Shellac Christmas Themed Nails

My red, sparkly, Christmas inspired shellac nails! What do you think?

Sometimes things are better left unsaid...

Hello! This post is all about a conversation I had with someone that is on my drama course at uni who was very upset about something that happened the other day and it made me think about how in today's society, people tend to voice their opinions more freely without thinking about how it affects others.

In my drama course, we have the opportunity to go to a screening session where we can watch recordings of past theatre shows or films that are relevant to our current modules to inspire us and aid our learning. Yesterday, we watched a piece by  a physical theatre company, DV8 called, 'Dead Dreams of Monochrome Men' which was all about homosexual murder and necrophilia (check out http://www.dv8.co.uk/home/review_the_financial_times_dead_dreams for more information about this piece). The piece was very bold and featured nudity and movements suggesting sexual acts.

The result of this shocked many people on my course who had not seen anything like it before (I had seen DV8's work before so I knew what to expect) and therefore voiced their opinions about how they felt about seeing two men together and called it 'disgusting' and many of the guys in the room said that they would prefer seeing two women together. However, they did not think about how it affected other people in the room, particularly my friend who is gay who may now feels as if he sexuality isn't accepted. But really, what difference does it make if what we were watching was featuring a male and female showing affection, to two females and then two males? Why is a man and women together more accepted in society? Love is love right?

This made me think more about not only how society perceives gay people and the use of the word 'gay' as an adjective for something negative, but also about how we voice our opinions. Maybe we need to be more sensitive when we voice our opinions and think more about how people around us perceive it. With social media being so popular in today's society, it is so easy to voice a bold opinion because you feel protected by a screen and don't have to say it to anyone's face, however perhaps we need to think more about how other's may see it.

I'm not saying we shouldn't voice our opinions, I'm voicing mine right now! But something are better left unsaid. Those guys in my drama class didn't think about how their opinions affected those around them. Yes, they may not have liked watching two men show their attraction to one another, but they didn't have to express it in such a vocal and defensive manner, particularly with one of their friends, who is gay, sitting right by them. If anything, they really should have been looking at the amazing way DV8 uses physical theatre to communicate different themes and how they could interpret this in their own drama pieces.

That is all!

The Student Chapter: 1- Uni Bedroom and Bathroom Haul



As I'm leaving home and all, the first thing that came to mind was shopping. Because, of course, I'd be needing loads of new (pink, sparkly and wonderful) things. So here is the first shopping haul- the bedroom and bathroom.

 

 

Bedroom

 

My theme for my room has naturally just became pink and girly (with a few owls dotted here and there.. not real ones though.. just to clarify..) The theme sprung from purchasing my duvet covers from BHS. It is a reversible sheet with girly images (like a pot of tea, flowers, bunting, butterflies etc.) on one side and flowers on the other. I brought a matching pillow and an owl cushion to go with it.
 

 

 

I then got a few bits and pieces for my room. I purchased a flowery box to put my jewellery and hair accessories in from the CO-OP as well as another pink box for nail varnishes. Then I found this rope hanger for scarves and belts to hang on the back of your door in IKEA as well as a vase and clothes hangers. My 'Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake' clock was from a friend and the clapper board was also a gift from Debenhams. I also have a tea light holder that I have put a fake flower in for decoration and another small box for rings.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bathroom

 

For my bathroom, I found matching towel hooks and lotions box in CO-OP as well as some light and dark pink towels in the sale.

  

Flying out of the Nest

Hello there! I feel like I haven't posted for a long time :( Sorry if you feel like I have abandoned you but that is not the case! I just have been super super busy at the moment. Why? Because I am officially leaving the nest and flying out into the big, scary world in just a few days! EEEKK! Yes, I am departing from the comforts of my lovely home to go to University. But, I've decided I'm not going alone. Instead I am taking you with me! As I plan to start a new chapter in my life, I have decided to start a new chapter on my blog as well. I plan to document my student life on my blog in a new 'Student Chronicle'. The first section will be all about my university room hauls, then to night-life, fashion and finally the actual studying! So what do you say? Are you ready to enter the big wide world with me? Then let's beginnnn!!!!!

Shellac Nails Review

Hey there!!

It feels like it has been so long since I last blogged, but life has been busy busy busy at the moment with getting ready for university in September! (Will hopefully do a 'University Haul' soon!)
Anyway, as the title of this post suggests, I recently got a Shellac manicure at a Hen Party. I was a bit reluctant about it at first because I had heard bad reviews about how it can damage your nails etc.. But I thought I would give it ago and honestly, I am so so happy I did!

The application of the shellac nail varnish took about 15 mins, which included a base coat, two coats of the nail varnish and a top coat and each coat dried by a UV nail dryer. It dried within seconds so there was none of this 'wafting your hands around in the hair for half an hour until completely dry' that you are meant to do with normal nail varnish.

