British Music Festival Review - T in the Park!

T in the Park (also known as T) is in it's 22nd year and this year it's moving to Strathallan Castle in Perthshire. It was on the 10th July - 12th July 2015. It also happened to be my first year at the festival! 

 

Preparation
 

I got an early bird ticket to T last July and I already knew I would be camping at my friends house who's birthday was on the Saturday. We plus one other friend were travelling by CityLink every day to and from the grounds. 
 

I also prepared 3 outfits which covered all weathers (it is Scotland after all) and checked the weather forecast religiously. I bought clothes from Primark as if they got muddy I wouldn't be too upset. I think all my clothes cost me £40 for the whole 3 days!! 
 

The line up this year also looked really good! Names such as Sam Smith, Avicii, Hozier, Kodaline, Ella Eyre, Jessie J, George Ezra, The Script, Charli XCX, The View, James Bay, Noel Gallaghers' High Flying Birds and Paloma Faith were all going to be there. 
 

Before going to T I felt really excited that I was part of the hype for the festival but also a bit apprehensive that it was going to live up to the expectations of recent years. Watching T20 and T21 on television was amazing but I hoped the atmosphere that was shown on TV would be the same if not better in person.
 

Friday 10th July
 

I watched:

- Main Stage -
 

Sam Smith, Rudimental, Hozier
 

- Radio 1 Stage -
 

David Guetta, Sigma, Fuse ODG
 

- King Tuts Wah Wah Tent -
 

Jessie Ware, Hannah Wants
 

The first set I watched at T was the last half of Jessie Ware's. I'd never heard of her before but she was an absolutely incredible performer! She was gorgeous too and had an amazing voice! Hannah Wants was after that and likewise was a stunning singer.
 

I then started to watch a bit of The Wombats but I didn't really enjoy their songs so we quickly moved to Fuse ODG which was great! I'm not usually a fan of that style of music but this weekend completely changed that and alongside Sigma really got my weekend started. When Sigma played "Higher" and "Nobody to Love" the crowd went crazy it was such a good atmosphere!
 

I then went to see Hozier. All I can say is Wow. His voice sounds better on stage than it does on CD. My favourite song was 'Someone New' it blew me away! When he played 'Take Me To Church' I was overwhelmed how amazing he sounded! I'll definitely be buying a few more tunes of his!
 

After that was Rudimental and although I didn't think I knew any of their stuff a few pieces came up that I knew and sung along to. They were great performers and knew how to keep the crowd going.
 

Sam Smith. I love him. He was the highlight of Day 1 and I absolutely loved every second of his set. An incredible voice and a great song choice. If you just read some of the verses from his songs they make perfect sense and have such deep meanings which he explained briefly to us. I am now waiting for him to tour back up to Scotland to see him again. A very good performance.
 

To close my first day at T I went to see David Guetta. I really enjoyed his set and was dancing around with everyone else. A lot of people turned out to see Guetta and it was a real party atmosphere that deserved the main stage rather than Radio 1 stage.

Saturday 11th July

I watched:

- Main Stage -
 

Avicii, The Script, George Ezra, Jessie J
 

- Radio 1 Stage -
 

Alt-J, Charli XCX
 

To start my second day off we went to see Charli XCX. We were really close up to the front as well which was amazing!! I don't like to comment on women's figures but she's obviously worked really hard for her body and deserves a massive compliment! She is absolutely stunning! Her set was really good too and set me up for the day.
 

Next was Jessie J and likewise had an amazing set. She held the stage so well and kept the crowd entertained with her dancing and her funny comments. Straight after was George Ezra and he was a breath-taking singer. I couldn't believe he'd written so many songs! Would definitely like to see both of them again soon.
 

I feel that The Script are honestly the most dedicated to their fans. I mean why else would they go into the audience and take photos with people mid song. I'd forgotten about most of the songs they had sung and it was great to relive them. A fantastic set for a fantastic band.
 

Avicii was last on for Saturday night. He was another party-starter. I loved his stage set too with all the LED boards and polytechnics in sync with the beat of the music. I great end to Day 2.
 

Sunday 12th July

I watched:

- Main Stage -
 

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Paloma Faith, James Bay
 

- King Tuts Wah Wah Tent -
 

Above & Beyond, Clean Bandit
 

For my final day we started with James Bay. He was really good and when he sang "Hold Back The River" the crowd singing blew me away. He had a really good set but I felt the atmosphere was somewhat lacking.

Next act of the day was Paloma Faith. WOW! Her personality really shone through and I really wish she had a longer set. She came across as a really likeable person and sung amazingly too. I'm definitely looking out for a tour ticket soon!

