Nail Colour of the Month

No, it isn't from Barry M! Though whilst we are on the subject, can I just say Barry M's nail polishes are HORRID. It hurts me to say this because I collected quite a few, but I just don't understand why they take 100 years to dry. I really tried to give them another chance yesterday but they just re-affirmed my point that they are absolutely rubbish. I will put a picture up of all the colours I have and if you like them you can tell me which ones you want  (you must like Barry M nail polishes though, don't complain to me after like I haven't just had a good 'ol rant about it) - I will give them to you FREE OF CHARGE!!!!


So, the nail colour of the month is.....................

*drum roll please*

L'Oreal Resist & Shine Titanium in 551 ( I think its 551 - chucked the box away :s )

30 Day Challenge - Day 6 & 7

Day 6

What band or musician is most important to you?

BRANNDDDYYYYYYYY!!!!! I say 'I love' a lot but NOTHING compares to my love for this woman. She is amazing and I feel like she doesn't get as much credit as she deserves. Her tone is so unique and she does the BEST rifts - hands down... I think Dawn from Dirty Money has a similar tone but NO ONE...ABSOLUTELY NO ONE can top my 'big sister' (do not judge me) Brandy.

The first time I saw 'I Wanna Be Down' I was in awe, she was young, cute, she could sing and she had cool clothes (cool for the 90s anyway). She is the only artist that I truly am a fan of; purchasing all her albums and movies, getting really passionate when someone tries to negate her talent and truly loving all the music she releases. She was even on 'Dancing with the Stars' and I used to make sure I was home on Fridays to watch it (I also recorded it so I could watch her dance over and over). I think people need to give her a break, like seriously... Did you know she can rap too? Arggghhhh I'm rambling now but just to show you how talented she is, below is a video of her singing in her bathroom. LOVE HER






Day 7

Do you read? What are your most favourite books?

I do read. I read a lot... I read books and poetry... I mean, blogs and magazines. I don't know what happened to me. I used to be a real geek, I would read 2-3 books in a week and loved every minute of it. It all fizzled out after uni, I guess the pressures of the 'real world' killed my enthusiasm for literature. I am intent on reading again, I wanted to join a book club but they never really take off. Everyone is soooo busy nowadays *rolls eyes*. I've read so many books that I can't even remember the ones that I read more than once *sighs*, one book does come to mind though - 'All Things Fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe.

I read the book in 2 days I think... I was so excited about it I told my mum and when I showed her she just laughed, "Its not a new book girl, I studied that for my O-Levels"...

Black Women Are The Least Attractive

Many people are angry with the opinion of the LSE professor stating 'black women are the least attractive', maybe more angry because it was published without any objection. To be honest, I don't care about it.

I saw people ranting on Twitter, Facebook etc and I made a choice not to read it, not because I wanted to be ignorant but because I didn't agree with the statement. Just because a professor has apparently found scientific facts to support that black women are the least attractive doesn't mean I should now cry and slit my wrists... 'woe is me, because I'm black, I'm not attractive'.... Get out of here please!

My stance is this - 'God made us all. He made us all in His image'... if someone feels that another person is unattractive, well that's their wahala (Yoruba translation - trouble/problems). I saw a picture of the professor and in my opinion, he is not someone that I would be attracted to... I have a preference and he does not fit that... such is life!

Anyways a few pics below of the black women I love to look at... LOL

"Worry can rob you of happiness, but kind words will cheer you up"

Proverbs 12:25 (GNT)

30 Day Challenge - Day 5

Five places you want to visit

1. Egypt
2. Johannesburg, SA
3. Madame Tussauds
4. Malaysia
5. Cuba

They are probably not conventional places, especially not Madame Tussauds. I've never been, I'll go one day though. These places are in no particular order either, I just feel that if I can visit these countries I'll be happy and able to tick more countries off my world map!

"Oh No He Didn't, Oh Yes He Did"

Shout out to Charmaine Cole for this one!!!

We were in New York, chilling in our hotel room getting ready to go out for dinner and we were talking about something.... Randomly, she just burst out laughing *side eye*... She didn't tell me until a good few minutes later why she had had that outburst but after watching it for myself... I could see why. Brace yourselves, its that crying, holding your stomach kind of laughter...

SS

30 Day Challenge - Day 4

The Meaning Behind My Blog Name

- Its self explanatory. Amarie is my name and I know some info about certain things... So I blog about it!

Cheers

Shout Out to My May Babies

Yesterday, I messaged my good friend Remmy (check her blog out here) with a quote from this song.

Quite a few of my friends celebrate their birthday in May, so here's a shout out to them. Being able to celebrate a birthday is a blessing! And this is a feel good song to get you in the mood for your celebrations! ;)

Bedroom Bar

 

The last time I went to an actual club was January 2011, it was New Years evening and I haven't been to a club since then (apart from a friends bday a few weeks ago but that is irrelevant).

