Thoughtful Spot | Social Media Glory

It's been a long time since I've graced the internet with muffled thoughts and unpopular opinions. Don't get me wrong I love social media and how connected it brings me to the people and things I love. It's a wonderful phenomenon but I think it's really easy to get caught up in the virtual world and forget to live your real life too, well I do anyway, I could be odd. Recently, in the past week I've been feeling very strange towards social media and how I feel there is a constant need to impress others, myself and even seeing it in other people.
  I do notice that I spend way too much time scrolling through the likes of Instagram and Facebook and looking into other peoples lives and wishing I had a certain outfit or item. Sometimes this makes me feel a lot of pressure about how I live my life and also what I should be doing to impress others. This isn't true ninety percent of the time, I love reading what other people have to say but sometimes it feels like too much. It's like a sensory and visual overload and I think I need to be able to step away from it a little more, especially if it makes me feel negative.


I think sometimes I'm more susceptible to letting other people's greatness make me feel unnecessary and underachieved but I know it's also the fact I'm not an over sharer while other people are to an extent. I think it's about time I stopped getting so caught up in the parts of the internet that make me feel inadequate, like if I saw a really pretty person and compared myself to them, I need to learn not to do that and not feel like I need to be better than others. I don't normally see things as like 'competition' but if I feel really low then I take things like that, I'm not sure if anyone can relate at all I'm not expressing this clearly.

I never feel pressure writing or reading blogs it's like a different atmosphere completely and it's a good kind of social space like all the time so I don't think I need to limit my blog usage. Yet on other platforms I'm making it a priority to cut down on wasting so much unnecessary time scrolling through things that aren't useful to me and are taking time out of my actual day and making me less productive than I should be.

Anyway, over the next week I wanna decrease my internet time and test how it'll affect my life/mood just as sort of a test to myself to see how it makes me feel because I know I can't go anywhere without my phone glued to my hand and I feel disconnected not using the internet for an hour. I wanna be more aware of my surroundings and try and get my head back in shape and in order. Then I shall hopefully have some new, fresh blog post ideas ready. I'll see what happens and if I can manage it.

Anyone else ever feel overwhelmed by Social Media and it's good and bad effects?

All Time Low | 3 Arena Dublin

I'd like to think that my blog will have multiple posts raving and reviewing on my favourite bands, artists and concerts I've been to. This is my second post on an All Time Low concert, the first was technically a festival so, even though I've seen them four times live now. They're my favourite band so I know I do have a lot to rant and rave about, plus every concert and tour will be different. Maybe you're also a huge fan of All Time Low or another band and understand my excitement every time I see them live even though it's not my first time. I know everyone's a fangirl at heart so I get to be one in this post, not that it's unlike me anyway.




I have previously written about All Time Low here, when I traveled to Belfast to see them. This was the first time that they have played in Dublin and played in a big arena venue, they normally play smaller venues, seating a quarter of the amount of people. So this is pretty big for them to sell out almost a full arena, I don't think it was fully sold out but they have definitely grown in popularity. 
   The Dublin date was the last date of the Back to the Future Hearts tour, where they basically toured their newest album Future Hearts. It was really strange going to see them with a huge crowd of people as I always presume they're still a pretty less-known small band when that's not in fact the case but I'm happy to see them grow.
  They had two support acts of Good Charlotte and Against the Current. I didn't get to see Against the Current due to the fact I came in late and Good Charlotte got the crowd going really well.



Their stage was much bigger and more elaborate then what I've seen before, they even incorporated fire into their set up. They played most of the Future Hearts album, obviously, then played all their classic songs, like Weightless, Lost in Stereo and of course ending with Dear Maria, Count Me In. I was pretty much expecting to cry as soon as I heard Therapy but I didn't, for the first time in forever. I had my closest friends around me and we all stood in a cute half circle swaying and it was such a cute feeling and a moment I'll never forget, it was like all my favourite things in one place. 
  They placed Missing You after Therapy, also after Alex gave a speech on addiction and loneliness and saying that you'll never be alone and everyone does care and he does the cutest little speeches so of course I found a new song to cry to and cried through the majority of that song, which is pretty sad anyway. 


