It's me; I guess you could say I'm back. I've taken quite the hiatus from this blogging business for no reason what so ever but here's to starting again.
So here it goes...
I'm Amy. This is a picture of my face.
I am a self confessed Social Media addict with an unhealthy addiction to both Twitter and Instagram. I'm a Health and Beauty Sales Advisor, and more recently, a Barmaid in a Theatre bar.
Music is my escape; I'll listen to pretty much anything you put in my
headphones and find a way to be completely consumed by it. I like music. A lot. Music speaks to me on a completely different level; music inspires me.
I over use certain phrases and emojis but I assume it's something you'll get used to.
I like pasta more than I like most people, and getting lost in a novel is probably my favourite thing in the world. Music is my escape; I'll listen to pretty much anything you put in my headphones and find a way to be completely consumed by it.
I like One Tree Hill, Real Techniques make-up brushes, and boybands.
From here on in, I'm not sure what this blog will be about. Maybe I'll talk about music, maybe beauty or maybe it'll just be escape place. I don't really know yet. I just know that today I was inspired to write, and long may that continue. I want to write content that people want to read, but I also want to write content that I enjoy, so we'll see what happens.
So I guess it's been a frightfully long time since we've seen each other, and I take full responsibility for that. How are you? I've been having a mental few weeks trying to organise where I'm going with life, and as standard, I've let my writing slip. I regularly have this great thing called 'writer's block' and rather than just type something horrific and meaningless, I just stop writing, so sorry about that. It's difficult because sometimes I do have things I want to say, but often don't have the confidence to write them... So sorry about that!
Something I don't worry about writing about, though, is music. And I know a lot of people do this, but I thought I'd give you a little insight into what I've been listening to this week. I guess if people like this, I'll keep doing it, but in some ways it'll also be a nice little diary for me so I can look back and see what I was listening to a particular time.
First off, if you know anything about me at all, you'll know that I adore One Direction. I can't help it, it's happened, it's a thing and it's not going away. And I'm happy about that. This week I have been listening to an awful lot of One Direction, in particular their most recent album, Midnight Memories. I have the deluxe edition, and I just find it a really feel-good CD. You have a couple of classic ballads, but I've really been enjoying the upbeat numbers because they sound like summer.
Don't Forget Where You Belong is a favourite of mine because lyrically it's so beautiful. It was written by another group of my favourites, McFly, and you can tell. It sounds a lot like something they'd perform, and I think 1D do it justice very nicely. I've been loving Happily, Does He Know?, Little White Lies and Half a Heart this week.
Now it's been a while since we last saw anything from this guy, but Conor Maynard crept back into my life this week. Occasionally I will leave my iPhone on shuffle while I'm getting ready, and one morning four Conor Maynard tracks played in a row, which was unsuspected and actually quite odd. Apparently my iTunes wants new music from Conor as much as I do. I really loved his first album so I'm super excited to see what's next for him.
There have been a few tracks I've had on repeat this week. Sometimes a song will come on shuffle or I'll hear it on TV and I'll realise I've missed listening to it, or it's new and I become obsessed with it. Here are some I've been loving...
John Legend - All of Me
I heard it again on Dancing on Ice this weekend and fell back in love with it. It's such a beautiful song and I love the depth of John Legend's voice. I don't think there's a track of his that I dislike, purely just because I love his vocal on anything.
Karl X Johan - Never Leave Me
Occasionally I find myself going through my Shazam tags looking for music that I want to rediscover and I came across this. I can't remember how or when I originally found this song, but this week I've been loving it. It's chilled and I just fell in love with the beat.
Jonah Green - Cocoa Butter Kisses (Chance the Rapper cover)
I really like the original of this track, but I just adore what Jonah has done with it. I've been watching his videos for a long time, and I particularly like his covers, even though there aren't that many. It's a tough song to cover, but I think he's done it justice.
Bruno Mars - It Will Rain
Following his win at The BRIT awards last week, I've been listening to an awful lot Bruno. I was lucky enough to see him last year on his Moonshine Jungle tour at the o2 arena and he is honestly one of the best performers I've ever seen. He is a true showman with such passion for the industry, and his vocal performance is always right on point. His lyrics have the power to move me to tears, and often do, and that is a quality that not a lot of artists these days have. His music has the potential to lift a bad mood, send me to sleep or hype me up when I'm having an already brilliant day.
Thanks so much for sticking around for this one. I've really enjoyed writing about music this week, so I'd like this to be a thing. Maybe I'll do this every now again. I'm looking for new music to listen to at the moment, so help me out. I like most types of music, and I'm open to new things so give me a shout if you know of something I might be interested in.
Hope you're all well.
Take care, stay beautiful and dream big.
Thanks for stopping by, @amyjcollins
xox
So as 2013 draws to a close, I thought what better way to celebrate my final post of the year than recapping everything that's happened in my life. For the most part it's been a pretty good year and I've had amazing people around me, but 2013 hasn't been all fabulous. Despite that, I've learned a hell of a lot, hung out with some amazing people and I've smiled almost all the way through. So without further ado, here's what happened to me in 2013... (And I'm sorry it's not in chronological order, I'm painfully lazy!).
Possibly the biggest and most talked about thing for me this year was when I graduated University back in July. I know it was 6 months ago now, and I haven't really stopped going on about it, but I actually still can't believe it happened. I've blogged about it a lot and you can check that out here, here & here and if you want to see the exact moment I 'officially' became a graduate, skip to 0.55 of this video and listen to my family scream at me... I won't talk too much about it because I've already said way too much, but I had the most amazing time with some really incredible people who I can't thank enough. I learned so much about my future, but also about myself as a person, so good job Cardiff, you treated me well.
