Tuesday 23 December 2014

Christmas Cupcake Recipie

Even though my blog is mostly beauty (I have been lacking a bit lately, but it will pick up in New Years) I thought it would be nice to show you how to make some Christmas cupcakes, either for friends and family or for yourself.






















These cupcakes make 6, but if you want to make more then you can double the amount of every ingredient to make 12. I ate one after they came out, which is why there are only 5 in the pictures.























The cupcakes are standard vanilla, I added some red food colouring to make the colour a bit richer and warmer, and the icing is cinnamon so it is perfect for this Christmas season.
























This recipe is really good and makes the most delicious cupcakes and instead of adding vanilla you could add something different instead, you could even have cinnamon cupcakes with vanilla icing. I got the recipe for the cupcakes from CupcakeJemma's Youtube video here and her other recipes for other types of cakes are really good so also check out her channel.

Ingredients:
For 6 cupcakes
Self raising flour - 65g
Caster sugar - 65g
Bicarbonate of Soda - 1/4 teaspoon
Soft unsalted butter - 65g
Large egg - 1
Milk - 1 tablespoon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the icing
Soft unsalted butter - 25g
Icing sugar - 75g
Milk - 1/2 tablespoon
Cinnamon - 1 teaspoon

Instead of adding vanilla or cinnamon you could add another flavouring instead

Method:
Sieve the flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl then add butter and the egg and mix until smooth. Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix until all smooth again. I added some red food colouring to make a warmer colour but you don't have to do this. Put into bun cases and put in an oven at 170° for 22 minutes. When they're done take them out and leave them to cool.

For the icing, put the butter and 1/3 of the icing in a bowl then stir until smooth, it can take a while but it will eventually become smooth. A lot of people also like to just add half of the icing sugar so that it doesn't blow up into your face but I find that it still does with half. 

Add the next 3rd of icing sugar and mix until smooth and the same with the final 3rd. Add milk and stir then add the cinnamon and stir until it is all combined. If you feel that you need to add more icing sugar then go ahead, a thicker consistency stays on your cupcakes better. Apply the icing to the cooled cupcakes and enjoy or save for your family on Christmas!


Enjoy!
- Zin x

Saturday 20 December 2014

5 Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

It's 5 sleeps until Christmas and if you're like me and still haven't bought all of your Christmas presents then I have a few quick and easy to find gifts that will be suitable for anyone!

1) Chocolate
Most people on this planet love chocolate, so unless you know they don't like chocolate this is perfect. If you know the person likes a certain type of chocolate then you can make it much more personal and I've bought 5 people chocolate of some sort this year.

2) Shower gel
Everyone needs shower gel and sometimes it can be a bit of a chore to go and buy one. To help someone beat this chore, buy them some! Sometimes I get so much shower gel that it keeps me topped up for most of the year, which is of course a good thing.

3) Socks
I think my last few blog posts have included me talking about my love of socks but this time it is actually relevant, I promise. People's socks go missing all the time right? So I suppose this can also be a bit of a helping hand for someone.

4) A Mug
This might seem a bit silly but I received 3 mugs this year for my birthday and they get a lot of good use. Shops recently have releasing really good deigns as well. If you want to go a step further then buy hot chocolate powder, marshmallows and some whipped cream.

5) A Sweet Gift
By this I mean sweet food such as cupcakes, a cake, biscuits or even mince pies. Of course this can either mean buying some from a shop or you can make them yourself to make it even more special. Recently, I have been into baking cupcakes and even made some for my friends for their presents and I might even post a tutorial on how to make some holiday cupcakes for Christmas (but don't get your hopes up, there is only 5 days left and still  a lot of preparation).

I hope this could have given you some ideas and I hope everyone has a merry Christmas!
- Zin x

Saturday 6 December 2014

What I Got For My Birthday

Hellooo! So after over a month I am  finally going to be showing a few things that I got for my birthday, you can see what I wanted here. So without further ado, I'll begin.



















