Music of the month - March 2015

1. SAVAGES - MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS

Marina Diamandis is so so talented, her ironic poppy style in the Electra Heart era is what really drew me in so when she started releasing singles for her new Froot album, I was very excited to hear what she had on offer. I do like the singles she's released, don't get me wrong, but besides from Forget, they were all very different from what I had liked from in her the past. When the rest of the Froot album came out, I was really surprised that I loved the songs on the album that weren't singles as usually the singles from an album are my favourite. Savages is a quite a good pop song with a strong social message - you gotta love that.

2. SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT - BADLY DRAWN BOY

This isn't a new a song to me but it is a rediscovery. As you may know if you read my review of the book, I read and rewatched About a Boy, and I've been listening the soundtrack an unhealthy amount since then. This song has been constantly stuck in my head, I'm not sure if it's my favourite on the soundtrack but it's definitely been the one that I've had stuck in my head most.

3. CELEBRITY SKIN - HOLE

Hole isn't a new band to me but they are one that I dismissed a while ago and never really got into. I've always had this conception that you choose either Nirvana or Hole, and I chose Cobain over Love. I'm not sure what it is that made me give them another go, but I did and they are a really good grunge band. This is probably my favourite song by them but I do really enjoy the whole Celebrity Skin album, it's a bit grungey, a bit rocky, and the group is mostly made up of women which is great because I don't know a lot of girl rock bands and I'd really like to because girls are awesome.

4. BIRDHOUSE IN YOUR SOUL - THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS

A big thing has happened this month, I have discovered a new favourite band. By that, I meant they're in the top ten but that is a big thing for someone who is as obsessed with music as I am. That band is They Might Be Giants. I discovered them through listening to a playlist and I have gone forth to listen to most of their discography, they've been together for quite a long time so I'm still not all the way through but oh Kanye where have these people been all my life?

If I had to put them into a category, it would be alternative rock. They're quite similar to Ben Folds Five (who I love and you'll know that if you've read this post) so they're definitely worth a listen. It was hard for me to pick just one song by them but I do really like this one, if you want to see what I'm listening to though you can always just follow me on Spotify to get updates!

5. DEBBIE DOWNER - COURTNEY BARNETT

Courtney Barnett is a fairly new musician to me (like as in the past couple of months) but she is really great, she reminds me a little bit of Hole actually. She came out with a new album in the past week and I listened to the whole thing in the morning before school one morning and I just really liked this song, the lyrics and the hook are really catchy - she's definitely an artist who deserves a bit more recognition! Other favourites on the album are Pedestrian at Best (which I actually loved when it was released as a single before the entire album), An Illustration of Loneliness (Sleepless in New York), and Depreston.

What music have you been listening to this month?

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BREAKING NEWS (not) - Katie Hopkins is an arse

I think the first time I heard anything about Katie Hopkins was when she was on This Morning criticising people for naming their children Tyler or after places, and then she was called up on the fact that her child was called India. Since then, she has blown up in infamy - saying incriminating thing at every corner such as saying that fat people are fat because they're lazy. I've never really liked her at all or taken any of her opinions seriously, firstly she's a Tory which automatically puts me off, but also her opinions just seem too outrageous to be at all serious. However, her tweets regarding depression really hit  home just how ignorant she is and this needs to be addressed.

I'll give you a second to comprehend the degree of problematic this hits. Katie Hopkins is uneducated in many, many, ways but this is beyond the pale. It seems in some of these tweets that she was trying to point out that depression has been romanticised and that's not okay, that I agree with because romanticisation of mental illness is bad and it results in people who are mentally ill not being taken seriously, but she went further than that and went on to suggest that depression doesn't really exist?

According to Mayo Clinic Staff - "Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depression, major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and depression may make you feel as if life isn't worth living.

More than just a bout of the blues, depression isn't a weakness, nor is it something that you can simply "snap out" of. Depression may require long-term treatment. But don't get discouraged. Most people with depression feel better with medication, psychological counseling or both. Other treatments also may help."

So contrary to what Hopkins believes, depression isn't something you can snap out of by going for a jog. I wouldn't ever wish depression on anybody, but her complete lack of empathy for people suffering with a mental illness is astounding and vile, so it would be interseting to see if she could put herself in the shoes of someone suffering from depression and still pound out the same drivel about 'topping yourself in private'. It seems her mental capacity is so limited that she can't spare a smidge of sympathy for those suffering, it seems she can only spare a thought as far enough as it affects her day-to-day life. 

It honestly just sickens me that she can't imagine for one second how awful you have to feel to consider taking your own life, and for her to claim that this is some sort of outlet for self-obsession is utterly ridiculous. Correct me if I'm wrong, but self-obsession is narcissism, depression is a completely different subject. Depression affects people differently, but on a very very general basis it's feeling down for an extended period of time or not really feeling any strong emotions, a sort of numb sensation over a long time* so it's pretty evident that she doesn't really understand what depression is even on an entry-level basis.

