Monday, 5 October 2015
OPEN MIC
Thursday, 18 June 2015
Theatre Review-Shoot from The Hip
Whilst out in London one evening with some friends we happened to be given some free tickets for an improvised comedy act in a small 'secret' venue called 'The Top Secret Comedy Club'. Luckily for me as part of my degree I had to write a review on some form of 'Arts Event' which this sort of event falls under, so we went to see it, an what a night it was. The reason for my doing this post is this was by far one of my favourite pieces of theatre I have seen in a long time and the group, 'Shoot From the Hip', do not get nearly enough recognition, I thought I would upload this review in the hope that this show might get a little more publicity(not that my blog has many viewers). I understand this isn't the best essay in the world but it gets the message across so go easy on me!
I am a lover of improvised comedy and done well it can be pure gold but done badly it can be an incredibly awkward experience for both audience and player. Thankfully the boys from comedy quartet ‘Shoot from the Hip’ show us exactly how it should be done. Actors Paul.G Raymond, Luke Manning, Tom Mayo and Sam Russell take you on a hilariously clever and witty journey using improvisation games with suggestions from the audience guiding the work.
The performance took place in the carefully hidden underground venue ‘The Top Secret Comedy club’ and was completely free to go and watch (there was the chance to donate at the end and due to the excellence of the performance I had no problem with donating). The space was small, intimate and informal and this was great for improvised comedy, as the audience became part of the performance which made them feel much more comfortable giving suggestions. However this feeling of ease can not all be attributed to the space but what was more comforting for us was the confidence that the boys showed and there chemistry on stage which made for a great comedy experience. The scenes flowed easily and the actors had a great connection with each other and the crowd, even when some audience members were being rather obnoxious and making suggestions, in an attempt to be funnier than the boys. Nonetheless they handled these distraction exceptionally well. When one young audience member gave the suggestion of ‘penis’ as an object, actor Paul.G. Raymond was able to disregard the idea without creating an issue with the audience member. He then quickly moved on to find a less vulgar suggestion.
Keith Johnstone says that using audience suggestions can ‘result in shows in which there isn't one scene the players want to be in’ (Johnstone,1999, pg. 26) However the quartet were able to carefully manipulate suggestions that inspired them (even if they did occasionally “miss hear” what an audience member had said). This meant that all sketches had direction and were generally entertaining to watch.
Now of course the point of improvisation is that it is done on the night so inevitably some things will be great and others not so great. I found most of the scenes to be very entertaining, for example a scene about two gay wizards being persecuted by a group of trolls which came from the simple suggestion of the relationship of a married couple, these scenes that followed from simple suggestions tended to be the best and funniest. My only criticism of the night was occasionally scenes were left to drag on when they had clearly lost momentum. I feel that the boys just needed to know exactly where to finish a scene so the audience didn't become uninterested. However this was a minor issue in comparison to the excellence of the event.
Overall a thoroughly enjoyable relaxed evening that didn’t drain the bank account, especially on a student budget.
So if you get the chance I would highly reccommend going as seeing this group, they perform every Monday in 'The Camden Head' and every Tuesday in 'The Top Secret Comedy Club'. Here is a link to their website!
http://www.shootfromthehipcomedy.co.uk/
Mads x
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Tips for your 1st year at University!
So its been a long time since I posted anything, but life has been hectic, mainly because I started(and finished) my first year at University, and what a crazy year it has been.
What I will first say before I even begin on this blog is 1) Uni is an amazing experience and I know it sounds cliched but you really do learn a lot about yourself (and also on what you choose to study.....but mainly yourself, 9000 grand to learn about yourself is a lot of money mind you) and 2) Everybody's experience of university is different due to many different factors. So here I my top tips for Surviving your first year of university!
1) The best friends you may make in your first year (and the people you may go onto live with) may not necessarily be the people you meet on the first day, in the first week or even in the first half of the year, so don't worry if you don't think you have clicked so much with the people you meet first.
2) The best friends you make don't necessarily have to be in your halls of residence. I get on great with the people who were in my halls but actually my best friends at University are from my course and also a group of people from another halls who I met in freshers.
3) University accommodation is a great experience but it definitely comes with its problems. Here is my list from my experience.
-Noisy neighbours(upstairs, downstairs, either side, across the hall, 2 floors down) You can hear EVERYTHING, and trust me, I mean everything....Earplugs are a good investment......and also speakers!
-Following from that, drunk students coming back from a night out(but chances are you'll be one of them)
-Pubes in the shared showers
- Massive shits in the toilet or (what I think is worse) Shit nuggets' left in the toilet.
- Vomit, Pee, Spit, Alcohol and many other liquids in the bath
- Lack of hot water when other buildings use there showers
-No cold running water in the kitchen
-A toaster that toasts half your bread and a microwave that only completes half the time you set it to
- Funky smells in the kitchen everyday
-Flys everywhere if windows are left open and lights left on at night
- Ants in the communal area after a heavy pre drinking session and lack of tidying up
- And last but by no means least A LEAK IN MY CEILING FOR 20 WEEKS! Even after many an angry phone call and email to maintenance
...........Not selling uni accommodation am I......put it this way its character building and everyone is in the same boat, you get used to it!
4) The drinking culture at university is massive you cant get away from it but this doesn't mean you cant have a good night out without drinking, it can easily be avoided and though you might get the odd joke about not drinking, no-one really cares as long as its your decision.
