What's in My Australia Makeup Bag!

With just over a week to go now till I leave for sunnier climes, I'm at the stage of deciding for definite what's going with me and what isn't! So, after giving it some serious thought, I've made a pretty final decision, and thought I'd show you the selection of products I'm packing!

You'd think you can't buy makeup in Australia...

Base



Illamasqua Matt Primer, Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation (Ivory), Barry M Cream Foundation (White), Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (Fair), Garnier Roll-On Concealer (Light), Rimmel Stay Matte Transluscent Powder.

White foundation is a must for me to pale down my main foundation, and I find that a tiny bit of this really affordable Barry M one does the trick. Matt primer to keen my chin and nose shine free in the warmer weather, my cooling Garnier roller ball concealer (very handy for after long flights!) and a good old transluscent powder should serve me well.

Cheeks


So sorry for the glare in this photo, it's ridiculously sunny today (for a change!)

ELF Studio Blusher in Pink Passion, Sleek Contour Kit in Light, ELF Studio Blusher in Peachy Keen, Physicians Formula Organic Wear Natural Bronzer, Topshop Powder Blush in Pop, Benefit Samples - High Beam and Sun Beam

Three blushers - is that overkill? Pop is one of my favourites, but I love the super natural look of Peachy Keen, and I like having a pink option. Love the highlighter from the Sleek Contour Kit, I use the Physicians Formula bronzer every day and the Benefit samples weigh next to nothing, so why not?! :P

Eyes



Sleek Storm Palette, Sleek Molten Metal Duo, Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze, Maybelline The Falsies Mascara, L'Oréal Superliner in Black, Rimmel Professional Brow Pencil in Hazel, Rimmel Scanadaleyes Kohl Kajal Liner in Nude, Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Liner in Black.

My hardest category was eye makeup. I decided the Sleek Storm palette had a perfect selection of matte and shimmery colours for any occasion, and having my Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze for a base or super quick eye makeup look is handy. My trusty Superliner is a definite, a nude and black pencil for the waterline (trust me, I had to elimiate a brown, a turquoise and a green from the selection!!) and my Falsies mascara - it took me a while to figure out how I felt about this mascara, but now I love it! A brow pencil and my little Sleek Molten Metail duo - y'know, just for special occasions! ;)

Lips





BMbeauty Lipgloss in Corsage, Revlon Lipbutter in Peach Parfait, L'Oréal Rouge Caresse Lipstick in Dating Coral, Nivea Essentials Lipbalm

Easy peasy, I'm pretty simple when it comes to my lip colour. A lipbalm to keep them moisturised, a subtle gloss - Corsage looks super bright but goes on pretty much nude with a little hint of pinky coral, and it's the least sticky lipgloss I've ever used! - and my two favourite lipsticks, both peachy/coral, my favourite colours for my skin tone :)

Obviously I'll have brushes too, but they're waiting to be washed so didn't bother photographing them!

So, what do you think? Am I overdoing it? Let me know what your favourite makeup products are, in general and for going on holiday, or living abroad for a few months like me! :) Thanks so much for reading guys, can't believe the countdown really is now on!!!

Favourites of the Week #4

Another week has disappeared and that can mean only one thing - it's time for my weekly favourites!

Track of the Week
Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding - I Need Your Love

I'm a MASSIVE Ellie Goulding fan, and have been for years. Have been listening to this catchy little number quite a lot this week though and have given it a big thumbs up from the first time I heard it a few months back. It's quite a good motivational sort of one, I found myself dancing about to it when I was getting ready for the lovely Scottish Bloggers Valentines Party on Saturday!



Album of the Week
Les Miserables Original Soundtrack

Now here's a fun album to listen to on the train - half of it makes me want to cry, the other half makes me want to laugh because I realise it's taking all of my willpower to NOT mime dramatically along with it. Yes, yes, I'm still loving the film, was glad to see Annie Hathaway getting her much deserved Best Supporting Actress Oscar last night!



TV Show of the Week
Dexter

A few episodes into season 4 now as I continue to work my way through the boxsets, and this show just keeps getting better and better. The writing is incredible, so slick and witty and the storylines just keep surprising me over and over again. Desperately trying to avoid spoilers for the next few seasons, but unfortunately I've come across a few on twitter - the perils of watching something a while after it originally aired!!

