REVIEW: W7 Glam Box

I'm not familiar with the brand W7 as I haven't seen this brand stocked in Boots or Superdrug however I saw this Glam Box set in TK Maxx or you can buy these products separately online.

W7's aim is to offer high quality cosmetics at an affordable price. I like the sound of their aim and after browsing through their site, they have an extensive range of products which can cater to everyone's needs.  Something that deserves a massive thumbs up from me is that they do not test on animals. 

DIY: Easy Marble Background

I've been reading so many makeup posts recently and they many feature this marvelous marble decor as their background or as prop in their images, it's so elegant and sophisticated it has made me quite infatuated with it.

REVIEW: Seventeen Instant Glow Shimmer Brick

The party season is upon us and I want to dazzle people with this set of this eye shadow of shimmery golden hues. I am absolutely blown away by how beautiful the shades are and I feel every bit more festive with golden makeup. I basically feel like a million bucks.

Author Appreciation- Paige Toon

This blog post is dedicated to the founder of my Contemporary Romance addiction-Paige Toon.

*sighs* Can we just admire these book covers for a while. I know many people are going to critcise me by judging a book by it's cover but don't you think it adds to the overall impression of the novel? The combination of images, the colour scheme, the title can send little thrills up your spine and add to the excitement.

October Favourites

The months are whizzing past and before we know it, the beautiful month of October has said goodbye. I always enjoy this month. The golden and crimson leaves scattered everywhere, the warm colours, hot drinks- to say it simply, I'm definitely a big fan of autumn.

Some of my favourites for October are:

Liebster Award

I was honoured enough to be nominated by Mads to do the Liebster Award. Thankyou:)

REVIEW: Elisha Coy Always Nuddy BB 24

This BB dream was first featured in my Hong Kong Haul post where my auntie had bought me this in my quest to find the perfect base. I have postponed using this product until recently due to the fact that my skin was getting tanner which meant it didn't suit the tone and I feel like now, it's the most perfect time for this product. The change in season has taken a toll on my skin, it's become dry and flaky which makes achieving the flawless base has become that little bit more challenging.

Let's Begin Again

Here's to new beginnings. 

A new layout, a new mindset. I want to approach this blog with a whole new work ethic and really polish this little hobby that I am passionate about into something which is truly beautiful.

My 9 favourite songs from Teen Wolf

Confession time! Teen Wolf is my guilty pleasure.

I'm a religious follower of Teen Wolf and all of it's cast members are my kings and queens. I had themed my GCSE graphic design project on this show, I even have a teen wolf fan account on twitter, the cast is my desktop background. To put it simply, I'm a massive massive fan of Teen Wolf.

Potatoes & Tomatoes

We're nearing the end of September which means all my garden veggies are ready to harvest. Yay!

Since I was 6 years old, I've been ritually planting veggies because it's a great bonding activity with my parents and I love seeing how the plants grow overtime to become delicious vegetables. I see the green leafy plants like they are my precious babies and it's always rewarding when you use freshly picked veg from your garden in your daily meals.

Everybody's Changing & I Don't Feel The Same

I'm a victim of change.

At the moment, I'm content with life. I've got my GCSE grades; my sixth form timetable; new colour coded stationary; some kick-ass friends and I've got enough bags of Cool flavoured Doritos to last me in a zombie apocalypse- it's perfect.

As time ticks away indifferent to the evolving world, people start to change and adapt to their new surroundings. I'm left flustered by all these changes surrounding me and admittedly, a little scared. Do I welcome change with a warm embrace or just a wary guarded nod?

When change is coming, I try to be open-minded and optimistic, we are exposed to change like we are exposed to air. On many occasions change has brought me gifts that I will truly cherish like new friends, new opportunities and new memories.

However, sometimes I just want to shy away from the ever-revolving world and just sit in my room, binge watch some trashy tv show and just have a breather. Some people wouldn't believe how tiring it is to cope with new situations and new people but before you know it, they're not 'new' anymore. They become your everyday surroundings and familiar faces that greet you with a wave or a smile.

As I enter a new phase in my life, I will be at a crossroad of change. Imagine this as if you are in the woods, clueless about where you are but you stumble upon a cross-road where the you can't see the outcome but you must choose a path. When I make one decision, it would lead me to an entirely different consequence than if I chose the other. This uncertainty can be daunting, thrilling and nerve-wrecking yet somehow, it also makes me feel excited, hopeful and a bit breathless.

Let's live everyday like it is our last, grasp every opportunity we are give and submerge ourselves in this unpredictable world of change. 

