Tonight I tried out 'nail art' for the first time...well my version of simple, beginners nail art haha and this is what I came up with. I chose Barry M 'Coral' as the base colour (which actually looks more like a light red) and then Barry M 'Matt White' as the other.
I opted to only do this pattern on my thumbs and ring fingers because on every nail it might have looked a bit much - and it would have taken me forever! Anyway, I'm really pleased with how it turned out, especially considering it's my first attempt. I think next time I might try it with two different colours instead of white and then maybe I'll try new patterns...maybe I'm just getting ahead of myself here...
So this is my nail of the day, I think it's super different and makes my nails look more interesting. Not entirely sure how long it'll last though as I used a lot of layers of polish!
Do you have any suggestions for nail designs I could try...baring in mind I'm a complete novice?
Victoria Beckham has landed the May cover of Harper's Bazaar UK which is her second for the magazine. She was photographed by Camilla Akrans and is wearing a piece from the Prada Spring/Summer collection.
This cover is one of my favourites of Victoria's; it's definitely very feminine but doesn't ere on the side of being to pretty pretty. I love the colour choice, it really is a very spring cover and Victoria looks great gracing it!
This issue is sure to be a great seller and I know I'll be buying it as soon as it hits newsstands.
Are you a fan of the May cover of Harper's Bazaar UK? Will you be buying this issue?
I recently discovered this song by Marina and the Diamonds and I'll admit, I'm a tad obsessed with it. I heard this song first whilst at the gym and then I watched the video and I just think it's a brilliant song made better by the unusual nature of the girls voice.... This definitely isn't a song everyone will enjoy but I love it and think i'll be buying it from iTunes when it's released :)
I can almost guarantee that a large majority of you reading this now will have just had the exact same reaction to this Wonderland cover as I did. How amazingly amazing is it?! I've never really been a fan of Dakota Fanning and I have been getting so bored of her and Elle's sister covers which just lack any really greatness. However, when I saw this I was super excited and thrilled that she has landed such a quirky looking cover.
Photographed by Cedric Buchet, Dakota's styling is very much that of a lady's as the title so rightly says 'Portrait of a Lady' and I just love the mouse crawling out of her hat; such a great touch!
This is one of the best covers I've seen in a long while and I'll definitely be trying to get my hands on it.
What do you think of Dakota Fanning's April/May cover of Wonderland? Will you be buying this issue?
Natural Collection is one of those brands that people seem so reluctant to try because of the price but then when they eventually do try it, the majority of the time, they love the products! I discovered the other day that I actually already owned a lipstick from the Natural Collection range in a very bright red colour - my mum gave it me after she used it for Halloween! I'm not at all brave enough to wear a red lip to this found itself in a draw at home, but I was intrigued to try some of the other more wearable lip shades.
I decided to take up Boot's 3 for £5 offer and I chose lipsticks in the shades; Rose Bud, Rose Petal and Berry Sorbet. Let's start with Rose Petal, i've heard so so much about this lipstick, everyone seems to go on about it, raving how great it is so this was a definite one for me to try. I'll admit this shade scared me a little when I looked at it. It's very very nude and I immediately got the image of concealer lips which most of us know is not a great look. However, if you apply it over a lip balm it actually comes out a lot more natural and it is a really really nice, everyday lipstick.
Next onto Rose Bud which is my favourite of the three lipsticks I picked up. It's a very 'your lips but better' kind of colour (or at least it is on my lips) which is perfect for me as I much prefer a subtle more natural looking lip. It is noticeable as it has slight purple/magenta undertones tones to it but it isn't too overpowering.
Finally I got Berry Sorbet which is a very pale pinkish red that comes out a lot darker on the lip than it does swatched. This is my least favourite as it's far to red for me but I think it'd be perfect for those wanting to try a red but are not daring enough to go for a full bright red lip.
Overal I found all three lipsticks to be very moisterising and the staying power for each is good; lasting about 4-5 hours. They are surprisingly pigmented for the price and are definitely very build able on the lip. Each lipstick retails for £1.99 (as does the whole range) and they are available at Boots as part of a 3 for 2 offer at the moment.
What are your thoughts on Natural Collection products? Will you be buying any of these lipsticks?