So after I had it done, the manicure stayed perfect all through the 'Just Dance' Wii session and 'Sing Star' and has in fact remained perfect 5 days after! In fact shellac is said to staye on for 2 weeks which is amazing as my usual nail varnish usually lasts for a few days!
Overall, I am very happy with my shellac nails and it only cost me £16 which is definitely worth the value!

I plan to update this post in about a week's time on how my nails have lasted and how easily the nail varnish removed and the condition of my nails so watch this space!!!!

This is how my nails looked minutes after the manicure!!

 

 

 

 

This is how my nails looked 5 days after my manicure!! 

A Night In Town Outfit Choices

Hi guys! How are you?
I'm going into town tomorrow night with my best girlfriends for some drinks and a bit of night clubbing. But I need your advice on which outfit I should wear!
I brought some cute wedges today so would like to wear them but which outfit do they go better with? Should I play it sassy and sexy it cute and girly? 

I need you! Just post a comment down below which outfit you prefer or maybe you might have another suggestion?

Thanks, you lifesaver!

Love Just Al xxxx

Shopping Outfit of the Day- British Summer Edition

One thing us Brit's have to get used to is that summer doesn't always mean sunshine and warm weather. Today I had a driving lesson and then went to do a bit of shopping. Although it was sunny outside, the weather wasn't near the 20 degree mark. So I decided to show you my take on an English shopping outfit to show how I look summery, without getting goose bumps!

So my shopping look is made up of black skinny jeans from River Island, I light, white, floaty blouse from New Look which keeps you cool even on the hottest days, a denim, spotty waist-coat from the Angel range in Marks and Spenser's, nude ballet pumps from Tesco's and a brown bag from New Look.

Because this look is sleeveless, it keeps me cool throughout the day and has a summery feel even if there are clouds in the sky. I can also take the waistcoat off throughout the day if it warms up a little bit and the outfit still looks good. On a hotter day, I could team my top half of my outfit with a skater skirt which would look really cute too!





Accessories!


 My ring was a present from one of my friends so I'm not sure where it is from but my pale pink bracelet's are from Primark.

 I seem to have a bird theme going on with my jewellery as my bird necklace is from Dorothy Perkins and matches my bird ring :)





I keep my hair out of my face with this cute spotty clip from New Look :)

And that's it for my outfit of the day! I hope you like it :)

 

Love Just Al xxx

 

 

Nail Varnish of the Week!

When I think of summer, I think of pastel, light colours, sunshine and happiness. And it's only fair that my nails reflect that right? So I took this as an excuse to buy some new nail varnish and this lilac colour is officially my nail colour this week! I got it from Claire's Accessories for £2.50 and it promises to be chip resistant.
I have had it on for two days and no chipping is insight so far despite testing it out on opening cans/containers and washing my hair (all in the name of research right? ;-))
I did put two coats on although the colour looked okay with one coat. I am happy with the colour as it is different to any other colour I own and very on trend with the summer pastels this year. It is definitely worth the price so if you're looking for a new summer colour for your nails, check this out!
Happy nail painting!

The Lady, the lift and the Strangers

I love the stories you hear from people you have just met. You know that they have said this story a few times because the words sound more confident and structured. But there is some magic about hearing a new story and knowing that you will tell it to your friends or maybe a person you’ve just met and that will be their first time hearing it and it will spread from their ears to their tongues and the story will keep travelling through different ears and mouths…

So I decided to share this story to you and maybe you will share this story?

Background information

I heard this story (which is true, may I just point out) about two weeks ago from a guy called Steve. I was doing some acting work with him at Birmingham City University and at lunch we drifted to that silence you get with people you’ve just met and don’t really know that well. And then he said, ‘One of my friends is a travel agent. Travel agents have the best stories they do.’ And that’s when I knew I was in for a treat.

The Lady, The Lift and The Strangers

One day a Scottish elderly couple in their 70s walked into the travel agents to book a holiday for their wedding anniversary. Neither of them had been abroad before but for some reason they decided they wanted to visit Las Vegas. Everything was going well on their holiday until as they were walking out of their hotel, the old lady realised she had left her handbag in her hotel room. She told her husband to wait in reception whilst she retrieved it and headed towards the lift.

As she was walking, she felt the presence of people behind her and turned to see three black men following her. (No racist comment intended- facts are facts) The old lady felt threatened by their presence and hurried into the lift with the hope it would close quickly. Unfortunately, her wish was not granted and the men followed her into the lift.

‘Hit the floor’, one of the men said. The old lady quickly dived onto the floor, her hands on her head, trembling with fear. The men seemed taken aback by lady’s response. They had merely meant for her to choose which floor her room was on, yet she presumed they were going to mug her! The men felt terrible that they had upset the old lady and calmed her down and walked her to her room to make sure she was okay.