This was first on my list and I was also very excited about getting this too. As I said in my list of what I wanted for my birthday, it's supposed to last all day. I won't put a full review here as I will be doing a proper review on it soon, but I can tell you that I'm very happy with it.



















Currently, I have been using the Nikon 1 S2 Digital Camera for all my pictures on my blog and for my hobby of photography but because I am now doing A Level photography I needed something more advanced. And because of that this is what I have got this although I will still probably be using the Nikon 1 for blog pictures. I'm still getting used to my new camera because I haven't used different camera settings before, so it will be quicker with my Nikon 1.




















I had featured this in a previous post saying that I would really like it for school and a family member heard my call and gave me this. I really love the plain design and I have updated the post to give a small review on it.


4. F&F Boots


F&F isn't a place I usually shop, mostly because it's in Tesco and supermarket clothing never really appeals to me, but sometimes I am forced to go and look with my sister. Sometimes there are certain clothes that look OK, but what really caught my eye one time were the amount of really good boots that they had in at that time so I asked for them for my birthday.

They don't do these boots any more, neither do they do all the other ones that looked really good.

I hope you enjoyed finding out what I got for my birthday and now that it is December I will be doing more Christmas themed posts, so keep an eye out!
- Zin x

Saturday 22 November 2014

Favourite Winter 2014 Trends

Favourite Winter 2014 Trends




To celebrate the upcoming holidays and this seasons new trends I have picked a few of my favourites that have really caught my eye.

1. First of all the classic Christmas jumper. This started to become a trend in the winter a few years ago but it always fades out after Christmas time even when it's still cold but thankfully it's an acceptable time now to start wearing them again!

The one that features above is one that I have had my eye on for a while but I haven't gotten round to buying it. I absolutely love it because the design of it is really adorable and it looks very cosy too.

2. Oversized blazers are my next favourite. My favourite part of this trend is that they go well with so much and is perfect to make an outfit stylish.

3. Leather coats with fabric look really stylish and perfect to add to a casual outfit to make it look edgier. The one above looks very christmassy especially because of the red and because it is quite dark, like a lot of fashions are at this time of year.

4. Of course I couldn't miss out socks but especially because socks have become an important part of fashion for over a year now. I love Christmas patterns and designs on Christmas clothing so it's obvious that I am adoring this trend.

5. Finally, one of my very favourite trends that started to arrive last year but only this year has it become a very prominent trend; oversized scarves. Last year when I was wearing a large scarf people asked me why I didn't get a smaller one, but this year those people are also wearing them.

Because the fashion this year is to have it loose around your neck (like the scarf above shows) it means that your neck has to be a little chillier for fashion's sake, but that doesn't matter to me much.

-Zin x


Saturday 1 November 2014

Pick of the Month: Accessorize Bags

For this months pick of the month I tried to pick a bag from Accessorize but there were too many that I loved and that I couldn't chose from so I have picked 5 of my favourites.

1. Double Zip Bowler - £32

























This bag is similar to 2 others that I have put on this list but this one has 2 compartments inside and would be perfect for a long day out, work or school and there is currently a review on the website about this bag saying that it is great because it's not bulky but obviously can hold a lot.

I also really like this colour but it doesn't come in other colours if you would prefer another colour.

2. Mini Kingston Satchel - £19

























In contrast to the Double Zip Bowler above, this bag is really tiny but would be perfect if all you needed was a purse and your phone or a few other small items. I have always wanted a satchel with this design although I think they are not as popular any more but they're still a great compliment to casual outfits.

3. Melissa Winged Handheld Bag - £32
























This comes in pink (above), navy and black and I really love this design. It has been catching my eye each time I go into Accessorize but my clothing style doesn't really go with the vintage style of this bag or others similar but I have seen these bags being able to go with loads of outfits.

Like the Double Zip Bowler, it is said to also hold a lot but not be very bulky.


4. College Backpack - £37
























This is one of my favourites and I'm really considering buying it for school as it would be perfect for books and would go well with many outfits (at my sixth form we can wear normal clothes). I am slightly hesitant of buying though because some reviews have said that it breaks easily whilst others say that it's worth the money.

