How much it costs to be my face for a day.

So everyone and their gay brother seems to have jumped on the 'how much is your face worth?' virtual band wagon. So apologies that i'm diving into it it too. Feel free to roll your eyes and walk through the virtual door slamming it firmly closed behind you (I'll miss you though!) 

Right, So we all know I have a few spending issues and that I have desperately been trying to cut down on products (the 84 pound order from feelunique.com says differently) so who knows, maybe this will shock me into not buying any more. 

This was my face today, my face changes on a regular basis but some products are well loved favourites, orgasm/laguna duo i'm looking at you.

Real Techniques Core Collection: 20.99
Real Techniques Stippling Brush: 10.99
Real Techniques Powder Brush: 10.99
Illamasqua Blending Brush: 24.99
Benefit Browzings: 22.50
Maybelline Gel Eyeliner in brown: 7.99
Clinque Bottom Lash mascara: 11.00
Urban Decay Super Curl mascara: 15.00
Urban Decay Naked Pallette: 36.00
Urban Decay primer in sin: 14.50
Benefit Watts Up! highlighter: 24.50
Urban Decay 24/7 setting spray: 19.00
Pixi Dust: 10.00
Illamasqua Loose Powder in translucent: 23.00
Nars Blush/Bronze in Orgasm/Laguna: 30.00
Illamasqua Skin Base in shade 8: 27.00
Benefit Dandelion powder: 23.50
Bare Minerals Prime Time: 19.00
Benefit Lipstick in pillow talk: 14.00
Lipcote: 3.69
Benefit Erase Paste: 19.50

Total: 388.14

Fuck me, I never need to buy any more makeup. 

So I dip in and out of nearly 400 pounds worth of products in a day. eep. I'm trying not to feel too bad, but this is a bit insane- I have a super generous step mum & have bought alot of this in the states where everything is cheaper... no. still not justifying. 

If you have done this tag, link me to it. If you haven't done it & are going to... link me.

Twitter: @poppy839

 

 

Reading Festival 2012

This time yesterday I was lying at the back of the NME tent, crying with laughter with one of my best friends, if I could go back, I would. Reading and Leeds is over for another year and right now I am inundated with post festival blues. 

From great bands to great laughs to some surprisingly good festival food (honestly, eat from the vegetarian stands- they have some slightly healthy and delicious choices). It was the best weekend of the year & the best festival i've potentially been to. 

Bands I saw: 
Friday
The Cure | You Me At Six | The Courteeners | Passion Pit | The Blackout | Spector | Hadouken | Bastille | The Hives
Saturday
Kasabian | Florence and The Machine | The Vaccines | OFWGKTA | Mystery Jets | Greenday | Miike Snow | Pure Love
Sunday
Foo Fighters | The Black Keys | Kaiser Cheifs | All Time Low | Gaslight Anthem | Pulled Apart By Horses | Of Monsters and Men | Mark Lanegon Band | Mongol Horde | Howler

I cried when The Cure came on stage, danced my little bum off to The Courteeners, gained some serious love for Spector, Bastille and Of Monsters and Men, raced over to the NME stage to get to see Greenday- their crowd got so big they sectioned the stage off!, Pretended that I was Florence, did some serious singing along to The Vaccines, Perved over Frank Turner playing with his punk Band Mongol Horde and got to the front to be amazed by The Foo Fighters. 

I almost had to punch a girl on the friday morning & saw far too many arses falling out of the bottom of shorts (when did I miss the memo that saggy bum was a good look?). The atmosphere was amazing and the air smelt like festival. It barely rained, the sun shone & I had so much fun.

Same time, same place next year? Without a doubt.

Twitter: @poppy839

Here is what I carry in my handbag

A popular blog post from this week is the handbag contents. Inspired by the competition from GlossyBox and instagram to win a whole load of goodies. 

I've been loving the blogs you girls have been putting up- I'm such a nosey bastard that getting to dive in and out of other peoples bags has been a delight. It's hilarious how we all seem to haul around everything but the kitchen sink- I am definitely guilty of that. 

My bag is currently a mix of day to night as it has all my work stuff in as well as my makeup which makes it IMPOSSIBLE to lift- good job I can dump it on the floor of the office all day. 

The stupidest thing in there is probably my passport, I had to scan it in at work about three weeks ago and I haven't bothered removing it since. I should probably store it away. 

