BEAUTY || Dream advent calendars ||

When October is coming to an end I officially think it is time to begin talking about Christmas. I have never understood why some people don't like Christmas but for me I am a total festive fanatic. 

I came across some really exquisite looking advent calendars to help everyone get into the Christmas spirit. Looking at them made me really really excited for all the festivities to begin - but only in my dreams would I ever be able to afford these pricey advent calendars!

BENEFIT COUNTDOWN TO LOVE | £50 |

"Our one-of-a-kind advent calendar comes in a show-stopping Pop Art box and is filled with 24 fun and flattering beauty treasures! It contains a bevy of Benefit bestsellers and three glitzy little look goods…a charm necklace & bracelet and an adorable barrette. It’s the gift that gets more gorgeous every day!"

Only in my dreams would I have this advent calendar and if anyone does get it then I am extremely jealous as from what I've read on the internet it comes with some really lovely travel size items. It's Benefits first advent calendar and I can imagine it will be massively popular as the items included such as BADgal lash mascara and the High Beam highlighter are a couple of their ultimate best sellers. Amongst the beauty products the calendar also includes a horseshoe charm bracelet, a start charm necklace and a ribbon bow barrette.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PRODUCT ♥

BOOTS BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDAR | £30 |

"Wake up every morning to a new beauty treat and fill the month of december with gorgeous gifts to pamper yourself from head to toe.

Featuring brands such as;

Soap & Glory, Nails Inc, Paco Rabanne, Juicy Couture, Rimmel, Mavala, Umberto Giannini and Many More...."

Anything that promises Soap & Glory products is bound to be winner. I think this would be a really lovely replacement to the generic advent calendar. It promises to include products from some pretty well known brands in the beauty industry. Travel size perfumes are also included from Ghost, Juicy Couture and Paco Robanne (the Black XS Fragrance).

The only concern about this advent calendar is the Rimmel foundation thats included; as it comes in shade ivory. It seems a little daft to include a foundation when you are trying to hit a large target audience? - But apart from that I can't see how many people can complain about the goodies included. 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PRODUCT ♥

SELFRIDGES BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDAR | £84 |

"Selfridges' exclusive bijoux Christmas advent calendar brings you the best in beauty. From Viktor & Rolf, Yves Saint Laurent, Kiehl's and Giorgio Armani to Lancôme and Maison Martin Margiela, you can discover a precious treat behind every door to make you dazzle, sparkle and shine this festive season."

I don't know who these people are who can afford these kind of luxuries in life but they are obviously in a completely different world. I don't shop at Selfridges but if I did I would be really tempted to purchase this. From what I can see the products are extravagant and a real treat. 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PRODUCT ♥

CIATE MINI MANI ADVENT CALENDAR | £42 |

"Every girl's diary can now be filled with a daily dose of delectable mini nail treats, as behind each door lies a very colourful surprise. Gorgeously packaged with seventeen of Ciaté's bestselling miniPaint Pots, four mini Caviar blends, and three extremely special exclusive Paint Pot glitter shades you'll not find anywhere else, ever."

I love the idea of a nail varnish behind every door on the countdown to Christmas. There also looks like there will be mixture of different colours and nail effects included. Glitzy glittery nail varnishes always look nice around Christmas time!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PRODUCT ♥

CADBURY | £3.99 |

You can't really go wrong with a Cadbury advent calendar in my opinion - no matter how old you are! If you're like me and can't afford to part with your pennies for one of the beauty advents then don't worry; as there is still hope to enjoy the countdown to Christmas and not be out of pocket!

A true dream come true would be if Soap & Glory brought out their own advent calendar or even Yankee candles...christmassy scents behind each door! Now then I would be tempted.

Emily ♥

MUSIC || Who are The Castellers? ||

Being from the North has obviously had an impact on the music I have surrounded my ears with. From The Smiths to The Courteeners and being influenced by the poetic tongue of Morrissey, I have always appreciated the music scene that has emerged from the North. 

When I stumbled across The Castellers on Twitter I knew instantly that they were right up my street! I admired their ability to restore the 1960's vintage style into contemporary material. 

