My Top 10 Undiscovered Artists for 2015

Hey hey lovelies!

I haven’t done a ‘new music’ post for ages so I thought it was time for an update – here’s my top 10! I’ve tried to include a wide variation from acoustic to dance tracks. I’ll only share with you things with less than 250k views on Youtube (most have less than 50k) to make sure it’s truly fresh and undiscovered. Would love your thoughts, and tip offs on anything else you’ve found that you love!

 

First up, straight in with some EDM. I dare you not to dance.

Who? E.A.S.Y

Track? Coming Around Again

Vibe? Slight head banging & lots of body rolling night out

Youtube hits? (no official video yet) 72

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt2kwAuClII

 

Let’s switch it up with some love-in acoustics…

Who? Mike Dingham

Track? Lungs, and Relentless

Vibe? Half loved up acoustic guitar, half jazzy upbeats

Youtube hits? 30k, and 33k

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoigglPQMqc

 

Fancy some girl power? I got it!

Who? Eemia

Track? Time Bomb

Vibe? Sassy gal pal

Youtube hits? 307

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm1h9Ok9Gxs

 

Old school is coming back around

Who? Nizlopi (ok fair enough – they’re not new (remember the JBC song??) but this song is amazing and unknown)

Track? Start Beginning

Vibe? Hippies with cant-not-dance rhythm

Youtube hits? 197k

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0jik2Vd88g

 

REPEAT REPEAT REPEAT!

Who? Zak Abel

Track? These are the Days

Vibe? Soul and swagger for DAYS.

Youtube hits? 23k

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BP7XC699Jc

 

Let’s head over to Nashville (via the British south coast)

Who? E-J Evans

Track? Nashville

Vibe? Upbeat romantic country (with a hint of Taylor Swift)

Youtube hits? NA, 30 plays on Soundcloud

Link: https://soundcloud.com/timbrewulf/e-j-evans-2015-01-16-ashley-hotel-showcase-nashville

 

Crank up the intensity…

Who? IYES

Track? Glow

Vibe? The intensity of young love via twinkly notes and heavy basslines

Youtube hits? 26k

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41kYQ3gEY-Q

 

Fancy a rooftop heartbreak? You got it!

Who? Nina Smith

Track? This Love

Vibe? Soulful, upbeat heartbreak. Fast Car (Tracy Chapman) flavours.

Youtube hits? 300

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jskza0F0fA

 

Oh snap… get ready to rave

Who? MNEK (probably the best known artist in this post, but I couldn’t not include this)

Track? The Rhythm

Vibe? Taking you from pre-drinks to last orders at the club

Youtube hits? 247k

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOfPYyO3GfU

 

And lastly, dance your way off onto a wonderful day. Love ya ❤

Who? PHONY PPL

Track? End of the Night

Vibe? Two steppin’ in the sunshine

Youtube hits? 58k

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMBIP4MpW6A 

 

What are you listening to right now?

Did you have a fav from this list?

Beauty Review: Nair Shower Power Creams

 

A quite beauty review for you today! I was kindly sent the new Nair Shower Power range recently so thought I’d compile my thoughts for you….

 

 

 

 

I personally really like these creams (because I’m too lazy to shave and too wussy to wax) – they hardly take any time at all, and are totally pain free. However, the Veet ones smell AWFUL! I think they’ve recently released some scented ones (which I haven’t tried yet) but I was really pleasantly surprised by these Nair ones. Neither smell at all odd – just clean and soapy – result!

 

The Argan Oil cream is really moisturising, and has a lovely fresh soap scent, while the Brazilian Spa Clay is beautifully rich and creamy. If you try hard you can still smell the ‘hair removal’ scent, but it’s seriously reduced compared to what I’ve seen before. Very impressed!

 

 

 

The claim with these is that you put them on for a couple of minutes before you shower, then leave them on for 3 mins during your shower before you wash them off. Definitely better than the 10 mins of sitting in a freezing cold bathroom that I was used to before!