This is my interpretation of a Lauren Conrad inspired high bun. It's not an exact copy but I tried forever and just couldn't get it to look the same as hers, this is pretty darn close though and it only took me five minutes to do!
All you need for this hairstyle is a hair tie, a hair donut (I got mine from Primark for £1), some bobby pins and a hairbrush/comb...
1. Tie your hair in a pony tail at the height you'd like the bun to sit at - I found it works better if you tie it higher up on your head.
2. Pull your hair through and cover the hair tie with the donut.
3. Bring all your hair over the donut so it is completely covered (warning: you may look like a pineapple).
4. Take sections of hair and secure them under the donut with bobby pins all the way round.
5. Pin down any loose ends (don't be afraid to use a lot of bobby pins, after all, you don't want it to fall out!)
6. Spray with hairspray (this step is entirely optional).
7. Pull out a few hairs around your face just to make it look less 'done' - this step is a personal preference thing, you don't have to do this if you like the neat look.
And that's it! The idea is not to make the bun look too neat and tidy. It works better if it's a little messy looking in parts.
Recognise this shot of Zooey Deschanel? Yep, it's the exact same shot as the one used on last months issue of Company magazine!
I might be a tad slow with this discovery but I was trawling through past issues of magazines and spotted the 2008 Nylon cover and literally did a double take at the photo! I did not know that magazines could actually reuse past cover photos from other magazines. This is terrible in my opinion, surely it wouldn't have been that much effort to take new photos?
I realise that this is an uber random post but I just wanted to share this with all of you (even though a lot of people probably already realised this!)
I've been aware of the brand MUA for some time now but haven't really looked at the entire range. I heard about the Mosaic Blush from watching one of voussontbeauetbelle's YouTube videos who swore by this blush, and so I popped off to Superdrug to pick one up for myself. This blush is in Shade 3 which is English Rose and retails for £2.50 which is a bargain in my eyes for the amount of product you get.
To start with, the packaging is okay, nothing special but it seems sturdy enough for my liking and it's really easy to open with a simple flip up lid. Also I like how the lid is completely clear which makes it easy to see the product inside (not that I have any others!).
The product itself is also good, it's not really all that pigmented which for me is great because I'm not looking for the whole flushed cheek look, but for those who want a really bright blush, this might not be for you. The mosaic pattern is made up of four different shades; a pale pink, a darker pink, a coral and a light lilac. The photo above doesn't really do the colour justice, it's definitely a lot more pink than it shows up and a lot less shimmery. I would say I have slightly darker skin and so this blush shows up less on me than it would on say a paler skin so I'd definitely try before you buy to make sure you aren't disappointed.
Overal I would recommend this blush but as I said, I'd suggest you try it beforehand in store because the mosaic effect really does make it appear different on everyone's skin. For £2.50 though you can't really complain. MUA is available at both Superdrug (in store and online) and on MUA's own website.
What are yur thoughts on MUA products? Will you be trying out this English Rose Blush?
This is just a quick post to tell you that I got bored of my old layout (again) and decided to give it a complete revamp. It has taken me all evening but this is what I came up with...
I really like my new design, it feels good to have done it all myself. I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions - good or bad.
For Nylon's April Anniversary cover we see Freida Pinto wearing the up and coming sportswear-chic trend with a crop top, Hooded jumper and a leather jacket. This is a completely new look for Freida and although this cover isn't really anything new or different for Nylon, it's still a great cover for her and the trend.
Are you a fan of Freida Pinto's cover? Will you be buying this issue of Nylon?
...Okay so the shopping bags didn't really weigh down my arm but I bought quite a lot considering I only had a limited amount of money. I'm happy with my buys and think they will take me through spring and into the start of summer quite nicely.
I initially went to Primark with the intention of coming away with a couple of things but after trying on a shirt (which was hideous) I actually ended up heading for the store exit with nothing. That was until, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a shirt in the most beautiful pink fuchsia colour. It's one of Primark's basic 'every colour under the sun' shirts and I already have one in black, but I just couldn't resist buying another in this colour!
