☼ D.I.Y Sun in a Bottle ☼

☼ D.I.Y Sun in a Bottle ☼

Tuesday 21 February 2017

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The faint scent of course sea salt is enveloped in an a fragrant coconut breeze that trickles through palm tree leafs only to lap around and kiss your heated skin. For a fraction of a moment the coolness is so acute you'd mistake the feeling for an icicle pressed against your warmth. Feet sink into the softness of the finely milled flesh toned sugar beneath you while deep indigo waves crash on the soft shore line. With just a spritz of this DIY Sun in a Bottle you will be instantly transported to your magical paradise. The spray provides a sun kissed glow and dewy finish and can be worn with or without makeup. Also it is 100% customizable and can be altered for your skin type and tone! 

Lets start of with the basics! You will need a handful of materials to create your spray! Firstly, and most importantly is a setting spray. I used M.A.C Fix + but there are also many drugstore options available! Both NYX and Barry M have affordable variations of setting spray (I recommend staying away from matte sprays for this DIY).  To create the glow and add some colour. I have picked out a bronzer and eye shadow from Miss Sporty which is a U.K. drugstore brand (they were both under ‎£5). This part is very subjective, so be sure to choose shades that will match and enhance your skin tone! The bronzer is not overly deep for my skin but has a nice glow. While the eye shadow adds dimension and a pearly finish! If you have fairer skin I would recommend a bronzer that is far less orange and warm toned than the one I have selected to ensure this spray blends well with your natural skin! The final thing I have added is completely optional. For added radiance and skin care benefits I also included a few drops of my Shu Uemura Youthful Radiance Generator. 

Step one is oddly satisfying and equally heartbreaking. Because I used pressed powders I needed to grab my butter knife and breakdown the powder into a fine pigment! Try to pick pigments or powders that don't have chunks of glitter but rather just have a nice glow or sheen to them! You can also opt to use pigments over pressed shadows, both work great! 

Once you have your loose pigment give everything a good mix and add it slowly to your Fix+. You will need to stop at times during this step to give the contents of your bottle a shake and allow the ingredients to melt together. Now is a great time to test the product and add any more pigments you may want! I ended up adding a bit of copper pigment to mine using a Sugar Pill loose pigment.

And voila! There you have it! Your very own glowy, luminous, sun kissed spray. I love to wear this on my no makeup days because it adds a kiss of glow without making me look overly made up! It is also an extremely easy DIY. For a more metallic look swap the coppers and golds for silvers, lilacs, and frosty whites! Also when left to sit the pigments may separate a bit from the liquid. Just be sure to give it a good shake before use and it'll be fine!

You can also build up the intensity of your glow! One - Two spritz is quite sheer and natural,  your real skin will shine through effortlessly. While 4 - 5 sprays is much more intense and golden! Also a  few photos in this blog post are stills from GIFS I made using boomerang but they refuse to upload as anything but photos!! If anyone has suggestions on how I can change this please let me know because you can really see the intensity of the glow in the GIF's because of how my arm catches the light when it moves!! Anyways....I hope you liked this short DIY and if you try it out let me know your thoughts in the comments!! 

Xx,

F. 

The Confidence Gap

The Confidence Gap

Saturday 18 February 2017

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I remember the day I learned to speak. It was grade 10 and I was sat in my International Politics class acting like a lipgloss loving, boy crazy, pop-culture worshiping ditz. Don't get me wrong the class was interesting, it was actually one of my favourite classes. I found politics to be simulating and complex, I thought deeply about many of our class discussions. But I never turned up keen to debate the controversial issues or voice my own opinion. I just listened to what the teacher and others said, and if I was called upon I'd fumble and say something generic to perpetuate my ditzy persona. It wasn't until my teacher, to this day the lady I credit with getting me passionate about International Relations, pulled me aside after class one day and changed how I would carry myself. I don't remember the details of the conversation, but I do remember gaining some sense of confidence in my voice that day. I started to speak out even when I wasn't 100% sure of my answer or if it seemed like my opinion clashed with others. Time went by and I joined debating and Model United Nations (MUN). Four years later and I'm at university studying International Relations. Today MUN is an integral part of my life and has contributed to how I feel confident in my own knowledge, thoughts, and voice. Now don't get me wrong, I still love lipgloss and pop-culture, but I'm not some mindless drone whose caving under societal pressures. I choose to love makeup and fashion.

