My September/October Playlist

Time for another playlist post! I have downloaded some great music recently, hope you enjoy!

ALICE BY THE HUDSON- AJR

Kind of an indie, pop, waltzy, electro (mix of everything) song, I just really love the melody and these guys are great, so have a listen! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mUoIi3RuJc

100 YEARS- FIVE FOR FIGHTING
I don't know what it is about this song, it sounds SO familiar even though I don't think I've heard it before I downloaded it this month, anyway, it's a really lovely little song. The singer has such a great, simple voice and an amazing falsetto!

BOTTLED UP TIGHT- LUKE SITAL SINGH

Ahhh, I LOVE this song so so much! This guy is incredible, so check out his other stuff too, but this is my fave!

FASTER- MATT NATHANSON

I don't know what exactly it is about this song, but it just makes me happy, so have a little listen! 

LOVE RUNS OUT- ONE REPUBLIC

Once again, One Republic have produced a crazy catchy, great pop song! I love this one, especially the chorus!

SWEET SERENDIPITY- LEE DEWYSE

It took me a little while to get into this, because I'm not the biggest fan of the start of the song, but the rest is so good that I kinda love it anyway! It is very much a summer feel good song, so definitely one for my spring playlist :D

BALKANTO- NOMADIC ORCHESTRA

Very much an acquired/personal taste, so I don't expect you'll all like them, but I luurve this band! They are a south african band that produce a mix of electronic house stuff with classical instruments, I just think they are great, and love their style, have a listen and see what you think!

UNDERMINE- HAYDEN PANITTIERE (NASHVILLE SOUNDTRACK)

I have just started watching Nashville and because of my love of country music, I am absolutely loving it! This song was sang on the show acoustically and very raw and stripped down, but I love this studio version too.

TRY- COLBIE CALLAIT

It took me a while to get into this song, it's a bit different from Colbie's usual stuff, but I think it is such an important message and I really like the song now.

ROCKSTAR- A GREAT BIG WORLD

Oh my goodness, I am obsessed with this song! This man's voice is just SO beautiful and he plays such amazing piano, and yeah, always just keeps his songs simple, meaningful and always amazing! Have a listen!

CRAZY FOR YOU -HEDLEY

I've only just discovered this band (or guy, I don't actually know), in the past few months, but I am such a fan, and I don't know why their stuff isn't more popular! Have a listen, this song is very upbeat and just makes me happy. 

MOVE- LITTLE MIX

I actually didn't like this song the first few times I listened to it, but then suddenly, I just changed my mind and now I really like it. Very upbeat and dance-y, have a listen!

BANG BANG- JESSIE J, ARIANA GRANDE, NIKKI MINAJ

This is definitely going to be my song for the summer, I am a little obsessed, and if I've spoken to you about music at all in the last month, no doubt I would have ranted to you about how much I love this song. I don't know exactly what it is, but it's just so good! I also was SO shocked at how amazing Jessie J's voice is! I have always known what a strong singer she is, but in this, I was really taken by surprised, it is amazing! And always love me some Ariana, with that amazing range, so yeah, a pretty great song!

I'm going to leave it at that for now, but I have downloaded so much stuff that I still want to share, so expect some more music posts. Although, saying that, not in the week or two while I write exams, but after that! 

Till then xx

My First Mac Products

Something a little exciting happened, I ordered some stuff from Mac, well very little actually, but yeah, basically I have been wanting to try out some Mac make-up for ages but have never been able to bring myself to splurge on it yet. And then I discovered that you can order Mac stuff online here, I didn't realise SA did that, so was excited to try a couple of things out. 

Being very much on a student's budget, I in no way could do a haul or massive order, but I ordered two things I have been wanting for ages and were top on my Mac list, and am so happy with them so far!

1) So the first thing is a good Mac lipstick. Yeah, I guess they are a bit pricy, but I have wanted one for ages and so finally ordered this one, called Ravishing and the finish is Creme Sheen. Deciding on a colour was tough because there were SO many, and also because I couldn't swatch it (cause it was online) I didn't want to order one that may look different in the thumbnail. I knew the colour I wanted the most was a corally sort of lipstick because I didn't have one and I think it will be very pretty for spring/summer coming up! 

I have no experience in picking a finish either, and there were so many, so I sort of just went by colour, but the Creme Sheen finish is actually so amazing, because it is a little creamy and so doesn't clump on your lips and just has a very nice overall finish. I am so happy with this colour!

Mac- Ravishing (Cremesheen)

2) The second, and last thing I bought (yeah, only two things for now) was actually a brush I have heard people rave about for a long time, which is the Mac 217 blending brush. It's designed mainly for eye shadow blending and contouring I think, but can also be used with cream rather than powder, so works as a small concealer brush too. I am using it mainly for concealer because I don't wear eye shadow much, but have washed it out and tried it for both and it's just really nice! It's the perfect size for your crease and is soft and doesn't loose bristles, which is always a plus!

Mac 217 Blending Brush

So yeah, this is a very simple, quick little post, but I am so excited to finally have some Mac stuff and I am just enjoying them both so much, that I thought I'd share them with y'all :)

The bug has definitely bitten me, and I can't wait to get more Mac, I'm thinking I want a nude-y lipstick next, comment if you know of any good ones!

The Jenna Lowe Trust #GETMETO21

This is not one of my usual blog posts... It's an appeal, a desperate plea for a little help to make a small change towards solving a difficult problem. 
Jenna Lowe is my age, went to a school that I know well and have many friends at, and is a close friend to several of my friends, so while I don't even know her personally, it doesn't matter, because she needs a hand here, and so I thought, the only other thing I could do on top of sharing the links and what not on every form of social media I have, was to blog about it. Because maybe, even if it's just one of you who hears about this trust, we can actually contribute to making a change. 

Before I go into too much detail here, let me tell you the problem. Jenna has Pulmonary Hypertension, and while I really don't know the specifics, it's basically a degenerative disease that blocks up the arteries to your lungs, and can make it very hard to breathe, it mostly leads to heart failure, particularly without treatment to slow down the process. One main issue with this, is that it is virtually unheard of, particularly here is South Africa. If you are interested in the more medical side of the disease and the signs and symptoms and so on, you can read here or here. It took Jenna ages to be finally diagnosed with this because it is so rare. She now has to face the really traumatic and life-changing event of needing a lung transplant, but before this can even happen, she needs a good set of healthy lungs that are a match. 

So, why am I writing to you guys? Well, from this blog post, I guess what I am hoping for is to get more support for Jenna's trust and new campaign called 'Get Me to 21'. 

THE JENNA LOWE TRUST: 
Check the site out here!
They created the trust a while ago in order to raise awareness to help diagnosis for others, seeing as it is so rare, and also to help raise funds for the extremely expensive medication and procedures. You can help in this way by downloading a song that Jenna and her sister Kristi wrote that is available to buy on iTunes (it's a great song too!), or you can look on the website, there are really pretty bracelets that you can order and a whole bunch other other fundraisers, so please do support! 

#GETMETO21
Check this out here. 
This is a very new campaign they have created for Jenna, seeing as she now needs a lung transplant. The basic idea is to promote awareness and support of becoming an organ donor. Obviously this isn't even directly helping Jenna, but rather is just something to consider. One organ donor can save seven lives! I am not at all, asking you to do this, I understand what a very personal and big decision it is, but rather just asking that you think about it, and if not now, then maybe another day, but otherwise any form of awareness is exactly what she needs. 

I don't know how I would manage this if I was in Jenna's situation, but even though I don't know her personally, she has just been so inspiring! I thought I'd do my little part to try help out. Even if one person reads this blog and checks out the website, that will be enough, because like I said, ultimately, awareness if a very powerful tool. 

Okay, so what am I asking you to do, or hoping to get from this post?

- Please, if you have some time, check out the Jenna Lowe Trust website, it's very informative and has a blog Jenna does about coping and stuff like that.

- Check out the Get Me To 21 website and watch the YouTube video supporting that, that I posted above. 

- If you have always wanted to be an organ donor and have never gotten round to it, then sign up, but otherwise just maybe consider if you ever would, if you want. 

- If you like them, why not order one of the bracelets they're selling to raise money, this is probably limited to South Africans, but yeah, I think they're super pretty. 

- This goes for everyone (international and local), and is a very easy one for any of you who aren't from SA. Why not buy the song on iTunes to raise money, it's called "I Need More Time" by Kristi Lowe, it is really beautiful and will cost you almost nothing, like R9 or $1! 

- But lastly, most importantly, and the reason I decided to blog about this, PLEASE, pretty please, SHARE THESE LINKS, share the YouTube video and TALK ABOUT IT to your friends, etc. because even though it seems ambitious, if the YouTube video can go viral, or people from around the world, not just SA know about PH and Jenna's story, it will not only help Jenna but everyone else with the disease and those who may not even know they have it yet. Share the video on Google+, the websites on FB, blog about it, talk about it and tweet using #GETMETO21 

Thanks guys, just doing one of these things is so easy for us, so if you have a few seconds free, think about it please.

xx

Jack Kerouac

I hope one day I can say that my life was even half as crazy, adventurous, inspiring and truly refreshing as his. Some words of wisdom by this gem of an inspiration. 

Another Lush Haul!

I've been to Lush again. Well actually I go all the time, hehe, but I did a little splurge over the past month or so, so wanted to share these with you guys! 

DOROTHY BUBBLE BAR

This was my first time trying this, and I have a feeling that it is new, or maybe it has just never caught my eye before, but I had one sniff and knew I had to try it. It smells very fresh and clean. It's a bright refreshing smell that isn't overly fragrant and is, in that way, quite an unusual smell compared to most of Lush's other stuff. If you have tried the christmas edition bubble bar called Christmas Eve, this smells very similar to that. yeah, I have used half of this and it is amazing! 

THINK PINK BATH BALLISTIC

This is actually also one I hadn't tried before and to be honest, I used this a couple of months back cause it was the first thing I bought that I'm putting in this haul, so I can't actually remember what it smelt like... buut what I do remember is really loving it! It's filled with sprinkles and glitter and loads of little hearts in the middle and I just really liked it. I think it was a very pretty floral smell. 

TWILIGHT BATH BALLISTIC

This for me is a bit of an old classic. It's not new and is on their permanent range, but it's definitely a goody! It is a very warm, sweet smell and oh my goodness, everytime I smell it I just have to buy it! I hadn't had one of these in a long time, but forgot how much I love them! They don't do anything showy (like spurt out glitter and hearts, etc.) but they make the water so silky and it leaves your skin so so soft when you get out, so definitely one that's good for your skin too!

GRANNY TAKES A DIP BATH BOMB

This is relatively new too, and it was my first time trying it! It's quite an unusual tangy sort of smell, I don't really know how to describe it, but it smells so lovely and oh my goodness, it looks so cool in the water, it turns it into a like foamy multicoloured layers, that smells amazing and is also super good for your skin. 

PHOENIX BALLISTIC

Also part of the newer range, this was one that I really loved because it smells of cinnamon! It smells so delicious and leaves the bath deep pink with loads of gold glitter everywhere! 

FIZZBANGER BATH BALLISTIC

This isn't a new Lush product, but has only recently come out here in SA, as far as I know, cause I'm sure I haven't seen it before. I had heard quite a few Youtubers say how much they love this one, so when I saw it, I immediately put it in my basket! And it was no disappointment. I think this is actually my new favourite Lush product! It smells of lemons and is super fresh and perfect for spring/summer. It is a birght yellow on the outside, but then the middle is a deep blue, so the bath turns a really bright pretty green. And then, if that's not enough, in the middle, there are also all these popping candy type things that fizz and pop (like rice crispies haha) in the bath, and yeah, this is just a really cool bath bomb! 

HONEY BEE BALLISTIC

And last but not least, an all time classic and probably my favourite bath bomb on their permanent range, is Honey Bee. I just luurve the smell of this so so much! It smells very sweet and fragrant and like honey (surprise!), and yeah the amazing smell combined with how soft it makes your skin feel after a bath makes it my ultimate bath ballistic, so had to pick up one of these again!

So that's it for this time! As exams come up and stuff, do yourself a favour, go to Lush, treat yourself to a bath bomb or two, I promise it will be the perfect stress reliever! Enjooyyy

My August Playlist

I haven't posted in a while and it's not because I haven't had time, I actually have just gone back to vasirty after a week vac, but for some reason I have felt a little uninspired about what to post about. I have a sticky note on my desk top with all these ideas, but they all need a little time (like a haul requires me to go shopping, haha, that sort of thing), so I decided I wanted to do a playlist post, because I love sharing the music I have been enjoying with people, and so yeah, I hope that you like this post, even if you just fall in love with one of these songs that I've been so obsessed with the last few weeks! 

LOVE IS WAR- AMERICAN YOUNG

I'm cheating a bit seeing as I only discovered this yesterday, so September rather, but I have had it on repeat literally of all hours of the day since I downloaded it. It's a girl and guy, I assume they're married/together but not 100%, who are just this amazing duet super couple. It's a bit country-ish and just very cute... I love the lyrics, and it's a soft and easy listening folk-y song- do check it out. I heard them sing on Andy's season of The Bachelorette in one of the episodes and went to search them straight away because I love it so much!

FINE BY ME- ANDY GRAMMER

 Definitely my fav this past month, also quite a recent download but have already brought it up into one of my most played songs. It's just so happy and upbeat, I literally can't help by sing along, yeah just a super great tune, check it out!

STAY WITH ME- ED SHEERAN (SAM SMITH COVER)

Don't get me wrong, I luuurve the original, and Sam Smith is so great! But wow, Ed Sheeran's cover of this song is just so genuine and beautiful!

DON'T BE SAYING GOODBYE- HOWIE COMBRINK

 I heard this song on the radio here in SA while driving the other day and when Shazam couldn't find it (cause Howie Combrink is a fairly undiscovered SA artist still), I spent a LOT of time on YouTube and eventually found it! I love this song, it's very simple and cute, but I love his acoustic, chilled style, and yeah, just a sweet little song. 

HEART MADE UP ON YOU- R5

(not 5 rand- for you South African's like me, hehe) I am a bit of a sucker for super upbeat, unbelievably happy pop music, and this is definitely one of those, a little cheesy but really an ultimate pick-me-up song! Yeah, I discovered this band quite recently, and don't know their stuff well, but this song is just very much a traditional pop song, and I kinda love that, so yeah, if that's your thing, check this out!

SHAKE IT OFF- TAYLOR SWIFT

 T Swizzle just doesn't disappoint when it comes to singing about how the "haters gonna hate", and this is just a great new song of hers. I am just a little obsessed. I know a lot of people were disappointed with this, and part of me really does miss her good old country tracks, but you know what, she does pop well, and I love this! I think the music video is really funny, and I love that she can at least laugh at herself. Have a listen, but pre-warning, it's pretty addictive, I knew every word within a couple of hours!

I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE- SAM SMITH

 Like I said, I am a new fan of Sam Smith, ahh his voice is just SO stunning! He's got such a range and just sings with a lot of passion. This is probably my favourite of his.

THIS IS HOW WE DO- KATY PERRY

 This is Katy's newest single, and I seem to have it stuck in my head all the time! Super catchy and very her and pop-y. I just really like it, it's also a really cool, quirky music video. 

BETTER THAN YOU THINK- THE DUBARRYS

 My friend introduced this amazing, but very undiscovered British band to me, and I love them! I'd say their style is kind of indie folk, that sort of vibe, and this song specifically, I just think is so pretty!

BO$$- FIFTH HARMONY

 I wasn't a fan of this song when I first heard it, and I don't know what changed, but suddenly I have been slightly obsessed. It's super sassy and I don't know, I've just grown to like it, it's by Fifth Harmony, who I always support because after watching them through X-Factor USA, I know what amazing singers they are, so it's great to see them releasing a popular single and stuff, have a listen!

MESS IS MINE- VANCE JOY

 I'm sure you'll know of this guy from Riptide, which is one of my all time favourite songs, particularly because I discovered it before it became so popular, which, as you probably know, is kinda just the best feeling. But I have recently been listening to his other stuff, and it is so beautiful! This one is my fav of those others...

ALL ABOUT THAT BASS- MEGHAN TAILOR

 I don't know exactly what it is about this song, but I love it! Very catchy, so have a listen!

Okay and then there were two albums that I loved so many songs on that I thought I may as well just mention the whole album!

WANTED ON VOYAGE- GEORGE EZRA
Ahh, this album <3 it's so stunning! It's such a lovely mix of chilled and more upbeat stuff and I just really find George Ezra's voice and lyrics so intriguing! It's such an unusual sound in the music of today and yeah, just super good stuff! Some of my favourites:

BUDAPEST (literally on the radio every 2 seconds!

BLAME IT ON ME

SONG 6 (WATCHING PAINT DRY)

BARCELONA

'V' - MAROON 5

Okay, I am a hard core Maroon 5 fan, everything from their first album (still my best) to this most recent one of theirs. I haven't heard all the songs, but from what I have heard, I will be downloading the rest very soon! It's kind of a bit of a new, synthesised pop sound for them, and at first I was a little skeptical, but Adam Levine is Adam Levine, and I just really love this album! My two favs at the moment:

MAPS (also, always on the radio, very popular!)

IT WAS ALWAYS YOU (LOVE this!)

So that's it for some of the music I'm loving at the moment! Hope you enjoy, let me know if you've been as obsessed as I am with any of these songs!