NCS EXPERIENCE- Week 4

Hello, unflattering photo of all of us. 

It's all finished. I've completed 4 weeks of NCS. It's surreal. If I keep repeating these words would it become more real?

This week was certainly more bittersweet than others. We tried to get donations from the public to go towards 'Honeypots Children's charity', had our main event and had our last NCS day.

There are bees in the Market Square
For 2 days, we had set up a stall in the Market Square. We were relentless in our efforts to try to promote Honeypot Children's charity, advertise our event and gain donations from selling our homemade cakes, cookies and flapjacks.

Somebody in our group runs her own business selling cupcakes and other baked goods. We were all highly anticipating her bakes and let's say, they do not disappoint. The brownies that I ate had transported me to chocolate heaven and could be the definition of food porn.

It was really heartwarming when people were willing to donate a few pennies towards this great cause-  in this case, every little helps. When they donated, all I wanted to do was to give them a massive hug for being such kindhearted people but in reality, it would most likely be frowned upon to hug a complete stranger. So instead, I just gave them massive smiles and said our thanks.

We were out parading the streets from 10:00am-3:30pm and by the end of the day, whenever someone saw a person wearing a bright yellow top, they would swerve to go to the opposite side of the road. I found this fairly amusing because everybody could spot us from a mile away. I promise we don't sting.

We're a dedicated bunch
A normal NCS week goes from Monday to Thursday but due to our event being on Friday, we were granted a day off on Wednesday. However, instead of relishing the day off, we all decided to go into town to further advertise our event as well as receive the raffle donations from shops. We also visited the other team's stall in the market square to help support their event.

After having lunch in town, we trekked back up the hill to go back to school. Over the week we had multiple tiresome trips up and down the hill and every time, my thighs would burn from the ascent up. The bright side of that bothersome hill is that my flabby thighs will (hopefully) be toned.

Once we were all at school, we had a mission to accomplish. This mission was to choreograph and practice our routine for a flashmob where everybody has a 10 second solo each. If we accomplish this mission, we get to wax our leader's legs. I'm actually scared for him because the hair on his legs, no, I mean the carpet on his legs is going to be stripped off and it's going to be painful. Very painful.

Throw in some disastrous dad dancing, flailing arms and some uncoordinated jiggle and voila, our routine is done. Our dance routine is by no means flashy or remotely technical but we have a kick-ass chorus and we all had a laugh when we did it.

Family Fun Day or Family Rain Day? 
A few days before the big day, we received some bad news. The British weather was not in our favour, it was expected to rain and after hearing that, we all became dejected. Who would go to a BBQ in the rain? We all made the conclusion that we'll just go along with it and just be grateful for those who come.

Confession time-I'm not a massive fan of the taste burgers but the delicious smell of them sizzling on the BBQ could have converted me. As a group we had established that if we're having food, we are having good food. All the burgers and sausages were brought from the local butchers and they were bloody fantastic. Massive pat on the back to the girlies who braved the rain to provide us with the star of the show.

Last Day Blues
We tidied up the venue where we held our event. Forgotten balloons which was strewn over the floor had its last breath, left over sweets were eagerly taken and tables were eventually packed. We were finished. Despite the simple task of tidying up I felt heavy-hearted, maybe because we weren't going to see each other everyday or maybe because summer is nearly over or maybe because that it's probably the last time I would do something significant with friendship trio or a combination of all of the above.

Lastly, we all huddled together. Our team leaders gave a speech, although it wasn't the most artfully thought out speech of the century, it certainly held all the sincerity and emotions held in a century. I remember, I glanced around our little group and inwardly smiled. Who would have thought that the same awkward group who struggled to communicate to each other, would be the same group who was all huddled together in that moment.  It certainly was a picture worthy.

Saying yes to something scary and foreign has led to so many memories, new experiences and new friends this summer. I am so bloody proud of us, we've achieved so much and we've all grown as individuals as well as a group. I'm sure if Dean had a look at us now, his beard will fall off due to the shock.

It's the end of my 'NCS EXPERIENCE' and as cliche as it sounds, I wouldn't change it in any way. 

NCS EXPERIENCE- Week 3

The ritual end of week photo. 

The weeks are whizzing past at the speed of light and before I know it, I've already completed week 3 of this programme.

This week was mainly used for planning our social action project! As a team we needed to choose a charity that we would raise awareness and fund-raise for. We chose 'The Honeypot Children's Charity'. This charity tries to give young carers the childhood they rightfully deserve, by providing them a weekend service to simply let them be just children.