https://90sflashback.wordpress.com/2012/12/31/clueless-as-if/

This anecdote is one many young girls can relate to. A lack of academic confidence, and confidence in all areas is rampant amongst young girls. The phenomenon is called the Confidence Gap  and is responsible for many of the hurdles girls face as the enter higher education and progress in their careers. Class room silence amongst teen girls is a tangible issue. Compared to their male counterparts young girls are far less likely to speak in class and be active and engaged. By constantly doubting our capabilities us girls are creating and sustaining barriers which hinder our abilities to break through the glass ceiling.

http://www.momhead.com

I was quite lucky to have found a mentor and been in a school that empowered young girls. However, the reality is most schools are not like mine and girls are not given the tools in class that they need to be empowered and close the confidence gap. Thats why organizations that focus on empowering young girls play a critical role in shaping the female future. This Friday I was privileged enough to attend the Girls Night In Event hosted by mOmhead and GirlDreamer which is a community engagement networking, social, safe space for young girls. The first hour of the event was open mic spoken word where girls as young as 15 bravely took the stage to speak about a variety of topics including anxiety, social issues, feminism, love, and home life. Their confidence inspired me. I realized as a young girl the impact a space like this one could have made on me, and did make on me. After the open mic I had the opportunity to speak to many girls about confidence. What Confidence meant to them, how confidence felt, when it was undermined, and how to nurture it. Their answers were illuminating. In each of them I recognized a part of me.

http://thefbomb.org/tag/white-feminism/

For girls to succeed in all walks of life closing the confidence gap and empowering women is necessary. Full stop. That's why I believe working with organizations, volunteering, or even attending events like Girls Night In can improve the lines of communication and provide young girls with tangible mentors. It is quite an easy thing to identify a problem, but solving it is much more difficult.



XXX,
F.

Birmingham Bites: Cereal Killer Cafe & Sushi Passion

Birmingham Bites: Cereal Killer Cafe & Sushi Passion

Wednesday 15 February 2017

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I. LOVE. FOOD. 

I cannot emphasize that statement enough! Seriously nothing is better to me than finding cute, quirky, and unique places to eat around the world! Which is exactly why I am so excited about today's blog post! Today I am sharing an insight into the places I ate out at in Birmingham City Centre yesterday, including mini reviews and pictures! 

Let's start with breakfast... or in my case lunch??? Eh.. Lets just say Brunch, because it sounds more sophisticated than "I woke up at 11:30 and my first meal was at 12:00" (side note: if you were wondering, I rock at this whole "adult" thing). Anyways for Brunch I headed to the infamous Cereal Killer Cafe in Grand Central Station. Cereal Killer Cafe started in London and serves up your favourite cereals (plus ones you've never heard of) with flavourful milk and toppings. The whole concept is pretty cool and the Birmingham location has only opened recently, so I was ecstatic to finally try it out! The place has a very nice atmosphere, it's filled with nostalgia from the minute you step into it. There are colourful tables and gimmicky TV Dinner Trays hanging on the walls, old 80's and 90's toys, arcade games, and of course an entire wall of cereal! They had some pretty unique cereals like Strawberry Honey Comb and Franken Berry while also showcasing classics like Frosted Flakes and Cheerios. While you can order any cereal you like, or build your own combination, the menu also has a Cereal Cocktail section where pre-created cereals combinations are listed. I opted to order off of there! 

Just look at that pastel happiness! I ordered the Unicorn Poop Cereal (what a fitting name..) with Creme Brûlée milk and it was outstanding! The cocktail includes: Ricicles (think frosted Rice Krispies), with Party Rings (frosted sugar biscuits), marshmallow Fluff, marshmallows, and hundreds and thousands (aka: sprinkles). The whole thing was so lovely I almost didn't want to eat it!

But boy am I glad I did! All the flavours blended together perfectly and not a single ingredient in the cocktail overpowered the other. In whole they created a lovely unicorn masterpiece! After having my first big spoon full I remarked "IT TASTES LIKE A CUPCAKE". And it did. And I loved it. Sooo... cupcakes aren't the most socially acceptable breakfast food (not saying I haven't had them before to start off my day..), but cereal, well that is most definitely breakfast food. I give this entire experience a 10/10. Cereal Killer Cafe was a delight! It was playful and fun, though I don't think I could eat that much sugar EVERY morning.. 

