2015 Favourites - The Best!

Hiya!

I thought I'd start this year with a bit of reminiscing, and sum up last year in a whopping great favourites post :)

♥

Hair:

I don't usually use products on my hair, apart from shampoo and conditioner. I like the feeling of a clean product-free scalp, and besides, I find after using hairspray my brush gets really gunky - gross!

However, when the time comes to refresh my hair, I have been liking Batiste dry shampoo. It smells great (I use the original, though I might test a different fragrance next time) and adds volume to my fine hair. It also helps with styling as it gives hair more hold. However, I do get annoyed with the white residue it leaves, but spending a bit more time rubbing it through gets rid of it.

Skincare:

Neutrogena Visibly Clear moisturiser has been my one and only this year. It's a great oil-free moisturiser for those with acne, doesn't dry out skin at all, and sinks in quickly leaving skin that feels unclogged and clear. I've been using the pink grapefruit one, which smells wonderful and fresh too. I've tried many moisturisers, but this one has been the best for reducing my acne and keeping my oily skin under control.

Makeup:

I've been using No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream for normal/oily skin when going out, it does a ton of wonderful things, though what I love most about it are the SPF 15 and the light consistency. This has been my go-to product for coverage (I'm not a fan of foundation), and I love it very very much.

Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks are brilliant, especially the Lasting Finish collection. There are some gorgeous colours in there which last long (I'm in love with 05, a pretty pink), and as weird as it sounds, they taste really good. A quick swipe of lipstick is the best (and easiest) way to go from casual to formal!

Finally, I can't have a favourites without my best friend Bourjois Khol and Contour. This eye pencil is so smooth and soft, and produces a lovely line without having to scratch at your eyelid. I like to blend it a little so it's not too sharp, but it's amazing without smudging too.

Fashion:

Bershka Blue Neoprene Coat - I don't think they're selling this anymore, but nevertheless, this is one of my favourite coats. It's a light blue coat made out of neoprene, which is really strange (and not really suitable for rainy days, lesson learnt!), and I remember when I got it I was unsure whether I could pull off that colour and texture or not. But it turns out I could, judging by the compliments I received for it, and it became my everyday coat. I love the fact that, though it's thin, it's also warm due to the neoprene.

My Uniqlo scarf deserves a mention here too, as I've been wearing it religiously these past few days. The definition of cosiness and warmth, massive blanket scarves are the best thing in my life.

TV/film:

QI is a game/quiz show which I can depend on to always be there on BBC iPlayer, and you've no doubt heard me rant about it before. As dull as it sounds, it's the complete opposite. I mean, QI stands for Quite Interesting, and it is, as well as being funny and cool :D

YouTube: (I used to add this section to TV/Film or Person, but I've decided it needs a section for itself).

My two obsessions (and role models) are Markiplier and Jacksepticeye. They're both so enthusiastic and in love with what they do, and genuinely care about their fans. And as successful as they are on YouTube, they don't let it get to their heads and are still down-to-earth guys who are grateful to everyone. Also, their commentary is the best, with so much hilarity and passion put into each video.

I love them so much and wish I could be as enthusiastic about my work as they are.

Music:

2015 for me was all about All Time Low and The Killers. I guess if I were to pick a song by each, I would say 'Therapy' by All Time Low (with 'Lost in Stereo' as a close second) and 'Human' by The Killers.

I'm someone who likes to listen to a song on repeat until I get sick of it, so my favourite song changes very often. But, I'll share some of the songs that I can never get bored of:

We Are Young, Fun. - I would say that this is my all-time favourite song and one that I've been listening to since the beginning.

Demons, Imagine Dragons - This song is just gorgeous. 'Nuff said.

Build God, Then We'll Talk, Panic! at the Disco - I have no idea why, but I'm always humming this song. It's so bad now that I'll start humming it without even realising what I'm humming... The thing I like most about this song is that it's catchy, and halfway through when it goes 'raindrops on roses and girls in white dresses...' it sends chills down my back every time. Anyway, I don't suggest watching the music video, it's almost porn...unless...NO!