Update:
I got this for my birthday and so far I am very satisfied with it. Nothing has broken and I am carrying about 4-5 text books along with 2 bottles of water, my lunch and other school supplies, although I am a bit worried that it might break soon but it still looks very sturdy and strong.

5. Verity Metal Bar Tote Bag - £45

























This comes in grey (above), black and berry and also is said to have a large amount of space. It has a really pretty design with the pocket at the front and when it is in the berry colour it looks very classy especially with the gold.

This one also received reviews that the metal bits fell off easily but then others that said it lasted a long time so if I was to get this I would be a bit sceptical.

-Zin x

Monday 27 October 2014

How to Make Eye Shadow Multi-purpose

Eye shadow is great fr giving your eyes character by using light, dark or both shades in every colour, but it can also do a lot more which can also save you money.

1. Eye liner

It is known that you can use eye shadow to make an eye liner effect by using different colours, but if you pick the correct shade and apply the right amount it could look like you are wearing real eye liner. Although this isn't a massive unknown discovery, it could save you time and money trying to find a perfect eye liner.

2. Eyebrow Filler

If you aren't into really filled eyebrows but want an effect of a fuller brow or to help shape your eyebrows then it is good to use eye shadow rather than a pencil. I find pencils always come out very bold even when I press lightly however eye shadow helps to make the lighter and thinner parts of my eyebrow look darker and thicker.

3. Contouring

Contouring with eye shadow is a lot easier on smaller parts I find such as contouring the nose. I like to use eye shadow rather than bronzer as it looks orange on my skin tone (as well as most foundations) so I use a light brown eye shadow to help contour my nose.

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With these tips you could save money and time trying to find the perfect product when you can just use a simpler and cheaper eye shadow. If you have any other ways you know of how to make eye shadow multi-purpose then let me know in the comments.

- Zin x




Tuesday 21 October 2014

What's on My Birthday List?

It's October and not only does that mean Halloween is coming up but my birthday is also soon so I thought I would share with you a small list of a few things I would like, then after my birthday I will share what I did get!















This is first on my list because I have really wanted this for a long time now. It's not just an ordinary lip tint as you put it on your lips then wait around 10 minutes and peel it off and it lasts all day. It's also known as a semi-tattoo type of make-up because it lasts all day. 

A lot of brands have started to take this on but I think this is the first brand to have done it. The link (name of the item) goes to Wish Trend and shows the product for $12.79 which is around £8. It seems a lot for some lip tint but if it lasts a long time and saves you from applying more throughout the day then it should be worth it.

2. Socks
























(These socks are from Topshop here) I really love these types of socks with little pictures all over them and so I really hope I can get some more for my birthday.

3. iPod Touch





















I've been stuck on a small iPod Nano for 5 years now and it's slowly breaking. I don't think I will be receiving this however because all generations of the iPod Touch are very far out of my family's price range unfortunately. (iPod pictured is 5th generation)

4. Purse


















I've had my current purse for a while and this too is also breaking (I like to keep things for as long as possible so this means a lot of my things are breaking). I'm fond of small purses with a lot of compartments so they can fit easily in my bag. I would really like this purse as I have seen it in the shops for a while.

- Zin x
P.S I just want to apologise for not updating a lot, now that I'm doing A level a lot of my time is spent doing work and my laptop has been broken for a week and I've just got it back. I will try and update at least once a week from now on.

Wednesday 1 October 2014

What To Wear With Checked Shirts

What To Wear With Checked Shirts




A fashion trend that I have recently picked up on is checked shirts,
sometimes over sized, sometimes fitted and sometimes loose fitted. The
great thing about the variation in styles of checked shirts is that you can
team it with pretty much anything and look on the point of fashion as
well as looking and feeling comfortable.

1. One way to wear checked shirts is with a denim jacket. What works
best is a checked shirt that is a similar colour to the one in the picture
and also oversized underneath a denim jacket that is also slightly
oversized. This is something that was fashionable about a year ago
but has become more popular and is still very fashionable.

