Music of the month - May

I haven't discovered a lot of new music this month (hence why there are a few rediscoveries in here) but there's a strange mix, so read below to see what I've been listening to!

1. Lonesome Street - Blur

I feel like I could put the entire of the new Blur album on here, but I think this is my favourite one. It sounds a little bit like Modern Life is Rubbish era and it's really catchy with some nice harmonies, plus even Liam Gallagher has said it's the best song of 2015.. if an ex-Oasis member is calling a Blur song the best song of 2015, you know it's good.

2. Martha My Dear - The Beatles

This isn't a new song to me but it's one that I always ignored a bit. The White album is an album that I've always thought to be hit and miss, there are some amazing tracks on there and some really crap ones on there (Piggies, for example..) so when I initially ripped songs from the White album to my computer a few years ago, I only ripped the ones I knew really well and Martha My Dear wasn't one of them. However, since then I've gotten a new laptop and a new phone so I had to rip all my music again and I have been listening to the tracks on the White album I ignored before, and Martha My Dear is one of them. The strings, the brass the piano, and the voice of Paul McCartney is just such a beautiful combination and I've been singing this song non-stop for the past month.

3. Feelin Myself - Nicki Minaj ft. Beyonce

Again, not a new song to me, but one I've been listening to constantly with all of the hype of the new video. Nicki Minaj deserves so much more recognition for what she does, she's a POC woman dominating the rap field at the moment (let's not forget Kanye West nearly took her part out of Monster because he thought she'd show everyone else did, then he didn't, and she did) and she does it in a theatrical way, and I think that aspect is lost on a lot of people. Also, need I get started on Beyonce? Me and my friend Isabella (who you may have seen in the various vlogs on my YouTube channel) have been singing this non-stop in the car journeys on the way to school, it's just pretty darn good.

4. One Great Song and I Can Change the World - Swim Deep

Swim Deep are a group who I only got into about a year ago, but I loooove some of their songs, and this new release is no different. It's just super groovy and catchy, it's a bit more upbeat than some of their other songs which are pretty chilled out.

5. Keep You - Wild Belle

I haven't the faintest idea how I came across this song, but I love it so much. It's got that reggae feel about it, I hate to use the word 'vibes' because it sounds so frigging pretentious but it's got those really chilled out summery vibes in it.

What music have you been liking this month?

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What I've been watching #4

This post has been a long time coming, I just haven't watched many films recently. We haven't really been able to do family movie choices recently because everyone else is doing things, and I haven't really had time to watch films myself because of revision or homework, or I'll be rewatching films instead (I rewatched all of the Spy Kids films recently, that was pretty cool) - anyway, here is my overdue What I've been watching post.

THE BUTLER (2013)

★★★★★

The Butler is the story of a black man called Cecil who is hired as a butler in the White House. Over three decades, Cecil gets to see the inner workings of the Oval office. However, his commitment to the people working in the Oval office alienates his wife and causes conflict with his son who is anti-establishment.

I loved this film, as you can tell by the 5 star rating (although I tend to be generous with film ratings). My friend recommended this to me (the one who recommended that I watch Mississippi Masala which I spoke about in this post - yeah I know she has hella good taste). There was just so much good in this (besides John Cusack okay, I didn't even know he was in it, I know that's usually been my motivation for watching films in these posts but it wasn't this time!!) I liked how it spanned over a long time, going right up to Barack Obama becoming President! The events that were shown were all ones I learned about last year in History as we were doing the Civil Rights Movement so I already had that knowledge and interest in the subject, but seeing a visual representation really hits home how bad it was. Plus, a lot of scenes had actual photos or footage from the events which made it all so much more real. I thought it was a really fast moving film, which is good because I usually find more serious films have a lot of build up so they can be quite slow, but this was an exception. It made me very emotional especially considering everything that's happened in regarding black rights in the past few years (I know I talk about this a lot, but sometimes I wonder if other people talk about it enough). Definitely worth a watch.