It's Logic..
With our charity set, it's time to plan our event. Our group has a profound love for all things meat and sport therefore we did the logical thing which is to combine them together and Family Fun Day was created.

This event would be aimed at different types of people with a variety of stalls from hook a duck to a raffle which would suit different age groups with the main star of the event being the BBQ.

Connections. Connections. Connections. 
I guess the things we learnt from week 2 came into use earlier than I had expected. We had a session on networking and how knowing a few people, who know a few more people can help you further to your goals. I cannot stress how important these connections were, every connection pushed us a tad further and a bit closer to our main goal.

Within our group we had many different types of connections to many different types of people. It ranged from an employee at Tescos to a owner of a rugby club. By using our connections we got the venue, the food and the activities sorted.

Rejection hurts but keep on moving
One of the first aims that our team established is that it would be great if local business supported us by giving donations which will contribute to the grand raffle prize. In return, we would promote their business to people who would come to our event.

We mainly went to independent stores purely because we thought they would be more flexible and willing to donate, we also thought it would be great for them to gain some more recognition over the chain stores. Many shops welcomed the idea of donating raffle prizes to the charity and they thought it was for an excellent cause but not everything goes as smoothly as we had planned.

Managers were more than willing to promote our event in their shop windows however whenever you mention the word 'donation' you see their smile falter a little. Sometimes they just can't donate because it would be unfair if they chose one charity over another and many other reasons . It's understandable. Despite the disappointment you have to put a smile on your face and say thanks and just move on.

If you just need a break, take a break. 
I know planning an event is some serious work but we all need a little bit of fun. If not, people would start to get demotivated and not want to actively participate in the planning. We were instantly transported to our younger selves when we played games on the field which all of us hasn't played since primary school.

Admittedly this wasn't the most exciting of weeks in my NCS series  but it was necessary to ensure the success of our event for next week. So just power through and try to have fun.

 Stay tuned for week 4 of this series! 

NCS EXPERIENCE- Week 2

Let's get week 2 on a roll!

The second week is mainly centered around learning new skills which will be useful for the fourth week of the programme (The Social Action Plan).

We were located at a local university, living the notorious life of uni students-well, only for a week. In comparison to the first week, it was much more chilled and relaxed. The days weren't as jammed packed, there were more time to spend with our groups and I definitely gave a sigh of relief when I saw our en-suite bedrooms.

Cooking is not my forte 
All meals were cooked by our group. We split our team into 3s and each mini group is responsible for a particular day, their duty is to cook 3 meals for 14 people. Admittedly, some meals were better than others. When the day came for my group to cook-well, should I say 'attempt' to cook, it was less than successful. With such a simple menu, you wouldn't believe the struggles we faced.

Menu: 

Breakfast: Pancakes with a variety of toppings

Lunch: Burgers or Chicken Nuggets with a side of fresh salad and chips

Dinner: Pizzas with chips and vegetables 

Breakfast- Imagine our shock when we realised that we forgot to put eggs on our shopping list; we were determined to make pancakes so we got into some eggy business. Sneakily, we creeped into another team's kitchen and slyly opened their fridge, I swear I could hear angels sing because in this ordinary fridge was 5 full boxes of eggs. After some quick calculations, we concluded that they had 60 eggs for 14 people, that's more than enough eggs when there is only 2 meals left for the week. We decided to 'borrow' some eggs and put them to delicious use. Truthfully, I still don't know whether they had realised that some of their eggs had gone walkies but thanks!

Lunch- Time dictates our lives. Maybe we were a bit optimistic or maybe we are just slow or maybe we're just bad at time management because a cooked lunch was laughable. In the short time span we had, we were expected to cook for 14 people as well as eat. Nope.

Dinner- We ordered 5 pizzas but only 4 came. Is my group destined for failure? Even after devouring the meal there were still 14 hungry people lounging in the kitchen.

A group who deserves a notable mention in this section is the group who cooked Chicken Tikka Masala it was truly fantastic. Thanks guys!

Movie Binge
There's nothing better than curling up on your comfortable sofa with a batch of freshly made popcorn and have an endless movie marathons. Since we had so much free time we watched some movies from different genres. We watched horrors like 'The Conjuring' & 'Anabelle' then we switched to more light-hearted comedies like 'Ride Along' & 'Inbetweeners 2'.

Annoyingly, there was a lack of seats in our common area therefore somebody always had to sit on the floor and after a couple of hours by no means is it comfy. I swear some of the people in my group are walking furnaces, they just radiate heat and it got so hot. Despite these minor problems, our movie nights were enjoyable and fun.

