Florida Beauty Haul

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Hannah

So I got home from Florida at five to seven this morning and I’m so sad my holiday is over.

It was amazing. It felt pretty special that it was our last proper family holiday ever, just the four of us, and also a bit bittersweet. Our villa was lovely, situated just the right distance away from I-Drive and the parks (about 15 minutes from Disney, 25-30 mins from Universal) and we had a great two weeks of doing loads.

AND I MET DONALD. I MET DONALD FOUR TIMES.

(I do realise there are only three pictures up there; the first picture of me and Donald isn’t my favourite, but it is on Instagram if you really want to see it…)

Apart from going  to Disney World and Universal Studios and playing Adventure Golf (Pirate’s Cove is one of the best!) we also went shopping… which is really what you’re interested in, isn’t it!?

Here is everything I got, beauty-wise! I fell in love with Sephora- oh my God, so beautiful!- and enjoyed rooting around Walmart, Walgreens, Target and CVS on my hunt for Nyx (couldn’t find any until we went to a Super Target on the last day!) and Wet ‘n’ Wild. I got bits from Wet ‘n’ Wild, Nyx, Kat Von D, MAC, Anastasia Beverly Hills, OCC and Eos.

So here’s the least interesting of my purchases. I got Nyx HD Studio Finishing Powder, which I haven’t tried yet but think that it looks good! The little skull bottle is a Blackheart Cosmetics Roll-On perfume that smells gorgeous (and I actually bought it from Torrid!) and I got two flavours of Eos lip balm; Pomegranate Raspberry and Sweet Mint.

Here we have the eye and face make up that I bought! The blush powder is a Sephora Collection Colorful Blush in Tranquil, which is a taupey contour colour and darker than Nyx Taupe but a good substitute as I couldn’t find it anywhere (more expensive though!). I also got the Wet ‘n’ Wild palette in Comfort Zone, a Nyx palette in Sex Bomb, Kat Von D tattoo liner in Trooper, an Anastasia Brow Wiz in Chocolate (I was unsure which shade to get but so far this looks like an appropriate pick!) and a Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk.

Here’s the beautiful Nyx palette- I thought the selection of colours looked interesting and the inclusion of red intrigued me!

The swatch underneath the shadows is the Sephora blush- I can’t wait to try chiseling my cheekbones with it! As you can see from the shadows, the lighter two matte shades aren’t greatly pigmented but on the whole they’re nice shadows.

And two things that most people familiar with the blogging/vlogging world will be very familiar with: the Wet ‘n’ Wild Comfort Zone palette and the Nyx Jumbo pencil in Milk.

The white line is obviously the jumbo pencil- I got this to try and make my brighter shadows, like the ones in my beloved Mermaids vs Unicorns palette, pop more. As for the Comfort Zone palette- I get the hype! The shadows are all buttery soft and super pigmented and that blue/brown duochrome shade is stunning.

And the lip products! I know, I know; last thing I needed is more lip products! But I could not help myself. I got two samples of OCC lip tars in Technopagan and Black Metal Dhalia, and a full sized Lip Tar in Role Play. I also got two Kat Von D Studded Kiss lipsticks in Wolvesmouth and A-Go-Go and one Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Echo. Next I got two of the new MAC Matte collection lipstick (that I’m sure aren’t even out in the UK yet…) in Stone and Royal, and two Nyx lip products- an Intense Butter Gloss in Berry Strudel and a Simply Vamp lip cream in Temptress.

The swatch on top is Stone, and then from left-right we have A-Go-Go, Wolvesmouth, Temptress, Berry Strudel, Echo and Royal. I wanted to get Poe from Kat Von D but it was sold out everywhere so I got Echo (and Royal) instead.

I can’t wait to try out all my new bits! Have you tried any of these?

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The Disney Tag!

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Hannah

So… today I am at Disney Magic Kingdom (meeting Donald!) and so I thought I’d post a Disney Tag. I will be doing one of these tags (well, a few of them!) on my YouTube channel when I get back from America so stay tuned!

1. What’s your favorite Disney movie?

Beauty and the Beast. I love pretty much every Disney movie I’ve ever seen (except that I can’t watch either Bambi or the Fox & The Hound because… I just can’t) but BATB will always be my number one.

2. What Disney character do you relate to the most?

Belle! Maybe this is why it’s my favourite but I’ve always thought I was pretty Belle-like. She’s girlier than I am but being a bit of an outsider and having a tendency to lose oneself in a book amongst other things are definitely some things I can relate to!