It's clear that Katie Hopkins is completely uneducated on the matter, and I gave up on trying to reform her via thinking angry thoughts and tweeting about her because she's beyond help. On the plus side though, she has said she'll leave the UK if Ed Miliband becomes Prime Minister, so I know who I'm voting for.

What are your opinions on Katie Hopkins?

*I'm speaking from personal experience, what I've heard from friends, seen online and studied in school, but if you feel I'm out of order with this very general description please feel free to correct me!!

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Ten things and ten blogs #5

one.
My friend gave me a present out of the blue and it's friggin' awesome, it's a shirt that says 'talk disney to me', I was so so happy with it (I have pretty cool friends)

two.
How have I only just discovered They Might Be Giants? Possibly one of the greatest bands of all time, very similar to Ben Folds Five (which you'll know it a massive pro for me if you read this post)

three.
I discovered a YouTuber called Elayna Mae (What the Fandom) and she isn't 'YouTube famous' but I love her videos so far, she's into a lot of the same fandoms as me (including Harry Potter which is obviously the most important one) and she's just lovely to watch so y'all gotta watch her.

four.
I went on a school trip to the Tower of London and the National Portrait Gallery for History, we also got to go on a boat on the river Thames. I know I live in London but sometimes you forget these things are here so it was pretty fun to do that (it was all relating to the Tudors). We had a lecture which I actually fell asleep in though, it wasn't that I was finding it boring but we did a fair bit of walking that day and I have a tendency to fall asleep at inappropriate moments. After that, I went out for a coffee for my friend's birthday (with a few other people from the trip) and we had a surprise guest meet us there which was really cute! I don't know how it became an angry feminist ranty coffee date but if you can't have angry feminist rants with your friends, are they really your friends???

London weather a.k.a 50 shades of grey (a.k.a a really stupid, overplayed joke, sorry)

five.
Clearly I'm just discovering a lot of YouTubers at the moment, so yes I've got another one who is pretty different from Elayna Mae but is equally brilliant. The channel marinashutup is run by a girl called Marina Watanabe and she basically talks about social injustice but in a really clear, concise way and it's just so easy to free fall and binge watch all of her videos. I would definitely recommend watching her if you're interested in social injustice.

One video she did that I found really relatable (which you'll see below) was essentially the 'everyday racist/sexist' things mixed race people, like myself, have to put up with. I don't feel that I face a lot of a racism or sexism a a general rule as I live in one of the most multi-cultural places in the UK and I go to an all girls sixth form (predominantly feminists which is awesome, heck yes.) so the most sexism I face is generally cat calling (which is a gross and stupid too) but I have received racist comments such as the ones mentioned in the video, so I just feel it's great to have someone representing the problems mixed race people face in the YouTube industry.



six.
I don't know if I've mentioned the YouTube channel Button Poetry before (if I haven't it's awesome!) but one of the poems that was uploaded recently is called 'Dark Girls' and it's basically about everyday racism and it really touched me so I'd definitely recommend giving it a listen.



seven.
I had a really lovely day like I had a Philosophy lecture then me and a bunch of friends went out to get a cheeky Nandos*, it was all super nice. Then I get home and hear that Lil Chris is dead and my Makeup Revolution mono eyeshadow smashed, genuinely upset! I literally couldn't live without that eyeshadow, I had to go out and repurchase it two days later.

eight.
I was meant to go to the Bloggers Love Hub Fashion Week event but me and my friends found ourselves walking around East London for hours, we literally couldn't find it and Google maps was no help whatsoever. The experience, for some reason, put me off blogging for a while hence the short hiatus (not really much of a hiatus, but I didn't upload any of the posts I planned so it felt like a hiatus for me). I'm glad I'm able to laugh about it, and in all honestly I was ridiculously nervous about going even though I was going with a couple of friends as my guests so hopefully if I go to an event in the future I'll have better luck!!

nine.
Over the past week, I have fell into a deep, dark hole of binge watching. I've been watching the Naked Brothers Band series. I decided to rewatch the film for the #bantz and now I'm finishing series 2, and it's just reminding me of how much I loved this show at the time and how it was genuinely one of the best shows ever to grace Nickelodeon. I'm so thankful that when it was shown at 3am everyday a few years ago, my Dad recorded it onto a few DVDs for me so I have most of the episodes (are they available anywhere in the UK?!)

ten.
I've gotten a little bit ill and so I've been using vaporub to keep myself y'know breathing in the night, but I read online that you can put it on your temples to relieve yourself of headache AND OH MY, like not only does it do that but it makes your head feel so chilled. I'm not one for drug usage but this is what I imagine trippin' to be like, seriously forget LSD - do vaporub.

blogs.