After I finished studying, I was also lucky enough to land myself my first real bit of work experience with Social and Mobile Media agency, Coup Media. It's also something I've spoken about already on my blog and you can read more about it here, but like being at University, I learned so much while I was with them, and it's only made my passion for Social Media grow, so cheers guys!
2013 was also the year that I started to take blogging seriously. Now I know what you're all thinking... 'Amy, you haven't taken it that seriously, you haven't posted in about a month' and you're right. Towards the end of the year I have been slacking, but I promise you, 2014 is our year! I hit 2000 views which is absolutely huge for me, so thank you to everyone who's read previous posts or is reading now. Whether you've read all of my waffle from the beginning or whether this is your first time on my blog, thank you! And while we're on the Social Media topic, I also wrote my 20,000th tweet in 2013. A lot of you will say that this is because I don't have a life, but I think it's just because I have a lot to say, and I really like the internet. Tyler Oakley also followed and then unfollowed me this year, but I'm keeping this in because I'm so sad that it's no longer a reality.
For me, this year was a big year for music. I'm not necessarily talking about artists that have broken through into the top 100 or that have kick-started their careers, but I'm talking about music that I have discovered this year, and artists that I've been lucky enough to see live. Artists like SoMo, Kid Ink, Jay Loftus and Lewis Mokler have had my heart this year when it comes to discovering new talent. I also happen to have a love affair with Little Mix, Union J and Wiz Khalifa this year. I've been lucky enough to see some of my favourite artists this year including Hoodie Allen, Tyler Hilton, Bruno Mars, Ellie Goulding and Mcfly, among others! Music has spoken to me a lot in 2013 and pulled me through so much. I'm starting to realise that I think I love music more than people.
2013 is also the year of McBusted, and I honestly couldn't be more excited about it. I'm going to be seeing them in 2014 with my sister, and I'm super stoked. I've been wanting McFly and Busted to collab again for a really long time so I can't wait to be a part of it. It's also the year of the first McBaby and that's another thing that is super amazing. Being part of a fandom for such a long time, you really feel it when things like this happen and I just know he or she is going to be the coolest and most spoiled kid of all time!
Oh and for those of you who know, you'll now how hard the next two things were for me. Lent came around and I really wanted to have a good stab at it this year. I always give up things that I can't stick to, but this year I was going to push myself. I drink A LOT of Diet Coke and my Uni friends thought contracting me to give it up for 40 days would be a laugh. I knew it would be the hardest thing ever, but I decided to give it a whirl... And I actually stuck to it. And on the last day of Lent, I bought a crate of 30 cans of the gorgeous, fizzy, sugar free goodness and haven't looked back since. I also battled with my weight a lot throughout 2013. My anxiety got really bad, and in turn I think I got really lazy and just put on a lot of weight. I also think being in the University environment doesn't help when everyone around you can eat whatever they want and it goes to your thighs, rather than theirs. However, I have also lost a lot of weight this year. So far I've lost about 2 stone and in 2014, I hope to lose more. I've been at a bit of a standstill for a while so am looking for a bit of extra inspiration to push my weightloss in the new year!
Looking ahead to 2014, I have a lot of dreams and things I want to achieve. All of this year, and most of my life I've talked about my love affair with the USA. I am 100% certain I was born on the wrong continent, and this is something I want to work on over the next year and many more to come. I want to spend some time in America, whether that's a two week holiday or a three travelling trip, I'm going to do it. Ideally I want to hit up Florida before the summer, Los Angeles in October and New York for xmas. All probably completely unrealistic, but if I even manage to achieve one of those I'll be a happy little soul. America has had my heart since I was 11 years old, and I can't wait to get back.
I've mentioned it already, but I want to get to my goal weight in 2014. I'm not going to tell you how much I weigh now, but ideally, I want to weight 5lbs less than Harry Styles which I believe is 11stone. My friends know the reason why, but I'm not going into it on the internet. And when I get to that weight I want to maintain it. It's one thing to lose weight, but to stay there is the hard bit, so hopefully I can do it!
I also hope that 2014 will be my year for luck in Love. Everyone I know is going to be freaking out about this because for the longest time I've been happy being single, and I still am but I guess I'm ready for someone to cuddle and eat Nandos with while watching trashy TV (soooo vommy I know, and I almost hate myself for writing it). I'm not asking for much though, so maybe Harry Styles will see my potential in 2014 and fall madly in love with me.
So that's it. Thank you so much if you've lasted until the end of this post and thank you all for sticking by me this year. 2013 has been a pretty good one, but I'm almost certain that next year is going to be even better. 2014 is MY year. All of my Social Media links are in the side bar so come chat to me, I'm nice enough. Tweet me or tell me in the comments, what are your plans for 2014?
You can check out my 2013 in photos on my Instagram or here!
Thanks again for stopping by,
Take care, Stay Beautiful and Dream Big (especially in 2014!)
Happy Sunday! I'm back with another post, finally! I know it's a little late but I'm going with my August favourites.
I've actually had quite a few favourites last month but I'm still loving a lot of stuff from July. I apologise in advance for the poor images. I'm taking the photos at the moment on my iPhone and they're not brilliantly edited or great quality, but hey ho!
Maybelline Baby Lips
I'm sure that these have been released in the US for quite a long time but they came to the UK last month. I was sooo excited to try them because there was so much hype around them and they definitely didn't disappoint. I have them in two colours (Peach Kiss and Cherry Me) and I really like them both. The red colour is super pigmented for a lip balm so you can really see it on my lips. I love the Peach shade for when I'm going for a more natural look or if I'm wearing really simple make-up. I would definitely recommend these for younger girls who are experimenting with make-up as they're a cheap alternative to a lipstick and aren't as heavy.