3. What Disney girl is the prettiest?

I don’t actually know which Disney girl is the prettiest… I always thought Mulan and Pocahontas were pretty, as are Aurora and Esmerelda and Belle (obv) and Jasmine… though tbh they’re all pretty! Kida from Atlantis is gorgeous actually.

4. What Disney guy is the hottest?

… is it wrong that I’m tempted to say Beast, before the change?! Flynn Rider is pretty hot though.

5. Who is your favorite side kick?

I have three. And I shall quote them and then hope that you just KNOW who they are.

a) “And as I’ve always said, if it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it!” b) “And what are you, a sheep!?” c) “Go to bed, y’all from Shreveport!?”

6. Favorite villain?

This is a hard one to choose a favourite for. I love Maleficent, and Scar, and Hades. And Doctor Facilier. Not sure I could pick a top favourite from those.

7.All time favorite Disney soundtrack?

The Beauty and the Beast soundtrack will never fail to give me goosebumps, but I also love the soundtracks for The Hunchback of Notre Dame (HELLFIRE! DARKFIRE! NOW GYPSY IT’S YOUR TURN!) and Pocahontas. And The Little Mermaid (Part of Your World is just my song, okay?)

8. Scene in Disney film that makes you cry?

There are SO MANY. So many. Mufasa dying, the Beast almost-dying, Pocahontas’ final farewell to John Smith, Esmerelda almost-dying, Ray getting squished… SO MANY.

9. Who’s your least favorite Disney character?

Ohhh… OOOH. This is a tough question. Really tough. I don’t know if I can answer it!

10. Which scene in a Disney film makes you mad?

I’m usually too happy to be mad in a Disney movie…

11. Have you ever been to a Disney park?

YES!

12. Disneyland or Disneyworld?

Walt Disney World ❤

13. Do you prefer 2D animation or 3D animation?

I’m a traditionalist, so 2D.

14. What is a fairly tale or theme you would want in the next disney film?

I would love to see them do some of the Anansi stories, and part of me has a bit of a sick fascination with a Disney take on Beowulf. As for fairy tales, I want them to do Bluebeard or The Goose Girl, because they were always two of my favourite fairy tales as a child.

15. Favorite thing you own that is Disney?

My Donald mug! I have so much Disney merchandise though, I also love my Beast plushie.

16. First Disney film you have seen?

If it counts as a film, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day/Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree. Blustery Day was the first video my brother and I ever owned.

17. Last Disney film you have currently watched?

I can’t actually remember, but I think it would be Peter Pan.

18. Is there a Disney movie you have not seen?

Not many- things like Home on the Range and Chicken Little, I think, are the only ones I’ve never seen.

19. What is a animated non-Disney movie that you like?

How to Train Your Dragon, Howl’s Moving Castle… I like lots of non-Disney animation.

20. Favorite Disney quote from any Disney film?

See my sidekicks post, the first quote there ha!

21. Which upcoming Disney film are you most looking forward to see?

The live action Beauty and the Beast!

22. Last question which main Disney character (Mickey for example) is your favorite?

DONALD BLOOMIN’ DUCK.

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Music Monday #5

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Hannah

As you read this post, I shall be at Disney Hollywood Studios- yay! I’m still going to post about the songs I’ve been mostly listening to this week…

1. Iggy Azalea- Black Widow feat. Rita Ora

So… yeah. I love this song. I’m not even sorry. I really, really like Iggy Azalea. I was listening to this with my brother the other day and he was like “… okay so she can rap, I’ll give her that!”

2. Bastille- Pompeii

I don’t know what it is about this tune, but it has been stuck in my head all week. Seriously.

3. Immortal- Tyrants

This is a classic and it never fails to make me smile- which is weird, cos it’s black metal, but whattya gonna do!? I will always be annoyed with myself for falling ill during their headlining set at Bloodstock, I remember being semi conscious in the medical tent and suddenly saying “OMG TYRANTS” as I could hear it in the distance.

4. Fleetwood Mac- Little Lies

This is another classic. The chorus is just amazing and the lyrics are pretty good too. I love a bit of Fleetwood Mac.

5. AFI- Days of the Phoenix

And yet another classic, but you know me. How could I go a week without including an AFI song!?

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What’s In My… Hand Luggage! (YouTube)

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Hannah

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USA Wishlist 2015

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Hannah

So I’m sitting here, with hair dye on my head, a few things left to pack in my hand luggage but currently the only one in my house who’s packed her suitcase…

And I’m going on holiday TOMORROW.