Making my way around the shopping centre I honestly had no clue what I was actually looking to buy next. I just had that buying feeling so popped in a few shops but nothing really stood out to me - even in New Look which is where I usually see so much I like! I thought I'd go into Internacionale which is definitely s hit or miss type of store for me. Sometimes I see so many things I want - usually when I have no money - and then other times I'll go in and hate everything. Today though they actually had some really really nice things and so I managed to bag myself a bargain thin knit jumper in the sale for only £10(!) and an American flag style vest which is just what I've been looking for for so long. Just a little piece of information, if you did want to buy the vest, I'd recommend you go one or two sizes down from what you normally are because they run very very large.
Finally I had a look around H&M which to be honest, is not one of my favourite stores to go in. I didn't see anything I particularly liked other than the odd piece of jewellery which I don't really need. I did however fancy a little change and decided to buy the ever popular 'tube' skirt from their basics range in black. I do think this will take a little getting used to but I'm sure eventually I'll get a lot of wear out of it.
Well that is the extent of my shopping spree. I didn't buy all that much but this is the most I've bought in a long time so this makes me a happy bunny...Oh before I forget, I did actually buy a couple of other little things from Boots but I thought I'd leave them out of this post and do separate posts for them in the near future; so you'll just have to wait and see to find out what else it was that I bought!
It's been too long since I last finished a book from my list and the main reason for that is because I just didn't enjoy the book. I chose to read The Descendants because I had been desperate to watch the film - that never happened - and so I instead compensated for this by reading the book.
Much to my disappointment, the book was so so slow and I never really got a sense of who the characters were. The story is told through the voice of Matt King, a man whose wife is left in a coma after a boating accident. Matt is left in charge of their two daughters, and pretty much the while first half of the book is just various hospital scenes with Matt and his daughters. I know that these scenes are necessary for the story but they never really explored each character as an individual so I never got a strong image of who they are.
Matt discovers that his wife has been having an affair and then decide to uproot himself and his daughters to the road to find the man so he can say his last goodbyes. It is a very compelling story with some serious emotional twists but the author has tried to put a real comedy slant on it in the forms of the conversation between father and daughters. I think that the dramatic comedy mix didn't really work all that well and the tone of the book was completely altered.
I wish I had watched the movie before I had read the book - this will anger some people I know! Honestly, I wouldn't recommend this book as it was a very slow starter and it took me twice as long to read because of that.
one. Finally got Shape magazine! two. Suitcase packed ready to come home. three. four brand new pound coins. four. Re-discovered my telephone bag. five. Waited for the bus for an hour...deserted bus station. six. Walking onto my estate.
seven. the building site that is my estate. eight. my new favourite nail polish - topshop's hidden treasure. nine. Wrapping mum's mothers day gifts. ten. Amazed by the fact 'hovis' is stamped on the bread. eleven. Bluey the budgie (: twelve. New iPhone cover!
When I heard that Jessica Biel had gotten the April cover of 'W' magazine, i'll admit, I was disappointed. However, when I saw the cover my disappointment soon turned into happiness as it's a really stunning cover and editorial.
Jessica wears a Louis Vuitton swimsuit on the cover and this beach theme follows through in the editorial which shows her lounging by the pool. It's a very high-fashion editorial that has been done in such a way that it looks so effortless.
Jessica's interview shows her talking about her girl-on-girl action in Total Recall to her childhood antics;
She had Barbies: “I did, but it was always, “Let’s play sex with Barbies!” My Barbies were usually naked. Once, I took their heads off, cut their hair, drew on their short, spiky hair with some markers, then stuck the heads on Christmas lights. Every year, we’d string our tree with those Barbie heads. It looked demonic. My parents were so cool—they saw it as a form of self-expression.”
We are left wondering though; why no mention of her recent engagement to Justin Timberlake?
What do you think of Jessica Biel's 'W' cover? Are you a fan?
US Marie Claire's most recent cover girl is that of Leighton Meester who graces their April cover with a very bright and fresh look. One thing I can't seem to look past though is the fringe; she just has too much hair going on around her face, it's rather distracting!
On the plus side, Leighton's accompanying editorial is great and really shows varied sides to her. She is a good choice for the April cover of Marie Claire in my opinion. Do you agree?
Remember that day when we saw those paparazzi photos of Jennifer Lopez being shot by Mario Testino? Well, our suspicions were right and it was in fact the shoot for an upcoming Vogue issue; the annual shape issue to be precise.