5) 'Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind' (Stich, 2002) Your away from home at university, no parents to look after you or come and pick you up after a night out, and for a lot of students this is there first time away at home. Something I didn't really expect was how much people look out for each other, even if you don't know someone that well. Everyone(however drunk they are) looks out for each other, you act like a family and you look after each other regardless of anything. In my group(and I think this goes for most groups of friends at uni) we never leave a night out without either leaving all together or making sure everyone is sober enough to be able to get themselves home, we all know where the rest of the group are. Look out for your friends and they will look out for you!
6) My university is pretty small and this is mainly a tip for small university's! Everyone knows everyone and unfortunately secrets don't stay secret for long. However on the flip side, you can walk around campus and probably be able to smile at 7 out of 10 of the people you see and be able to at least recognise 9 out of 10 of the people.
7) The Student union bar is probably rubbish but its cheap and cheerful and if your with the right people it can be a cracking night.
8) Referencing will take up 50% of the time you spend on an essay! Apps like 'Refme' are invaluable as they essentially do your referencing for you which makes your life 10 times easier!
8A) Reference everything, you do not want to be caught out on plagiarising, that can get you kicked out!
9) Unfortunately this has to be said.......Use a condom....its up to you what you do and who you do, no-one will really judge, however university is a breeding ground for STI's so practice safe sex and stay protected. Your paying £9000 a year to get a degree not chlamydia.
10) Budgeting, your student loan wont last forever, as much as a night out at Pryzm sounds good, your going to need to eat for the next week, those shoes are 'sick fam' but that textbook is vital to passing the degree. The bar down the road is hiring, £7 an hour, you can take one night a week to earn some money instead of clubbing. 'Nough said.
11) Learn to cook. Frozen meals get super boring! And also keep your kitchen clean, its just hygienic.
12) Take some time on your own, away from your friends, you'll spend every waking minute with them and you'll probably be living with some of them next year and by half way through the year, believe me, your going to want to rip there arm of and slap them round the face with it,
13) Study hard, Party harder (not quite so literally) Work can get super stressful so don't over do yourself, don't do it the night before and know when your deadlines are. Make sure you take some time out for yourself, do the things you like doing otherwise you'll get more stressed and your grades will suffer for it.
14) Stay in touch with old friends, its always good to have people to go back home to and share your experiences of uni with.
15) The most important thing though is to have fun, especially in first year, it all gets a bit more serious in second and third years! So do everything, try new things, meet new people, join as many societies as you can, pull all nighters, play stupid drinking games, turn your room into a club for the night, spend £500 in one night, eat dodgy kebabs after a night out, play manhunt* in your halls, explode a bagel in the microwave, accidentally set your room on fire with your lamp, punch a glass window, snap a tendon in your hand and be in a cast for 6 weeks, pass out naked in the hallway of your halls and let the very reserved foreign students find you and start freaking out, leave milk in the fridge so long it practically grows legs, walk in on your friends doing it, be walked in on doing it, play egg piñata, have a bbq and tomato ketchup fight, wee in the bath, wee in the sink, wee in an alley way, wee on the rugby pitch, wee yourself, wee on someone else(yes these are all very real things that have been done by my friends and, yes, also some by me) but most of all be yourself and have fun, your paying £9000 to be there make the most of it.
This is nowhere near all the tips I could give you but part of the experience is figuring these things out on your own. So good luck and enjoy it!
*manhunt, a game in which competitors have to get from one part of the halls to the other without being caught by the hunter(injuries may incur from running very fast up and down stairs and running full pelt into 'pull' doors thinking they are 'push')
USEFUL APPS FOR UNI
-REFME- Don't know what I would have done without this for essay writing, by taking the picture of the barcode of a book it will automatically reference it for you
-Uber- Taxi app, order a cab in minutes and no need for using cash as its all done by card. Also Ubers are a lot cheaper than normal cabs.
- Headspace - Stress reliever, 10 minute meditation sessions can help clear and refocus your mind.
- Whatsapp - Brilliant for making group chats which is vital to uni life!
- Domino's - For those nights you cant be bothered to cook!
- Banking apps - so you can always see how little money you have.....
- Google maps - getting around new places is difficult so google maps can help you find your way around.
-(London Uni's) Bus times- Just gets rid of the frustration of waiting for a bus, it tells you how long till the next bus
-(London Uni's) Tube Map- Tubes are complicated, this app will plan your tube routes for you!
-Amazon student- This isn't an app but if you sign up to amazon as a student you can get free next day delivery on Amazon Prime items.....super SUPER useful!
-Yik Yak- No reason, its just funny!
Maddie x
What I will first say before I even begin on this blog is 1) Uni is an amazing experience and I know it sounds cliched but you really do learn a lot about yourself (and also on what you choose to study.....but mainly yourself, 9000 grand to learn about yourself is a lot of money mind you) and 2) Everybody's experience of university is different due to many different factors. So here I my top tips for Surviving your first year of university!
1) The best friends you may make in your first year (and the people you may go onto live with) may not necessarily be the people you meet on the first day, in the first week or even in the first half of the year, so don't worry if you don't think you have clicked so much with the people you meet first.
2) The best friends you make don't necessarily have to be in your halls of residence. I get on great with the people who were in my halls but actually my best friends at University are from my course and also a group of people from another halls who I met in freshers.
3) University accommodation is a great experience but it definitely comes with its problems. Here is my list from my experience.
-Noisy neighbours(upstairs, downstairs, either side, across the hall, 2 floors down) You can hear EVERYTHING, and trust me, I mean everything....Earplugs are a good investment......and also speakers!
-Following from that, drunk students coming back from a night out(but chances are you'll be one of them)
-Pubes in the shared showers
- Massive shits in the toilet or (what I think is worse) Shit nuggets' left in the toilet.