I’m so excited! I probably won’t be able to sleep tonight, it’s that bad.

I’M GOING TO MEET DONALD, YOU GUYS!?

Aaaanyway, I thought I’d do a quick post to share with you some of the things I’m hoping to pick up whilst I’m out there- because honestly, could I go all the way to the United States of America and not make a pilgrimage to Sephora?

The answer’s no, obviously.

USA Wishlist 2015

Soooooo this is kind of a small selection of the sort of thing I’m after; and yes, there is a lot of Kat von D! I mainly want to try to get things that are either exclusive to the USA, or much cheaper! From Kat von D I’d like to see if I can pick up some of her Studded Kiss lipsticks (especially the colours Hexagram, Wolvesmouth and Poe), maybe her Lock It Concealer or Foundation and her Tattoo Liner in Trooper, and also an Everlasting Liquid Lipstick (maybe Bauhau5, A-Go-Go, Lolita or Outlaw). Maybe also her Chrysalis palette because the colours look so pretty! I’d also like to have a look at Formula X nailpolishes- the Hologram and Matte Metallic finishes look so nice. Another couple of brands I’d love to have a peek at is Bite Beauty, especially their lip pencils, and the much lauded Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wizz, amongst other products from the line. Finally, I want to look at Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, especially their Lip Tars! I’ve no idea what shades are available at the moment or anything like that but I want to see!
I also would like to rummage through their drugstore makeup offerings, especially Nyx, Covergirl (even though it’s basically the same as MaxFactor I’ve heard they have differing quality levels!) and Wet ‘n’ Wild.
What products would you like to recommend?
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Music Monday #4

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Hannah

Another Monday, another load of videos for you! No pre-amble this week; let’s get straight to the music.

1. Dimmu Borgir- Dimmu Borgir

This is one of my favourite songs of all time. I think it’s the theatricality and use of the choir, but also it’s just an amazing call to arms for any Dimmu Borgir fan. My favourite bit starts at about 2:17 minutes in and peaks at the amazing bit of orchestration at 2:47-3:02. Just… it gets to me somewhere deep inside. I love it.

2. AFI- Medicate

I’ve spoken before about how Crash Love isn’t my favourite AFI album but this song has been on my playlist this week. There’s something about it that’s growing on me- in fact the whole record is growing on me!

3. Cradle of Filth- Right Wing of the Garden Triptych

Hammer of the Witches is out on Friday- I am so excited I can hardly wait! The album sounds like Cradle from a few years ago and I’m so looking forward to it. Hyped!

4. Kiuas- Warrior Soul

This is an oldie but a good one. It’s a real motivation song, gets the blood pumping. It’s a good one and has some insane guitar work, and to be honest I’ve always thought it was a shame that Kiuas didn’t get more recognition; they’re a solid symphonic sort of power metal band!

5. The Haunted Mansion- Grim Grinning Ghosts

I’m getting ready for my holiday; what can I say? I fully intend to remind myself of the lyrics before we go away, so I can sing this song the entire away around the ride at Disney Magic Kingdom. Yep, I’m gonna be that person!

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The Sunday Update #2

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Hannah

So it’s after midnight but I’m still awake so this totally counts as Sunday.

It’s been another interesting week, although nothing much has really happened. Well, some things have happened.

I had the Inset day at my new school for September, which was equal parts useful and terrifying and interesting and exciting. I’m going in this week for the handover morning, to meet my new class which will be fun. This whole teacher thing seems very very real now and I’m not sure how I feel about it all!

I also managed a run this morning; better than I’ve run in a while. I ran for 2.55 miles, slightly slower than I have been but I’m happy with that because I’m running! I ran along my ‘nightmare route’- rather than cutting it out, I included the horrible, super long and super deceptive gradual incline right at the beginning and I didn’t want to cry this time! I think the trick is to tell myself “yes, this bit is gonna suck, these next 10 minutes are going to be horrible, but you can see where it ends and you know the next bit is fine”. Self motivation!

I finished buying all the things I needed to get before I go on holiday, so now the countdown starts! I have four and a half days left in my job (ever!) and five days until we go to Florida, and I’m so excited. I’m a bit weirded out about leaving my job- I don’t think it’s properly sunk in yet- but I’m sure it’ll hit me on Friday at the staff BBQ. However, tonight we organised what days we’re going to go to each theme park (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure and all four Disney parks) and I booked our Fast Passes for the Disney parks- I’m like a child, I’m so excited! I can’t wait to go now! I’ll start writing all of my to-pack lists and hopefully I’ll get some of my library books read so I can take them back to the library and either get some new ones out for my holiday or just renew the ones I don’t manage to read.