As I said, this cover was shot by Mario Testino and Jennifer wears a look from the Bottega Veneta Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Jennifer in my opinion is the perfect cover star for the shape issue because after all, she is known for her figure. This cover is one of my favourite US Vogue covers in a while, I'm so pleased they chose the red theme! I'm so excited to see the accompanying editorial to see if it is just as great...
What do you think of Jennifer Lopez's US Vogue cover? Will you be buying this issue?
Last night myself and some friends decided on a whim to go to the cinema to see Wanderlust. All we knew was that it starred Jennifer Aniston and it was a comedy (good start eh?). Anyway, we went on our merry way, ought our tickets and sat in our seats and awaited to ever tiresome trailers....
Now, baring in mind we went to watch a COMEDY, they began by showing us the trailers for The Devil Inside and The Cabin in the Woods which are both horror/thrillers. Me and my friend were literally hiding behind our hands and covering our ears in fear. Horror movies are like my worst nightmare, I do not do well even watching trailers for them! We both found ourselves left scared and unhappy which is not really how you want to feel when you go out to the cinema. Anyway, those horrible trailers aside, the movie itself was actually good; good in a 'that movie was so bad it was good' kind of way.
Wanderlust is basically about a New York Couple; Linda (Jennifer Aniston) and George (Paul Rudd), who find themselves unemployed and unable to afford their newly bought studio apartment. They leave New York to go and visit George's brother and on their way find themselves staying in a bed and breakfast run by a 'hippy' commune. After some consideration they chose to stay and take on the life these people live which comes which many sacrifices; becoming a vegan, free love rules and no privacy!
I thought the storyline was okay, but it lacked any real depth, and some of the scenes were just terrible! If you want to see a movie filled with embarrassing moments, crude scenes and laughable moments then this will definitely be your type of thing. I just thought some scenes were a tad over the top and unnecessary but I still laughed a lot...
The other cast includes Justin Theroux, Malin Akerman, Michaela Watkins and Ken Marino and many others.
I haven't really mentioned this before but I am a huge huge fan of Johnny Depp's, I think he is a brilliant, adaptable actor who seizes to amaze me every time I watch one of his roles. My favourite of his roles is undoubtedly Jack Sparrow (typical answer I know but he is just brilliant in all the POTC movies), with his role of the Mad Hatter coming a close second. He just seems to take each role and bring them into his own every time which is rare in a lot of actors/actresses.
Anyway, the reason I wanted to post about him is because I recently found out about the release of the Tim Burton movie Dark Shadows due for release in May of this year. Now the movie is about Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) who broke the heart of the witch Angelique Bouchard and so was turned into a vampire and buried alive. He is then accidently released and goes back to find his home which is by now occupied by the Collins family, which is lead by the mother Elizabeth Collins (Michelle Pfeiffer), who all have various secrets about them. When I found out Johnny Depp was in this movie I was excited, then when I found out Michelle Pfeiffer was too I was even more excited!
The movie is based around the 1966 gothic soap opera Dark Shadows and honestly wouldn't normally be my cup of tea but I am always willing to make an exception if Johnny Depp has a starring role. The movie also stars Eva Green, Helena Bonham-Carter and Chloë Moretz which I think will make for a great and interesting movie.
*****
Another thing I'm super excited about is the release of the first promo photo for The Lone Ranger movie starring none other than.....Johnny Depp as Tonto!
(via Marie Claire)
Jerry Bruckheimer tweeted 'Tonto and The Lone Ranger Ride Again!' alongside this photo which gives us a tiny insight into what to expect. One thing I noticed immediately; does Depp's make-up look familiar to anyone else's? A certain Mr Sparrow maybe? Even with this similarity, I'm still super excited for this movie to get underway and then for its eventual release.
Are any of you Johnny Depp fans? Are you excited for the release of Dark Shadows and The Lone Ranger?
I can honestly say I'm not really all that excited about Sienna Miller's Vogue cover; theres not really anything that really stands out about it. I think the one positive thing to say about this cover is the fact that she is wearing a Stella McCarthy dress which I have to say is a great piece.
This cover was shot by Ryan McGinley and he really has taken an odd, almost artistic approach which is similar to that of the February 2012 issue which has a very retro, artsy vibe to it. I'm not sure what I make of these artistic covers though; I much prefer when they make a statement without having to make the model look like they are an Andy Warhol painting!