After Paloma's jaw-dropping show we headed to Clean Bandit! I loved Clean Bandit already because let's be honest who else can get orchestral instruments into the charts? They blew me away and I'm looking for a gig of theirs because they were another act who were so much better live than on iTunes.

Once Clean Bandit finished it was a quick food stop then back to Above and Beyond. They were the only band I disliked as there club music didn't really make me feel like dance. Nevertheless there were plenty of people enjoying themselves - each to their own I suppose

We made it back to see the end of Noel Gallagher's set and sung along to 'Don't Look Back in Anger'. A great song to end my first T!


For anyone wondering whether they should go or not I recommend you do. Not only do you see so many singers in one place over one weekend but you meet so many new people! Everyone at music festivals are super friendly and so chilled out it's refreshing to speak to them!

I hope you've enjoyed my review and I'll see you next time!

Teen Tips: Prom Planning!

It's prom season! In Scotland we have prom as well but it's not on the same scale as it is in America. Having said that it is still essential to plan every detail and I am here to help!

Step 1: Make a List

It's quite easy to forget something so have a list on your phone of everything you need. If you remember you've not put something down then add it! My list included a dress, flat shoes (I'm 6 foot 4 so I wanted to look reasonable height in photos), hair ideas, nail ideas, make up ideas (I was doing them all myself), jewellery, bag, and a disposable camera. My school ran a bus to transport everyone to this really fancy hotel so I didn't need to worry about that but for your prom you might have to add that to your list.

Item 1: Dress

It's really important that you feel comfortable in your dress. If you don't feel comfortable then you won't enjoy yourself as much. I made sure that I went dress shopping first thing in the morning after breakfast. That way my measurements included a full stomach so I didn't have to starve myself on prom day.

Another point to add is that you don't have to be 'skinny' for prom. I refused to go on a prom diet just to fit a dress. I chose a dress that fitted me as I was and not what I hoped to be!

Item 2: Shoes

If you're in the same position as me and don't want to look too tall in photos then wear flat shoes!! There is no shame in wearing a cute pair of sandals because by the end of the night most girls high heels will be off anyway!!

However if you are tall and want to wear heels then go for it! It's only for one night and you'll get loads of complements on how long your legs look!

Item 3: Hair Ideas

The dreaded issue of hair! For this I'm going to come up with a few ideas for short, medium, long hair because that usually covers the majority of hair styles. I have long, thick hair so I'm having waterfall braids around the side of my head and curling the ends.

Short Hair: For shorter hair a classic side up-do is perfect! You can pleat the front of your hair into it or you can scrape it back and decorate it with flower pins or little diamante pins.

Medium Length Hair: Curls are always popular! You can go for beach waves or you can waterfall braid. Your hair is very versatile as it can fit into a classic up-do too.

Long Hair: Long curls are always an option but so is straightening! You can use some of your hair from the front to give your hair some height and if you are worried about the size of your forehead this will also help. Long hair can be pleated all the way around your head as well.

Item 4: Nail Ideas

For your nails I advise to keep them simple. Glitter polishes and accent nails are as far as I'd go to make them fancy. Depending on the colour of your dress will depend on the colour of your nail polish and if you do want accent nails then a silver glitter polish is brilliant!

Item 5: Make-Up Ideas

For make up you need to watch make-up tutorials on YouTube. Find a Youtuber with similar eye colour to you and watch how they put the make-up on. Try it a few times at home before prom and try recreate your hairstyle at the same time then put your dress on - see if you suit it and if you like it!

Item 6: Jewellery

Plain and simple jewellery will complement your dress. Pandora rings were very popular amongst my year group and if you had one then you wore it! Small chain necklaces with a small pendant works really well if you want to fill the space between your face and your dress. Just don't overdo it!

Item 7: Bag

When I say bag I mean clutch and this is really difficult to find because it needs to match your dress and your jewellery. If you're having no luck then glitter clutches are a safe option.

Item 8: Camera

No matter what - you need a camera! Capture the last night of your high school life and buy an album and stick them all in! Then when you have a family and they ask you about your prom you can show them all your photos!


Most of all, enjoy prom and enjoy the prom build-up! It will most likely be the last night with everyone from school so make the most of the time!

Making an Engagement Cake!

Engagement Parties are so much fun but they're even better with a cake! For my final project in Cake class I am doing an Engagement cake for some family friends who got engaged last week!! I really wanted to share this with you - I am very proud of myself!

The Serious Bit
I am making an 8 inch square one-tiered rich fruit cake and coating it with marzipan and sugar paste. It will be on a 10 inch round cake board which is left silver.