2. Secondly, wearing a short black cropped top underneath an
unbuttoned oversized checked shirt has an almost 'dramatic' look and
works very well.

3. As easy as it sounds, tucking a checked shirt into a skirt similar to on
the picture. A light coloured shirt would work better with a light
coloured checked shirt.

4. This one is also very simple, an over sized checked shirt to act as a
dress then pair it with some leggings. 

5.To finish up, any type of checked shirt with a pair of jeans is the
ultimate lazy but fashionable look. 

- Zin x

Wednesday 24 September 2014

Cleaning Make-Up Brushes: What When Where Why How

One thing people tend to miss out in a make-up routine is cleaning the brushes, it doesn't have to be done every time they are used but should be done often.

What?

Every brush should be washed at some point however an example of one that you could leave for a while without washing is an eye shadow brush if you usually use the same shades of colour it as you won't accidentally be mixing a range of different colours all the time plus eye shadow brushes only contact your eye lid and shouldn't pick up too much dirt.

If you use any other brush similarly to an eye shadow brush then you also do not need to clean it often.

When?

It will depend on how often you use a brush and what it is that is going on it, like I said, an eye shadow brush will not need to be cleaned frequently but a foundation brush (or sponge) should be cleaned weakly.

I have an eye liner brush which I also use for subtle eye shadow everyday. I apply my eye liner, clean it then apply eye shadow then leave it for the next day.

Where?

The best place to clean anything is with water (...this is me trying to be funny... I'm sorry). Depending on how much make-up is on the brushes or how big, you may want to get a small basin to soak the brushes in for a while.

You can dry them by keeping them on a towel or flannel.

Why?

It may seem a bit obvious why we should keep make-up brushes clean, so we can get the old make-up off. There is also much more to that. Not only do we not want old make-up staying on our brushes, we also don't want it going on our faces.

Germs can also build up on brushes and can bring more germs to them by keeping them in a bag or something similar and putting germs onto your face is what creates more spots.

How?

The best way I have found to clean them is to use a small amount of hand soap and rub it into the palm of your hand using the brush, that way you can see it all come off  and know when it has all come off. Alternatively, you could let it soak in soapy water in a small basin for a while as I said earlier.

Make sure you give it a good rinse as any left over soap could come through when you apply your make-up next.

Dry it using a towel or flannel. Either let it dry on it's own or you could be very gentle and dry it with the towel yourself. (You'll want to be gentle so you don't damage any bristles or pull any out accidentally)

-

I hope you've found this useful
- Zin x


Friday 19 September 2014

Super Plus Beblish Balm Triple Functions (Hot Pink BB Cream) by SKIN79: Review

As I mentioned in my favourites post, I will be reviewing SKIN79 Super Plus Beblish Balm Triple Functions.
It is a triple functioned BB cream that helps wrinkles, sun protection and whitening (skin tone evening).





















Packaging

First of all it comes in a hot pink box and the actual bottle is also hot pink. There's nothing really extravagant
about the packaging other than the bottle is a little unusual compared to other make up bottles that I have seen but all you do is press the top down and you have your BB Cream.

Another thing is that, because this is a Korean brand, the writing on the back is in Korean but there is also some English which explains a bit about it.

The BB Cream

Tone

Unfortunately it only comes in one tone, however there are different versions of this which do other jobs that may come in other tones but I have not tested them to see if they do.

The tone more of a pinky colour than anything (as you will see in the pictures below) but is also quite light so I like to use it as an everyday foundation.

Comparing it to western brands of foundation (Maybelline, No.7 etc.) it is very light and pink. Western brands, compared to this, have a slight of a yellow/orange tone depending on the tone and my skin tone is lighter than most brands lightest colour and this is just a fraction than  darker than my original skin colour.

Texture/Consistency

The texture is very smooth, almost like silk, but because it gives a bit of a dewy look it does feel a bit greasy on your hands and I tend to wash mine after I have finished applying it. When you first put it on it also looks very dewy but it does settle down within a minute to give a natural glow.