Townhouse Palette
Imogen's Typewriter
Dresses & Travels
Holly Anne Blogs
Coleoftheball
Ellie Dopson
Frock Me I'm Famous
Feel Bella
Helen Rambles On
The Beauty Department

How have the past couple of weeks been for you?

*I'm being ironic

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Why it's okay for people to be sad about Zayn Malik

I did film a video of me talking about this but I decided not to edit and upload it, partially because the lighting wasn't great and also because I wanted to ensure that my opinion wasn't just all over the place. As you will have definitely heard, as it's been all over Twitter and the major news channels, Zayn Malik has decided to leave One Direction. This isn't at all uncommon in pop bands, I mean you could trace this right back to The Beatles (all four members left at different points until deciding to split), Justin Timberlake left 'N Sync, Beyonce left Destiny's Child, Robbie Williams left Take That.. y'know it's not anything new. I just feel that some of the responses to Zayn Malik leaving is completely unreasonable.

Obviously, fans of One Direction are pretty upset but the majority of them do want the best for Zayn, and if that means him leaving the group, that's something they've accepted. I need to really emphasize that it's only a tiny tiny minority who are self-harming and committing suicide over Zayn leaving, obviously that's terrible and it shouldn't come to that, but I don't like how so many people are condemning an entire fandom made up of millions of people based on a few extremist fans. 

Furthermore, I've heard far too many people comparing Zayn leaving to 150 people dying in a plane crash. Obviously it's terrible that people died in a plane crash, but is it fair to criticise fans of a pop group, most of whom are probably under the age of 18, for not solely talking about the plane crash? Don't get me wrong here, but people generally have the capacity to think about more than one thing at once so it's not like these kids have so much of a one track mind to the point where they can no longer care about 150 people dying. Y'know unless they're sadists and they enjoy hearing that people have died and are suffering, but funnily enough I don't think many sadists are into What Makes You Beautiful or Live While We're Young - but hey, I won't judge an entire population of sadists based on a small minority. Y'know why I won't do that? Because that's exactly what a bunch of the people criticising directioners are doing, and I know I'm better than that. 

Continuing on from that point, maybe you don't feel any sort of connection to celebrities like musicians, writers, YouTubers and the sort, but these fans evidently do so that's why it's absolutely fine for them to be upset about a member leaving. These 150 people on the plane didn't have a connection to the fans of One Direction prior to the crash so whilst they'll obviously be sad about 150 deaths, they're probably going to have more to say on the issue of someone who they felt a genuine connection to. These mostly under-18 fans aren't going to have much to say on the issue of a plane crash besides from 'that's terrible, I hope their family are okay' whereas if you've grown up with a band and grown attached to the members and you know a lot about them, you're obviously going to have a lot more to say because to a certain degree, you know them.

On top of this, I think the reaction by many on Twitter stating that 'this isn't a big deal' and 'the fans are being irrational' is unfair and is evident of a complete lack of empathy. It may not be a big deal to you but just because something doesn't affect you doesn't in any way, shape or form give you the right to invalidate someone else's feelings. It doesn't take a lot to put yourself in someone else's shoes and imagine how you might feel if someone from your favourite band, who was possibly even your favourite member, has left and you may not see any new content from them again. If you can't empathise with them even a little bit, that makes you the worse person. Also, is it completely irrational? Zayn's clearly having some sort of mental issues at the moment, I don't want to assume what they might be, but he's clearly having a tough time and is it at all surprising? Since the formation of One Direction, Zayn has faced constant Islamaphobia and has been accused of plotting jihad, as well as being accused of being a bad Muslim and basically being criticised for not being like the other members of the group. This bullying is enough to make anyone ill, and the fact that he put up with it for so long shows a lot of courage, as well as the fact that he's now deciding to step down which is courageous because it's hard to tell yourself you need help and you need to stop allowing yourself to be treated that way.

In addition, as my lovely friend Antoinette said on Instagram, attacks on One Direction based on the fanbase being young girls is an attack on women and you're not giving them any sort of basic respect just because they don't listen to bands like the The Beatles, and whilst we're on that subject, The Beatles are my favourite band and I've done a hell of a lot of research on them, but you know what doesn't take a lot of research to figure out? The fact that The Beatles' fandom were young girls. I won't deny there were a lot of males listening to them, but come on you have no right to be so pretentious on the matter when the fandoms are actually very similar, they're just from different eras. In fact, I would say Beatlemaniacs were even crazier than Directioners - let's not forget that there was one Beatlemaniac who physically tried to mail herself to The Beatles. So whilst you're being pretentious and criticising a young girl for not listening to the same music you do, do a little bit of research so you can come to the realisation that their fandoms aren't so different.