Film of the Week
Much Ado About Nothing

I was lucky enough to head into Glasgow last night to see Joss Whedon's adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing with a couple of friends. It was fantastic!! Starring a lot of Whedon's favourite actors and shot in black and white at his amazing house, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Initially I was a little bit unsure about Amy Acker as Beatrice, but I totally warmed up to her by about half way through, and I thought Alex Denisof was brilliant as Benedick (as was Nathan Fillion as Dogberry). My best friend and I have a little bit of an obsession with the BBC version with Damian Lewis and Sarah Parish, so seeing the film last night has made me determined to rewatch it before I head off to Australia!

Beauty Product of the Week
Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Liner in Nude

Love this eyeliner so much, it is so affordable, retailing at just £4 from Boots and Superdrug, and it makes such a difference to your eyes. Running it along your waterline just makes you look so wide awake, and the waterproof formula means it doesn't budge!

Book of the Week
The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

Almost finished The Book of Tomorrow now and I have absolutely adored it. Cecelia Ahern never fails to capture my imagination and her characters are always so vivid. I would recommend this one in a heartbeat!

YouTuber of the Week
Madilyn Bailey

I have loved Madilyn's covers for over a year now and she never fails to deliver. Got a tiny bit overexicted there to check my YouTube subscriptions to link her channel in this post and discovered she'd uploaded a new video!



Website of the Week
Beabops Style Diary

My fashion blogger friend Beatrice had the exciting opportunity to go to London Fashion Weekend this week and take photos for Canon! It looks like she had a fantastic time and I have been looking forward to her posts all week - go and check out her blog, I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I do :)

Style Icons of the Week
Reese Witherspoon


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Still not quite 100% sure how I feel about the train of this dress, but otherwise I love it. It really stood out to me among the much paler hues of a lot of the other dresses on the Oscars Red Carpet last night, and I love the black detailing. This isn't always the easiest colour to pull off, but as usual Reese did it effortlessly, and I think the glamorous hair and simple makeup complimented it perfectly.

Emma Roberts


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This is a last minute addition to my post as I published it before I had seen any photos of Emma Roberts in her gorgeous Oscar de la Renta gown. I love this, the shape, the style, everything about it. I might have done something a little different with her hair, but the makeup is lovely - flawless skin, nude lips and lots of lashes. But the dress speaks for itself here.

So that's it for my favourites of the week! Hope you all had a lovely week. What was your favourite red carpet look last night?

Lynsey xxx

The Next Chapter

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Yesterday was kind of the end of an era. I worked my final shift in the part time job I've had for over three and a half years, and said goodbye to the ludicrously early starts - a 5am rise every Saturday and Sunday! - to prepare for my Australian adventure! As many people know, it wasn't exactly the job of my dreams and was something I took on to make money through uni, never expecting to have to keep it on for quite so long after I graduated.

Working in a supermarket, or any kind of shop/retail environment teaches you a LOT about people. The nice ones and the not so nice ones. You learn how to deal with every sort of person you could imagine, so while I have constantly complained about how much I hate it, I know that this job has probably served me well in preparing me for whatever sort of career I end up making a go of in the near future.


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And now it's time to look forward to whatever comes next! Going off to Australia is going to be an amazing experience for me, however long I stay for and whatever I get up to while I'm there because it's the furthest I've ever stepped outside of my comfort zone! Taking off on this adventure on my own is definitely going to be a big change, but I think it'll do me the world of good! Especially now when times are tough in terms of money and jobs are few and far between. Stepping out of your comfort zone isn't always easy, but it's necessary.

This is one of my favourite quotes, from CS Lewis. It's so true - change is sometimes scary, but we can't move forward without it.


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How do you feel about change in 2013? Is there something you've always wanted to do, but been too scared to go for it? Make this the year to change that and go after whatever it is you want - we can cheer each other on in the comments below :)

Thanks so much for reading guys - all quotes courtesy of the wonderous site that is Pinterest!

Jumping on the 'Top 5' Bandwagon!

