If I was a rich girl.....

If I was a rich girl..... by tasha-dujifou-dujon featuring iron fist

Mary katrantzou dress
matchesfashion.com

Miss Selfridge skater skirt
missselfridge.com

River Island high heel shoes
$92 - riverisland.com

Iron fist
$34 - sohos.co.uk

Knapsack bag
$245 - allsole.com

Vivienne westwood
farfetch.com

Anchor stud earrings
sourpussclothing.com

Mulberry tech accessory
mulberry.com

Vivienne Westwood Orb Ring
asos.com

Rimmel lipstick
$15 - nelly.com

Beats™ by Dr. Dre™ Studio™ High Definition Powered Isolation...
beatsbydre.com

Adventure Time | Pop Culture
hottopic.com

Loathe the skin your in!

My skin...

I've done face masks a-plenty, homemade and store bought alike. I've tried lathering lotions and potions of all sorts of brands that I respect and love. And they all result ing the same lumps and bumps, dry patches and stinging. 

-Clarins- oww

- The Body Shop- oww

-Garnier- oww

-Lush- oww

And this is not to reflect badly on any of those brands. The truth is my skin is harder than women allegedly are. I find myself looking at my Freddy Krugar complexion and screaming 

'What the f--- do you want from me!'

Damn, you's a sexy chick...

Let me specific, this is my face skin, the rest of my skin is fairly nice. 

At the moment I'm sticking to the whole stripping back thing. I'm using the forbidden soap- ulmighty dryer-outer of skin. But it works for my sister and my Mum so maybe it will work for me. My sister's skin sucked as a teenager and now it's super smooth and glows like sunshine. 

I'm using one of the only moisturiser that my skin didnt torture me for using- Imperialis from LUSH. 

And since it's for skin that 'can't make up it's mind.' It will do. There isn't a cream for skin that's a 'satanic dictator', so it will have to. I don't really fancy sacrificing a virgin every time I break out anyway. It's been two weeks on this regime. No changes yet but I reckon another month will tell me whether or not it's working. 

This partnered with pouring my body weight's worth of water into my face, sleeping right, regular exercise and a decent diet will improve things. I have been a bit wobbly on the whole stable routine thing so maybe that's why my skin is being mean to me. Probably also the reason that I feel more rotund of late although my lovely friends would insist that it's all in my head. I don't know that that is entirely comforting. 

So maybe it will turn out that all my skin wants is a nice simple life uncomplicated by fragrant gloop. If so I guess it'll make me a bit thick for not trying it out before. Switching from one regime to the next and refusing to be patient with my skin is kind of a derpy thing to do. 

Still, they say bitches make it in life.  Following that philosophy, if I was as much of a bitch as my skin was I would probably be very successful. Perhaps I'll look into that. 

Until Next Time

Song of the Day 

Carbon Monoxide- Regina Spektor

Beautiful live performance below. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw01fnRPMNg

Cheer Up Chump!

Cheer Up Chump!

It has not been the merriest of times recently. The weather, the news and life in general seems lacking in lust despite. Spring having apparently arrived (AHAHAHAHA) there are still arbitrary snow drifts- bullshit and general misery and taking place in and around London.

In light of this darkness I would like to make a poor attempt to boost spirits by listing a few of my favourite things.

1. Chai Latte's- I love them! Warm, sweet and little spicy! They make a pretty foolproof remedy for any bad, cold or tiring day life hurls at you.
2. Dancing- classes and night clubs are great and stuff. However the dancing I'm specifically referring to is the dancing you do alone in your room. Better still if you are in your favourite underwear and throwing hazardous shapes to the Vengaboys. Go ahead- freak the f*** out!
3. Youtube! Sometimes you don't have time to watch TV but want a quick bite to take your mind off of the possible brain numbing pain of your existence. My favourite channels are-

• Jenna Marbles- Musings of a mildly aggressive, moderately unstable and thoroughly modern girl who tells it like it is. Very popular and very funny if you like that sort of thing... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp-AxFdUe4A
  
  
• 'Your Grammar Sucks' from Jack's Films. Jack is a brave soul showcases the very worst of online grammar in a one man extravaganza. This is the only situation in which reading YouTube comments can possibly be a positive experience... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV6zKxM8Lw8
• Team Four Star- Pretty much for children of the nineties and anime fans. Heard of DragonBallZ? Good watch the abridged series- it's perfect. It not, umm- don't bother. Sorry no number one.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBm_2IUn4MU&list=UUsvazPPlhZlch0-Z3wPByeg&index=80

• The Fine Bros- Particularly 'Kids React' which is pretty much like that new show Goggle Box but with kids- apply same logic for  'Teens React' etc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeGe7lVrXb0

There are loads more things I wanted to include but considering Easter's forecast, it looks like I'll have plenty more opportunities to list all the things that make life a little less like an endless Siberian tundra littered, with broken dreams. A desolate plain in which the only non-frozen water are the tears of disappointment shed by our shattered souls.

Have a nice day! x

Bantu Knots

My hair is natural. Therefore it's not straightened and I don't have extensions or a weave. It's not even dyed. It's not for any particular reason. It just suits me. I'm fidgety as it is, if I had a weave I would itch the bitch out of it. It would add a certain crazy to my general disposition if I was constantly patting and scratching away at my scalp. My hair doesn't stay straight for long no matter how violently or intricately I apply chemicals and heat to it. Besides, I look my most awesome with my natural hair and I love it. When I texturised my hair in my teens it huffed and it puffed and it eventually committed suicide so in the summer of 2010 I decided- to hell with this and got my poofiness back.

