Music Monday - What I've Been Listening to This Week

Hello there, 

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

50 Random Questions | @amyjcollins

Hello friends,

I know it's not been long since I last posted, but I'm super bored on this Saturday evening because I'm ill and have no friends and thought I might as well channel my brain somewhere (slightly) productive.

I'm being really lazy (sorry!) and doing yet another tag post! It's pretty text heavy, but yeah! I hope you like it and maybe you'll learn a little something about me. I also tag any of you who write your own blogs to give this a go and let me know you've done it so I can learn a bit more about you. This also feels very 2008 and extremely MySpace, woohoo, CHILDHOOD! Let's get started...

1. Where were you 3 hours ago? Three hours ago I would have just been finishing work and heading to Tesco... Such a fun life.
2. Who are you in love with? My family and friends... And Harry Styles.
3. Have you ever eaten a crayon? I think everyone's eaten a crayon at some point, haven't they? And if you're sat there saying you haven't... you're lying.
4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? Shampoo bottle, face wash, sports bottle, Superdrug carrier bag and a One Direction toothbrush.
5. When is the last time you went to the mall? I work in a mall, so today.
6. Are you wearing socks right now? Yaaaaaaaas.
7. Does your family have a car worth over $2,000? We have two cars.
8. When was the last time you drove out of town? I don't drive.
9. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? I was supposed to go yesterday, but didn't in the end which sucks.
10. Are you hot? Smokin' baby.
11. What was the last thing you had to drink? DIET COKE, duh.
12. What are you wearing right now? Black leggings and a grey Hype sweater.
13. Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it? I don't have a carrrr :(.
14. Last food that you ate? Nanny Mave's Slimming World Shepherd's Pie and it was fricking awesome.
15. Where were you last week at this time? Probably the same place I am now... In bed watching trashy YouTube videos and dreaming about pizza.
16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? No clothing, just phone cases and make-up!
17. When is the last time you ran? On Wednesday evening in Insanity class.
18. What’s the last sporting event you watched? I just caught the end of Aston Villa v Liverpool when I got in from work.
19. What is your favorite animal? I love pigs and elephants. I also really like French Bulldogs. They're so cuuute and I want one so bad.
20. Your dream vacation? I'm super desperate to get to Dubai or Hawaii. They're both places I'd like to visit before I die. Obviously for any of you who know me, you know I really want to get to LA, but I look at that more as a long term thing rather than a holiday.
21. Last person’s house you were in? My own.
22. Worst injury you’ve ever had? I broke my leg when I was like two. My friend and I were jumping on a bed and I fell off. I was in plaster from my ankle to my thigh when my little sister was born. Here's a photo!
     
23. Have you been in love? No.
24. Do you miss anyone right now? I miss all of my Uni friends every day. I have a best friend called Aidan who lives in Ireland and I miss him more than words could ever begin to describe. I miss my sister when she's at Uni, but we talk every day which makes it easier.
25. Last play you saw? It was called 'Whose Coat is that Jacket?' and it was in Cardiff. It was actually a lot better than I was expecting and I recommend it to all of you!
26. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? My extreme awkwardness and my innate ability to constantly make a complete fool of myself :).
27. What are your plans for tonight? Sleep for the longest time, although in reality I'll be awake until 3am on Tumblr.
28. Who is the last person you sent a MySpace message or comment? I actually went on MySpace to check this, but it wouldn't let me view my old messages. I miss MySpace, though man.
29. Next trip you are going to take? I'm planning a trip to Florida in late March at the moment. It's all money dependent but I really hope I can make it happen. I've been so desperate to get back to the US for the longest time, so I'm super excited!
30. Ever go to camp? I went on Brownie camp about three times when I was younger. I literally loved it so much! I wish I'd been American so I could have gone to Summer Camp every year growing up. I've been thinking a lot about doing Camp America this year or next, so watch this space!
31. Were you an honor roll student in school? I was not.
32. What do you want to know about the future? If I should be as afraid of developing technologies as I am. The digital future both excites me and petrifies me. The thought of robots and what not really freaks me out. Other than that, I'd rather not know.
33. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? I'm currently wearing Paco Rabanne Lady Million.
34. Are you due sometime this year for a doctor’s visit? Hopefully not.
35. Where is your best friend? My best friends are all over the place, but I imagine they're all in their respectable homes at the moment.
36. How is your best friend? I think they're all pretty good, thanks!
37. Do you have a tan? I really don't and the though alone is heartbreaking. Take me back to this tan please. I want summer all over again!
    