The most useful thing in there is without a doubt my makeup bag (such a cheat- there's so much in there it doesn't even close). I hate to be too far from a bit of lippy and concealer. 

My can't live without is my iPhone. I love the iPad, but being able to use the iPhone on the go is an absolute godsend and I can't fault it. LAV YA.

ps- to all my lovely followers who left kind words on my last blog post. Thank you so, so, much. You words have helped me an indefinite amount and I am so grateful for the support. I am sleeping a bit better and trying to work out some chill time. but just... thankyou. truely.
 

How not to become a nervy stress ball.

Photo taken on the Florida Keys, April 2011 by me. 

Recently, you may have noticed that I’ve been under a lot of stress. This is something I’ve made reference to in several blog posts and about a million tweets. I don't want to be a Moaning Myrtle or a Whining Winona but it is so difficult to feel all the pressure and stress bubbling up inside and to not let it translate into text. Part of me wants to stick with the mould set out by most bloggers to show my face, my outfit and my instagram... without really showing the girl I am underneath that. But I can't deny that I am an absolute consistent ball of stress and I do need to address that sharpish.

Yesterday at the Spa, the beauty therapist told me that I’m way too tense and that I need to take more time to my self and chill out. On the after care sheet, the word RELAX was underlined three times. Yeah.

I'm not too sure why I’ve had so much on my plate recently, I balance a lot. I work full time, am doing my degree and try and make time for friends and family. I feel like I’m trying to be super women but those teeny knickers weren’t designed for me and there is too much going on to try and cram in. So I do need to chill the fuck out.

BUT HOW?!

Last night I was trying to formulate a plan of attack to relax but I ended up frustrating myself by trying to make a PLAN out of relaxation. Surely the whole point of relaxing is that you sit there... relaxing. There shouldn't be an agenda for something that should come so easily. To me it clearly doesn't. I am just a girl with a mission and that mission is to do what ever I need to do to move onto the next mission. Like the worlds most boring video game: Continuously completing tasks and getting nowhere and achieving nothing.

It's got to the point where I don't sleep at all, because my mind is so awake all the time. I always have something to do and a list of things that I haven't done to berate myself over. Last week I literally had about 16 hours sleep.. IN SEVEN DAYS. The bags under my eyes were disgusting purple smudges and everything just hurt.

So I’m going to continue trying to relax and de-stress and not take the weight of the world on my shoulders. This afternoon I read a book for a whole hour, I didn't try and read and reorganise my life. I just read and it was glorious.

Is it possible to chill out without completing a task? Personally the only task I do to relax is read. Everything else I tend to over focus on. If you have wisdom in the art of R&R whilst remaining on top of your life, then please do help a girl out- I'm still pretty crap at it.

What do you do to relax? What would you sacrifice from your routine in order to get precious 'you' time?

Are posts like this even interesting, or did you read it like.. 'eugh, stop whining'?

Instagram #3

Another week in instagram. 
[1]Nat and I at las iguanas August Glossy Box Grapefruit omnomnom a favey necklace of mine
[2]New Cath Kidston iPhone case- feeling british Brit themed flower beds Rain in August? Madness Rimmel lipstick in 175 Pink Punch
[3] Feeling Pretty A healthy shop! my writing is getting worse every day Mini condiments literally made my day
[4] Mile 66666 was a scary one! onion baji enjoying the closing ceremony, I got my spice hair on Abercrombie and Fitch jumper- present off my Dad. 
[5] New Playsuit from Primark Fucking love friday at work Olympics have made me very British I always put my makeup on like this. 

 I can't say that this week has been particularly thrilling. Beside the opening ceremony and one essay, i've done nothing. Mainly because I've been feeling really pressurised recently and something has got to give. I haven't been sleeping, been falling behind with uni work & have been exhausted in my new job. Sometimes I feel like I do spread myself too thin & I am so eager to do everything for everyone that I am left really unsatisfied. So this week I've tried to take a step back and not be slave girl to the entire world and I have felt myself starting to relax a little bit. This needs to continue, I need to take evenings where I lock my phone and laptop away and just chill out. 