They ended the show thanking their crew and saying happy birthday to their manager and just generally ending their tour which seemed so emotional and adorable, I'd never been to a last tour date of any artist before and it kind of must feel like the end of an era to them. I really enjoyed the concert again, if I could attend any concert repetitively it would one hundred percent be one of All Time Low's.

Has anyone else seen All Time Low live before or listen to their music? 

Valentines Day MakeUp Look

I wasn't particularly doing anything for Valentines today but I thought it was a perfect day to do an inspired make up look, since I never do make up of the day posts, why not today. I've loved reading other bloggers Valentines inspired looks so I decided to do my own. My ideal Valentines look is of course a classic red lip with subtle smokey eyes, both casual and classy. I used my favourite proper red lipstick, with a pink and brown smokey eye which you can't really see very well.


   

   

 Products Used 
Maybelline New York Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser
Collection Lasting Perfection Foundation
Rimmel London Clear Complexion pressed powder
Rimmel London Brow This Way brow sculpting kit
Rimmel London Brow This Way brow styling gel
 Revlon Colorstay Shadowlink in Pearl
Sleek iDevine Au Natural Palette (Shades Mineral Earth and Conker)
Sleek Highlighting Palette in Solstice
Rimmel London Scandaleyes waterproof gel eyeliner
Bourjois Paris Bronzing Powder 
Natural Collection Lashcurl Mascara 
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick 'Really Red 006' 

   


This is my finished look, I have a face that makeup just always comes out more natural than it is, dramatic makeup always looks really weird on me. 
 Although I believe Valentines day is a pointless holiday and you should show love to your other half all year round I do love seeing other people spoil the people they love and just seeing them happy. I do like the idea behind it, just the less commercialized version. Hope you've all had a wonderful day.

What did everyone do for Valentines day? 

Denim Skirt | Outfit

I think I've become obsessed with denim pieces over the past month, is it a bad thing though? I don't know what inspired me to want a denim a-line skirt but I've been looking for a really nice one with buttons for ages, such a random thing. Up until recently I haven't been much of a skirt wearer, but now I am obsessed with a line style skirts and the way they sit on your figure. I think I was inspired by Clara Oswald in Doctor Who who has the most amazing skirts and I always watched it thinking I love her fashion I need to find some really nice skirts. That's when I went out to find a skirt I'd actually wear on a daily basis, I'm really good at telling anecdotes.



    

 I got this skirt in New Look for twenty-five Euro which isn't too bad. It's high-waisted and I got it in  size up from what I am because they didn't have a smaller one and I thought it would be fine for stuffing woolly jumpers into like this one. It is a little bit big but I think a smaller one would have annoyed me for tucking things in anyway. I love how dark the denim is and that it's the perfect length, not too long or too short. I think it's somewhat classy and stylish and adds a bit more effort into an outfit that might otherwise look a bit mundane.

Does anyone else have a denim skirt or loving a-line skirts recently?

OLYMPÉA | Paco Rabanne

I'm one of those people who don't usually buy themselves perfume, unless I have run out.
My boyfriend kindly bought me some fancy perfume, that I would never buy myself, for Christmas and I'm really loving it (as well as a giant Stitch teddy bear which never leaves my side, I swear I'm not five years old). The smell and packaging of this perfume are amazing and definitely my aesthetics, yes I am that trendy to use that description.



I'm not one for saying perfume is pretty but I really like the box and bottle and it just wanted me to take photos of it. I don't know how to describe how this perfume smells but I think it's my favourite perfume I've ever owned, before this I really loved all the Britney Spears perfumes, especially Curious. Do you ever just smell a perfume and think it would really suit you or a certain person? I'm speaking weird nonsense again. Well anyway I think this perfume really suits me and it stays on for a long time, the smell will last almost all day. It's described as having a vanilla and white floral smell which feels really feminine and joyous.