'Fun' Lessons
In a day there were around 3 lessons- first lesson starts at 11am then the second starts after lunch and after that, there's a little break before the third lesson. I was absolutely dreading these lessons. I feared that we were going to be sat in a classroom and just listen to the teacher ramble on and on about their life. Thankfully, there was only 1 session like the one I described above, it was mostly interactive and physical which made the lessons much more engaging and fun.

What Team Am I On? 
One evening the leaders decided that all the groups at the uni should go to the local park. It's amazing what you can do with one football and just a piece of land. Initially, we had a playful kick-about within our team, then our competitiveness came in. We split into 2 teams, Rock-Paper-Scissors and let the games begin!

The words  'Can I play?' was hesitantly asked by a guy from another NCS group and we quite happily welcomed him into our match. As the game progressed, more and more people flocked to the rapidly growing game that eventually we just gave up dividing the teams. Occasionally one would ask 'what team am I on?' but I gave them the most basic reply-'choose a side and shoot'  Who knew 3 words would lead to this jam-packed football match?

This week hasn't been as adrenaline filled as the first but none the less it was still as great. The days laced themselves together like it was one big movie about some kids just trying to have fun. That's what we are, kids- who want to have a great summer.

NCS EXPERIENCE- Week 1

It all starts at yes.. so I said yes!

So I just finished my GCSEs and with an extended summer holiday, I decided to take part in NCS aka National Citizen Service. I chose the 4 week programme purely because I had loads of time. I'll write a NCS Expereince series which will give you an insight into my experience and what I have been doing with my very very long summer.

The first week there are many opportunities to get to know your group through team building exercises and other activities which will make you more comfortable with one another and make some thrilling memories.

The build-up 
I was excited yet nervous for the first week. Packing and preparing going into a new situation was scary. With the lack of information I had received regarding this week away at Kingswood I was instantly bombarded with a billion 'what if' questions.

Thankfully my nerves vanished when I found out I was in the same group as some of my friends. We were all very eager to meet our group, make new friends and create some fun memories. My group consisted of 6 girls and 6 guys as well as 2 team leaders who are all very friendly.

Ice-breaking can be uncomfortable but persevere 
The first activity all teams have to do is the 'Ice-breaker' but realistically it did not break any 'ice' for my team. It was more uncomfortable than an ice breaker. If I could describe my group with one word it would be awkward. Unknowingly, the whole group sectioned into their smaller comfortable groups which mainly consisted of people they had already known. We realised that we needed to mingle and chat to each other to truly become a team.

We were big kids playing with little kids toys. My group's true ice-breaker was playing laser tag, it required toy guns and shooting other people-what could be more fun? We decided to pair up with people who we haven't worked with and naturally whilst playing laser-tag it required us to talk and break the ice little by little.

Activities and more activities 
Everybody's daily timetable was crammed with different activities- admittedly, some more enjoyable than others. My day started at 7:00AM and finished at 11PM. No, we didn't watch movies and no, we stay up all night talking which I had naively imagined because as soon as we crashed onto our beds we were instantly in dreamland.

Some of the more memorable activities which we did over the week was 3G Swing. Basically, it's a giant swing that holds 2 people and is the creator of massive wedgies. If you decide to go on this, you must go up to the highest point; you may be nervous going up but you will feel so proud afterwards.

Another activity which was surprisingly enjoyable is Raft Building. At first I was skeptical about this activity because let's be honest, how much fun could one have with a couple of barrels and a few pieces of string but I soon learnt that it was a great team work activity.

Reflection Sessions AKA 'Group Therapy Sessions'
Within our group we all had one aim: mingle! After a long day of activities we had a session  to reflect on the day that we just had. Learning what we're proud of and what aims we hope to achieve for the next day. We soon became accustomed to these so-called 'Group Therapy Sessions' but it really isn't as bad as it sound since we all joke about having them.

After these 'Group Therapy Sessions' we would mingle in the dining room, slurping on powdery hot chocolate and try to get more comfortable with one another. It seems we loosen up by having fun so we decided to play truth or dare- a bit cliche but so what. This game allowed us to learn more about individuals as well as having a laugh because inevitably one would choose a dare.

The Soppy part
As we neared the end of the 5 day residential trip at Kingswood, you can truly see we were a changed group. We've learned to communicate, listen and trust each other. This was evident when there were activities that needed teamwork, we did everything efficiently and took in ideas proposed by individuals. After this eventful week, I can say we have each other's back and that we will make a great team for our social action plan of this programme.

