The Summer Set

Almost missed this gig. We thought it was next Monday but it turned out it was last night and it's fine because 3 looks like a half 8 and whatever. BUT I'M SO GLAD WE DIDN'T.

The Summer Set played around the UK and had their finale show at the O2 Academy, Islington, London. Although we didn't get VIP passes to meet the band, it was a mind-blowing experience. (It would've been ULTIMATE had The Cab not pulled out but s'alright.)

The show started off with Paradise Fears, a 'baby band' (as described by Brian Dales) that switched up their pop-rock genre with a little spoken word action in some of their songs - kinda rapping, but not fully there, if that makes sense? Very Ed Sheerany! They were good. They got the crowd hyped up and were very accommodating to the fact that they weren't so well known. Their > website <!

The second opener was William Beckett, ex-frontman of the band 'The Academy Is...'. This guy.

He was so charming and brilliantly talented - his solo stuff is spectacular, which isn't surprising as his songwriting talent is phenomenal. You should definitely check it out. I especially liked his song Cracks in the Ceiling and Compromising Me! He also made the best entrance to Eminem's 'The Real Slim Shady'. *Ahem*, I mean, The Real William Beckett. I'm a little bit sad I didn't get to hear 'About A Girl' live but y'know, William Beckett was still a pleasure. His > website <!

And the climax - The Summer Set. I was buzzed. The prospect of seeing Chelsea Kane (who joined the band for a couple of the dates) added fuel to the fire. Unfortunately I didn't, but a friend of mine did! Bah humbug. ANYWAY, the band came on to Rescue. It wasn't the first time we'd caught a glimpse of Brian, as he came in for a Third Eyed Blind cover with Paradise Fears and sang back up for William Beckett's 'Just You Wait' beforehand. 

They sang Chelsea next, which was brilliant. It's crazy, thinking of the kind of energy that emanated the room. They played for about an hour and a half and mixed the playlist up with new songs and oldies. They finished on Legendary, toasted the final show with shots and the infamous 'How I Met Your Mother' canary-yellow coloured umbrella (rumour has it, Chelsea Kane is the one holding it in the IG post Brian uploaded, and is also the one he passed it to after…) and sang 'Yellow', 'Life Goes On' and 'Lightning In A Bottle' as encores. WAAHH. So much goodness. One would even call it LEGENDARY. Their > website <!

OH THE FEELS.

You can see a mash up of snippets on my Instagram, @la_german, so please do go check that out!

:)

L.

My Running Playlist

I’m a newbie at the gym, but for as long as I remember, I’ve kept a running playlist on my phone to ‘motivate’ me. One day my flatmate asked me what songs I had on there, and I thought it’d make an interesting blogpost for you exercise buffs out there –or y’know, you wanna do your cardio in the form of dancing around to hella upbeat tunes.

First of all, it’d make sense for me to tell you that I have a little routine (which I switch up every now and then to keep my body challenged. I start off with a 10 minute warm-up at Level 8 on an exercise bike (obviously these levels vary depending on the bike’s brand, but let’s just say it’s around gear 5ish?)  After this, I stretch those freakin legs out before they feel stiff. That’s probably the wrong way to do it but y’know, I like the way I do it. Anyways, after I warm up, I do interval cardio. I walk for 10 minutes at a high incline and medium speed, to warm my legs up gradually again.

I then run like the wind. Or, try to, I guess. I run a kilometre in about 8ish minutes. That’s where the real shit kicks in and I’m sweating like a p i g. …never really got that saying. I drink water every time a song ends to keep super hydrated. Also, trying to drink large volumes of water every 10 minutes as opposed to small gulps every 4 really screws up with my breathing- and I hear getting oxygen into your blood stream is pretty important.

So, on to my playlist! Of course, I have it on shuffle so I don’t know what comes next.

