Glasgow Blogger Meet Up :)

As most people know, the best thing to come out of blogging for me is the people I have met the friends I've made. I know it sounds cliched, but it's true. Some of the lovely girls I've met through blogging events have become real friends, and I always look forward to seeing them. When it dawned on me a few weeks ago that I hadn't been to a good old fashioned meet up in ages (there have been plenty formal events organised by brands/companies, just no casual meet ups) I decided to bite the bullet and organise one!

So, on Saturday night some of us Scottish blogging ladies met up for cocktails in Hortons in Glasgow, and had a smashing time (even if I do say so myself)! We all love a formal event with a wee prosecco at the door and some fancy products to cast our eyes over, but sometimes it's nice to just meet up for a chat!

Me and Roisin, Me and Laura, Me and Kirsty (I'm so self-indulgent ;)) and everyone!

I love that when I meet up with these girls there are names I can mention from the YouTube or blogging world and they instantly know who I'm talking about, in a way that non-blogging friends don't! It's brilliant to go from chatting away about something completely non-blog related to suddenly overhearing someone say ''did you see that tweet so and so posted about so and so's video'', and suddenly be ranting away about that. Don't get me wrong - my non-blogging friends (including the infamous bestie Emma who you'll have heard me mention every other minute) are amazing and I love them to pieces - but it's nice to be able to say ''Did you see Tanya's million subscribers video?'' and be greeted with more than a blank stare ;) It's more than just blogging though. You meet such lovely people, who you find you have so much in common with, and it's crazy to think that if I'd never started rambling away on my wee corner of the internet I'd never have met them!

Me, Kirsty, Laura, Lynne and Morag

I really feel like we are so lucky to have the blogging community we've got here in Scotland. I remember the first event I ever went to - even though my friend Gemma was with me, I was still so nervous - but within no time at all we were having a great night, and a couple of events in I forgot to even be nervous turning up on my own! I know that I'm either going to be catching up with blogging friends I've already made, or meeting new ones - it's a win win! I know I'm guaranteed to have a great night at whatever event we go along to - speaking of which, I still haven't posted my video from the Edinburgh International Fashion Festival opening night which some of us popped along to, YouTube is being a pain. Apparently one of the tracks from iMovie, which are all free to use in any video, has managed to match to two separate 'Third Party Content'. Anyone with advice on which tab to click when disputing this, please get in touch :P

Nikki, Melissa, Gillian and Roisin

Anyway, apologies for the rubbish quality photos - decided against taking my swanky new Canon since it was a casual kind of affair, and just took photos on my phone. In the dark bar, hence the ever-so-grainy effect! If anyone took some better quality photos that they'd like to send me, please do!

Thanks so much to all the girls who came along! Organising an event (even one as casual as this!) is always a wee bit nerve wracking, but it was a great night and it was so lovely to see you all - let's do it again soon!

Laura - The Likely Lady
Roisin - Rose Keats
Iona - Iona Blogs
Kirsty - Indigo Buttons
Lynne - Cocktails and Daydreams
Gillian - Gillian Etc
Nikki - The Lunar Lights
Morag - Mo Adore
Lisa and Sami - Beauty Aesthetic
Melissa - Stylish Kids
Lynsay - West End Girl
Lauren - Living in a Boxx
Claire - Bee Waits
Sherri - Betty Swollocks
Wendy - Thank Fifi

And thank you so much to SaraJayne from thetrubrand.com and Pavan from appointeddhq.com for coming along too - it was so lovely to meet you both!

My Top 5 Rom-Coms of the 21st Century (so far)...

As many of you will know from previous posts, I am a rom-com addict. I love any sort of romantic story, so when paired with some laughs and, usually, some of my favourite actors, this is a genre that I will never get bored of. ''But they're so predictable'', I hear so many people cry... but that's half of the fun of it! The realisation after five minutes of screen time that the two people, no matter how ridiculous the situation may be, will inevitably end up together. That's a nice, hopeful sort of movie. And so I thought I'd pick my top five from the twenty first century thus far, and share them with you! So, in no particular order, they are as follows:

The Holiday (d. Nancy Meyers, 2006)

One of my favourite Christmas movies, The Holiday is the ultimate feel good rom com. Ultr-likeable Kate Winslet shows us that you really can get over the one person who has always had a hold over you, while Cameron Diaz and Jude Law pull off the perfect ''falling in love on screen within a matter of days'' storyline. Great performance from all three, and the other leading man, Mr Jack Black, and a fantastic sub-plot with Kate Winslet's character Iris befriending an elderly neighbour of Cameron Diaz, who happens to be a very famous script writer from the Golden Age of Hollywood - this storyline always makes me cry.