I'm usually in bars... I love them! Chilled out vibes, cheap drinks, 'do what you like' attitude, nobody is watching what other people do and that's what going out is all about.

I followed my boyfriend to his friends birthday do' and I had a really good time. Music is varied but that night I heard one of the BEST old skool r'n'b/garage set (those moments where you're singing your heart out like you're auditioning for X-Factor)... I had a great time!

It must be one of Shoreditch's hidden treasures because when we got there (around 8pm or so) it wasn't packed at all... within an hour to two hours - it was RAM-A-JAM! That would be the only negative point about it, because it's small it gets hot in there really quickly but when you're singing along to Sunshine Anderson's 'Heard it All Before', two stepping along with randoms... the heat is the last thing you're thinking about!

30 Day Challenge - 10 Likes & Dislikes

I'm assuming it is 10 collective likes & dislikes so here goes: -

Likes

1. My boyfriend
2. My Steve Madden heels
3. Rice
4. Percy Pigs
5. The scene in 'Waiting to Exhale' when Angela Bassett finally reacts to her husband leaving her after 11 years of marriage... lol

Dislikes

1. Arrogant people
2. Dirty baths
3. Dishes in the sink
4. People that cough/sneeze and don't cover their mouths
5. Insects

I could really go on with the 'dislikes' section, but I guess that's all I'm allowed!

My Very First Girl Crush - Audrey Hepburn

Before my first boyfriend in year 5 (that relationship lasted a day... He liked me, I didn't like him, he was a show off, that has always been a turn off for me. He bought me Tunes for Valentines day, I guess that is all he could afford. He asked me out, I said yes (please don't ask me why, I still didn't like him - at that age you just didn't say no), went back to class and one of my friends was crying  o_O - she found out I was going out with him but she had liked him since FOREVER! End of the school day, I dumped him... I didn't want to lose a friend over a guy. ( I watched Moesha/Sister Sister/Saved by the Bell from an early age - I knew what dating was all about -_- ).

I had a girl crush, before I even knew you could 'like' guys. By that, I just mean I thought guys were smelly and dirty, unless they were wearing Reeboks (what can I say? My primary school was predominantly white, it was all about Reeboks and Fred Perry polo shirts) I really didn't want to know! My mum introduced me to her... I remember watching her as Eliza Doolittle in 'My Fair Lady' and falling in like. They gave her a makeover in the film and she was so graceful, so beautiful, she was witty too - sarcastic like me. I have so many posters of her, books, dvds, calendars etc!

I remember when BBC1 announced she had passed away... I cried my eyes out! So weird... at 7 years old, I had identified Audrey Hepburn as a role model. I wanted to be just like her. Not only was she great at her craft, she was a humanitarian and devoted much of her life to UNICEF, her thoughts on a field trip to Ethiopia in 1988 - "that image is too much for me. The 'Third World' is a term I don't like very much, because we're all one world. I want people to know that the largest part of humanity is suffering"!

That may not mean anything to you, but at that age it meant a whole lot to me and it still does.

30 Day Challenge - Day 1

 Write some basic things about yourself:

• Friends call me Amarie or Ams for short.
• I like Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough icecream
• I have a weird sense of humour
• I'm a size 5
• Sometimes when I'm in a car/train/bus whatever... I imagine what my first music video would be like. I'd want to tell a story, I'd want to show people my journey... Sounds lame but it's not - its work in progress.

xx

She's Such A Tease

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - In Honour of Bob Marley






She keeps teasing us with perfomances here and there. With all due respect, Ms Hill, you need to get back in the studio. I await your album!

Take Me Away

I can't say I'm the biggest fan of Keyshia Cole!

I loved her first album, it had that raw fresh vibe that most artists have when they first release their music. Although, (and you can disagree if you want to) I feel that once artists become successful, their hunger dies and the music they release after their success does not channel that same passion. I don't know if its because they are no longer 'suffering' so they don't have that hunger or if its because they feel they don't have to prove anything to anyone so don't commit to producing GREAT albums and settle on mediocre just as long as they're looked after.

Either way, many artists have released amazing debut albums and the follow ups are a FLOP! I liked a few tracks from her 2nd album but not that many from her 3rd! She might have a winner on her hands with this one though - I really like it. I understand her, I get that she's happy, she has evolved from 'I Shoulda Cheated' and 'I Changed My Mind'... She really shows that change is good with this song, I hope her album says the same.

"Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings."

 - Salvador Dali

Better Late Than Never

I went to church last Sunday and I was running late. Service starts at 11, yet I was still home at that time. I contemplated not going as I hate getting to church late, ending up in a bad seat then not being able to concentrate on the sermon. After debating with myself for a few mins, I said 'nope I'm still going'....