 

Both of them did what they said on the tin, and without any of the downsides previously associated with hair removal creams. I will definitely be buying these once they run out, and would recommend them highly!

 

 

Both are £6.99 in Boots and are a huge 200ml, which I think will last for aaaaaages.

What do you think? Have you tried either of these? Or had any good or bad experiences?

Best Creme de la Mer Dupes!

I love Creme de la Mer products and having worked there got addicted to basically all of them. However, sadly I can’t afford to sustain this fan-dom, and as a thrifting blogger I thought I’d better see if I could find some bargain alternatives. I’ve been trying out loads of different things over the past couple of years and of course nothing is quite as good (you get what you pay for really) but they make pretty amazing dupes.

 

Here’s the results…

 

 

 

 

The Toner

 

 

I never used to use toner and didn’t entirely see the point of it, but since I’ve started using it between cleansing and moisturising my skin has improved hugely. It’s amazing how much grime (sorry for the over share!) comes off onto the cotton pad even after you’ve cleansed. Getting that last little bit seems to stop all my spots appearing. Amazing!

 

The thing I love about this toner is that’s really thin and watery – I just put a drop onto a cotton pad and sweep it over my whole face. Most toners I looked at were oily or creamy but these ones leave no residue at all. This No7 ‘Soft and Soothed Gentle Toner’ is identical to the Creme de la Mer toner as far as I can tell. Definitely a winner!

 

 

Creme de la Mer ‘The Tonic’ – £65

No7 Soft & Soothed Gentle Toner – £8 (and always on offer!)

 

 

The Cleansing Fluid

 

 

I was never sure about oil cleaners until I tried this Creme one – I figured it’d be really oily and terrible for my oily skin. However, once I tried it I finally believed all the hype. It balances my skin really well, makes it supple and clear instead of tight and dry. You hardly need any each time so they last forever. I just use one pump of either of smooth it onto dry skin. You let it sink in a bit so it gets all the mascara off and then wash it off with a damp cloth. I find these are the only cleansers that get everything off so I’m not stuck with panda eyes in the morning.

 

The Creme de la Mer ‘The Cleansing Oil’ has the added benefit of being awesomely glittery iridescent in the bottle, but the L’Oreal version smells incredible – super fruity!

 

 

 

Creme de la Mer ‘The Oil Cleanser’ – £65

L’Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil – £7.99

 

 

 

The Refining Facial

 

 

I tend to be a bit rubbish about forgetting to exfoliate or use face masks, but whenever I do I really notice the differences. The beauty of the Creme de la Mer Refining Facial is that you can rub it on damp skin as an exfoliator or paste it onto dry skin and leave it for a few minutes as a face mask. It’s super thick and chalky and the exfoliant is diamond powder (too cool!!!). I’ve never seen another exfoliator like it – they’re normally too liquid or the beads are massive and oily and don’t do anything. This one is exactly the right balance between too rough on my sensitive skin, or full of pointless ‘beads’.

 

Creme de la Mer ‘The Refining Facial’ – £65

Soap & Glory ‘The Fab Pore Facial Peel’ – £6.67 (but £13.34 per 100ml – the same as the Creme product)

The Concealer

When it comes to concealer I can’t see any point messing around with something that doesn’t cover up 100% of the redness or bags. When I tried this Creme de la Mer concealer I was an immediate convert – it gives flawless coverage that lasts all day and isn’t cakey or shiny. It’s a cream in the packet and then on your skin it looks powdery and perfect – exactly like you perfect skin! I’ve never found anything quite as good but bought this Look Beauty concealer pallet on a whim when it was reduced in Superdrug – and was so happy I took a risk. The formulation is really really similar to the Creme version and you get two shades so you can mix and contour too. It’s not quite as long lasting and flawless, but it’s pretty darned close!

    

Creme de la Mer ‘The Concealer’ in Medium – £48 for 3.5g

Look Beauty Conceal It concealer pallet – £8 (I got it half price!)

Would love to hear your thoughts if you’ve got any other great dupes, or if you’ve tried any of these products?