38. What are you listening to right now? Jacks Mannequin - The Resolution
39. Do you collect anything? I actually collect Mugs. It's a crazy thing for me to collect actually as I don't drink any kind of hot drink, but I've been collecting now for about 8 years. Every time I enter the Disney store, I leave with a new one. I bought my latest because I love Sebastian, but also because the quote is just super cute!
40. Who is the biggest gossiper you know? Probably myself and all of my friends.
41. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over? Literally never.
42. Have you ever drank your soda from a straw? Quite a few times, actually.
43. What does your last text message say? 'We are the famous CFC x x x' This was from my Dad ahead of Chelsea's clash with Man Utd tomorrow.
44. Do you like hot sauce? No, no, no, NEVER.
45. Last time you took a shower? I had a bath this morning.
46. Do you need to do laundry? Just did some.
47. What is your heritage? Oh god, so boring. English and Welsh. No fun in me.
48. Are you someone’s best friend? I'd like to hope so, yeah.
49. Are you rich? Today I was ecstatic that my food shopping came to less than £10 because it meant I wouldn't be struggling all week for money. I think that answers your question, haha.
50. What were you doing at 12AM last night? Watching TV with my Mom and Brother.

So there we've established that I'm extremely boring and apparently have nothing better to do with my time. I hope you've learned some positively useless information about me. Like I said before, I tag you all to answer this on your blogs and link me to it in the comments. I promise at some point soon I'm going to write something of purpose and meaning, but for the time being please take these filler posts as me making an effort even at times of torrential writer's block.

Thanks so much for stopping by, 

Take care, stay beautiful, dream big.

@amyjcollins

xox

July Favourites

Hiya Peeps!

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 pink and 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.

Take care, stay beautiful and DREAM BIG!

All the love in the world,

@amyjcollins

50 Facts About Me! @amyjcollins

Hiya Peeps! 

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

1. I've just finished a 3 year degree in Media Production.
2. I'm a Chelsea football club fan and have been since I got my first kit for my 2nd birthday!
3. I think I might have Twitter addiction. I tweet almost as much as I speak. @amyjcollins, gimme a follow!
4. McFly are my favourite band ever; I am a Galaxy Defender. But I also love All Time Low and Take That.
5. I am a Belieber. Here's a photo of me with Justin back in 2009. We look adorable. He kissed me shortly after this.
   
6. I'm also a Directioner.
7. I suffer from panic attacks and anxiety and have done for a large part of my life.
8. I'm single, and very much happy that way. Relationships and commitment scare me.
9. My favourite part of my body is my nose.
10. I am ABSOLUTELY PETRIFIED of Baked Beans.
11. 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.
12. When I was younger I wanted to be a teacher or a scientist. 
13. 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.
14. I ADORE NANDOS.
15. I don't drive.
16. 2 years ago, I left my heart in New York and I cannot wait to go back there. 
17. 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! 
18. My favourite perfume is 'With Love' by Hilary Duff and it breaks my heart that they don't make it anymore :(. HELLO EBAY.
19. My favourite film is 'Grease'.
20. My sister is my best friend. You can follow her on twitter if you like. @_lucycollins Here's what we look like.
    
21. I should go to the gym much more than I do. I currently resemble a small house and it ain't pretty!
22. I was a Prefect in school. 
23. 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
24. I really like guys who can rap.
25. I also really like guys who have big arms.
26. I'm really into big armed musicians who like to travel.
27. I cry really easily.
28. 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. 
29. 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.
30. I've never had a Valentine.
31. I am quite a fussy eater which probably explains why I'm pretty fat.
32. 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!
33. 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. 
34. I bite my nails - sorry! 
35. The first person I ever followed on Twitter was Tom Fletcher from McFly. Yaaay Tom! 
36. When we were younger, me, my sister and our friend Jess were in a band called The Glitter Girls. 
37. 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! 
38. I day dream an awful lot.
39. I am PETRIFIED of the future. 
40. I have extremely low confidence, even though I talk a lot and sometimes come across like I don't.
41. Me and my mum have the same birthday. (8th July, whaaaaat?!)
42. I really want to go on Big Brother.
43. I can play the steel drums. WHAAAAAT!?
44. 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 :(.
45. I would love to work at a record label doing social media marketing.
46. My most played song on iTunes is - Blizzard - Neckbreaker. 
47. I hate being controlled by other people or being patronised. 
48. I am terrible with money and like to buy lots of food and pointless trinkets that don't mean anything.
49. 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. 
50. 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.