The Ballad of Mona Lisa, Panic! at the Disco - Hehe, I like Panic :)

Book:

My beloved, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, AKA, the best book in the world. It's what made me fall in love with Greek mythology, and for almost half a year I slept with it on a pillow beside my head (not weird at all...). This book it so well-written, well-paced, well-everything-ed. It's hard to put down, the characters draw you in and the little details Miller adds just make it all more special (and magical!).

I also enjoyed reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Such a clever, sarcastic, gripping book... Every time something goes wrong and I lose hope for Mark Watney, the protagonist, he's there to solve his way out of it. Some of the solutions he comes up with are incredible and so so clever. That, in my opinion, is the best thing about this book. Mark Watney, you are amazing!

Food:

I'm a great fan of having cereal after school...try it out! Cereal is much much better when you have it at any time but breakfast time - there's something about 'breakfast' that makes me just go *uuuuugh*. I mean, it's the start of the day, too early in the morning to function properly, and my taste buds are still asleep. Everything tastes better when your taste buds are actually awake...

And here's another love - white chocolate with cranberry. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I love white chocolate and this gives the perfect balance of sweet and fruity.

And, BUTTERCREAM!! I'm constantly craving this...imagine your favourite cupcake with a dollop of vanilla buttercream on top...mmmmmm...

Moment:

I'd say that NCS The Challenge was the best thing I did this year, I had an amazing time, especially in the first week in Devon. I also felt pretty proud of myself - I was dropped in the middle of nowhere with 14 or so strangers my age, and we were left to our own devices. I'm glad that I became friends with some wonderful people during the Challenge, and had an awesome time doing it.

If you ever have the opportunity to do it, I would recommend it!

Place:

The view from the top of the Sacre-Coeur in Paris was gorgeous, so I have to mention that. Also in Paris, the Louvre gave me so many feels as I gawked at the Greek statues - a statue of Thetis almost made me cry and freak out! But by far my favourite place is that little crepe takeaway shop I visited twice during my stay, they made the best crepes, fresh right in front of you.

You know what, just go to Paris - there are so many cool places it's hard to choose the best ;)

Apps:

YouTube, hands down, is my most used and favourite app. I hardly ever go on YouTube on my computer, I find it much easier being able to walk around with a video on full screen on my tablet than being fixed to a desktop.

Wattpad is another love, it's where I do most of my reading. It's basically a website where anyone can create and read stories for free, and there's a wide variety of different genres, from romance to science fiction, to poetry and even random things like bucket lists and life hacks. I'm not writing anything myself, but I love reading so much that any spare time I have (and I will 'create' spare time if I have to...) I'll spend it reading something on Wattpad.
Warning! Some books aren't very well written, and it gets very annoying when you come across these, especially if the description gets your hopes up. However, finding the gems is a great skill which comes with practice (and trial and error), and the ones you can find are good, I promise.

Onwards, with your quest to find the hidden gems!

Game:

I'm not a game player myself, but I've watched many videos of people playing games in the last year. Also, I just really wanted to mention Undertale <3

I would say the three best games of 2015, are Undertale, Life is Strange and Until Dawn. I won't spend too long here describing each of them...

Undertale is amazing. I don't even know where to start in my praise for it because there's too much to say. It's an RPG which breaks the fourth wall, contains the best/most cringey jokes, and it remembers your actions even if you start again, which leads to much more awesomeness... Also, the characters have so much personality and life - they're the best!

Life is Strange, one of the most mind-boggling games I have come across. It's an adventure RPG which relies heavily on the butterfly effect. The player makes choices and the outcome changes according to these, though there's also the awesome time travel feature included. The music and graphics in this are so pretty, the style is one of the things that drew me in.

Until Dawn is a horror PS4 game, where your decisions determine who survives and who does not. It's a bit like Life is Strange, with the whole butterfly effect thing, but, well...scarier. I'm actually terrified of the horror genre, but again, the graphics in this game are gorgeous so I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm glad I did.

Person:

As cheesy and cliché as it sounds, my friends are the best people in the world. They've always been there for me and I, in turn, would do anything for them. I love them so much, for making my life a million times better.