If you want to find out more about NCS click here

Have you taken part in NCS or would you like to do it in the future? 

REVIEW: Herorine Make- Volume & Curl Mascara Waterproof

There's this massive hype for Asian mascaras because apparently they bewitch those stubborn eyelashes that only grow straight down and it seems that down, is the only way they want go. They also claim to make the lashes curl and flutter like little fairies but do they know how to fulfill my greatest lash desires?

As I went into the shop I was overwhelmed with an array of different mascaras all claiming to do wondrous things to your lashes. So I called my Auntie who works at Sasa in HK and she recommended this therefore in my shopping basket it goes. Who am I to question a person who works in beauty?

The packaging of this product was so cute. Despite not being able to read anything on the package, I can say the animation of the girl with her luscious lashes was my eyelash role model. In terms of the mascara tube it was a basic black sleek tube with the name printed in swirly silver writing. The tube was surprisingly small when compared with my other mascaras tubes from brands like Maxfactor and Maybelline. This means that you can just pop it into your bag without taking too much space.

It's been a while since I've used one of these wands. Over the past year I see myself gravitating towards the plastic wands because I like how they coat every single one of my lashes. I was a bit skeptical about this wand. I mean, look how ordinary it is. I was proved wrong and I have been converted back to using these types of wands. It creates a natural look and it doesn't look tacky no matter how many times I have applied this.  

This picture shows my lashes after 1 coat of mascara and a clamp from the lash curler. I was very impressed with how my lashes curled upwards, even after 5 hours of the original application. It does definitely help with the curl so it's ideal if you have difficulty with your stubborn lashes which need curling.

One of the cons of this mascara is that it takes ages to remove. Normally I just use makeup wipes and a little of  The Body Shop Camomile Gentle Eye makeup Remover to remove any lingering bits. However with this mascara, I had to use my Lancome Bi-Facil Makeup Remover which is seriously a heavy duty makeup remover. It definitely lives up to it's name of being super waterproof. 

Overall I really like this mascara since it does wonders to my lashes however I wouldn't be using it on a daily basis because I have very little patience whilst removing makeup so the quicker the better. 

Have you ever tried Super Waterproof Mascara? 

What I really thought about prom

This short post will tell you about my experience at prom and what I really thought about it.

Prom is an event which will cloud the thoughts of a majority of students who are graduating. It commemorates the end and also new beginnings. Behind the facade of glamour and extravagant dresses it truly is a bittersweet event.

The location where I had my prom was breathtaking. The prom committee decided that the location would be very photographic therefore we had our prom at a barn, It looked like one of Taylor Swifts' music sets.


Getting ready- An Olympic Sport?

How long does it take you to get ready for a special event? Months, weeks, hours or just a matter of minutes. If you are one of the few who get's ready in minutes, you deserve a big pat on the back.

Foreign yet familiar faces surround me. Everybody looked like princesses. You can clearly see how much effort everybody has made to make sure they looked and feel great in what they were wearing.

The varying colours of dresses were amazing. The different shades of purples and blues made it seem like I was part of a carnival.

You don't need to pile on loads of makeup to make yourself look good. Smiles are the best makeup of all. So embrace those teeth.

Here are a few of my friends who I had the pleasure to take photos with. At this point I can say some are becoming blog regulars.

Do not mess with my food
Upon reflection I do think the tickets were a tad expensive- approximately the tickets were around £35 per head. That night after my prom I slept over my friends and I could hear a distant rumble when I started this at 6 am in the morning. Sucks to be the first one to wake up. The location promised a buffet, did we get a buffet?  A measly selection of food. Clearly, they have the wrong definition of 'buffet' cause it was a pathetic buffet.

If you go to a fancy event, please eat before you go, by no means do I mean that you should have a massive feast like a bear right before a hibernation but a fulfilling meal.



Take photos early 
I know people might think that you are a bit annoying when you keep hounding them for photos but it's really worth it.

The dark lighting is not as flattering as the natural light and the shadows casted can draw away from the picture. Also I assume very few people want to look back at photos and see that you're a sweaty mess from dancing.

Instead of having hundreds of selfies, it's nice to have a few full length photos. I'm sure if you ask anybody they would be understanding and help you take it, if needed you can also return the favour.

What was your experience of  prom or any fancy events that you have been to?

What's In My Prom Clutch

It's prom season and out comes the clutches. Being a first time clutch user I had no idea how much you could fit in this sleek bag and apparently not a lot. If the clutch was secretly Mary Poppins bag, it would have been so much easier. So gather all your necessities and off we go.