I thought I’d show you my outfit from today. I was in a bit of a ‘black metal chick’ sort of mood- I’ve not worn a band t-shirt apart from working out in ages- and so I teamed my new-ish ripped skinny jeans from Yours with my Watain t-shirt. Nice and relaxed and casual but I still think it looks pretty good.

As a bit of a change from the norm, I thought I’d share the YouTube video I made for my Sunday update with you all! It’s got the details of my last pre-holiday haul as well as other little bits. I’d really appreciate if you liked my video (if you like it!) or even subscribed to my channel if you’re so inclined!

How was your Sunday?

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June Favourites

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Hannah

Okay… I’ll hold my hands up here and beg for your forgiveness. I’m 5 days late with my favourites post!

In my defense, I had this all ready to go (and my video filmed) on the first of June… but I fell asleep before I wrote the post, or published the video, so the vlog didn’t go live until the next day… and then I fell asleep after it had uploaded so I didn’t get to write this…

Excuse excuse excuse, bla bla bla, so on and so forth…

But it’s here! Here it is! My June favourites!

Here are my favourites for last month. A couple of non-beauty items in there; aren’t you proud!?

My beauty favourites from last month are a bit of a mixed bunch. Clockwise from the top, we have the Makeup Revolution Mermaids vs Unicorns palette; you guys know how much I love this, right? This is my current favourite palette (… of all time?) and I just can’t get over the shades or how good they all are. I tested out some of the ‘Unicorn’ shades at the weekend and they’re just as good as the ‘Mermaid’ side so I’m a happy bunny! Next is the Urban Decay All Nighter makeup setting spray, and this stuff is amazing. I’ll often mix it in with my foundation as I apply it, as well as spraying everything after my whole face is on (but BEFORE mascara and/or liquid liner!) and it really does what it says on the tin, so to speak. I’m going to grab a full sized bottle ASAP! Next round is my MAC Pro Longwear Foundation; I have it in NC15. This is my current favourite foundation and I just love it. It goes on well, it’s long wearing and doesn’t give you ‘flat face’ in the same way a lot of my other bases do. We then have Soap & Glory Make Yourself Youthful Sunshield Superfluid with an SPF of 50, and this is an essential product this time of the year. It works well alongside other moisturising products but is pretty good as a moisturiser by itself, and it offers a really good level of protection. Back to makeup, my next favourite is the Urban Decay Ink For Eyes waterproof precision eye pen, which is possibly my new holy grail liquid liner pen. It’s solid black, easy to apply and the nib is the perfect thinness to get a really precise, thin line. Finally, there’s the E.L.F. Professional Smudge Eye Sponge, maybe a bit of a strange pick but I’ve used it so much this month to smudge out my liner and it’s just a really good, straightforward member of my brush/tools collection. I’ve had it in the makeup bag I take out and about with me and it’s also pretty good for tidying things up if product has transferred around my eye.

Lastly, here are my non-beauty favourites from June. The first one is Burials by AFI, which is possibly my single most played album from the whole month. AFI are one of my favourite bands of all time, if not the sole favourite, and their latest release (although it’s a couple of years old now) is phenomenal. There’s not a bad track on there and until recently it’s been in my car every single day. A great album. My final favourite is my Yankee Candle in Beach Flowers; a perfect summer scent! I tend to like the more earthy, outdoorsy sort of scents from Yankee, though I do like a floral or a fruity scent sometimes, and this is the best of all of those things. I got it for my birthday a couple of years ago and it’s still going strong so it’s well worth the (slightly ridiculous) price!

What were your favourite things from last month?

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The Hair Dilemma

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Hannah

So.

I want to talk to y’all about hair. My hair, specifically, but a more general discussion on that stuff that grows out of our heads.

I go through stages with my hair, and my hair wants, etc. I pretty much want to change it all the time but my main hair desires flit between gorgeous, gothy, mermaidy lengths and short, sharp, messy cuts.

Does anyone else have that? That hair envy of both those girls with Morticia Addams length locks, that flow down their backs and swish around by their waists, and then those girls with the briefest, flirtiest and punkiest of pixie cuts, all ears on show and swanlike necks and tiny little elfin features?