One final point (I promise), I don't really agree with the idolisation of celebrities in general because they are people and I don't think that degree of obsession is healthy for the celebrity or the obsessor. I mean Zayn has said he's left the group to try and be a normal 22 year old, which is practically impossible when you're being idolised into perfection so you feel you can't make mistakes or do what other 22 year olds do. At the end of the day, you don't have to like One Direction, but you have to accept that there are people who do like them and they have a right to be sad about this - don't invalidate their feelings just because you lack the ability to empathise.

How are you feeling about Zayn leaving One Direction?

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A Curious Contouring Culprit

When it comes to contouring, I'm no expert. In fact, I'm extremely amateur. I don't have many bronzing products to attempt to sculpt my potato-resembling face, and until about this time last year, I had never even attempted to contour. This sentence doesn't have a 'but', I'm still an amateur, but after trying out a few products to contour, I think I have found a super good, but unlikely, product to do it. 

As you can see in the picture above, I am not the most amazing contourer* but I still think the product I used is worth a mention here on 'fashion, beauty and an existential crisis'. Enter Makeup Revolution's Mono Eyeshadow in Mmmm (which I reviewed here). Crappy name, I know. Like seriously crappy, but crappy shade names aside, this stuff is ideal for contouring.

It's a matte, ashy brown which means it looks like shadow when used for contouring - it actually accentuates  your cheek bones without a hint of orange in sight. It is super pigmented so I would go light handed or seriously blend this out otherwise you may look a little bit like you've been playing around with war paint. It is pretty blendable, but if you have dry patches on your cheeks you may find this clings a little bit to them so be wary and be sure to concentrate moisturiser on these areas before doing your makeup and using this to contour.

The best part about this product that it only costs £1 which is ridiculously cheap anyway, but especially for something you can use for contouring - regardless, you can't really go wrong for £1.

What's your favourite contouring product?

*And clearly not the best at using actual words in the actual dictionary that are actually in current use by the world's population

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Blogger comments, it's not you, it's me.. well it is you actually

After a long time of deliberating, I decided to upgrade from Blogger comments to Disqus comments about a week ago. I'd been considering doing it for ages after hearing somewhere in one of the blogger chats by various people that Disqus makes your blog look more professional, I'm not saying that I changed it to necessarily increase my 'internet prestige' but I do think it looks a lot nicer and sleeker than Blogger comments, so I'm glad I changed - but here's why you should consider it too.

Disqus works as a wingman for your other posts

What you may notice is that under the Disqus comments section, there are recommended posts and discussions from other posts on your blog, so it drives more traffic to your other posts. As Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother might say, it's the bro code. Haaaaaaaaaaave you met Disqus? It's your next blogging wingman.

You actually get notifications when people respond to you

Blogger comments are quite frustrating in that you don't get a notification when someone responds to you, sure it's easy enough for you to respond to comments but they won't know you've responded unless they've checked back. It's a bit like a one-way conversation, with Disqus you get to see what people respond to you, almost as if you're having a proper conversation which allows you to really engage with the blogger community which is pretty nice if you're like me and no one engages with you.. like ever, at least with Disqus you'll get some kind of communication in your life.

Disqus is a lot more attractive

It's like Joey Tribbiani once said in Friends - 'y’know how when you’re dating someone and you don’t want to cheat on them, unless it’s with someone really hot?' Disqus just looks a lot nicer and professional, and a lot less Blogger if you get what I mean. Listen to the wisdom of Joey.

Those are the main reasons why I prefer Disqus and why I'm immensely happy I made the switch, so if you're thinking of switching over I hope I've managed to convince you that it is worth it.

Which commenting system do you use?

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Winter favourites

Another season has passed - not going to lie, I'm going to miss being able to wear cardigans and thick tights and snuggle up in bed with a hot chocolate but I am looking forward to the weather not being freezing-my-tits-off cold. As the season ends, I have compiled a list of favourites - if you watch the video, you'll see non-beauty favourites as well as beauty favourites (cheeky plug, seriously though watch the video go on)

 

Essence Lip Liner in Satin Mauve

Essence are a brand that in the space of about half a year have become one of my favourite brands, they're inexpensive and amazing quality. I did an entire post of how to use this product to achieve Kylie Jenner lip status (I'm really going to try and stop talking about Kylie Jenner on here, it's becoming quite a problem) so if that's what you're after, this is a cheap way to get it. This pencil is super creamy and pigmented, only gripe I have with it being so creamy is that you have to sharpen it more often meaning you waste a lot more product than you would with a less creamy pencil, but y'know no pain no pain.