- Vomit, Pee, Spit, Alcohol and many other liquids in the bath
- Lack of hot water when other buildings use there showers
-No cold running water in the kitchen
-A toaster that toasts half your bread and a microwave that only completes half the time you set it to
- Funky smells in the kitchen everyday
-Flys everywhere if windows are left open and lights left on at night
- Ants in the communal area after a heavy pre drinking session and lack of tidying up
- And last but by no means least A LEAK IN MY CEILING FOR 20 WEEKS! Even after many an angry phone call and email to maintenance
...........Not selling uni accommodation am I......put it this way its character building and everyone is in the same boat, you get used to it!
4) The drinking culture at university is massive you cant get away from it but this doesn't mean you cant have a good night out without drinking, it can easily be avoided and though you might get the odd joke about not drinking, no-one really cares as long as its your decision.
5) 'Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind' (Stich, 2002) Your away from home at university, no parents to look after you or come and pick you up after a night out, and for a lot of students this is there first time away at home. Something I didn't really expect was how much people look out for each other, even if you don't know someone that well. Everyone(however drunk they are) looks out for each other, you act like a family and you look after each other regardless of anything. In my group(and I think this goes for most groups of friends at uni) we never leave a night out without either leaving all together or making sure everyone is sober enough to be able to get themselves home, we all know where the rest of the group are. Look out for your friends and they will look out for you!
6) My university is pretty small and this is mainly a tip for small university's! Everyone knows everyone and unfortunately secrets don't stay secret for long. However on the flip side, you can walk around campus and probably be able to smile at 7 out of 10 of the people you see and be able to at least recognise 9 out of 10 of the people.
7) The Student union bar is probably rubbish but its cheap and cheerful and if your with the right people it can be a cracking night.
8) Referencing will take up 50% of the time you spend on an essay! Apps like 'Refme' are invaluable as they essentially do your referencing for you which makes your life 10 times easier!
8A) Reference everything, you do not want to be caught out on plagiarising, that can get you kicked out!
9) Unfortunately this has to be said.......Use a condom....its up to you what you do and who you do, no-one will really judge, however university is a breeding ground for STI's so practice safe sex and stay protected. Your paying £9000 a year to get a degree not chlamydia.
10) Budgeting, your student loan wont last forever, as much as a night out at Pryzm sounds good, your going to need to eat for the next week, those shoes are 'sick fam' but that textbook is vital to passing the degree. The bar down the road is hiring, £7 an hour, you can take one night a week to earn some money instead of clubbing. 'Nough said.
11) Learn to cook. Frozen meals get super boring! And also keep your kitchen clean, its just hygienic.
12) Take some time on your own, away from your friends, you'll spend every waking minute with them and you'll probably be living with some of them next year and by half way through the year, believe me, your going to want to rip there arm of and slap them round the face with it,
13) Study hard, Party harder (not quite so literally) Work can get super stressful so don't over do yourself, don't do it the night before and know when your deadlines are. Make sure you take some time out for yourself, do the things you like doing otherwise you'll get more stressed and your grades will suffer for it.
14) Stay in touch with old friends, its always good to have people to go back home to and share your experiences of uni with.
15) The most important thing though is to have fun, especially in first year, it all gets a bit more serious in second and third years! So do everything, try new things, meet new people, join as many societies as you can, pull all nighters, play stupid drinking games, turn your room into a club for the night, spend £500 in one night, eat dodgy kebabs after a night out, play manhunt* in your halls, explode a bagel in the microwave, accidentally set your room on fire with your lamp, punch a glass window, snap a tendon in your hand and be in a cast for 6 weeks, pass out naked in the hallway of your halls and let the very reserved foreign students find you and start freaking out, leave milk in the fridge so long it practically grows legs, walk in on your friends doing it, be walked in on doing it, play egg piñata, have a bbq and tomato ketchup fight, wee in the bath, wee in the sink, wee in an alley way, wee on the rugby pitch, wee yourself, wee on someone else(yes these are all very real things that have been done by my friends and, yes, also some by me) but most of all be yourself and have fun, your paying £9000 to be there make the most of it.
This is nowhere near all the tips I could give you but part of the experience is figuring these things out on your own. So good luck and enjoy it!
*manhunt, a game in which competitors have to get from one part of the halls to the other without being caught by the hunter(injuries may incur from running very fast up and down stairs and running full pelt into 'pull' doors thinking they are 'push')
USEFUL APPS FOR UNI
-REFME- Don't know what I would have done without this for essay writing, by taking the picture of the barcode of a book it will automatically reference it for you
-Uber- Taxi app, order a cab in minutes and no need for using cash as its all done by card. Also Ubers are a lot cheaper than normal cabs.
- Headspace - Stress reliever, 10 minute meditation sessions can help clear and refocus your mind.
- Whatsapp - Brilliant for making group chats which is vital to uni life!
- Domino's - For those nights you cant be bothered to cook!
- Banking apps - so you can always see how little money you have.....
- Google maps - getting around new places is difficult so google maps can help you find your way around.
-(London Uni's) Bus times- Just gets rid of the frustration of waiting for a bus, it tells you how long till the next bus
-(London Uni's) Tube Map- Tubes are complicated, this app will plan your tube routes for you!
-Amazon student- This isn't an app but if you sign up to amazon as a student you can get free next day delivery on Amazon Prime items.....super SUPER useful!
-Yik Yak- No reason, its just funny!