 

 

OOTD – Sheer, embellished, capes, mini bags, and monochrome – trend overload!

Good evening lovely thrifters,

 

Today’s outfits is a full smorgasbord of bargain trends for you. I’ve combined monochrome (head to toe black and white) with a sheer AND embellished top, a mini bag, and of course a cape/poncho. I don’t normally go for monochrome but really loved this look, and it gave me a good excuse to bring out my favourite super bright Revlon lipstick.

 

 

I love this poncho as it’s short enough to not take over the whole outfit, but also super snuggly and chic. Ponchos and capes are going to be a huge trend this winter so I’d snap any up if you see them! The tassels also tick off another detailing trend so this is an all round winner. I also like that you can just about see the chiffon top poking out the top corner – it just adds a little more detail to break up the large section of black.

 

I opted for colourful earring and lipstick to counteract the black and white and I love the way it turned out. The gold metal blends in with my hair so the focus is all about the red red red!

 

The mini bag is probably my favourite trend right now. I’ve been loving carrying less junk around and am amazed at how little you can get away with when you want to! Of course I also have a huge handbag for some occasions, but it’s refreshing to sometimes mix it up with a smaller one. This one easily fits my phone and money, plus lipstick for top-ups and even a hairbrush! I got it at the Lewis-Manning charity fashion show that I organised recently and have already got loads of complements on it.

 

 

The shoes are from Everything5Pounds.com and I really wish I’d bought about 10 pairs! I wear them loads and they’re super comfy – especially amazing for a night out as they go with everything and last all night.

The sheer top is super cute – a major find in the Lewis-Manning charity shop in Poole. It’s super retro 90s style with 3D white roses sewn all the way down the front. It’s a bit short for me but I just put it over a strapless top to fix that. I think it’d be great for a night out just over a bra even – maybe with denim high waisted shorts?

 

 

Outfit costs:

Embellished sheer top: £1.50 – Lewis-Manning charity shop, Poole high street

Black strapless top: £2.49 – eBay (Topshop)

White jeans: £2.99 – eBay (Gap)

Black heels: £5 – Everything5Pounds.com

White mini bag: £1.99 – Lewis-Manning charity fashion show, Poole

Revlon lipstick: £7.99 (but always on offer) – Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in shade 245 (Audacious), Boots

Red and gold earrings: £1 – Miss Selfridge sale

 

Justfor5Pounds.com – Review and OOTD

I’ve recently been approached by Justfor5Pounds.com to become one of their regular bloggers. Obviously I love the site as EVERYTHING is £5, and you know how much I love a bargain. I’ve actually bought some things off there before so this is going to be a good chance for me to try more of their range. In the past I’ve got things from similar sites and they’ve varied quite a bit in fit and quality, so will always be totally honest with you about how the items turn out. But so far… I love my first one!

It’s always a surprise to see what arrives in their bright pink packages and this time was a similarly bright pink playsuit. As you may know from previous posts I adore a good playsuit. I think they’re perfect for day-to-night looks and so comfy/chic. This one was fully put through it’s paces as I wore it to a bridesmaid nail salon appointment, full on day of thrifting, girly lunch, and then fancy dinner out. It worked out brilliantly for all the occasions and I felt glamorous all day long.

 

It’s quite thick waffle-ish fabric so seems like really good quality, and the concealed zip down the back is so much nicer than a standard one.

The exact item is here: http://www.justfor5pounds.com/products/CLOTHING/PlaySuits/p_EL3696 (sadly sold out – you’ve gotta be quick on this site as stuff does go really fast).

But you can see all their jumpsuits/playsuits here (there’s plenty to choose from): http://www.justfor5pounds.com/products/CLOTHING/PlaySuits 

The belt was actually my best best best find of my recent America holiday (masses of thrifted OOTD looks to follow….). It got it in Goodwill assuming it was fake (I’d been thinking of buying a fake off eBay but they’re still pretty pricey) but when I googled the markings later I found out it was actually genuine!! They can cost up to $200 on eBay and mine was just $1.99!! Crazy excited about this (obvs).

