven't done a review on anything makeup related in ages! But today I'm doing a review on The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer's highlighter. I've been loving this recently and I know it's been raved about by other bloggers so here's my review!
First of all, I absolutely love the packaging. It's very unique and shows a classy, pin up girl on the front jailed for looking fabulous! I forgot to photograph the back of it as well so I had to use someone else's but it looks like this:
The Mary-Lou Manizer states that it is an "innocent honey-hued lumanizer that catch everybody's eye .. your skin looks softer and younger while adding a subtle glow".
The colour is absolutely gorgeous and it is really shimmery. You don't need alot on your brush or finger, it is very pigmented. Gradually add more and more until you're happy with the result. Too much and you can end up looking like a disco ball! Actually, I wore this last night and I don't often post photos of myself on here but I did like how I did my makeup. Have a look:
Hopefully, you can see that highlighter looking on fleek! It really is worth the money and for the price of it, I'd say you should use this for special occasions and nights out rather than for every day use. I got this on sale but it's a higher end product. Get a cheaper one for everyday use because this is one is really too nice just for every day. It is entirely up to you but personally, I don't wear alot of make up every day for uni and stuff but each to their own.
What's more, you can also use this lovely product as an eyeshadow too! It comes out as a lovely yellow gold shimmer and it's really nice to wear on its own or to add a bit of sparkle on top of other eyeshadows for your eye look. Plus it has a compact mirror so you can pop it in your bag for whenever you need to top up.
Hey everyone, I know this may seem a little cliché to do a post about what to do if you're single on Valentine's Day and God knows, I have seen many posts about it. BUT if you're like me, actually glad about being single, then this post is for you! Sure, it'd be nice sometimes to have someone to make my life a little exciting but I feel like Valentine's Day is just a proper stressful day to prove that you love someone when every day should be like that.
I'll be honest, I've never been in a relationship on Valentine's Day, ironically my relationships all ended well before it or started after it so maybe I'm lucky. Either way, I am a sassy, young, single girl here to tell you what you should do instead of fretting about not being with anyone this Valentine's Day!
1. Meet up with friends See what your friends are doing, preferably the single ones! Round them up and go out with them for drinks, food or even to the cinema. If you don't want to go out, have a pyjama party! Gather round on the sofa and watch your favourite films with plenty of sweets and have a laugh.
2. Pamper yourself It's important to take care of yourself sometimes. Whatever works for you, do it this Sunday. Have a bath, do a face mask, try out a few make up looks that you've been dying to do. Or relax with a few glasses of wine!
3. Go to the cinema Go and see that film you've been dying to see but no one else wants to see! It's actually fun to take yourself out on a date (it's not as sad as it sounds, promise!). But you might feel like avoiding the cinema because of all the loved up couples that are hiding on the back row, so maybe pop a few films on the tv at home and relax!
4. Eat your body weight in chocolate Literally go out and buy the cheapest box of chocolates or whatever takes your fancy and pig out! Why not? It's a Sunday and if you've got the day off, you might as well treat yourself.
5. Treat it as a normal day! If any of these don't appeal to you and you find all this a bit of a ridiculous thing, then fine! Just go about your day and literally do whatever you want or whatever you usually do on a quiet Sunday.
Honestly, don't be stressing out or feeling down about not having anyone this Valentine's Day. Your time will come just like I know mine will! And if you do have plans for Valentine's Day with a loved one, I hope you have a lovely day and enjoy it.
Do you have plans for Valentine's Day? Are you going to do any of these?