Kate Moss Rimmel Lipsticks
Like I said in my July favourites, I've never been a real wearer of lipstick. I've been experimenting more and recently tried the Kate Moss range from Rimmel. I bought one colour from each of her ranges and actually wear them both an awful lot. I have shade 1 from the Lasting Finish range which is a gorgeous bright red colour. This is something I NEVER thought I'd wear, but I really love it. It works so well for evening make-up, but I really like wearing it in the day for a burst of colour when I've gone for really simple make-up. The second I have is from the matte collection is called Soft Pink (no 16?) and is a great colour for everyday wear. A definite must have in your collection.
Natural Collection Blush -Dusky Pink
I tried this blush just by chance and was so impressed because it was super cheap! It was only like £1.99 and it's super pigmented. This shade is so great for everyday wear and gives my cheeks the very slight, pink blush that I need to look healthy.
Wearing My Hair Tied Up I know this really won't apply to any of you, and this isn't really something you can try off the back off my recommendation, but all throughout August, I loved wearing my hair up. During some parts of the month it was just sooo hot and virtually impossible to wear my hair down and I eventually really started liking the way my hair looked when it was up. But yeah, just wanted to put this in. It's not really relevant to you guys but yeah haha.
Hoodie Allen
All through August I was completely obsessed by this man. For those of you who don't know who Hoodie is, he's an American rapper. If you're not familiar with his music, you should definitely check his music out. All of his EP's are available for free download on his website so go get them! I was lucky enough to see him in London at the start of September and it's been one of my favourite shows to date. Yeah, just go check him out.
Slimming World
Now, as some of you will know from previous posts of mine, I've been trying to lose some of the many extra pounds I've got hanging around. I decided to give Slimming World a go with my nan (woooo!) and I'm actually really impressed with the results. I've actually lost a stone and 4lbs now, and I know I've still got a long way to go, but I'm happy with how it's going so far. The diet itself doesn't make sense and I still don't really understand how it actually works, but it does! I'm really trying to keep it up because I'm finally starting to see results. If you're looking for a way of losing a bit of weight, I really would recommend Slimming World. It's a lot easier than it looks and it really does work.
Peach Sprite
This is more of just a side note really as I've only actually had this once during August. I met up with my friend Ben (@Ben_Tarrant) in London and we went for lunch at Five Guys. If you haven't been there and you like burgers, just go. You won't regret it. But yeah, in there they have these immense drinks machines where you can basically put any flavour into any soft drink and it's craaaazy! I went with peach Sprite and it was b-e-a-utiful. I know that it's not something that's readily available in the UK, but what about in the US or the other countries that you're reading from. If you have peach flavoured Sprite in your country, please let me know!
But that's pretty much it. There are quite a few things that I've already fallen in love with in the month of September, so you have next month's favourites to look forward to, and they're coming a lot sooner than this one did.
For next week, I kind of want to sign my post over to you guys. If you've got anything that you'd like me to talk about please let me know in the comments below or drop me a tweet @amyjcollins and I'll do my best to give it a try! I also really want to do a review week real soon where people ask me to review products / things and I give my honest opinion on a different thing each day. Again, let me know if you have any ideas.
As always, thanks so much for stopping by.
Take care, stay beautiful and dream big!
All the love in the world,
amyjcollins
xox
So, as you can see by today's title, I am accepting that I have been a terrible human being. I made a pact with myself and you guys that I'd upload regularly (on a Sunday) and since I made that official, I haven't really stuck to it. It was all well and good me making the commitment to post on that day, but I'm a super busy human being and apparently also quite a lazy one. So this is me apologising without a real excuse, but hey, at least I'm trying!
Today's post is kind of a filler ahead of Sunday's, and I thought I'd stick with something kind of topical. As I'm saying sorry, I thought why not give you '10 Different Ways to Apologise'. I've spent quite a while (at least an hour) trying to think of creative things to put here, so here it goes.
1. Hug them
Sometimes just simply giving someone a cuddle can do all the talking.
(Me and my best friend not apologising to each other, but it's a nice huggy photo. Sorry, Chris!)
2. Send them a video
More often than not, knowing what to say in person is really difficult. Whether you make a video (like the one above) or send someone their favourite video to cheer them up, it can sometimes be a good apology.
(I borrowed this video from YouTube! All credit to the person who made it.)
3. Write a song / poem
This is for all the lyrical folk among us. If words just aren't enough, or you can't say them in the right way, sing them! When things rhyme, they sound a lot cuter.
4. Buy a gift
It doesn't have to be an expensive gift; in fact, it doesn't need to have cost anything at all. Gifts, like hugs, can sometimes speak the words you don't know how to say. Flowers are always a winner, as are chocolates (in my eyes). For the arty and crafty people, there's always a handmade gift and if you're rolling in the money, your friend will almost always appreciate a car!
5. Write a letter
A letter is a really great way to say sorry. If you're not ready or able to be face to face with who you're apologising to, a letter works really well. It allows some space between people and gives them time to think. It also shows that you're sincere and you've taken time and effort to write it.
6. Dress up funny and pay them a visit
This is more for those of us who are really awkward with confrontation and have real panic when it comes to apologising (me!). It adds a bit of comedic value to the situation and nothing says sorry like me dressed up as a really pathetic looking mouse!
(This wasn't an actual apology, this is me and my friend on Halloween but it's the best picture of me dressed up that I could find. Sorry, Jack!)
7. Cook something
This would never work for me as I'm a terrible excuse for a chef, but for some of you it will. Baking a cute cake or someone's favourite meal could be the perfect way to cheer them up. Just make sure everything is cooked properly before serving it; you don't want to make someone ill as well as mad at you.
8. Public apology
When I use the term 'public apology', I'm actually being quite vague. In my eyes, this can vary from anything to saying a big sorry in a restaurant full of people to posting an apology tweet or blog post (hey, isn't that exactly what this is?!). Basically, it's public in the sense that other people will see it and see how sorry you are, and hopefully that way, so will the other person. (Please don't go with a cringey Facebook status, though. That really bugs me!)