The last day of their holiday arrived and the elderly couple went to reception to pay for their room. Yet, the staff at reception seemed adamant that their bills had been paid. Confused, the elderly man asked to see the manager to explain.

‘Are you the lady from the lift?’ said the manager to the old lady. She blushed, presuming her incident had travelled around the hotel.

‘Yes.’

‘All your bills had been paid as an apology by Mr Will Smith,’ the manager said with a smile. It turned out that the three men were none other than Will Smith and his body guards!

Hope you enjoyed this (true) story!

What would you do if you were in a lift with Will Smith?

xxx

 

 

My Summer Sountrack

Summer has finally hit England! YAY! And with it, it has brought lots of lazy days, road trips and just hanging out with friends. But one thing that has accompanied summer and all it's events is music. Music is such an important part of my life just because it can have such an impact on my mood and can make me feel happy when I am sad and relax me when I'm stressed. So I thought I'd share with y'all my favourite tunes that I have been loving during summer!

Road Trips

My boyfriend has recently passed his driving test which luckily for me means a lot of free lifts and the chance to have road trips :) I am definitely the type of person to be travelling in a car and imagine I am in some music video with some dramatic music on in the background! But for summer, upbeat classic songs are the way forward for me.

1. 'Drive By' by Train. This song is perfect to sing along to with your friends. It may old now  but I love the upbeat chorus and the way you can't help but bob your head along with the beat!
2. 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' by The Beach Boys. This is what you call a classic summer tune. This song is so retro and put's you in a happy, relaxed mood- fabulous for swaying along to in the car.
3. 'C'est La Vie' by B*Witched. Okay okay this may be a bit of a guilt pleasure but I am a 90s baby and B*Witched ruled my school discos as well as S Club 7. But this song is the one all my girl mates can't help but belt out and make us feel five years old and carefree all over again!
4. 'Livin' On A Pray' by Bon Jovi. I don't think I need to say anymore about this song other then, roll down the windows, turn up the volume and prepare your vocal chords for some serious singing!
5. 'All These Things That I've Done' by The Killers. The 'I've got soul but I'm not a soldier' chant in this song is one that everyone joins in with. I actually first heard of this song on a school trip when I went skiing in Austria and this song reminds me of that long but happy coach journey to get there.

Chilling in the Garden with Friends

I've spent most of this week soaking up the rays on my friends hammock in her garden drinking strawberry milkshake and singing along to uplifting songs. Fabulous.

1. 'Walking On Sunshine' by Katrina and the Waves. This song is guaranteed to put a smile on everyone's face and create a summery atmosphere!
2. '5 Years Time' by Noah And The Wale. 'And they'll be sun, sun, sunnnn...' Get everyone whistling to this song and feel young and carefree :)
3. 'Come On Eileen' by Dexys Midnight Runners. This song used to be one stereotyped for weddings to get the great aunties and grandparents to wiggle about too. But since 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower', this song has suddenly become cool again and who can not help but copy Charlie's walk up to Sam and Patrick in the dance scene?
4. 'She's So Lovely' by Scouting For Girls. This song is so so catchy and uplifting that you just want to jump around the garden!
5. 'In The Summertime' by Mungo Jerry. 'In the summer time when the weather is hot, you can stretch right up and touch the sky...' Perfecto.

Summer Parties!

Colourful, homemade punch and summer dresses, summer parties are the best. Let's turn the music up and get everyone dancing!

1. 'Blurred Lines' by Robin Thicke ft. Pharrell Williams & T.I. This song is high in the charts for a reason. And that reason is that it is so catchy and has this cool, relaxed feel about it that makes even the most uncoordinated person feel like they can dance along.
2. 'The Other Side' by Jason Derulo. This song just screams 'PARTY' with it's steady bass and an uplifting chorus!
3. 'Mr Brightside' by The Killers. And the award for the most reliable song to get a group of teenagers to jump around like crazy fools and to wave their hands in the air (like they just don't care!) goes to.. 'Jealousy, turning saints into the sea. Swimming through sick lullabies. Choking on your alibis. But it's just the price I pay. Destiny is calling me. Open up my eager eyes. ‘Cause I'm Mr. Brightside" (Yeah I totally just sang along to that..)
4. 'I Love It' by Icona Pop. The repetitive lyrics in the is song make sure that by the end of it's two and a half minute duration you know every word.
5. '22' by Taylor Swift. I am a bit of a Swiftie so I couldn't resist including this song. However it's a great song to get you into the party mood :)

So that's a few of my summer songs. Have you got a song you have been loving this summer? I would love to hear about it in the comments! Have a fabulous summer- be safe, be happy and be carefree. :)

