Bum-Dance Bliss

Like a few people, I imagine, my first experience of Foster the People was coupled with my first experience of the ‘bum dance’ as performed by Greg James on his show on Radio 1. Okay, so that sounds a lot weirder than it actually is, Greg chose the band’s first single, Pumped Up Kicks as his record of the week and then danced  to it… Just watch the video and hopefully everything will make more sense then.

Anyway, once I’d gotten over Greg’s wondrous dance moves I realised how great the track was, it’s got a really summery vibe and is just nice and mellow. So, on my impulse buying spree earlier in the month I bought the album and, friends, I was not disappointed.

The first track, Helena Beat, slowly builds up and by the time the vocals come in you’ve already got a smile on your face. And when the vocal comes in you may be a bit taken aback, Mark Foster’s voice has a really unique sound which might shock you, especially as he’s often singing in higher registers, but it just adds to the mellow feel of the whole album.  This song just makes me want to do some kind of strange dancing that only true hipsters (of which I am not one) would get away with.

Track numero duo is the aforementioned single and it’s just great. To me, this whole album sounds like a holiday; it makes me feel like I should be dancing to it on some American beach with a cooler full of ‘soda’ and some California girls and this track is the epitome of that. 

The third song, Call It What You Want, starts somewhat differently with a very strange noise that sounds like someone has let some air out of a bottle of cola or something and a delightful little piano riff.  This song is faster-paced than the previous two but the dampened drums and Mark Foster’s voice make sure it’s still in keeping with the rest of the album.

Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls) also brings a bit of variety to the album, with no sign of the band’s trusty drum patterns but the introduction of an acoustic guitar instead. Also, instead of the usual rousing, sing-a-long chorus there’s the catchy little ‘ooh’ phrase that you can’t help but join in with.

The halfway point on the album, Waste, is a bit more melancholy than the previous tracks and show a different side to the band. It’s pretty bare, with just the lead vocal and a drum pattern in the voices and reminds me of something off Lykke Li’s first album, Youth Novels. The next track, I Would Do Anything For You has much the same feel, though with a few more layers.

Houdini sees a return to the upliftingness (is that even a word? It is now) of the beginning of the album though the chorus adds a bit of difference. Life on the Nickel, however, sounds like a completely different band and I’m sure they stole that synth from Toploader…

The final two tracks continue with this strange sound explosion, with Coldplay’s keyboard from Fix You  being used in Miss You and what sounds like a church choir in the final track, Warrant. Once you get over that though they are two more excellent tracks, not quite as mellow and beach-y as the first two but relaxing nonetheless.

I think if you don’t listen to this kind of music a lot some of the tracks might be a bit interchangeable, but if you like artists like Lykke Li and maybe a bit of James Blake then I definitely recommend getting this album.

Best Track: Pumped Up Kicks

Worst Track: Life On The Nickel 

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

So we're back with another nail tutorial. This week, it's leopard print! As always this design can be adjusted to include whatever colours you fancy.

After having applied a base coat, apply a colour of choice. I used a silver nail polish from Collection 2000(expect a review very soon). I only applied one coat but depending on what nail varnish you are using you may want to apply to for greater opacity.

Once you have painted all your nails in your base colour; in a different colour add some random dots onto your nails. It’s up to you how many dots you have and where you place them, obviously it will depend on the size and length of your nails.

For my dots I chose a contrasting colour, to make my leopard print more vibrant and noticeable. However, for a more subtle look simply choose more tonal colours.

 

For the next part I would recommend using a nail art pen (Models Own sell some which are easy to find at Boots stores) if you don't have one, cocktail sticks also work well and allow for more accuracy than a normal nail polish brush due to their fine tip.

Nows for the detail of the print. I like to start by drawing semicircular shapes around the dots. After doing this I then repeat the semi circular shapes on the rest of the nail and fill any spaces with dashes and dots. It should look random and doesn't need to be perfect as no leopard's print is perfect; that's just nature. Enjoy!

Smooth as an...Egg?

One reason to love summer is the excuse it gives us to wear a whole new variety of footwear! Any excuse for new shoes is always welcome; especially the kind where I get to show off my nail polish as well!

Although, a word of warning; it’s not just your nail polish that needs to be in tip top condition. In order to successfully pull off the summer sandal, please make sure that your heels are also in tiptop condition.
Heels?! Yes, heels. That often neglected, forgotten part of your foot. I wonder how many of you, if you looked down at your heels right now, would like what you see?  Repeat after me; cracked heels covered in hard skin are not chic!