The consistency is pretty light but also has a bit of thickness to it and would sit around an 8 on a scale from 0 being thick and 10 being thin but it becomes almost weightless after about 10 mins of wearing it.

I must also say that it can feel a bit greasy on your hands and face and if say you wiped your nose after applying it then some would come off but after a while these factors disappear which is great.

Triple Functioned?

The three functions that it does are wrinkle improvement, sun protection and whitening (evening skin tone) and although I am too young to say if it works for wrinkles, it does do what it says and more.

 It is SPF25 and when I have been out in the sun my arms have sometimes got a little tint of tan (without sun cream) but my face has come out not changing colour. Plus is also takes away the stress of having to not wear make up or take make up off to apply sun cream.

My skin tone as seen in the picture below, is not even everywhere and I also have small dark circles naturally so with a bad nights sleep they can look really bad. Believe it or not my skin tone was really bad and uneven over a year ago and since I have been using this it has gradually improved a bit.

Before I even got this I had read that it could help heal scars (I think it is because Korean actors and actresses will commonly get surgery on their face and it would help the scars to heal quicker). I don't and didn't have any scars of the type but I used to pick my spots a lot which left scars but this helped them to disappear.

Also I think that this has reduced the amount of spots I get, it could just be that my acne has slowed down but when I do get a spot, it is unlikely it will become anything big and if it is big will only be there for about a week. Again this could be my own acne and skin calming down but it also helps to cover spots well too.

Overall Review

Overall the coverage is amazing and the functions work as well as they say so it's more than what I could have hoped for and I really have nothing more to say other than that.

Here are pictures to show how it is on me. (Note: the pictures were taken by a window in daylight)


























The other great thing is that on YesStyle.co.uk it is less than £13 and is really worth the money considering it can last up to a year considering on how much and how often you use. There is a link at the top to the webpage on YesStyle.co.uk or you can just copy and past the title (removing 'Review') into Google and there will be links to other sites as well.

- Zin x

Sunday 31 August 2014

Back to School: Being Organised #3

As I said in my previous post, this post is about how to be organised for school and a lot of my tips will be about getting homework, or coursework, done when you get it so it is over and done with.

1. In pretty much every subject, take important notes as the teacher talks about something and look at them often, even if you're the only one it will help you to revise better in the future. When I say often it could be perhaps once every few weeks or so just to help keep the knowledge in your head and then for exams or a test you may not need to revise it because you already know it.

2. Although it is hard, do homework when you get it. A few ways to help you get homework done are:

  • If you get homework in the morning, you could do some of it, or read through what it is you need to do at lunchtime. When you get home you will either just need to finish it off or know how to do it.
  • When making your journey home, plan what you will do when you get home or if you get a bus or a car, you could also do homework there.
  • Doing homework you get that day on the same afternoon after school means that later in the evening you can rest or do whatever you want without thinking about having to do more work. If you have homework or coursework that will take weeks or so, doing some each day as soon as you're assigned it  will slowly release the work load.
3. Before the end of the day on the last day of the weekend, make sure everything is ready for school the following day so you can allow yourself to not have it in the back of your mind and you can think freely for the rest of the day. 

4. If the homework you are given requires not a lot of time then get it over and done with so you can think about the more important or longer work you may have to do or so you can relax. With the work that is longer such as coursework then either make a mental schedule or actually draw a schedule out on when you are going the do that work and for how long. You could also do this for normal homework if you want to.

Hope this is helpful
- Zin x

Saturday 30 August 2014

August 2014 Favourites

1. Super Plus Beblesh Balm Triple Functions by Skin79  (BB Cream)




















My first favourite is Super Plus BB Cream. I have actually been using this for almost a year now but just recently I have properly noticed amazing it really it. Not only is it triple functioned with SPF25, wrinkle improvement and whitening (evening the skin tone), it's coverage is really incredible to me and it also helps my spots to heal as well as covering them. I am going to do a proper review in a few days so keep an eye out!