I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS (2009)

★★★

This is a film based on the true story of Steven Russell who was a con artist, general imposter, and a multiple prison escapee whose played by Jim Carrey. Whilst he's known since he was young that he was gay, he married a woman and had some kids but then decided to leave that life behind and start living a stereotypical gay lifestyle (the film makes fun of the stereotype at this point, don't worry) but he learns that this lifestyle is expensive so he becomes a con artist. This inevitably lands him in prison where he meet a guy called Phillip Morris, played by Ewan McGregor, who is also gay and they fall in love with each other. Steven gets out of prison before Phillip but when Phillip does get out they live a fairly happy life, until Steven starts doing the whole claiming money that isn't his thing which lands him back in prison. Then he escapes prison several times to be with Phillip who doesn't really want him anymore, the story follows this whole scenario.

This film was absolutely insane. I got it for my birthday in November (the haul is here) and I only just got round to picking it for my movie choice. I'm not entirely sure whether this would be one you'd want to watch with your parents as there are some pretty explicit sex scenes which I was completely unaware about which made for some uncomfortable watching, and I don't think this is Jim Carrey's strongest film. However, it had some really funny moments and it was so crazy that you just wanted to carry on watching to the end. It wasn't an amazing film and I can't see myself watching it any time soon or going out of my way to recommend it to friends, but if you enjoy a little bit of madness and Jim Carrey, you probably won't be disappointed.

THELMA & LOUISE (1991)

★★★★

Thelma & Louise is the story of Thelma, who's a meek housewife, and Louise, who is a sassy, independent waitress. They decide to go on a trip together, but it suddenly becomes a getaway mission when Louise shoots and kills a man who tries to rape Thelma at a bar. They decide to go to Mexico. On the way, they meet a young thief and a sympathetic detective who tries to convince the two women to surrender. The film follows their story as they escape from the law.

I really liked this film, it was a family movie choice (my Dad's to be specific) and it's one I've wanted to watch for ages because I just feel it's one of those films that referenced to a lot in TV shows (and in Wayne's World 2 which is one of my favourite film franchises of all time) so it's one that you've got to watch. I enjoyed the fact that the film focused on an adult friendship because it's not something you see a lot in films, friendship seems to only be shown in kids films then when it gets to adulthood you're made to think you have to be in a relationship (friendship is the best kind of ship). I also loved the strong feminist message, there's an awesome scene where Thelma and Louise give a cat caller his just desserts which is hella awesome. Definitely recommend.

MRS. DOUBTFIRE (1993)

★★★★

Mrs. Doubtfire is the story of a family where the parents get divorced, and the Mum wants to stop the Dad, Daniel, seeing the children so she wants to get a nanny and essentially prevent him from looking after them as much as possible. So, Daniel pretends to be a nanny called Mrs. Doubtfire so he can look after his kids. The story basically follows the antics of the Daniel pretending to be a woman (think Tootsie meets Mary Poppins or a nanny-themed film of your choosing).

I loved this film. It was a bit of family fun with Robin Williams (still not over his death, just saying) and Mara Wilson was adorable in it too. The only thing that annoyed me slightly was the Mum's insistence that Daniel couldn't look after his own kids, like I can empathise with her that the divorce must've been hard on her but it seems just spiteful to prevent him from seeing his kids when he's not really done anything bad to them, and she wanted to spend $300 on a nanny when she has the father volunteering to look after them, just very annoying!! Besides from that though, I really enjoyed this film! (You can see me rant about it in this vlog)

THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL (2008)

★★★★

The Other Boleyn Girl is based on the Tudor era when Henry VIII was lacking an heir, and the rise of the Boleyn faction who try to get Anne Boleyn to seduce Henry. However, Henry falls for her sister Mary instead and she becomes pregnant with his child, and then she's bedridden. During her time in bed, Anne tries to get with Henry, and the film follows Anne Boleyn's time with the King.

