Last week, two days before my birthday my sister drove down to see me and whisked me away to London, one of my favourite places in the world. I love the city, it's always alive with activity and you can never run out of things to do. But most of all I love the fashion, everyone is so much bolder there with their garments and I feel like each individual has their own unique take on style and I love it. So obviously we went shopping, I bought a tonne of makeup and a pretty crop top from TopShop, we each bought a few maxi dresses from Apricot, we had a fancy brunch just outside of Westfield shopping centre. We had such a fabulous time, living like we were on the cast of Made in Chelsea for a day. It was brilliant. Another incredible part of my day was seeing 'The Great Gatsby' in one of those gorgeous cinemas, with a ginormous screen, comfy leather armchairs and blankets to keep you warm. It was a stunning place and by far the prettiest production of any novel I have ever seen. I adore Fitzgerald, he is one of all time favourite authors, 'The Beautiful and The Damned' is his best book by far I believe and I really hope they make an adaptation of that. Although, I hear good things about 'Tender Is The Night' so I look forward to reading that after re-reading all the others. Apart from his books though. his lifestyle fascinates me, we talked about him in our captivating Lit classes last year (I miss those days) and it came to light that he did live an incredibly extravagant lifestyle and that he would turn out a new novel as quickly as possible so he and his glamorous wife could afford a new fur she wanted. I love that, I like knowing that his books are a reflection of his own life and his relationships. I have read 'The Great Gatsby' and I liked it, but I didn't fall into it and never want to escape. It was just nice, it painted a nice picture and story and then there was the romantic figure of Gatsby, so I was incredibly impressed by the film. It is very visual, and therefore less about the story because the novel is very slim. I disliked how it is told from Nick's viewpoint, because you don't get a full impression about Daisy and Gatsby's relationship, so in way it lacks a bit of depth in that sense.
But, I just fell in lust with this movie, it was like sitting and watching someone else's dream for a few hours. Every scene was gorgeous and Leonardo DiCaprio was, of course, flawless. He has not let me down with any movie I don't think (I didn't care for Romeo and Julie much, though). He makes this film, he is fantastic, compelling and he definitely looks the part. So if you haven't already, please watch it, you will not forget it and I promise you it will exceed your expectations.
Being me, of course I paid attention to the make-up worn by the actresses and Daisy's was surprisingly soft and natural even on a night out it was a very soft brown and gray smoky eye, poreless skin
and perfectly coiffed hair. Myrtle's was much more noticeable with a red lip and full eyelashes. Every single aspect of this film was perfect, makeup, styling, acting, cinematography. Baz Luhrman did a tremendous job I look forward to seeing what he does next. Ad if you haven't listened to the soundtrack then you are crazy, I don't think any other film has a soundtrack that could compare. Lana Del Rey's song gets me every single time. Is there anything she sucks at?
As the sun is making it's presence known, styles and go-to make-up products gradually begin to change, girls swap leggings for shorts and boots for sandals and wedges. Here are some of my favourite summer-friendly products. I'll also post my YouTube video beneath, if you are interested my YouTube channel is kirank94ful feel free to comment or subscribe.
1. Coconut Face, Body and Hair Beautifying Oil. £9
I have already written about this, but since then I have tried to use it on my hair and didn't like the outcome at all, it made my hair feel greasy and I wanted to wash it again immediately, but then I did leave it in overnight. A friend of mine kept the oil in for two hours before rinsing it out and she was very pleased with the results so by all means try it. I, for one, am just not keen on using oil in my hair it just goes against everything I believe in, regardless of the benefits etc. However, it is perfect for the skin, it smells exceptionally good and gives a nice tan sheen to your skin whatever colour you may be, so you don't look too pasty while you're trying to soak up some sun rays.
2. L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream. £8
I love this, I have it in Medium, I purchased this just a month or so ago and already I think I am almost finished with the bottle. I use it almost every day. It's quite sheer and yet build-able, it gives you that extra bit of confidence without making you feel like your plastered an inch thick in makeup, it's barely even noticeable it just makes your skin a little more even, a little bit prettier so when the sunlight reflects of it, thankfully it doesn't look strange. I hate the weird sweaty look girls have when they have a face full of makeup in hot weather. Not a good look, ladies.
3. Eyelash Curlers. £3
There should be a trusty pair of eyelash curlers in every girls, or guys makeup bag, because they, my friend, are an investment. Curling your eyelashes properly takes very little time and effort and even less money yet the difference is immediately distinguishable. Squeeze thrice at the base, half way up and at the edges, then comb through your lashes and voila, instantly your eyes look more awake, they look brighter, prettier and more noticeable. Eyes are the window to the soul. They cost very little, I personally don't think you need to hot foot it to MAC to get one for £14 when you can easily get one for almost a quarter of the price in any high street ship i.e. H and M, Boots. But it is up to you. How simple is that?
