Music on my mind

This week I'm on placement so sending all day on my computer and these songs are helping me get through the day a little bit easier. 

Skylar Grey- C'mon let me ride your bicycle.
She's a pretty funny girl and has got a good voice to match

One Direction-Kiss you
You cannot listen to this song without dancing around, absolute favorite at the moment, instant good mood. But Nial is still gross.

Taylor Swift- I knew you were trouble
The video is really annoying and the music doesn't start till 2 mins in but I really like this song. It's a cooler and a bit more dub-step than Taylor's usual stuff.

Yellow jumper search

So for what feels like the past 3 months I have been on the search for a bright yellow jumper. And when I say bright, I mean bright, like fluorescent.

Finally, when browsing through Topshop I found two!

But now I don't know which one to buy.

Any advice bloggers?

This one

Or this one 

Or do I get them both?

Military trend review

So the military trend is back for winter 2012. Unlike a revival of style, designers have taken the easy road and brought it back for yet again another year. I've been tracking this trend and it seems it reared its ugly head way back in 2008, with the likes of Temperley London and Alexander McQueen backing the trend. It wasn't soon after that Aquascutum and Jaeger followed suit with black dresses and khaki military jackets for their fall 2008 collections.

This year the main culprits in army wear were none other than Mrs Beckham herself and Tommy Hilfiger who presented us with boring green dresses and nipped-in waists on long dull winter coats that have too many buttons to count. Others to blame for the recovery of military were Valentino and Moschino, although the leather twist on the look at Valentino is slightly more clever and new so a little more forgivable.

Taken from the Victoria Beckham A/W catwalk show 2012

Taken from Valentino A/W 2012 at Paris fashion week

With British troops having been in Afghanistan for over 10 years and hearing on a daily basis about military operations it’s easy to see why many designers have army gear on the brain, but I don’t think that’s an excuse for their poor fashion vision this autumn/winter.

Nobody likes hearing about or seeing the war, so why on earth would anyone want to dress like they belong in the middle of one?

In essence the trend involves dressing up as if you were in the army, now I don’t see any designers taking inspiration from the NHS nurses or Police officials, so why is it socially acceptable to dress as a troop?

It’s not so much the green coats or subdued palettes I take issue with as the khaki camouflage print. I don’t think I can take one more camouflage jacket. Whether it’s with studs or leather sleeves or has a sheep skin trim, it is just plain wrong and if you own one of these jackets you should be ashamed of yourself. Ok maybe that’s slightly too harsh but really girls come on! Fashion gives you the chance to dress up and be anyone so why would you choose to be an army man? And as for anyone who owns a pair of khaki printed pants, you need to take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror.

However, I have a confession to make on the military trend...I own a rusty earth green trench coat complete with double breasted buttons and pull up collar. But before you make any harsh judgements, it was bought for me by my mum when I was 15 and I have had it ever since. If that’s not proof that this trend should be dead and gone then I don’t know what is.

Seven Psychopaths

I wouldn't normally do a film review but I went to see Seven Psychopaths last night and it was actually really good.
I had no idea what it was about even after seeing the trailer for it and I wasn't particularly bothered about seeing but seeing as Life of Pi isn't out yet, me and the bf went to Seven Psychopaths.

It's a funny and cleverly written film, by a Brit too which is always nice. The story basically follows a struggling screen writer (Colin Farrell) as he gets caught up in the gang world of America when his friend dognap's a gangsta's pooch.

It's something different and really funny and it works, not at all like your typical shoot out gang world film.

Plus Colin Farrell looks hot.
See the trailer below.

Connor Maynard

About a month ago I went to see Connor Maynard in Newcastle (see my review here) and ever since I've been a little bit hooked on the Brit kid. 

The now 20-year-old has had a busy year with winning MTV’s Brand New for 2012 award, releasing his debut album and had his first headline tour.

I have had his album 'Contrast' on repeat and think I might be a little bit in love. He has an old school Justin Timberlake style and as for him being anything like Bieber, forget it. The boy for Brighton is miles better. My favorite song on the album is probably 'Another one' because he says 'peel me bana-na-na'. Cheeky!