As well as those numpties, I'm also in love with Hannah Hart and Ingrid Nilsen - otherwise known as Hangrid (who came up with that name?! It's not a very flattering ship name...). As individual people, they are amazing themselves and make inspirational role models, but together they are just the cutest of all patooties.

♥

I hope you enjoyed this massive favourites post and my loss of all things normal at the end where I spiralled out of control.

I love you

xxx

NCS Last Day

Hiya! 

I've finished NCS! Yesterday we had our last social action day, on which we did our campaign. 

It was in the middle of a not so busy park, so nothing really happened...

But, I got to hang out with friends :)

The wonder of filters ;)

Since I've completed The Challenge, there'll be a graduation ceremony coming up soon...

I've really enjoyed The Challenge. I've made some great friends and been through loads of exciting experiences, which I would never have done without it.

It's been awesome!

❤️

I love you

ttyl

xxx

6 Month Favourites...

Hiya!

Wow, haven't done one of these in a while...

Enjoy!

♥

Body/skincare:

Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser - I'd heard good things about this product, and by chance my friend, who didn't use it any more, had a bottle which she gave to me. I love the thin consistency and the fact that it's non-sticky and feels amazing to put on. I've had this for a while now (almost half a year, it was in a May favourites draft!) and have finished the bottle - got to get a new one soon :)

Zoella Candy Cream Body Lotion - I love Zoella, and for a fan, I've been pretty late in purchasing one of her products. But I got this, and I am obsessed. It smells so good, it's moisturising but not thick, it feels wonderful to put on ( it has pink bursting beads!), it's got fruit extracts, the packaging is gorgeous...

Makeup:

Bourjois Khol and Contour Eye Pencil - I don't have much knowledge on eyeliner, except for the L'Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim (which is amazing, and I believe I've mentioned it before) and this Bourjois Khol and Contour pencil, but I can tell you it's good. Compared to others, I don't know, but it draws a dark line without needing to press too hard and lasts a good time considering my oily complexion. I wouldn't suggest wearing this in hot weather (I wouldn't suggest eye pencils for hot weather at all), but it's perfect for England so I'm happy.

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in 05 - I'm a big fan of lipstick - I think it can smarten up any look, complete an outfit, or even change your whole face. And I've had enough fails with lipsticks which don't suit my skin tone... 05 is gorgeous though, it's a darkish hot pink (does that make sense?) which doesn't make me look like a zombie or ghost. The opposite actually, I didn't think it was possible, but I look like I have a slight blush. Strange...

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Warm Medium 3 - My lifesaver. It's an amazing concealer with great coverage and blends wonderfully. Although it doesn't match my skin tone perfectly, with a little bit of blending it basically disappears, yet still conceals blemishes extremely well. My mum is also now obsessed with it, going so far as to steal it from me...

TV/film:

Until Dawn - Ok, this is a video game, but I don't have a section for it and this is the best... Hear me out - I don't actually play it, I like watching other people play it, like TV. It's a survival horror game, and I've been obsessed with watching Markiplier and Pewdiepie playing it. It's like watching a horror series on TV but it changes depending on who you watch playing it, and you get hilarious reactions from the gamers. This is all I've been watching on YouTube recently, and I think I'm going to start Jacksepticeye's...

Music:

All Time Low, Therapy

The Killers, Human - My friend told me about The Killers and Twenty One Pilots, and said I would like them. I very much do. Human is one of my favourite songs, and it's one of those songs which will stay a favourite for a very long time <3

The Killers, Neon Tiger

Twenty One Pilots, Tear In My Heart - I've had this song in my head for days, it's my favourite song at the moment.

Twenty One Pilots, House of Gold

Food:

Walkers MixUps Crisps - The sweet/spicy popcorn one is my favourite...it's self-explanatory, and so good.

White chocolate with raspberry pieces - Not everyone's cup of tea (or 'bar of chocolate', should I say), but one of my favourites nonetheless. It's a perfect combination - white chocolate (I love!) and raspberry to make me feel better about myself for eating half a bar, even though the truth is still terrible.