9. Apologise through somebody else
Sometimes saying 'sorry' to someone's face is really difficult, especially if you're shy or uncomfortable with confrontation. If writing a letter isn't something that would work for you, why not talk to someone else about how sorry you feel. That way they may share how you feel, and it can sometimes be really sincere. If the person you've upset hears how sorry you are, maybe they'll accept your (sort of) apology.
10. Just say 'Sorry' (and mean it).
But finally, when it comes down to it, sometimes the best way to apologise is to just say 'sorry'. A face to face apology is probably the most heartfelt and sincere of apologies and it usually means the most. If you really mean it, it'll come across in your face and body language, and with a bit of luck, all will be fixed!
So there you have it, peeps. I truly am sorry! If I could write a song for you all or pay you all a visit dressed a chicken, I would. I hope this helps you if you have something to apologise for / someone to apologise to. If you liked this post, please let me know on Twitter @amyjcollins. Follow me, and I'll follow back and we can chat. Please follow (bloglovin') and share this post where you can. It really means the world to me!
Thank you so much for sticking around and being patient with me,
Don't worry, midweek posting isn't going to be a regular thing. You can calm down, I won't be forever bombarding you with my constant chatter.
I just really wanted to have a moan; I'm feeling a little sorry for myself today and blogging lets me get some things off my chest. I'm feeling poopey because even though I've been doing quite well with the whole weight loss thing (if I do say so myself), I bought a couple of casual dresses online and they just look horrific on me. I thought after losing almost a stone, I might start feeling a little better about my body and that clothes might start to look a little better, but I'm just not getting that yet. I know it's going to take time, but a stone is a lot to lose and I thought I'd be seeing some results by now. It's just frustrating because I really like the dresses and I know they'd look good on most other people. So basically, that's it. Sorry for my little rant.
In happier, and slightly more exciting news, however, last night I went to the Big Brother Final. I've been to a lot of pre-recorded and live TV shows before, so I wasn't expecting this one to be all that different, but it was on another level. The production was of such a high standard and there were so many crew. It's not like being in a small TV studio with a crew of 30 and an audience of 200, there were so many people! The whole 'live' atmosphere is such a buzz and it just adds to the excitement of being at a TV recording. It really was so much fun, and we had a great spot right next to the stairs where the housemates come out. That being said, we were also right opposite where the media were, meaning that we're in the back of quite a lot of the press shots. It was hilarious coming out to messages / tweets from friends saying they'd just seen me on TV!
(Emma Willis' cue cards. Such a fangirl! Given to me by Floor Manager.)
But more than anything else, being back in the television environment has really given me a buzz for the industry again. I always knew I was passionate about TV production, but this has just confirmed it all the more. Being away from the TV production environment and coming back to it has made me want it so much more. Watching the Floor Manager work was so inspiring for me, and I even managed to grab a few words with him at the end which was awesome. He gave me some really good advice and really got me passionate for the business again.
Something that I kept a real close eye on over the course of the night was the fashion and the outfits that the contestants decided to wear for the final. I've decided that Sunday's post will possibly be a reflection of that. I might discuss what I thought of the whole event and focus mainly on what everyone looked like, and what my opinions were. What do you think? Let me know if you think this is a horrid idea and I'll come up with something else, but I think it could be quite fun. It's not like anything I've ever done before and it might be nice to get my opinions across. Tweet me @amyjcollins or let me know in the comments below what you think my next post should be about.
Again, I'm sorry for posting midweek when I said I wouldn't, I just really wanted to let you know about my Big Brother experience and have a little whinge about my body. I also don't blame you if you haven't read down this far.
Thanks for stopping by, all the love in the world,
So this isn't what I had planned for today's post, but I've had a pretty horrendous week. I've been quite busy at work, as well as attempting to overcome two illnesses, and to make things worse, the ear infection I had last week has come back, so I feel more poopey.
But despite feeling like death warmed up, I am here for you! I found this tag on Anna Saccone's blog and thought I'd give it a go. It gives you a chance to find out some more info about me, and is an easy one for me to do on the go.
1. What do you order at Starbucks?
Well, I'm not a regular customer at Starbucks because there isn't one close to me and I don't actually like coffee (sorry!). Occasionally, though, I will go to Starbucks and if I do, I usually order a Skinny Caramel Creme Frappachino, no whipped cream.
2. What's one thing in your closet that you can't live without?
It's going to sound really boring, but the one thing in my closet that I can't live without is leggings. I think they're a staple item in any closet, and I think you can make them work with pretty much anything. Dress them up with a shirt and heels, or dress them down with a baggy tee and Vans. Simple, but a necessity.
3. What's one thing that most people don't know about you?
A lot of people don't know that I can play the steel drums. I actually used to be in a steel band and we played gigs quite often in my town. We even played at the local MP's birthday party which was pretty cool.
4. What's one thing you want to do before you die?
I really, really, really want to live in the US. I'm so desperate to go back to New York and I really want to visit California, but my ultimate dream is to live somewhere in America at some point in my life for a period of time. I don't mind if it's not on a permanent basis (even though that's the ultimate dream), but I just want it to happen.
5. What's one food you can't live without?
I think I'd have to say chicken. I know a lot of people will turn their noses up at that, but I really do love it. It's such a staple part of my diet and can be cooked and served in so many different ways.
6. What's one quote that you live your life by?
'Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game'. It's a quote from the movie, 'A Cinderella Story'. I'm not sure where the quote came from before that, but I really do like it. It keeps me inspired.
7. What's your no1 song on your iPod/iTunes?
Well if you're asking me for my most played song on iTunes, it's Neckbreaker by Blizzard. But if you're asking me for my favourite song on my iTunes, at the moment, it's probably No Interuption (Acoustic) by Hoodie Allen. The Americoustic EP that he released last week is amaaaazing! I cannot wait to see him in September.