I watched this with my friends while we were revising for History and it was actually pretty cool because we knew all the characters and could link it back to what we had to know in school, I felt that some of it was probably a bit Hollywood and exaggerated (something my History teacher would comment on) but it was definitely an intriguing film, and I really enjoyed watching it, plus it was linked to what we're doing in school so y'know it's kinda educational.

What films have you been watching recently?

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To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die

I wonder if it's possible to get so passionate about a nail polish that you dedicate The Smiths lyrics to it, although the thought process behind this title is perfectly logical. See, the nail polish in question is Rimmel Lasting Finish Nail Polish in Double Decker Red. The song There is a Light That Never Goes Out has a line in it which goes:

If a double decker bus crashes into us, to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die

You see the connection? It made me laugh at least (I like to imagine that somewhere Morrissey is reading my blog with his cup of tea and having a little chuckle at my post titles, it's always for you Mozza)

I tried to keep my big DSLR out of the reflection but 'frankly, Mr Shankly' I did a bad job. Also, excuse my chubby fingers (although 'some girls are bigger than others').. Okay, I'll stop before this gets too far, I guess 'I started something I couldn't finish'.. Darn it, wrong album.

Anyway, back to the nail polish. This stuff is hella good. I actually bought this nail polish about a year ago and I remember thinking it was average, nothing special, pretty run of the mill, but upon trying it again, I have completely fell in love. It's super opaque, this is what threw me off the very first time I used it. My thought process was that it was super opaque so I only needed one coat, then when it chipped super easily, I was annoyed and I couldn't be bothered with it. This time, I was a lil bit frisky and went for two coats. You get such an even finish and even without a base coat, you get longevity, we're talking 3-5 days, which is decent for my piano playing hands anyone who plays a musical instrument knows that nail polish tends not to stick around too long (it would probably be longer for you if you don't bash your hands around on the piano) but even without a base coat it doesn't stain your nails. The colour is also a lovely bright red and one that would suit any skin tone, plus because it's so bright it seems pretty summer appropriate.

It's a winner for me - nice one, Rimmel. Now for the song you've all been waiting for...

What's your favourite nail polish brand?

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Bowling for Soup, Milidaddy, and the last week

one.

I have been listening to Bowling for Soup so much recently, I used to love them when I was younger but I stopped listening to them for some reason - but I'm back and the love is stronger than ever.

two.

In the space of a day, I danced around a tree singing A Theory of Justice with my Philosophy class (at the expense of our dignity in front of the year 7s) and by the end of the day my Psychology teacher thought I had a Daddy kink (seriously, you can't get away with saying things like Milidaddy these days) - also karma did us all good in the sixth form.

three.

My first exam is out of the way and it was a Psychology retake. I actually was only a few marks away from an A in that unit when I did it first time but it's worth 30% of my overall grade so it made more sense to retake that one than my other As unit - think it went better than last year which is good!

four.

We had a fictional character dress up day at sixth form (doing cute end of year things for the whole last week) and me and my friend Isabella who I've mentioned countless times in posts/videos came dressed as Cher and Dionne, I know what you're thinking - As if!! It was pretty darn awesome, although I was scared people were going to mistake me for a slutty school girl the entire day. My friend came as No Face from Spirited Away and scared the hell out of practically everyone she saw - it was brilliant!

five.

We had a cute little indoors picnic with the sixth form, it was really nice to be with all the people there because my sixth form is pretty small and we're all pretty friendly with each other so it was cool to all sit down together and play Chinese whispers and Truth or Dare with them.

six.

On a Thursday I don't have any lessons, just free study periods, and the people I have them with are pretty brilliant so it was kinda emotional knowing it was the last time we were all going to be together - it's been pretty cool having a group of people who are always open to singing High School Musical (we do get some work done, promise)

seven.

