I saw it and being a big Essie nail polish fangirl I decided to give it a go because I'd never seen it before (I'm so late to the party).
I applied it with a base coat and the Essie colour "Lapiz of Luxury" which is a build-able sort of lilac-y, periwinkle colour. The colour goes on smoothly and has a sort of sheerness about it; however you can build it to the level of opacity you desire (as expected of Essie).
As usual, I apply the coloured nail lacquer to one hand at a time and in the time used to do the second hand, the first would've set enough for top coat application.
This top coat goes on like a dream-- smooth and velvety. It doesn't streak at all and leaves you with a shiny finish comparable to any gel manicure. It dries wickedly fast too (um.. guess that's the point of it). Within five minutes I was able to handle laundry and dishes without any fear of smudge or blemish to my new manicure.
I'm going to leave it for a few days to a week and see if it lengthens the life of my nail colour and if the shine lasts. But, as far as first impressions go, this top coat is both close and all the cigars.
It's that time of the month again. The one we actually look forward to-- the end.
This month, I returned to school (thus the inconsistency of posts, sorry), started a new internship, and have been really busy. It feels like it was just yesterday I was poolside in Antigua with a glass of merlot. I hope you love what I've loved in the month of September.
Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette 2: Anyone who knows me, knows I'm attracted to nude eyeshadows. I didn't like the first basics palette when I took swatches at Sephora after it came out. The colours were too light to be a "nude" on my skin tone so it looked quite powdery. This palette suits me much better. I mainly use the darkest colour on the left in my crease and any of the following three on my lid. They also perform oil control on my lid really well.
Benefit They're RealMascara: I have thick lashes, but they're short (as I've discussed when I spoke of the Nº7 Exquisite Curl Mascara). This is a pretty good mascara for a more glamorous look. Great for a night out with big lashes. It uses a rubber/plastic wand instead of a bristly one. That helps to separate the lashes and add definition.
Essie Nail Polish in Shade "After School Boy Blazer": With September comes autumn. With autumn comes darker colours. This is a beautiful, neutral navy blue which complements my nails well without clashing with too many colours.
Essie Nail Polish Shade: "Carry On" : Keeping with the nail theme, this is a smooth, dark burgundy which is a very autumnal colour. I've been wearing it about 60% of the month.
DevaCurl- Frizz Free Volumizing Foam: I got a hair cut and took out my braids this month because I was just tired of dealing with longer hair in the mornings. Because of this, my curls have become tighter and more rebellious because of it. This mouse helps to elongate, moisturise and define my curls so they look less like a hot mess and more like Shirley Temple.
Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in Conditioner: Also with autumn, comes the cold and dry air which is murder on the hair. As a result, I need to moisturise my hair more often than I would in the summer. This is a creamy leave in conditioner than I can apply at night or whilst styling in the morning and my hair drinks it up throughout the day. I've seen a marked difference since I started using it. It has been shinier and has a bounce. It's also pretty reasonably priced ($7.49 at Kmart for a 16oz jar that lasts a month and a bit).
Jane Carter Solution Revitalising Leave-in Conditioner: This spray is a good protectant for when I am blow-drying for flat ironing my hair. Not only that, but it is also good for detangling rebellious strands. After washing, I generously spray it throughout my hair before styling. It works just as well on dry hair (when the wind blows your hair in all sorts of directions and you look like you've got a head of headphones).
Other than beauty favourites I've got a music favourite too! I've been listening to Paolo Nutini's new album Caustic Love a lot and I love it. I especially love the single "Scream (Funk My Life Up)". He's been gone for too long and I'm chuffed to bits that he is back!
I've been also watching the DVD of Seasons 1 and 2 of A Young Doctor's Notebook. It stars Daniel Radcliffe as a young doctor from medical school in Moscow and top of his graduating class. He is stationed in a rural and isolated town where he realises that he is brilliant, but inexperienced. Luckily, he has his future self to talk to and worry about, but that future self has his own set of problems.
It's a very dark comedy, and that happens to be the kind of comedy I like the most!