The black studded shoes are from a charity shop on my trusty Ashley Road, and the wicker bag too. Love bargain accessories!

 

Playsuit: £5 – Justfor5Pounds.com

Black studded kitten heels – £2 – Waggy Tails charity shop, Ashley Road, Poole

Moschino belt – £1.20 – Goodwill charity shop, Boston, USA

Wicker circle handbag – £3 – Waggy Tails charity shop, Ashley Road, Poole

 

All round a wonderfully bargain-ous outfit. Hope you approve….

 

 

 

 

Best.runway.show.EVER!

I’m ridiculously in love with the Oscar de la Renta Spring Summer 2015 runway show this year. It’s undoubtedly my favourite collection in this history of time…. so couldn’t resist sharing it with you!

 

It’s full of pastel blues and pinks with full bodied skirts, plus lots of 3D flowers and chiffon. Plus feathers, neon green, and the best coats I’ve ever seen in my life. Perfection!

Here’s some of my favourite outfits but if you want to see the full collection you can do so here: Vogue SS/2015 Oscar de la Renta

 

Holiday OOTD – Bulgaria

 

 

Last week I went on a fabulous bargain holiday with my school friend to Bulgaria. We go away every year and always rent a villa as if there’s any decent number of you it works out cheaper than rooms in a hostel and WAY nicer! We only paid £200 each for rent for the week (including a private tennis court and swimming pool) and the house could hold 3x as many people as came. If that’s not enough of a recommendation of Bulgaria for you… it was also super sunny and pizzas in a restaurant cost £3!

 

 

 

 

Anyway…. back to bargain clothes: this outfit was wonderfully airy and cool but still with a chic pop of colour and something a bit unique and unusual. I embraced the holiday vibes with a seriously decadent hair garland, and have been feeling like the princess of our epic castle!

 

 

I got this chiffon shirt from http://www.justfor5pounds.com and have been in love with it ever since. It’s so simple yet so dramatic and chic and I always feel like a million bucks in it! It works well over a crop (as seen here) or a strappy, or even a mini dress. Seriously – who can be depressed when you’ve got a train on your outfit – I practically skip through the whole day!

 

 

 

Outfit breakdown:

Cream chiffon shirt: £5 – JustFor5Pounds.com

Lime green denim shorts: £2.59 – eBay

Flower garland: £1 – Primark sale

White crop: £1 – Primark sale

Chain necklace: 50p – Primark sale

Brown pumps: (over £5) – H&M

£50 Beauty Challenge – Complete!!

Exactly 365 days ago I set myself the challenge of living off £50 for my entire beauty regime for a year. It sounded mad but I’d accumulated so many beauty products that when I came home from university and amalgamated them I knew I had to find a way to cut back. I’m not especially addicted to buying beauty products but between being drawn in by special offers or new colours, and getting birthday presents, I’d hoarded a whole pile of stuff that was really nice but massively duplicated. So, since then I’ve bought almost nothing and logged my spend every few months.

 

You can read the previous ’roundup’ posts here: May Update and Empties, December Update and Empties, September Update and Empties, and Organising my Beauty Collection.

 

So, since my last update I’ve bought a couple of bottles of shampoo (I even splashed out and got some purple shampoo which I’ve been wanting to try for ages) and some Barry M as a real treat seeing as I knew I was finishing way under target.

 

New Purchases:

 

Had to get this V05 with the broken lid for 50p (bargain!) and the Special Edition Barry M was free if you spend £5 so I ended up getting 3 instead of 1 (they get me every time!). I’ve decided to pretty much only buy the Gelly ones from now as they last ridiculously well (especially when paired with the Barry M Top Coat as well).

The purple shampoo hasn’t had a massive effect but I only use it once or twice a week to keep my hair nice and blonde so perhaps I need to up the usage for more noticable results.