I really enjoyed Leaver's assembly (which turned into a bit of a disco afterwards). Our Head of Year made us a cute video which had a bunch of pictures of us from like Year 8 because he's only been with us for a year and he said he wanted to know what we were like when we were younger (bit cringey, but massively funny) and my friend made a really top notch video which had messages from teachers and pictures of us all, my favourite messages from teachers definitely were the ones from my Philosophy teachers (we had two last year so they both did messages) and they spoke about the pranks we pulled on them and how we gave one of them a limited edition Kate Bush vinyl for Christmas (definitely the best present we could've gotten him) which brought back great memories - I reiterate, I'm really going to miss my Philosophy class

eight.

After the Leaver's assembly finished, me and my friends took some of the leftover food (it was offered, it's not theft) and came back to my house and watched Notting Hill which was super cute, we were really overwhelmed and exhausted after the last week of school so it was nice to have a bit of chilled hangout sesh.

nine.

I can't even begin to express how much I'm going to miss my Philosophy class. My teacher is the best teacher I've ever had (he recommends the best films and music, and he's spoken to me about Morrissey and/or The Smiths multiple times which is all you really need to do if you want to become my friend) and the actual class is so closely knit (minus one person, but let's not get into that). We've created a Whatsapp group chat to stay in contact, and we've made it abundantly clear that we have to go out for a cheeky Nandos at some point over the Summer. We made our teacher a video to say thank you for the past couple of years, which I could show you but I don't know if you'd understand the private jokes involved - it included us skipping around trees singing to a song from a Philosophy related musical, and a Dalek relaxation tape at the end.. I couldn't even begin to explain. I decided to read through some of the messages in my year book, and I'm not going to show you all of them but my Philosophy teacher's one was so good I have to share it - told you he was awesome.

ten.

Now that all the hype of Leavers is over, I'm cracking back onto revision and editing the vlogs of this week in my breaks (also watching TV shows, even though I've now finished Peep show which was amazing might I add)

How have the past couple of weeks been for you?

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Empties #3

It's been ages since my last Empties post like seriously, in that time I've gotten a much better camera and I've learned that resizing my photos is the best way forward - that, my friends, is character development.

1. Derma v10 Innovations Revitalising Toner

I bought this toner simple because it was cheap, I'm pretty certain it only cost about £1.00. It didn't break me out and it did a very basic job, but it had such a strong alcoholic scent and left my skin leaving a bit sticky. I  don't think it'll be a repurchase for me, the strong scent of alcohol made me think it wasn't very good for my skin and there are ones that don't contain alcohol for only £1.00 more so it's not a repurchase for me.

2. Garnier Simply Essentials Soothing Toner

I quite liked this toner. I've never tried out a toner that blew me away, but this is one I've purchased several times before and I'll purchase several again as it does the job and it's alcohol and perfume free so it's suitable for even the most sensitive of skin.

3. Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

You've probably heard countless people rave on about this, I really like this and I have repurchased it. I mostly like it because you get quite a large quantity and it just does the job, I don't think it's as amazing as everyone claims like I still have to rub on my eyes to remove mascara, but it's pretty good and I'm yet to find a better product to remove my makeup, and the bottle is so big that they last a pretty long time (which I like, saves me from leaving the house more often than I'd like)

4. Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream

This is such a lovely, cheap moisturiser. The amount you get in the tub is massive like it literally took me about 8 months to finish (using it twice a day) and it only cost me about £3 from Savers, I think that's reason enough to get it. It sinks in fairly quickly and can be used all over the body as well as the face, I have already gone and repurchased this and I probably won't be in need of another moisturiser for another 8 months which is nice, I like when I can buy things in large quantities for an inexpensive cost.

5. No7 Beautifully Balanced Purifying Cleanser Oily/Combination

I'm pretty certain this is discontinued (Mum gave it to me because she had never used it and it hurt me that she just wanted to throw it away). This was a gel type of consistency which I liked, although I'm not sure that Oily/Combination was the best match for me. My skin is combination so it wasn't too bad, but I feel that's something to mention. This lasted me a really long time so I would repurchase it if it weren't discontinued, but I'm definitely open to similar alternatives.

6. Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Toner Normal & Combination Skin

I don't really find toners differ than much from each other but this didn't break me out and it was pretty inexpensive so I would buy it again.

7. Boots Essentials Cucumber Cleansing Lotion

I love this. This leaves my skin feeling so soft and I love the scent plus this whole cucumber range from Boots works so well with my skin, on top of being pretty cheap. I've repurchased this loads of times in the past and I will repurchase it in the future.

8. Classic Carmex Moisturizing Lip Balm

I loved this when I first started using it and I do still quite like it, although now I'm about a quarter into my second tube (which is the repurchase) and I don't feel like it's really working for me anymore. So I have repurchased it and it's pretty cheap but I'm not sure if I'll purchase it for a 3rd time as it's not really working for me anymore.

9. Sanex Dermo Sensitive Anti-Perspirant Deodorant

There'll always be some sort of deodorant in these types of posts and this is one I've used time and time again. It does keep me pretty fresh feeling all day and it's not expensive so I'm sure I will repurchase it again.

10. Alcohol Free Colgate Plax Whitening Antibacterial Mouthwash

I know this is a very strange one to mention, but I was so close to putting it into my April favourites so I can't not mention it. This is the best mouthwash I've ever tried. In all fairness, I've not tried out loads and loads but I have played the fields in the dental hygiene area, and this is one of the few products that I feel actually lightens my teeth (I don't want to say whitens but this as close to white as they can be on English dental products) - I will definitely definitely repurchase this, my teeth have been looking so much better since I've been using it and I'm actually feeling confident enough to smile showing my teeth which is nice because I have never felt confident enough to do that.

What products have you used up recently?

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Drugstore Rihanna American Oxygen inspired makeup tutorial

I said a while ago that I was considering doing a Rihanna American Oxygen inspired makeup look, I don't want to call it a tutorial because obviously I'm not a makeup artist and I don't think I have any sort of authority or grounds to tell people how to apply their makeup, but for the sake of YouTube I have called it a tutorial (but just remember, this is just how I recreated the look).

I hadn't seen many people recreate this look on YouTube at the time of filming this, and all the people I had seen who had recreated it didn't use drugstore products so I thought I would do that seeming as I'm a bit of a cheapskate and it might put my thrifty nature to good use.

I'm not sure why the lipstick is showing up so orange in the video and photo, but if you look at the review I've linked to of it down below, you'll see it's nowhere near as orange!!

Products used:

L'Oreal True Match Foundation in N5

Collection Cover Stick in Natural Beige

L'Oreal True Match Concealer in Sable/Sand 5

Collection Sheer Loose Powder in Translucent (Review here)

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent

Essence Brow and Lash Gel

Makeup Revolution Mono Eyeshadow in Delicious

Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter in Pink Lights

Bourjois Bronzing Powder in 52

Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Pencil in Nude

Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Pencil in Black

Maybelline Colour Tattoo Leather Effect in Creamy Beige

Makeup Revolution Iconic 2 Palette

Maybelline The Colossal Volume Express Mascara in 100% Black

Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick in Really Red (Review here)

What's your favourite music video?

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A lipstick brighter than my future

Bright lipsticks tend not to be my thing, I shy away from lipsticks that aren't red, brown, or browny-pinky-mauve-the-shade-that-everyone-loves-right-now. However, recently KISS Cosmetics sent me a lipstick to try out and it's quite possibly the brightest lipstick I've ever worn, but there is something about it that I quite like.