Love Just Al xxx

How to Make the Best First Impression

I don't know about you (but I'm feeling twenty-twooo.. okay sorry.. back to blogging..) but I find meeting new people kind of scary. I don't understand why as most people would probably describe me as quite confident. I mean, I've been acting since I was about 7 and been performing in shows since I was 4, so really one thing I should be is confident. But the idea of meeting new people seems quite daunting to me. There was even a time when I was apprehensive to even approach shopping assistants in supermarkets...
Since then, I have had no choice but to meet new people through joining sixth form college and acting work, but I still get nervous. Yesterday I had some training to do with some casual work I do at my local theatre and I knew I would have to meet a large group of new people and my heart started pumping. But why did I feel this way?
I think it is because I really just want to be liked. In this large world, I have no enemies (that I know of anyway). Of course, I have people that I dislike through them being mean to me or my friends but I don't hate them. I just stay away from them. But if a person is nice to me, I am nice back. So when it comes to new people, I just want them to like me.
I think it also comes down to self confidence. When I was younger, I was quite fat (I am actually the same weight I was when I was 11 believe it or not!) and I was very aware of it and a lot of my friends were thinner then me. This meant I had quite low self esteem and would hide it by being the 'funny' or 'loud' person. But now I still sometimes feel aware of people looking at me and a little voice in my head tells me that they are thinking horrible things about me when really they might be saying nice things like 'ooo I like her top' or 'hmm when's lunch?' So when I meet new people, I always think they might have a bad first impression of me based on my appearance. (I know that's ridiculous but surely I am not the only one right?)
But yesterday, in the morning before I had to go to my training course, I had an epiphany. It hit me like lightning striking a tree in a sudden storm (okay I realise I am just being dramatic now..). Anyway, I realised something. Who cares? Who cares if they don't like my top? Or that maybe I should have had fruit for breakfast instead of leftover cake because now my thighs look fat? The fact is, if people are so quick to judge a person by their appearance then maybe they don't deserve to be your friend. Life is too short to spend time worrying about what people think of you. If you like that 'vintage' top you are wearing that really is your mums and looks like your playing dress-up, then good for you.
And I am going to tell you a secret, they say first impressions count and that they effect show that person thinks of you from then on. Well honestly, that is rubbish. People will always make assumptions about others. Don't say you don't because you do, whether they are good or bad. But first impressions can change. You have the power to change them. And I will now tell you how.
SMILE. That's it. Smile. Because if you walk into a room full of strangers and give the first person you see a smile, they will smile back and they will create a first impression on you through that smile. And that is how you make the best first impression.
But another tip is confidence. Wear something you love and you will automatically feel more confident walking into a room. Maybe if you have some earrings your best friend complimented the other day, pop them in your ears and think about that compliment and you will feel better about wearing them.
And now I will share with you my favourite poem. This is a poem I memorised in my high school that I looked at twice a week for 4 years whilst lining up for P.E class. (Yes I was that geeky kid ;)) And I love this poem so much because it is so simple and true and to this day, I still know it word for word.

Smiling is infectious,

you catch it like the flu,

When someone smiled at me today,

I started smiling too.

 

I passed around the corner

and someone saw my grin.

When he smiled I realised

I'd passed it on to him.

 

I thought about that smile,

then I realised its worth.

A single smile, just like mine

could travel round the earth.

 

So, if you feel a smile begin,

don't leave it undetected.

Let's start an epidemic quick,

and get the world infected!

 

 

Hope this wasn't toooo cheesy for you ;)

Love Just Al xxx



PROM! My Face Products

My year 13 prom was last Friday so I thought it would be a good opportunity to share all the products I used on my face that morning.
My skin type is combination. I tend to have dry skin during the winter but oily skin in the summer but get breakouts all year round. (Whoopie!) Because it was prom I wanted to try and have perfect skin (well as much as possible anyway) so I prepared my skin all week by eating fruit for breakfast and for snacks and drinking as much water as possible. I also avoided spicy foods and made sure I cleansed my face every morning and evening. This meant that on the day of the prom, my skin was fairly good with only a few blemishes.

So I started off by washing my face with my favourite face wash of all time, 'No7. Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser'. Many people say that foaming cleansers are bad for your skin because it strips your skin from its natural oils and ironically can make your skin 'too clean'. However I found this product to be quite mild on my skin. It washed away all my leftover make-up and troubles of the day and left my skin feeling soft rather then dry. I have been using this product religiously for nearly two years now and have never looked back. It has been the only drug store product that I have used that has been successful on my skin and has decreased the amount of blemishes I used to get, stopped my skin from being oily and also stopped it from going dry. Yep, it really is a miracle worker. And as you can tell, I am going to be running out of this product very soon! But the great thing is, it lasts for ages as you only need one pump of this baby every time you wash your face!

As it is prom day (i.e.. a very special occasion!), I decided to treat my skin with a face serum. I tried out 'No.7 Lift and Luminate' day serum and applied a pea sized amount after I had cleansed my face. Even though this product is aimed to stop the signs of aging, my motto is 'you're never too young to use anti-aging products' and considering I am now 18, I have noticed a few winkles on my face and I might as well stop the process now to help my skin later! I found this serum to have beautiful results on my face. It made my face feel super super soft without making it greasy. It also made my skin look healthy by adding a slight glow, perfect for my prom princess look!

