Hey guys.

For today's post I'm going to write the first of a new series, "Think Tank". This will be a series of blog posts in which I talk about topics/issues that have been niggling away at me and as a result, feel the need to express my opinion on.

I by no means mean any hate towards anyone as I write these posts and all opinions expressed are 100% mine. I hope you guys like this concept and I sincerely apologise if I trigger anybody as a result of  what I have to say. Enjoy!

What is all this you ask? This my friends, is my opinion on a topic that I hold very close to my heart... Beauty standards and the impact they have had on me and I'm sure, some of you. I'm not necessarily speaking to just that of the female gender as I write this post. I would like to think that no matter what gender, you will take into account what I have to say as I feel this topic goes far deeper than our society lets on.

Tell me I'm not the only one who gets completely and utterly drawn into modern society and its unnatural obsession with bikini bodies and six packs? I mean, its hard not to when we're practically surrounded by it 24/7. No matter where we go or what we do, there's always a magazine headline or Facebook link telling us who and what we should aspire to look like... It's become part of our world. However, both you and I know, this form of media can have very negative effects. Why is it that the media of today leads us to believe that in order to be happy, you must have the body of a goddess or the abs of Hercules? I strongly believe that by bombarding us with headlines of "then and now, see how much they've lost" or "do this and you'll be irresistible" we are slowly but surely knocking the confidence of every single human being, even the most self-assured of us!

I for one believe that our society drastically needs more role modes whom we can look up to and aspire to be like, not for their looks but for who they are and what they believe in. Two personal inspirations of mine would be "plus size model" (I hate that term), Tess Holliday and Youtube star, Trisha Paytas. I don't know about you but I believe these are two incredibly beautiful women who really do #effyourbeautystandards!



I will say however, just because I am "pro curves" if you must, I by no means am skinny shaming! People who partake in skinny shaming are just as bad as those of you who fat shame and I for one have no time for that craic... I hope you guys are with me on this.
As for now, I'm signing off with one cheesy piece of advice... Just be yourself :)
To be continued...

Stay gorgeous,
Katie x

Side note: Fair play to Alicia Keys braving a bare face at last night's VMA's... Proving once again that the beauty standards of today's world are there to be broken!

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Konnichiwa!

I hope you are all having a splendid day.

For today's post, I'm going to fill you guys in on an incredible new experience I had two days ago in Dublin. It is something that has always been on my bucket list to do and now that I have, I'm more than hooked! What is it you ask...? Why it's Comic Con of course!

For all of you out there who don't know what Comic Con is, it's basically a huge convention that takes place annually across the world, showcasing anime, films, games and popular TV shows. It's a place where fans go to celebrate their love of what they spend their lives watching (in my case Game of Thrones) whilst meeting others who share their passion at the same time. There are also stalls selling merch and handmade art as well as meet and greets with celebrities of all kinds of status. (Luke Pasqualino for example!). There are many different branches of Comic Con, the one in which I attended being the MCM Comic Con on the 2nd of July. 

A major aspect of Comic Con is what's known as "cosplay". This is where you dress up as a character you love and embrace their personality and traits for the day, as well as a few well known quotes. My friend Aimee and I decided to go as Monica and Rachel from the 90's American sitcom, "Friends" however, it was more of a failure than we were anticipating! Aimee sported Monica's typical mom jeans and white t-shirt along with a bottle of spray cleaner and a cloth (quite accurate if you ask me) whilst I threw on a pair of knee high white socks and a plaid skirt in an attempt to become Rachel. Not bad for a last minute decision I suppose... My friend Sarah made a better attempt at it, dressing up as Misa from the anime, "Death Note" but the best of all by far was my friend/senpai's cosplay of Disney princess Mulan.

Having made her costume entirely by hand along with accessories such as Mushu, Mulan's cricket and cage, even her sword, I was blown away by how accurate everything was! She even got up on stage and performed as Mulan for the cosplay masquerade... Now that's what I call dedication! Marta (senpai) was the one who came up with the idea of going to the con and I can't wait to see what she decides to cosplay as next time... I'll definitely have to up my game!

I'll link Marta's Instagram below for anyone that's interested in seeing how she made her costume or photos from the con. She has great content!