Maddie x
Friday, 3 January 2014
Carol singing and collecting for charity
For the past 3 years me and group of my friends have gone carol singing! This year we decided to collect for a charity called Macmillian Cancer support, who are a wonderful charity who help support people who have cancer and their families's! When me and my friends go carol singing we don't just turn up, give a half hearted version of jingle bells and expect money, no no, we go all out, 4 part harmonies for many different songs and the use of a ukulele! We like to make sure we have earned our money!We managed to raise £76.12 which for an hours work and only 4 singers was not half bad!
We choose to sing on one of the richest streets in the area! Most people were relatively generous giving a few pounds or so and some have us £5, £10 and one lady gave us a £20 note and asked for 2 songs! Occasionally people gave money to us purely so we would leave, annoying as it is, at least they gave money! However their were a few people who opened the door saw who we were and either said they didn't give money to charity or slammed the door in our faces! This slightly angered me as, even if they didn't want to listen it would have taken a few seconds to put some money in our box. It annoyed me because if a relative of theirs needed the services the charity supplied they would need the funds collected! I feel that giving to charity is really important because you never know if you may need that charity, and also Christmas is a time of giving so is it not right to help those in need?
Even so we raised some money and also had fun doing it! Next Christmas if you are bored and looking for something to do,even if you can't sing amazingly get some friends together get a couple of carols together and try and raise some money for charity and give back at Christmas!
Maddie x
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Top movies from a boys point of view.
My boyfriend decided that the movies I put in my movie Blog Post were wrong, so I said he could do his own version of his top movies. So without further ado here is top 8 movies from a boys point of view.
8)The Great Escape
A great war movie about prisoners of war, this true story is definitely worth watching!
7) Ted
A brilliant comedy film with a brilliant story line! Really good performance by all of the cast, Mila Kunis who is really hot (who is not as hot as hot as me, Maddie) and Mark Wahlberg who I don't think has ever made a bad film.
6) The Inbetweeners
Again one of the funniest films I've ever seen and this time its British! Great TV show and Great film. Can't wait for the second one!!
5) Harry Potter
I do have to agree with Maddie on this one, I cannot specify one film as they are all great!
4) Saving Private Ryan
This film won bags and bags of awards, with brilliant performances from Tom Hanks and the rest of the cast. The film tells the story of a Soldier who loses his 3 brothers in the war, a small group is then sent to look for him and send him home. This film is not a true story, however it is still a brilliant film and one of the only fiction films I would recommend.
3) Band of Brothers
This was originally a 10 episode TV series, which was then made into a DVD. Again a true story, Band of Brothers highlights the journey of one particular company within the paratroopers of the US army in world war 2. Many familiar faces star in this series, it is again action packed with a hint of comedy.
2) Goodfellas
One of the best 'Gangster' movies ever made. This film is a true story, which makes it all the better for me as Historical films that are fiction do not appeal to me. If you watch this, you must also watch the 'Henry Hill:The real goodfella' The film is based on the life of Henry Hill and the documentary features an interview with Henry Hill himself. A violent action-packed film with elements of comedy, this film is a must watch!
1) Shawshank Redemption
This movie is one of the all time greatest movies. Need I say more!
Lewis :)
8)The Great Escape
A great war movie about prisoners of war, this true story is definitely worth watching!
7) Ted
A brilliant comedy film with a brilliant story line! Really good performance by all of the cast, Mila Kunis who is really hot (who is not as hot as hot as me, Maddie) and Mark Wahlberg who I don't think has ever made a bad film.
6) The Inbetweeners
Again one of the funniest films I've ever seen and this time its British! Great TV show and Great film. Can't wait for the second one!!
5) Harry Potter
I do have to agree with Maddie on this one, I cannot specify one film as they are all great!
4) Saving Private Ryan
This film won bags and bags of awards, with brilliant performances from Tom Hanks and the rest of the cast. The film tells the story of a Soldier who loses his 3 brothers in the war, a small group is then sent to look for him and send him home. This film is not a true story, however it is still a brilliant film and one of the only fiction films I would recommend.
3) Band of Brothers
This was originally a 10 episode TV series, which was then made into a DVD. Again a true story, Band of Brothers highlights the journey of one particular company within the paratroopers of the US army in world war 2. Many familiar faces star in this series, it is again action packed with a hint of comedy.
2) Goodfellas
One of the best 'Gangster' movies ever made. This film is a true story, which makes it all the better for me as Historical films that are fiction do not appeal to me. If you watch this, you must also watch the 'Henry Hill:The real goodfella' The film is based on the life of Henry Hill and the documentary features an interview with Henry Hill himself. A violent action-packed film with elements of comedy, this film is a must watch!
1) Shawshank Redemption
This movie is one of the all time greatest movies. Need I say more!
Lewis :)
Sunday, 29 December 2013
Movies.
So when your bored at home what's the best thing to do? Watch a movie! If your stuck on what to watch here are my top 7 favourite movies
7) Friends with Benefits
This movie is my go to movie when I am depressed or feeling lonely as it is what every girl wants......to be dating Justin Timberlake! Mila kunis is also gorgeous, I watch this movie and think, how come they both got all the hot genes, what happened to mine!
6) Love Actually!
This movie is perfect for a girlie night in or a sleep over! It's one of those feel good romantic movies that will have you crying and laughing both at the same time!
5)Easy A
This movie is insanely funny and a really easy movie to watch when you have had a long day! I adore Emma Stone, she is my absolute idol and she is the main reason I love this movie but also that it represents(on an exaggerated scale) the struggles of being a teenager and trying to fit in with your peers
4) Paul
This sci-fi comedy is one of those movies that will have you rolling round with laughter, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg always make hilarious movies but this is by far my favourite!