8. What kind of style would you describe yourself as having?
Average. Painfully, painfully average. I don't really have a style, I just wear baggy tee's, leggings and trainers most of the time!
9. Favourite Number?
3.
10. Two Hobbies?
I love Reading. Since I've finished University I've had more time for casual reading and it's been really good for me. As well as keeping my brain active, it's my escape. Is it sad to say that my other hobby is just the internet? I love writing blogs, reading blogs, watching vlogs and social networking. I can't keep off the internet most of the time!
11. Two Pet Peeves?
I really cannot stand when people click their joints, that's my biggest pet peeve EVER! I also really hate being ignored. It really annoys me. If I text you, at least have the decency to text me back. It doesn't take a second to send a text saying you're busy. Don't be sat in a group of friends and ignore my question three times, and then answer to someone else straight away.
There we go, guys. I hope you've learned some more random stuff about me and I'm sorry it's not the exciting post some of you might have been expecting. I've got a lot of good things planned, as well as hopefully doing a review week really soon. What do you want to me see me talk about? Let me know in the comments, or tweet me @amyjcollins.
Thanks for stopping by; all the love in the world.
Take care, stay beautiful and DREAM BIG!
amyjcollins
xox
If any of you are familiar with the blogging / vlogging community, you will have probably already seen this tag floating around the interwebs. I'm terribly sorry to disappoint but this is not a post about my first sexual experience. This is merely a post about me experiencing things for the first time. But it's a cheeky title, isn't it?! ;)
First Pet - My first pet was the cutest rabbit in the whole wide world (this is a fact) and she was called Jasmine. My aunt bought my sister and I a rabbit each for Easter, which was actually the coolest Easter present EVER! Originally I wanted to name them Jasper and Horris (like 101 Dalmations) but the vet then told me that mine was a girl so I went with Jasmine. Lucy called hers Barney and we had them for about 7 years.
First Kiss - Oooooooh, cringe! I'm not going to name names in case by some chance he ends up reading this but my first proper kiss was with a guy I went to secondary school with. I think I was like 12/13 and I went round his house after school and we kissed... A LOT. From what I remember, my first kiss experience wasn't a terrible one... Probably because he'd kissed hundreds of people before me but that's all we'll say on that.
First CD / Piece of Music - The first piece of music I ever bought was actually a cassette tape and it was Peter Andre - Mysterious Girl. I remember my mom used to give me like £3 a week pocket money and I'd always spend mine in Virgin Megastores hah! The first CD I ever bought was Lionel Richie - Tender Heart and I still completely ADORE it! That wasn't the first CD I ever owned though; I was given DJ Luck and MC Neat - With a Little Bit of Luck for my birthday by my next door neighbours and that's still one of my favourite songs ever!
First Concert - The first concert I ever attended was the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party. I think it was in 2001 but I'm not entirely sure. It was at the ExCeL centre in London and I saw Blue, Westlife, Steps and S Club 7 as well as many others. We got told off a few times for standing on the chairs, but I don't think we cared too much!
First Job - Well my first job was a paper round and I hated it! It was horrifically boring and I'm very lazy meaning I never wanted to walk around delivering newspapers. When I was 16, I got my first 'proper' job working in a health and beauty shop and I've been there ever since!
First Tweet - My first tweet was 'is getting ready for work :|'. It was way back in April 2009 so I can't scroll back that far to take a screen shot, so you'll just have to trust me!
First Best Friend - My first best friend was a girl called Leanne. I'm lucky enough that she's still one of my best friends because she knows everything about me and we've been through so much with each other. We're actually born only ten days apart and our parents knew each other before we entered the world, so it was destined for us to be close really! We went all through primary and secondary school together and maintained our friendship despite going to different sixth forms and me going away to University. Love you, Lea, my little XXi p3N1.
So that's it. I'm sorry this post has been quite text heavy, but a lot of these things happened earlier in my life and I don't have photos of them. I hope you enjoy these kinds of posts / tags and if you do, please let me know! All of my social media links will be below; come talk to me, I'm really nice and would love to hear from you all.
Thanks so much for stopping by, all the love in the world,
Take care, stay beautiful and dream big!
@amyjcollins
So I've never done anything like this before but I know they're really popular with bloggers / vloggers. I thought I'd give it a go and if enough people like it, I'll do one every month. I have included some photos that I've taken myself. I know they're not the best, but I need to get into the habit of using images in my posts and I think it's always better to use your own where you can :).
Here we go!
ASOS Curve
I've really been loving ASOS Curve this month. Because I'm quite a bit larger than the average human, I often struggle to find gorgeous clothes on the high street that fit my body shape. I was introduced to ASOS Curve by beauty blogger, Sprinkle of Glitter, and found that I actually really like a lot of their clothes. I bought a dress for my Nan's 70th and also went on to get two dresses for Graduation on there, one of which I ended up wearing and loving! If you're a little bit bigger than average, but still want to dress beautifully, it's definitely worth checking it out here.
(I'm in the red dress!)
Fudge Urban Strong Hold Hairspray - Iced Raspberry & Vanilla
Now, I'm not a massive user of hairspray, just because I can never be bothered to do my hair, but when I came across this I just had to buy it. Working in a high street Health and Beauty store, I'm always introduced to the latest products in store and this really caught my eye. It's a really fabulous hairspray, isn't too sticky and holds really well, but it also smells ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I usually completely hate the smell of hairspray so this was an absolute blessing!
Sleek Blusher Palette - Lace
There's not an awful lot I can say about this apart from that it's positively brilliant! Blusher is only something I've recently started using and I'm really glad I got my hands on this one. Sleek products are all really impressive and I use a lot of their make-up and they didn't disappoint with this one. The three colours are all super pigmented so you don't have to use a lot, meaning hopefully they'll last a really long time, woooo! My favourite is 'guipure' (the middle shade) but I'm really loving the orange-y shade this summer.