I seriously suffer from that.

I even have the Pinterest board to prove it.

Currently, my board is mainly filled with short to bob haircuts and I think I’m going to go for the chop again, hopefully before I go on holiday. It’s just my hair is so thick and it’s so hot right now, especially at night, and it’s going to be even hotter and more humid in Florida guys, and right now my hair’s at that length where it’s sitting in an annoying place on the back of my neck/my upper back and it’s just… argh!

Thing is… part of me wants to stick it out and grow it out as long as I can stand it again. But I don’t know if I can bare it.

Also… Whilst I’m still not super confident with my hair and being a fatter kinda lady, I think I do look better with shorter hair. And even though I hated it the last time I cut it short short (so… a couple of years ago), I think this time as I’d be making the choice myself and actually want it cut it’ll be totally different. There won’t be a job or whatever standing over me forcing me to chop off my mid back length hair.

I also kinda want to change the colour. Either go super duper dark again, or a bit blonde, or ‘rose gold’ (check out Zoe Newlove’s hair here, this is pretty much one of the cuts and colours I’m lusting over now!), or super red/ginger or anything. Girl just needs to experiment with her look, y’know?

To give you some idea of some of the ‘sleb sort of hair I’m lusting after at the moment (also, ha, none of these ladies have the same face shapes as me as far as I’m aware)… but also remember I have a TONNE of different cuts on my pinterest but I don’t want to include the images here!:

Julianne Hough’s hair here is just gorgeous, especially the way it’s a little shorter in the back without looking all horrific and stacked ‘mom-bob’ sort of thing.

But I also love it (maybe more!?) once she shortened it more.

Lily Collins is another one. Her short bob is just… stunning. Again the perfect amount of versatility, a little longer in front… beaut.

Her newer short hair, however… ugh. Just look at it, guys.

Even on her ‘dressing down’ days her hair looks perfect.

Hayley Williams is another person I have major hair envy for. I wasn’t totally enamoured with her totally blunt cut, super short bob- it looked a bit like a helmet, to be frank- but now it’s grown out, ohmyword.

I of course have super hair-colour envy too. The cut here is perfect, though. Again the versatility of that long-ish undercut- she can brush it over to look like an asymmetrical pixie, she can wear it like a short-ish bob… just unf.

Sienna Miller’s also got it going on right now, guys.

I don’t think any of these ladies have the same sort of hair as me, though, nor do they have the same sort of face shape, and I’m still a bit self conscious about my fat face/potential for double chin.

So what’s a girl to do!?

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Music Monday #3

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Hannah

This week has been a weird one for music. I’ve been listening to AFI almost non stop- where’s the change there- but it’s been pretty much metal, metal METAL otherwise.

Oh, and show tunes.

1. AFI- Deep Slow Panic

I’ve still got Burials on repeat- can’t say enough how much I love that album. This is a really lovely song, the lyrics are really bittersweet and again sort of sum up my mental state.

2. Iron Maiden- Can I Play With Madness

Can’t go wrong with a bit of Maiden! This song, incidentally, is a brilliant ‘running’ song. I flew down the section of my running route when this came on in my playlist, it’s just amazing and it’s surprisingly fun to air-guitar along to as you run.

3. Cradle of Filth- Mannequin

Cradle are one of my favourite bands. I’ll probably get lynched for saying this, but I find them and Dimmu Borgir pretty similar and the two of those bands are constantly vying for a spot on my Top 5/10 favourite bands list. Maybe it’s because their new album Hammer of The Witches is out next Friday,  but Cradle are currently winning. This song is a beaut.

4. Turisas- To Holmgard and Beyond

Turisas, however, are a permanent fixture on my favourites list. They’re just… they’re perfect, and they’re one of the best bands I have ever seen live (and I’ve seen them twice!). This is another song on my running list that just made the struggle I was having melt away temporarily into joy as I listened to this awesomeness. Running across a field and shouting “Rather sold as a slave to the Saracens than chained to your bed, chained by your life!” at a load of startled horses is quite a good way to spend a morning.

5. Beauty and the Beast Original Broadway Cast- If I Can’t Love Her

And here’s the show tune! I was having a mammoth chat about Beauty and the Beast with a friend the other day and for the rest of the evening I just listened to this over and over. It’s such a beautiful song; you can hear the pain in the Beast’s voice as he sings, so poignant and just ugh. This is one of my favourite songs of all time so I never tire of hearing it (… and singing along to every single word.)

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