1. Accidentally In Love – Counting Crows
2. Anklebiters – Paramore
3. Angel of Small Death & The Codeine Scene – Hozier
4. Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell
5. Black Skinhead – Kanye West
6. Break It Down – Traphik & Twankstar
7. Burn – Ellie Goulding (Codeko Dubstep Remix)
8. Come On Eileen – Dexys Midnight Runners
9. Dear River – Kina Grannis
10. Dirty Litte Secret – The All-American Rejects
11. Diva – Beyonce
12. Feel The Love – Rudimental (Kill Paris Remix)
13. Girls – The 1975
14. Gives You Hell – The All-American Rejects
15. Hero – Childish Gambino
16. Let’s Get It Started – Black Eyed Peas
17. Love Lockdown – Kanye West
18. Love On Top – Beyonce
19. No Interruption – Hoodie Allen
20. Pump It – Black Eyed Peas
21. Ring The Alarm - Beyonce
22. Say My Name – Destiny’s Child
23. Sorry feat. Big Sean – Naya Rivera
24. Still Into You – Paramore
25. Sweet Louise – The Belle Brigade
26. Swing, Swing – The All-American Rejects
27. Slow Down – Selena Gomez
28. Stronger – Kanye West
29. Timber – Ke$ha ft. Pitbull (Gordon & Doyle Quick Fix Remix)
30. Touch The Sky – Kanye West
31. 3005 – Childish Gambino

I hope you get a couple new songs from this playlist! Happy exercising :)

L.

The Amazing Spiderman 2

Trying to process exactly what just happened in The Amazing Spiderman 2: difficulty even trying to fathom it all.

It was 143 minutes of pure entertainment. I’m a big fan of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, and boy do they borrow a sizzle from their off-screen romance and blast it up to amplified heats on. screen. There’s a huge transformation between the first and second of the prequels – they’re both mature, they both know what they want, and they’re both quite stubborn.

Peter has come into his skin, and this is portrayed beautifully by such mind-blowing effects that make you feel like you’re hitching a piggyback. One could only wish, hey? Humour is used throughout the film (more so in my opinion than the previous) and it’s so refreshingly light to tip-toe between drama and that comedic element that makes the film (and Peter) so humble. The character of Gwen has obviously so ravishingly blossomed: Gwen has always, in my view, had an aura of confidence about her that was captivating, but, Stone definitely takes Gwen to the next level. There’s less fickleness and more risks that make the movie so, so thrilling. Emma’s own personality definitely shines through for that little element of sexy-but-innocent-sex-bomb-kinda vibe.

Jamie Foxx and Dane DeHaan are incredible. The villians ‘Electro’ and the ‘Green Goblin’ are almost, ALMOST loveable they’re that well portrayed. It’s always difficult with prequels to live up to an already adapted character but boy was it good.

The story in itself broke my heart many-a-times, and I definitely shed my fair share of tears. I’m not made of ice. It was brutal towards the end but I guess things have to go wrong for them to go oh so right again (*no spoilers* but let’s not pretend we don’t know about Mary Jane…)

Last but not least was my OTP. The special effects and the orchestra made the most alluring cinematic babies I have seen so far. It’s genius in the way of synchronisation, genius in the incorporation of the Spiderman theme tune (and Incy Winsy Spider alike!) and genius in the art of breaking hearts and putting them back together again. Although I didn’t watch this movie in 3D (I got tickets to Vue’s Xtreme screen) it would’ve probably vamped up the movie to impossible reaches.

I do not have a bad word to say apart from the evident disappointment I have that there’s probably never going to be another one… meh.

I highly recommend you go see it for yourself. But if you're still on the fence, why not check out the trailer right here?

Image is not mine: it belongs to projectfandom

L.

My Top 5 Instagrams

Hi hi hi,

Hope this post finds you well and happy!

Here's a little backstory to set the mood… So, I've actually had Instagram since 2010, before it became a widely used app. There were hardly any celebrities on there and I came across the most breathtaking photos I've ever seen. Now it has become a social platform, with, (and I'm sure you'd agree) a lot of people forgetting the art of taking pictures and instead, choosing to post leisurely. I am definitely one of these people (although I tried, and failed, at being artsy in my early days) and so in no way am I condoning HAVING FUN. Nah, nah, nah.

But, at the same time, I miss the breathtaking photographs that I used to see on the popular page, instead of Kim Kardashian at the beach, selfies, and people trying to make Instagram "Vines".

So, I'd like to share with you some of my favourite, really amazing Instagrammers that have feeds that you could waste hours scrolling through. Make sure you have your phone on standby to check them out for yourselves!