And now for my favourite thing since discovering mascara, 'Freederm Fast Track Spot Gel'. I have tried every product under the sun to get rid of my blemishes from tea tree to toothpaste, but this product has been the only one to make a real difference. It promises to reduce the appearance of spots in 3 hours, and I honestly believe it does. I apply a blob of this beauty to my spots before moisturising and it immediately soothes any particularly irritating blemish and in a day or so, 'POOF'- Gone! The only thing I would say about this product is to be careful if you have sensitive or dry skin as it can irritate your skin. But I would still recommend this product 100%

To moisturise my skin, I used 'Nivea's Light Moisturising Day Cream' which has SPF 15. It says it is for normal to combination skin so hopefully it will be able to tame my oiliness and dryness. This product is light and easy to use as well as being cheap. I think it does what it says on the tin (or tube.. whatever..) and who can argue with that?!

Okay I know my last product isn't exactly for your face but just call me a rule breaker and be done! But I thought I would include it in this post just because I used this on my prom day and thought it was a great product. I thought it smelt amazing and it promised to keep me smelling wonderful for 48hrs. Admittedly, I did top up on deodorant before leaving for prom for safe measures so I can't be sure whether it would have kept me 'protected' for 48hrs but it smelt so good and fresh, I still think it is a great product :)

So that's all folks! I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Please comment and follow.

Love Just Al xxx

Dresses I Have Been Loving at the Moment!

With attending several parties this month and having my year 13 prom last week, I have been wearing more dresses then ever! So I thought I'd share some of the dresses I have been wearing and loving with where I wore them and what accessories I paired them with.

So this is a plain plum coloured dress I brought from Topshop that is fitted at the waist and comes just above my knees. I love this dress because you can dress it up with some heels or wear it casually with some brogues or ankle boots.
 I recently wore this dress to go to watch 'Three Phantoms' at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham. I wore it with black tights and black dolly shoes.
For accessories, I wore it with a small heart necklace from Dorothy Perkins, a collection of gold and pink bracelets and some ball-shaped earrings from Forever 21.
Make-up wise, I created a purple smokey eye which is written in more detail in 'My Concert Look' post :) (http://justaldreamer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/my-concert-look-featuring-purple-smokey.html)

This next dress is one I wore for a bin bag fancy dress party. It is from New Look and has a fitted, corset-like bodice and skirt with POCKETS! (Don't you love it when you discover secret pockets in your clothes!) The floral design made this look feel summery and fun. I teamed it with blue heels from New Look.
(Note: I put my own twist on the bin bag theme by creating fairy wings from twigs and a blue bin bag and plaited bin bags together to create my head piece and wing straps.)
My make-up was quite natural however I used glittery eye-liner to go with my 'fairy' look.




Okay so I know this outfit is not technically a dress however I still think it is super cute! The lace top and floral skirt are both from New Look. I paired it with nude coloured dolly shoes and pink flower earrings. I kept my make-up looking fresh with a light brown smokey eye and natural coloured lips. This look was perfect for a birthday meal with all my friends and kept me feeling girly and cool in the summer season!

 

This next dress is from Dorothy Perkins and I wore is to an 18th birthday party this month. I teamed it with black heels from Dorothy Perkins and a gold coloured clutch to match my gold jewellery and eye shadow. This dress also had pockets and it was a great find as it was in the sale!

 I wore this dress for my boyfriend's birthday party. I purchased it from a boutique called 'The Wardrobe'. It is a nude dress with a thin black netted material over the top with gold flowers embroidered on. The bottom is black lace and it is elasticated at the waist. The dress made me feel very sophisticated and I love it because it is very girly!
I paired it with a black clutch that I found in a charity shop and black heels from Dorothy Perkins.

I kept my make-up simple with a gold shimmer over the lids and black flicks. I pinned one side of my hair back with a gold feather shaped clip from 'Accessorise'.
For jewellery, I wore gold dangly earrings which my mother gave me and a heart shaped necklace.








And now from my prom dress (drum roll please!) The theme for my year 13 'Leaver's Ball' was 'Casino Royal'. I chose to wear a short dress because I wore I long one for my year 11 prom so I wanted something different. This dress is from 'The Wardrobe' and is a halter neck which flatters my pear-shaped body as it makes my shoulders match the width of my hips (making my body look as if it is hour-glass shaped). The black skirt has wire along the trim giving it more movement. The blue in the bodice helped to bring out my blue eyes and complimented my light skin tone. I paired it with a black clutch and heels and a light grey and black smokey-eye with hints of navy blue.



So that concludes my 'Dresses I have been loving' post! If there is an outfit you particularly love, I would love to hear about it in the comments below!