First and Foremost I packed my prom ticket which will let you into the event. The night before, I had to search for my ticket in my messy room and thank god I found it otherwise I wouldn't be allowed in!

Next thing in my clutch is my phone- I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 2. It takes up a significant space therefore I can't fit my usual purse into my clutch, I had to compromise and just put some notes inside my phone case because that phone goes with me everywhere because I go on social media and take some kick ass pictures with my friends, so it would be convenient and it would be in a secure place.

It seems that I'm going in order of importance, one thing that I always take with me is some hayfever tablets because normally I have them as soon as I wake up and since prom was in the evening at a barn, I was worried that my eyes may tear up and become a snotty mess. Nobody likes being a snotty mes- unless you're a baby which can be considered 'cute'.

Lastly in my clutch is some makeup that I may need during the night. I decided to put my Mac studio perfect foundation to keep the shine off my face and my new Soap & glory Sexy Motherpucker in Rapunzel. It's a gorgeous glossy pink plum colour and smells just like cupcakes which makes me want to eat it everytime I apply it.

Are you the type of person who likes a neat organised purse or  the type of person who stuffs everything and anything into your handbag?

Wall revamp

Plain white walls can look so boring and bare. I decided to add a bit of character and flare to the dull looking walls around my desk, in hope that it will make my desk space a happier and possibly an inspirational place.

I got a majority of these postcards from Paperchase and many of them were on offer at 30p per card but normally they are priced at 60p per card.  I absolutely adore the 'Meow do you do?' post card, it's cute, witty and a cat- A winning combination.

The 2 postcards at the bottom are from trips that I have been on so you can remember some of the fun times you had. On the left is a postcard from PGL in 2011 and on the right is a postcard from Universal Studios in Singapore.

It's a fun activity to scour shops for some postcards or some cute prints, it's like you're a Pirate looking for treasure. Every time you visit some place new, buy a post card and before you know it you will have a wall full of memories and fun.

Do any of you collect objects  to add to your growing collection? 

SUMMER UPDATE#1

I've finally started my Summer Holiday and to my surprise I have been fairly productive. Setting the alarm for 8:00 AM can be torturous but  I can assure you that at the end of the day you would be amazed by how much you have accomplished. So here is a round up of what I have checked off my summer checklist here.

Well, one thing I learned from my baking crisis is that I am not going to be Marry Berry's successor.

Despite my parents both being chefs, I cannot cook, bake or fry a thing. Even when I follow the recipe exactly, it still turns out to be a big burnt cake of disappointment.

The only positive thing about baking is that it fills the house with a warm vanilla aroma which give the illusions that I'm actually a baking goddess.

I followed this particular recipe which had sour cream to create a moist sponge- when it mentioned 'sour cream' I knew I should of stayed away. Even if I wanted a moist sponge there was no need for the masses of liquids that the recipe acquired.  

One of my many faults is that I do not plan ahead. As I went scavenging for some Vanilla essence, you can imagine my shock that it ran out. How do we make a vanilla cake when there is no vanilla essence? You don't. This is where improvisation helped...well kind of. Thank the heavens for the gift of coffee, it couldn't do any more harm to this cake than I already have so in it goes. Considering the bizarre recipe and the difficulties faced with baking a simple vanilla sponge, I guess it can be considered decent.  

I am so so so pleased with how this turned out. The glistening sequins, bold colours and the striking image really made this worth spending time on.

It was a DIY gift given to me by a family friend a few Christmases ago because they knew I loved art. I was deciding what to do for my DIY project therefore I looked on Pinterest, Tumblr and Youtube nothing inspired me to do any projects. As I was going through my drawers for the big cleanup I found this piece of work and was determined to finish it.

When I opened the box I saw that it was 70% finished therefore I only needed to pin a few of the sequins on. So there I sat with my windows opens. blasting out my new found love for Korean music. It was pure bliss.

If you have time I would definitely recommend doing a DIY. The sense of accomplishment that follows the completion of your project is exhilarating. It's also nice to get creative and have a little 'me' time.

Is there anything you would recommend to do in the Summer? 

Books to read on my bookshelf

I am guilty of hoarding books.

After making my Summer Checklist here I thought it will be a good idea to see what I needed to read.
Sadly, I have many DNFs (did not finish) on my bookshelf but I'm determined to finish them along with a couple of new books that I just bought by some of my favourite authours like Jenny Han and Paige Toon- 'The Sun In Her Eyes' and 'P.S I Still Love You'.