Highlights:

• My Dad moved back to the UK after three years away.
• They bought me an abercrombie jumper and nars blusher as presents 
• My contract at work got extended! 
• My assignment got handed in

Lowlights: 

• I haven't been sleeping much, my mum thought she saw a ghost last night & i'm the biggest wimp so I couldn't sleep! 

Goals for next week

• I have a really exciting week planned. Going to the spa with my mum, then Reading festival next weekend
• I also have an assignment due in super soon that I should really start. 

I would also really like to get this blog off the ground, the last few months I've really enjoyed blogging and connected with some great bloggers. I want to tidy mine up, add in some links at the top and make it a bit more user friendly. But my HTML skills are beyond basic, so if anyone can help and wants to- please give me a shout!

How has your week been? What have been your highlights and lowlights? 

  
 

Albums I Adore [1]

In accordance with my realization that I do not post enough musical references on here, I would like to take you on a brief tour of a few of my favourite albums of all time. Lyrically, they may not be stellar examples of acoustic poetry and they may not be brimming with complicated guitar solos or orchestras that can fill an opera house and bring it crashing to its knees… but they’re bloody good at making my heart swell with happiness and giving me something to shimmy along to.

I really am one of those girls who constantly needs a sound track to her life. I find it difficult to write a blog post without some whimsical song playing in order to focus my attention. I get seriously angry in traffic, but if I put the radio on then I can sit in it for hours. I have play lists for everything: the shower; the gym; the drive to work… even ‘thinking time’ which consists of songs to explore a whole manner of situations.

The Back Room- Editors.

Let’s start with a modern classic. This album really stormed the music scene between July of 2005 and January of 2006 (where it reached no.2 in the album chart). I was still only a little dot, aged 14 and really starting to appreciate music outside of the standard McFly culture that flooded at that time, I was enraptured by its display of emotions. Who knew that happy and sad could run side by side in the same song?! The album builds up from the hauntingly beautiful ‘Lights’ setting the scene of full bodied vocals and interesting guitar beats, it is referring to a love… not quite lost but soon to go ‘everything I’ve always wanted, is right there but soon it won’t be’ it embodies the self doubt that falls hand in hand with a relationship and is certainly something we can all relate to. From here the theme is set  and we have ‘All Sparks’, ‘Blood’ and ‘Munich’ as singles. In many ways they remind me of Joy Division, the strange but beautiful contrast between upbeat music with heavy heartbreaking lyrics. It has a very special place in my heart and is one that I still listen to with continued enthusiasm.
Highlight: My top song off this album is Camera. I implore you to listen. 



The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me- Brand New.
 
This album, and indeed this band, may sit outside of the radar of many of my English listeners. Whilst they are a big American band, their fan base here is not as widespread. I got into Brand New quite recently, in 2009 I saw them at Reading Festival, only knowing one of their songs (Jude Law and a Semester Abroad). I just fell in love. From their first album (your favourite weapon) they have evolved, leaving pop punk in the past and developing into an incredible alternative band. “The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me” (2006) explores the theme of religion in a curious way. Lead singer Jesse Lacey wrote the album whilst he was at a cross roads in his life having recently ‘found’ the church. However it does not come across as inundated in religious messages. You get the impression of imbalance and indecisiveness that is so applicable to so many stages of life, and that makes it so beautifully brilliant. Typical of the later day Brand New style, they have heavy, crashing, guitars that ring of heart break and raw emotion and mix them with clever lyrics formulated to reach highs and peaks at the same time as the music. In Luca, we hear a song which is very peaceful. The guitars are mellow and Jesse sings in a quiet, breathy, manner. Then all of a sudden everything rips and reaches a clattering high on the line “where you’ve been”. “You Won’t Know” and “Degausser” follow a similar train of thought with heavy emotions being screamed, complimenting delicate verses. 

Highlight: ‘Jesus Christ’ is potentially my favourite Brand New Track. There is so many important moments, things that spark emotion and layers to the song that I can’t bring myself to try and put it into words. It is a song that can leave even the most hopeless with an ounce of strength and could make a fighter out of the most feeble minded. Listen, Please.
Read my review from their concert in February here.