I'm still not totally on top of it. I'm slowly learning to take care of my hair and discovering new ways to emphasise it's beauty.

One of my favourite things I've discovered was a twist out. And in doing so I also re-discovered Bantu knots or 'China bumps' as we St.Lucians and Antiguans and Jamai...well I think it's most of the Caribbean call them China bumps, but I can't be sure. A Bantu knot/China bump is best done with wet hair. Just washed hair is better but sometimes I cheat and use a spray bottle full of water. I would explain how to do them but I'm lazy so I'll include a link to a wonderful Youtube vlogger who inspired me instead! Here's what they look like though.

And this is what it looks like fresh out.

You kind of fiddle and separate them until you get the affect you want.

I have to say I'm at my happier with my hair now than I have ever been. Even though we fight a lot and it always wins. See diagram.

When we aren't on speaking terms I usually revert to the old vintage scarf-cum-turban look. My collection is expanding impressively.

Here are the links to the tutorial by Naptural85

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4BWt3_7WVQ

I hope it brings you the happy twisting it brought me.

Until Next Time

Valentine's Manga?

Ah! Romance. What does it all mean? I don't know. Honestly, I could call myself a romantic. I cried at the end of titanic. But that was because the French guy died and my mum had to take me out of the room before the ending because I was in hysterics. Yeah, I was eight but when I eventually did see the end of the film I sat   relatively unmoved. All I was thinking was 'F****** hell Rose! Move the hell up that plank is massive!' 

I like to think that when Valentine's Day rolls round I'm nonchalant and dismissive of it. I dread that as a singleton I'll be diluting a tub of Ben and Jerry's with my salty tears of infinite loneliness. The reality this year as with the years that proceeded it I was okay. There were moments of weakness. On the Jubilee line a couple took canoodling to a level akin to soft porn and I felt a bit sick. But that's how I always feel when I'm treated to an impromptu sex show. I also had a mini fan-girl 'squee' over a few movies and manga moments. Yeah manga.  I wanted to do a count down of my favourite 'Aww' moments in film but I have loads. I wanted to do a countdown of my favourite love songs but again they were too numerous. 

But I will give a shout out to my favourite fictional couples in  anime and manga, and I would do my top ten fictional couples in film but I can't be bothered. Too many films. Too little time. These aren't in any order, they are a matter of opinion AND they aren't really going to be explained that well. Enjoy! Spoilers!

Anime and Manga

1. Fuu and Mugen (Samurai Champloo)- These two don't actually get together but there's a lot of tension but they care enough about each other to risk dying to save one another. Romantic, innit?
2. Isaac and Miria (Baccano) - They're batshit, they commit harmless and bizarre crimes together and they are besotted with one another, what's not to like?
3. Sawako (Sadako) and Shota (Kimi Ni Todoke)- She has a lonely life, constantly misunderstood and shunted by her bastard classmates. She's a sweetheart and he's smart enough to realise it. 
4. Ashitaka and San (Princess Mononoke) epic and sweeping romance against the odds. That type of thing. Helped by a perfect soundtrack.
5. Yaya Higuchi and Moriyama (Othello manga)- She has a pretty rough ride most of which she has to make alone. Despite the very unusual and difficult situation, he sticks by her as a friend and later as a lover.

So there we have it. The first Anime/Manga centric blog post for a long time. Happy (no-longer) Valentines Day. 

And here is a romantic piece of 'artwork' I've dragged up from the archives. 

Byee!

Spring!

I’m watching the satisfactory denouement of Geordie Shore. It’s silly that it’s gets me thinking about all the endings and beginnings of the days that have passed and will pass. All of the people I’ve been attached to and grown apart from. It’s sad to think of all those friendships and bonds now haunting me like shadows, just memories in the back of my mind. It makes you wonder what the future will bring; romance; heartbreak; tears of laughter; tears of pain- a tattoo perhaps.

Isn’t it exciting? Now that it’s officially spring there are horny birds swirling in clouds above us, everything begins to bloom including our hopes for a great summer. I like spring better than the New Year. There is more of optimism now in spring than in the half assed, hung over promises we make to ourselves at the start of each year. I will lose weight; I will eat better; I will be a Pokémon master.

I don’t want to do that crap again. That was January. This is March; April; May...this is spring. My favourite part of spring, or one of them is being able to take walks through Greenwich Park in a light jacket. The sun sets later so even after a later shift at work it’s possible to enjoy a little bit of extra sunshine. Watching the sunset from that special bench in Greenwich Park is one of my favourite overly romantic pastimes, reading on this bench with a coffee is a great way to build up to it.

Spring is also great because it’s cheaper. The warmer it is, the more enjoyable being outside is and the more we can enjoy galleries and museums.

I’m going to try in the month of April to hit one gallery a week and two markets a month for fruit or cute quirky stuff. After all, London has loads of markets to offer and I’ve only explored Camden, Greenwich and Lewisham. I would love to revisit these markets but I have to try Deptford, Ridley, Roman Road, Brick Lane, Dagenham, East Street and so many more! I can’t wait.

But until then I’ll keep taking my walks, keep doing Zumba, and eating salmon and olive salads.

I hope my friend will join me on these escapades, spring is always more enjoyable when your friends are there to share it with you.

 Bring on the cherry blossoms!