  

I love the design of the bottle itself and it's the perfect perfume for a night out or any day really, it's my new signature scent. Although I don't particularly ever use lotions that come with perfumes, I have no doubt that it smells fantastic too. 

What's everyone else's favourite signature scent?

Film Reviews | January

Here's yet another post I'm trying out to see how it goes. I've decided to combine the films I've gone to see over the past month into one post instead of making multiple posts because some films won't have enough to write about or aren't interesting enough to have their own post. I prefer reading collective film posts anyway so I'll probably enjoy writing about all the films I've seen more like this. I've gone to the cinema a good few times this month but I don't know how often I'm going to go in the months ahead. I do love visiting the cinema and seeing all the new releases and I do see quite a lot of them so hopefully I do a few more of these posts at least. Without me talking anymore here's a brief review of all the new release films I've seen over the past month. This will be long.


The Revenant
This is a film I had high expectations for as it was super hyped in the media, especially portraying Leonardo DiCaprio's role to be outstanding, so I went into the cinema expecting a super amazing over-hyped film. The story itself is simple, a plot of revenge and betrayal. It's set in the snowy wilderness and when Leonardo's character, Glass, gets attacked by a bear he's left for dead and he seeks revenge of the guy who killed his son in the process of his abandonment. The film itself is really long and I feel like there was a few unnecessary scenes that could've made the film much more enjoyable. It was gory and brutal and the harsh realities of the cold climate were kind of chilling and terrifying to watch. There was a lot of violence as it was about survival. I really didn't enjoy it and I wouldn't watch it again. The effects and the acting were superb I'll give them that, but I just felt the film was tedious and unnecessarily violent, there was also very little dialogue for such a long film.

Room
This is probably my favourite film I've seen recently. It's about a young woman and her child who is five years old, that are held captive in a room for seven years by the mothers kidnapper. The film is extremely sad and really well captured. The feelings of isolation and claustrophobia are very strongly felt even from the start. The mother and son relationship is beautiful and the comparison and contrast between them is interesting. The film was heartbreaking and I did cry at one point. The cinematography was great and the child actor was so good I was so impressed. Also realizing that things like that really happen made it so much more terrifying than any horror film. I would recommend this film over The Revenant any day and I will surely watch it again.

Creed
I had never seen any of the Rocky films previously, I'd never been very interested in fight films. I find they're very predictable and you already know exactly what's going to happen even before you go into the cinema. Despite being predictable it was a good feel good film and it wasn't as boring as I thought it was going to be. It was good action and the fight scenes did make me cringe at times, I don't really understand why boxing like that is allowed but nonetheless it is a good watch, I've heard that it's one of the best Rocky films, I can't see myself watching the previous films anytime soon so I won't know very soon anyway.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens
This was probably the first film I'd seen in the new year and only looking back on the film now I can say I enjoyed it. I had never seen any Star Wars films previous to this, no one kill me, so I had no idea what to expect from this film. I did know the general gist of what had happened in previous films and I did know all the characters so it was a good start anyway. I thought what better time to get into the film franchise than now when it's had a full revamp and aims to bring a new era of Star Wars fans forward.
 Firstly I was super excited to see a female main character, especially as this is Daisy Ridley's first major film I was super impressed by her, the pressure on her must have been insane. Character wise, I loved every single character and it's so easy to like them or even just that they have a strong presence. It didn't take me long to understand the story, which is great for us new fans. Although unfortunately, story wise, I do feel like it's a copy of the original and lacks it's own originality, note that this is from someone who's never seen the original films. From what I already knew about the films it was exactly what I expected so I didn't think it was too great. I do think that the new characters could go somewhere different with the story in the next film hopefully. I also fell in love with the little robot BB8, he's probably one of the reasons I enjoyed the film.