Hot Fuss- The Killers

I get the feeling most will have read that title and go ‘ah, I love that album’ maybe even feel the need to stick it on for a nostalgic listen to what is undoubtedly one of the best albums of the last ten years. The Killers are one of those bands that I always forget are massive, that I listened to when I was a very young 12 year old, when they were a small enough band with an incredible debut album. Back then I was very much looking forward to growing up and marrying lead singer Brandon. This is before I realised that would make my name Poppy Flowers, which would be cute for about ten minutes until everyone thought I was a comic book wench. (On that train of thought, I can’t marry anyone with the surname Day or Fields). It was also before that god awful moustache. I have seen the Killers live twice, once at reading 08 when they were rubbish and then at V Festival 09 where they were so perfect I still maintain that it was one of the best days of my life. The album sits between being a concept album and, well, a regular album. It’s hard to say why they didn’t stick to one style, but the songs blend so well together it would be hard to distinguish which songs sit in which camp. For reference “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” and “Midnight Show” form part of their murder trilogy which also includes the B side track, “Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf”. The album is clearly influenced by bands such as Joy Division/New Order, The Cure, The smiths and other new wave bands of that period (which incidentally is my Dads era and consequently the bands that I grew up listening to). The tracks are peppered with disco beats and euphoric moments whilst holding on to the alternative edge to help pave the way to the indie scene that arrived shortly after. The album has reached sales of over 4 million and is a 6x platinum album in the UK. I guess that none of us will ever want to stop dancing to tracks like “All These Things That I’ve Done” and “Smile Like You Mean It”.

Highlight: has to be “Mr Brightside”. Me and my best friend, Kate, made up a dance to this when we were about 14 and we haven’t stopped cracking it out since then, it is a spectacular track and certainly will always be very special to me.



American Slang- Gaslight Anthem 

Released in 2010, this is the newest of the favourites. It came out at a time when I was really starting to grow into myself. I had shed the shy girl who existed years 7 to 11 and become someone who knew who they were and what they wanted. I say this as though I had some amazing plan with the will to achieve, when really all I was, was happy. This album embodies that feeling, like nothing could graze or harm because the true essence of you is too strong to be tainted. It reminds me of driving on the 1-95 into Washington DC in my Dads sports car, with grimy heat on our necks and trucks charging past. It takes on the life of a sweltering city at aged 19 and free for the very first time, it smells like bourbon and tastes like stale smoke and my god does it feel good. ‘American Slang’ is a step away from their previous albums. Whilst still retaining the nostalgic edge, it is undeniably more modern then previous attempts... less ‘Springsteen’ and more Gaslight. The album kicks of with ‘American Slang’ this name share is apt as it gives a good feel to the direction the rest of the tracks will take- a nice introduction to their own identity. We are taken on a journey through American culture with songs like ‘bring it on’ and ‘the queen of lower chelsea’ providing a sensation of alternative mixed with jazz to create something as smooth as a coke float.
Highlight: Stay Lucky.

Phew that was a long one. Please let me know if you are going to listen to any of these, or already love/hate any of them :)

oh my gosh it's a glossy box [August 2012]

 Another month, another glossy box. Is it wrong to say that the highlight of my month is when they arrive at my door? Because it is. This months box is "international superstars" and is a selection of beauty products with cult like status around the world. Exciting. I also think that the global theme is a result of the olympics. (Which I am already missing, sob!)

 And here is what I got!

Lipcote (GB)- okay so i've heard good things about lipcote, but have never used it. No real reason, just never picked it up. So getting it in the box was exciting. I trialed it instantly and I have to say at the moment i'm not it's biggest fan, It stings like an absolute mother fucker and it tastes like Vodka. Yes my lipstick is still in place, but is that the be all and end all? 
Repurchase: Nah, I'd say my hatred for Voddy will put me off ever finishing this sample, let alone buy more. 
RRP: 3.99

Eves Balm (all for Eve)- So I had never heard of this brand before so I did a quick internet search, it turns out that the purpose of the brand is funding and awareness for gynological cancer. What a brilliant cause. The product itself is a chapped skin balm, it smells lavendery but is not overpowering. The texture is what youd expect, slightly greasy and very light- it melts in to the skin. 
Repurchase: I'm sure I will rely on this in winter as it seems very nourishing, would buy again!
RRP: 4.95

L'ombre a Paupiere Margarita (Spain)- So this is an eyeshadow pallete with 10 shades in. I don't really get what is so special about this, the plastic case is a bit naff, the mirror inside is a bit naff, I hate sponge applicators and I don't really think I need 4 shades of green. I tend to stick to my naked pallete (UD) for eyeshadow and this really isn't tempting me away. I'll trial it tonight, maybe it'll be incredible. If not, I'm sure my sis will like it
Repurchase: No. 
RRP: 3.85