Love Just Al xxx

The Sweet Feeling of Freedom

I know there is that really dramatic phrase, 'Today is the start of the rest of my life' which is very cheesy and hyperbolic. However I am a drama student and therefore I feel like I am allowed to say hyperbolic phrases, perhaps with an over the top hand gesture and a dramatic voice. So I will start my post with this:

 

 

Today is the start of the rest of my life.

 

 And now I will begin to tell you why.

 

Today was my last A-level exam (drama funnily enough). I sat there after the two and a half an hour exam, feeling drained and with a numb and a new blister on my middle finger. I suddenly looked around the room and met the eye of one of my best friend, Daisy. I saw this glint in her eye and suddenly I felt light. The weight from the stress of all the exams slowly fell off me as the realisation that I was free became clear. I felt like how Dobby felt in ‘The Chamber of Secrets’ after being given a sock. I was free. No more school. No more exams. All the drama students in the room suddenly laughed. It was literally like we were in some cheesy film. We all just laughed and couldn’t stop and it was because for the first time in months, we did not feel any pressure and felt pure happiness. In that moment, I did not have any negative thoughts. All worries about money and grades seemed far away and only happiness filled my mind. If I was Peter Pan, I’d have easily lifted into the sky and flown straight past Neverland and to the moon with all my happy thoughts!

 

“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.”

I have felt that feeling a few times in my life. Recently being at my 18^th birthday party where my best friend Emily and I were the last ones on the dance floor after nearly everyone had gone. Our hair was a mess after dancing all night and our make-up had slipped, yet we felt so so happy! It was as if we were 12 years old again dancing in our bedrooms. We sung our hearts out to Taylor Swift’s ‘You Belong with Me’ and felt so... at peace. And I felt that feeling again today sitting in that exam room after my last exam knowing my high school years were over.

 

Because now my adult years can begin. Independence calls me and for once, I am not afraid of it, I am excited by it! The future seems bright! The possibilities are endless! I feel like I am young enough to still make mistakes and learn from them and to try new things with an open mind. But I also feel old enough to be responsible and independent which are no longer boring traits to me. It means I can go further with what I want to do and become a more rounded human being.

 

I am looking forward to this beautiful, long summer and also looking forward to what lies after it!

 

 

 

 

 

The Day After Fix

With all my friends turning 18, one thing that is frequently recurring is the hangover the next day. So I thought I'd share some of the things I do to make 'the day after' a little bit more bearable.

 So usually, most people do the pampering before they go out, like having a bubble bath, face mask, hair treatment etc. But what about after the event?
Alcohol always affects me badly. My skin gets dry and I am more prone to breakouts which is why I like to treat myself the day after the event as well as before (you can never pamper yourself too much surely?!) So these are a few products I use to make myself feel more human and less zombie.

So the next morning (after staying in bed for as long as possible), I like to have a nice long shower to wash away the grim and dirt from having danced the night away. I tend to use a lot of heat products on my hair so to make it still look healthy and shiny, I use Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle Reconstruction which is a deep conditioner for damaged hair. You can use this product regularly, however I like to use it once a week because I feel like this makes more of an impact on my hair then if I use it every other day. This product leaves my hair looking shiny and feeling ultra soft as well as smelling sweet and fresh. It is not too expensive and I would definitely recommend it!

After I have got out the shower and towelled dried my hair, I like to use a serum to prevent split ends. My favourite at the moment (and I do change products regularly) is John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Hair Serum which also protects your hair from heat damage. I use a comb to work a pea sized amount through the ends of my hair to the mid lengths (never to the roots as I find it makes my hair greasy). Using a comb instead of a brush stops your hair from breaking because your hair is more vulnerable when it is wet. I try not to use heat on my hair so I let it dry naturally.

Because I find my skin to be quite dry from the dehydration that alcohol causes, I like to use my trusty Soap and Glory 'The Righteous Butter' which is specially made for dry skin. This is a product I don't use every day because it is quite a luxury product for my skin. It definitely leaves my skin feeling soft without being greasy and the smell is not too over powering.

I love wearing heels when I go out because I am quite small. However this means my feet end up killing me by the end of the night. So to beg my feet for forgiveness, I like to use E45's Foot and Heel cream onto my feet and massage it in after I have had a shower. I then slip on some fluffy socks and let the cream sink in.

Throughout the day, I like to drink lots of water to hydrate my body after the dehydration that alcohol causes. This also will stop my skin from getting dry and prevent break-outs! I also try and eat healthy because alcohol has so much sugar in (particularly is you prefer the sweet tasting drinks like me!) so I snack on fruit rather then biscuits and other bad things I shouldn't eat but I do!! I also like to avoid wearing make-up for the day and if I do go out then I only wear a bit of mascara and powder. Another thing I do is wear comfy loose clothing so I feel more comfortable. And after all this, I like to stick on a chick flick and curl up with a blanket after taking a tablet to reduce that ever growing headache! Oh, and try and avoid Facebook to see if I've been tagged in any embarrassing photo's!!