I have been watching and reading a lot of 'top 5' or 'top 10' posts recently and it put me in the mood to do a little mini series of my own! I still hadn't got around to it though when I read the lovely Gillian's Top 5 Books post the other day and decided this was the push I needed to film this video!

As I've mentioned about a million times before, I'm a little bit obsessed with TV, particularly of the American variety (although not exclusively!). With my dvd boxset collection continuing to expand, I thought I'd do a top 5 of X genre series, inspired by this video here from Michelle from SweetBookReviews on youtube - I found her top 10 characters in X genre video really interesting!

So, here is the first instalment - my Top 5 Teen/Post Teen TV Dramas! Sorry it's a bit lengthy - this is a subject I love to ramble on about!! What are some of your favourite shows from the teen tv genre, or some of your favourite teen films? I'd love to know, recommendations are always welcome round about here :) The next video will either be my Top 5 TV Comedies or Top 5 TV Dramas (not of the teen variety!).

For now I'm off to hit the shops to get a card and present for one of my oldest and best friends who got engaged at the end of January (eeeeek, proper grown up stuff happening people!) and is moving to Russia for a year with her fiance - she and I are both jetting off on our adventures just three days apart! Hope you are all having a great Friday and looking forward to the weekend and hope to see some of you Scottish Bloggers at tomorrow night's SBValentines Party in Edinburgh, I can't wait!!


Finally, a custom thumbnail!!

FOTD #1

I've never done a Face of the Day post before, but decided to give it a go today! I was heading out for lunch with two of my lovely friends and just wanted something simple - this is a pretty standard day to day look for me!



Face

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in Ivory
Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Ivory
Illamasqua Transluscent Loose Powder
Physicians Formula Organic Wear Bronzer
ELF Studio Blusher in Twinkle Pink



Eyes

MAC Woodwinked Eyeshadow (blended across the outer two thirds of the lid and crease)
L'Oreal Superliner in Black Crystals
Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Pencil in Nude (on my waterline)
Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara

Lips

ELF Conditioning Lipbalm in Mellow Melon




What are your daily favourite makeup products? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading :)

Favourites of the Week #3

Can't believe it's time for my weekly favourites again already - the weeks are flying in! I'm going to be in Australia before I know it!!


Track of the Week
Sweet Nothing - Cover by Madilyn Bailey and Corey Gray

I love love love this cover. I actually do really like the Florence Welch/Calvin Harris original too, but this acoustic cover is brilliant. I'm a huge fan of Madilyn and Corey, two of my favourite artists on YouTube, so I tend to love anything they do!



Album of the Week
The Naked and Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You

Love this album. It reminds me of being all cosy on the train because I first got it before I was working on a three day makeup job in Edinburgh and had it on repeat there and back every day. There are a couple of not so good tracks, I have to admit, but my love for the really good ones cancels that out ;)



TV Show of the Week
Black Books

My brother borrowed my Black Books boxset last week to rewatch it, and it totally put me in mind to watch a few episodes too. This show will never ever fail to make me laugh, Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey and Tamsin Greig are all fantastic.

Film of the Week
Les Miserables

Still hasn't changed, although to be fair I haven't actually watched any films this week so that could be why. That, or the fact I'm still obsessed with Les Mis and have watched several Behind the Scenes videos on YouTube this week!

Beauty Product of the Week
MAC Woodwinked Eyeshadow

I've worn this either just blended across the lid or through the crease with a dark brown shadow this a few times this week and I'm really loving it again.

Book of the Week
The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

I'm still persevering with 'The Hundred Year Old Man...' (okay, weird sentence!) but for some reason I just kept struggling to concentrate on it. So I popped to the library in my home town and picked up a Cecelia Ahern book I haven't read yet, and as usual when it comes to her books, I'm loving it so far - I love the fairytale like quality to her novels, and they are so easy to read.

YouTuber of the Week
Leena from JustKissMyFrog

I love all of Leena's videos, she's one of the people I get most excited about seeing a new video in my subscription box from - go and check out her channel immediately if you haven't already!



Website of the Week
Twitter

I had such a nice time joining in with the #lbloggers and #bbloggers chats again on twitter last night, and got talking to some lovely bloggers - this is the magic of twitter :)

Style Icon of the Week
Mollie King

I can't say that Mollie from the Saturdays is usually someone who I am drawn to style wise (not that I dislike her style, I just haven't ever realy noticed it!) but I really like a couple of her outfits from the past few days at London Fashion Week. Simple but effective.