My Summer 'To Read' list /5☆ :

1. Insurgent By Veronica Roth

2. Allegiant By Veronica Roth

3. The Host By Stephanie Meyer

4. City Of Ashes By Cassandra Clare

5. City Of Glass By Cassandra Clare

6. Kite Spirit By Sita Brahmachari

7. The Forever Song By Julie Kagawa

8. The Iron Legends By Julie Kagawa

9. The Scorch Trials Series By James Dashner

10. I Heart Paris By Lindsey Kelk

11. The Sun In Her Eyes By Paige Toon

12. P.S I Still Love You By Jenny Han

13. Teardrops By Lauren Kate

You can follow my Goodreads account here where you can see the progress I have made as well as read some of my reviews:)

My Go To Summer Base

Currently I've been going for a lighter base and a bronze eye because luckily my skin has been very happy which makes me very very happy.

Primer
I've been using 'That Gal' by Benefit as my primer so that my makeup stays on all day, it also helps the mineral foundation stick better to the skin. It is a pale pink thick creamy consistency which also has a delectable raspberry scent perfect for summer.

Concealer, Foundation and Perfection
 I use Clinique's 'Even Better Concealer' to cover up my acne scars and any redness, it's best used with Real Techniques detailer brush to get into the nook and crannies.

Then I use 'Original Mineral Foundation' by Bare Minerals and really buff it into the skin to create a light matte base. I've chosen to use this because as time progresses I sometimes find that liquid foundations and BB creams gets a bit sticky and slips around your face and me being me, I'm just too lazy to powder or blot.

Eye
Eye oh eye!
Since we went very basic on the face I think it's only acceptable if we made our eyes the focal point. So put on a nice wash of Maybelline's Colour Tattoo in 'On And On Bronze' to create the perfect base for the eyeliner.

I think winged eyeliner is one of my favourite parts of my makeup routine. The flick should be considered an art form - a bold flick, a peek-a-boo flick or the perfectionist flick. I use the 'Extreme 24hr Felt Tip Liner' by Collection to create equal slanted flicks because it has a firm felt tip end and it's as cheap as chips. I skip mascara because my eyelashes aren't appreciating the clumpy dried out mascara that I currently own. Voila, done!

Products that create the perfect summer base are 

.That Gal by Benefit 

. Even Better Concealer by Clinique

. Original Mineral Foundation by Bare Minerals

.Maybelline Colour tattoo in 'On and Bronze on Bronze'
.Extreme 24hr felt tip liner by Collection

4 years of Teen Wolf

Season 1 feels like yesterday.

What a roller coaster that we have been on. I want to give you all of you congratulatory hug for surviving these past 4 years and I hope that many of you stay sane for the upcoming season premiere on 29th June.

Do not let the name 'Teen Wolf' fool you. Common misconception is that the show just follows a teen who get turned into a wolf.  Oh no, how very very wrong that statement is. Every character, every moment, every smile is precious on Teen Wolf. Each scene is masterfully created and weaved action, thriller, comedy and romance into the story line that it captures your interest as well as your heart until you are a jittering mess when you wait for the next episode. The show has turned into a spectacular thing that everyone should be proud of.

One thing that I do love about this show is character development. As the characters grow and mature through their experiences from being a typical teen to fighting a Nogitsune- A void Kitsune that draws power from strife, chaos and pain. We start to invest and identify with a few of them. This can be a great thing...but also a bad thing.

Over the 4 seasons we've seen so many actors and actresses come and  go that sometimes, I'm almost frightened to invest myself in them because I don't want anything bad to happen- does this sound a bit irrational to you?

After spending endless hours deciding 4 scenes for 4 years of Teen Wolf , I have finally decided on these iconic moments.

Couldn't have felt happier for Stiles. His and the Stydia fandom's dreams were coming true. Dance your heart away, lover boy.   

Motel California is undoubtedly one of the best episodes to see the test of friendship and love.

Season 3B was definitely my favourite season. Dylan really shone throughout this with his outstanding acting while he was playing void Stiles.

If you didn't know The River Thames is made up of my tears that I had shed over this scene.
My heart was tore when I saw this unexpected scene. I could feel myself getting sadder and sadder with every breath she took-until she could take no more. 

If you have not watched Teen Wolf- what are you doing? What are some of you favourite scenes? 