The cake itself will be decorated with pastel pink royal icing flowers stencilled around the edges of the top of the cake. In the top right hand corner I will be using sugar paste to make a rose bush out of many different hues of pink and  I will be adding green leaves to make it more realistic. On a diagonal underneath the rose bush I will be piping 'Congratulations' in curly writing using the pink royal icing (to match the stencilled flowers). I will also be putting two golden fondant rings underneath the congratulations.

Around the sides I will be stencilling the pastel pink royal icing flowers that are around the edge of the top of the cake.

Now the serious part is out of the way it's time to get baking!

The Recipe
875g Mixed Dried Fruit
90g Glace Cherries (quartered)
40ml Brandy (optional)
200g Butter
200g Muscovado Sugar
3 eggs
250g Plain Flour
7.5ml Mixed Spice
45g Blanched Almonds (optional)

Method

(1) Mix together the dried fruit, chopped cherries and brandy. Leave to soak for several hours.
(2) Preheat oven to Gas Mark 1/ 140 Celsius
(3) Beat together the sugar and the butter then gradually add the eggs and the flour.
(4) Using a VERY large bowl add the fruit mix, mixed spice and almonds.
(5) Spoon into an 8" Round / 7" Square Tin and make a slight dip in the centre. Tap the tin against the work surface to remove any air trapped. Remember to wrap your tin with newspaper and put greaseproof paper over the top.
(6) Bake for 3 hours. When baked the skewer comes out clean.
(7) Once baked remove from tin and wrap in plastic.


(8) Turn the cake upside down and fill any holes in marzipan. This ensures that the fondant and marzipan will be smooth.
(9) Cover your cake in marzipan and then fondant. Use caster sugar to roll your marzipan out and apricot jam to stick it onto the cake. Use cornflour to roll out the fondant and use heated water to stick it to the marzipan.


(10) Make the royal icing using 200g Icing Sugar and 34ml Egg White Powder mixed in with a tiny bit of water. Use an extremely small amount of pink food dye to colour the icing light pink.
(11) Using a flower stencil, smooth a small amount of royal icing onto the stencil then peel the stencil off the cake. Continue around and on the sides.
(12) With the leftover royal icing stick it all in a piping bag with a small round nozzle and leave it in the fridge.
(13) With fondant (1 large box does the whole cake) take a bit and dye it green. With leaf cutters cut 6 leaves and with heated water stick it onto the cake. Try to stick them in the corner with 2/3 of the leaves "falling" over the side.
(14) Make the rose bush using 4 different colours of pink fondant. This takes great patience and I recommend watching YouTube videos beforehand. I made around 20 roses for my bush.
(15) Use a pinch of fondant for the rings and dye it yellow-gold. I used gold glitter on top to give it a sparkle.
(16) Get the royal icing out of the fridge and pipe "Congratulations" (spell it correctly!).

AND IT IS FINISHED!

Send me in your recreations and I'll see you next time!

My Make-Up Cheats Part 2

Welcome back to Part 2 of my Make-Up Cheats. In Part 1 we covered Toner, Foundation, Concealer, Powder and Eyebrows. If you missed it here is the link to check it out - Make-Up Cheats Part 1 . Today I'm talking about Blusher, Contouring, Eye shadow, Eyeliner, Mascara, Lipstick and Brushes.

6) Blusher
I love everything about blusher. It can make or break a look so knowing which brand and hue is right for you is really important. Although I can't help you with picking a hue I can help you with brands. My first recommendation is L'Oreal Le Blush True Match. When applied it goes on smoothly. Having spoken to many people who have used this product they have agreed that all the hues are amazing!

Boots: £7.69 Superdrug: £7.65

Another product which I adore is MaxFactor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush. It is so soft and light to apply. Some of the hues are a little too bold for me personally but it is one to look at if you have more tanned skin.

Boots: £6.99 Superdrug: £6.99

 

7) Contouring
I only usually contour my face on nights out but I always have a small contour kit in my daily makeup bag. I use Seventeen Define and Contour Kit. It comes in two shades - light and medium - which is okay but I don't see much difference between them. It comes with a little contour guide which is really helpful for first-time contours. Nevertheless it does it's job well and that is why I'm recommending it to you.

Boots: £5.99 Superdrug: n/a

 

8) Eye shadow
We've all gone through the terrible bold colour eye shadows which we'd like to forget. For me this meant leaving eye shadow out of my daily routine. However eye shadow is very important for the tone of your face. Rimmel Glam Eyes Quad Eye shadow does a beautiful combination of colours in one palette. You can use three tones to create a 'smoky' eye effect or stick to one hue. Whatever you decide suits you best it's a great quad to have.