Since my breakfast was also kind of my lunch I skipped a formal lunch and opted instead for some light snacking (not pictured) and then an early dinner! For dinner I was off to Sushi Passion, which is notorious for being Birmingham's Best Sushi Restaurant. Sushi Passion lies a few minutes outside Grand Central Station in the Great Western Arcade. The Arcade is lovely, it's lined with niche boutiques, bakeries, and restaurants. It's mint colouring, historic architecture and more modern arches are a delight to walk through. I could have happily sat around people watching in the arcade for hours, but I was hungry, so instead I popped into Sushi Passion to eat! For such a hyped restaurant I was expecting a much more lavish and grandiose set up, something defiantly more western than what I actually (happily) stumbled upon! The interior of Sushi Passion is much more relaxed than I had anticipated, yet it still held a very elusive atmosphere. There were few seats, but two large traditional Japanese tables with floor seating were placed by a beautiful Japanese tapestry while two western style tables sat adjacent. I was mesmerized by the authentic atmosphere that had been recreated! 

Before ordering sushi I started off with some Japanese Cherry Blossom Tea. It was divine! The tea was flavourful without being overpowering and it came in a lovely (but heavy) teapot. Seriously guys.. I struggled pouring myself tea with this tea pot, it was much heavier than I was used to! The tea was loose leaf and steeped just inside the lid, and so was easy to remove when I needed to! It's beautiful flavour was however later overpowered by my wasabi and soya sauce. 

And the main event! I ordered the Traditional Tokyo set with Salmon and Tuna Maki and a variety of Nigiri! The roles were beautifully plated and freshly prepared at the open kitchen. Service was also very fast, which I am extremely grateful for because I was starving! The Traditional Tokyo Set also came with a bowl of warming Miso Soup which was brought to my seat by a small train on a train track looping around the bar. It truly was an adorable experience. I wish all food came on a mini train straight to your seat! Following our wonderful Miso soup was our plate of sushi! The sushi tasted incredibly fresh and paired with some ginger and wasabi was all in all delightful! I had an outstanding experience and can't wait to go back for more soon! Sushi Passion makes some great sushi arrangements (including cakes) and does a variety of speciality roles which I will defiantly be trying my next time there! 

I hope you enjoyed today's blog post! Please feel free to leave your favourite restaurant suggestions and location in the comments and hopefully if I'm ever in the area I can try it out! 

XXX,

F.

A Day in Liverpool

A Day in Liverpool

Sunday 12 February 2017

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Hello again lovely internet people! I hope everyone has had a refreshing weekend, I know I sure have! This weekend I visited beautiful Liverpool (prepare for tons of photos)! I was instantly charmed by the cities electric vibe. I can't believe I've lived in England almost two years and hadn't visited till now!

I was so busy soaking in all the beauty I only remembered to take photos half way through the afternoon! Nonetheless I have some truly incredible snaps that display the beauty of this port town! While walking towards the waterfront I was awed by the splendour of the Pier Head and what is called the Three Graces. The Pier Head and Three Graces are three outstanding architectural buildings which have been marked as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The photo above captures one of the buildings in this collection and the bright green light posts that accompany it! This scene was incredibly picturesque! I can almost imagine it being the backdrop to a Wes Anderson movie!

When I arrived at the waterfront I was truly mesmerized! There is something incredibly eerie and chilling about the English sea side but there is also something equally beautiful about it. The water was not busy or bustling with ships as it would have been during the Industrial Revolution and the peak of Liverpool's port activities, but it carried a history through its currents which were undeniably evident. The whole area was steeped in the history, few ships were docked that truly illustrated Liverpool's magnificence during this period. Of course following some exploration on the waterfront I stopped to grab a photo of my cozy outfit (I'll link were you can find all the items bellow). 

Along the waterfront this fence stretched across the entirety of the viewing area and was dressed in locks. Couples, families, friends, and loved ones come to the fences, fix the lock to a chain, and throw away the key. The gesture is a symbol of the couples undying love for one another. The shear splendour of locks amassed a great distance and their volume was truly telling of the nature of love in our world. Its refreshing and inspiring to see how prevalent love truly is, especially when your a little down! I like knowing that there is so much love in the world, it really is the greatest thing! 

