Marina and the Diamonds | Neon Nature Tour

Last Wednesday I got to see my ultimate favourite artist ever, Marina and the Diamonds. I've been a huge Marina fan since I went to see her first with a friend in 2012. I've been obsessed ever since. Everything about her music and lyrics is just so appealing to me and her voice is so heavenly. Since this post just involves me talking about her it's probably going to be a long enough one, I have a lot of Marina knowledge and fangirl in me.

The first song I'd ever heard by Marina and the Diamonds was on MTV's 'ones to watch' segments where Lana Del Rey was also featured. It was her song 'Hollywood' and I admit I did like it but I didn't think too much about the artist but after hearing songs like 'Teen Idle' and 'Buy the Stars', her less pop-electro songs, I became so addicted to her stuff. Then I got into her Bubblegum/Pop/Electronic stuff. 

Her show was split into three acts based on all three of her albums in the order she released them, depicting the main imagery and vibes from these albums. She opened with her first album, 'The Family Jewels' and sang her most popular songs from the album, including my favourite from the album 'Obsessions'. She played this on piano and she sounds exactly her recordings, which just proves how amazing her vocals are.

She then performed songs from her 'Electra Heart' era, the one I know the best. Most of her most famous songs are on the 'Electra Heart' album so she played songs such as 'Primadonna girl' and 'How to be a Heartbreaker'. She also played two of my favourites, what songs aren't my favourites at this stage, 'Lies' and 'Teen Idle'. I was so surprised that she played 'Teen Idle' as it wasn't on her playlist. Is it sad for me to say I cried? It's such an emotional song. Give it a listen if you hadn't already. I think she played that instead of 'Radioactive' because she tweeted prior to the show saying her set didn't fit the stage so obviously things had to be changed slightly, not that I wasn't happy.

Her last set was her most recent era, 'Froot', the time of the show where she wears a giant piece of fruit on her head, like a majority of people in the crowd actually. She played the most songs from this album as it's the most recent. Obviously she played 'Froot', her quirkiest song yet I think. My favourites from the album, 'Savages' and 'Happy' got played too. I don't think I dislike any of her songs so I'm kind of biased here. Her show wasn't flashy at all and she still put on the most amazing show ever. I knew the words to every song too which definitely makes everything so much more enjoyable to bop along to. 

I honestly can't recommend her music enough, definitely check her out if I've intrigued you in a anyway. I've put a link under every song I've mentioned in the post for you to check out whichever one seems interesting. She has a variety of different styles of songs so I'm sure there's at least one to suit everyone. You'll thank me later. 

Is anyone a fan of Marina or has seen her live before? Let me know!

Milkmaid Braids

During the winter and windy months I find it so hard to look after long hair. The wind and weather makes it get all knotty and sore so I find the best option to be tying it up. I'm not the biggest fan of just throwing my hair up into a pony tail as I have way too many baby hairs sticking out for it to look remotely nice. The only thing for me to do then is find different creative up styles.

The milkmaid braid is one I was introduced to by Zoella, even though I couldn't do it for ages even though I had watched the tutorial and all. I've been complemented about this look and it looks super complicated even though it isn't. I think it looks stylish and elegant and I kinda think it looks like a winter-y hairstyle, I have no idea why though. 

How To Do

• This look is super easy to do, once you've tried it at least once you'll be flying. First split your hair whatever way you want it, the side or in the middle. I usually part it at the side to have a side fringe kinda pinned down underneath it but either way works. 
• Then plait your hair into braids on both sides of your head. I plait them holding them a little bit upwards so they can be pinned to your head not looking so lumpy.
• Next you want to pull one of the braids from one side of your head to the other at about your ear, then clip it into place. Do the same with the other plait and tuck it underneath the previous one.
• Keep putting bobby pins and clips in your hair until it looks alright and feels secure. 

I think it works well in my hair with my ombre, so you can see the contrasts in the two colours but I know it would be flattering to anyone. The only downside is that you need long enough hair in order to be able to do it properly, which mine has only grown long enough recently to suit. 

Has anyone tried this look before?

Vintage Tartan Skirt | OOTD

It was super windy and cold out but I still decided to wear a skirt, which is not something I'd normally do, like ever. There's something about oversized / normal sized jumpers paired with a skirt which is just so wintery and christmassy and I'm ready to embrace the christmas spirit. 

I actually robbed this skirt straight out of my mother's wardrobe, okay well she gave it to me after asking. She used to wear it when she was my age, which is crazy to think that it's older than me and also that it fits me so well. I'd been looking for a tartan skirt like this one for ages and I think it's so cute and it definitely reminds me of something I should be wearing on christmas day. I paired it with a plain black Topshop jumper to keep warm and make the skirt stand out a bit more, This has made me want more skirts that I can wear in the winter time, I'm now on the hunt for a nice a-line skirt that I can wear during the cold months.

 Anyone else have vintage clothes like this?

Imagine Dragons | Dublin Concert

Another concert post of this year, how strange of me, I was really spoiled with great artists coming to Ireland this year! I wasn't the biggest Imagine Dragons fan, but my mother is so I did listen to them a lot and really enjoy their stuff. So obviously when you're asked do you want to see them live the answer would of course be yes. Which was a good idea because now I'm an even bigger fan of their work.