Don’t worry though, I’ve found a tool that will make all that nasty disappear, in a matter of minutes.

The PedEgg! That’s right. The one off those annoying, cheap JML adverts. Just as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover; don’t judge a product by its advert. It’s actually rather good!

First of all, let me describe to you exactly what the pedegg is (the names not overly self explanatory. Pedegg?! Catchy but it sounds like nonsense) There are two parts to the ped egg. The main part of the ped egg is what I call ‘the grater’.  It literally is like a fine cheese grater but for your foot. Though don’t worry, it’s not painful and is very effective at removing layers of hard skin. The ‘grater’ also has a ‘pod’ attached to it. Supposedly, to catch all the dead skin in. While the ‘pod’ does definitely help to catch some of it; when you use the pedegg at different angles some skin is not caught or it tends to fall out. To rectify this problem, I would simply recommend when using the pedegg to place a piece of tissue beneath your foot to catch any skin. I personally don’t think you can hold this against the ped egg as it definitely helps to catch some of the skin and so is better than an average foot file in that respect, even though the pod is not quite as effective as it claims. Though I like the fact that at least they tried. Let’s be honest, as disgusting as it is, filing your foot is simply a messy job.

The pedegg also has a lid to it. This covers the grater so you don’t scratch your finger on it when rooting around in the drawer for it. On the one side of the lid is a buffer. This is useful after having used the grater helping to give a smooth finish.

I would definitely recommend a pedegg to anyone suffering from cracked heels.

TopTip: Apply a rich nourishing moisturiser to your heels every couple of days for longer lasting results.

If my Pedegg went missing I would definitely buy again! Enjoy your summer sandals!

The End of an Era

                On Friday night I stuck my pyjamas on, grabbed a blanket and settled down to watch a good film. However, this was at midnight, in a cinema screen filled with other excitable people. That’s right; I was one of thousands of Potterheads all over the world that went to the midnight showing of the final Harry Potter film and witnessed the end of an era.

                The sleep deprivation was definitely worth it, not only was the film excellent (more of that later) but the atmosphere in the screen was just fantastic. The cinema seemed to cry, laugh and cheer as one and it made the film that bit more enjoyable.

                As for the film itself, I was thoroughly impressed. Your heart starts racing about thirty seconds in and doesn’t stop until the credits roll; it’s action-packed but it still has those moments of humour that make the Potter films and add a little sense of relief to the large-scale battle that is going down at Hogwarts.

                As a life-long fan of the books, I was incredibly impressed with how closely the film stuck to the words J. K. Rowling had set down, and things that they had changed still made sense. The basic plot was the same, with just a few little scenes added or adapted slightly to make them look better on screen.

                I was a little dubious of whether seeing the film in 3D would be worth it or not and, although nothing really jumps out at you, it definitely did add something to the film. It really made you feel as if you were right there in the heart of the action, but I’m not sure that it was worth the amount of money it was.

                Yet another thing I was impressed with (I can’t pick faults with Harry Potter, I just can’t!) was the special effects on the film. Never once during watching it did I suspect green screens or CGI had been used, despite the fact that a dragon was flying across the screen (which may say more about me than about the film…).

                I don’t want to say too much more, because I know how irritating it is when things get spoilt before you’ve seen them, but hurry up because this is definitely a film you want to see with all the hype still around it, and then again a week later and maybe the week after that too…(that just me? okay…)

                I’m not ashamed to say that I cried through pretty much half the film, not just because of the devastating plot but also because the whole franchise has finally come to an end. No more waiting for the next film or queuing up at midnight for the next book. No more wondering how much the ‘golden trio’ will have grown up by the time we next seem them or anxiously waiting to see Emma Watson’s fantastic dress at the premiere. But the books will always be there to go back to, and the films are on DVDs so they can always be watched. But if that doesn’t satisfy your need for new Potter stuff, the new Pottermore website will be up and running on the 31^st July!

Nom, Nom, Nom

I don’t know about you but chocolate plays a key role in my life. Too often I’ll be craving a chocolatey fix, only to find there’s no chocolate in the cupboard. It’s situations like these that this recipe is truly a lifesaver.

This recipe can basically be adjusted to include whatever you happen to have in your cupboards at home; both yummy and practical!