In the Heart of the Sea
This was probably the least talked about film I've seen recently. It's a version of the Moby Dick story and as I've never read the book I can't compare the two. As the name suggests it's a sea faring journey to the heart of the sea to collect whale blubber and along the way they encounter Moby Dick. The film is mainly another film of survival trying to get home from a ship wreck. I did find it a little uncomfortable to watch at times but I thought it was done really well and Chris Hemsworth did a fantastic job. It's emotional and action packed and I wouldn't watch it if you're prone to sea-sickness.

Spotlight
I would say this is also a favourite view from this month. The story follows a group of reporters who are trying to write an article about the Catholic Church and abuse and find it hard to uncover what the church has tried so hard to keep hidden. I thought the film would've been boring and repetitive but it really wasn't it was entertaining and eye-opening. I found it heartbreaking at times because of the amount of truth behind it also. The acting was excellent and two of my favourite actors star in it, Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo. It didn't have just one focal character but four and I think it made the story more intriguing for something that is seemingly so uneventful. I can't say too much about the film without giving it all away as it's a very low key plot film just like the events that inspired it. I would highly recommend this film.

I hope you enjoyed reading my rambles on the films I've seen recently and I will probably do more slightly shorter ones in the future, when I have less free time.

Has anyone else seen any of these films or seen a good one recently?

Current Favourites | January

I've finally come back to doing monthly favourites, well this month anyway. Christmas and January is a time for trying and receiving new products and items so I decided to combine a few of my favourites and what I've been using a lot during the duration of the month.

   
   


My first favourite of the month is Boots Extracts body butter, from Boots obviously. I'm not entirely sure if you can buy these separately without being part of a giftset as I've never looked for them on their own. I've been using the Strawberry and Spiced Apple butter during the Christmas period and they smell so amazing. Spiced Apple smells like a pastry and it also smells like Christmas itself, are they valid descriptions? The Strawberry butter smells like strawberrys and cream, it's really sweet. They're really smooth and moisturizing and I can feel it being really good for my skin, especially after a shower.


My next favourites are makeup favourites. Firstly I've been really loving Rimmel London Brow This Way Brow Styling gel in the shade 003 Dark Brown. I've been using this on top of their Brow This Way powder from the sculpting kit of the same name. This sets my brows and combs them into place, I feel like it makes my brows look more defined and natural. It goes over the natural shape of my brows and gives them extra definition and makes them more filled in. It's much more natural looking especially after using a powder which can sometimes make them look block-y.

Next is Maybelline New York ColourDrama in the shade 630 nude perfection. I've been loving the colour on this and it's a perfect dupe of MAC'S Velvet Teddy lipstick, which I am obsessed with. I normally use this to line my lips before wearing Velvet Teddy as the pencil is easy to apply and shape and it blends in with the MAC lipstick. It still looks good on it's own too.


My last beauty product has to be something from Lush, of course. I bought First Snow when they were selling off their Christmas stock because it intrigued me and I love the idea of it. It's a body shimmer or dusting powder, whichever you want to call it. You basically put it anywhere on your body to give yourself a nice glow or shimmer, plus it's scented. It smells like citrus and is so refreshing. The lovely woman in the shop told me she likes to mix it with her moisturizer to give her body a nice sparkle she also said she likes using it in her hair, which I've yet to try. I use it on my cheek bones as a subtle highlighter generally and I love the smell of it so much.

My last favourites are music related. This month I've been loving Dodie Clark or Doddleddle on Youtube. I've been listening to her playlist of original songs for the past few weeks and have been absolutely loving them. They're really chill and she has the softest cutest voice and lyrics ever and the melodies will get stuck in your head all day. My favourite songs of hers are Gold Star for Me, She and Down, which you can check out my cover of here, if you're interested. They're songs that really cheer me up when I'm down or need to get my mind off something.
The second artist I've been obsessed with is Panic! At the Disco and their new album Death of a Bachelor. I love every single song on this album. They've turned much more pop based and all the songs are very upbeat and songs such as Death of a Bachelor are jazz influenced and Brendon Urie sounds so good singing that style of music. My favourite songs off the album are House of Memories and Crazy = Genius. Check that out too if you haven't already.

What has everyone been enjoying during the past month?