My First Opera Experience

Hey guys,

This will be something a bit different today. This post, will be about my first ever opera experience. 

Now, I have always been curious on what operas are actually like, people make them out to be old fashioned, or posh. And this maybe, but they are also beautiful and tragic, and not just for the older generations.

I was invited to watch the live showing of La Traviata, which was being shown at the Oden cinema, as it happened at the Royal Opera House in London. My lovely friend Tam, asked me if I'd like to go, as it is her favourite opera. 

The opera is a beautiful and tragic story, about Violetta and Alfredo, and the ups and down of their relationship. It's a whole whirlwind experience. 

So what is the Opera about?

So to start, it is wrietten by Gusseppi Verdi, taken from a play called La Dane Aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, Fils. 

La Traviata simply means the fallen woman in Italian. It is a 3 act opera, based around Violetta, Alfredo and Alfredo's father Georgio. 

Violetta has been very ill for a year, and to celebrate her wellness, she throws a party to show she's well again, or so we think. At the party one of the guests, Gaston, invites Alfredo, a stranger to Violetta. This is because in the year that Violetta has been ill, he has gone to see her every single day. And has fallen in love with her. Knowing this, Gaston tells Violetta, and Alfredo confesses. 

Now, Violetta is a courtesan, which simply is a call girl, and tells Alfredo, she cannot accept his love, because she simply wants to live her life freely. He doesn't want to take this as an answer and tells her how deeply he loves her and what it means to him. She in turn does feel the same, but cannot allow herself to be so ridiculous. But on his way out she promises to meet him, and gives him a flower and tells him to go back tomorrow. 

In the second part, Violetta and Alfredo are living together, and are madly in love, but you learn that Violetta has been selling her belongings in order to be able to afford to live in their countryside home, Alfredo does not no of this, but soon learns and feels terrible. 

He leaves the house, and while he has gone, Violetta has a visitor, Georgio. Who she learns is Alfredo's farther. The reason he has gone to visit, it to tell Violett to leave Alfredo. Alfredo should be with his family, not with her. How it was a terrible thing of Alfredo to abandon his family for her. She tells him how deeply she loves him and begs for him to not make her do it, but in time tells him she's dying, and agrees. He tells her that he understands it's a big sacrifice for her and she will be repaid, that he wants happiness for her. With this she has been invited to a party by her old friend flora. At first she was not wanting to go, as this was her past, her old life, and she did not want that life anymore. But with the news of Alfredo's Farther, she decides to go. 

At the party, Alfredo turns up after learning that she has gone there. He wins at gambolling and throws the money he wins back at Violetta after telling the party that it was Violetta that allowed them to live such a beautiful life in the country. Georgio comes in at this point saying no matter how angry you are, you are not to speak to a woman in such a manner. 

Act three, shows Violetta dying, with only hours to live. She has a letter from Georgio, confessing how sorry he was for making her leave Alfredo, how he hoped one day they could both have her forgiveness. How one day they will return to her, and they will beg her to forgive. 

You learn that she has been waiting sometime, and that if they haven't shown up now, they are far to late. They will never show. And she will die, after all the heartbreak, the happiness, the love, she will die not having any of it, just sadness. That she's too weak to even feel those feelings again. 

Finally, both men show, Georgio offers to embrace her as a daughter as she first wanted, and Alfredo wants her to love him like she loved him before. To be strong and happy, like she was before. How he loves her so, and just needs her to be strong and they can find happiness again. She claims it's too late, she wishes she could be strong, that she does love him, but she is dying. And that even he wasn't enough anymore to save her. And if he wasn't enough, nothing was, so she was just going to die. 

He begs her not to say such words, that she just needs to be strong, in which she finds strength, and advises she's feeling better, she leaps around her room into his arms, and then she's gone. 

It's a heartbreaking story, of love and loss, dealing with happiness and heartbreak. It really is an emotional roller coaster. 

Of course what I have told you is the main story line, but there are also more relationships, more stories involved. 

And, for some of those who are into those girly films, this is the Oprea Vivian is taken to see in Prettt Woman. 