I get to this moment every month when I see a new stand cover and I see a subscribers cover and I envy those who are subscribed...Surprisingly though, Aprils covers of Elle magazine really hasn't left me with this feeling.
The Olsen sisters have landed themselves opposing covers of Elle with both getting the new stand cover and Ashley getting the subscribers. All I can say is I'm so excited to buy the April edition of Elle.
News Stand covers: Mary-Kate
(via @LorraineELLE)
Ashley
Subscribers cover:
Ashley
(via Olsens Anonymous)
Now both covers are great in my opinion but the news stand cover just has that little something extra (even if she is doing her signature pout) that makes it pop. I would gladly take either but on this rare occasion, I'm glad to be buying a news stand copy...
What do you think of the twins covers? Are you a fan?
This is a bit of a late post but can you believe it's March already? February didn't really hold many new products as I'm pretty content with the ones I'm already using but I thought I'd just include more things like television shows etc which I have found myself loving this month. So on with the favourites we go...
TRESemme Serum with Argan Oil - I only used this in the last week or so of February but I just had to include it! I've wanted to try Argan/Moroccan oil on my hair for a while now after hearing how great it s but I refuse to pay the extreme prices from the likes of Lee Stafford etc and when I found out TRESemme did it in a hair serum I was sold. Serum is really great and it makes my hair so much less 'frizzy' but combined it with Argan oil and it makes my hair less frizzy and soft...win win I say.
Soap & Glory Hand Food - I have been using this for a couple of months now and everything people say about it is true. The smell is amazing and it makes your hands feel so soft and moisturised without leaving that sticky 'wet' feel for ages afterwards. This creme lives in my handbag now and I use it all the time; definite favourite.
Nivea 'Pearly Shine' Lipbalm - I honestly got this because I liked the pink packaging (not a good reason to buy something!) but after using it for about a month now I can honestly say it was a well worthwhile purchase. For starters I love things that have a good smell and this smells like those love heart candies you can get which is sooooo good and the product itself really does work to sooth and moisturise your lips at the same time as adding a slight 'pearly' pink tint to them. I'd totally recommend this!
Rimmel 'Hide the Blemish' Concealer - I always end up going back to this concealer; even after using the allusive Collection 2000 one! This is the perfect shade for me (golden beige) and it does exactly what I want it too so what more can I ask for really.
Marie Claire US - This is a random favourites but during February I found myself picking up Marie Claire US twice after previously reading it never! I got both of these issues last month (we have to wait ages in the UK to get US versions) and I mainly picked them up because of the covers - Angeline Jolie's cover is like one of my all time favourites. I have found that these magazines have good content though and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them so yeh, that's why they made it into my favourites haha.
Ringer - This show has been on air now since September but I only found myself watching it last month and I quickly became a fan. Quick expansion: it's basically about a set of twins (Sarah Michelle Geller) who meet after years of being estranged and then a huge twist happens and their lives are forever entwined. That was a terrible explanation but any more information and I'd give away the whole story; honestly though it's a really awesome show that you should all just go and watch!
Country Strong - I have wanted to see this movie since it came out at the cinema but sadly I didn't ever end up watching it; but when I saw it on Sky Anytime a few weeks ago I made sure to watch it. I love this movie! I don't think Gwyneth Paltrow is the best singer in the world but her final song is so so good that my mind was changed. Also it has Tim McGraw in it who is a great actor and singer (although he doesn't actually sing in this) and Leighton Meester who personally I don't feel meshed with the theme of the movie because she has that whole pop princess thing going on but I still enjoyed it and I'm definitely going to buy it on dvd asap.
Sara Ramirez - The Story Sara Ramirez is such an amazing singer and I first heard about this song when I watch the above video but then later it was included in the Grey's Anatomy musical episode (go and watch that!) which showed her singing it as her character 'Callie'. Both versions are great and last month I found myself listening to it again more and more. It's a great song and Sara is a great singer!
Cornish Pasties - This is the most random favourite ever but last month I honestly found myself venturing into Greggs more than usual to pick up a cornish pasty. Ooo as I'm writing this I'm craving one actually haha....
Well that's it for my February Favourites...sorry it was a bit random but I thought rather than missing a month I just talk about other things too! xoxo
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