Despite having great craic walking around meeting people and quoting random Rachel quotes, my favourite part of the entire con was without a doubt the Game of Thrones experience! This involved sitting on the Iron Throne for a photo as the theme song played in the background. I love the photo more than anything in the world and it makes me laugh every time I look at it!

Such a great memory to have of a fantastic day!

It goes without saying we were all wrecked after a very long day of adventure (three hours sleep the night before didn't help the situation... We love to chat!). Overall, it was a brilliant day and an unforgeable experience! That's one more thing I can tick off the bucket list... Roll on the next convention!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sayonara, Katie x

Marta's Instagram - @martachancosplay
MCM Comic Con website - 
http://www.mcmcomiccon.com/ireland/

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Hello strangers! 

As we say goodbye to April and hello to May, I feel inspired to get back on the bandwagon as regards this blog. Yes, I realise it been six months or so since I last graced you guys with my presence but lets not dwell on that shall we...?

For today's post, I figured why not give something new a try... Recently I read a "book" that I absolutely fell in love with and feel the need to share with you. I hope you enjoy!

First off, before we get too into this, it's not so much a book as a graphic novel... But that's beside the point! 

What is this magnificent "book" you speak so highly of...? Well it is none other than "Seconds" by Bryan Lee O'Malley, creator of the incredible "Scott Pilgrim" series.



I love this book for so many reasons, I don't even know where to begin...
Based on a talented young chef who goes by the name Katie,
this book follows her life as she runs a successful restaurant with great aspirations of opening another.
From start to finish, O'Malley successfully takes us on a journey with Katie as her life goes from bad
to worse...
Will she get a second chance...? I guess you'll just have to read it to find out!

Cleverly written, witty and easily related to... I guarantee you guys will love it!

Thanks for stopping by!
Slán, Katie x

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With Halloween only a day away, for today's post, I'm going to jump in on the excitement and bring you a list of my top 10 picks for a great Halloween night in! Because lets face it... A night in with friends in front of the fire, stuffing your face with sweets is far more appealing than going out in the cold! So grab your favourite sweets, put the popcorn in the microwave and get ready to have a movie marathon you will never forget!

P.S. These are in no particular order.

10.Paranormal Activity

One of the first scary movies I remember watching, a definite must for a good scare on Halloween!

9.Scary Movie

Not necessarily scary but sure as hell funny! A great movie for a laugh to lighten the mood following a few bed wetting horrors!

8.Psycho

A fantastic black and white Hitchcock classic. A little more on the scary side so be sure to have lots of blankets to hide behind!

7.The Ring

A movie full of suspense and mystery. Not one I've seen but I hear its good.

6.The Blair Witch Project

Made like a documentary, this movie will have you clinging to the edge of your seat!

                                       

5.The Woman in Black

An old fashioned movie that will send chills down your spine!  

4.The Exorcist

Regarded as one of the scariest movies of all time, you really need to have your wits about you to watch this one!

                 

3.Unfriended

A modern take on horror. This movie will leave you never wanting to use social media again!

                                       

2.The Human Centipede

One of my all time favourite horror movies, this one is definitely not for the faint hearted!

1.American Horror Story

Not a movie but I honestly can not think of anything better than to binge watch AHS on Halloween night! This series will leave you scared of the dark it's that good! 

                                       

Hope you enjoyed!

À tout à l'heure, Katie x 

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(Found in my drafts)

Hey guys... I have some free time today so I decided to write to you about something that has me super excited... The new "So Su" nail polish by Irish blogger, Suzanne Jackson.

Having always been a huge fan of Suzanne's blog, I was over the moon when I heard she would be releasing a product. Now, I know I'm a little bit late on the scene when it comes to this product but I'm sorry... I only managed to get my hands on a bottle the other day! Anywho, I hope you enjoy this post despite my lateness.

From the range of colours available, I made the very hard decision to pick up a beautiful royal blue colour with a hint of glitter called "Blue My Mind", in Penneys for €7.99. I am such a nerd when it comes to nail polish... I literally have to have every colour under the sun, so believe me when I say it was not an easy task!

 First off, I have to commend Sue and her team on the packaging. I'm sure you guys will agree with me when I say this has to be one of the best looking brands of drugstore polish out there!