Revlon Colourburst Lip butter
Aaaah, another thing that I've only recently started using. I've always hated lipstick so was delighted to find a product that wasn't too heavy but gave me a really great colour on my lips. It's a little shiny and sticky but it's no where near as claggy as a proper lipstick, which is why I think I've loved it so much! I have the shade 'Strawberry Shortcake'; it's a really subtle pinkand perfect for the daytime!
Wake Me Up Foundation
I'm aware that this foundation has
been around a while but it's taken me a while to get used to it. At
first I thought it was awful and really claggy and just far too heavy
for an everyday foundation, but I've actually grown to love it. It is
quite heavy as a liquid foundation for every day but it does give great
coverage and it's very glowy. You don't need to use a lot of it on the
face as it spreads quite well and less is more, especially in this
warmer weather! Definitely worth a go!
Candy Crush
Now, I don't know anyone that hasn't at least had a go at this game! It's seriously addictive and I find myself playing it at any spare minute I get. It's sad and slightly pathetic but I can't stay away!
Geordie Shore
I'm aware that a lot of people will turn their noses up at this, but I love this show! I can't really give reasons as to why, because quite frankly it's an awful programme, but it's another seriously addictive thing in my life. I think Charlotte is ABSOLUTELY hilarious and I'm always laughing at the stupid things they're doing and saying. I also happen to think it's brilliantly edited which makes it a lot easier to watch. I also love that they're in Australia this series.
So that's it, those are a few things that I've been loving this month. I'm sorry my posts have been very few and far between recently. I've been super busy with work and just got back from a few days in Manchester visiting family (which was lovely, by the way!). I'm really going to try and be more regular with my posts. I've got some really good ideas for upcoming posts and can't wait to share them with you all, so keep your eyes peeled. If there's something you'd like to see me post about or discuss, please let me know and I'll be sure to give it a go.
Thanks so much for stopping by, and sticking around.
Another University related post, I do apologise! I am trying to change things up a little bit by doing other posts for those of you who aren't interested in me constantly waffling on about Uni life and how much I miss it, so you can just skip over this one if you like!
I thought I'd write a quick post about Graduation but I'm going to keep it short and sweet because Ill probably end up crying the whole way through! I'm going to chuck in a few photos as well, but don't laugh at me in a weird hat and my 127367202047 chins.
Graduation day was one of the best, yet hardest days of my life. It was so amazing getting to be back with all my friends and laughing & smiling and having a catch up with brilliant people. There was so much pride and love in the University on the morning of the ceremony and it made me feel so good about myself and everyone else. I still can't believe I actually got there and managed to complete three years and I was honoured and overwhelmed to be graduating with some of the incredible people I've met over the past 3 years. As much as I had the best day, it was also so difficult for me. As most of you know, I am EXTREMELY emotional and goodbyes are the hardest thing ever. The reality hit me quite soon after I arrived at the Uni that a lot of the people that I was sharing the day with, I probably wouldn't see for a really long time, if ever again. I've made some really good friends at Uni and some people that I honestly will never forget. The phrase of the day soon became 'it's not goobye, it's just a see you later' and I'm really going to try and hold on to that.
^^ My amazing course friends / Exposure colleagues ^^
The ceremony was actually totally different to what I expected and I really enjoyed it. I got to sit next to one of the funniest guys on my module (he probably won't see this, so can someone else let Alex know haha) and he made me laugh the whole way through. I know it's not supposed to be an event that's funny, but you know when you get in one of those giggling fits in completely the wrong environment...? Well that happened to us quite a few times.
^^ The beautiful Emily Sandall and I ^^
The hardest part of the day for me though, was all the photo taking after the ceremony. It was the seeing of everyone's families, the saying goodbyes, the chucking of the caps, the talking about the old times that threw me over the edge though. It really bought it back to me that the University chapter of my life was coming to an end, and I'm just not sure I'm ready.
^^ My best friends in the whole world. I couldn't have got through the past three years without them, I love them! Ellie & Emma ^^
I've had the most amazing support from so many people and I know I say it all the time, but honestly, thank you so much. I hope a lot of my friends will read this and they know who they are when I say it. I couldn't possibly list everyone here because I'm a forgetful chap and I wouldn't want to offend anyone. I'm just gonna add some photos from Graduation day so not everyone will be included (sorry) but fear not, I'm working on a 'University in Picutres' post so I'm sure you'll feature in there!
^^ The fantastic four, and the ones that I owe everything to. Thank you Emma, Ellie and Chris. You're amazing humans ^^
^^ Neech and I obviously found something hilar! Love this diamond ^^
^^ Best friends and Beverages! Sophie, Emily and Neech. ^^
^^ My favourite Irish woman, Jayne Tennyson <3 ^^
^^ I have the best friends I could ever ask for. Jayne, Sophia and Dan ^^
^^ Mr Saville and I looking exceptionally beautiful. I have slightly edited my face before anyone gets agg and calls me out on it. ^^
^^ Bestest boy in life. Chris Willsdon, you have been a gem! ^^
^^ Class of 2013, I love you ^^ Emily, Sophia, Gwyneth, Joe, Julie, Jack, Emma and Sophie
This is just a really brief (and late) post but I cannot breathe right now and the first thing I thought about doing once I got my result was blogging. I'VE JUST PASSED UNIVERSITY WITH A 2:1! How on earth has this happened?! I honestly never thought in my wildest dreams that I'd ever get anywhere close to a 2:1, let alone actually get one! This is a huge milestone for me, and I'm still looking at my computer screen all teary eyed and mouth wide open in complete shock.