I was front row balcony, how lucky? The venue was the 3Arena an it was completely sold out, which is a crazy amount of people, not sure exactly how many though. They played a mix of their two albums and all their best hits. They were honestly so much better live then in their recordings, I've no idea how but they are all super super talented.

 

I hate the fact I haven't got a proper camera for events like this. They had super cool effects that would look so good in photos. They opened the show with 'Shots' which isn't my favourite song but it was so energetic and got the crowd so hyped. I've never seen such an energetic crowd, which is so weird considering I didn't think Imagine Dragons were that popular. The lead singer, Dan Reynolds, dedicated a little speech on the events that occurred in Paris a few weeks back which was nice of him. He then covered a song I'd never heard before and also covered 'Forever Young' which made me realize that I actually like that song, when before I thought it was super overrated. 

After every few songs, each member of the band would do a solo, like guitar or drum solo, which would then lead into one of their songs. I thought this was a nice way to show how not only the lead singer of a band is important and it shows how equal they all are, which is one of the first times I've seen that in a big band. I was sad that they didn't play my favourite song 'It comes back to you' in full because I was looking forward to it.  They played almost all of their songs and played their most famous like 'Demons', 'It's time', and 'I bet my life'. The crowd was going absolutely crazy. 

They finished the show off with their most popular song 'Radioactive', which was the first song I'd heard from them. They all did this massive drum contemplation during the bridge of the song too which reminded me of Twenty One Pilots performances. 

They were so amazing live and I'd definitely recommend listening to them/seeing them live. Their songs are so upbeat and cheerful. 

Has anyone ever seen them live before or listen to them?

Lokai Bracelets

I first saw an image of these bracelets about a year ago and I thought the concept behind them is so cute. If you've never seen them before they are are plastic bubble bracelets with one white and one black. The white one contains water from mount Everest and the black one contains mud from the Dead Sea.

I really love the concept behind these bracelets which is why I asked for them. It's meant to represent the highs and lows in life. The water from Mount Everest represents the high points in life and the mud from the Dead Sea represents the lows. The thing I like about the bracelets is that they symbolize balance. Meaning if you're at a low you won't be there forever and vice-versa, which is a good thing to think about when you're feeling sad. It's nice to have a little reminder that things will get better, and even if you're at a high, you can be happy knowing how far you've come to get there. 

I don't know why you can't read the writing on the picture but it says 'Water from Mount Everest: Sometimes you're on top of the world, stay humble', and 'Mud from the Dead Sea: Sometimes you've hit a low, stay hopeful'. I really like how simply it's put. It's so cheerful and upbeat. I haven't actually worn the bracelet much because it keeps getting stuck when I wear a jacket, which is essential these days, so it makes me sad that I don't wear it out much.

The white one is the original Lokai bracelet and the pink one was released during October in aid of breast cancer and breast cancer awareness month. When you buy one they donate some money towards the cause, which is another good reason to get one. I just think it's a cute, simple way to uplift someones mood or to get them to think about the better things in life. That's what it does for me anyway. 

Anyone have any Lokai bracelets or think it's a good idea? 

Someday Summary 20.11.15

Some days everything just feels really happy and positive or going well. I like writing these someday summary posts on these days because it's nice to try and spread positive feelings and I like to look back at happy moments rather than the sad ones, which makes sense. 

• Jack and I went to a cafe near our college and got some beverages. I got a hot chocolate, the necessary winter drink, and he got a cappuccino. It was really good and it was such a cute place. We got to talk for like two hours straight and it was really cute, I say cute a lot. Coffee dates are the best, he's the bestest though.
• I'm going to Paris on Monday and I am so excited, nervous and scared for it. 
• My college work seems to have slowed down a bit, which gives me time to breathe right now, I feel a little less overwhelmed than I was, but it'll start back again.
• I also just put up a cover on my YouTube channel if you wanna go check it out Here. I'd be happy if you could leave me your thoughts on it as making music stuff is something that keeps me really happy and calm. 
• I have the rest of today to chill and read things I want to read as opposed to college readings and it's pretty good. 
• I'm feeling really appreciative of where my life is right now, even though it could be so much better, but I'm still happy and it's a good thing to be feeling. I'm especially thankful for the people I surround myself with.

Anyone do anything nice today or feel appreciative of anything?

Black & White Cozy Jumper | OOTD

Since winter is fast approaching, crazily enough, it's more and more appropriate to head out and stock up on cozy jumpers. I am a huge advocate for all things over sized and cozy so sweater season is definitely my thing. Even though outside in the middle of winter, you'll need more than just a jumper to keep you warm. Maybe it's just me though as I feel the cold so quick and need to wear a parka jacket every time I leave the house.

My jumper is from Vera Moda and I love how easy it is to wear. You can throw it on over any pair of jeans and not have to make too much of an effort with it, the joy of jumper season. The three quarter length sleeves kind of annoy me but I love the design of the jumper so it weighs out the one bad feature. It's super cozy and perfect for a chill day with friends.

What's everyone's current wardrobe style for this winter?