Upon first application, I loved the product. The brush is small but it works well and the colour comes out very nicely. However, I found the second coat was a totally different ball game. Unfortunately the polish does not apply as smoothly as the first, resulting in unwanted clumps. I was very disappointed by this, so much so that I sadly would not jump to recommend this product... I was also very disappointed at how little wear the product can withstand. Despite supposedly being a long lasting polish minus the lamp, I found it did not live up to its claims, chipping within 24 hours.

I personally have a love/hate relationship with this polish as it has both good and bad points. The good being its fabulous, glossy colours. The bad however is its tendency to clump and chip. Despite this, I am looking forward to Sue's next range of polish for Autumn/Winter. From what I hear, she and her team have many more beautiful colours in store as well as having made improvements.

Overall, I give this product a 6/10 simply for how amazing the colour is. I don't highly recommend it but if you're looking for something to wear for a night out and don't mind it being chipped by the morning then this is definitely the one!

P.S... I mean no hate what so ever towards Sue and I wish her all the best in her career.

À tout à l'heure, Katie x 

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Hey peoples!

Today I thought I'd give you a quick update as it's been a while (sorry). 

About three weeks ago, I did something I have always wanted to do... That my friends, if you can't tell by the title of this post was get my first ever non-ear piercing! Now this wasn't just any old piercing... It was in fact the terrifying navel/bellybutton piercing!  

I have always been scared of needles but having spent months pinning beautiful bellybutton piercings to my "Piercings" Pinterest board, I decided to take the plunge. I found a reliable piercer and on one Saturday afternoon I head off with the mother to get it done.

I was so nervous pre piercing... I didn't know what was ahead of me. I was told by some friends and family that it would be very painful and therefore not worth it. To my surprise, it was the complete opposite! It was done in the blink of an eye and was virtually painless! The piercer was so kind and professional, she really helped calm my nerves.

I am over the moon with my new piercing... The only downside to it is the constant care it needs. It is vital for me to clean it twice a day, morning and night with piercing after care oil and q-tips in order to prevent infection. Despite all this, I am extremely happy with the result. I have never felt more confident wearing crop tops in my life!

À tout à l'heure, Katie x

Piercing shop - AWOL Tattoos & Piercing

My Pinterest - TheyCallMeCait

P.S. Let me know what you think of my new design <3

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Hello and welcome! 

So the first week of my summer holidays has been pretty uneventful. I've been rather bored and this has lead me to make the decision to give something new a go... Today I'm going do a review of my all time favourite lipstick which happens to be from Rimmel's Kate Moss range in the shade 107. I have absolutely no idea how this is going to go but sure as they say in my house... "It's all trial and error!"

I generally don't tend to wear red lipstick as I am not a big fan of the "upkeep" however, I absolutely love this lipstick for a number of reasons.

Firstly: The packaging... For a drugstore lipstick, I think it looks amazing! The vibrant red of the tube with the glossy black of Kate's signature is so simple but so elegant, it almost reminds me of the Viva Glam Rihanna range by Mac.

Secondly: The scent! Oh my word from the moment I opened this lipstick, I was hooked! It has a fabulously fruity, watermelon/cherry sent I fell in love with from the very moment I took the plastic off. I loved how the scent remained on my lips for the duration of the night and I guarantee you will too!

Thirdly: The colour and texture... This lipstick has a beautiful creamy texture that glides onto your lips. It is a matte lipstick, however, in my opinion it definitely does not feel like one. Generally mattes can be drying on the lips and require a balm underneath but this to me does not... I found this lipstick to be extremely easy to wear. The colour to me is basically the same on your lips as it is in the tube. One quick glide across your lips for instant colour... A beautiful dark red/plum that goes with basically any skin tone and can be easily taken from day to night. I absolutely love how this lipstick seamlessly fades to a raspberry stain as seen in the photo below.

Last but not least: The price... This lipstick can be picked up in stores for an amazing €6.99... Considering the quality of this product, I feel this is very reasonable. Yes, there are plenty of lipsticks out there for less but believe me, none will be of this quality.

I honestly haven't got a bad word too say about this product. I have tried to find its flaws but I've come to the conclusion that it simply doesn't have any! This is a great lipstick that I thoroughly enjoy wearing and I highly recommend.

Be brave, give it a go... I guarantee you will like it!

107 at the end of the night faded to that
raspberry stain

Until next time... Toodlepip, Katie x

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