That moment when you get to church and the choir is singing your favourite worship song and you just feel this sense of 'peace' - its undescribable, and its in that moment you realise 'God is amazing, He is always there' - even at times where you feel no one else is there.

My pastor preached about being 'strong through the storm, because storms are inevitable aspects of life and preparing yourself for those storms'... It was something I needed to hear.

It's like I need to be reminded sometimes... I'm just happy I decided to go to church, sometimes you can still hear God's voice even if you're late to church.

Liar Liar, Pants on Fire

I must be the worst liar in the world! Seriously. To be fair, it's not a bad thing - as a Christian I know it's not good to lie, but some times I wish I could tell a white lie and at least let it be believable. Eg. A friend asks you if she looks nice, actually that is not a good example. You should be able to tell your friend she doesn't look nice, that's what friendship is all about.

Ok let me think of another scenario... A guy takes you to a restaurant he thinks you will LOVE but it's actually not all that! With normal people, they'd be able to see all the effort the guy has gone to and say 'aww this was really nice' even if you thought it was the worst choice! I, on the other hand... I mean those words could come out of my mouth but you would be able to tell by my voice & facial expression that I was lying.

I try so hard, my bf knows EVERY time I lie... EVERY TIME! It really sucks if I'm planning a surprise or something because he'll ask me where I am or what I was doing and then I start stuttering, looking to the sky, avoiding eye contact, scratching my head etc.

I guess it's a good thing... I'll just take it as God doesn't want me to lie and leave it at that

Moisturise, Moisturise, Moisturise

Moisturising is a key way to keep your skin soft and stops your skin from ageing quicker than it's supposed to...

You would think with all the benefits of moisturising I would incorporate it into my daily routine when getting ready - I didn't! If I did, I'd only moisturise the body parts that would be on show! (don't judge me)
As a result of not moisturising properly, I started noticing dry spots on my upper arms (this looked really bad in pictures)... After that, I started moisturising my whole body every day without fail - yaay me!
Body Shop's Mango Body Moisturiser is THE best especially for dry skin. It smells lovely and its quite thick so really gives your skin that subtle glisten/glow we all love! I don't use it on my face because it's a bit too heavy but for my legs, arms etc it's just right.

I am a hand cream addict - I may not have creamed my body but I always made sure I had lotion for my hands. I wash my hands on average about 7 times a day, quite possibly more.

When you commute to work via underground or local buses I think it's necessary. And yes, I do carry antibacterial gel but I feel like my hands aren't 100% clean after using it, the germs may be gone but my hands still feel dirty... So what was the point I was trying to make? Errm yes that I am a hand cream addict and I have a nice collection of hand lotion too....

(clockwise: Body Shop Mango Body Butter, Emporio Armani Diamonds Hand & Body Lotion, Simple Hydrating Moisturiser, Hand & Body Lotions from Victoria Secret (pink, peach & turquoise packaging), Dark & Lovely Even Radiance Body Lotion)

What moisturisers do you use?

"You Don't Impress Me 'Cos You Drive A Hummer..."

I love this song and I love the video even more. Some people reacted to this video negatively and compared the video to Rihanna's vid for 'Rude Boy' - psshhh like Rihanna never swagger jacked in her whole career!!! Whether this is a copy of Rihanna's video or not, I was really impressed with the quality, its a real improvement for Nigerian artists.

The message from the song is about being serious with a girl and approaching her on a mature vibe. The amount of times I've heard guys chat girls up and say 'babes... I'll make your life better you know... I can buy you all the Louis, the Gucci... whatever you want" o_O

Really? In this day and age? REALLY??? I mean I'm not saying there aren't gold diggers around because there are PLENTY but girls are more independent now, working, trying to establish their own brand - so guys that use money as a chat up line should really respect themselves and try harder.

*please note this advice is only for guys who are looking for a serious girl, if you want the gold digger type then ignore everything above!

I love Tiwa and shes bringing this new kind of flavour to Afrobeats. She's just released a new single 'Love Me, Love Me, Love Me' - Youtube it!

She really really really caught my eye with her video for 'Kele Kele Love' - for real! I repeated this over 1000 times trying to get some kind of dance routine down... #epicfail



Enjoy x

As you can see, I've been frequenting YouTube as of late... Don't worry I'm going to overload you with a few more posts about other things so don't press 'x' just yet!

"When it comes down to it, let them think what they want.

If they care enough to bother with what I do then I am already better than them anyway"

                                                                          - Marilyn Monroe

I Can't Keep This Secret In Any Longer...

The Way to My Heart....

... Busaba Eathai

I don't even want to give a review on this restaurant because it is THAT good. I recommend Busaba to so many people and I usually round up my pitch with - 'I dare you to go there and not enjoy the food'... lol


No reservations, served on a first come basis... every branch I've been to always has a queue, there is no way to avoid that - its worth it! 