I mean... second to donuts that is. Donuts trump love... Especially donuts that come from mint green caravans with pink details and marquee lights! There were tons of quirky little trucks around the waterfront, but it's fair to say that this one was definitely my favourite! Something about it screams nostalgia, it smelt of summer kisses, powdered sugar, cinnamon, love, and youth. And all that was juxtaposed against this chilling greyish blue sky. 

I was also incredibly drawn to this little Ice Cream truck! It really is a close second for me! It screams nostalgia but in a whole other way! This one reminds me more of a circus (if that makes any sense)... I can't really place my finger on it! Do you have a favourite? 

 The trip ended with a walk to the Famous Albert Docks! I love how the red pillars just pop against the rustic brick the dark sky and the smokey water! Albert Dock was incredibly charming, it was filled with bars, lounges, restaurants, candy shops, and museums! I absolutely love museums! So you can imagine my joy when a small area is compacted with tones of great museums with free entry! I first visited the Merseyside Maritime Museum, where I learned the intimate connection between the infamous Titanic and the town of Liverpool! Before this visit I had no clue that Liverpool played a role in the ships story!

 Following the Maritime Museum I headed off to the Tate Liverpool! Art museums are by far my favourite type of museum, and the Tate Liverpool did not disappoint! It houses mainly modern and contemporary art and had beautiful works from Picasso and other renowned artists as well as many works I had never before been exposed to! This is my favourite piece from the museum! The artist was driven by a desire to mix contemporary art with some of the more classical genres. Ahead of the beautiful and classic sculpted woman lies a pile of modern clothing! The image is stark and the contrast in elements is so blatant it truly encourages the audience to think about the work! The rest of the museum was also mystifying, beautiful, and thought provoking, in fact I would say all of Liverpool was mystifying, beautiful, and thought provoking. I had the most fantastic day and now feel truly refreshed and energized for my week! If you have any other British city recommendations please feel free to leave them bellow! I really want to start taking more day trips!

Shop My Outfit:

Turtle Neck Sweater: Primark  → similar here

Leather Pants: Malika Rajani → here

Adidas Superstars → here

Alexander McQueen Hand bag → similar here 

XXX,

F.

Flower's for Flower's Sake

Flower's for Flower's Sake

Thursday 9 February 2017

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I took this photo from my trip to Amsterdam in September at the beautiful Amsterdam flower markets. However, what I didn’t take, what I wish I did take (or in this case buy) is a bouquet of fresh , real, earthy, vibrant flowers. Looking at this photo alone fills me with so much happiness! It reminds me of the lush scent of flowers, the memories I made on my trip and is honestly just aesthetically pleasing to look at. All these emotions come simply from a photo, imagine then, how overwhelmingly happy having bought those flowers could have made me. So why didn’t I buy them? Well its the same reason women often don’t buy themselves flowers. We see flowers as something that must be earned. Flowers are received for anniversaries, birthdays, Valentine’s Day and other markers of celebration or importance. I often feel that there must be some significance or justification to purchasing flowers. I find it silly to reflect on this notion and the way we all seem to uphold this idea that flowers are not just beautiful but that they must be tied to something of greater significance. How silly it is that I walk by flower stands at my local market and in town so frequently that stopping and smelling the roses has truly become a routine, while providing myself with the gratification of taking a bouquet home is still so taboo.

The gift giving nature of flowers is also a puzzling one. Flowers can make you happy, thats a fact. They are mood enhancers and make people feel great! It’s fascinating then that in society we often associate flowers as an object to be gifted or received. This says a lot about where people derive their happiness from and the fact that happiness is more and more becoming based on external factors beyond the individual. If I’m having a bad day and want to be cheered up, rather than taking charge of my own life to make things better I’m told to wait for someone else to make me happy, for another person to buy me flowers. This is clearly an unhealthy practice that is part of a much wider discussion than just flowers, but it is none the less interesting to think about.

Now most of this post has discussed why we should buy ourselves flowers and be responsible for our own happiness, but that's not to say that we can’t or shouldn’t give the gift of happiness (in this case flowers) to others. A few months back I was at a department store browsing the perfume section in the above daisy clad outfit when the sweetest sales associate approached me. The lady was a ray of sunshine and could not have been more upbeat and happy! She continually complimented my shorts and the daisy print, which filled me with tons of joy and just plastered a smile on my face. As I was getting ready to leave the shop the sales associate ran to the Daisy by Marc Jacobs display where they had a pot of real daisy’s and insisted I take it home as they were nearing the end of their life on the shelf. The woman’s actions are to this day something that bring a smile to my face, her kindness and simple gesture speaks volumes about how simply we can influence others lives. Giving the gift of flowers for no reason in particular, not to mark an occasion or celebrate anything grandiose, can prove to be a gesture filled with love and kindness. I implore you, whether or not you have a romantic partner to buy someone in your life, maybe a best friend, family member, or even stranger a bouquet of flowers for no reason in particular and watch as that person is filled with joy!