Soap & Glory Off Your Face wipes

Okay I know face wipes are like the antichrist of the beauty blogger world but desperate times call for desperate measures. Over the winter period, I've had a lot of late nights because I'll go round to a friend's for a meal and not leave until about midnight, and I've been to a couple of parties (ooh get me, Bess the socialite) so I've had a lot of times when I'll get home and just not have the energy to properly cleanse my face. Plus I got these wipes for Christmas in the Soap & Glory box set, so y'know I had to use them at some point. These have a good amount of product on them so it doesn't feel dry on your face, it smells of peach which is always a nice thing (unless you don't like peach, but if you don't like peach, don't buy peach scented face wipes...) and it leaves your skin feeling pretty soft. I usually put on moisturiser afterwards anyway because moisturiser is a skincare step that takes about two seconds, ain't nobody that lazy.

Soap & Glory Whipped Clean shower butter

This is quite possibly the nicest smelling thing in the history of scents, honestly, it's just nutty and vanilla-ry and good, gosh darn it. I like how this product is a body wash and a body butter in one, it means if you're an A level student like me who can't find time for a nice long bath, you can hop in and out of the shower without needing to stop for body butter.

Soap & Glory Hand Food

This isn't exactly a new favourite, but it is something I've been using a lot of over the winter period. My hands have a tendency to get dry in the morning and if I don't use a hand cream, my hands feel uncomfortable for most of the day, but I also don't like hand creams that take yonks to dry which is why this is a good'un. It's not super fast drying but it does dry within a minute and it leaves a subtle signature Soap & Glory scent on your hands which is pretty nice.

Essie Nail Polish in Licorice (Review here)

I did an entire post dedicated to the greatness that this is because it's that darn good. This is a basic black nail polish but it's opaque in one coat, fast drying, lasts a good five days, and the brush is pretty wide so it's practically fool proof.

P.S Love Brow Pencil in Medium

This is an oldie but a goodie. I used to use this all the time before I really understood how to fill in my brows properly (I'm saying that as if I know what I'm doing now, but y'know there was once a time when I was even less educated in the brow department) but I stopped using it and switched to powder. Now I've switched back to this over the past month and it's made filling in my brows so so easy, it's a bit waxy so a light hand is necessary, at least for me - but if you want super strong, defined brows, you do you honey.

The Vintage Cosmetics Dusting and Powder Brush* (Review here)

This brush was kindly sent to me by The Vintage Cosmetics but my opinions on it aren't at all biased because of it. This brush is mahoosive so it's pretty easy to dust all of your face with powder in one quick sweep, I've used it everyday since receiving it. It's not by any means cheap but if you want to invest in your brushes, it's definitely worth investing in this one.

MAC lipstick in Taupe (Review here)

This lipstick cost near to £16 so there was no way I wasn't going to include it in my favourites, y'know there are some amounts of money you can't spend without it becoming a favourite at the end of it. This is a brownish-nude with the tiniest bit of pink in it, I hate to say this because it's become the most generic blogger phrase, but it's a very Kylie Jenner type shade, your lips but better, it's become my everyday shade and I absolutely loooooove it.

Makeup Revolution Waterproof Liquid Liner (Review here)

This liquid liner is super black, waterproof, and just darn easy to apply. If you like super thick cat eye flicks, this may not be for you, but I like this if I want a more subtle look or if I want a waterproof liquid liner. Good waterproof liquid liners are about as rare an occurrence as Noel Gallagher not saying something insulting about a popular celebrity, but this just hits the nail on the head and for only £1.50 you really can't go wrong. I found that this flaked on me once, but it wasn't particularly bad, but it's just something you should be wary of if you do purchase it.

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 24hr in Chrome Black

This is the first gel eyeliner I've ever tried so maybe it doesn't mean much that I like it because I can't compare it to anything, but first of all, the packaging is just nice - frosted glass? Good decision Maybelline. I actually find this super easy to apply, and this shade is a dark grey rather than a jet black so it looks a lot more subtle which I've been liking at the moment. It's pretty long lasting too, so if you're a newbie to gel eyeliner like me, this may be worth a go.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Pencils

These have been raved about by everyone on here and once you try it, it's pretty clear to see why. They're super pigmented, long lasting, creamy but not so creamy you're constantly sharpening it, and pretty inexpensive too. I've opted for the black shade and the nude shade (tightline and waterline covered) and they've just become daily essentials for me.

Makeup Revolution Mono Eyeshadow in Mmmm (Review here)

I've already spoken about how the name of this shade is just absolutely ridiculous, but preposterous names aside, this is such a lovely eyeshadow and it's multi-purpose. I've used it on my brows, I use it as an eyeshadow, I've been using it for contouring - and this only cost £1 so it's not bad at all for the price. It's a buttery consistency and it's so pigmented, if Makeup Revolution could've picked a better name that would really sweeten the deal, but y'know the world's an imperfect place.

Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo Leather Effect in Creamy Beige

I raved about the ordinary Maybelline Colour Tattoo in my last favourites post, but this one is pretty awesome too and has become my everyday shade. Creamy beige is a very neutral almost nude colour that works as an eyeshadow base or on its own, I use it on its own because I'm liking the more neutral look at the moment but it works really well as a base too.

Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter in Pink Lights

This highlighter's an odd one, it's a pinky-lavender type of colour and doesn't look like it would work on anyone, but what you get is a pearlescent  shade which, if used light-handedly, looks really nice and really lifts the cheekbones. It's so pigmented so a light hand is a must, believe me I learned the hard way. It also blends really easily so if you do apply too much, it's not the end of the world because you can blend it out a bit.

Makeup Revolution Matte Effect Foundation in Sand

This is the cheapest foundation I've ever used at only £2, but it's such a lovely consistency. It feels like a moisturiser and it's so blendable meaning it only provides a light coverage, but that's fine for me as I think light coverage looks better on me anyway. The shade range of this foundation is brilliant for such an inexpensive product. It's not in any way shape or form matte, but that doesn't particularly bother because I always powder anyway.

What have your favourites been over Winter?

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Book review - About a Boy by Nick Hornby

It's been about a month since my last book review (given that I'm supposed to be reading fifty books this year for my Goodreads challenge, this doesn't bode well for me) but I have another Nick Hornby book that I have really really liked, and that one is About a Boy.

I had seen the film for About a Boy years ago and I remembered loving it, I'm actually rewatching it as I'm writing this and drooling over Hugh Grant. I don't know what it is about Hugh Grant but he just has me feeling a certain kinda way.. but foetus Nicholas Hoult is in it too so I loved the film, it was funny and Badly Drawn Boy did the soundtrack so that's a good start. After reading High Fidelity, I had to read more Hornby so I decided to read this as I had seen the film and already knew I would love it.

Synopsis:

The book focuses on two people: Will and Marcus. Will is in his mid 30s, he doesn't want kids, he's a pretty cool dude, but in attempt to pick up women he joins S.P.A.T (Single Parents Alone Together) and he pretends that he has a kid. It's through S.P.A.T that his story crosses over with Marcus, who is in year 7 and he's a bit of a loser. His parents are divorced, and his Mum is suffering from depression and tries to kill herself near the beginning of the book, so his home life isn't great. After a while, Marcus decides to visit Will at his house various times in an attempt to get him to go out with his Mum but after a while he gives up on this plan, and Will becomes his friend who teaches him to be cool. The book follows their friendship and focuses on the effects of depression on other people, and growing up.

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book, I thought it was very straightforward to read but not simplistic. Although, I didn't find it laugh-out-loud funny like High Fidelity and it was less of a conversational style but it still did have that aspect. I liked how the story focused on how depression can affect the people around you and how it looks to a naive child. I liked the surreality of the book because the initial concept doesn't seem all that realistic but once you've accepted that, it's really enjoyable. 

I found some parts very funny, like Marcus was convinced that Kurt Cobain was actually Kirk O'Bane and that he was a footballer. I actually really loved the strong theme of Nirvana in this book, being a Nirvana fan myself, and the book covers Kurt's suicide attempt and then his death, and from researching the book it turns out the title 'About a Boy' is a reference to the song 'About a Girl'. I knew the song but I didn't really link them together, but Nirvana play a strong part in the book and they're referenced to quite a lot.

Overall rating:

I gave this book a 4/5 on Goodreads, I did really like it but it didn't captivate me quite as much as High Fidelity did and I think I was comparing it to that a lot just because they're both written by Nick Hornby. Although I did like this and it focused on more serious issues which I found interesting, the humour is a lot more subtle than High Fidelity so it did have funny moments but it wasn't laugh-out-loud funny.

Have you read or seen About a Boy?

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Ten things and ten blogs #4

one.

