"sensationail" + review

Today has been spent getting a lot of odds and sods done; I got my photographs printed, my car radio checked out (it's still broken, I've come to the conclusion I can't concentrate when driving if Bey isn't in the background), my new top resized, my eyebrows waxed, a sunbed, two episodes of Breaking Bad down at the same time as doing my gel nails with my new Sensationail kit. Random day right.

I got the Sensationail kit for christmas after Boots' huge price cut from £107.00 to £67.00 to £45.00. Brill bargain. I'm so pleased with it, I definitely didn't think I'd be able to achieve such good at-home nails but if I do it carefully I manage to get them pretty neat (including my right hand, which all girls know is a first world problem usually cause of our somewhat shaky left hand). Bit of generalisation, we're not all right handed I know I know. This time round I used the "taupe tulips" nail colour which in english is basically a really natural nude shade. I definitely recommend any girl who likes doing their nails to get this! The tiny LED lamp is so easily portable, the instructions are extremely clear and the kit comes with a gel cleanser, gel primer, two gel polishes, a transparent base/top coat, 12 lint-free wipes, a double-sided nail buffer, a manicure stick, a removal tool and the LED lamp itself.

This gel polish is so much stronger than regular polish so it lasts a good two weeks before chipping. Unless your like me and end up biting them. Ick. But now my nails look super nice I'm hoping this is the milestone in my life where I might actually have ladylike, long talons?! Or at least something I can call a nail.

***** 5 star recommendation, definitely worth the money :)

Ps. the orange glow in these pictures is an electric heater, because we have no heating at the minute and without it I feel toeless. Brrrrrr

This is the kit that I got, which had the nude colour and then 'sugar plum'- a burgundy shade. There are over 60 colours and I kind of want them all..

Getting really into this series now, currently at Ep 6

This is the next colour I think I'm going to get because I'm obsessed with purple at the minute

Right, now I'm off because I have 56 episodes of Breaking Bad to finish xo

Instagram in the '50s

So with my new iPad mini for Christmas, I have vowed myself to blog a lot more often! Watch this space and you can hold me to that. Gulp, no pressure. I'm beyond in love with my iPad, and so to start off I want to show you a few past time pictures. Obviously I really don't want to be boring you with old family snaps.. but these pictures are from film slides my Auntie got developed as a Christmas present for my Nan and Grandad. And what I love most is the quality and mood of these beautiful prints. 

They almost look like Instagram snaps, how stunning does my Nan look?! 

Olive and my Nan poolside in Singapore

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Model like! Love the vintage feel of these photos

The sort of photo you'd see on a comical birthday card right

Those cars. Love

Dancing queen

Sisterly love. My mum sharing a kiss with her sister, so adorable!

This ones my favourite.. Nan and Grandad by the sea

I wish they hadn't of sold their film camera, I'd do anything to be able to take shots like these! 

iPhonegraphy infatuation

I probably don't go a day without taking a photo on my phone. Actually to be honest I probably don't go an hour..
 Whether it be for humour aspects (ugly mug shots of my double chinned friends), selfies (vain..), quirky interesting things I see on my day to day travels or if I'm taking a photo for genuine photographic purposes. This evening my Mum genuinely gave me a lecture about how I'm on my phone too much, texting 24/7 or scrolling through Twitter and Insta feeds. It's true, perhaps I am on my phone a wee bit much but digital media is too ADDICTIVE! It's about to get a whole lot worse when I get my iPad mini.. oops. One of the main reasons I want to get an iPad is so that I can blog a lot more, so in the near future expect a whole host-of-posts!

Being the internet fanatic that I am, I follow a lot of iPhoneographers on social media and a Facebook post by Ade Santora lead me to this video of a Flickr group showreel. These were all shot using mobile phones - who needs studios, flash guns and hefty DSLRs? Love these black and white shots!


http://theappwhisperer.com/2013/12/08/mobile-photography-flickr-group-showcase-theappwhisperer-taw-december-8-2013/

Sorry you'll have to click the link, I can't seem to find an embedded code to use!

london - photo essay

Here is the photo essay for a selection of my Trafalgar Square photos that I finally got done. (Er deadline is tomorrow). If only Windows Movie Maker wasn't so basic there's so much I would've liked to of changed boooo..

Song credit to Clean Bandit - Dust Clears

let's fill this town with artists..

..or 20 something A Level Photographers wondering the streets of London.
 Last year we went to Camden (the photo essay link to the blog post here!) and this year it was Trafalgar Square. London really is the best place for people photography, people watching and general people oddities. With its historic architecture stroke modern glass skyscrapers and the River Thames slicing right through it, it made a good place to photograph. But I mean how many times have we all been to London.. you'll probably recognise a good half of these places. These photos are all for my latest themed project 'To Infinity And Beyond' by the way, hence why some of the photos may seem a little unrelated to London or normal tourist snaps!

Photo essay is on its way next week

Quite literally the first thing outside of Leicester Square train station. Dinky lil art shop

Must. Stop. With the addiction to slow motion water!

Statue vom. Lol sorry I couldn't not. Well this is a brilliant caption

Frozen 

London's finest.. about a metre from the Marble Arch

As Remembrance Day approaches, perfect photo

The tamest squirrels I've ever met! One nearly crawled INTO my handbag

I was literally this close to him, so cute

How my head feels when I'm walking through the streets of London 

Erm no of course I wasn't look at his butt, this is a really imaginative, unusual portrait shot...

'To Infinity and Beyond' - spaceship inspired perhaps?

Lee Friedlander - 'Mannequin' inspired. Happy with this shot

hup two three four, one vodka two vodka three vodka, floor

I have had such an ace weekend at De Montfort Univesity in Leicester! Firstly on arrival on the Saturday I had the open day and absolutely loved hearing about the Graphic Design course. The lecturer was really really enthusiastic and the work I saw by previous/current students was incredibly talented. The remainder of the weekend was left in the hands of my cousin and her uni friends to show me the ropes of uni life! Cheap budgeted (but actually tasty) meals, a fair few glasses of vodka, a beach party, a lot of walking and dancing, a 5am bedtime and a blasting hangover later.. makes for a brilliant weekend spent with a lovely group of people!
All in all it was such a hugely motivating experience for completing the rest of my A-Levels to say the least.. here's to the next seven months (without trying to sound like I'm wishing my life away oops)

Whilst rushing to catch my train this morning, in the heart of Leicester town centre we came across a marching band :) 

Taken on my iPhone and edited using After Light

iPhoneography edits

to infinity and beyond

Galactic/alien inspired shoot. From our new given theme "Evolution and Revolution" this year, I've rebranded my theme to - "To Infinity And Beyond.." (you've got to love Buzz Lightyear). So I've ended up down a journey directing towards the solar system, infinity, the universe, stars and so-called aliens.. you get the point. Here's my first shoot of the new project. I decided to do a studio shoot as I usually hate it so I thought it was about time I tackled it, but I actually really enjoyed this one. Thank god for Amy who put up with my crazy alien decor of stiff gelled hair, metallic silver face paint, sticky jewels and nearly nude shots!

Combination of studio shoot and astrophotography shoot

 I also combined the studio shoot with astrophotography. This is basically night time shooting of the sky using long exposures where you can see more stars than the naked eye can. So yep, there I was last Saturday standing shivering in my garden, clothed only in my onesie and slippers, tripod to hand and camera pointing to the clear sky.. it worked though!

 

This ones my favourite, accidental plane trails