After an introduction session in one of my classes at uni, I came across a guy called Eric Pubins. He is in a band called the Bohemians. A few days after knowing of his presence, the editor of the school news paper wanted to do a section on talented individuals at Pace. Who popped into my head first? Not myself (I do not possess that level or vanity or self-importance) but Eric.
I promptly e-mailed him, doubting he would reply, but he did and we scheduled an interview for today.
I asked both him and his bandmate, Luke Lotardo (which my auto-correct keeps changing to leotard... Sorry, Luke), some questions and got some answers. I also took some pictures of them around the area. I didn't ask them for a selfie (maybe I should've...).
Anywho, the full interview should be up in The Pace Press soon. I'm also putting them in rotation for my regular Artists You May Not Know feature on tremr.com (PLUG!).
Here's a little press release junket I did up:
"Eighteen-year old Eric Pubins is a freshman Accounting major at Pace. He is also the drummer in a band called Bohemians. Formed in 2012 in Long Island, the other band members are Luke Lotardo (Vocals, Keyboard, Guitar), Eric Milton (Keyboards, Guitar), and Perry Ladoucer (Bass). The boys have an eponymous EP out now and their first full-length studio album named Settle Down, Carry On coming out in December, 2014. ."
Beautiful scenery and two good looking musicians (Ladies?).
As some of you may know ( those of you who follow me on Twitter (and if you don't, why? It's
@TunaxSardines)), I went to a concert last night. It was my first ever live gig and I'm glad I chose
this as it. I attended The Black Keys concert that took place at Barclay's Centre in Brooklyn.
The trudge there was long and hard. Before the concert, I had a full nine hour day of classes and only
two hours between my final class ending and the concert beginning. Luckily my friend Brittany (who
attended the concert as well), lived near both our college and the venue, so I was able to have a little
pit stop at her place for an hour.
We hopped on the R train from her house for the short journey to Barclay's Centre. As you can see
from the picture, we weren't the most subtle of fans, opting to wear a uniform of friendship consisting
of a band merch jumper and dark jeans ( yeah, we are cool like that).
After awkward stares on the train from other commuters, we got off in Brooklyn and promptly went
inside the centre. We were about half an hour early so we had time so sit comfortable in our
seats. We opted for balcony seats as even though the standing area is fun and a closer proximity to the
band, it is also a tad bit more dangerous and unsafe.
The view from our seats
The gig started at 8:00pm on the dot with the opening act, Cage the Elephant, who performed an energetic set playing old songs and new from their three studio albms. Some of the songs played included "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked", "Take It or Leave It", "Come A Little Closer", and "Cigarette Daydreams". The performance was full of energy as the lead singer, Matt Schulz, engaged in many rock and roll antics such as jumping around the stage, crowd surfing, crowd diving and getting lost in the music. At the end of his set he poked fun at the amount of time he spent in the hands of the fans by saying, "Thank You New York! Thank you for holding me gingerly in your hands!" Although I've heard of Cage the Elephant and listened to one or two of their songs on Xfm, I wasn't really a fan. Now I am and have already downloaded all the songs they played live that night.
After a brief intermission that included 60s punk and jazz songs such as Jacques Dutronc's "Et Moi, Et Moi, Et Moi," The Black Keys themselves (Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney), came on to stage to roaring cheers and applause.
They played around twenty songs from all different albums. They weren't like some other bands who
would avoid playing the hits only to focus on the songs from the most recent album. They played
songs such as "Dead and Gone" from their 2011 album El Camino, and "Tighten Up" from their 2010
album, Brothers.
After around seventeen songs, The Keys left the stage for a bit before coming back on to do a stellar encore where they played the single "Turn Blue" after which the tour and the associated album are named. They also performed the single "Weight of Love" during the encore and punctuated it with an astronomical guitar solos throughout. The backing musicians- bassist Richard Swift and John Clement Wood on keyboards also added depth to the music and helped bring the complexity of the studio recordings to the live performance.
Here's a snippet of "Weight Of Love":
All in all it was a really good gig. Lot's of energy, wonderful vocals (Dan sounded better live than he did in the studio recording for some of these songs), masterful guitar solos, and a great vibe.
I can't dance, but I did. Here are some photos from the night:
Low lighting+ dark skin= #Selfiefail
Ah, that's better. Thank God for flash, eh? P.S. my hair looks heavenly.