3) Polar express
This movie is my absolute all time favourite Christmas movie (closely followed by Santa Claus The Movie, but I didn't want 2 Christmas movies on my list) I love the magic of this movie and the songs and everything! This movie really keeps the magic of Santa alive even when you are a little to old to believe in him anymore!
2) The Incredibles
This is one of the best Pixar movies by far, the story is accessible for all ages, my 7 year old sister loves it, I love it and so does my 50 year old dad! I am still praying for the day they will make a sequel.....I feel however that that may never happen :( come on Pixar, what's going on?!?!
1) HARRY POTTER
I can't give a specific movie that is my favourite I love them all, the story, characters, the magic! Everything, I love it all! I grew up with it and even though I can quote every movie word for word, know the stories inside out, it still gives me goosebumps when I watch them! If you haven't already I would also recommend reading the books! I dreamed about going to Hogwarts when the movies first came out and I know it's sad, but I did cry at the end if the last movie, it was the end of an Era! If you haven't seen the Harry Potter movies....WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS!
So their is a run-down of some of my favourite movies, I will probably think of more once I publish this but oh well! I hope this gave you some ideas of new movies to watch or helped you remember movies you once loved! I am going to go and watch all 8 Harry Potter movies back to back....see you in 17 hours.....
Maddie x
Dark circles// Concealer review// Seventeen Phwoarr Paint
I suffer really badly with dark circles under my eyes and I have done for as long as I can remember! It's not (normally, although it can add to it sometimes....) due to lack of sleep it's completely hereditary from my dads side of the family! I have tried everything to try and get rid of them, from eye cream to cucumber, from teabags to puréed potato(don't try it it didn't work and it was disgusting and messy). Finally I had to reside myself to the fact that nothing was going to get rid of them and I would have to cover them up! For the first few years of my teenage life I absolutely coated my eyes in concealers, foundations and powders and needless to say, I looked a bit like a crayon! Finally I settled on using a liquid concealer base with foundation on top, this worked relatively well but the problem I had was the fact that it wasnt very long lasting and by the end of the day I was back to my panda self! So you can imagine my elation when I found a concealer that claimed to be 'heavy duty'! Although I wouldn't normally recommend heavy duty concealers as they are awful for your skin, desperate times called for desperate measures so I decided to buy it.
This is not a liquid concealer and this was something that I was slightly concerned about as I like liquid concealers because I find them much easier to blend in and spread entirely across the eye! This concealer was more like a cream or paint i suppose (their is a picture below, i cant describe it) and as stated on the front was very heavy duty! However, to my surprise, it was pretty easy to blend in , not as easy as liquid concealers but easy enough that it wasn't a problem! The product on it's own looked okay, it gave a slightly shiny look when looking at it close up but on the whole pretty good! After I put my foundation on however
it blended in really well an looked very natural! Unlike my old concealers it stayed on really well all day and I didn't have to re-apply once which was really nice! Unfortunately there are only two shades which they do it in, which is fair and medium, luckily fair fitted my skin colour perfectly but my friend was less fortunate finding that the fair was to light and the medium to dark! The retail price is £5.49 which I think is very reasonable for the product as I am very pleased with it! I would definitely recommend It for those who, like myself, suffer from dark circles around their eyes and need a good cover up!
it blended in really well an looked very natural! Unlike my old concealers it stayed on really well all day and I didn't have to re-apply once which was really nice! Unfortunately there are only two shades which they do it in, which is fair and medium, luckily fair fitted my skin colour perfectly but my friend was less fortunate finding that the fair was to light and the medium to dark! The retail price is £5.49 which I think is very reasonable for the product as I am very pleased with it! I would definitely recommend It for those who, like myself, suffer from dark circles around their eyes and need a good cover up!
Maddie x
Thursday, 5 September 2013
Foundation Review//Maybelline Foundations
There are so many Foundations on the market it can feel a bit daunting trying to buy one! I always find I tend to get stuck using the same foundations whether they are good or bad purely because I can't be bothered to have to go and look at different brands and try and find my colour! I recently changed over my foundation but in all fairness I only changed from the Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse to Maybelline Satin Liquid but I thought today I would do like a comparison of the 2, so you can see what one may suit you best.
I have been really happy with both of these foundations and they have served me really well. They are both really long lasting which is one of the biggest things with, not just foundation but all make-up . However the first problem though that I had with these foundations was even though they are from the same brand my skin tone was different colours for both of them, which mean that I actually spent money on a foundation that wasn't my colour and had to go back and buy another one. So first up is coverage, I find that the Satin Liquid has a much better coverage as it is more liquidy which made it much easier to get all over my face. The Dream Matte Mousse I found was much better for just applying to small areas of the face such as the T-zone. Although the coverage isn't amazing for the Dream Matte Mousse, I definitely find that it is much lighter on my face than the Satin Liquid and it can become a little sticky on my face which is annoying. However the satin Liquid does tend to have a more flawless look on my face and it really evens out my skin tine and is very good at covering up whereas, although it is good for the cover-up, the Dream Matte Mousse can sometimes become a bit chalky looking on my face, which is not a good look. I mainly use the Maybelline Satin Liquid but if I am having days where I don't need much make-up or want to let my skin breath then I will go for the Dream Matte Mousse. The Dream Matte Mousse was the first proper foundation I started using and I think it is a great starter foundation as it is super easy to apply and its really light on your skin. On the other and if you are looking for a foundation with a better coverage then I would definitely recommend the Satin Liquid.