The lipstick in question is the *Limited Edition KISStick in Osculate Orchid, it's described as a 'vibrant, cosmic purple with bright fuchsia undertones' which I definitely agree with - as the title has told you, it's so bright that it's brighter than my future (although that's a pretty low bar). It's a little bit deeper than your ordinary fuschia making it a bit more purple, which compliments my skin tone more than a super bright pink. That's not to say that this isn't bright, it's definitely one that'll catch the attention of everyone around you, but I think I like it which is odd for me.

I don't think this is one I would wear every day but the formulation is exquisite so there's no problems on that front. It's a high pigment satin lipstick with a subtle vanilla scent, but it's creamy and moisturising which can be a hard combination to achieve with high pigment lipsticks but KISS have done it. In terms of longevity, it lasts about 3-4 hours before fading.

This lipstick will be available to buy on the KISS Cosmetics website on the 20th of May for £7.00, but this specific one is limited edition so get it while you can! All of their products are cruelty free as well so it's ethical too.

Whilst I don't think this would be an everyday lipstick for me, I quite like the look of it patted into my lips as a tint and if I ever want to go for a much bolder makeup look (or I'm thinking of doing a tutorial for Effy from the Hunger Games with this), this will definitely be the lipstick I turn to.

What's your favourite bold lipstick?

*PR sample

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Childhood nostalgia, my first election, prom and vlogging

one.

Okay so y'know how in my last one of these posts I was saying that I was planning to book a holiday? IT'S BOOKED! We're going near Blackpool and I'm so excited, this caused me so much stress in trying to find a place to accommodate such a large group which wasn't so expensive but y'know what it's booked now which is just great.

two.
It was my friend's birthday so we went out to Westfield on the weekend and for a meal at Fire and Stone, and it was really lovely (obviously). One of the people who came is actually one of my closest friends and she moved away a couple of years ago so I don't really her much anymore, so it was really nice to see her again. Then a bunch people left, and the remaining people all went to Starbucks for a little catch up and that was super cute too.

three.
I have fallen in love with the app Hatchi. Since getting my new phone, I have been able to download a bunch of new apps (my old iPhone had half the amount of space so sometimes downloading things was a bit of a pain - having to delete 100 photos to update an app? No thanks) and Hatchi is one of them. It's like a Tamigotchi (nostalgia attack) but on a much bigger, brighter screen. I'm yet to have any deaths yet, and I've been taking great care of Ringo and Kanye - I'll be sure to keep you updated!

four.
I decided to re-watch all of the Spy Kids films over the space of about 4 days and it's been so lovely to have, after revision or homework and whatnot, a bit of time just to watch something a bit childish. I have to say since watching them I've wanted to start implementing the phrase 'oh shit-ake mushrooms' into my everyday language.

five.
I feel as if I mention one of Marina's video in every addition to this series, but the topics she talks about are so important and I want to do at least something to bring awareness to it. This video is about how being 'colourblind' is racist, and I think this is important because I know people who I actually consider myself to be well acquainted with who don't see why it's problematic to not see race, and it is because it basically gives the illusion that racism doesn't exist anymore - which it does.

six.

I had my sixth form prom and in all honesty, I didn't love it. There were bits of it I enjoyed, but my anxiety was at an all time high. I felt very awkward most of the time and essentially felt like I couldn't breathe for about 2 hours by which time I had retreated to the toilets to sit on the floor and try to calm down and I didn't feel comfortable coming out for nearly an hour. One of the reasons I went was because I really wanted to be able to do a 'screw you anxiety' moment because I was super anxious, another reason I went was because everyone around me was pressuring me to go. I don't blame them, it's not their fault if they don't get how anxiety works, I'm just annoyed with myself.

seven.