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So that's it for my favourites of the week! I'd love to hear what some of yours are! :)

Lynsey xxx

A Little Fashion Haul - H&M and Primark!

Hey all :)

I put up a new video today over on my YouTube channel and thought I'd link it here for you to have a wee look at! I was doing some Australia shopping the other day and thought I'd show you the bits and pieces I picked up in Glasgow! Still undecided about the maxi skirt - opinions are very welcome!


May, myself and Emma (with a particularly amazing cocktail!)

Hope you all had a good weekend! I headed out for some drinks for my friend's birthday last night which was lovely, despite me having to bail early since I was starting work at 6am (for the second last time!!) this morning. We had some cocktails in Hortons, a bar in Glasgow which I'd never been to before, and it was so nice - I've got my eye on it for my own leaving drinks which are (eeek) less than two weeks away now! The dress I'm sporting in the above photo is included in the haul video, so if you like the little of it you can see in the photo (taken on my friend May's camera, credit where credit's due!) watch the video for some further info on it.

Thanks so much for reading and watching :)

The New Layout and Blog Buttons!

Hey guys, just thought I'd do a really quick post to say a huge thank you again to the lovely Gillian from elevatormusik for my amazing new blog design - I absolutely love it and would recommend you in a heartbeat to anyone looking for a custom blog design :)

In addition to the new layout and design, I've finally got myself a blog button (also courtesy of Gillian!), which is linked in the sidebar! I've also added a few buttons from blogs I love to read so be sure to go and check them out if you haven't already!

Hope you've all had a good week and are looking forward to a great weekend! I'm heading out for my friend's birthday tomorrow night, and Saturday and Sunday bring two of my three final shifts at work before I'm Australia bound - scary stuff! I'm thinking I'll do a 'What's in my Australia Makeup Bag' post this week, since obviously, cosmetics are thee most important thing to consider when moving continents for a few months ;)

Thanks for reading guys, let me know in the comments below if you fancy a wee blog button swap and be sure to check out my latest YouTube video here!


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Valentine's Day and The Celebrity Crush Tag!

So, Valentine's Day is upon us once again, and I have to say it's not exactly my favourite day of the year. It's not a bitter 'why didn't I get a card and flowers?' mentality, but rather that I can't really understand why there is a day set aside in the year to show the person you love that you love them...? Surely we should be doing that every day of the year through simple little gestures, rather than rushing out a few days before February 14th to pick up a box of chocolates, a teddy bear with I Heart You printed on it's chest and a card with words that literally make you cringe. Each to their own, but to me the concept of Valentine's Day is all too money grabbing - guilt tripping couples into buying these ridiculous, unnecessary gifts, and leaving single people everywhere feeling pretty terrible.

So, since I'm single and don't feel all that qualified to make a gift guide for the day, expecially a day of the year I'm not exactly getting on board with, I filmed the Celebrity Crush Tag, created by Fleur de Force and Nikki Phillippi, over on my YouTube channel! What better way to spend the day than to talk about the men (and women) of my dreams - it doesn't cost me a penny, I don't have to dress up to 'impress' anyone, and you guys get the benefit of swooning over my list ;) I obviously can't include pictures though, for copyright reasons, so decided to do a little blogpost to accompany the video!

Teen Crush/Crush When You Were Younger:

Charlie Simpson in the Busted days
The day he left Busted was the day I fell out of love with this man.


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Dimitri from the animated Anastasia film. Yep. You read that right.
I was relieved to see Gemma from Gemsmaquillage and Estee from Essiebutton talking about cartoon characters and puppets in their video, which I'll link here! This was my version of such a crush. Was it the John Cusack voice or the genuine rom-com relationship between him and Anya... I don't know. Watching me attempt to explain this in the video is probably more entertaining...


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Girl Crush(es):

Emma Stone
For her personality - the same reason I love Kristen Bell actually!


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Marina Diamandis
For her style and music!


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Doutzen Kroes
This one is purely down to looks - isn't she gorgeous?! I may never be fully confident in pronouncing her name, but she really is beautiful.