Maddie x
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
Shopping Haul // Back to college clothes and Camden Market!
Back to college shopping!
As summer draws to a close I decided it was probably time I started thinking about back to college clothes *BOOO* so as it has just been payday *WHOOO* I decided to go out and try and buy some good stuff for college! The dress code for my college is formal, and not to revealing, considering it is an all boys school with a mixed sixth form!! Boobs and butt out in an all boys school is never good!!!! Unfortunately this makes finding clothes really difficult and for me and my friend and it becomes a daily struggle trying not to wear the same thing everyday! So without further ado here is my 'back to college haul'!
First up is a pair of tight black trousers which I brought from H&M! The thing I like most about these trousers is how I can pretty much put them with anything and they will look good, and they make my legs look great! They have a zip at the side which I am not so fond of but my college won't accept jeans and with a zip on the side, they can't be classed as jeans HAHA!! I did used to have a pair like this but they didn't fit properly and were a little uncomfortable so I decided to purchase another pair in the right size.
Secondly is this super cute black and white Swallow vest top! This top is so flowy and I love the print! I also think that the bow on the back is such a nice detail. This top looks great tucked in or not and is a really easy top to wear to school as it is really comfy. This top is from Primark.
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| Front |
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| Back |
For the colder weather I decided to buy a white knitted cardigan! I love these sort of cardigans as I think they go with most things and they are so snugly! I have a deep red one like this but I really wanted a cream one as it goes with more! This cardigan is from Topshop!
Next up is this Burgundy Skater dress, I really like skater dress's as I think they make my legs look really good. I've always had the problem of the neckline not being right for my bust on skater dress's but low and behold this has just the right neckline! It is a slightly textured dress which I love and will be awesome for those school days where I really cant be bothered to formulate an outfit so I can just throw it on with a pair of tights some flats and a cardigan. This was from primark in the sale!
Shoes are always a struggle for school so I went into New Look looking for just an easy pair of black pumps but ended up coming out with a black pair of Toms! I thought these shoes were super cute and would go with most things! Unfortunately they probably wont be very good for the winter but for now I think there great and there a big difference to the usual Vans I wear.
Next up is this Burgundy Skater dress, I really like skater dress's as I think they make my legs look really good. I've always had the problem of the neckline not being right for my bust on skater dress's but low and behold this has just the right neckline! It is a slightly textured dress which I love and will be awesome for those school days where I really cant be bothered to formulate an outfit so I can just throw it on with a pair of tights some flats and a cardigan. This was from primark in the sale!
Shoes are always a struggle for school so I went into New Look looking for just an easy pair of black pumps but ended up coming out with a black pair of Toms! I thought these shoes were super cute and would go with most things! Unfortunately they probably wont be very good for the winter but for now I think there great and there a big difference to the usual Vans I wear.
Lastly for back to school clothes, and probably my favourite, is a massive green Trench coat! I have been wanting one of these for ages and finally I found one in H&M. I have been using the same coat for about 4 years and previous to that it was my mums so I thought it was high time I invested in a new coat. It wasn't the cheapest of coats coming in at £50 but it is such a great coat and its so super duper warm! Another great thing about this coat is it has deep pockets and as a girl I can rarely find coats that have actual pockets so that made me extremely happy and I can keep all my crap in there! I am also going to Russia with my school in October so I thought this would be brilliant for keeping me warm out there!
Camden Market
A day later I went to Camden market. For those who haven't been to Camden market it is a town in London famed for its huge adjoining retail market's, there are little stalls and market halls all over selling all manner of things such as clothes, food, jewellery, bric-a-brac etc. Its has quite a arty culture with a lot of different people selling things there and there is always something interesting to buy. The thing with Camden though, is there are a lot of stalls selling the same thing so you have to look around to find the best value for money and also you can very quickly spend a lot of money on a lot of rubbish so I was pretty conservative with what I bought.
I have always had an obsessions with unique looking bracelets so while I was there I bought 4 new bracelets! All the bracelets were under £2 which was nice and they are all really different looking which I love. |
The second vest top I brought is this music inspired one! I thought the design was gorgeous and being a musician I loved the use of the staves and the notes flying off as birds.
So definitely, in my opinion, 2 successful days of shopping! I did buy some more make-up (obviously) but I will review that in later blog and I actually brought more food in Camden than I did actual things as there are so many awesome food stalls from different countries and I just wanted to try it all. If you get the chance I would definitely recommend going to Camden. I also realised how depressing back to school clothes shopping is!
Maddie x
Thursday, 29 August 2013
Best Website ever
So basically this is the website that answers the age old question asked by Robin Thicke 'What rhymes with hug me'! This is my favourite website in the world!
http://whatrhymeswithhug.me/#
http://whatrhymeswithhug.me/#
Gymnastics.
So as a part time job, I work at a non-competitive children's gymnastics club. I have always been relatively gymnastic but I never did it at a club, I can do cartwheels, one handed cartwheels and round-off's but I really took the job because I like working with kids. Since working there though I have learnt how to do quite a lot of gymnastics, so I thought what the heck I may as well show off some of my new skills! I intend to do these types of posts as I learn to do new gymnastics things but here are my first few!
Handstand walkover
The only problem with this is I need to land with my feet together!!!!
Handstand
I also love the sun in this photo.
Straddle forward roll
This roll although it looks easy is actually quite difficult as you have to push your whole body up and back through your legs. Excuse the awful thumbnail for this video as well!!