Nicki Minaj - The Re-up

So if you know me then you will be fully aware I'm a Nicki Minaj fan. I think she's a genius. When her album, Roman Reloaded came out this earlier this year in April, I was slightly disappointed. There was the usual mix of good flows and dance songs but nothing really stood out, although Va Va Voom is one of my favorites she has ever done.

Nicki recently re-released the album with an extra 8 songs and I'm so happy she did.

With the 'Re-up' Nicki goes back to her roots with the kind of raps that actually have a meaning behind them.
In general I think the quality of the songs on Re-up is amazing compared to the original album. It feels like a lot of time and effort went into the lyrics and the tracks behind them and it all comes together beautifully.

I'm really impressed with this album relaunch and I hope that Nicki stays with this theme instead of the whole 'Stupid Hoe' thing. The stand out track for me has to be 'Freedom' which has a real sincere feel to it and I can see 'I'm legit' being played loudly when I'm getting ready for a night out, even if she does say she has a famous anus.

 Check out the full "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded -- The Re-Up" track list below. 

Disc One 
1. "Up in Flames" 
2. "Freedom" 
3. "Hell Yeah" (ft. Parker) 
4. "High School" (ft. Lil Wayne) 
5. "I'm Legit" (ft. Ciara) 
6. "I Endorse These Strippers" (ft. Tyga & Thomas Brinx) 
7. "The Boys" (ft. Cassie) 
8. "Va Va Voom" 

Disc Two 
1. "Roman Holiday" 
2. "Come On a Cone" 
3. "I Am Your Leader" (ft. Cam'ron & Rick Ross) 
4. "Beez in the Trap" (ft. 2 Chainz) 
5. "HOV Lane" 
6. "Roman Reloaded" (ft. Lil Wayne) 
7. "Champion" (ft. Nas, Drake & Young Jeezy) 
8. "Right By My Side" (ft. Chris Brown) 
9. "Sex in the Lounge" (ft. Lil Wayne & Bobby V) 
10. "Starships" 
11. "Pound the Alarm" 
12. "Whip It" 
13. "Automatic" 
14. "Beautiful Sinner" 
15. "Marilyn Monroe" 
16. "Young Forever" 
17. "Fire Burns" 
18. "Gun Shot" (ft. Beenie Man) 
19. "Stupid Hoe" 

The Re-up is out now

Boohoo Party Outfit

Boohoo Party Outfit by vanityamor featuring black wedge heels

For more details on the products in this post visit boohoo.com

Third year study help

Sorry to have to do this on here, I know it's not what you want to be reading but please could everyone do me a massive favor and fill in this survey?
It's for my final year project at university and it would be a huge help!

Your opinions are very important to me :)
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6FFTKFN

The return of The xx

First of all sorry for the lack of posts but I've been in America all summer. Secondly, I am beyond excited because this morning on the way to work I heard some new material from my favorite band. Yes ladies and gentlemen after 3 years The xx are back with a new album.
I've heard 2 tracks from the new album which is titled 'Coexist' and due for UK release on the 10th of September and I still love them as much as I ever did.

Their music is so beautiful and articulate that they manage to make you understand ever note and ever line in the songs. They are so indie isn't unreal but I'm in love with them so I don't care.

In my opinion they are the perfect band for whatever mood you are in. The xx have a sound which is so chilled and cool it's sort of hypnotic.

Chained

Angels

I have 'Angels' on repeat and literally can't get enough.
The xx will be performing at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on September 10, The Coal Exchange in Cardiff on September 11 and Edinburgh's Usher Hall on September 12. They will also play Bestival on the Isle of Wight on September 7 so go see them live!

3546 miles

This is going to be my last post for a couple of months as tomorrow morning I'm flying to Washington to work at a summer camp. I will be 3546 miles away from everyone I love and even though I'm sad to be leaving everyone I can't wait to get to America! 


My last night at university was hilarious. I went for a meal with my boyfriends family for his mum's birthday and we went in a pink hummer limo! We were drinking champagne all night and it was the perfect way to say bye to my gorgeous boy for a while.

The night I got back home I went out for a meal with my family where the chips were massive! Look at the size of those things! I managed one! I single chip.

I hope everyone has had a lovely jubilee weekend and that summer is beautiful. I will speak to you all soon! Take care!