@amyjcollins

<3.

Well, I’ve graduated (almost)... Now what?!

Hiya Peeps!

For me, finishing Uni feels like the most daunting thing EVER and I have no idea what I’m going to do with my life. With graduation fast approaching, it feels like everything has come around so quickly and I feel very out of my depth. This is the time for my peers and I to be making some big decisions about our futures, and I’m just not sure if I’m ready yet! 

I’ve been hearing all over the place that, ‘we need a break after uni!’ and ‘this is going to be the best summer’, and people are probably right, but is this really the best thing for us in terms of finding work? While our minds are still in ‘work mode’ I think now is the best time to be proactive and start applying for those all important internships and graduate schemes. 

And if you manage to land a placement or job straight out of University, then you’re one of the lucky ones. Finding work at the best of times is tough, so being a graduate with little experience makes the process even harder. Going straight into work means everything that you’ve spent the last three years learning will be fresh in your brain and you’ll be raring to go! I’ve been lucky enough to land an internship at a Social and Mobile Media agency and I’m loving being back in work so soon after finishing my degree as I feel motivated to work and am ready to move onto the next chapter of my life! 

Like I said before, though, finding work off of the back of University isn’t easy. Here’s a few of my tips of what to do after you’ve graduated...

1. Get Networking! - Having contacts in your field is absolutely key! They’re not only useful for when it comes to finding work and applying for jobs, but they’re also great for advice and motivation while you’re searching for the perfect placement. I made a lot of contacts while at University and the reason I was able to land my internship was thanks to one of my lecturers.
2. Be Proactive! -    Work opportunities won’t just fall into your lap; you’ll have to be actively looking for a job if you want to be employed. Websites like LinkedIn advertise entry level jobs and internships for recent graduates so they’re a great place to start! If you have a clear idea of the industry you want to work in, find details of companies you’d like to work for and contact them direct. They’ll appreciate your enthusiasm and it’ll show your interest.
3. Take Advantage of Opportunities! - If you’re offered a job or information about a work opportunity, TAKE IT! No matter how big or small, at this level, any experience is good experience! If you’re anything like me, you’re not 100% sure where your talent lays, so any work experience will help you to establish this. Any chance at this stage of your career is great because it all adds to the CV, and the fuller your CV, the better.
4. Keep Learning! - Even though you’re not studying anymore, that doesn’t mean that you need to stop learning. Regularly reading things and generally keeping up to date with news in your field will really help you out. It’s good to keep your brain active and regular research will help it!
5. Use your time wisely! - If you do decide you want a break to relax or maybe travel, make sure you use the opportunity to your advantage. While you’re abroad or at home chilling, why not take some time out for a bit of voluntary work. It’s a really good way to stay active and feel like you’re doing something of worth with your time, as well as it looking great on your CV. If you’re taking time off, try to use your evenings and weekends for a part time job while you job hunt as it’ll keep money coming in to tide you over until you find something you want to do long term. 

So whether you’re already doing your dream internship, spending your days searching for a graduate placement or chilling on a beach somewhere, remember that your future starts NOW. 

Remember, take care, stay beautiful and dream BIG!
Thanks for stopping by.
@amyjcollins <3.

Things I'm Loving At The Moment...

Hiya Peeps!

So I've moved over to 'Blogger' and it's really hard to get used to, but I am really liking it. I love that it's linked with Google+ which means I can try and get a bit more savvy at that as well. I know a lot of bloggers are using this platform to post so I thought I'd give it a whirl!

I just wanted to do a little post about 'Things I'm loving at the moment'. It's not necessarily just going to be products or items of clothing that I'm enjoying; I'm going to include things that I'm doing and maybe some people (because I'm massively cheeky!).