Bad Hair Days
BAD HAIR DAYS
Quick and easy fixes for bad hair days
We all have them, I know I do, the dreaded.....BAD HAIR DAYS! When you have hair like mine it is a regular occurrence. So to fight this issue I have a few quick fixes that I always go-to when I have given up n my hair.
'The Messy Sock Bun'
What you need for this style is a sock bun, a hair band and some Kirby grips.
So this is my take on your average sock bun, my hair is way to unruly to put into a proper neat sock bun so I like to go for a more messed up style.
- To start what you need to make is the sock bun, to do this grab an old sock, cut about a centimetre off the end of the sock until, so you can put your hand right the way through the sock. Then roll the sock up until it forms a doughnut shape.
- Next take all of your hair and lightly brush over the top of it, don't brush your hair completely as this will take the volume out of it. Then grab the sock bun and all of your hair, hold your hair right up above your head and put the bun at the top of your hair, then roll the bun down your hair creating a doughnut on top of your head (don't worry if any falls out, you can always clip it back, or leave it, that's what makes it messy) See picture above.
- At this point you should have a loose doughnut bun on top of your head. This is the stage where you can pull out any hairs you don't want in the bun or make the whole thing looser .
- Then take your hair band and tie it round the bottom of the doughnut bun, just to hold it in place(this step can be missed if you feel like the bun is stable enough to just be held with Kirby grips.)
- Finally start clipping the bun into place and also any bits of hair that may have fallen out.
The fish Tail plait.
There are many ways to do this plait, I personally prefer to do it in one coming down the side of my face. So I am going to show you the basic way to do a fish tail plat and then your free to interpret it how you like!
- First begin by brushing your hair until there are no knots.
- Then split the hair into two divisions. To make this simpler I am going to call the divisions A and B. Take a small section from the side of division A that is furthest away from division B and bring that section over to division B.Then repeat this but the opposite way round i.e. taking a small section of division B and taking it over to section A. Then repeat this process till you have plaited all the hair.
So this style is pretty self explanatory,a nice high pony tail is always good as it keeps the unruly hair off your face whilst also making you not look bald!
Everyone has a different way of doing pony tails but I like to bend over(not like that ;)) gather all of my hair and whilst still bent over tie my hair up relatively loosely. Then I come up and move the ponytail into the right place, preferably on the top and back of my head. Finally I pull out any hairs I want to be hanging out and bring the hair to one said of my head. I like to accessories this look with my Sunnies (£16 from Topshop).
Pushed back
Lastly and probably the easiest and the look I use the most! Using a pair of sun glasses to push your hair off your face. This is probably the way I wear my hair the most, its easy,quick,practical and look pretty good!!!
Maddie x
P.s thank you to Sarah for her photography skills
Lipstick, Lip Butters and Lip Crayons // Top 4 lipsticks
I love lipstick, I feel like it can really make or break a look, but I always find it so hard to know which ones are good and which ones are well....not so good. There are so many different things to think about when choosing lipsticks like, How long does it stay on for? Is it to heavy or barely there at all? Do they smell or taste funny? Do the colours look like the brand say they do when they are on your lips? So to answer these questions I have compiled a list of my 4 favourite lip products.
At number 4 we have the Kate Moss lipstick from Rimmel. After hearing a lot of people raving about these lipsticks I finally decided to go out and buy myself one, I bought number 110, which is a really bright pinky orange colour. The first thing that struck me abut these was the colour itself as it is excellent and looks just how it looks like it should on my lips, the lipsticks are really pigmented, which gives a really bright matte finish cover. The lipstick is not amazingly long lasting but holds well when drinking and eating, which I love!
Unfortunately I was not as taken aback by these lipsticks as I thought I would be. I found that they have a slightly strange smell and taste to them and they were also very heavy on my lips. I also found that they weren't very easy at all to put on which, wasn't great for me as i have a shaky hand as it is! Overall, I do really enjoy this lipstick I think the range of colours that Rimmel have are excellent, there is definitely something for everyone. They are pretty good for the day if your eating and drinking and they last for quite a long time! Unfortunately this lipstick is a bit to heavy for me and the smell and taste makes it hard for me to wear them for to long, and that is why this lipstick is coming in at number 4 on my scale. These cost £5.49 from Boots or Superdrug.
At number 3 are the Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butters. I really fell in love with these Lip Butters as I love how brilliant the colours were but also how soft they make your lips. These Lipsticks were my staple lipsticks for school because they weren't to heavy and just gave a subtle amount of colour and shine to your lips. They are great for when you have cracked lips as they really moisturise your lips whilst still giving you a great colour. These lipsticks have a lovely sweet smell to them and are so silky smooth to apply. The two colours I have are 090 Sweet Tart which is a gorgeous bright pink colour and 015 Tutti Frutti which is a summery orange colour and great for this weather. The Colour itself is pretty good although not necessarily as bright as I would have liked and although they last for quite a long time the colour does fade as they day goes, eventually leaving you with just a shine to your lips, which is better than nothing. These Lip Butters are definitely a must have as they are great for days where you have cracked lips or cant be bothered with a full face of make-up but still want some colour on your lips. So at number 3 its the Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butters. These cost £7.99 from Boots or Superdrug.