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Over 40s Crush:

Hugh Jackman
To really understand the attractiveness that is Hugh Jackman a photo isn't enough, since his personality is such a big part of it. So here is a clip of him discussing his 'sexiest man alive' title with Ellen Degeneres in 2009!



Boyband Crush (at which, due to my disinterest in boybands, I failed miserably):

I'm sorry Harry, McFly aren't really a boyband!!!
Since I'm not a fan of One Direction, The Wanted or really any other boyband of the moment, I had to go with another of my teenage crushes, who is still looking pretty good might I say, Mr Harry Judd of McFly and Strictly Come Dancing fame!


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Jailbate Crush (at which I also failed miserably):

Jeremy Gilbert (the character from seasons 1 and 2 of The Vampire Diaries when he was 16, not the 24 year old actor Steven McQueen :P)
Again, this was not a question I did well with, I tend not to fancy men all that much younger than me (I think because I'm 23 and have a 21 year old brother I seem to think of anyone younger than that as too young for me haha). However, I do adore this character in TVD and he is only meant to be sixteen, so that totally counts... doesn't it?!


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Crush in General of the Moment:

Ian Somerhalder
I know, I know, I'm so unoriginal. But he looks like this, is a good actor and an ambassador for animal welfare charities... I can't help it.



So, that's it for my Celebrity Crush Tag - be sure to watch me ramble on in the video, I'll embed it below when it finally uploads! Who are some of your celebrity crushes?

Thanks for reading guys :)

First Impressions: L'Oréal Superliner Blackbuster

As a life long (well, since it hit the high street!) fan of the L'Oréal Superliner, I was intrigued to see the latest addition to the Superliner range in Superdrug yesterday. I know there is also a skinny pen version, similar to the likes of the Topshop Felt Pen Liner (which I haven't actually tried), but this chunky marker pen version caught my eye!

So far, I do like this product, but not enough to make me replace my old faithful sponge tip superliner! The chunky tip allows you to make a nice, graphic line and I think that some people might find it easier to work with than the flexible tip of the original. I'm so used to the flexi-tip that I found this a bit tricky to get used to, but it does allow you to control the shape quite nicely.

apologies for the fact the writing has all rubbed off my Superliner in my makeup bag!

The one complaint I would have about this is the name and the colour - it's named 'blackbuster', and the shade is 'Extra Black', but I have to say it looks a bit more on the brown side of black to me! What do you think? It's definitely not quite as darkly pigmented as the original liner, so if you like a really black line I would maybe avoid this!

Retailing for £6.99 from Superdrug or Boots, this is a lovely addition to the Superliner range! I would still recommend the original as the best, but if you are an eyeliner addict like me, or struggle with gel or sponge tip liners, I would say it's worth giving a shot :)

What's your favourite eyeliner? Leave your recommendations below :) Thanks for reading!

Favourites of the Week #2

Track of the Week
Just Give Me a Reason by Pink ft. Nate Ruess

Only just discovered this song and I love it. First of all, Pink is vocally amazing here, and Nate Ruess (otherwise known as the lead singer from Fun if like me the name didn't ring a bell!) is fantastic. It's a great song, but I have to draw attention to the video... it is absolutely insane! I'd try to explain, but it would be futile - I couldn't possibly capture the nuttiness that is this video. You'd be better to watch for yourself!



Album of the Week
Tyler Ward's ''Hello. Love. Heartbreak''

I've been listening to this lovely album a lot again this week. Love it. Dashes may be my favourite track.



TV Show of the Week
Arrested Development

Still working my way through Dexter, but I've been rewatching a lot of Arrested Development this week. This show never gets old :)

Film of the Week
Les Miserables

Went to see it for the second time yesterday... have I mentioned that I kind of like it? So pleased Anne Hathaway got the BAFTA and gutted Hugh Jackman didn't!

Beauty Product of the Week
L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipstick in Dating Coral

Love love loving this again, it is probably my favourite lipstick of all time.

Book of the Week
The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

I have to admit I've slacked off a wee bit in terms of reading this week, still on the same one as last week!

YouTuber of the Week
Kandee Johnson

Has to be Kandee Johnson, I always have and always will adore that woman, she is a little ray of sunshine.