The Proposal (d. Anne Fletcher, 2009)

Sandra Bullock is one of my favourite actresses, and while it is easy to see from the start of this film where it is going, I will never ever get sick of it. In terms of the 'comedy' part of rom-coms, this is one of my favourites. The chemistry between Sandra and Ryan Reynolds (who, if you ask me, were perfect for each other in real life too - thanks Blake Lively for ruining that dream for me!) is palpable! This film has all the elements required for it to be a hit - great casting (Betty White is brilliant as usual), excellent script, gorgeous location, a cute puppy and a naked Ryan Reynolds. Of course it was going to be popular.

Crazy, Stupid, Love (d. Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, 2011)

Ahhh, Crazy, Stupid, Love. I had been told by so many people that this film was brilliant, but I ended up not seeing it till about a year after it was released. I finally got the dvd in the sale in HMV last year, and I love it! Love the bizarre bromance between Steve Carrell and the gorgeous Ryan Gosling, love that it stars Emma Stone (another of my favourite actresses) and it really is the perfect blend of humour and romance. I also love the way it examines the 'idea' of love in general, and what it means to different people.

Just Like Heaven (d. Mark Waters, 2005)

I can still remember going to see Just Like Heaven in the cinema and loving it to pieces. I think it's a really underrated romcom. It came out at the height of my Reese Witherspoon adoration, and it was the first film I ever saw Mark Ruffalo in, and I instantly loved him. This film has it's slightly daft elements, but it also has some proper tear-jerker moments. Again, I love the chemistry between Reese and Mark, and Jon Heder is on hand to provide some laughs any time he is on screen. If you are a fan of romcoms and haven't seen this one, you really should!

Silver Linings Playbook (d. David O. Russell, 2012)

Now, Silver Linings Playbook is in a slightly different category to the others. Technically it is a romcom, but the way I would differentiate it is to say that there is no way in hell my mum would manage to convince my dad to watch any of the other four films on this list (with the possible exception of The Holiday, but even that's pushing it), but I gave them Silver Linings to watch and they both loved it! There is nothing I don't love about this film. It's funny, touching, thought provoking, romantic and has an incredible cast. Jennifer Lawrence won her Best Actress Oscar for her performance in this film, and Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver were all nominated, while the film itself was nominated for Best Film. Of all the movies in this top 5, this is the one I recommend you check out first!!

So there we go, my top 5 favourite rom coms of the twenty first century... so far! What are some of yours? Or, if you don't like romantic comedies, what is your favourite genre?

Thanks for reading!

Favourites of the Week #14

It's that time again - here we go with another weekly favourites! I have, however, left ot a couple of categories this week as I've been a totally reading failure and have no new books to discuss with you... and *shock horror* the same goes for blogs!! Fear not, I'll make up for it with two bloggers of the week next week, I'd rather do that than pick someone for the sake of it this week!

Track of the Week
Burn - Ellie Goulding

We all know how much I love Ellie Goulding, and I am very much enjoying her latest offering this week. 'Burn' is a dancy track which I guarantee you'll find yourself tapping your foot along to (or, if you're anything like me, dancing around like a maniac).



Album of the Week
Taylor Swift - Red

This has featured in my weekly favourites so often, because I still love it. It's bizarre because in general I'm not the biggest Taylor Swift fan, but this album is seriously, seriously good. There's really only one track I ever skip past when I'm out and about(Sad, Beautiful, Tragic) and it isn't that I don't like it, I just have to be in a certain mood to listen to it - it's really slow paced, and since I walk ridiculously fast I feel like it's slowing me down (bizarre, I know!).