To begin you will need:

•  400g butter 
• 200ml golden syrup 
• 100g cocoa powder
• 800g biscuits(broken into small pieces)
• 200g dried fruit(I used raisins)

It doesn’t matter what type of tray you use, as long as the mixture fits into it. If not, use two trays. Simples!

To start off with you need to collect your butter, golden syrup and cocoa powder. Now I would suggest using this recipe even if you do happen to have a bar of chocolate. Using the cocoa powder will give you that chocolatey hit that is oh so needed and if that’s not satisfying enough( and i don't blame you!) you can always eat the bar of chocolate afterwards!

Now, if you want to be professional, place your syrup, butter and cocoa powder into a large saucepan over a medium hea,t until it is melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Or. If your lazy like me, put the ingredients into a bowl and melt in the microwave til you get something that appears somewhat similar to below.( I put mine in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds)

Then, as if it could be any easier, mix the biscuits and fruit into the chocolate mixture.

Once mixed through, pour into a greased tray and refrigerate for as long as you can wait. Oh, and enjoy!:)

Lets Twist Again!

Once again this may be more of a rave than a review. Though I will say that it’s not often, that I am disappointed in products as before I make a purchase, I always research it and read reviews online. Even if it’s only cheap as I hate wasting money!

Today’s post is all about the Babyliss Conical wand . Recently (well actually for quite a long time now, rather annoyingly) I have been growing my hair out. As I’m not having my hair cut as regularly it’s currently in that annoying stage where it hasn’t really got an exact style. So as you would expect bad hair days are aplenty. Although the number has significantly reduced since discovering this amazing hair tool.

Now, I’m someone who is quite lazy with my hair. Especially as I dance a lot, so am always having to have my hair tied back, I don’t really see the point in spending ages styling my hair. Plus, let’s be honest; who has that much time in a morning?

The real beauty of the Babyliss Conical wand is that it’s so easy and so quick to use. Also, you can create a variety of looks with it from tight spiral curls to loose beachy waves.  It also works on a variety of hair lengths. I first decided to try a conical wand when I had had my hair cut short. Traditional curling tongs didn’t seem to give a proper curl, without having it looked over styled. I thought of trying a conical wand, as it more tapered and is easier to wrap the hair around tighter. When using traditional tongs, you have to clip in your hair before rolling the tongs upwards, which is difficult to do with shorter hair, as you don’t always have enough length.

The reason I chose the Babyliss conical wand was that it was reasonably priced, easy to get hold of and was from a brand that I already trusted. It also comes with a heat protective glove. I don’t tend to use the glove that often now but I would definitely recommend wearing it the first few times you use the wand as it is easy to burn yourself.

Below are some pictures of random curls that i did, just to show you the type of curl you can achieve. Obviously they would look better when your whole hair is done and once they have been brushed out slightly so they look more natural.

Toptip: Hold the conical wand upside down so the widest part is at the top. This will give your curl a better shape.

Before

Tighter curls created with thin sections of hair

less defined curls created with large sections of hair

I find that even loose curls last all day. I love this conical wand! It might just possibly make my desert island list.

Retail Therapy

Over the past few weeks my time has been filled with looking round and thinking about university. Where to go and what to do at uni is one of the biggest decisions a person has to make, and with the new fees there’s even more to think about.

Yesterday, after an unproductive look round Birmingham University, I popped into the bull ring for a teensy bit of retail therapy. I didn’t buy much but I got a couple of things that I wanted and it really cheered me up.

I finally got Everything Everything’s Man Alive, Torches by Foster The People (expect reviews soon!) and an oversized t-shirt (fiver in the sale from new look – yay!) that I like to think is a new take on the ‘I Love London’ tops.

Man Alive - Everything Everything, £3 from HMV

Torches - Foster The People, £6.99 from HMV

Royal Heart Tee, £5 from New Look

These few simple purchases released that all-too-familiar bout of happiness that comes from spending money you really shouldn’t on things you want but really don’t need. I find it fascinating how the exchange of cash into possessions can lift that black cloud over your head and bring the sun out – but I’m certainly not going to complain!

However, I’m finding recently that I keep buying new things and then remembering something that I’ve wanted for months and having no money left to get it with. I was thinking of ways to try and combat this and have decided to start making an ‘I Want’ list. Everytime I see something new I want I’ll put it on the list so I can plan what I want, and buy it (or put it on my birthday list…) and nevermore be disappointed by my short-term memory. The list is looking pretty long at the minute, but hopefully it’ll help me get everything eventually!