The Castellers are a currently unsigned British guitar band made up of five members: 

Ryan Healey - Vocals/22/Manchester

Russell Robertson - Lead guitar & Keys/28/Southport

Neil Troute - Rhythm guitar & vocals/25/Sheffield

Kieran Carter - Bass guitar/26/Southport

Paul Paterson - Drums/26/Southport

The Castellers had previously aborted attempt to start the band in 2011 with a slightly different line up. However due to the outlandish behaviour from various members of the band they  managed to get themselves barred from their rehearsal room and two main venues in Southport. 

Needless to say the band fell apart after a pitiful two months. It wasn't until late September 2012 when lead guitarist Russell moved to Sheffield that the band decided to start again. 

I knew right away that I wanted to do one of my first music blogs on The Castellers - and band member Russell was kind enough to answer some questions on behalf of all the band for me:


Firstly, can you tell us what the origin of your band name is?

The name came from the Catalan tradition of creating human towers. We thought concept of that was fitting the way we write/play; layering melodies with harmonies on top of lead guitar, rhythm guitar, keys, bass & drums. But more importantly it sounds decent. 

Being from the North could put you into the stereotype of indie bands like Oasis, The Smiths and The Courteeners. Do you think you stand out amongst these?

There's been a lot of great bands from the North West but I'm not sure we sound like many of them. I don't know if we do stand out, but if that is the case then its probably because we haven't tried hang onto the coattails of the 'indie' scene & imitate bands like The Arctic Monkeys. We make tracks that are influenced by a 1960's sound & we'd do that no matter what was popular at the time. Having said that with bands like Temples & The Strypes coming through, that authentic sound seems to be coming back in. 

"We haven't tried to hang onto the coattails of the 'indie' scene"

When did you realise that the music industry is where you wanted to be?

For me it was when I was 15, I watched a programme about Oasis & I was hooked. The style, attitude & music was something that I instantly identified with, or wanted to. 

What influences and inspires you to write about certain themes and topics in your material?

Our songs are usually quite abstract, but there's always a definite story within them, it's just hidden in a way. Ryan's our main lyricist, our latest track 'Elysian Fields' is one he wrote about an Ancient Greek concept. It's a place where those who were selected by the Gods would spend a blessed afterlife. 'Jackson In The Barrel' was one I wrote after hearing that some gunslingers in the Wild West days used to put a 20 dollar note in one of the barrels of their revolver, it'd pay for their funeral if they were killed (president Jackson is on the 20 dollar note). 

We get inspired by hearing about something a little bit different or interesting. But it's something that Ryan is particularly good at. 

[The Castellers latest track: Elysian Fields]

From your Twitter page it is obvious you respect your growing fan base. Why do you think it's important to show your appreciation to your fans?

When someone goes out of their way to say something nice about what your doing then you should show your appreciation. It means a lot to me because if someones genuinely into one of your tracks then that means you've created music that's sparked something in a person you've never met, and that's fuckin beautiful in my eyes. I'll always show my respect to the people who support us. 

"You've created music that's sparked something in a person you've never met, and that's fuckin beautiful"

Miles Kane is another success from the North and respected within the indie music community. Is he someone you as a band admire?

He's top live, me & Neil went to see him Sheffield a couple of weeks ago. Never met him, would be good to though. But I'm not overly fussed about meeting those who have made it, you get what you need from their music, but it's always good to meet people who are into their music though, shows they've got a bit of soul. Met Temples & The Merrylees after their gig a few weeks ago, they were all top. Also met Mani a few times, we played a gig for a 60s night he used to run in Manchester, he is a proper geezer. 

Do you like your music to be somewhat nostalgic to the 1960's era, despite many of your fan base not being around during this period?

Nowadays anyone can get hold of music from any country or era because of the internet. There's kids who are 15, 16 & are listening to rare 60s garage bands, which was pretty rare 10 or 15 years ago. So every band or artist has the choice of what they listen to or how they want to sound & there will be an audience for it. So there's no excuse for shit music or jumping on a bandwagon. We listen to 60s music so that's what we do. 

Where have you preformed and can you tell us about any upcoming gigs you are doing? 

We've played mainly around Sheffield, we've done Tramlines Festival, 02 Academy, Green Room, Showcase Cinema & a few other places. Really enjoy The Green Room though, they play the 60s Mod Stuff & it's a slightly run down, RocknRoll bar. Playing their on Wednesday 6th November & then the Lava Lounge on the 8th, both in Sheffield.

How does the future look for The Castellers?