Something I'm really loving at the moment is working. Now, I know this sounds completely insane coming from me as I moaned the whole way through my degree about the heavy work load and how much I hated it. I'm currently doing an internship with a Social and Mobile media company (more in Big Life Updates post!) and it's honestly so much fun. I really feel like all the work I did in Uni is starting to pay off and I'm absolutely loving learning more about an industry I think I'd really like to work in. I like the routine of going to work and it keeps me in a much healthier mindset meaning I'm much more motivated to do other things and to actually get up in the morning. I feel important on this internship and feel like my ideas and opinions are being heard. It's a great feeling having a team of people that believe in me and who I really enjoying going to work with! I will be writing a blog / series of blogs about my time with Coup so stay tuned for those if you want to find out what I've been getting up to and any tips I have for those of you looking for internships or who are about to embark on your first internship!

Moving very swiftly on to the rest of the things I've been loving recently. Like I said before, it's a bunch of different types of things and I'm just going to list them and talk about them a bit. Ok, here they are.

I recently came across this really UH-MAZING singer on YouTube called Lewis Mokler. When I first heard him singing it was in the back of another video and I thought it was a new Ed Sheeran track. I went a bit crazy and started Googling lyrics and Shazam-ing the video so I could find out what it was. I can't actually remember how / when I found out who he was, but he's my 'favvy musician of the moment' (that could be a thing?!). If you've got a few spare £££'s, jump onto iTunes NOW and buy some of his music. My favvy's are Pieces, Nutella and The Traveller. He's got a bunch of stuff on YouTube as well so make sure you check him out! https://www.youtube.com/user/LewisMokler?feature=watch

At the moment, I'm really ill and there's literally nothing that makes me happier when I've got a cold than a mug of hot squash. I know what you're thinking... 'Amy, that's so weird', 'OMG, that's so gross, what's wrong with you?!', 'Can't you just have a coffee or something?!'. My response is that yes, it is weird and it's not the norm but it's literally so comforting. I don't like tea, coffee, hot chocolate or any other warm drink that may exist, but sometimes you just need something to soothe your throat when it's all gross and gravelly and a mug of hot blackcurrant sorts me right out. Plus, it reminds me of Brownie Camp when I was younger, and I like that.

I also feel that I need to quickly mention Grilled Cheese sandwiches. Yesterday I was 'stumbling' at work, and I came across this amazing image of a gooey, cheesy toasted sandwich thingy that I literally wanted the eat through the screen. It was so delightful looking that I immediately texted my friend to tell her about the delicacy and we decided to make them that evening. They were delish and you should Google how to make them because they're like heaven.

Moving very quickly into the make-up section of life which I know will shock anyone who knows me because I haven't always been a massive lover of the stuff and only recently started wearing it on a regular basis, but yes. I have been lovinggg the Real Techniques make-up brushes. I recently had the 'Core Collection' kit bought for me after I went on about it for weeks on Twitter and I'm so impressed. They're so soft, are great sizes and even come in a cheeky travel case which is extremely handy. My favvy is definitely the 'Buffing Brush' which I've been using for my liquid foundation. (I think it's very similar to their 'Expert Face Brush' which is also supposed to be good for foundation).

I also recently purchased my first eye primer and I went with the Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer. I'm really impressed with this product because it does exactly what it's supposed to and it doesn't feel weird. It's a really light primer, blends really easily on the eyelid and lasts for blooming ages! It keeps my eye shadow on all day, and I absolutely swear by it!

My final make-up product that I'm loving is the Sleek Contouring and Blush palette. I'd seen a lot of reviews of this one going around and thought I'd give it a go. At £9.99, I was a little skeptical as make-up isn't something I'm used to spending a lot of money on, but when I thought about it I was in effect getting three products for the price of one and bought the thing anyway! I'm really glad I did because it's now part of my 'everyday' make-up and I just love it. It doesn't have a weird smell to it and the bronzer and blusher are super pigmented meaning I'm getting exactly what I paid for and what I can see in the palette, YAY! (Bet you're glad that's over!).

HOLY MOLY, this is a long post. I'm sorry guys!

The final thing I'm really loving at the moment though is really just having time. I know that sounds completely odd and everyone's probably reading this like 'Amy, what you on about man? Everyone's got time. Time isn't a thing that you have, whaaat?!' but it's really true. Now that I've finished Uni, it's meant that I've got so much more time to do things that I want to do and not worry about when my next deadline is or when I've next got to go out filming. Having this extra time has meant that I've been able to take an internship (which is great and I can't stop talking about) and it means that my friends and I can just enjoy spending time with each other without work climbing on top of us. Because most of us are going to be leaving Cardiff soon and going back to our home towns, it's nice to have this time together to just relax before we do all go our separate ways. Having this extra time has also meant that I get to have 'Hollyoaks sessions' with my housemate Verity which are usually extremely vocal and end with us screaming at the TV and eating copious amounts of bad food (banana custard and jam doughnuts). I've also started reading for leisure which I'm really pleased about. When you're studying it's really hard to enjoy a good novel because you're worrying about worm so much. I really like getting lost in a good book so I'm glad I've got the time to do it now! Happy days!