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| As you can see I get a lot of use out of these |
Number 2 on my scale is another Revlon Lipstick, they really know how to make a good lipstick! These are the Revlon super Lustrous Lipstick's. I got these Lipsticks as a birthday present from a guy friend who had been told to get me the Revlon Lip Butters but being a guy and not knowing much about make-up got me these instead, but I am so glad he did. These Lipsticks tick pretty much all the boxes. The colour of them on the lips is perfect, they are so pigmented and they have a gorgeous matte finish. They are not to heavy but not to light and they usually last the whole evening and they have little to no smell at all. The two colours I have are 424 Amethyst Shell which is an insanely gorgeous pinky silvery colour(definitely my favourite lip colour in the world) and 028 Cherry Blossom which is a elegant deep red colour. These lipsticks are great for nights out and look great all night. I have one tiny issue with these lipsticks which is they are not as silky and easy to apply as other lipsticks and I do usually need to be right by a mirror to apply these properly but otherwise these are definitely well deserving of being at number 2 in the scale, definitely a good mistake of a present. These cost £7.49 from Boots or Superdrug.
AND FINALLY COMING IN AT NUMBER 1 IS................*drumroll*............. THE BOURJOIS COLOUR BOOST LIP CRAYON! There has been a lot of hype about these lip crayon's and I can understand why. There are 4 colours, red sunshine, Fuchsia Libre, Orange Punch and Peach on the Beach. The 2 colours I have are Red Sunshine, which is a bright red and Orange Punch which is a bright orange colour, both great for the summer. The thing I love about these Lip Crayons is some lip crayons tend to feel very sticky on your lips but these are so moisturising and feel so silky smooth. The colours hold for absolutely ages with a high gloss finish and can also withstand a quite a lot of water(I say quite a lot I went swimming with one on and it lasted pretty well for the first half hour or so) One other thing I love about these is how easily they come off without leaving any trace behind which is very rare with waterproof lip products. They are great for applying on the go as they are so easy to apply and, if you do make a mistake they come of your skin with no hassle. I only have one problem with these Lip Crayons and that is they are so darn good that I wish there were more colours!
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| Again you can see the amount that I use these! |
Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Hi.
Hi.
I have never done anything like this before, so I would like to start by apologising in advance for me appalling English and writing skills.
I should probably start by introducing myself, I am Maddie. I am (at the current time I am writing this) 17 years old and in my second year of A-levels, studying BTEC Drama and History, my dream is to become an actress hence why I am doing a BTEC in Drama!Outside of college I love Music and play piano, guitar and I sing, I have a YouTube page if your interested where I do covers. If you have the chance please check it out! The link is www.youtube.com/MadeleineWilliamsxxx (I know the name is awful but I made it when I was like 12......don't judge) so that's the formal stuff over!
I haven't the foggiest idea why I started this blog but I think it may have something to do with my mum. How my mum? Well 2 years ago my Mum became ill with a rare type cancer called Multiple Myloma and because my parents split up when I was very little it had always been just my Mum and I. I have great relationship with my dad but he has always lived quite far away, so because of this I effectively became her full-time carer (with the help of family and friends). After just under a year of fighting my mum lost her battle to cancer and she died on the 6th of march 2011. Since then, my life has changed considerably, not completely in a bad way though, I live with my best friend and her family, which is pretty awesome most of the time, but very different to what I am used to! I haven't quite worked out what this has to do with me wanting to start a blog but my mum definitely has something to do with it. I feel like this is a good escape from everything and a good way to share all my thoughts and opinions........on what? I am not sure of that yet! But I think it will come.So this is the start of what may last a month, two months or the rest of my life who knows but we shall find out!
Well that's the end of the.......introduction to my blog, if that's what you can call it! Thank you very much for reading this and listen to me waffle on, I realise how cheesy this all must have sounded. I am going to tell you that I am terrified of posting this as I am aware of how unbelievably awful it is, I was so close to giving up as I feel like you need to have an English A-level to write something like this but I have made myself carry on to the end! PERSEVERANCE.....! Anyway thanks for reading to the end and I will start posting properly soon!!!!
Maddie
I have never done anything like this before, so I would like to start by apologising in advance for me appalling English and writing skills.
I should probably start by introducing myself, I am Maddie. I am (at the current time I am writing this) 17 years old and in my second year of A-levels, studying BTEC Drama and History, my dream is to become an actress hence why I am doing a BTEC in Drama!Outside of college I love Music and play piano, guitar and I sing, I have a YouTube page if your interested where I do covers. If you have the chance please check it out! The link is www.youtube.com/MadeleineWilliamsxxx (I know the name is awful but I made it when I was like 12......don't judge) so that's the formal stuff over!
I haven't the foggiest idea why I started this blog but I think it may have something to do with my mum. How my mum? Well 2 years ago my Mum became ill with a rare type cancer called Multiple Myloma and because my parents split up when I was very little it had always been just my Mum and I. I have great relationship with my dad but he has always lived quite far away, so because of this I effectively became her full-time carer (with the help of family and friends). After just under a year of fighting my mum lost her battle to cancer and she died on the 6th of march 2011. Since then, my life has changed considerably, not completely in a bad way though, I live with my best friend and her family, which is pretty awesome most of the time, but very different to what I am used to! I haven't quite worked out what this has to do with me wanting to start a blog but my mum definitely has something to do with it. I feel like this is a good escape from everything and a good way to share all my thoughts and opinions........on what? I am not sure of that yet! But I think it will come.So this is the start of what may last a month, two months or the rest of my life who knows but we shall find out!
Well that's the end of the.......introduction to my blog, if that's what you can call it! Thank you very much for reading this and listen to me waffle on, I realise how cheesy this all must have sounded. I am going to tell you that I am terrified of posting this as I am aware of how unbelievably awful it is, I was so close to giving up as I feel like you need to have an English A-level to write something like this but I have made myself carry on to the end! PERSEVERANCE.....! Anyway thanks for reading to the end and I will start posting properly soon!!!!
Maddie
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