2. Lip Scrubs and Lip Balm















These two favourites are actually home made from a local shop near where I live but Lush is a shop that does really good lips scrubs and obviously there are many shops with good lip balms too. I especially like these two because they have a really nice smell and taste as well as working really well as lips can become dry in summer heat.

3.How It Works





















It feels a bit strange putting this along with the other favourites but I recently bought this issue because I have been feeling kind of empty without learning things because it's the summer holidays but this booklet, which focuses on a different subject each month, is really informative and is really easy to look at because it has small paragraphs and easy facts along with illustrations.

4. Neutrogena Norwegian Formila Concentrated Hand Cream 





















I recently went through a phase of having really painful dry skin on my hands and within 2 days my hands were pretty much normal again. Sometimes when they get dry again I put only a very small dab on my hand and it's completely fine again. A warning however is not to put too much on because even a small amount gives a bit of a greasy feeling so too much is really very greasy.

- Zin x

Sunday 24 August 2014

Back to School: Becoming Organised #2

In my second post about returning to school or college I'm going to give some tips on how to become organised ready for school so the last day of your holidays isn't filled with getting ready for school for the next day and so your day can be enjoyed.

1. Make sure you have all the necessary equipment such as a bag and stationary. Even with next week being the last week I still haven't prepared all of my stuff but it is important anyway to go through everything about this time so you can forget about it and don't have to worry. If you want to be even more organised then you could even get your bag as ready as you can for your first day.

2. An incredibly important thing is uniform or clothes by making sure all your uniform is actually ready to be worn, sometimes you can misplace something and the night before your first day back isn't the time you want to look for it. This could be the same for clothes if you know what clothes you want to wear on your first day.

3. If you have old school books that you no longer need or won't need to use, you could get rid of them (recycling is a good option so you're not contributing to land fills). The space made can be ready for new books that you will get.

4. Following on (kind of) from the last one, get a box or something similar to keep all your books together. If you have a desk that has enough room you could also use that.

The next post I make to do with Back to School will be to do with becoming organised once you are at school and tips on how to efficiently do work and will be uploaded in the next week so keep an eye out.

- Zin x

Friday 22 August 2014

Pick of the Month: Olivia Burton Wonderland Dusty Pink and Gold Watch






















Olivia Burton London - Wonderland Dusty Pink and Gold Watch - £65.00

I have become a bit obsessed with watches these days especially Olivia Burton's and other watches that have a vintage style which has a down side as many are quite expensive so I haven't actually been able to get one yet.

I especially love this one because it is quite simple and plain with the vintage style and a delicate look. It would also be a great item to add to an outfit that is quite similar to it's style or even just to show off once in a while.

Out of Olivia Burton's range, this is one of the more cheaper watches and others can go up to over £100 but comparing this to many other brands, it isn't too bad especially this one which is £65.00.


- Zin x






Monday 18 August 2014

Secret - I'm In Love MV Inspired Oufits

Secret finally have comeback with a sexy comeback!! They have 2 concepts however within it, innocent and pure concept with almost completely white outfits and a dark and sexy concept wearing black outfits. I have done a few outfit ideas inspired by the 2 concepts.

White (click HERE to go to my Polyvore to see where you can buy the items from)




















These outfits are quite plain to make the focus of the outfit on the white. The gold (or silver if you wanted) compliments the white well and adds more purity to the white outfits. Sunhwa wears an ear cuff at one point to add more creativity to the originally plain look.

The main point is to metaphorically show that you are innocent and pure through the fact that white is usually used to show it. Because the outfits are plain it puts all the attention onto that.

Black (Click HERE to go to my Polyvore to see where you can buy the items from)





















These outfits have lace to make them more dark, sexy and also a mysterious and mischievous feel to the outfit. To make it even more dark and a bit gothic, Hyosung wears a choker necklace in one outfit so I have included one in this set.