The election... bloody hell. I'm fortunate that in my constituency I got a Labour MP, but we have a majority Tory government and the thought makes me feel sick. Also, my Philosopher teacher pointed out that the Conservatives and UKIP combined got half of the votes which means half the country voted for these far right parties, and that terrifies me. My parents tried to make me feel better by telling me the first time they voted Margaret Thatcher got into power and they had a Tory government for 18 years (which is arguably worse) and that this is a good election to lose because the economy is not doing well and is only going to get worse, so if that happens under a Tory government we'll probably have a Labour government next time. It's just strange, I wasn't all that optimistic for the election after the election poll, but I feel very powerless right now. Also, Ed's stepped down as leader which makes me sad because I genuinely believed he had what it takes to be a good leader. Although, Nigel Farage didn't get his seat so I suppose that's a silver lining of sorts.

eight.
Why didn't I continue with Peep show when I watched the first series a couple of years ago? I've managed to binge watch the first three series in the space of a week, it's just hilarious (and it actually makes me not look awkward)

nine.
I've returned to the world of vlogging and I decided to vlog election day which was also my prom day, it's not the most cheery vlog but there's a lot of comic sans in there so it's all good.

ten.
I've been listening to Ben Folds and Nick Hornby's album Lonely Avenue pretty much non-stop this week, I don't actually own it unfortunately (thank goodness for Spotify) and it's just great. Nick Hornby is one of my favourite authors and Ben Folds is one of my favourite musicians so the collaboration is brilliant, I've been listening to 'A Working Day' a lot because there's one line in it that really makes me laugh:

'Some guy on the net thinks I suck and he should know, he's got his own blog.'

I just wonder whether David Cameron says that about me when I complain about the government.

How have the past couple of weeks been for you?

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April favourites

As I said in this video I don't really want to do seasonal favourites anymore. Whilst I love long chatty videos, I feel like I've gotten to a point where they're way too long but not in a nice way, so I thought short, snappy monthly favourites would be a better alternative, at least for now. I just think long chatty videos are really time consuming to film, really time consuming to edit, and they're really time consuming for you to watch so y'know I've got to do what's best for all of us here in the family of fashion, beauty and an existential crisis. So, as I said I'd do, it's the first Wednesday of the month so 'tis favourites time y'all.

1. L'Oreal True Match Foundation

I know this has been raved on and on about in the beauty world but I do always convince myself I won't like over-hyped products (and I always come to the conclusion that over-hyped products are over-hyped for a reason, damn me and my hipster tendencies). First of all, the shade range in the True Match Foundation is one of the best on the markets covering all undertones and many different skin colours, which for me is already a pretty big selling point. Secondly, the coverage is medium but can be built up to a full coverage, and it's quite hard to find a foundation with a good shade range and medium-full coverage. Thirdly, it's pretty easy to blend so you don't get any strange lines on your face from using a brush.

2. L'Oreal True Match Concealer

To go with the foundation, I have the concealer. I've heard mixed opinions on this but I personally really like it. Again, the shade range is pretty good for such a full coverage concealer. I find this pretty good at covering up both spots and under eyes, but it can crease under the eyes if you don't set it with powder pretty quickly.

3.  Collection Cover Stick

I never used to like cover sticks, I used to find them drying and just generally not great, but I decided to pick this one after I couldn't find my beloved Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in my shade (seriously, I went on several occasions and Warm Medium is always sold out) so I gave this a swatch and was immediately baffled at how creamy this was for a concealer stick, plus it's a lot more yellow in tone than the Lasting Perfection concealer which for me is a plus. I do find that the way this best works is if I mix it with the L'Oreal True Match concealer and warm it up between my fingers then swipe it under my eyes and powder, I've never tried a better combination to cover up my dark circles.

4. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Ah, another blogger favourite. I haven't much to say about this except that it's pretty finely milled so it doesn't make your skin look powdered, but it does keep my oil at bay for a good 5 hours before needing to touch up. I just use the transparent shade to set my makeup, but I do recommend it if you're on the lookout for a powder.

5. Maybelline The Colossal Volume Express Mascara

I've wanted to try this for so so long because Maddie used to talk about it all the time before discovering a new favourite (which like every other blogger at the moment is the Lash Sensational mascara, I refuse to try it until the hype dies down a little bit) so I thought I'd give this a go. I'm not sure if it beats the L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara yet but I've only been using it for a week so perhaps it needs to dry up a bit more, I do really love it though as it volumizes your lashes without looking super clumpy, the formula is great and doesn't transfer, it's also pretty easy to do your bottom lashes with it.