It broke my heart, and brought tears to my eyes. I'm defiantly a fan of this, and I hope to see more Operas. I can understand, it isn't for everyone. It's all singing, of course, and it has sung in a different language, with subtitles. However, you do not need to read the subtitles, in order to follow the storyline. 

It's so tragic, it's beautiful. 

Are you interested in Operas? Would you ever watch one? Any suggestions? 

As always, thank you for reading, and until next time! 

P.S sorry it's such a long post this time around! 

X

A Little Outing To Stratford

Hey guys,

Yesterday, I spent the day with one of my best friends, we always have outings that are usually spontaneous. One of those nights happened a couple of weeks ago, when we ended up in Stratford Upon Avon, in a pub. 

That pub, was so lovely, we ended up there again yesterday. That pub is called The Bell. In order to get to The Bell, we drove 30 somethings miles, so we can have lovely food, a few drinks, and a good laugh.

The Bell is situated in a small part of Stratford, near Anne Hathaway's Cottage.

For those who do not know about Stratford Upon Avon, it's the birthplace of famous author William Shakespeare. In the main town, you have a few different bars and restaurants along with shops, but for many the main attraction is of course the William Shakespeare house.

The Bell isn't so much in the centre, so you do not see any of this, but the staff are lovely. We had a meal yesterday, which was lovely. We both had Gammon and Eggs, which was one of the best meals I've had in a pub. 

The staff are friendly and welcoming, prices are a little on the expensive side, but you don't mind that for the amount you get. They do also have a number of offers such as a burger and drink and you only pay £1 for your drink. Another offer is 2 meals for £10.99 where you have a wide veriety to choose. 

They also do a range of drinks including mocktails. I didn't try one, however, some of the options sounded beautiful such as the elderflower cooler, and the virgin mojito. In this range, they also offered fresh lemonade and fresh pink lemonade.

I will definitely be looking to go back more often, as sometimes it's nice to experience new places, and venture out. You meet new people and make new friends. 

Have you tried any nice places lately that are new to you? Let me know, I'd love to hear from you! 

Thank you for reading. Until next time.

X

Haul - Too Much Shopping (or not enough)

Hey guys!

It's me again, and this time in changing things slightly with a haul post. I always love watching videos of hauls, or reading up on what people have brought, and their reviews. 

So a week ago now, me and my lovely friend, and fellow blogger (Miss Kitty Kaos, off Adventures Of A Riot Girrrl)  went on a bit of a catch up around merry hill (merry hill is located in the West Midlands, where I'm from). The point of the catch up was to discuss blogging, which never actually came up. What did Happen though, was shopping. 

We went in a few different shop, and it was a great day. I thought I would share with you, the things that I got. 

So the first stop was Primark. Now I love a good bargain, and for me, you can pick up some beautiful things from there. A lot of the clothes you can make look a lot more expensive then what they actually are. 

I didn't buy clothes this time, however, I got a few accessories. First of all, they had a sale on the men's hats and scarves. So I took advantage and brought myself a hat. It was £1.50, and it's just a basic burgundy hat, but it's lovely and warm. 

This is the hat, and what it looks like on, I love it. 

Next, I picked up a couple of rings. Again, I don't really buy statement rings, but these just caught my eye. One is black (I only really wear black) and one is red. They are just simple, statement placetic gems. Both £1.50.

And finally from Primark, I brought some new earrings. It's been a while since I brought or even wear earrings because I used to stretch my ears. But I saw these and thought they seemed cool. They are both gold and silver, and they are dangly. These were £2.

Next shop was Tiger. I love this shop. It is full of really cool Nick-nack goodies. If you have one by you, defiantly check them out. I brought a couple of things from here, one being a purple velvet.notebook, however that is at work so I'm unable to show you lovelies. However it was priced at £2.

Next, again, I brought more earrings. They had so many cute studs, and I'm defiantly wanting more from there. The first lot I picked up was a pack of two, (really sorry I can't remember the price of any of these). The two pack, had some basic red circle studs, but the reason I got these, were for the gold wishbone studs. I love wishbones, and anything like that, such as rib cages, lungs, really random bits. 