Thank you to every single person, inside of Uni and out who've been utterly fantastic throughout my degree. This is for everyone who's believed in me over the past three years. And here's a big fat poke in the eye to everyone who said I couldn't do it. Who's laughing now, eh?!
I'm going to keep it short and sweet but I'm so proud of all of my
friends and classmates on what we've all achieved. I'm so lucky to have
spent the past three years with all of you and I couldn't have got to
where I am without your help. I cannot wait to see each and every one of
you at Graduation and we can all celebrate together!
I am the happiest human being in the world right now, I cannot even comprehend the smile on my face and the CRAAAY amount of weird butterfly things in my stomach.
So I guess these are floating around lots of places and I thought I'd give it a go. It was extremely hard for me to think of 50 remotely interesting things about myself so gimme a chance! I'm sorry if I'm really boring. If you do like this post, please subscribe with your email address to get a message every time I post! Thank youuu.
50 Facts About @amyjcollins
I've just finished a 3 year degree in Media Production.
I'm a Chelsea football club fan and have been since I got my first kit for my 2nd birthday!
I think I might have Twitter addiction. I tweet almost as much as I speak. @amyjcollins, gimme a follow!
McFly are my favourite band ever; I am a Galaxy Defender. But I also love All Time Low and Take That.
I am a Belieber. Here's a photo of me with Justin back in 2009. We look adorable. He kissed me shortly after this.
I'm also a Directioner.
I suffer from panic attacks and anxiety and have done for a large part of my life.
I'm single, and very much happy that way. Relationships and commitment scare me.
My favourite part of my body is my nose.
I am ABSOLUTELY PETRIFIED of Baked Beans.
I've only been blogging properly for about 2 months, but I've had a Tumblr since 2008 (I think!) - Although I don't really use it anymore.
When I was younger I wanted to be a teacher or a scientist.
I love acting and wish I'd studied it at A Level. I went to a Performing Arts secondary school and got a B in GCSE drama. I would love to be an actress.
I ADORE NANDOS.
I don't drive.
2 years ago, I left my heart in New York and I cannot wait to go back there.
I often wish that John Travolta was my father. On the first day of Uni, I told this to my whole module group and they thought it was hilarious! I also told a man in Asda once and he believed me. Sorry!
My favourite perfume is 'With Love' by Hilary Duff and it breaks my heart that they don't make it anymore :(. HELLO EBAY.
My favourite film is 'Grease'.
My sister is my best friend. You can follow her on twitter if you like. @_lucycollins Here's what we look like.
I should go to the gym much more than I do. I currently resemble a small house and it ain't pretty!
I was a Prefect in school.
I once went to a Q & A session with Usher but I was too scared to
ask him anything because he is beautiful and I am not worthy
I really like guys who can rap.
I also really like guys who have big arms.
I'm really into big armed musicians who like to travel.
I cry really easily.
I once jumped off of the back of a boat and into the ocean while on holiday in Portugal. Originally I was more than happy staying on board and being boring but when I saw a sexy boy jump, I thought I'd do the same in the hope of looking cool.
I absolutely LOVE Diet Coke. I'm slightly concerned it's an addiction. I once gave it up for lent and it was the hardest month of my life.
I've never had a Valentine.
I am quite a fussy eater which probably explains why I'm pretty fat.
When I was about four, I gave up dummy because my Mom said I could have a present. I chose a Mark Owen doll and I treasured it with my life... Until I broke his arm off by accident. Sorry Mark!
I've only recently got properly into wearing make-up and it's become an obsession. I just want to spend all of my money on make-up brushes.
I bite my nails - sorry!
The first person I ever followed on Twitter was Tom Fletcher from McFly. Yaaay Tom!
When we were younger, me, my sister and our friend Jess were in a band called The Glitter Girls.
We also went on a Caravan holiday one year and the three of us wrote a book. When it came to crediting the book, I was 'the writer', Jess was 'the illustrator' and Lucy was 'the pencil-sharpener'. Sorry kid!
I day dream an awful lot.
I am PETRIFIED of the future.
I have extremely low confidence, even though I talk a lot and sometimes come across like I don't.
Me and my mum have the same birthday. (8th July, whaaaaat?!)
I really want to go on Big Brother.
I can play the steel drums. WHAAAAAT!?
As much as I moaned about it the whole way through, I'm really going to miss University and all the amazing people I met there :(.
I would love to work at a record label doing social media marketing.
My most played song on iTunes is - Blizzard - Neckbreaker.
I hate being controlled by other people or being patronised.
I am terrible with money and like to buy lots of food and pointless trinkets that don't mean anything.
I am a keeper. I keep lots of useless stuff like birthday cards and gig tickets but they mean a lot to me and remind me of amazing times and people.
I am at my happiest when I'm wearing pyjamas.
So that's it, 50 (slightly crappy) facts about my life. I hope you feel like you've learned something more about me.
Remember, take care, stay beautiful and dream big!
Thanks for stopping by. All the love in the world.
So I'm quite surprised in myself that it's taken me this long to even mention McFly on my blog. Now, anyone reading this who is a friend of mine / followers me on Twitter will know the extent of my love for McFly. For those of you who don't know me, I'm going to try and express it all here, which might be the most difficult thing I've done for a long time. There aren't really enough words to describe McFly and I don't suppose any of the ones I do use will really do them justice.
I'm passionate about a lot of things, but music is the thing that stands out above anything else. It's the driving force behind my life and keeps me sane when everything around me could be falling apart. I turn to music before I turn to people, and that's a huge thing. I don't really know where my love for and dependency on music started, but I've always been around it, and it's something that I've been bought up with.