Happy hangover day! And remember to be safe when drinking!

Lots of Love,

Just Al xxx

My Favourite Shower and After Shower Products

 

Hey there! I hope you are all having a lovely day and better weather then what I've had today! It's been heavy raining for most of the day :( So when I got home, I warmed myself up with a lovely, long shower!

So I thought I'd share with you some of the products I use in and after my shower because I think they are great!

 

So to start of with, I'll begin by saying one of my favourite products that I have ever used and have been using for about a year now without changing because I think it is wonderful! And that is my No.7 Perfect Skin Foaming Cleanser. My skin type is combination. Because I am a lovely (*cough*) teenager I tend to get quite a few spots. These are mainly on my chin and forehead. Yet I do get some dry skin too, particularly in the winter time. This cleanser has calmed down my breakouts dramatically so I only have to odd one and my skin no longer has dry patches!

Now, as I mentioned in my 'Serious Addiction' post, I love 'Soap and Glory' products and this post will stay true to that. I use the 'Clean on Me' moisturising shower cleanser which has this creamy smell (if 'creamy' can be an adjective to describe a smell?) which is not that over powering. Then every week I use 'Scrub Your Nose In It' exfoliating scrub for my mask that also can be used as a mask.

 

 After my shower I use my trusty Freederm spot gel which I discovered a year ago and now religiously use. I think this is the only drugstore product that has successfully got rid of my spots and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is prone to break-outs! For moisturising my face I use Nivea's light moisturising day cream which has factor 15 in (very important as I am extremely pale and freckly!) Because this product cannot be applied to the eye area (always check the label folks!) I use Q10 eye cream around my eyes. I only use this product once a day (either morning or at night) because I tend to find that it can make my under eyes feel greasy and therefore make-up refuses to stay on. However this product was really cheap as I got it from Home Bargains! So if you know any good eye creams that are available from drug stores and aren't too expensive, please let me know in the comments below!! And of course, my last moisturising product would have to be 'Smoothie Star, Deep Moisturising Body Milk' by of course, 'Soap and Glory'. Now if you haven't melt this product, please drop whatever you are doing and run to your nearest drugstore and take a whiff of this beauty! It literally makes you smell like a smoothie! If you want to smell of honey and other sweetness- try this baby! You won't regret it! And it makes your skin feel mighty fine too!!

 

Another product that has changed my life (okay.. maybe that was little bit of an exaggeration.. but it is amazing!) is this deodorant. It is called Mitchum's and can come in different fragrances (or no fragrance at all). I do a lot of dancing.. which means a lot of sweating (nice..) and this has been the one deodorant that has stayed loyal to me. It keeps you smelling like a daisy all day and is definitely the best deodorant I have ever tried.


So that's just a few of my many products that I love! If you have a product that you swear by, I would love to hear about in the comments below!

Forever being a pampering Queen!

Love Just Al xxx



 

My 'Concert Look' featuring Purple Smokey Eyes!

Hi guys, so last night I went to The Symphony Hall in Birmingham to watch 'Three Phantoms' which featured Earl Carpenter, Matthew Cammelle and Stephen John Davis who all played the 'Phantom' in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom of the Opera' in the West End. They performed songs from 'Phantom of the Opera' and other musicals and it was a fantastic night for a theatre geek like myself! :) (if you want more details about this show check out http://www.three-phantoms.com/index.html)

 

So I thought it would be a cool idea to post a blog about my look for this formal concert. I decided to create a purple smokey-eye look to match my plum coloured dress that I wore. So this is how I achieved it!

Base! (Foundation, Powder, Contour, Blusher, Highlighter and Eyebrows!)

So these are the products I use for my base after I have cleansed and moisturised etc. My primer is from a range called 'Mally' and came in a set including a foundation and concealer. My foundation is from the No.7 range from Boots and I use the matching powder. I use a highlighter called 'High Beam' from 'Benefits' and my blusher is from the 'Body Shop'. My contouring power is from Daniel Sandler and so is the contouring brush (the grey one on the far right). My other brushes are from 'FASH' which is available from Boots.

So firstly I apply my primer all over my face which stops the make-up from running off my face and making me look like a clown! Then it's foundation time! After shaking the bottle, I apply a pea sized amount onto the back of my hand and dot the foundation onto my nose, chin, forehead and cheeks and then blend in. I don't use a brush or sponge for blending purely because I always find that the sponge/brush seems to absorb most of the foundation! So if you know any sponges/brushes that you use  that don't absorb your foundation I would love to hear about it in the comments!




I then set my foundation using powder which I just dab all over my face (dabbing won't disturb the foundation as much as sweeping/circling will). Next I contour my face. I start by sucking in my cheeks (as shown... looking like a fish...) and apply the powder onto my cheek bones. I then sweep it across my jaw line to give my face more definition.





I then pop my blusher on. So I form a cheesy grin and dab it onto the apples of my cheeks and then use a circular motion to blend it in. After this, I apply my highlighter. I do this by putting a cross of the highlighter onto the back of my hand and then dab it onto the tops of my cheeks, onto my brow bone and in the corner of my eyes.







Then it's eyebrow time! (I realise I look way too happy about this in my photo..) For my eyebrows I use the 'Sleek' eyebrow pencil. I apply it by using short strokes onto my brows. I don't want my eye brows to look too dark as it will take the focus away from my eyes which I want to be the most noticeable in my look. So therefore I use the lash brush seen in the picture (which I got from Boots) to blend the colour in.



Eyes! (Eye shadow, a lot of Blending, Eyeliner and Mascara!)

Now it's time for my favourite bit: Eyes. I love doing the 'smokey eye' look because I love the way it makes my eyes really prominent and instantly glams up any outfit!


So here is all the eye shadows I use to create my purple smokey eye look. (Note: I only use the dark brown from my pallet!)
The cream coloured eye shadow is from a brand called 'Bourjois' in the shade 01 which promises to stay on for 16 hours! The deep purple eye shadow is also from 'Bourjois' in the shade 13 and both this eye shadow and the cream are glittery as opposed to the dark grey/blue matt eye shadow from (you guessed it!) 'Bourjois' in the 06 shade. The duo eye shadows is from the 'Natural Collection' in the shades Black Currant/ Violet. My pallet is from Boots and I have had it for around 5 years now and it is fabulous because it has so many different colours, including matt eye shadows and glittery ones and is great to create any look! My slanted eye shadow brush is from 'Ms Make-up' and the smaller make-up brush is by Daniel Sandler. The rounded tip brush is from the 'FASH' range is Boots and the thicker blending brush is from No.7 brand in Boots.

So I begin by putting the cream coloured eye shadow into the corner of my eyes and blending out to the middle of my eye lids. I use the curved brush for this as it allows me to be more precise on where I put the eye shadow. I use the lightest colour into corners of my eyes as it opens them up to make my eyes appear bigger and brighter!

 

I use the darker shade of the duo eye shadows as a base on my lids using the blending brush because it gives my lids more coverage.

I then put the purple eye shadow in the outer corner to the middle of my lids. To create a darker colour you could use a slightly wet brush.

I then use this beautiful grey/bluey colour on the outer corners of my lids and slightly in the outer edge of the crease of my eye using the thin rounded brush.



For my crease, I use a dark brown eye shadow and apply it with my blending brush. This just makes all the colours come together.

Then it's blending time! This look involves a lot of blending to make sure all the colours merge together to get that 'smokey' effect.

This is the point where you may need to add more colour or blend to make a colour look lighter.

Then I use a damp sponge to get rid of any excess eye shadow that may have fallen when I was applying it onto my lids. 

I then use a pencil eye liner (mine is from Model's Own) in black and line your upper and lower lids.

 

Then line your lash line and use a slanted brush to blend the line in to make it more softer. Do this for your bottom lash line as well.

Next it's mascara time! I use 'XXL Curl Power' by Maybelline. It has two brushes, one that I like to describe as a 'primer' for your lashes and then a regular black one. This is my favourite mascara ever! You can build it up to create a more dramatic look or just a few stroke for a more natural look! It makes my lashes look so long!

I use several coats of mascara because I want my lashes to look extra black and dramatic!

My Final Make-up Look!

I finish off my make-up by applying some lip gloss. I don't like to use a lip stick when I do smokey eyes as I like all the attention on my eyes and I don't want my make-up to look too 'busy'.

My lip gloss is from 'L'oreal' and called 'Glam Shine'. It has this really cute triangle brush that makes it really easy to apply. I think this colour goes really well with my purple smokey eyes as it almost has this plum coloured under tone.

 

 

Hair Time!

 

I don't like to wash my hair everyday and as this is my 'other day', I use TRESemme's dry shampoo just to freshen up my locks!

 



 



To curl my hair I use a curler by 'Remington'. I just curl the ends of my hair and then run my fingers through it to make the curls looser. After this, I pin the sections closest to my head back.

I then use my trust 'WELLA' classic hairspray and spray is all over my hair.

To finish off, I spray on my favourite perfume at the moment- Taylor Swift's 'Wonderstruck' which has this lovely fruity fragrance.

So this is my finished look! I have teamed my purple smokey eyes with a plum coloured dress from Topshop and black tights and dolly shoes to make the look a little less formal then heels would have. I have kept my jewellery very minimal with just some earrings from 'Forever 21' and a necklace from 'Dorothy Perkins'.

I hope you have enjoyed this post!

Lots of Love!

Love Just Al xxx