AND BREATHE. So that's finally it, guys. I know it's a long one and I'm sorry (but I'm not sorry if you've enjoyed it!). I'm going to try and blog a lot more regularly so I hope that's something you'd want to see. For me, it's kind of like a little diary that I get to keep online and people read if they fancy it (not me).

Take care, stay beautiful and dream BIG!

Thanks for stopping by <3.

@amyjcollins

xox

Big Life Updates - Aaaaah!

28.05.2013

Hiya Peeps!

Okay, so I've been slightly out of touch because I thought finishing University would mean I had all the time in the world on my hands, but it turns out that's not the case. I feel like I've been soooo busy the past two weeks that I've barely had time to breathe, let alone blog!

Basically, in this post I'm just going to share a few of the big updates in my life, and talk about some of the things I've been getting up to, so here it goes.

First update, (probably not that huge), is that I'm finally turning into a girl! Now, don't lets all start spreading rumours that I'm a male and have a hairy chest, but I have started acting more like a girl recently. I've suddenly had this massive burst of interest in all things make-up and I guess I kind of like this. I've never really been a massive fan of make up and always just worn little to nothing on my face, just because I could never be bothered. I started watching some YouTube videos of girls doing make-up and what the best products on the market were and I just decided it was something I wanted to experiment with. It's odd that I haven't had this before because I've worked in a 'drug store' for almost five years now and literally been surrounded by make-up products almost every weekend since I was sixteen. So, yes, that's update no1! If you see me now, I'm probably wearing eye primer and highlighter on my cheeks which sounds completely insane.

Now, probably the biggest update in my life at the moment is that I've finished Uni. I mentioned it at the start of this blog very briefly, but yes, it's now completely done. I don't think it's actually sunk in yet that I don't ever have to go to another lecture (hoorah!) because I've been spending time preparing for our end of year show and just generally being busy with life and stuff. It did kind of hit me today when I went back to the Uni building for the first time in nearly two weeks and it felt very weird. The building was really quiet because obviously most people have finished lectures now, but it sort of felt like I shouldn't have been there. I knowww that sounds completely ridiculous as I've been a student there for three years but I was almost waiting for someone to come and tell me off because I'm not technically a student anymore! I've mentioned a bit about Uni in a couple of my other blogs, and if you follow me on Twitter (@amyjcollins) you'll have probably seen my constant flow of tweets about Uni. It has been three of the toughest years I'll probably ever endure (which is probably why I've moaned so much), but it's also been the most exciting and eye opening experience of my life and I literally recommend it to EVERYONE. I've met the most amazing people over my time at Uni and I've also learned quite a lot as well (gladly!). Living away from home has really taught me A LOT of valuable life lessons and I've spent amazing times with some incredible people I'll never forget. (I would list them all, but I'll probably miss someone and don't want to offend. You all know who you are <3).

Third big life update is that I'm starting work experience tomorrow. I'm going to a Social and Mobile Media agency to learn more about what they do and how they work with high profile clients. I'm obviously blinking nervous about this but I honestly cannot contain my excitement. I'm buzzing to get out there into the world of work and because it's something I'm really keen to learn more about, I'm sure it'll be great fun. Social Media marketing and promotion is, I think, the future of marketing and promotion and it's definitely something I'm interested to get involved in and gain knowledge about.

Next thing, not something directly about me, but what is this weather playing at, eh?! I cannot believe that on Sunday afternoon I was having a barbeque with all my family at my grandparents house, and then today I got completely drenched by the rain walking 10 minutes home from town. It's insane. If there is someone who's borrowed the sun, please could we have it back? I miss it, and my bedroom is very cold because it's disappeared. Cheers.

So that's it really. Those are just some of the things going on in my life at the moment. I'm aware that they're not HUGELY exciting for other people but it's just a little insight into what's going on with me right now.

Thanks for stopping by <3.

@amyjcollins

xox