TV Show of the Week
Person of Interest

My brother and I actually started watching Person of Interest when it first aired last year, but we fell totally behind. Have been catching up with it this week though and I've now seen all of Season 1. Obviously the Lost connection is a biggy for me - created by JJ.Abrams and starring Michael Emerson (Ben Linus from Lost), but what I particularly like about this show is that it manages to keep your interest for the entire first season while revealing very little about the two main characters. That's pretty rare for a twenty odd episode first season. I have to say, I'm not convinced that Jim Cavaziel who plays John is the best actor in the world, but the amazing ability the character has to escpae virtually unscathed from any life threatening situation makes it really entertaining to watch. This guy's tougher than Jack Bauer.


Beauty Product of the Week
Bourjois Colour Boost in Peach on the Beach

I really think this is THE lip colour of the summer - everyone is wearing it!! I love this range from Bourjois, and this bright peachy pink shade is perfect for the sunny weather we've been having lately (okay not yesterday or today, but last week was good!).

YouTuber of the Week
Daily Grace

This needs no explanation. She always, always makes me laugh!!

Website of the Week
Bloglovin

Obviously the whole Google Reader craziness has calmed down a bit now and I'm trying to getting used to using bloglovin! I actually quite like it - it's really easy to navigate and lets me keep up with all my favourite blogs :)

Style Icon of the Week
Julianne Hough

Firstly, let's take a moment for me to cry upon discovering that Julianne is less than a year older than me. Now that I've composed myself, let's enjoy her fashion choice from last week. I love the shade of this peachy mini-dress, and although it's a bit shorter than I would usually go (cue the 100 denier black tights), I do love a peplum. Now all I can think about it how badly I want to see Safe Haven (partly to fall in love with Josh Duhamel all over again, but also because I'm a sucker for a romantic movie)...

What have some of your favourite things been this week? Let me know in the comments! :)

Thanks for reading!

Karla Powell at The Academy of Makeup!

Over the past year I've become a huge fan of Karla Powell - if you have an interest in makeup, an addiction to twitter and live in the UK you'd have to have been living under a rock the past few months to have missed the amazing work she has been doing - her pop art makeup look has proved to be particularly popular: check it out in the YouTube video at the end of this post!!

With over 12,000 followers on twitter and over 15,000 on instagram, Karla is fast becoming one the most talked about MUAs in the country. Just a few months ago, before I headed off to Australia on my travels, I spoke to Karla via email about a little interview for the Academy of Makeup, and she sent me some lovely words which I included in a post which I'll link here. Now, little over six months later, Sara Hill, director of the Academy, texted me to let me know that Karla will be coming to the Academy on the 17th August!! She will be running a masterclass sharing her tips and tricks with us which is an amazing opportunity for any of her fans!

As a graduate of the Academy myself, I'll be going along and I can't wait to see Karla in action!! Spaces are very limited though, so if you would like be there to learn from one of the most exciting makeup artists in the country today, book your place now!

From what I can tell, this masterclass will be perfect for makeup enthusiasts and makeup artists alike, so whatever your level of experience, this is an event not to be missed! You can click here to book a place! Unsurprisingly, the spaces are filling up pretty quickly!




*Disclaimer - I'm sure a lot of you know that I used to work for the Academy of Makeup, but I'm now working elsewhere, so this little plug is purely to let you guys know about Karla's visit to Scotland - I think it's going to be a brilliant class, and I'd love to see some of you there! Boring bit over, let's get excited about the makeup!!

Wishlist - Pretty Printed Dresses

Tattoo Floral Teadress - Topshop - £45

Block Print Sleeveless Bodycon - Topshop - £29

Pussycat Neon Pink and Grey Tribal Wrap Dress - New Look - £25 - New Look - £19.99

Parisian Cream Aztec Cut Out Back Skater Dress - New Look - £19.99

Bourjois Rouge Edition Shine Rouge Making Of - Superdrug - £7.99

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya - Superdrug - £7.99

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Nova - Superdrug - £5.99

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in Wine - Superdrug - £5.49

A little wish-list of pretty printed dresses and lipsticks, all from the high street! I rarely buy anything from Topshop (the prices just aren't justifiable to me!) but I really liked the print of the little white teadress, and I can't resist a bold bodycon dress! I'm addicted to the Revlon Lip Butters and Juicy Papaya is definitely next on my 'to buy' list from the collection! And although I probably wouldn't wear either the Apocalips in Nova or the Kate Moss wine lipstick (not the right shades for my skin tone!), I reckon they would look quite nice with the dresses I've paired them up with! What do you think? Where is your favourite place to shop on the high street?

REVIEW: Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Polish

Hello all, hope you've had a lovely week!

I mentioned this nail polish in my latest haul video and people seemed to like the look of it - so I thought I'd dedicate a quick blogpost to it!


It's the Bourjois: 1 Seconde Gel Nail Polish, which, if you're like me, you may initially misinterpret and think it aims to dry in 1 second - click here to see a video with my genuine first reaction to this thought.

In reality, however, what this clever little nail polish does is not dry in one second, but apply in one second. The trick is the nifty lttle fan shaped, slightly wider than normal brush, which allows you to coat the whole nail in one sweep. And it works! The slight issue for me is that my pinky and ring finger nails are quite narrow, and since I am not the world's best nail painter, this can mean there's a little bit to remove once you have painted them! However, if unlike me you have nails of a normal width, this is genius!

I have this lovely polish in two shades - Rose Cupcake, and Turquoise Block... I apologise that the photo of the pink shade is an instagram number but to be honest, I just love this turquoise one too much to take off right now. It. Is. Beautiful.

I also love that this nail polish (a) is really opaque with just one coat (I tend to go for two anyway but in a rush one would do just fine) and (b) it dries really quickly! Okay, so it's not quite one second, but it's not bad. I'll time it next time I use it ;)

The Bourjois: 1 Seconde Gel Nail Polishes are £5.99 each from Boots and Superdrug. Definitely go and check them out - they are fantastic!

Thanks for reading!

A Little Dose of Monday Cuteness...

Having a bad day? Let pinterest come to the rescue - these guys are sure to put a smile back on your face :) Cuteness might not be a real word... but it should be....

pinterest

pinterest

pinterest

pinterest

pinterest

and....

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You're welcome.

:)

Favourites of the Week #13

I'm back with aother weekly favourites post! Typing this just minutes after Andy Murray won Wimbledon... what a day!!!

Track of the Week
Saturday Night - Natalia Kills

I really do love Natalia Kills, and I feel like she doesn't really get the hype she probably deserves. This song is ridiculously catchy, but if you properly listen to the lyrics it has a really dark undertone. It's delving into a much darker part of her past than any of her other songs have really revealed. Combining these lyrics with such an upbeat, catchy melody is a really interesting mix. Check out some of her older songs like Wonderland, Kill My Boyfriend and Break You Hard too - they're amazing!



Album of the Week
Kodaline - In a Perfect World

This is a phenomenal debut album, and one of those ones you wonder how they will ever follow up with their next album! I will say it maybe loses a tiny bit of momentum towards the end, but there still isn't a single track on it I don't like.



TV Show of the Week
New Girl

I adore New Girl, and finally got the season one box set this week! I have seen lots of random episodes, watched some on the plane home from Australia actually and I have wanted to be able to sit and watch it properly ever since. I had a little NG marathon last night and I'm falling dangerously in love with Jake Johnson who plays Nick... ladies, I challenge you not to!


Beauty Product of the Week
Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose

I am absolutely loving this lip butter from Nivea, I got it as a little extra birthday present and it's amazing! It tastes so good, I can't even describe it, I have to stop myself trying to eat it!!

Book of the Week
The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

Still on The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey and still really enjoying it. It's intense, I'll say that! I've said it before, alien stories are not my cup of tea, but this one is pretty interesting!

YouTuber of the Week
Tanya Burr

This week Tanya Burr hit one million subscribers and uploaded a video to celebrate, which inlcuded lots of little clips sent in by her subscribers commenting on how happy her videos make them, and how she makes them feel better when they're feeling down. I can't imagine what an amazing feeling that must be. If I could do YouTube for a living, I absolutely would - it must be so great to be able to do what you love and what you have fun doing with your friends for a living, and to have such incredible support from your viewers. I've been watching Tanya's videos for years now, and her videos really are lovely. So if you haven't already checked them out, go and do so now!


Blog of the Week
Charlotte's Web

I discovered Charlotte's blog just a couple of weeks ago - she was another one of Louise Sprinkle of Glitter's Amazing Advertisers last month, and I instantly fell in love with her blog! It's so pretty, with such lovely photographs and easy to read posts. Definitely go and check this one out guys! :)

Website of the Week
Twitter

More blog love for twitter this week - just took part in the loveliest #lbloggers chat (you know I love a good twitter chat) and the topic was blogging friends/blogs that have inspired you - it was a really lovely, positive conversation and as usual made me appreciate what a great thing blogging is :)

Style Icon of the Week
Mischa Barton

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Mischa Barton at Berlin Fashion Week - not sure how I feel about the sunglasses, I have to admit, but I love the combination of this sophisticated orange dress with the casually worn studded leather jacket!

What have some of your favourite things been this week? Let me know in the comments! :)

Thanks for reading!

Waiting to be Read...

Over the past couple of weeks, I've accumulated a few new books! Emma got me How to Leave Twitter and The Poison That Fascinates for my birthday, and I picked up the other three in the three for £10 offer in Asda!

Despite adoring the film of The Devil Wears Prada, I've never read the book - perhaps I should do that before I read the sequel?!

I really really want to see The Bling Ring in the cinema (I think it comes out tomorrow?!) but I'm going to try and read the book first. Remember that time I tried that with The Great Gatsby? Yes. Remember that time I succeeded....

Moving swiftly on, Fallen is another YA sort of a book, probably along the Twilight lines. My issue is that while I couldn't get through the first chapter of book one of Twilight, I have read a couple of other YA supernatural themed series and really enjoyed them. This one sounds quite intriguing, so I will be sure to update you with my progress once I start reading it!

At the moment I'm still working my way through The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey - this book is intense!!! But I'm thoroughly enjoying it, so would definitely recommend it! Even if generally, like me, alien themed books are of no interest to you, this one is worth giving a shot!

What's on your current 'to read' list?

ps remember I'm vlogging every day for the whole month of July over on my youtube channel - come over and say hi! :)

150 Followers Giveaway!

Over the past couple of weeks I hit a mini-milestone with my little blog. I actually wanted to do a 100 followers giveaway, but I reached that while I was travelling, which made things a little bit tricky! Last week, however, I reached 150 followers both on GFC and over on Bloglovin, and that'a pretty big deal for me, considering when I first started my blog I had about 4 followers for months and months! It means the world to me that people are reading my posts, so I wanted to give something back!

If you know me, you'll know I can't resist a pretty notebook or journal, but this one in particular is special. I first saw the Listography books in Urban Outfitters ages ago, and then saw them appear on various blogs, and my favourite is the 'My Future Listography'. The concept is simple - make out lists of things you hope to achieve/see/do in your lifetime, and listography helps by giving you a whole book full of categories to get planning for! From tv series to watch, to ways to be more environmentally friendly, and even people you hope never to lose touch with, this is certainly a journal that gets you thinking!

So, with that in mind, I'm giving away a copy of this journal to one lucky follower to celebrate this little landmark. The winner will be picked from both my GFC followers AND bloglovin followers, so for a sneaky extra entry be sure to follow on both! I just want to thank everyone who has been reading and commenting on my blog over the past few months, I'm so grateful for each and every one of you!

There are a few ways to enter! First of all, make sure you're folling me either on GFC (over in the sidebar there!) or on Bloglovin (the link to that is below!). Then, if you fancy it, for an extra entry you can leave me a comment in the comments section letting me know you'd like to win, and which sort of category in the book you think you'd be drawn to first, and even tweet about the giveaway or like my facebook page if you have the time! All info is linked below :) The giveaway closes exactly 4weeks from now - the 29th July 2013, at mindnight!

Good luck everyone and thanks so much again for sticking with me and reading my ramblings :)

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