Website of the Week
HelloGiggles

I've been loving all of the articles on Hello Giggles this week - I really, really love this website. My favourite articles this week were this one here on the gorgeous Aaron Tveit in Les Miserables, and this one here on Beyonce and the Superbowl :)

Style Icon of the Week
Anne Hathaway

This is a new category I've added in! After flicking through the best dressed photos from the BAFTAs and the Grammys I thought it was a good one to add :) I thought Anne Hathaway looked so gorgeous last night in her Burberry gown. So elegant and classy, and in keeping with the monochrome trend that overwhelmed the red carpet last night!

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So that's it for my favourites of the week! I'd love to hear what some of yours are! :)

Lynsey xxx

Quote of the Day #1

I saw this lovely little quote on Pinterest today and it made me smile. Firstly, because I love Winnie the Pooh, and secondly because it's such a lovely way to look at things.

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It really is true, every day has the potential to be amazing, if you go for it. It might not feel like it sometimes, but the potential really is there.

Today I worked my fifth last shift in my part time job, which after three and a half years is quite a strange feeling. An amazing feeling since I never intended to still be there this long after I graduated (thanks for that, recession!!), but also scary because it signals just how close I'm getting to my travels. With my visa in place, my flights all sorted and my 'to do' lists filling up the notebook beside me it's all getting very real. After my little freak out last week though I'm feeling a lot more settled about it, and I think that little quote really reflects that :)

So, now I'm off to get myself organised for some drinks in town with my lovely best friend - my new cat print top from H&M (pictured in this post here) will be worn for the first time - I may add an OOTD photo into this post later if I like it! I'm also trying to contain my excitement about the fact that tomorrow I'm off to see Les Mis for the second time... that very thought got me through my shift this morning :P

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend :) Let me know what you've been up to!

Lynsey xxx

My Current 'To Read' List...

Yesterday I popped into Waterstones for a little browse. I love book shops, there's something so relaxing about spending an hour just wandering around the shelves, picking up different books and uncovering new stories that you can't wait to delve into. I found a few this time that I absolutely cannot wait to read, and will probably download on my Kindle for going away to Australia - speaking of which, book recommendations are very welcome here!

For My Kindle...

Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway

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Any Lost fans in the building? Reading the back of this book instantly reminded me of the Season 6 storyline with Desmond (one of my favourite characters) and Eloise (one of my least favorite characters!)... I won't say any more in case that spoils Lost for anyone who hasn't watched it yet. The reviews I have read so far have all been great, and although I haven't read any of this author's previous books I have a feeling I'm going to really enjoy it:

1Q84 (Books 1&2) by Haruki Murakami

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Since I finished The Hunger Games I've been looking forward to reading another series of books, everything I've read since then has been stand alone. I've heard good things about this series, and about Murakami in general, but I hadn't ever actually read the back of the book - it's safe to say I'm already intrigued.

The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly

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I love Little Women, and although it's been a while since I reread it, I still remember the characters vividly. This book imagines the lives of the great granddaughters of Jo, and how the stories of the original March sisters inspire these modern day girls, and I haven't read a negative review yet. I find this kind of modernisation really interesting - my Advanced Higher English dissertation was a comparison of my favourite play of all time, 'The Crucible' by Arthur Miller and a modern twist on it - Jodi Picoult's 'Salem Falls'.

One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern

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I don't care what anyone says, I love Cecelia Ahern's books! They are like putting on a pair of cosy old slippers - comforting and so easy to get into. Her characters always really appeal to me (particularly Lucy in 'The Time of My Life' and Joyce in 'Thanks for the Memories'), and I really love the sound of this one:

''Journalist Kitty Logan’s career has been destroyed by scandal, and she now faces losing the woman who guided her and taught her everything she knew. At her mentor’s bedside, Kitty asks her – what is the one story she always wanted to write?

The answer lies in a file buried in Constance’s office: a list of one hundred names. There is no synopsis, no explanation, nothing else to explain what the story is or who these people are. The list is simply a mystery.

But before Kitty can talk to her friend, it is too late.

With everything to prove, Kitty is assigned the most important task of her life – to write the story her mentor never had the opportunity to. Kitty has to not only track down and meet the people on the list, but find out what connects them. And, in the process of hearing ordinary people’s stories, she uncovers Constance’s – and starts to understand her own…''(Description on Amazon)

In Proper Book Form...

I really do need to have these books on my bookshelf eventually. I still can't get over how beautiful the covers are!!

Penguin Deluxe Edition Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

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Penguin Deluxe Edition Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

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Penguin Deluxe Edition Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

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Russian Magic Tales from Pushkin to Platonov by Robert Chandler

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I love Russian literature - Pushkin's Tales of Belkin, Bulgakov's Master and Margarita, Lermontov's A Hero of our Time and Gogol's The Nose were four of my favourite books/stories from my Comparative Literature course at uni, so I sort of fell in love with that era of writing (well, Bulgakov's a bit later, but his writing style is quite similar). So this book really appeals to me :) Not one for my Kindle, but one that I'd love to own a proper copy of.

I'd love to hear what's on your current 'to read' list! And be sure to give me your book recommendations in the comments for my upcoming travels :)

Lynsey xxx

50 Random Facts About Me

I finally managed to film, edit and upload my 50 Random Facts video last night, after several failed attempts! Hope you enjoy it guys, and I tag you all to post 50 facts about yourself :)


wow, what an attractive image - thankfully next video will have a custom thumbnail :)

Lynsey xxx

Favourites of the Week #1

I thought today I'd just do a quick post on some of my favourite 'things' from the past week!

Track of the Week

Pompeii by Bastille
Don't ask me why, but this track has just kept lifting my spirits this week!



Album of the Week

Red by Taylor Swift
For the millionth week running. There isn't a single track I don't like, but I'm particularly loving Holy Ground this week.

TV Show of the Week

Dexter
I'm way behind, currently watching Season 3 on DVD!

Film of the Week

Les Mis
That's right. I'm still not done raving about how good this film is!

Beauty Product of the Week

Illamasqua Satin Primer
My skin has been looking pretty awful since I've been a bit under the weather and this just gives it a nice lift.

Book of the Week

The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
Started reading this on my Kindle a couple of days ago and I'm loving it so far, it's such an interesting idea.

YouTuber of the Week

Chelsea from Ophelia Dagger
Chelsea's vlogs every other day the past couple of weeks have been guaranteed to make me laugh (as most of her brilliant videos do)

Website of the Week

Pinterest
I abandoned Pinterest for a while there, but I'm pleased to say it's now firmly back in my life :)

What have been some of your favourite 'things' this week? :)

Lynsey xxx

Your Very Own Time Capsule

Less than a week ago I was checking out some new blogs following the #lbloggers chat on twitter, and having chatted to the lovely Cat from Cat's Chronology I hopped over to her blog to have a wee read - and I stumbled upon a post which seriously caught my eye!

She had reviewed an amazing little 5 Year Journal (I'll link the post here!) and I thought it was such a lovely little thing that I decided I wanted one too! So I immediately popped over to Amazon and ordered one.

The Q&A a Day 5-Year Journal from Potter Style is a cute, vintagey looking little journal which aims to 'help you make a time capsule of the next five years of your life in the simplest way possible.' It asks a question a day, with enough room to write a concise answer (excellent for someone like me who tends to ramble!) and has five slots per page, each with ''20__'' at the side to allow you to fill in the year for yourself.

The questions range from really general day to day questions like 'What was the first thing you ate today?', to much deeper questions like 'If you could go back in time and change something, what would you change?'.

For people who love to keep diaries and journals I think this is such a nice idea. It could be a nice little add on to a much bigger journal for some people, or for the lazier among us it's a fun way to keep motivated as you only have to answer one question a day - much easier to keep up than a daily update in a traditional diary.

My birthday and it's a question about pizza - could there be a more apt question for me?!

The Q&A a Day 5 Year Journal is available from Amazon (here) and I got mine for just £7.42 with free delivery. Annoyingly it's out of stock at the moment, but hopefully it will be back in soon. There are a couple of other lovely little journals in this range too, so be sure to check those out if this is the kind of thing that interests you!

Do you manage to keep a regular journal? Let me know in the comments below :)

Lynsey xxx