1) @WithHearts - Cory's Instagram makes me want to pack all my things and go travelling with somebody I love. He captures the nooks and crannies of the world that we don't so often get to see: paralysed rivers, haunting train tracks and flexuous roads. If you can't get enough, you could also check out Cory's blog!

2. @HarryCrowder - I first came across Harry via Jack & Finn Harries of @JacksGap on YouTube. I then discovered that Harry was a photographer… thinking that he did some mediocre, super hip indie stuff on Instagram (not that there is anything wrong with that!) I took a look to check out his snaps. And boy was I wrong. Definitely not mediocre. Anything far from, in fact. Photographing the likes of Emma Watson and Cara Delevingne (to drop but a few names), Harry's eye for beauty is so evident. Although he has just 50 photos on his Instagram, I keep following in pure anticipation. You could check out Harry's website if his IG leaves you wanting more…

3. @DR_WOO-SSC - This is one for all you tattoo lovers out there. I am genuinely in love with all the designs and tattoos done at the Shamrock Social Club, but even more specifically, Dr Woo's pieces (his best 'piece' is his ADORABLE son of which he posts the cutest pictures of!) They are so intricate and finely detailed that its no wonder that celebrity customers are plentiful. I'm twiddling my thumbs and waiting for the day that I can afford to fly over to California to get one of these bad boys done. If you're impressed by their designs and technique or you just wanna. see. more. their website is right here!

4. @MinimalistBaker - You might've heard of the blog… and if you haven't, you definitely should check it out! Minimalist Baker is Dana Shultz, who has conjured up recipes to vegan cuisine since 2012! And boy do they look good. If you're a food or someone looking into healthy indulgences, you need Dana in your life. Dare ya not to salivate whilst scrolling through her feed!

5. @Swopes - Swopes So Dope or "Elise Swopes" is a graphic designer and mobile photographer. Ya heard it, mobile photographer. The coolest, unique quirk about Swopes is that her pictures are all taken on her iPhone. Sure, they're edited here and there, but c'mon: they look like something a Canon or Nikon would shoot after a twiddle with the lens or a play about with its settings. Think about the population of people with an iPhone (millyunz and millyzunz amiright?!) and then think about just how many people are able to capture such pultchritude and exquisiteness with them. Swopes also has a website for you to scroll through with your jaw comfortably dropped to the floor.

A couple other Instagrams that I love: @jethromullen, @harisnukem, @dielliot, @mase_cut and, with absolutely no shame at all, @laurenconrad. big up The Hills!


Hope you like these Instagrams as much as I do! I hope you have a lovely week :)


L.

Matte Eyeshadows

Hi lovelies!

            I have a new found love. We’re happy. We get along. We’re still in the honeymoon stage, and y’know, I really appreciate this partnership.

…and well, my post title might’ve given it away: I love matte eyeshadows.

It’s a bit of post-poned love, I think. I’ve allowed my adoration for shimmery eyeshadows to blossom and grow, but I’ve often neglected the matte. But alas, a smack to the back of my hand! I’m sorry, ‘Foxy’, for not loving you like you so deserve. You are a brilliant base colour for my eyes.

At the moment, though, I’m doting on ‘Buck’, from the Naked palette. It’s a brilliant darker nude colour to put in your crease to make your eyes look deeper or more sunken in, if that’s the way you’re swinging towards! It’s also brilliant in the summer sun, I think, because you don’t get the same intense specks of glitter amplified all over your face like you do with the glitzy schmitzy shades! Like really, buckin’ hell, it’s great.

Of course, I can’t separate from my first amor – my matte collection is still yet to grow, and so shimmery shadows are still my number one. But I’ve changed it up a little bit, and combined the two. My routine eye shadow makeup is ‘Virgin’ all over my lid (and in the corner of my eyes by the bridge of the nose to make my eyes look that teeny bit bigger and brighter), ‘Naked’ in the arch of my eyebrows and ‘Buck’ in the crease.

Nekkid nekkid nekkid. Thanks Urban Decay, you’re special to me.

My Naked 2 (at the back, very worn out owing to a lotta loving) and Naked, front and centre! Foxy is the first eyeshadow on the Naked 2 and Naked is the third shadow and Buck is the fifth shadow in the front palette! 

L.