We have a few gigs between now & Christmas. We're going back to the drawing board in January, we're writing new material now so we can start to rehearse & record early next year. We're hoping to evolve our sound a bit & see where it takes us. 2014 is a big year for us, we'll be hoping for management & a label. We're not quite where we need to be yet, but next year we will. 

TWITTER: @THECASTELLERS

FACEBOOK: THE CASTELLERS

Emily ♥

FASHION || Annie Haak ||

Personally I used to think that all jewellery whether it was designer or not looked exactly the same. I never once saw a piece and thought wow that is so unlike anything I have ever seen before. It just looked like an overpriced version of something I could find similar to at Topshop or New Look (or Primark on a really really good day.) 

It wasn't until my 18th birthday this year that I was introduced to a designer who I thought actually created original, feminine and just all round beautiful pieces. This was when I started to understand the love and obsession most girls have with jewellery.

Granted I had never heard of Annie Haak before, so when I unwrapped my present and saw a royal purple box with silver letters forming "Annie Haak" I was a bit baffled as to what would actually be inside. But needless to say what was inside was a treat and since then I have defiantly caught the Annie Haak bug.

What I was generously bought was a Sterling Silver Santi Butterfly Charm Bracelet. It comes with three equally stunning, sterling silver beaded bracelets, which I believe are all individually hand made. You also have the pleasant choice of engaging mantras such as: follow your dreams, laughter love life and the one I found inscribed on mine dream believe achieve. 

This has now become a piece of jewellery I most certainly cannot leave the house without. I wear it everyday no matter what I am doing; it just suits every occasion whether it be informal, work or going out. I also take great pride in telling my friends and family about Annie Haak designs when they ask where it is from as they notice how truly beautiful it is. 

After buying another piece by Annie Haak (this time from me to my mum who is another massive fan) it is clear how personal and beautifully handcrafted each piece is in the collection. As it was my mum who got me into the Haak craze I decided the perfect gift to buy her for her birthday was the Gili Sterling Silver Rosary Heart Necklace - and judging by the look on her face the morning she opened it, I can tell like myself she was not disappointed. 

The necklace has sterling silver balls between an elegant and divine sterling silver chain, which is joined by a small silver heart leading onto a longer chain. The most distinguishing feature of this necklace is the solid silver heart that falls attractively on top of any outfit (my mum wears it with a plain, white collar uniform and honestly it even makes that look stunning!)

With Christmas rapidly approaching I just wanted to encourage anyone I could to visit the website. I think anyone would love a piece from the collection as there is a lot of diversity within the collection. Not only is the jewellery gorgeous but the packaging is also rather pleasing on the eye. Every piece you buy comes in an alluring royal purple Annie Haak jewellery box and the piece itself is kept protected in a velvet pouch; which adds to the personal element(and perfect if its a gift as its already halfway wrapped!) 

So I urge you not to hesitate a moment longer and visit the website - you can always enjoy using the 'wish list' feature on the website and "accidentally" send it to someone...accidents like that happen all the time.

http://www.anniehaakdesigns.co.uk

Emily ♥

LIFE || The most wonderful time of the month ||

Is......PAYDAY! I won’t lie when I say I count down to payday every month. I always most certainly already know what I will spend my money on. 

Like many of us I say “I WILL save money this month” for the important luxuries in life such as a holiday, funds towards traveling and expanding my 'experiences',or even getting my first car letting me step to independence. 

But like most of us I suffer with instant purchase disorder when browsing online. I can't help it, I am so easily drawn into anything whether it be makeup or a new top or even a new iPhone case (I hoard iPhone cases...)

This month is no different – and I already have items saved in my basket ready to checkout: 

Perhaps not to everyones taste is this nude trench coat with bow detail at either side;l which is what I think really makes it stand out. I have been searching for a winter coat for months (prior to actual Winter!) and really really thought this both suitable and feminine. I can't wait to order it and see what it looks like offline. It's £79.00 and I can't decide if it is overpriced or not; I suppose I can reserve that judgement until it comes.

Here is the link: http://www.missselfridge.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=12554&catalogId=33055&productId=11322527&categoryId=208078&parent_category_rn=208077#BVRRWidgetID

Next is an item I religiously buy every month if needed. It's the Nivea Daily Essentials Hydration Primer. For my skin which often causes me much difficulty on a daily basis this product does the double whammy of keeping my makeup in place all day and acting as a moisturiser without making me spotty!I have suffered in the past with bad acne and it took me ages to find a moisturiser that wouldn't react badly with my skin and this is just perfect. 