Moment:

Sleepover with friends - This was way back in June, but it really was the best ever.

Rock climbing and canoeing - The highlight of the first week of the NCS Challenge. I felt so proud of myself :)

Place:

Sainte Chapelle, Paris - This place is amazing. So gorgeous and colourful, and the photos I took really didn't do it justice at all. I think the problem with only seeing photos is that you can't feel the atmosphere and the whole experience of coming up a dark spiral staircase into a coloured airy room. It was breathtaking.

Golden Gate Cake Shop, London - For somewhere a little closer to home, there's a really good Chinese cake shop in London Chinatown. I've been going to this bakery for years, and it's still as good as ever. I recommend the triangle cake and custard bun ;)

Book:

Andy Weir, The Martian - This book is so clever. It's a sci-fi about a man who is stranded on Mars and needs to survive until rescue. The writing is informal though, so it's not all complicated nerdy talk, it's actually hilarious. Weir has also done the research, and you can tell that through Mark Watney's solutions to problems, which are so cool and clever. Also, the film's coming out soon, so now would be a great time to read it :D

Apps:

Duet - a fun little game where you control two paintballs on a wheel and you have to turn them around obstacles. There's a slight plot, and it's simple and rewarding, but frustrating when you can't get past a level, which ultimately gets you even more stuck because you have to stay calm. But it's so addictive and has a lovely soundtrack, and though I'm currently stuck, I'm still playing it too much.

♥

This became very long...

I hope you enjoyed it, and check out some of the stuff I've mentioned.

I love you

ttyl

xxx

#FreeTheMind

Hiya!

This post is a little different.

You know that pitch and campaign I was talking about in one of my latest posts?

This one here, about the mental health and my part in the campaign for raising awareness of it?

Well, you may have already guessed, but I'm going to do my bit for the community and get y'all aware!

So cheesy... :/

Anyway, there are a few links below which will take you to pages where you can follow/like our campaign, called Free The Mind.

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

If you're anything like me, you probably can't be bothered and don't particularly want to do anything about it. I've ignored too many people who have asked me for likes on Facebook in the past.

Saying it out loud makes it sound more terrible :(

Don't be like me, a big ol' meanie.

So I'm going to try to change my ways (and yours, hopefully), and like some pages, follow some accounts.

And in terms of the campaign, it's really easy, I promise. I've given you the links, all you have to do it click things :)

Pwetty pleeeeaaaaase?

It doesn't take much time at all, and it will be a benefit for our society. We haven't really got much going on at the moment, so it means we won't be clogging up your account.

All we need is for you to make a small click, a big difference.

♥

I love you

ttyl

xxx

Dragon's Den Pitch!!

Hiya!

I've finally finished the third week of the NCS programme! This past week was all about social action and making a difference in our community.

We first visited our partner, in my team's case it was the Sutton Mental Health Foundation, and we stayed there for a couple of hours to talk to (and play pool with) the people who came. It was tragic, seeing all these people who either needed help and didn't receive any or didn't have a place to stay in the daytime.

One man's living room had flooded, and all the waste from two neighbouring flats ran into his room. He came to the SMHF because he couldn't stay in his home and the government wouldn't help him because he didn't actually have any mental problems.

Another man was drawing out times and dates nonstop on pieces of paper, colouring them in with felt tips. When talking to him, he seemed normal, albeit a little distracted since he wouldn't put his pens down.

After the visit, we planned a campaign to raise awareness for mental health which will be carried out in September. We wrote a survey and went to the local high street the next day for some answers from the public. My friends and I asked 14 people in less than an hour, so I'm pretty pleased with that ;)

We also started work on our pitch, splitting into groups (I'm in 'events and logistics', meaning I need to focus on the timetable...and money!) and practising speaking skills. A member of the Chamber of Commerce came in to talk to us about being 'professional' and listened to our pitch.

Funny story here, another team went to Morrisons for their practise pitch, and they all came out with job offers! Lucky ones...

Anyway, finally the real pitch came, Dragon's Den style, and in front of all the other teams (50 pairs of judging teenage eyes). But that didn't bother me, it was the Dragons that did, in all their fire-breathing, cunning-gazed glory. All three important men, one the MP of the county, scrutinising and picking apart our pitch, pointing things out that we wouldn't ever think about.