Boots: £6.99 Superdrug: £6.99

Another really good palette to own is Maybelline Big Eyes Eye shadow. I think it is equally as good as Rimmel however the colours in each palette aren't always the ones I'm looking for. As I keep my make-up more neutral I find some hues are a bit too bold for me but if you do like the stronger look I'd definitely recommend this.

Boots: £6.99 Superdrug: £6.99

 

9) Eyeliner
Who doesn't love a good winged eyeliner!? Whether its a thin sweep of the brush or a thicker curve it defines a persons look. I like using Bourjois Liner Princeau Eyeliner as it gives a medium 'lick' of eyeliner and looks good during the day and at night. As a eyeliner rookie I liked how easy to hold it was and I felt comfortable moving it to create a straight pattern.

Boots: £6.99 Superdrug: £6.99

 

10) Mascara
Unfortunately most decent mascara comes at a heavier price. Rimmel London Wonder'full Mascara is one of the cheapest that still do a good job of lengthening and volumising lashes. It does get a bit clumpy nearer the end of it's lifespan but if you can live with that then I thoroughly recommend it to you.

Boots: £7.99 Superdrug: £7.99

Coming in a bit more pricey is MaxFactor Clump Defy Volumising Mascara. However it lasts me daily around 4-6 months! It does what it says and defies ALL CLUMPS and lengthens your lashes as well. It is well worth the buy.

Boots: £10.99 Superdrug: £10.99

 

11) Lipstick
I'm not a fan of lipstick myself so I've had to rely on the knowledge of my friends for this. They recommended Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick. It lasted most of the day and stayed true to it's word and was matte. Kate Moss has a Comic Relief lipstick out currently raising money for children in Africa and UK - a worthy cause from a worthy lipstick.

Boots: £5.49 Superdrug: £5.49

Another lipstick mentioned was Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick (my friends are obviously in love with the matte look currently). It was very similar to Rimmel the only difference was they preferred the click of the lid to the tube on this one! (Trust them!) However they did also say it lasts longer and it's more of a weekend lipstick than a daily one. Why don't you try it and tell me what it's like?

Boots: £7.49 Superdrug: £7.49

 

12) Brushes

I don't think I can describe how much I love brushes! Oh my days! I only have one recommendation for brushes as I think they are the best of the best. Real Techniques Core Collection is absolutely amazing! It has a buffing brush, detailing brush, contouring brush and a pointed foundation brush - the essentials. It's a great save to buy them in a pack and I stress to everyone to use brushes instead of your hands as it's more hygienic. This set really helps, kick-starting those of us still unsure about brushes. Save up and buy them, they are really worth it!!

Boots: £21.99 Superdrug: £20.99

 

And that is it! The end of my make-up cheats. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my experience with products and you will try some of them in the near future! I've really enjoyed sharing this and I hope you read some of my other posts! I'll see you next time!

Glasgow Shopping Mini-Haul

Whilst I was in Glasgow at the weekend I took to the shops, and I couldn't resist sharing what I bought with you!

Simple Micellar Cleansing Water! I have dry skin as supposed to sensitive but this cleansing water is the only one I've tried which hasn't dried up my skin. It takes all my makeup off in one pad and I have had less blemishes and outbreaks since I started using it once a day.













Simple Eye Make-Up Remover Pads are great! I tend to use Vaseline and cotton wool at home but I always have a packet of these in my wash bag for travelling. They make me eyes feel refreshed and clean and take ALL my mascara off!













Simple Oil balancing Moisturiser is one of the best products for oily skin. However it is also great for preventing forehead and nose shine when I can't be bothered doing my make-up. Its quite a small tube but apart from that I love it so much!

This is a bit of an odd one to put in and I'd like to point out I AM NOT PREGNANT but this cream does wonders for my stretch marked skin from all the growing I've done. (I've been 6 foot 3 for quite some time now) I apply it 3 times a day and it's working wonders! It also smells of chocolate, mmmmmm!

I go away a lot and I am currently using a see-through wash bag which I don't really like that much. When I saw this I just had to buy it, I love anything floral!

I thought I'd buy this as a change to my usual powder, Revlon's 'Nearly Naked'. Recently I've found that my powder isn't lasting as long and is going on heavier than I like it so new powder it is! I've tried L'Oreal Paris' 'True Match' before and I think it suits springtime wear, light and breathable but still giving off a colour. I think it is really important to change around make-up products every so often and get to know what suits your skin, it makes buying new makeup easier if your favourite brand is discontinued.