4. Johnson's face care cleansing lotion. £2
A simple, easy, effective way to take your makeup off at the end of the day. It makes your skin look and feel great. It leaves mine feeling soft and refreshed, the scent is lovely, there is literally no downside. Sometimes I dab a little on my face in the morning after I have washed it and it is still make-up free simply because this product genuinely just makes me this happy. I love it, and it is perfect for the summer, it's light and literally sinks into your skin
5. Sigma Resort palette. £34
This is the perfect summer palette, for those of all skin tones. It is awesome, it has soft muted shades like Muse which is a matte grey, and bright, vibrant colourful shades that seem to pop up out of the package and scream "use me, use me!" Those shades are Midori, Neela, Papaya and Topaz. The palette also contains Fawn and Luna which are light, bright shimmery golds perfect for a Gatsby-inspired look. As well as the eight eyeshadows, you get a luminescent highlighter and a blush shade in a pretty pink colour called Heavenly. There is a double-ended eye pencil, one side is a bright turquoise and the other is an earthy brown, great for summer when you want to mix up the colours a bit, instead of going for the same old standard black.
6. Barry M Gelly Nail paints. £3 each. Nail polish for me has always been a must. I love these nail varnishes, primarily because of the colours. I adore the pastel trend this season, and have frequently been picking up new shades from this collection. My favourites are Lychee which literally looks great on anyone of all ages, skin etc, it is a nude shade; Papaya, which is a coral orange shade that looks great with anything denim; Blueberry is a great shade also, it reminds me a little of periwinkle blue and I love it on my toes, I love looking down and seeing a bright, pretty colour, it sounds silly but it makes me feel better. And last but not least the colour I have on my nails currently it's a lilac shade but it is called Prickly Pear, which I don't think I will ever understand.
7. Double Duty Clear Nail Polish Top and Base Coat. £4
If, like me, you like your nails pretty and polished to perfection then please invest in some form of base or top coat it makes a huge difference. Before using it, my nails would chip by the end of the day, it was an ongoing annoyance, and although there are definitely downsides to using one of these there are plenty of up. You have to wait longer for your nails to dry at the end, the process of application is at least thrice as long, and it is a bitch to take off. However, my nail varnish lasts about a week now and is usually in fairly good condition towards the end still, which is a rarity. So it is definitely worth buying, it comes in really handy for when you're stressed and busy so don't have time to keep up the nail maintenance.
8. NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk £3
I use this as an eyeshadow base, it helps when I apply bright colours especially to make them pop as in some cases, I find that some bright colours don't show up as well against my skin tone, so this is a way of counterbalancing that. It blends really nicely, you can just blend it on your lid with your finger and if you want to make your eyes look even brighter you can apply a little on the inside corners or even as a base for your brow highlight.
9. Heat Protection Spray £5 I don't style my hair often but when I do I always protect my hair, I honestly believe that your hair is your crowning glory, so do look after it the best you can. If you're going to use heat then protect your hair, I apply Tresemme's Heat Protection Spray while my hair is still damp then wait for it to dry before straightening, I don't like using hairspray to keep my hair in place I just tend to pray, occasionally I will loosely spray some more at the end so my hair smells nice and not just like it's been abused with an ironing rod.
10. Lip Conditioner/Lip Balm £1-6
A good one should cost no more than five pounds really. I have already shared with you the Lip Conditioner I purchased from The Body Shop and that is good, I use it a lot, but recently I found my old basic Nivea Lip Balm and it's like finding an old friend. I love that lip balm, it's perfect and it makes your lips feel totally smooth and summer ready. No one like chapped lips, they feel horrible, so just slick on some Vaseline, or Nivea Lip Care whichever is your favourite to give you that extra bit of confidence.
Oh, and my final must-have summer product is sunshine, if it won't come to you, you must go to it! I hope you all enjoy your holidays and if you're not going away I hope you enjoy the sun we do get. Thank you for reading and here is the video. Enjoy, feel free to comment, subscribe or get in touch with me.
Last week, two days before my birthday my sister drove down to see me and whisked me away to London, one of my favourite places in the world. I love the city, it's always alive with activity and you can never run out of things to do. But most of all I love the fashion, everyone is so much bolder there with their garments and I feel like each individual has their own unique take on style and I love it. So obviously we went shopping, I bought a tonne of makeup and a pretty crop top from TopShop, we each bought a few maxi dresses from Apricot, we had a fancy brunch just outside of Westfield shopping centre. We had such a fabulous time, living like we were on the cast of Made in Chelsea for a day. It was brilliant.
Another incredible part of my day was seeing 'The Great Gatsby' in one of those gorgeous cinemas, with a ginormous screen, comfy leather armchairs and blankets to keep you warm. It was a stunning place and by far the prettiest production of any novel I have ever seen. I adore Fitzgerald, he is one of all time favourite authors, 'The Beautiful and The Damned' is his best book by far I believe and I really hope they make an adaptation of that. Although, I hear good things about 'Tender Is The Night' so I look forward to reading that after re-reading all the others. Apart from his books though. his lifestyle fascinates me, we talked about him in our captivating Lit classes last year (I miss those days) and it came to light that he did live an incredibly extravagant lifestyle and that he would turn out a new novel as quickly as possible so he and his glamorous wife could afford a new fur she wanted. I love that, I like knowing that his books are a reflection of his own life and his relationships.
I have read 'The Great Gatsby' and I liked it, but I didn't fall into it and never want to escape. It was just nice, it painted a nice picture and story and then there was the romantic figure of Gatsby, so I was incredibly impressed by the film. It is very visual, and therefore less about the story because the novel is very slim. I disliked how it is told from Nick's viewpoint, because you don't get a full impression about Daisy and Gatsby's relationship, so in way it lacks a bit of depth in that sense.