This adorable little old man was rocking out hard. He had little binoculars to see the gig up close and had more rhythm in his body than I do.
The Black Keys were phenomenal and I would definitely see them again.
For the past two weeks I haven't been blogging much because I've been too busy for my own good. I've been interning at a blogging start up called Tremr.com (my page there is tremr.com/george-ann-ryan by the way #shamlessplug) where I've been writing about news and special interest pieces from a man in Croatia who was stockpiling penises in jars of formaldehyde to the Scottish Referendum.
I've also started the second semester of my Sophomore year which means lots and lots of papers, homework, and extra curricular stress.
I've finally got myself into a routine and thus have an organised schedule. I also may have a itsy-bitsy radio show coming on my school radio station (more on that soon *wink wink*).
All in all, the month is two thirds of the way finished (ugh that means midterms in less than a month's time) and my monthly favourites will be up soon , or I don't like smoked salmon (and I like it very, very much).
My apartment is quite small, as a result, so is my bedroom. Because of its size, keeping it looking organised and devoid of clutter is a challenge especially when you're really busy. However, I have found a few ways to help decrease the mess.
Spice rack as cosmetics rack: I use a regular spice rack to store the hair, body and nails bits I use regularly. Right now it houses my daily cleanser, toner and moisturiser, deodorant, face masks, seasonal nail polishes and bodily moisturiser.
Rubbermaid Take-Alongs: These tupperware bowls are a godsend! In them I normally store things I'm not using but want to have close at hand such as non-seasonal nail and make-up bits, nail polish remover, my toothbrush charger, etc.
Suction Cups: These magical little cups have saved me from nailing or screwing things into my wall which would have been more dangerous for me than the wall (DIY was never my strong suit). They are strong enough to hold up the afore-mentioned spice rack and clothing hangers. I've tested it out on a heavy winter coat and a 4-pants hangers. I even use them to hang the next day's outfits when I choose them at night. All you do to affix them to the wall is hold them steady, and screw the triangle in a clock-wise direction until you are unable to do so. The suction is then activated and it's sturdily stuck to your wall. Then, pull the hook through the lowest hole and voilà- wonderfully strong suction power.
Multiple article hangers: I wear a lot of skirts, shorts and trousers but I don't have the space to horizontally pack the hangers. So, I use these. They have four pairs of clothes pins which hang vertically which allow for one hanger to do the job of four.
' Using empties as helpful pots: After I use my Bodyshop Body Butters I don't want to just throw away the little pots they come in. Instead, I use them to hold small bits and bobs like rings, earrings, hair pins and extra buttons. They're compact and stackable, perfect for neat storage!
This last week, I did a little bit of online shopping at H&M. I needed a few unique or on-trend tops and I wanted to stray away from my usual blazers and try a leather jacket. I got what I wanted! Here are the little bits I've bought.
1. Patterned Sweatshirt- $29.95 : This is a patterned and quilted jumper that I got for my Fall/Winter wardrobe. In keeping with Fall and Summer 2014's floral trends, this Fall and Winter seems to have the florals in more cool hues. This will definitely look great with a pair of black jeans in the winter and some regular blue jeans in the fall.
2. White Jersey Top (Graphic Tee) $12.95 : The city I now live in (New York) and two that I really want to visit in a classic white tee- how could I refuse? It is really soft and comfortable and should be really good for the hot summer months left.
3. Rib-Knit Top (Sweater) $19.95 : This is a really warm and thick wool sweater which should be great by itself on those cool fall days but also great under a coat in the winter. It is also follows the Fall/Winter 2014 trend of monochrome, black/white pairings (Thank God because black and white is pretty much my staple clothes palette).
4. Biker Jacket- Black 59.95 : Now, this was the only item that was for me a disappointment. It didn't fit me well and the neck just seemed a bit off on me. The pleather (faux leather) used felt a bit rubbery. I was going to try to keep it and style it out, but I'm afraid I won't get much money for wear. Sadly, I have to return it and stick to blazers.
And that's it for my short hall. Just a few bits and bobs for my Fall Wardrobe I received in the post today. I hope you enjoyed these little articles. Tell me what you think!