It was terrifying!

But thankfully, all ran smoothly, and it was one of the best pitches we did. Even though I lost my cue card just before doing it, so I had to do a mixture of improvisation and short-term memory strenuous workout. We received £50 funding for our campaign, the full amount that we asked for :)

And to finish off the week, there was a party i.e. food which quickly ran out, terrible music and everyone just taking selfies.

All in all, it was a good week, one that was a bit more challenging than the other two, and we had to do a lot more work. But the hard work paid off, and we can now campaign for something which I think we are all passionate about.

♥

I love y'all

ttyl

xxx

Drama Performance and Visiting the Elderly

Hiya!

It's been too long...but I've been away with a dying amount of mobile data, and anyway the Android Blogger app has issues which I hate.

I've spent the past week in a university, in wonderful uni accommodation and all the lovely responsibilities that come with it, such as cooking my own food and cleaning up. And the apparently £17,000 set of keys which, if you didn't keep on you at all times, you would most likely end up locked out of your room until you find the ever absent mentors to unlock your door for you.

And so, the main lessons I learned from living uni style is 1) The beds are uncomfortable, and the showers are small, 2) I mustn't burn rice, it's horrible cleaning that up, and 3) boilers are demonic and will make annoying horrendous noises, and possess you to stuff your ears with toilet paper in order to sleep :(

Anyway, enough on that. Last week I spent most of my time at various places, learning drama skills one minute and then at an elderly care home the next. On the first day, we had a public speaking workshop, which was a terrifying (but pleasing) experience, and a talk about voting.

The second and third days we met up with a practitioner who helped us to produce drama pieces for a showcase, and in the afternoon we visited an elderly nursing home and talked to the residents there. I honestly loved it, especially seeing how happy we made them feel just because we were talking to them <3

And finally the last day arrived, the day we had to perform in Stanley Halls. Thankfully, everything ran smoothly, and for once I didn't elbow someone in the face.

Kinda hard controlling your limbs when you fall backwards from a chair (standing up!) into someone's arms, someone who you only met two weeks ago and hardly talk to...

But it all went well, and all was good.

Surprisingly, despite being back in a school for the talks and having to put together a performance in only roughly 8 hours, I had loads of fun.

♥

I love y'all

Goodbye!

xxx

Outdoor Fun!

Hiya!

I've been away recently, I spent the last week in Devon, doing all sorts of outdoorsy activities with the NCS The Challenge programme. There are three parts to this programme, the first of which I've completed.

I was pretty excited, to begin with, and it didn't disappoint. We did rock climbing and scrambling (climbing uphill over rocks and boulders) in Dartmoor on the first day. And by 'rock climbing' I'm not talking about a vertical wall with colourful lumps sticking out, I'm talking about actual rock and actual dips and grooves for hand and footholds. I reached the top on both climbs, and one was really hard, so I'm pretty chuffed with that ;)

On the second day, we hiked roughly 18 km, which sounds bad but it wasn't actually. We stayed along the same flat path with loads of shade, and even had ice-cream!

When we arrived at the camp-site we all helped cook pasta with tomato sauce and fresh veggies. It turned out surprisingly nice, considering we were cooking it over a small hob in a horse van. Later at night though, we slept five to a tent, which was really small and we were all squished together with no space to move. I guess you can't have everything, but it was alright. The stars were amazing, too.

The next day, we did water activities in a nearby lake. There was raft building in the morning, where a pretty impressive raft was made from just four barrels, logs, and rope. We then went canoeing, which turned into an afternoon of everyone trying to capsize each other and general messing about. After, we took our raft into the lake, and all thirteen of us sat on it together. It was kinda a fail, and I ended up literally sitting in the water up to my waist. But, it held together well, which I'm proud of.

Anyway, though it was all fun and exciting, I'm really tired now from all that. This week, I'm off again for the second part of The Challenge so you won't be hearing from me until next weekend.

♥

I love y'all

Goodbye!

xxx