25 Before 25: A review

Ok, so this post has been a long time coming. A month actually, seeing as I turned 25 exactly a month ago!  Needless to say, I did not complete it. I got 13 out of 25. Some I knew where ambitious, such as the visit an unvisited country. Others were not done due to sheer laziness (sock monkey springs to mind). And others were not done due to distance (I had a voucher for a manicure to use in Dublin but couldn’t get up there on time to use it. Same goes for the photo booth pictures too). I got very close with the IMDb list as well (I got to 90 films watched) and I did look up the language phrase, just never learnt them! And I do know a tiny bit more of the National Anthem, more than I did at the beginning!

It was a fun experience and I enjoyed it. I shall probably do something like this again for my 30th birthday, but plan more around and start it so I have more time to achieve it, not 8 months! I was going to rush to get a lot more of the stuff crossed off the list the last week of the challenge but instead I decided to concentrate on the Halloween party I was planning (and that paid off!).

Most fun things? Definitely the trip to the Aran Islands, surfing and the cocktail party. Most rewarding thing? The fundraiser, I managed to raise 500 Euro for Breast Cancer Awareness, something that has been close to my heart after my Nana died from it. And I really enjoyed planning the tea party for it, all the foods and decorating. Thing I’m most impressed with doing? Being vegetarian for a month, it showed I could stick to something and complete it (even if this challenge as a whole wasn’t completed!).

I’d definitely recommend to someone to try something like this. But as long as you don’t take it too seriously. It’s great to achieve something on the list but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t. Sometimes you get swept up in life doing and enjoying other things and that’s ok too. I think if you find you’re in a bit of a rut and would like motivation to try some new stuff and to challenge yourself, doing something like this is definitely for you!

Here’s my list with links to some of the stuff I completed. And I will continue to try and finish the list anyway, even if the timeline is up. I still want to learn to crochet and make the sock monkey.

YouTube Picks of the Week!

Some more of my favourites from YouTube this week.

This video comes from Richard Wiseman’s Quirkology YouTube, where he predicts which square you’ll end up on at the end. Needless to say I’m as predictable as hell!

Once again V Sauce managed to read my mind and answer a question that has plagued me for years!

A very sweet video from Coca Cola. Made me smile.

The Big Bang Theory cast and crew do a flash mob to this year’s biggest song!

Ellen has been on TV for 10 years! This video shows some of the best moments down through the years. And this video here shows 10 Years of Giving on Ellen and I won’t lie, it made me shed a tear or two!

Science.

YouTube Pick of the Week

Even more YouTube picks!

So I posted a Gangnam Style post before but I love the MIT one! So much going on, I think it’s my favourite spoof.

For the week that it was last week, I rewatched this Funny Or Die video featuring ‘Obama’ and a bunch of ‘past Presidents’.

Last week also saw Hurricane Sandy, which was utterly devastating. But all the news on it left this Grease song stuck in my head.

I mentioned how I saw the new Bond in a previous post and I then came across this video, cleverly cut with clips from Casino Royale and Judi Dench wittering on to poor ol’ Bond.

While I had briefly heard of Bif Naked before, last week was the first time I had ever heard any of her music. This has so much energy and edge to it and it’s a great message, to love yourself.

And the WTF of the week goes to Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Lion I suppose!) with Drop it Like it’s Hot remade for Hot Pockets. Bizarre and yet you won’t be able to take your eyes off it!

Rimmel Precious Stones Nail Polish

I was like a magpie when I first saw these online, I knew I HAD TO HAVE THEM! There’s two shades, Diamond Dust which is grey and silver sparkles and Ruby Crush which is red and gold (maybe silver, it looked gold in some lights, but silvery in others!) sparkles. They are so densely packed that you only need two coats to get an even cover, so no undercoat colour is needed.

Diamond Dust, with flash, which shows the underlying steely grey background, with the silver sparkles on top.

Without flash

Ruby Crush, with flash

Without flash

I’m in love with these colour, perfect for Christmassy nails. And I would love if there was a dark sapphire blue and an emerald green version. Oi Rimmel, sort that out and I’ll snap them up straight away!

I got mine on ASOS, where there’s 30% off Rimmel at the moment. AND free worldwide delivery! What’s stopping you?!

Favourite Bond Theme Songs!

I went to see Skyfall the first night it was released and I thought it was amazing! I’ve loved Daniel Craig as Bond seen I first saw him in Casino Royale and this one does not disappoint! I love the colours in it (especially when he’s in China), they are so vibrant. And I also love the theme song, as sung by Adele (and possibly the worst kept secret ever! Everyone knew it was going to be her!). The theme is very ‘Bondy’ and while I liked it when it first came out, I loved it even more after seeing the film!

Listening to the song got me thinking about my other favourite Bond themes, so I decided to list my 3 other favourite ones.

You Only Live Twice- Nancy Sinatra

In the world of YOLO, Bond YOLTs. I’ll admit, I don’t know this song from watching the film, but rather from looking it up after hearing the opening was copied by Robbie Williams in Millennium (which is probably my favourite of his songs). I immediately fell in love! I’m a sucker for strings in songs and the opening is so heady and dreamy, it sends shivers down my spine. I love Sinatra’s voice too. I love Bjork’s cover of it too.

Live and Let Die- Paul McCartney

I love the tempo changes in this, how the song itself is almost like a Bond film that hints at chases, dangers and love. Again, I also love the strings in it and it’s why I like eScala’s cover of it.

Chris Cornell- You Know My Name

A rocky, edgy Bond theme for a new edgy Bond. This song was perfect for the reboot, where Daniel Craig plays Bond to a T in terms of not being polished and a lot rough around the edges. Chris Cornell’s voice adds a grittiness to it yet still sexy, just like Bond. I also love the opening credit sequence to the film as well.

What are your favourite Bond songs?

Nails of the Week!

I wanted to post more this week but thanks to this stupid illness it’s thrown everything off for me. I even said last night that I can’t wait to feel fully better so I can clean the house properly! Luckily my friend came over to visit me to today and she did a kitchen clean (while I pathetically tried to chip in and help!).

I have however managed to doing my nails this week. I got two Nails Inc polish from Glamour magazine, which I will show on their own in another post, but this post is for the Galaxy nails I did over Motcomb Street. It’s a very dark, almost black, navy creme polish and I thought it was perfect to try as a Galaxy mani!

This is without a flash, I first put on the Motcomb St, then dabbed some white on it, some Rimmel Night Before and some Catrice Wrapped Around My Finger. I then did a layer of Model’s Own Indian Ocean on this, dabbed a tiny bit more white and then over the white dabbed some GOSH Galaxy over that. The Indian Ocean and Galaxy make it seem very different in real life, much shinier.

I love the colours in it though! Next time I might try it without the Model’s Own Indian Ocean.