SUMMER 2015 CHECKLIST

With the last of my GCSE exams coming to an end I thought I would make a summer checklist to make my extended summer holiday a fun and productive one. I have also signed myself up for the NCS programme which is going to take up 4 weeks of the holidays and I am so freaking excited!
So here is the list of things that I attempt to do:

1) Finish Beyond 2 Souls
2) Become a Vegetarian for 1 week 
3) Do a DIY  (22/06/15)
4) Draw and colour a picture
5) The BIG cleanup
6) Go on a bike ride
7) Plant (12/06/15) and harvest vegetables
8) Rewatch the entire 4 seasons of Teen Wolf
9) Read some classics
10) Donate clothes to charity
11) Keep Healthy
12) Spend a day in Cambridge 
13) Bake a cake  (19/06/15)
14) Go for a picnic
15) Finger Paint
16) Write a few chapters of a book
17) Make a pizza
18)Watch something in the cinema
19) Do some charity work
20) Go bowling
21)Improve photography
22) Read all unread books on my shelf
23) Pick berries in a farm
24) Do something adventurous 
25) Have fun!

Once I have completed a task I will cross it off  my list and I will do updates on how my summer is going along with some pictures :)

What are some of your goals/ plans for the summer? 

Soap and Glory// Brand Focus + Swatches

I'm sure we're all familiar with the rising brand known for it's cute package and it's undeniably good products ranging from skincare to makeup. Here are some products that I own from when I took advantage of the 3 for 2 deals in Boots.

The signature Soap and Glory scent can be smelt everywhere in my school, mostly in the form of hand creams. If you ask for some hand cream there is an 85% chance it's going to be 'Soap & Glory Hand Food'- a good reason too. It moisturising, not sticky and they come in a range of sizes making it suitable to be dotted around the house and easily popped into your handbags.

I will probably hear some screams when I say that I dislike the 'classic' 'Soap & Glory' scent. Maybe it's too flowery, maybe I've just become sick of this scent. I'm not saying it's horrible, it's just not right for me. So currently, my favourite 'Soap & Glory' scent can be found in Foam Call Body Wash it's called 'Fruitigo Fragance'- frozen yuzu, orange oil, green fig and jungle pomelo essence. Some say it has a 'masculine scent' and I would totally agree. It has a powerful refreshing scent which lingers on your skin after the shower and I'm looking forward to the day when I will finally finish 'The Righteous Body Lotion' to buy 'Butter Yourself lotion'

One of these 500ml bottles would last you ages, so I am looking forward to the day I finally finish this lotion. Nowadays I'm not particularly fond of the scent but previously I adored this pleasant subtle flowery scent and wished to smell like this 24/7 because I can imagine myself prancing in a field full of flowers. 'The Righteous Body Lotion'  moisturises and keeps your skin hydrated.

              L- Swatched once.// After Waterproof eye makeup remover  

The 'Soap & Glory Smoulder Kohl' liners are a absolute steal. For £5 each I don't think you could go wrong with this creamy smooth wateproof liner which comes in 2 shades from top-Cocoa Bean & Superblack. It has extremely long staying power and would be perfect for those of you who have watery eyes.

I have not tried many of their makeup items but the few that I have tried are spectacular. I've hit pan on my beloved 'Soap & Glory Solar Powder' after using it nearly everyday in hopes to give me that sun kissed look. I mostly use the matte side for contouring and occasionally I'll use the shimmery highlight as a wash of eyeshadow instead of it's intended use.

Multi-tasking products for the win!

What are your favourite 'Soap & Glory' products and what would you recommend?

8 Things Hannah Montana has taught me

This post is dedicated to one my favourite Disney Channel show which has truly captured my heart. After religiously watching 98 episodes, 1 movie and listening to the 'Best of Both Worlds' CD, I would have hoped that I have learnt a few useful lessons than just quoting random lines in my daily life where I quickly scan if anybody got my reference.

1) It's always appropriate to break out the funky chicken dance whenever the time feels right. I mean, it's so much cooler than the sprinkler dance. 

2) You only need a few best friends who will make you happy. Even if Amber and Ashley are teasing you,just know that they will be there to make sassy comments back at them.

 3) There are days where you want to be a complete slob and just stay in bed. Treat yourself and just do it.

4) You're selfie game doesn't always need to be strong. Even if you're a worldwide superstar.

5) Appreciate everything. It doesn't matter whether you get an ugly cat sweater or a paperclip- just work it like Miley and Oliver.

6) Sometimes, girls talk absolute shit and we need to learn that all the babble that comes out doesn't truly represent what some want to say.

7) It's ok to make mistakes, learn from it and move forward.

        8) Don't be scared of the future. We all eventually grow up-some faster than others but it doesn't change who we are. 

What are some of your favourite Disney Channel shows and movies?