I used to own an abundance of nail varnishes; I literally used to have every colour you could imagine. But then I stopped because I had to many and they began to dry out so now poor me I am left with hardly any! So this payday I have already promised myself to get a few more to restart my collection. My absolute favourite nail varnish is Barry M; I love the colours and the application of it; and I think some of the nail effects range is brilliant. 

I already have one of the 'Gelly' editions in pomegranate and really loved it and wear it often. So I am going to try the the 'high shine' blueberry and hope it is just as pleasing at the first! I have also wanted the confetti nail paint since it came out and I think on top of the 'gelly' colours it will look really nice. 

There are so many colours and effects I want but I'll just had to build up my collection again slowly and steadily!

Emily ♥

BEAUTY || Fake it up ||

We've all been there when we haven't been able to reach that required 8 hours beauty sleep, and have woken up to a reflection in the mirror that quite frankly makes us look like we've had no sleep at all. I myself used to struggle to find ways to make my eyes look less sleep deprived and corrupted by dark circles. Then I was shown the glory of this product 'Fake Up' by Benefit. This concealer is everything you could want, it covers troublesome spots/blemishes and is perfect for applying under your eyes. It has a really lovely, silky texture when being applied and doesn't feel heavy or cakey when on; which I know is something common with concealer products. Again like the 'Brow Zings' this product comes in three shades: light, medium and dark. I myself bought the the light shade as I was recommended by the adviser that the lighter shade was ideal for under eye coverage; I use it for this purpose primarily but also find it a useful tool for unexpected blemishes or hiding scars. 

It's easy to apply and doesn't require a lot of time of your makeup routine, which is ideal if you are in a rush. I would recommend that a concealer brush would be bought also if you were considering using this product for me using a brush blended in the concealer better with my base foundation. One major advantage of this product is the brightness and definition it gives your eyes; I have noticed immensely how brighter and wider my eyes look after applying this product. Although used directly under the eye it also works by using it in the inner (and outer) corner of your eye for even more definition. It's an ideal size for handbags and can be used for any situation: everyday use, nights out, occasions etc. 

This product again is slightly pricey at £18.50 in Boots; but again is worth it if you are in need of a high quality and reliable concealer product that can be used for many purposes. 

For this product I give it a beauty rating of 4 out of 5 stars: ★★★★☆

Emily ♥ 

FILM || The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ||

I won't lie when I say I am a true Hunger Games fanatic, since seeing the first instalment last year I immediately went out and bought the entire book collection, quickly making my way through all three. I have never been a fan of sci-fi and never really understood why people were so fixated with franchises like Harry Potter or Twilight. That was of course until I saw The Hunger Games;it is fair to say that I have been waiting for Catching Fire to be released for what seems like forever.

In a nutshell...

If you've seen the first film The Hunger Games, then you will already know that Katniss and Peeta have escaped the arena once before, both being crowned the winners of the 74th annual 'Hunger Games' from district twelve. Their actions in the arena have led to a upcoming rebellion quickly brewing across the other districts and there are plans to overthrow the sinister and controlling Capitol. 

Catching Fire sees them thrown back into the arena immediately by the authorities for the deadly victory tour; which has every intention for them never to return. Ultimately the plan is to brutally kill them both and restore the control and false faith the Capitol had over its people. 

I like many others will without a doubt be going to the cinema on the 21st November, eagerly anticipating my next Hunger Games fix. I don't want to spoil anything as I have read the whole book series and ultimately know what will happen (although I'd really love to go on and on about how it may be portrayed in the film), BUT I am eager to see how they portray certain aspects of the book, such as the arena which has the theme of the ocean this time, the ticking clock aspect and obviously the books new male interest Finnick Odai!

The narrative is also focused upon the love dilemma between Peeta loving Katniss (ever since he gave her a piece of bread when she was starving apparently) and Katniss being crazy in love with her childhood friend Gale. I don't think you would be a true Hunger Games fan without supporting one of the male protagonists throughout the plot development. And can I just make it clear now that I am team Peeta - and do not wish to discuss any other way of seeing a positive side to Gale!