The main point of this concept is obviously to be sexy and dark but that is helped not only by the colour but the clothing is tight-fitting and sometimes more revealing, but as you can see in the picture of Jieun above, it doesn't have to be revealing at all to create the concept.

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Some outfits that I have used in the photo sets are designer brands and/or are very expensive but these are basically just examples and inspiration from them outfits so if you were to try these outfits it may be best to look for something cheaper.

- Zin x

Saturday 16 August 2014

Back to School: Changing Your Current Schedule #1

School is starting again soon if the school year starts in September in your country and I thought I would do a few blog posts to give tips of how to change your current holiday schedule so it won't be so hard when you start school again.

1. Most importantly, if your sleeping pattern is all over the place or you sleep when you would normally be in school then now is the best time to try to start to change it to a sleep pattern that will fit your school schedule.

A good tip for whenever you want to try and change your sleep pattern is to slowly change it and not go to bed hours earlier than you would normally do. If the difference in times are not that big then change it by 5-10 minutes, if the times are further apart then change it by 20-30 minutes. You may not be used to it straight away but after a while you could find yourself becoming tired or wanting to go to bed earlier than you thought.

2. As well as getting to sleep earlier, waking up earlier will also help your body get ready to waking up early for school. Again it can only be by 5-10 minutes or more if you think you could do that. However, I have found that I tend to lay in bed for hours after I wake up and if you do this as well then we can use the same technique of getting up earlier or going through our getting ready routine some days to help prepare us for the change

3. As I just said, doing our getting ready routine will help us to being up and doing stuff earlier in the morning but also actually going out to do things can help us to wake up our bodies more and prepare ourselves even more, even if it is just a simple walk.

4. Although this may seem like a waste of time for the end of the holidays, doing more 'brain teasers' to help your brain get used to having to challenge itself and doing work. Obviously you don't have to spend much time doing this as it could be a maths question or even simply a word search, anything at all.

5. Another tip which won't apply to everyone is to regulate your meals to when you would eat when you're at school. I've been used to having a meal whenever I want and eating whenever I want but we can't do that at school so if you also do this then, like before, slowly start changing it.

I hope these tips come in handy and keep an eye out for my next posts on going back to school
- Zin x

Sunday 27 July 2014

Pick of The Month: Topshop Mini Tara Holdall






















Mini Tara Holdall - £38.00

These type of bags have been popular for a long while now but I have just recently been a bit obsessed with them. Although I haven't actually bought one yet (mostly because the ones I like are out of my price range along with this one) I hope to buy one soon.

This one from Topshop is probably my favourite at the moment, the colour is not really bold and it is light so it can go with pretty much any outfit.

The design is what I love the most about these bags and also normally have quite a bit of room in them so if you wanted you could use it as a work bag, a school bag or even a travelling bag. I like how the strap that you can put over your shoulder also goes well with the design as sometimes bags which have both handle and straps can look a bit out of place.

- Zin x

Friday 25 July 2014

Album Review: Mamamoo - Hello






















I loved Mamamoo's songs from before their debut and now that they have debuted and released their album I can't stop listening to it. Their sound is a lot different from other kpop idol groups and their vocals are really incredible.

1. Hello

This is an intro song so it's only 43 seconds but I think if it was to be a full song it would be really great, the harmonies are really good and help to give the song a sexy type of feel. There isn't anything extravagant happening with the vocals because the song is quite slow and is quiet which again makes the song quite sexy.

2. Mr Ambiguous 

I have been listening to this so much since it came out. Like their other songs, it is jazzy but this has a very up beat rhythm. Similar to other kpop groups they have found a way to put rap in a genre that is completely different to rap but it also fits really well even though it is just a short bit. This is the song they debuted with and it was a very good choice as it also shows off their great vocals especially at the end.

3. Heeheehaheho (Feat. Geeks) 

The title makes it sound as though it could possibly be a fun song but it has a laid back vibe to it. The rapping compliments the girl's singing very well. I haven't read the English lyrics but it sounds like it could be a song about how they're happy now they've broken up with someone? This is one of my favourite things in kpop that, even if you don't speak Korean, you can usually understand the emotion the singer or rapper is trying to communicate, something I hardly notice in western music.