BBY

xoxo

Extra virgin minerals foundation

Summer has officially hit and we actually got a little bit of good weather last week! Sadly it has disappeared and it's back to miserable cloudy grey. Anyway, when it is hot, I hate wearing make-up. HATE. I just feel like my skin is caked and it feels awful so I was searching for some light coverage. I went to get matched up for bare minerals and I was really skeptical because I thought the power coverage might just make me look chalky. The lady who put it on me was really nice but I looked not so hot. There were so many stages as well I just really could not be bothered so I said thank you, smiled and left, empty handed. Walking out of the shopping centre I spotted a sign in The Body Shop advertising mineral foundation. There I found the Extra Virgin minerals foundation compact.

It costs £16 and I got shade 205 rose vanilla. It comes in a compact with a little mirror and a brush.

I wanted to give it a fair shot before I reviewed it so as you can see it's pretty much all gone. I've had it for about 2 months so I think it last quite well. It goes on like a cream and then turns more powdery on your skin.

The coverage it provides isn't amazing. It's fantastic if you have clear skin or you're having a really good skin day but if not you have to build you quite a few layers. I used it with concealer on my problem areas and then topped up some areas with my estee lauder foundation.

This is the brush it comes with in  a little space under the foundation.

As you can see, it broke! Badly and I had all these little hairs everywhere on my face. At first when using the brush it felt really soft and helped the foundation go on nicely but it broke after about 2 weeks so i just had to use my foundation brush.

I'd give the foundation a 6/10 because I liked the coverage it gave me for the summer. The only real downside was the broken brush!

The past week

Today is my last monday of second year at university and it is amazing weather and I'm going to be stuck inside all day doing a media law exam. I have been revising none stop for what feels like months and it has been rubbish. Last week I had exams as well, which was horrible! But I did manage to have a few days with some of my loved ones. So heres a few photos from my week.

Me and the girls went to the beach to have a chill

My motto

Amazing tea of mash and beans

Trying to crame in last minute revision

Making pizzas with my beautiful boyfriend

Cheeky night out with tiny

L'oreal leave in conditioner review

Like many other out there I am always searching for the next best thing for dry hair. After bleaching it last year and literally making it fall out, my hair wasn't pretty. I tried lots of different conditioners and it was slowly improving. 


One day I went looking for my usual Aussie Miracle leave in conditioner when I saw that the L'oreal one was on offer so I bought that instead.
I have been using it for the past month and my hair has definitely improved. It is much more healthy and manageable and even feels thicker!
This spray isn't greasy or too heavy, in fact it's light enough to use everyday and it has become a staple in my beauty routine.
It doesn't really have a smell which I personally like so I'm happy I tried something different.
I would give it a 4/5!

Met ball 2012 best dressed

Okay so first off, how many peplum skirts? Seriously, I know they are totally on trend but come on, would of been nice to see a bit of creativity. Anyway, I know I'm a bit slow off the mark and I'm going to keep it short and sweet without boring you with all the long details of why but here are my 3 best dressed from the ball.

Ashley Greene in Donna Karan

Dree Hemingway in a Topshop custom-made gold sequin dress. 

Joan Smalls with designer Olivier Rousteing wearing Balmain.

My ultimate Topshop wishlist

My ultimate Topshop wishlist by vanityamor featuring a chiffon dress

Chiffon dress
$84 - topshop.com

Collarless jacket
$360 - topshop.com

Sandal heels
$130 - topshop.com

Plastic bag
$50 - topshop.com

Topshop stretch jewelry
$25 - topshop.com

Tear drop earrings
$25 - topshop.com

Things I would tell my teenage-self

The other day I went out for tea with one of my best friends and we were talking about how fast teenage girls grow up nowadays, how they are in such a rush to do everything at such a young age. 16-year-olds are going out and drinking and smoking and having sex. AT 16! Then yesterday at work a boy came in for school shoes and his mum told me how they had to be 'perfect' for school so he didn't get picked me. Then she said, "It's odd, you spend all your teen years just hopelessly trying to fit in and then you grow up and you want to be as different as possible!"