I reached 200 followers on this blog which I find a bit crazy given that it feels like just yesterday when I was at 100, just want to say a super quick thank you to everyone following my blog (okay, cringey bit over now)
...
I wrote this at the beginning of the two week period this post covers, and now I've gone past 250, man that's cray.

two.
My brother informed me that according to this article Ed Miliband is the most lustworthy Prime Minister Candidate.. yes seriously. Don't get me wrong, I've decided on voting labour and I've known basically since I knew what voting was that I would vote labour, and, rather controversially, I think Ed Miliband is going to be a good Prime Minister, but I'm not sure lustworthy is the word I would use to describe him, and I can assure you that lust is not the reason I'm voting labour..

three.
So I found this video recipe for Nutella Cupcakes and I really really want to make them but I don't know when I'll have time to so I shall leave the recipe here for you to watch in case you want to make them - they look so cute!!!

four.
#BLACKOUT is one of the greatest internet movements I've seen in such a long time. I'm just immensely happy at how the black people of the web who may not have had the confidence to upload selfies in the past now have that and they're all so darn beautiful goddamn it, I know not everyone who's uploaded a selfie had low self-esteem of whatever but it just makes me so happy to go onto Tumblr and see beautiful black people everywhere. I'm also glad to say that no one I follow has participated in #WHITEOUT which is just a stupid cover-up for everyday racism, like literally people posting on that tag are white supremacists so if you see anyone posting on that hashtag even if they intend it to be a 'joke' - their 'joke' is enforcing racist ideals and attempting to eliminate the black community feeling good about themselves for once after years and years of internalised racism and white supremacy.

five.
I've sort of fallen in love with Hole. I've always been a Nirvana fan over Hole because I had listened to a few Hole songs and just didn't get into them, but for some reason I decided to give Hole another listen and I just think most of their discography is brilliant.

six.
I'm really annoyed because I filmed my Winter favourites video and it was about 30 minutes long, and I was out of focus the whole time. Looks like when you watch it, it'll be a re-filmed edition but dang it I'm just annoyed because it was such a good take!!

seven.
Jess did an interview with me for her blog, if you want to read it you can here!

eight.
I discovered that Morrissey covering Satellite of Love by Lou Reed is a thing, like as if that song needed something else to make it better!

nine.
I started reading Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell and I read well over half the book in the space of a day.. Using your deductive reasoning, guess how much I love it.

ten.
I made Mum a Victoria sponge cake for Mother's day which I haven't tasted yet but I enjoyed making it, I've been watching Great British Bake Off and I've been wanting to bake ever since it started up so it was nice to be able to do some baking.

blogs.
FashStyleLiv
Fashion and Beauty Tribes
Filthy Paws & Silky Drawers
The Elle Next Door
Lemon Freckles
Let's Talk Beauty
Style of Colours
Bean's Beauty Blog
Hummingbird and the Rose
Pretty Chit Chat

What's the best thing that happened to you over the past two weeks?

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I'ma let you finish but Ben Folds Five are one of the greatest bands of all time

I was considering doing an entire post dedicated to music that isn't so well known but is really good and well worth a listen, the focus being on the band Ben Folds Five, but then I realised that I love them too much to dedicate just a fifth of a post to them. My favourite bands are The Beatles and The Smiths, but Ben Folds Five are way up there and sometimes they're equal to The Beatles to me, which is a sweeping statement to make but that's how good they are, seriously.

I first listened to Ben Folds Five when I was about five years old and I think the song that stuck with me most at that age was Jackson Cannery, although I didn't know it was called that for years, I just called it the 'stop the bus' song because the first line of the song is 'stop the bus'. I majorly got into Ben Folds Five (opposed to just knowing a few songs) when I was about ten or eleven years old, and when I was sixteen I was lucky enough to see Ben Folds Five live as they reunited for a tour and a new album.

Ben Folds Five are by far one of the best bands of all time, Ben Folds' solo work is pretty awesome too. Ben Folds Five set out to prove you don't need a guitar for rock music and so the piano is the focus in their music, for a pianist obviously this is a selling point, but their songs are genuinely so so good. If you keep on reading, I'll give y'all a breakdown of my favourites (for which reasons) because I love all of their songs, they're one of the few groups who don't have any rubbish songs, it's really quite a strange thing.

I know Rockin' the Suburbs isn't a Ben Folds Five album, but I couldn't leave it out as it's probably one of my all-time favourite albums and it's still Ben Folds so y'know it's not a completely artist.

THE SAD SONGS:

1. Boxing
2. Brick
3. Smoke
4. Missing the War
5. Evaporated
6. Mess
7. Thank You for Breaking My Heart

THE 'I'M DOING ME SO P*SS OFF' SONGS:

1. Philosophy
2. Underground
3. One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces*
4. Draw a Crowd
5. Do It Anyway

THE SING IT OUT LOUD SONGS:

1. Jackson Cannery
2. Philosophy (again, seriously amazing amazing song)
3. Where's Summer B?
4. Underground (another repeat, versatile band man)
5. Sports & Wine
6. Uncle Walter
7. Best Imitation of Myself**
8. Video
9. The Last Polka
10. One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solem Faces
11. Song for the Dumped
12. Kate
13. Battle of Who Could Care Less
14. Army
15. Erase Me
16. Michael Praytor, Five Years Later
17. The Sound of the Life of the Mind
18. Draw a Crowd
19. Do It Anyway

I could pretty easily do the same thing for Ben Folds' solo work, but I think Ben Folds Five are marginally better at least for me and I wouldn't want to overwhelm you with good music.