4. Baton Touch

Baton Touch is another upbeat song with a good beat and still has the jazz genre happening but it is a lot more jazzy than the others and has an almost 1920's jazz theme to it but still sounds modern. Their vocals are shown in a different way at some points proving their talent even more by doing short and quieter phrases.

5.I Do Me (Hwa Sa Solo)

Out of place with the rest of the album, this is pretty much a hip hop song. The rapping is really good and she shows a few different skills such as quickening the pace and also rapping slow with style which some idol rappers cannot do. This song, to me, has a similar style to Teach Me How To Dougie, mostly because of the beat and the main part being repeated.

6. Don't Be Happy (Feat. Bumkey)

This is not as jazzy as the others but still has elements but is more acoustic than the others with less instruments to help bring out the vocals. Some parts also seem to have elements of tango or rumba music, this may sound odd but this also helps to add a demanding and fiery feeling to the music and the vocals. Bumkey has a really good voice which goes very well with these types of songs and his voice and vibe that he brings to the song compliments Mamamoo's vocals well too.

I hope you enjoyed, I feel like I have written quite a lot about the songs but the album is really impressive and the album is £3.49 for all 6 songs. I recommend you listen to some songs if you haven't yet.
- Zin x
P.S I'm not sure how many of you keep up with my updates or if any of you do seeing as my blog is still new but it recently reached 1,000 views and is now well over that so thank you all who visit and read my posts, I will continue to try my best to do well with my blog ^^

Tuesday 22 July 2014

f(x) Red Light Inspired Outfit Ideas

f(x) Red Light Inspired Outfit Ideas






















Although it's been a while since their song was released, I really liked the fashion
they had in their mv so here are a few clothing items that are similar and inspired
by it.

The clothing is quite simple but it all goes well and has a strong impression, as
does the song and the mv.

f(x) kept the black items with the black and the army green with the camouflage
 but they will all go well together if this was to become an outfit.


Hope you enjoyed
- Zin x

Saturday 19 July 2014

Sustainable Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day especially when you have school or work and probably won't eat again until late morning or lunch.

Because of this I have got a list of a few breakfast ideas that can give you energy through the whole morning and also keep you full so you don't get really hungry.

With most of these you would have fruit with them seeing as fruit has a lot of fibre to keep you full

1. Banana on toast

Of course it doesn't have to be banana but this is quite a popular choice. Bread also contains a lot of fibre and together the banana and the toast taste really well together. Toast (or bread if you prefer) on it's own can be pretty sustainable but for some people doesn't keep the full feeling.

2. Cereal

Cereal with fibre is the best choice of cereal for sustaining so make sure that it is high in fibre. Most cereals should be high in fibre anyway. A lot of high in fibre cereals are plain so supplementing them with fruit adds more taste.

3. Granola & yoghurt

I have been having this for the past 2 weeks and even when I am at home I'm not eating anything until lunchtime because it satisfies my hunger so well. Again, fruit is good to have with this as sometimes granola and yoghurt are very plain. I like to have a fruit such as strawberries because the juice adds flavour to the yoghurt.

4. Boiled egg on toast

Egg is another food that can make you feel full but boiling is a much healthier option as they are lower in fat than fried eggs and have more nutrition. Again, it not only adds something more to toast but can help to sustain the feeling of being full for longer than just toast.

HERE is a list of other foods that can help you feel full if you would rather something else for breakfast or ideas for other meals

Hope this was helpful
- Zin x

Sunday 13 July 2014

Summer 2014 Floral Ideas

Summer 2014 Floral Ideas





















    

Floral patterns have become very popular this summer and here are a few ideas of them.

This trend is very easy to match up with other clothing because they go with other clothing that is plain, patterned or also floral. 

However, if the other clothing is also floral then it is best if the floral patterns are similar although some that are different may match depending on what they look like.

I love this trend because it is colourful, bright and it can help make a statement.

- Zin x

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