However - my main pet hate since the first film is the absence of significant sections that appear in the book; for example I felt Rue's part was short and didn't develop as much as it should have done and the entire deletion of Madge Undersee baffled me slightly - but this is something I am expecting to occur again. I know this is to be expected because of the time restrictions but I really wish with any film, but I just wish they would keep to the book religiously and not change scenes/characters where they are important; because I only sit there and complain how unhappy I am with the changes and ponder the questions "but why would you change that" and "that doesn't even make sense to the story" a million times...

Regardless of this, I am still so so excited and need to find someone who is as equally excited as me to accompany me to the cinema on the 21st November... and not a day later!

Emily  ♥

BEAUTY || The benefits of using Benefit ||

I'd always heard Benefit cosmetics were out of this world but was always put off by the price as I was unsure as to how worth it they really were. I'd always concentrated on my foundation routine predominantly rather than the definition of my eye makeup; and never fully appreciated what a dramatic difference high quality eye tools/makeup can bring to your look. One day when browsing around Boots on day (picking up the usual everyday necessities of beauty life) I was drawn in to the dream like Benefit stand. It was bright, vibrant and very very pink. I was persuaded to having a makeup tutorial by the Benefit rep and was shown a product that would later change my makeup routine for the better:

BrowmaZING!

As I am sure many of us girls with thick, dark hair would agree eyebrows can be an absolute nightmare to control! I myself have quite big, thick, natural eyebrows that require a lot of TLC. Prior to being exposed to  the wonderful world of Benefit, I used 'Browow' By DuWop and admittedly was impressed as the pigmentation. But nothing has been quite as beneficial to my makeup bag as the Benefit 'Brow Zing'. This product is PERFECT for those of us who need assistance with controlling our natural, wild brows! 

The set comes with three tools: a hard angle brush to set the brow and shape it with the wax, a blending brush to apply the powder and add define the brow and a handy pair of mini tweezers that are perfect for if you're out and about and spot a a stray hair. I have noticed how this product lasts all day at work and doesn't shift, the wax ensures that all nuisance hairs are kept in their place; and the powder is also a none mover.

This product to me is more for a natural, everyday look. It does certainly fill in the gaps and give the brow an overall higher definition; but for those with lighter hair, perhaps a pencil eyebrow applicator would be slightly more suitable for defined eyebrows as it is easier to create a brow with a pencil than it is with this product. I know from having friends with very light, blonde hair that powder is not always the best route to having the dream eyebrows; and I would say this product is more for those of us who have eyebrows already there and just need the finishing touches. For me this product has been a complete life saver!

There are three different shades to choose from: light, medium and dark. Due to my natural dark hair I was advised by the Benefit consultant to go with their darkest shade. From my own experience of using the product I am 100% satisfied and would recommend it to a friend. I use it as part of my everyday makeup routine and it is constantly in my handbag in case of any makeup refreshments during the day. It's easy to apply due to the tools and doesn't require a lot of room in your makeup bag; it is retailed in Boots at £23.50 but in my honest opinion is worth every single penny! 

For this product I give it a beauty rating of 4 out of 5 stars: ★★★★☆

Emily ♥ 

The first blog of many to come...

Why is the first ever line so hard to write? I love writing and talking in general but always find it so difficult to decide how to start a piece of writing of (which I guess is pretty important if you want to be a part of journalism).

Ok - so here it is, this is my blog and my name is Emily. That seems like a fairly suitable introduction and enough information for now anyway. I have so many ideas of what to write and yet I feel this simple introduction will just look ugly on my blog page forever. 

I want to write about EVERYTHING literally anything you can imagine fashion, beauty, celebrities, news, food, blah, blah blah if you can think of it then I want to write about it. I think the main purpose for this blog is to help me with my future university course, giving me the writing experience and all that malarkey, but also because at this current moment in time I am bed bound. Yes bed bound - through falling flat on my face at work and tearing the ligaments in my foot. I now have a rather fetching black/blue/green bruise ensemble that takes up the majority of my left foot. 

Journalism in general has always been something that interested me and at A-Level and I thoroughly enjoyed writing articles as part of my English course. So that's when it came to me, now I am bed bound perhaps starting a blog and writing for fun would not only pass the time but also give me an idea on how to improve my writing 'skills' (if I even have any to begin with...)

But now I have this first post out of the way I can start blogging about what I want to and trust me I have plenty of ideas as to what I want to say. 

Emily  ♥