So it got me thinking, if I could go back in time to 5 years ago, what would I tell my teenage-self?
I came up with 5 things I would LOVE to say:


1)You may be taller than EVERYONE else right now, but don't worry, boys will catch you up! Make the most of your height and don't wear small heels to prom, wear massive wedge heels because you need to practice walking in them.


2)Some people aren't going to like you or get you and that is OK. Later in life it's your sarcasm and brutal honesty that your friends love you for so stay opinionated and don't agree with everyone else. If you don't like someone you don't have to be their friend or pretend to like them.


3)DON'T BLEACH YOUR HAIR! You will ruin it. End.


4)Don't bother with boys till you're at least 20. They are all idiots up until then...in fact most boys still are idiots so instead of worrying about boys, worry about school and work and spending time with your family. You will have plenty of time for boyfriends when you are older - trust dad on this one, his knows best!


5) Lastly....you do get boobs. 

Just because it's funny.....me then 

Dip-dye hair

Brightly coloured hair was seen everywhere over the fashion weeks and the trend has taken to the streets and spread like wild fire.

Once a hair choice reserved for the underground scene, this trend is now really popular and is perfect for summer.

May it be little tiny streaks, just the ends or whole head colour, hair is not longer just blonde, brown or red.

So like many others, I grabbed myself some hair dye and tried out the trend.

I was going to blog about how I did it but instead I made a video tutorial because it seemed easier at the time than trying to explain it in writing.

I apologise for the weird facial expressions and I hope it's useful. If you have any questions just comment and I'll try and help :)

Enjoy! 

King Charles

I have no idea where I first heard this man but his voice and random adopted name stuck in my head and I think he is going to be something special. Real name Charles Johnston, he is English and showcases what has to be some of the most beautiful music coming through the industry today.


His hair let alone is enough to stir up inspiration in an individual, but his style is phenomenal. His clothes and outfits have this amazing mix of eclectic old-school, 17th century, hippie, old grandad and it some how comes together and looks beyond cool. 
Take away the clothes, the hair and the pirate beard and you are left with the bare essentials of a indie singer-songwriter sensation.


I would say if you are a fan of the likes of Mumford and sons, Noah and the whale, Laura Marling ETC then this man is right up your street. His lyrics are beautiful and it's the kind of music you just want to listen to over and over. His talent is undeniable and he can play the guitar very well. I rest my case.


My favourite song so far has to be Lovelust, give it a listen and follow the King on twitter as he only has 4000 followers!

His debut album Loveblood is out May 17th

The curse of single girl dressing

The curse of single girl dressing is something I am sure many women out there have been faced with at some point in their life.

You may not necessarily BE a single girl, in fact you might be loved up but the curse can crop up at any time. The problem is, when you are getting dressed or undressed for that matter of fact and you come across an article of clothing which requires assistant in doing up and BAM it hits you, the curse of single girl dressing.
It happened to me this morning, I was awake early for a conference at university and I picked out my gorgeous leopard print dress which I bought at Tesco a few years ago. I unzipped the seam at the back of the dress which runs three quarters of the way down the dress, and stepped into it. I then had to begin the awkward process of trying to zip it up. My flat mates were fast asleep as it was half past 8 in the morning so I was alone in my struggle. Purely attempting to get dressed resulted in a long and laborious process of twisting my body and pulling and zipping from all angles.
I did manage to dress myself in the end! But the fact that it is so hard makes me almost not want to wear the dress at all.

If I did live with a man then most likely he would of been there to do up the dress and off I would of gone without so much as a second glance to check my hair hadn't been caught in the zip.

So this is just a message to all designers out there, please be aware of this fault and make dressing fair and fun for all. Regardless of relationship status.

Daniel Radcliffe looking ravishing

Unless you have been under a rock for the past 10 years then you will be well aware who this man is. Yes ladies and gentleman, it's little Harry Potter all grown up. Now he may have left the wizarding world behind but I still think he is magical. I have been a Daniel fan since the beginning and now it seems that the rest of the world is waking up to the fact that he's no longer hidden away in his Hogwarts robes and he is infact, quite a hottie.

Just look at that jaw line!

Anyway, I'm in Daniel overload but here's a little snippet of just how adorable he was on the Jonathan Ross show. TOO CUTE!