I’d like to propose  that we stick up a united middle finger to the conventions of flower shopping, and the next time any of us sees a bouquet that grasps our attention we buy it for the simple reason that is “they made you happy” or “it will make someone else happy”.

All Photos Are My Own.

XXX

♡♡ Cupid's Arrow Graphic Liner ♡♡

♡♡ Cupid's Arrow Graphic Liner ♡♡

Saturday 4 February 2017

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Hello lovely beings!!! It's almost Valentines Day and I am super excited! I love any excuse to get a bit creative and themed with my makeup, so for valentines day I created this graphic eyeliner look! Whether or not you have a special someone or even enjoy Valentines day, I hope this look inspires  you to fall in love with yourself and what makes your heart happy (for me that's just playing with makeup)! 

I was inspired by a pic I saw on Instagram and decided to try and recreate the look myself! I'm really happy with how it turned out. Although in the photo bellow there appears to be eyeliner/ mascara on my eyelid (no clue how that got there!)! The arrow is pretty easy to master, especially if your already comfortable with winged eyeliner, while I found the hardest part to be creating the little heart!

My favourite part of this look is how wearable it actually is! I know that graphic eyeliner can sometimes be a scary thing to wear in public (especially if its got a hot pink heart in the middle) but, when you look at the entire face the eyeliner in this look isn't too overpowering! It also adds a very feminine touch to what I otherwise think is a very edgy eyeliner look!

 I kept the eye makeup to a minimum for this look and started off by priming my lids with M.A.C Painterly Paint Pot (my go to eye primer). To set the primer I used the shade Coconut Creme from the Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar pallet all over the lid. Following that I used Nougat from the same pallet in the crease for some soft definition. Although this shade doesn't pop as much on my skin tone I really like it for creating a very romantic and soft look! I think the pigmentation would look even better on lighter skin tones and really help tie the whole look together! From there I grabbed my Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Eyeliner  in Intense Black and lined my eyelid! Before flicking out my wing I tapered the liner at the outer edge of my eye.  Now comes the tricky part........The heart! This one is really just about free styling it! Here I used the NYX lip liner in Bloom to outline the shape of the heart and then filled that in with ColourPop's Ultra Matte Liquid lipstick in Bad Habit on a gel liner brush! For mascara I used the Dior Show Extase in Black and on my lips I'm wearing Jeffery Star Androgyny  over a Rimmel lip liner!

And that's the look! I hope your liked it and it inspired you to get creative and try something new! I promise if you play around with it the liner is much easier than it looks! I know I was defiantly a bit scared to try it when I first saw photos like this circulating my Instagram, but I'm so glad I experimented and tried something new! I hope you have an amazing Valentines day, however you intend to spend it!


XXX,

Outlook: Year Abroad in Japan

Outlook: Year Abroad in Japan

Friday 3 February 2017

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Hello internet friends and welcome to my first ever blog post! I received some pretty exiting news last night and I want to share it with all of you! 

****Drum roll please****

I'm going to Tokyo, Japan!

https://www.hoganlovells.com/en/locations/tokyo

This coming September I'll be packing my bags and heading to beautiful Tokyo for two semesters to study abroad! I can't even describe how nervous, ecstatic, and happy I am to be headed there! Although I have a few months to go I'm already very excited about all the amazing things I'll get to do! I absolutely love traveling and learning about new cultures! I've been to Asia a few times (Thailand, China, and Singapore) but Japan is completely foreign to me, which makes it all the more exciting! Because I only found out yesterday I still have a lot to think about and organize!! A year abroad can be a huge culture shock, to avoid this I am going to try to research  as much I can about Japanese culture before hand! On that note, I should go have some sushi (you know... for research 😏)


Feel free to chat with me in the comments!

Have you ever gone on a year or semester abroad?? Did you enjoy it!?

Have you ever been to Japan and what was it like!?