 

Empties:

 

 

Mostly shampoos and shower items this time which is great as my shower is finally organised and I’m almost down to one shampoo and one body wash which is the dream! I’m going to be so zen…

 

I’ve also used up my bronzer and can’t wait to get a new one of those as summer is throughly upon us now.

 

Final totals:

This time I spent: £3.09 + 50p + £3.99 + £3.99 = £11.57

 

Overall spend: £26.05

Overall %: 52.1%

 

My experience through the year:

I’ve been really surprised how easy I found this challenge actually. I was quite daunted at the start but the more I looked the more I discovered hidden in my beauty collection! I’ve used up about a million foundation samples (mixing dark and light shades to get the right one for me) from magazines, plus eye shadow colours I’d neglected, and finally got round to either using or throwing out cleansers and nail varnishes etc. In fact I think I’ve used products MORE than before because I’ve been keen to use more up – e.g. hand moisturisers and body tanning lotions. I’d HIGHLY recommend this challenge to anyone looking to save some money, clear out space, and rediscover the lost gems in their beauty collections. I’m certainly going to continue avoiding buying things before I’ve used up their predecessors and would encourage you to do the same.

 

So, are you inspired to try anything similar? You can always set a higher limit if you’re worried. Go one… be brave!!

 

No Make Up Selfies – Pledge!!

Good morning beautiful ladies!

I often address my friends as ‘beautiful’ or ‘gorgeous’ but today I mean it even more than ever.

This viral trend for ‘no makeup selfies’ has had its fair share of positive and negative press, so I thought I’d throw in my two cents. Obviously, money raised for charity = good….. but I’m skeptical of any additional awareness being raised for cancer – I’m pretty sure the stats that 1/3 women in the USA will get cancer (Medscape) means people are pretty ‘aware’. However, for me the biggest awareness that’s been raised is how amazing all my friends look barefaced! Of course I expect the majority of them think they look terrible and that makes me wonder…. I think I look pretty rough without makeup on but maybe this is just my own self delusion and I look as nice as they do! (ps this is not a cry for you to all compliment me – promise!)

So…. I’d like to take this opportunity to make a change and cut back on my makeup routine. Honestly, I’m not going to be going barefaced 24-7 from now on, but I would like to stop using foundation on a daily basis, and cut back on blusher, powder and eyeliner. I’ll always be a beauty addict and I think it’s great fun to play around with different colours and products, but I’d also like my basic routine to be a bit more minimal (and I know my boyfriend will approve as guys find makeup positively unattractive in my experience). I’m planning under eye and spot concealer, a slick of creamy blush, brown mascara, and a teeny bit of anti shine powder.

I’ve also heard several reports of people saying if they don’t wear makeup they get constantly asked if they’re ill – let’s try and be a bit more conscious of what we’re saying and think before we speak…? Girl power comes from a group right!

Will any of you be joining me? Can we make a lasting female empowerment change from what has been argued to be a ‘frivolous bandwagon’ viral trend?

(p.s. this photo is unedited/unfiltered, and the first one I took – let’s not make each other extra insecure by choosing the best of 100 and pretending that’s how we really look!)

Text ‘beat’ to 70007 to donate £3 for breast cancer

Barry M v SecheVite – Top Coat Challenge – The RESULTS!

 

 

 

I posted a couple of weeks ago about being super excited to have the Seche Vite top coat. I bought it off Amazon for £7.19 and wanted to see how it compared to my (beloved) £2.99 Barry M topcoat. The results are pretty conclusive….!

 

All these photos were taken between 24 and 48 hours of wear and used identical nail colours. I used the clear as a base coat and top coat on opposite hands and even swapped Left and Right in case one hand gets more of a battering that the other!

 

 

The problem with the Seche Vite was that it peeled off in big leaves (see below). In a tiny way this was a plus as it didn’t damage my nails and discouraged me from picking at chipped edges. However, it meant they got their first BIG chip within a couple of hours. Only worth it if you’re going to an event immediately after painting them.

 

 

 

So, have I missed the point? All the big beauty bloggers love this top coat so maybe I’ve lost the plot! Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences….