Fashion, beauty, advice, tips, and rants, I hope to do my best at giving you guys the best information I can. Any products I review are my own opinions and purchased with my own money, I'm not popular enough to get free stuff I guess.
I'm a 19 year old second year student majoring in Communications Studies at Carleton University. I love writing and beauty, so this blog is going to be a culmination of all the things I am most passionate about. Thank you so much for checking out my blog!
Let's face it. 2014 is a month over and that resolution you made fell apart within the first 48 hrs. However, this year, I plan to do things differently. And unlike most resolutioners, I never make resolutions and as a result, never say this year will be different. But it will be. I can feel it.
To help out with staying on track with accomplishing your goals, I'll share with you some tips and tricks that, if you put the effort in, will work for anything.
First off, make tiny goals to accomplish your big goal. These tiny goals will provide that boost of, "yay, I'm doing so well," feeling we get when we accomplish something.
For example: One of my big goals is to get toned. The mini goals go as follows:
Detox/Cleanse - cutting out chocolate, candy, chips, pop, fast food, alcohol, and eating things late at night. Originally this was going to be a 21 Day Challenge I was doing for myself, but as the weeks go on, I'm liking this cleanse more and more, so I made it an all the time thing and allow myself one cheat day a week.
Gym Rat - ever since telling my friend about my goal to get healthy and about my cleanse, it motivated her to also get healthy. She's cut out dairy products from her diet and is now my gym date every other day. Without her, I wouldn't have stepped foot in the gym. We're going to be signing up for an aerobic boxing class and yoga for me, in addition to our 15 increment workouts every other day.
Abs - To go along with my Gym Rat goal, I found this great ab workout on YouTube which I will have linked down below. I do three reps every other night and wake up with a lovely ab burn the next morning. I really do love that kind of burn. It makes me feel like progress is being made, even if I can't see it.
Secondly, the biggest thing is mindset. You can set all the goals and mini goals you want, but unless you're in the proper mindset, you won't accomplish anything. You have to motivate yourself. Unfortunately, that's not something anyone else can tell you how to do or should continue to do. You have to do it for yourself.
Whenever you think of quitting, remember the reasons why you made the goal to begin with. It's important to keep thinking of the time before you decided to make the goal and the reasons why you made it.
Whatever you do, keep your motivation high and your mindset positive. The end result will be worth every second you thought about skipping a workout, or bingeing on chocolates, or sinking into that place you were in before.
To help with the positive mindset idea, I write down three things I'm grateful for at the end of every day. It helps end the day on a good note as opposed to dwelling on everything that made me upset that day. For example,
It was warm and sunny today, and for the first time in weeks, I was not shivering like a leaf in the fall while waiting outside.
I have pizza for supper today, and I'm super excited. Delissioso Veggie Delite whoop whoop!
I'm grateful today is Friday, and also my cheat day so I can drink my last beer with no guilt!
There are two mottos I live by, one of them is, "Everything in Moderation," and the other is, "Everything will work out in the end, and if it hasn't, then it's not the end."
Those two sayings have gotten me through a lot, in addition to the quote I will be getting a tattoo of which will, "Dum Spiro Spero" ("While I breathe, I hope").
A tattoo has been on my to do list for a really long time (almost 7 years!) it just took me a while to decide on something I was ready to commit to, but recent events really pushed me to get the ball rolling on my tattoo accumulating, and so I'm beyond excited to say it's finally happening! When I go home for spring break, I'll be getting it done then, and I know once I get the first one over with, the other ones I want will be easy to handle. I hope.
I think when it comes to things like tattoos or even getting in shape, it really takes something big to happen to you to really motivate you. In one of Sophie Kinsella's books, Wedding Night, the protagonist would always do these crazy things after a breakup. She joined a cult, got a tattoo, got engaged to another man right after her last relationship ended. Her sister called them Unfortunate Choices. But when you think about it, we all need to make an Unfortunate Choice every now and again to push us in the direction we need to go. So no matter what hand you're dealt or how you deal with it, know that life may not operate like a Katherine Heigl movie or a Sophie Kinsella book, but everything will find a way to work itself out. You just need to ride the waves when you can, and take shelter when the storm gets too rough, but no matter what, keep your head above that water because better days are ahead.
Did that sound cheery enough for 8 AM Friday morning? No? Too bad. Anyone really cheery before 10 AM is an alien or a pod person.
Today, I'll be doing my first monthly favourites post of not only the new year but my blog! Yay! (The reason why I'm so excited this morning to be honest.) I'll be doing beauty favourites, fashion favourites, and random favourites. Not going to lie, I'm way behind on my fashion game. I'd much rather spend money making my face look nice as opposed to what I wear. For some reason I can't bring myself to spend 30$ on a sweater the same way I can spend 30$ on blush at Sephora. That being said, I'm not too sure how that category is going to go, but as far as beauty things go, let's get started!
*****
First of all, I have been loving my Naked Basics palette! I'm not nearly good enough at eyeshadow to spend 2 minutes on it, but the shadows in that palette are perfect for people who are jug experimenting with shadows and don't want to be overwhelmed by the colours and choices most commonly found in larger palettes. It's definitely worth the 30(ish) dollars.
My next beauty favourite has to be my Sephora Collection PRO Angled Contour Brush. I believe it's the number 39 if that means anything to anyone. Either that, or that was the price, I'm not too sure... This brush has made such a huge difference in my everyday contour routine, though, it's insane. I like the angled brushes for contouring as opposed to flat top ones or rounded ones because it makes carving out the cheek bones so much easier. When you have a round face and high cheekbones masked beneath that rounded, the brush makes all the difference between hot mess and hotness.
Next favourite is a product that was featured in my A. Awards for those of you who have read that post, and for those who haven't here is the link to that post:
The Tarte Amazonian Clay 12hr Bronzer is the best contour product I've used so far. It's matte which seems to be super hard to find in the drugstore and out. If you're going to splurge on something splurge on two things: foundation and matte bronzer. It makes all the difference in a face.
My next beauty favourite is also one that I featured in my A. Awards. It's the L'Oreal Million Lashes Volumi Excess. I've used tons of mascaras. If there's one beauty product I regularly buy new ones to try, it's mascara. I've tried Covergirl, Maybelline, MAC, Revlon, etc. I mostly try drugstore brands is the point. The MAC mascara I tried I got as part of this grad makeup package thing. I'm pretty sure it was cost inclusive so it wasn't technically free, but that's besides the point. It was a good mascara but not a great one. Covergirl has recently come out a good dupe for the MAC mascara I got. It's their new Bombshell mascara that has the same point as the MAC one. Two wands, one for volume the other for length. I've yet to try it, but from the reviews I've read and watched it's pretty good. Let me know if you guys would like a review on the Covergirl bombshell mascara. Onto the actual favorite. The L'Oreal mascara beats out the Maybelline the Rocket mascara for me any day. It's super volumizing and lengthening. A couple coats and I could have false lashes on for all anyone else could know. The only down side I find is that it clumps super fast so to avoid this, I run my Covergirl clump crusher through my lashes for separation.
My last beauty favourite concealer lately has been the Maybelline Dark Circle Eraser Concealer. It has a sponge applicator which is different from any other concealer I've seen. The formula itself is super creamy and takes a while to set so I recommend using a setting powder underneath the eyes if nowhere else when using this product. That being said, the creaminess of the product makes it super easy to blend. True to the name it really does erase your dark circles with a single application and girl, lemme tell you, I have some mad dark circles.
In terms of favourite fashion piece(s) for this month, I feel like you can never go wrong with an oversized sweater, so I'm going to go with my burgundy sweater I purchased from H&M over the holidays. I've definitely been wearing it a lot. Mainly because it's such an easy thing to throw on over a tank top and leggings.
Another fashion type favourite would be my blue pullover hoodie from Winners that I wore in my TMI Tag video (photo of me wearing the hoodie above). It's so comfy and lightweight, yet still warm. It's very movable and perfect for those days where you can't be bothered to pick out a decent outfit and opt for comfy as opposed to dressy. Or those days where you literally role out of bed and run out the door. Don't judge me, I know we've all gone to school in the clothes we've slept in at least once.
Favourite hair care product would have to be my Babybliss Morrocan Oil. This stuff is great for not only your hair, but also your skin. Since my skin has been crazy dry lately, I've been doing everything I can do get rid of the dryness in my face. While most girls take off oils, I put it on. Beauty oils are becoming a huge trend, but for those of us who don't want to spend too much money on hair and face oils, just pat whatever excess oil remains on your hands onto your face. It gives a nice glow to the face too I feel. Because I have dry skin, staying matte is never a problem, it's staying glowy which is not to be confused with oily!
It wouldn't be a favourites post without a favourite LUSH product! It is definitely the Comforter bubble bar. It's huge, so you can use it at least two or three times if you chop it up. Some people said it stained their tub, but mine was fine after I used it. It has such a relaxing scent. If you're into berry scents, I recommend this one, it's very fruity and girly! If you're not into that sort of smell, I recommend Big Blue which is just a blue version of the comforter with a different scent. Both are amazing and are perfect for those days when you need a little pick me up.
Non Beauty Favourites
My first non beauty favourite I need to mention is my Bath and Body Works Black Pepper Bergamot candle. It smells like a man and it is lovely. I highly recommend picking it up if you have the chance!
I have a tea favourite this month! It's my jasmine tea from the Asian supermarket. I have no idea what it's called, but I love it! I also recently purchased a loose leaf tea from this little local tea place in downtown. I've only tried it once, but I'm definitely preferring it to the President's Choice grocery store brand I've been buying lately.
To go along with my favourite tea I have a favourite mug. Yes, a favourite mug. I didn't think it was possible either until I bought this adorable cow print mug! The udders have little grippy things on the bottom so the cup doesn't slide around anywhere. Plus, it's quite a big cup, so it's perfect for early mornings, late nights, and every time in between!
There are two shows I've been loving this month, Revenge and 2 Broke Girls! Revenge is the perfect combination of drama and crime. It's not too Gossip Girl and not too Dexter, but the perfect mix in between. I highly recommend giving it a watch! The next show is one that is completely on the other side of the TV show spectrum. 2 Broke Girls has me laughing every episode! The script is so clever and funny. Kat Dennings is hilarious and so amazing! Whenever I'm not feeling so great, I'll watch a couple episodes and instantly feel better.
Continuing along the entertainment route, my favourite book for this month was I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella. I read it back in December and recently reread it. I love the character Kinsella creates because I feel like I can definitely relate to the protagonist. If you are a fan of the Shopaholics series (or not) I recommend picking up one of her other books outside the Shopaholics books. My all time favourite is the Undomestic Goddess.
And it wouldn't be a favourites post without music! I downloaded a bunch of songs this month, and I can safely say I have a top 5 for the month of January:
And finally, my favourite YouTuber of the month has got to be grav3yardgirl. She is the quirkiest, most fun, and weird beauty guru I've ever seen and I absolutely love her! Highly recommend checking out her channel if you haven't already. She has a "Does This Thing Really Work" type of series where she tries out As Seen On TV products and those videos are by far my favourite things to watch on YouTube!
Bunny aka grav3yardgirl
That's it for the Chronicles' First Favourites Post ever!! I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Let me know what your favourites are for this month via Twitter or comment down below!
Don't forget to follow me on the social media things!
I hope you're all having a happy Tuesday! Recently I've cut out a bunch of things from my everyday diet in the hopes of beginning to tone up and get ready for the summer. The point of this post isn't to tell you guys you all need to change and stop eating the things you want or doing the things you do, but to tell you guys that in 8 steps, you can learn to embrace imperfection.
There is no such thing as imperfection. Every "imperfection" you have is simply another aspect of yourself that makes you more unique.
Get in front of the mirror and take a good look at yourself. Take in all those scars, freckles, rolls, wrinkles, stretch marks, blemishes, and any other flaw you think you have. True, mirrors don't lie, but our eyes do. Funny thing about people, they will always see what they want to see. Know that no matter what you see, you can change what you don't like, and love what you can't change.
Ignore what everyone says about you, ignore what the media is telling you, ignore the thigh gaps, bikini bridges, muffin tops, tank top arms, back fat, bubble butts, and any other body image we're slammed with everyday. For the men out there, same thing. Don't have a six pack? That's cool, we don't either. Don't have sculpted arms? That's fine, we don't have double D boobs and a Nicki Minaj butt. Bottom line? In the end, looks are just a short term burst of confidence. Personality is a long term confidence booster, and that's probably why it's so easy to overlook. People can't take a photo of a personality like they can photograph a body. People like the short term burst of happy as opposed to the long term happiness that can be achieved through your own personal quirks.
To go along with that, if you like to body build and get fit and be healthy, good for you. Be proud of the self control and effort you put into achieving your goals. If you don't, be proud that you're getting through another day in this messed up world we live in. No matter who you are or what you believe or how you choose to live your life, be happy with it, and if you're not, you have the power to change it. I could go on for days about htis, but just be happy with you, okay?
Makeup doesn't make you fake or false advertise or change who you are. Makeup enhances who you are and your features. It's not covering up your imperfections. Makeup is like confidence in a bottle. If you don't need it, good for you, if you do, don't feel like it's a coverup for who you are.
Oh you're awkward? Me too! I'm so awkward it's painful. That being said, embrace the awkward, don't be embarrassed by it. Learn to laugh at yourself and you'll never feel like you're being made fun of again. A smile is so much more beautiful than a pout anyway.
Tell yourself you're awesome every single day. Literally every single day. It does wonders.
Lastly, keep your head high. No one else's opinion of you matters except your own.
Thank you so much for reading this post and I hope it helped you in some way shape or form! It's not just girls you want to feel loved, pretty, and accepted, guys do too, I'm sure, so this post is also for all the guys out there who experience any body image struggles or any situation where you feel like you're not good enough. You are, you always will be, and you are more than enough for anybody. As my girl, Audrey Hepburn once said, "Happy Girls are the Prettiest." I'm sure she meant guys too.
Enjoy the rest of your day and I will be back with a new post for you soon!
XOXO,
A. Bean
PS- Somebody out there cares, somebody out there loves you, and somebody out there is just waiting to know you, so don't get crushed by pressures or struggles. Keep that head up, and that smile bright. ♥
PPS- LET'S CONNECT! (That sounded like a really bad dating site ad...)
Hey Guys! I filmed a TMI Tag for you guys, if you're interested in seeing the full video, I will have it up as soon as possible when I update this post. Right now, I'm editing it, but I thought I'd share this super goofy trailer I put together in iMovie just to give you guys an intro on the tag! I'll also leave the questions I used to do this tag down below so you can do the challenge as well!
TMI Tag
BY LITTLEMISSNERDYBOOKWORM
1: What are you wearing?
2: Ever been in love?
3: Ever had a terrible breakup?
4: How tall are you?
5: How much do you weigh?
6: Any tattoos?
7: Any piercings?
8: One True Partner?
9: Favorite Show?
10: Favorite bands?
11: Something you miss?
12: Favorite song?
13: How old are you?
14: Zodiac sign?
15: Quality you look for in a partner?
16: Favorite Quote?
17: Favorite actor?
18: Favorite color?
19: Loud music or soft?
21: How long does it take you to shower?
22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
23: Ever been in a physical fight?
24: Turn on?
25: Turn off?
26: The reason I joined WordPress/Blogspot/YouTube?
27: Fears?
28: Last thing that made you cry?
29: Last time you said you loved someone?
30: Meaning behind your WordPress/Blogspot/YouTube Name?
31: Last book you read?
32: The book you’re currently reading?
33: Last show you watched?
34: Last person you talked to?
35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted?
36: Favorite food?
37: Place you want to visit?
38: Last place you were?
39: Do you have a crush?
40: Last time you kissed someone?
41: Last time you were insulted?
42: Favourite flavour of sweet?
43: What instruments do you play?
44: Favourite piece of jewellery?
45: Last sport you played?
46: Last song you sang?
47: Favourite chat up line?
48: Have you ever used it?
49: Last time you hung out with anyone?
50: Who should answer these questions next?
Here is my FULL TMI Tag answers!
Thank you so much for check out my blog post, and I will see you guys next time! I hope you're all having an amazing Saturday!
To make sure you don't miss anything, follow thecurlychroniclesbyabean.blogspot.ca to stay updated!
XOXO,
A. Bean
PS- Also thanks to littlemissnerdybookworm on WordPress for providing the questions for this tag.
If you're reading this, tag your TMI Tag with the hashtag #BeanTMI and tag me to it on twitter so I can check out your answers to the questions! It can be a blogpost, YouTube video, anything!
Today, I have a review for you guys on the LUSH Hair Treatment product called, H'Suan Wen Hua. Don't ask me how to say it, I don't even try! What I can say about this product, though, is it is magic in a jar! Before I get into the review, here is what the LUSH website says the product is supposed to do:
"This is our intensely moisturizing treatment for truly unruly hair. You don't have to know how to pronounce it, just massage it into scalp and mane and let it go to work for 20-30 minutes before shampooing and conditioning. It's our version of a fresh face mask for the hair, with softening and moisturizing mashed bananas, avocados and olive oil, shine-enhancing balsamic vinegar and fresh eggs. Treat dull, damaged and dry hair right; feed it H'suan Wen Hua and bring it back to life.
Features
Shine on: Balsamic vinegar keeps your locks beautifully sleek, shiny and bright.
Clucking amazing:Eggs are packed with nutritious proteins and help protect the hair.
Good news for the top:Bay leaf infusion is stimulating, toning and clarifying for the scalp."
Featured Fresh Ingredient: Avocados
I purchased this product over the holidays and have used it once a week along with my usual hair care routine since then. Having awkward medium length curly hair and wanting to grow it out is a pain, so I thought this product would help damage and frizz control. After one use, my hair looks rejuvenated and the curls are actually soft and springy. Ladies, if you have curly hair, you know one of the biggest problems with curls is once it's done, you don't touch it, you don't stroke it, and definitely don't run your fingers through it or you'll just anger the beast. The day after I do the hair treatment, you can do all of that and still avoid the frizz and tangles. It's amazing.
This product it says you're supposed to apply a thick coating and leave it in for 20-30 minutes before shampooing and conditioning as normal. Because I have curly hair, albeit it being quite thin, applying a thick coating of this product would basically be the equivalent of dumping the entire jar of product on my head. So, to avoid having a mountain of goop on top of my head - the smell, by the way, is quite mild, very oat-y - for 30 minutes, I apply a thick coating to my ends because they need the extra moisture the most, and then just a light coat over the rest of my head. After applying it, I'll throw my hair up in a top knot and do my own thing for 30 minutes before hopping into the shower.
Once in there, I'll keep the top knot in for five more minutes while I dawdle in the shower, and then shampoo my entire head with my Moroccan Oil Moisturizing Shampoo (24.99$ CDN at Winners for both full sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner) until the hair treatment is out, and then I'll condition my hair as normal. I recommend using a plastic wide tooth comb when conditioning just to get any knots out. Plus, any curly girl worth her salt does not own a brush. So, a hair pick as pictured below, or a wide tooth comb is recommended while in the shower and post shower hair care too.
If you guys are curious in my curly hair care routine, let me know and I will definitely do a post all about my hair care routine and quest to grow it out as healthy as possible! For those of you who understand that not every curly girl has the same kind of curl, here is a photo of my curly cues. It's hard finding tutorials for my kind of hair (fine, loose-ish curls, dark, awkward medium length), so I definitely don't mind offering up as many curly girl maintenance/tutorial things you guys might be interested in reading. Disclaimer: it's still an ongoing battle with me and hair styles that work for me. Honestly, I'm pretty sure aside from colouring it, my hairstyle has basically stayed the same since I was five.
Voila, my hurr. I'll try and find a better picture of my hair, but this is basically how it looks all day, e'rr day. Unless it's a particularly bad day, or my ends look especially disgusting. Then it's either a ponytail or a bun, although due to the recent bout of pure cold the east is experiencing, walking outside with my hair up would be like walking in Siberia in booty shorts. Not smart. Which is why I refuse to go short with my hair. Not only does curly not look so great short (it looks...cute. An adjective which I have a few issues with. I'd rather be a bronzed golden goddess with flowing locks than skipping around singing, "You're not fully dressed without a smile" whilst in a red peter pan collared dress). It's the fear of any curly girl and a threat that was constantly used on me when I was little and refused to sit still while my mother did my hair. Some girls can rock the afro. I am not one of them.
But I digress. A lot.
Bottom line?
The H'Suan Wen Hua Hair Treatment by LUSH is definitely worth a try if your hair needs moisture, shine, and softness. It's great for all hair types and is definitely one of the cheaper hair treatments found at LUSH.
Thank you so much for reading and if you'd like to know my tips and tricks for curly hair maintenance, taming, and soothing, leave me a comment or tweet me @aly_bean!
So drifting away from the beauty stuff for a minute to discuss my second favourite topic: music. I figure with the past few posts being makeup related, I would take a small break for some real talk.
We've all experienced those days where absolutely nothing goes right and the most tempting thing to do is to crawl into bed and scroll through depressing Tumblr quotes. Don't lie to yourself. I've done/do it, and if you haven't done it, girl, you need to hop on that band wagon. Not that I'm saying embarking on the endless scroll of depressing quotes is healthy or right, but to some degree, it does make us feel better having something to relate to.
Classic Rock 'n' Roll to Soothe the Soul
I have an alternative to depressing quotes and that is music. It's old as time and never goes out of style. Unless you listen to mainstream pop, in which case, yes, style changes more times than a girl's moods while she's PMSing. Which is why I am writing this post. To encourage you all to step away from the One Direction and put the Drake on mute for five minutes (sacrilege, I know, but bear with me, Kendrick Lamar and Justin Beiber will forgive you) and listen to some good old rock 'n' roll to soothe your soul. Seriously, do it. I've provided a quick easy link for you guys down below so all you go to do is click and listen while I continue my post.
Honestly, listen to that riff at the beginning. If I could have that one minute played on repeat over and over again, I'd be in heaven. This song is by far one of the best experiences of my life, and the best part is, I can keep reliving it. That's the power of music you know. A single song can trigger a whole host of memories.
Summertime Happiness
For example, over the summer, I went out a lot with a group of friends from where I worked. It was one girl's birthday, so she invited four of us, which became our usual bar hopping group, to the bar where she was having her birthday. She leaves at 11 o'clock! On her birthday! Guys, can I first say, I don't care if you're turning 50, you can't leave your own birthday early! Side note, she was turning 23, not 50, which makes it even worse, but I digress. All her other friends dwindled off too, but the four of us stayed until the bar closed. There was this tiny dance floor and we stayed on that dance floor the entire night! We left once or twice to refresh our drinks, but otherwise, we danced on that dance floor until the lights came on. There were tons of songs played, a butchered remix of Lana Del Rey's Summertime Sadness, some other remixed top 40 stuff, but one that seemed to keep playing was Aviicii's Wake Me Up. For some reason that song stuck and I remember shouting the lyrics with my friend while our other friend danced with us in our happy little circle. There were two guys and two girls, including me, in our group, and it was the best time. One of the guys dances like he's some dope black guy while our other friend drunkenly knelt in front of this random girl and kissed her hand before running away once the lights came on.
Another song that I loved during the summer and shamelessly blasted and belted whilst in my car, was Vita Chamber's Fix You. I remember it was after my shift during the first couple weeks I'd been working there, I think. I was driving down the road that would take me straight into my neighbourhood, I had that song blasting, the sun roof down, and giving myself a mental pat on the back for actually being good at this hostessing job (as opposed to the nearly scarring experience of my first hostessing position which had also happened to be my first job ever). I was at a red light behind this gold Ford SUV thing, singing my song, being oblivious as per usual, when one of the guys I worked with, the bartender, sticks his head out the window and waves at me. Semi-mortifed I waved back and continued to drive home without the embarrassing singing, but I stubbornly kept Fix You on repeat the entire way home. It was also then that the bartender and I realized we actually lived pretty frigging close to each other. He later became one of my best friends, a title which is given to few and lost by many. Nonetheless, that song never ceases to remind me of the simpler days and of a simpler me.
All that to say, music, for me, brings on stronger memories than any object, sight, or smell. Although there's research that says our olfactory senses are the strongest triggers for memories. Maybe for some people, but I feel like I have partially dead nostrils since my sense of smell is crap. Unless you're wearing something strong or I'm right up in your business, I'm not smelling anything. Which I guess comes in handy when in super BO prone situations, but the likelihood of me being in a sweaty locker room of dingy club is almost slim to none. We like to keep it classy 'n' sassy here at the Chronicler.
*****
So, when I'm having an off day, or a day when nothing went right for me (I had three months of pure wrong before anything went semi-right for me), the songs I listened to the most were really mellow and calming ones. Ones that reminded me that it goes right eventually. Like the more down life drags you, the higher you'll shoot up (credits to depressing Tumblr scrolling for that one), which only strengthens my belief in the saying that it'll all work out in the end, and if it doesn't work out, then it's not the end.
In the fall, I listened to a lot, and I mean an entire seasonally themed playlist a lot, of Lana Del Rey, and later, Holly Henry from The Voice. I feel like as the year progresses, and I mean in terms of seasons, not days, so does my perspectives. In the fall, everything is dying, it gets darker faster, and instead of a warm summer breeze tickling at my neck, I get crisp fall air whipping at my spine. I find it's during these fall/winter months that I'm my most down, and it affects the people around me more than I thought. As we move more into January, which is almost over (which means my first January Favourites 2014 post) I am becoming more optimistic, more hopeful, and more excited about everything. Literally, the amount of enthusiasm I display for the teeniest things, like buying two boxes of jasmine today, or grinning at the new salad selection at the grocery store, or hell, even going into my local Bulk Barn for the first time, put me in such a good mood.
Sappier than a Maple Tree
This new found good mood has resulted in less Lana Del Rey, more Pretty Reckless and 8tracks. I love 8tracks! I love the guy who told me about 8tracks! Without 8tracks, half the songs I download would not exist to me. Basically, 8tracks is a vamped up radio app that plays playlists compiled by users and are categorized into moods! It's the greatest thing ever. It's free to download on both iPhone and Android, so get on that ship before it sails!
Prior to my fall depression days, all I would listen to, aside from my upbeat summer playlist, was 8tracks. Only downside is, it plays through wi-fi which wasn't too convenient when I was cruising down Highway 21 in my little Jetta. But nonetheless, it did introduce me to some crazy good songs I wouldn't have known about otherwise. One of them I listened to religiously, on repeat for the entirety of September and October. Here is the video for it down below, it's called Wings by Birdy.
I don't make it a habit to listen to sappy songs purely based on principle, but I do have one more I want to share with you guys and it's called Private Parts by Lzzy Hale (lead singer of Halestorm) and James Michael. It's such a good song and I feel like a lot of people can relate to it.
See? Instant love. It's sappy and sad and fits my mood so perfectly. As I drifted away from the sad, sappy songs, I rekindled my love and passion for The Pretty Reckless, which I mentioned briefly above.
Illegal Immigration, whaaaaat?
Now I know I said put down the Yeezus for a minute and then go ahead and post a link for Wake Me Up, but stay with me. At heart, I love rock 'n' roll. I love the guitar riffs, the drums, and the bass. When you crank it up so high it makes you feel. That's what music ought to do and is probably why I can't stand the hip hop genre. If the deepest thing I can glean from Alien Girl is that "she looks like Miss Jolie or Halle Barry" and that nobody knows where she's from cause she's got no ID. My friend, that is called illegal immigration, not romance. Sorry, Kendrick, looks like your Alien Girl went back to the motherboard cause she didn't get her papers done.
There are plenty of rock songs out there that are probably just as senseless, but listening to Alien Girl doesn't make me feel excited or motivated or happy. It makes me feel tired, and slow, and turtle-ish, if you guys understand what I mean. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a pretty decent song as far as the genre goes, but it just doesn't tug at my cold, shrivelled, and blackened heart strings like Sweet Child O' Mine does. For those of you who haven't heard Alien Girl, here it is:
Old Loves are Loves for a Reason
The Pretty Reckless is a band that formed fairly recently in '07. Their lead singer is Taylor Momsen (yes, I know I made a joke about her makeup in my last post, but who didn't at the time? Plus, she can rock the racoon eyes). Some of you may recognize bad ass Taylor Momsen from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000) since she played our favourite little Who, Cindy Lou. She also starred in "Gossip Girl" as Jenny Humphrey, which she's more well known for. Her band is a classic rock band, and in an interview she did, she said she was trying to bring good old rock back into the industry. The band's most popular single to date, Make me Wanna Die was featured in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2011 and was also the end credit song for the movie Kick Ass.
Shameless promotion for a band I love, but their latest album, Going to Hell is going to be released in March on the 17/18! I'm stupidly excited about this! It's taken them two years to release this thing, and I cannot freaking wait! One of the songs on their new album, which Taylor and Ben, her guitarist, sang live is called Sweet Things, and I love acoustic versions of songs. I used to abhor them, but I've grown to love how raw and real they are and how you can truly hear the talent not only from the singer, but the instruments as well. I'll insert that clip down below because, let's be honest, I can't help myself.
Do you hear that rawness? Uuuuhg, eargasm! Like I said before, I've rekindled my love for this band. I still love Lana Del Rey and Holly Henry and Marina and the Diamonds (another artist featured mainly in my September-October playlist. Teen Idle and Bubblegum Bitch are both amazing, check them out!) but I'm in love all over again with Taylor's voice.
"Those" Days
So I know this post has featured mainly female artists and doesn't quite get to the point of this article in a very direct way, but if you are having one of "those" days, I always find myself listening to Monster You Made Me by Pop Evil. It's a ballad rock song so it's nothing too hardcore. This song is definitely one I've listened too for a year now. Less so in the summertime when everything was perfect, but it was still there in the beginning before everything got good and certainly after everything went down the drain.
Another song I listened to a lot this time last year for my "those" kinds of days was I Can't Do This by Plumb. It's not really a rock song, but it is something that made me feel and was a lot like those Tumblr quotes. They make me sad, but I kept scrolling. This band/song isn't really for everyone, so I'll leave it to you guys to YouTube it if you would like. Waiting for Superman by Daughtry is one that I currently listen to when I'm feeling down and need to feel up. That song always smartens me up. Why would I wait for Superman when I can be Superman? See? Instant pep up.
Also, I recommend Broken by Seether ft. Amy Lee. No extra words needed, just listen to it, and you'll know why it's in this category.
It's Getting Hot in Here so...yeah, you know how it goes
I also really love Boss's Daughter by Pop Evil, but it's more on the grittier, dirtier side of rock (which, let me tell you, can get pretty hot 'n' heavy). Along those same lines, I'm sure you've all heard or at least remember the song Whatever You Like by TI. It was on the top 40 list in '10 I wanna say, but it could've easily been in '09 to. Whichever, I'm sure you can all YouTube that and give it a listen if you like. While binging like crazy on Gossip Girl towards the beginning of the school year, Netflix had just put it on their site and it saved my hours of looking for the perfect link to watch it on some shady online site (go Netflix!) I heard a cover of that song by Anya Maria and that one I will definitely link down below. Girl, grab your boyfriend, fake or otherwise (what? Real boys exist? And here I thought they were just myths) and turn up this song. It is amazing. I know I bashed hip hop, but if it makes the top 40, it's just another pop song (feel free to dispute this, but as soon as a song makes it onto that top 40 list it's like death to originality). Plus, Anya Maria isn't a very popular artist, though with her voice, I'm not sure how that's possible, but I am nonetheless grateful. Like I mentioned before, I did hear this on Gossip Girl, and for those of you who are as obsessed with GG as I am, it was during the Dan-Vanessa-Olivia scene that this song was played.
Whatever you like by Anya Maria
Another longtime "get frisky" song I've loved actually comes from a book soundtrack from one of my all time favourite authors, Karen Marie Moning. The soundtrack correlates with her best-selling Fever series which starts with Darkfever for those of you who are interested in checking it out. It's seriously the most amazing thing I've ever read. I digress, her soundtrack is done by her hubby and this one song is crazy hot. It is marked with a parental advisory, so if you're not into hearing very outright sexual things in songs, skip this particular link.
(apologies, I couldn't find a proper video so follow the link and enjoy! But come back...please.)
Also, check out Bad Girlfriend by Theory of Deadman if you're more into that side of rock....
Anger Management
We all have those days where we just need to scream. Believe me, I've done it multiple times in less than an hour and it didn't actually help me out all that much. I was still angry. For almost an entire week I was a raging bitch, excuse the language, but we've all heard swears before. I don't believe in the censorship of word choice, sorry. When the screaming and stomping around the house like a bull seeing red obviously did nothing to lighten my mood, I would get in my car and blast the loudest, most hardcore rock song I knew. And it happens that I actually knew quite a few. One of them being another song by The Pretty Reckless called Going to Hell.
I need to blast these next two songs. I honestly can't help it. It's one of the reasons I love rock music so much. It just gets your blood racing and your heart pounding. I've never listened to another genre of music that can do that to me. Rock music to me is like what pot would be to a stoner. It's my high. These two songs are by the band Skillet and are one of my favourites. You can say all you want that Skillet isn't a proper rock band, but if I can blast it and my hand or foot taps along to the beat and there's a head bob happening, it's rock to me.
Monster by Skillet
Hero by Skillet
I have more! Told you guys I had a lot of angry songs. Stand Alone and Voodoo both by Godsmack and Last Resort by Papa Roach are worth a listen though. I'll let you guys check that out on your own, so we can move along to the next section, which is a touch lengthier than I originally intended...
Oldies but goodies- Songs I listened to this time last year
An older song I used to always listen to when I was in a not-so-great mood was Cold by Crossfade and Falls Apart by Thousand Foot Krutch. The rest are goodies, but oldies in my books and all sound great when you blast them. Then again, what doesn't sound great at top volume?
Headstrong by Trapt was my "screw you" song to the world
Bye Bye Beautiful by Nightwish was my badass song for a while pre-Pretty Reckless days
Beast Within and Whore by In This Moment are my pump up, blast it, type of songs
When I'm Gone by 3 Doors Down
If I Could be Like That by 3 Door Down
Mz. Hyde by Halestorm (Lzzy Hale is amazing with a guitar! Major fangirling here!)
Also by Halestorm, Familiar Taste of Poison is simply amazing. So many feels! I encourage you guys to check out the rest of their songs too, if you enjoyed these two suggestions!
Angels by Within Temptation (the lead singer's voice = magic)
Vox Populi by 30 Seconds to Mars
Attack by 30 Seconds to Mars
This is War by 30 Seconds to Mars (actually, all their songs are amazing. Dear Jared Leto, marry me?)
Dance with the Devil by Breaking Benjamin (if you're not into rock, start off with this one. It's pretty mild, some would call it more alternative rock than true rock)
Let the Bodies Hit the Floor by Drowning Pool (warning: another angry song)
Crazy Bitch by Buckcherry
Here in My Room by Incubus
Not Strong Enough by Apocalyptica
Guilty Pleasure by BECCA
And Finally...
I think that about wraps it up! Surely it's enough to keep you guys busy if you're looking for something new to listen to. Like I said, I love Lana Del Rey and her latest album EP thing, Tropico, is fantastic, I'll leave some links for a couple of my favourite songs by her below since I'm not too sure what mood her songs would fit other than a mellow one. I'll also put a favourite cover of mine by Holly Henry and leave a link for her first EP below!
I hope you guys enjoyed this post as much as I did! I love music almost as much as I love makeup and fashion, if not more. Let me know what your favorite songs are for your moods and I'll check them out! Don't forget to let me know if you guys listen to any of my suggestions on Twitter by using the hashtag #CurlyMoodSongs and tagging me in it @aly_bean!
As always, thank you so much for reading, and stay in touch for my next post which will be a review of the LUSH H'Suan Wen Hua.