Who's your favourite band/artist?

*If I ever became famous this would be the song I'd sing to my high school buddies
**Fun fact, my Tumblr username came from this song - see if you can spot it

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L'Oreal and Makeup Revolution are my mascara OTP

I'm eighteen years old and I am in possession of a Tumblr account making me pretty familiar with OTPs, for you oldies* OTP means one true pairing. Popular ships around the web include Johnlock, Jily, Romione, McLennon, Marrissey, Phan, Zalfie.. pretty much every pairing exists whether they be Canon** or not, and it just so happens that I have found my mascara OTP or MOTP if you will.

I couldn't possibly talk about OTPs and not include one of my first OTPs - Zanessa

I have spoken before about how much I love the L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara, it's just the best affordable mascara I've ever tried, however all good things must come to an end and after a good run this mascara has begun to dry up to the point where it just doesn't perform as I might like it to which means I've been using my other mascaras until I go out and buy a new one.

If you saw my 'Full Face of First Impressions - Makeup Revolution' post, you may remember that I used the extremely inexpensive Amazing Volume mascara and I wasn't exactly disappointed, but I also wasn't majorly impressed. Although, I started using it again to see if after having a while to dry up a bit if it's any better and it is a little bit better but the actual wand just doesn't give me the lashes I require, but I do really like the formula - it doesn't dry super quickly so you have time to add several coats, and this stuff doesn't transfer or budge throughout the day so it's pretty darn good.

This is where I become the match maker in the cosmetic-themed fanfiction, I tried using the wand of the L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara with the actual mascara formula of the Makeup Revolution Amazing Volume Mascara, and boy howdy I have created a love-child-mascara. I think I prefer the formulation of Makeup Revolution's offering, but with the combination of the L'Oreal wand you just get super long, voluminous lashes - to summarise, very much like Morrissey and Johnny Marr, this combination is the shiz.

What's your favourite mascara?

*Don't worry, I didn't know what OTP stood for for a very long time, you're not alone slang-newbies

**It means official, don't worry - I got your back

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A newfound love affair for licorice

When I was younger, I really really did not like licorice. It was the one form of sweet I would not put in my mouth under any circumstance (and believe me, I put a lot of sweets into my mouth as a child #fatkid). However, thanks to Essie, I have now developed a love for licorice.

This is the first Essie nail polish I have ever bought. £7.99 always seemed a bit much (or a lot much) to spend on a nail polish, but I cracked (here). I'm actually glad I cracked because the formulation of this nail polish is the nicest one I've ever tried, and I've tried a fair few in my time. Nail polish is hard to get right with me for several reasons:

1. I can't apply it for fudge, seriously if it's not a big brush, I just can't do it so -clears throat- I like big brushes and I cannot lie

2. Even if I have managed to apply it nicely, I can't keep my hands still, I have to do things and that usually entails smudging my averagely applied nail polish so I need as quick drying a formula as possible

3. I do a lot with my hands, I have to write long essays (I do Philosophy and History A level, it's a bundle of fun) and I play piano (grade 8 is no joke folks) so this leaves my nail polish prone to chipping, so I need a nail polish that chips as little as possible

4. I need one coat wonders with nail polish, I can't sit for ages applying coat after coat with a streaky nail polish because, as the wise Kimberly 'Sweet Brown' Wilkins once said, 'ain't nobody got time fo' dat'

5. I don't really have a fifth reason, I just wanted a list of five to emulate Rob Fleming from High Fidelity

I'd be lying if I said this nail polish didn't chip, I found minute (literally tiny tiny barely noticeable) chips after a day or two of wearing them, then I found after vigorously playing piano (seriously, I meant it when I said grade 8 piano is no joke) that it chipped a little bit more but it was nothing a touch up job couldn't fix. I've only found that I've only had a small issue with chipping if I'm playing a lot of piano or if I'm trying to get a tricky bit of plastic wrapping off from a DVD* and even then it's nothing a touch up job can't fix, otherwise we're coming up to 5 days strong.

This is possibly the quickest drying nail polish I've ever used, thoroughly dry within 2-3 minutes. Probably quicker than that, but I get concerned about the possibility of smudging, so I haven't tried touching it before then, but even so that's pretty darn impressive. A factor of the fast drying property is probably the fact that you only need one coat, it's opaque and the brush is wide so only one coat is really need.

So whilst £7.99 may seem a lot for a nail polish, it's pretty hard to fault, and I'm pretty certain I'll be buying more Essie nail polishes in my future nail varnish ventures.

What's your favourite nail polish brand?

*#FirstWorldProblems

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