A trip to a Yankee Candle shop is always a trip worth taking! I have a little jar to put samplers into when I want to burn them and I find it so much cheaper to do that than buy the jars. Previously my favourite candles were 'Christmas Garland' and 'Fireside Treats' but I think 'Vanilla Cupcake' has become joint 2nd place with 'Fireside Treats' as I want to eat it whenever I burn it! I also bought 'Clean Cotton' for my mum because lets face it, who doesn't love the smell of freshly washed clothes in summer? 'Vanilla Chai' was on sale and as I love anything Vanilla it went in my basket! My little sister wanted to get 'Salted Caramel' and I'm so glad she persuaded me as it smells so much nicer burning than it did in the shop!! It's a very strong, sweet smell, which I thought was overpowering but I've fallen in love with it!



And that's it!! I really hope you enjoyed reading this post and I've inspired you to splash your cash or maybe try one of the many things I've spoken about. Thank you for reading and I'll see you next time!

Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour 2015

For anyone who doesn't know 'Strictly Come Dancing' is a British TV Series where celebrities learn to dance Ballroom and Latin dances. They have an annual tour up and down the UK in January-February and this year I was lucky enough to go along for the eighth time!!

The celebrities involved were Simon Webbe from Blue, Rachel Stevens from S Club 7, Rugby player and model Thom Evans (who looks even better in real life than in pictures) , TV Personality Alison Hammond, Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, TOWIE Star Mark Wright and last and certainly not least my favourite TV Presenter Caroline Flack.

The Set

 

 
Before I even begin to describe the amazing atmosphere of Glasgow's SSE Hydro I think I should show you all what the set looked like before the show begun - how magical! Seating thirteen THOUSAND people sounds like an impossible feat for a one-off show let alone one stage of a tour but Strictly Come Dancing did it three nights and one matinee in a row and that was just in Scotland!!

And the band! I'm passionate about music to say the very least but the big band and the singers!! Their talent is to die for!! With the singers standing on the dance floor feet away from the dancers they dressed up in fezzes for Caroline Flack's Charleston (from the themed week 'Around The World') or pretended to swim around the floor for Scott Mills 'crabby' Samba.

The Group Waltz

My favourite part about the live shows are the mass group dances and they were (in the words of Craig Revel Horwood) FAB - U - LOUS! With our three judges Craig, Camilla Dallerup and Tom Chambers who were more than capable of dancing and host Zoe Ball who competed nearly ten years ago they were all dancing and I definitely felt like they were all a family! This photo was from their Waltz (which was to Frozen's 'Let It Go') and had the stunning professional dancer Karen Hauer on silks at the back - it was amazing!

I have to mention our Scot, Thom Evans. He came out in a kilt and waistcoat for his Latin dance and the turns he was doing aswell! I think the front row confirmed he was a true Scot!! Once he'd finished he grabbed Zoe Ball's mic and gave us a rendition of 'O Flower Of Scotland' which we all joined in with - of course. He also took his waistcoat off without hesitation and I can assure you he is one fine specimen of our human race!

Having been so many times I would've thought the atmosphere, the costumes and the tan would all have gotten pretty old but eight years on I'm still loving my 'Strictly' experience and by the reaction of the crowd last night I am not the only one.


Baking Cupcakes!

So today I got to make these delicious Chocolate Cupcakes at school. They tasted so good I had to share the recipe with you!

Ingredients:
For the cake-
100g Butter
100g Sugar
100g Self-Raising Flour
2 eggs
15ml Cocoa Powder

For the core-
15ml Nutella or Chocolate Spread (whatever you prefer)

For the icing-
200g Icing Sugar
50g Butter
10ml Cocoa Powder
(if its dry and thick add a tbsp. of water)

This makes 12 cupcakes or 6 muffins.

Method:
(1) Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius
(2) Mix together all the cake ingredients
(3) Bake for 15-20 minutes
(4) Prepare your icing - cream the Icing Sugar and Butter then add the cocoa powder.
(5) Once your cupcakes are cool use an apple corer to cut a space in the middle of the cake, KEEP THE CUT OUTS!
(6) Fill the space in the cakes with Nutella (or Chocolate Spread) Then put the cut outs back in.
(7) Pipe little rosettes onto the top of your cupcakes then voilà!

How cute do they look! Tell me how they tasted in the comments below, and I'll see you next time!

Hello Everyone!

Hello World, Caroline here and sharing my stories. Nothing serious, nothing sad, just a tall Scottish girl blogging her life.

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