Second lot that I picked were cute triangles again, this time they are a lovely bright turquoise colour. And they go lovely with my hair being as I have blue tips. 

And lastly, we went to the poundshop. Good 'ole Poundland. The main reason for me to go here, was because I had been after some hair chalks. And my lovely friend Miss Kitty, advised that Poundland were selling Urban Fudge chalks. So I was really excited for that. So when we went in, I was on the lookout. And I found them. They had a wide range of colours from red, to blue, to pink. I decided to settle on the pink and the purple shade that were available. Of course, these were £1 each, however I believe the RRP is £5-£6. 

I have tried the purple quickly, but it didn't really do much, but I'm unsure if it was just my quick application, so I will have another go at this.

Have you brought anything lately, have you used the hair chalks, what are your views? Let me know in the comments :).

Thank you as always for reading! 

Until next time! 

X

Review: Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

Hey guys,

Today, I will be doing a review on the Benefit Roller Lash Mascara. And before I get into it, this is not an advertisement. This isn't paid for. This is all my own opinion. And my own photos.

So, Like many, I am always on the hunt for that holy grail Mascara, and like many, I've come close, just not close enough to finding said mascara. I have tried so many brands, so many types, and had no luck, until now. 

I have found my holy grail. I have found my perfect mascara. And I couldn't be happier. I know so many have tired the Roller Lash mascara, and I know there are a lot of mixed feelings on the product. Many love it, many unsure, many hate it. But me personally I couldn't rate anything better.

So, let's start with what it claims to do. According to benefit cosmetics, 'Hook ‘n’ Roll' bristled brush lifts the lash along with separating and curling the lashes. They claim you no longer require a lash curler. The brush does all that for you, with a few wiggles at the base of the lash, and through out the length.

This, I don't fully agree with. I still use my curlers before applying the mascara. But, it gives the lashes extra depth, extra length, and holds the curl until I take it off. This is one reason why I love it. 

I have tried the mascara without my curlers, just to see if what they claim is true, for me, I didn't see that it was. My lashes were straight. They had no shape what so ever. They didn't add to my winged liner. And with this I was gutted. I thought i would still be on the quest for my perfect mascara. 

But I didn't give up. The next time I used the mascara, I curled them. I applied one coat of mascara. And BAM my eyes popped. The have me the desired effect. The desired curl. With one application and a few squeezes of a lash curler. I have inserted some photos of the effects. Just so you can see for yourself. 

This is with eye liner.

With and without liner both with the mascara.

Again with and with out liner, both with mascara. 

Now let's talk about the brush. We all have our preferences to what the mascara wand should be. Some prefer fatter brushes. Some prefer thinner. Some like plastic, others don't. 

The roller lash, is a thinner, plastic bristled wand. It is curled to give you the lift and 'curl' that it boasts. It's great for getting all the lashes. And also, if your a lover of applying mascara to the bottom lashes, this brush is perfect. 

The colour, is a true black. Which I love. I dislike those that turn a bit blue or a bit brown after a bit. This defiantly does. It's very flattering. And really opens up the eyes. 

Now the wear. This mascara wears really well. It's comfortable on the eyes, and doesn't smudge. My eye lashes don't clump up (which I hate) and it doesn't flake.

I have found with a lot of mascara, when you run your eye, it's wait her smudges down to your chin, or it flakes like an ice cream topping. Not cool! 

For £19.50 this product is pricey. Especially when it doesn't completely stay true to what they claim with no more lash curlers. However, with curler, this product is well worth the money. I will defiantly be repurchasing once I have ran out. 

Rating : 10/10

Have you got your favourite mascara? Have you tried the Benefit Roller Lash? Or anything by them? What's your opinion on this product? I'd love to hear from you :). 

Thank you for reading! Until next time! 

X

Mac Lipsticks and Review

Hey guys,

So for my first official post, I thought I would do a review on some Mac lipsticks (with a lip pencil snuck in too!) being as I've had a couple of newbies added to my collection. I was thinking of just going ahead and doing it all about the new additions, however, thought it might be fun to do my whole collection. 