DHC deep cleansing oil (Japan)- This is a facial oil cleanser, something that I normally avoid as I can't stand being a slimey mess so I was planning on donating it to my mum. However I tested it and it is the most incredible thing ever, I had full makeup on and a few drops has completely cleaned my face. I had eyeliner and mascara and eyebrows yet I didn't end up with horrific panda eyes, it really did just dissolve the makeup. 
Repurchase: It's pricey, so I will see how quickly the sample lasts- but I probably will!
RRP: 18.50

Allessandro Pro White (Germany)- Someone is going to have to explain this to me, is it a top coat base coast or intended to be worn aone? A quick google search didn't throw up what to do with it!!
Repurchase: I don't know. I don't even understand it. 
RRP: 7.95 (it has to do something for that price right?!) 

Lipstick in Glossy pink (Glossybox)-So the picture on the leaflet is very pale pink, so I got a surprise when I opened it up and it is actually quite rich and heavy, it has blue under tones, something my cool skin appreciates and glides on like a dream. Spectacular colour and staying power, winner. 
Repurchase: Probably, I'm happy to have a full sized stick to play with for now. 
RRP: 9.50. 

TOTAL BOX MARK: 3/5.
Some great products, one I really dislike, one that smells awful and one I don't understand. 

 

My Mini Maxi.

Entire Outfit- New Look. Obsessed?!

So being a slightly pathetic five foot three (actually typed that as free. oh man), I've been mega missing out on the maxi trend that has been massive in summer apparell for the last few years. This has been absolutely heart breaking for me as the idea of swishing around in a floor length dress just hits the spot of fabulousness. I longed to feel loose material waving around my ankles and to create the illusion of legs that went up past my tits. But it didn't seem like it was to be, Maxi dresses are always taller than me when I hold them up, appearing like wedding dresses with elongated trains. And i'm not ready to walk down the aisle, figurative or not. The idea of looking like a glambob on the beach with the wind in my hear appeals, not tripping over my 6ft tall skirt. 

This is when I happened to find the most glorious skirt in New Look. The royal blue felt charming and British and I wanted it so badly. And it was in the childrens section. I did a quick hold up and it actually fell to ankle length. Not ankles plus five inches. So I picked it up in a few different ages- just to see what I was working with. Hilariously, an age 12 fits perfectly. 

From now on I will definitely be perusing the kids sections for long skirts and dresses, I don't care if they were designed to be worn at birthday parties with jelly and icecream or nights out on the town- I have never felt so grown up as I do in my kiddy skirt. 

(ALSO HOW AMAZING IS MY PUDDY CAT!) 

What do you think? Do I look like glamoursorous rex or toddler in her mums clothes? Would you browse an alternative section to fit your bodys needs?

 

product inventory: operation use stuff up.

So today I was sat at work on my break working out where my money had gone this month. It was blatenly obvious i'd spent a little too much on beauty (210GBP..!). This seemed like an awful lot of my pay, so I posted about it on Twitter (@poppy839). I got talking to the lovely Rachel from Live.Food.Love. She has recently decided to try and use up products she already has and I think i'm also going to be brave and do the same. 

My problem is that I fall in love very quickly with products, I usually spend around 26 per product, I adore it for a few weeks and then I find something new to adore. Some of these expensive times have only been swatched... some never even used. The problem is, it it loses it's spot in the adoration queue, it gets forgotten about forever. 

So I got home at 4 today and since then I have been wading through mountains of potions and lotions and here is what I have. 

  Moisturiser (annoyed as I left three at work as well!) 

Skin Care

  Hair Products

 Nail Varnish

 Base of my face- primers concealers foundations

 Finishing touches- Highlighters, setting powders, blushers, bronzers.

 Eye makeup

Lipcare- Lipsticks, balms, tints, scrubs, glosses

The Lot.

That was a lot of hard work and I didn't even go into the bathroom to see what belongs to me in there. There is alot of half empty products and things I had completely forgotten about so my mission is to use some of this shit up. And then I can buy more. Logic. 

Are you a hoarder too? What is your favourite items?