Which brings me to McFly... I was 10 or 11 when McFly first hit our radios and TVs but never did I think my love for them would last this long. I remember watching their first video on TV in my dad's old flat, and I haven't looked back since. I just remember thinking them climbing into a Television was really cool and that if I tried hard enough, I might be able to do it too. It didn't work. I remember my sister, Lucy, being in love with the song 'Obviously' and using her cheerleading pompoms to make up a routine. My real love didn't start until I was 14 and I went to my first McFly gig the same year. Lucy was always too young to go on her own without a parent and I didn't want to experience it without her. We saw them at the Brentwood Leisure Centre back in 2007 on their 'Up Close and Personal' tour. We were proper little fan girls and got there at like 4pm even though the whole show was standing; we even went as far as to buy t-shirts and wear them for the whole show. I don't remember much about it, but I do remember them playing 'Broccoli' from their first album, and not many people in the crowd knew it. Lucy and I sung at the top of our lungs and we felt really important.
It got a little bit crazy after the Brentwood show. We started talking about McFly all the time, and if any music was on in the house, it'd be them. We even drove to France one year and had the Motion in the Ocean album on repeat... the whole way. We didn't become these crazy super fans who followed them around everywhere and practically went on tour with them (although we would have liked to). It was just at the point where whenever they announced a tour, we'd save up all of our money to be there. I haven't worked out how many times I've seen / met them, or how much money I've spent on the band (which would be a completely frightful amount, I imagine), but for me it's not about them. Whether you've seen McFly 3 times or 300 times, if you're a fan, you're a fan. I've seen them quite a few more than 3 times, though!
But beyond anything else, it's about the music. It's about the four boys (who are now men) who have gotten me through so much over the past ten years just with their lyrics and their power to make you smile at any given moment. I've got through my GCSEs, my A Levels and now a degree with the help of McFly. I even got through a migraine on Christmas morning because Lucy came and played their music to me (I'm sure that was psychological, but I'm going with it being the boys). It's the amazing, overwhelming times I've had at their gigs, not to mention the immense amounts of fun and laughter and just the general loving of life at that particular point.
I write this now as I've just finished reading McFly - Unsaid Things... Our Story. I've never cried so much at one book. Not because it's sad (although some parts of it really are) but because I love them so much. I'm so proud of what they've achieved and so happy to be able to say that I've been a part of it since it begun. Not in the sense that I was there with them when they recorded the album or went with them on tour, but I've been there. I've been at the shows, I watched Harry run a Marathon (and met the other boys in a pub) and I've bought all the albums. I know I haven't changed anything for them, but they've changed something for me. If ever I'm having a bad day or need cheering up, I know there's always a McFly song that can fix me. Subsequently, if I'm ever having a good day, I know listening to Star Girl or Surfer Babe will make my mood 10x better!
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I love McFly, and I'm not ready for any of this to be over. Ten years isn't long enough. As the legend (Tom Fletcher) once said, 'It's not always easy, but McFly's here forever'. Well, I certainly hope so, Tom.
Thanks for sticking with me and reading this one. I know it's a bit different and some of you won't like it, but it needed to be said. I was having a McFly moment and I wanted to share it.
Remember, take care, stay beautiful and dream big! <3.
Thanks for stopping by, all the love in the world.
On a Wednesday morning, a very nervous and slightly over dressed 20 year old called Amy Collins (that’s me!) got on the train at Cardiff Central and headed to Newport for her first day as an intern at Coup Media.
I didn’t think it was physically possible to be so nervous and so excited about something at once, but apparently it is! When I arrived at the office, I literally had no idea what to expect. I knew the team was small so that made me feel a little more relaxed as there would be less people to impress and, more importantly, less people for me to be scared of! As it happens, the people here aren’t scary at all and I feel like I fit in well.
I’ve been doing a bunch of different tasks since I got here and I’m really enjoying learning new things and working alongside a team who are as passionate about Social Media as I am. I’ve mainly been supporting the guys in the office and helping them out with extra jobs that need doing.
The majority of my role had been emailing people and researching. I spent some time working with Steve on the Oi! Conference and emailing people who might be interested in attending, as well as doing some of my own research to find local businesses and bloggers who might benefit from the event. As well as Oi!, I’ve been working with Sadie and helping her with both the KMS and the Internacionale accounts. I’ve been talking to some beauty bloggers about their reviews of the KMS Frizz Fighter Kit and I’ve even had the chance to read a few! I’ve also been doing a lot of work on the Internacionale Pinterest account which I’ve really enjoyed. As well as adding to the boards that they already had, I also added some of my own which made me feel (stupidly) important! I also posted a couple of pictures on their Instagram last week and I got really excited when people started to ‘like‘ them! I’ve also learned quite a bit about Social Bookmarking sites since I got here. I used to go on Stumble Upon quite regularly, but I never realised how and why sites like it are used; I just ‘stumbled’ looking for cute cats or dinner ideas! Because users can tailor what they see, sites like Stumble Upon and Delicious are a great way to get your content out there and seen by a wider audience. All in all, it’s been a great experience so far, and my face has even appeared on the Coup website (gulp!).
I was also lucky enough to attend the Oi! Conference at the Marriott hotel earlier this week. The day was really great for networking and getting to know people in the industry. I learned so much from all of the speakers, but also from people I met at the event; I even gained a new follower on Twitter! I found the talk from Mark Schaefer most inspiring as he spoke a lot about blogging and how to create spectacular content. As I'm new to blogging, his tips really helped me and I couldn't wait to get home and start writing.
I’ve found being here at Coup straight after University really beneficial. I’ve not really had time to stop working which has meant I’m in a much better mindset. My brain is still in ‘work mode’ and because I haven’t had a massive break, it doesn’t feel like a struggle doing work, especially when it’s work I’m really enjoying.
So after 8 cans & 5 bottles of Diet Coke, 16 train journeys and a new addiction Blogger, Pinterest and Stumble Upon, I’ve completed three weeks of an internship at Coup! Remember, take care, stay beautiful and dream big! <3. Thanks for stopping by, @amyjcollins