I don't have many Mac products because they are a bit pricey, so this won't be a big thing at all. This will be a review and swatch post on 2 lipsticks and 1 lipliner. And of course if you want to know any additional information that I may miss, please go ahead and ask. 

Now, I will put a disclaimer below, as I feel it nessasery, especially because we are all friends here! So please read, and enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: so firstly, I just want to put this out there, this is by no means a bragging post. I do not want people to think that. I'm not showing off, just simply giving my review and honesty on these products. Also this is not a sponsored post. All items mentioned have been brought by myself. With that out the way, let's get cracking!

First of all, I want to be talking about Mehr. This colour is one of my favourites. Its a nude pink, with a hint of berry. It really compliments olive skin tones, but I feel it would look stunning on fair skin also. 

It's a Matte finish, but it feels lovely on the lips. I suffer from dry lips, no matter what I do, they always dry out, so I struggle with Matte formulas. This one, I don't have a problem with. It glides on smoothly and does not tug at the lips. It feels comfortable to wear. 

The staying power of it is great. It is very long lasting. However, I do have to reapply after I've eaten a meal. Once reapplied, the texture does alter, and it does go bitty. To stop that, I have to completely take of the first lot and apply again. For £15.50, I would definitely recommend this colour. Do check it out. 

Rating: 9/10

Mac x Elle Goulding : Only You

This one is from the collaboration with the ever so beautiful Elle Goulding, there were a number of items in this collection that looked beautiful, however, I didn't feel would suit me or my style. 

The colour I chose is Only You. This is a lovely coral colour, more on the orange side. It's a lovely subtle colour, and looks lovely with very minimal make up. 

It's a cream sheen finish. So it is quite sheer, but gives enough colour. This colour isn't one for those who love bright or bold shades. As this is neither bright, nor is it bold. It's a very muted shade. The wear of this product is great, and it's really comfortable on the lips. 

I do feel this colour is better suited to those of a fairer skin tone, and I feel that is the case for most of this collection. However, it does look beautiful on tanned skin, gold shadow and mascara! And for £17.50 for this product I'm glad I invested. 

Rating: 7/10

Finally, is the ever so popular lipliner in Soar. I got this colour to go with Mehr, as they really compliment one another's shades. 

This is a nude pink shade, and looks amazing on its own as well as paired with Mehr. There isn't a great deal to say on this product, as it's a lipliner and does the job. 

Priced at £12.50 I would say it is over priced for what it is. You are in this case just paying mostly for the brand. But, and it's a big but, I would defiantly say it is worth the price tag, just for the pure loveliness of the colour. 

It applies nicely, but due to my dry lips, it dose cause it to tug but it doesn't ruin the line. The line is still as perfect as needed. 

Rating: 8/10

So there you have it. This has been so much fun! What lipstick is your favourite? Have you tried any of these products? Do you have any dupes? I'd love to hear from you!

Thank you for reading! Until next time.

X

Happy New Year!!

Hey guys,

So it's here, it is now the year of 2016, it's a new start for some, and just loving life of others. No matter what you wish for this year, I hope you achieve all you want.

Being as this is the start of a lot of new things, and a lot of new regimes for some people, be it getting fit, loosing weight or stopping smoking, I thought I would share with you my top 3 new year resolutions. 

Being as this is my first post, I thought this would be a fun way for you all to get an insight, and get to know me. 

My New Years Resolutions

1. Loose weight - this one is something that a lot of people will wish from this year. It will be a long journey, and I'm sure it will be a roller coaster, but hey, it could be fun! 

2. Commit to writing this blog - now, this is something I've been wanting to do for some time, but for some reason, I can never seem to get a good flow. But I have good support and good people to inspire me, so I'm going to give it a go. 

3. Make more friends - this may seem a bit strange, but really, this year I want it to be as fun filled as it possibly can be. 

So, these are my top 3 resolutions for this year. I feel these are achievable and I think it will be fun to look back on these later on in the year to see how I'm doing. 

Do you have any New Years resolutions? How did you spend your New Years? If love to hear from you, so please leave your comments :).

Happy New Year, may it bring you joy and laughter and most of all happiness. 

Until next time, thank you for reading! 

X