6. Makeup Revolution Iconic 1 Palette

I've had this for a while, and if you remember in my Full Face of First Impressions: Makeup Revolution video I wasn't thoroughly impressed with this palette. I liked it, but I didn't think it was as good as the Iconic 2 Palette regarding pigmentation. I think it was also because the shades in it are quite warm toned and those aren't usually the tones I reach for, but now that it's coming up to Spring I'm loving using the paler shades, and I think now it's been worn in a bit, the pigmentation is better.

What have been your favourites this month?

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My 100th post - let's get better acquainted, shall we?

I started this here old blog in the Summer of 69 2014, and here I am at 100 posts, which I know for some people is nothing and I knew when I started writing on my first blog in 2013 that blogging was just something I really clicked with and it became a hobby pretty quickly. So, just to commemorate reaching my 100th post, I thought I'd do answer a few blogging questions which were from a tag but I picked the ones I thought would be more interesting.

1. When did you start blogging?

I technically started blogging in August 2013 when I was 16 and just about to go into sixth form. In fact, you can see my first ever blog post here. Although, I started blogging on this blog in June 2014 because I didn't feel like my old blog looked at all professional and I just wanted a fresh start, I wanted to really put more effort into my posts, take better photos, have a little more schedule, and whilst I don't think this blog looks super professional, I am quite proud of it considering I did all the HTML stuff myself and I didn't pay for a template or anything (not that there's anything wrong with that) and in comparison to my old blog, it's come a heck of a long way.

2. What encouraged you to start?

I remember I had just gotten into loads of beauty YouTubers and I realised they all had blogs and a lot of them had started from blogging. Then I saw this video by Zoella and SprinkleOfGlitter and I convinced myself I could do it. Also, I had been told by teachers before that I was quite good at writing so it was my strong point and something I enjoyed doing.

3. What was the first blog you ever actively followed?

I'm pretty certain it was Zoella which I know is the generic answer that ever blogger gives, but I'm tired of people giving Zoe slack. The fact is that she has worked to get to where she is now, whether you think she'd 'sold out to the man' or not doesn't take away the fact that she worked hard on her blog and YouTube channel and that's why she's so popular now, I have absolutely no shame in saying that Zoe's is the first blog I've ever actively followed.

4. What type of things do you blog about?
Just about everything. I would say beauty is the main thing I come back to, but more recently I am loving doing little lifestyle posts and little social justice rants, as well as writing about books and music. I always wanted my space on the internet to be just that - my space. I never wanted to feel confined to doing just one specific thing, and whilst it may mean that not all my followers will like what I'm posting, I enjoy it and I love being able to basically blog about what I want.

5. What has been your biggest revelation since beginning blogging?
You can blog about whatever the heck you want and there will always be people who will be interested in reading it. There are all sorts of people out there and there will be some people who are interested in the things you like to post, so you can basically have complete freedom in blogging and still be embraced within the community which is really comforting.

6. What do you find toughest about blogging?
Taking nice photos and trying not to go off on a tangent in my posts, I sometimes get a bit rambly and off topic.

7. What is your favourite thing about blogging?
Being able to express myself and be appreciated for it, and by extension, the community. I love the Twitter chats and just being a part of the blogging community because everyone seems to be so gosh darn nice.

8. What are your blogging ambitions for 2015?
I'd quite like to get to 500 followers and generally improve my photos and writing quality, there's always room for improvement though so this is an ongoing goal.

9. Recommend five blogs for anyone reading to follow....
Dinner with Maddie
Milk Bubble Tea
Kayla Hadlington
Mermaidens
Aspiring Londoner

Who are your favourite bloggers?

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