Affordable, lovely atmosphere *sighs* I'm always excited to go. I think my favourite branch would be on Old Street. Regardless of which branch you may go to, the quality of food is always the same.

This is the sign for their toilets... lol... I find things like this so funny. It actually helped me because I cannot tell the difference between the other signs most restaurants/bars use (you know the symbols) and I've found myself walk into the gents a couple of times. Rather embarassing!

Skye Townsend

I always come across random things on YouTube and this cover of Jessie J's 'Do It Like A Dude' was one of them. I really like her tone and her swag style. (I'm trying to refrain from using that word)

Born September 1st 1993, Skylar 'Skye' Townsend is an aspiring singer, poet and actress. I decided to do a little background check because I've never heard of her before but she seemed quite familiar with the young celeb circle. Ah yes, her dad Robert Townsend (pictured below) is an actor and Skye was featured in one of the Super Sweet Sixteen episodes (not that I can recall watching it)...

Anyway check it out!!

I Hope She Cheats On You (Cover)


If you are an avid listener/fan of Marsha Ambrosius, you might not like what I am about to say. I don't think anyone can top the originality and range of Marsha's vocals but her songs are a bit... hmm.. blah! After watching Skye sing this song, I liked it much much more and have repeated it more times than the original! Go figure!

Do It Like A Dude (Cover)

5 Days, 7 hours....

I can't wait for the Superdrug Beautycard to launch... I keep tweeting about it because... like... really... I spend too much money in there.

I'll go in there for one thing, then I end up with all different types of shower gels, loofahs, face wipes o_O - at least now if I do go in there I can earn points whilst shopping and receive some kind of reward! *grins*

The card launches on the 11th May 2011, just register online and start earning those points.

Encouragement

Hot Couples

Jay Z and Beyonce Knowles

Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl

Carmelo Anthony and Lala Vazquez

My favourites (maybe because they're British) - David and Victoria Beckham

"...movement by myself but I'm a force when we're together" comes to mind! Beautiful people!



*images obtained from Google

December

I was reading Necole Bitchie and saw a post on Olivia and her new single.

Now, if you are older than 18, you may remember that Olivia was previously signed to G-Unit and featured on 50 Cent's song 'Candy Shop'. If you are a bit older than 21, like me *smiles*, you might be able to remember a time when a r'n'b singer released a song titled 'Biz-ounce'... I still know the lyrics to that song and I was so sure she was going to blow up... and when her career didn't take off then, I was convinced she would become a household name when she was signed to G-Unit. *sighs*

I'm hoping she will get her big break with this song because she is talented and even though I might not be able to relate to the lyrics of this song, you can hear the passion in her voice.

Check out the vid below:

Will & Kate's Sex Tape

Whilst other people were travelling to London to see the Royal Wedding, I travelled with a few friends to Brighton (again). I used to go to university there and I actually feel like its a part of my life I will never forget so whenever I get the chance to go there, I get REALLY excited.

We got there late on Thursday night, ventured to Nandos and once those peri peri chips and chicken had been consumed, our night had officially begun.

Going from bar to bar (Font bar, then Ink bar, Black Lion pub), talking to random folk - just having a good time. I can't remember the last time I actually had a night like that, anyway I digress... Whilst talking to random folk we heard there was something happening in 'Life' bar - Porno (part deux) Will & Kate's Sex Tape. We passed a few bars on our way to Life and was thinking about going somewhere else until we saw the queue for Life... Errmmm that queue was LONG... but it was a sign of great things. We queued for about an hour (can you imagine) but it was so worth it. Brighton never fails me!!!!

My pics always come up blurry when I upload them, is it because I take them on my iPhone?! Help!

The Underdog

With all the media coverage of the Royal Wedding, I laid most of my focus on that which is Pippa Middleton - the Underdog!

When I first saw her dress, my mouth droppped - simple, figure hugging, low cut neckline, she looked beautiful! Seeing her in that dress really inspired me to work on this masterpiece also known as 'my body'.

*image obtained from Google

Dr Feelgood

Benefit Buffing Lip Beads & Silky Lip Balm.

I bought this as part of a set because I heard my friends talking about it and they had such good things to say.

I'm always curious to try some things out myself so I bought the set and it is wonderful. (Please bare in mind I did buy this a while ago, so whether or not Benefit still produce this set I do not know.)

The lip scrub - I love. I use Carmex and Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour on my lips anyway so they are usually soft, but some days I feel they need a little extra TLC. I start with the lip scrub, rub it in until it almost disappears then wipe it off. My lips feel so so so soft afterwards. On the tube, it advises you to use the scrub 2-3 times a week (I hardly do this).

After the lip scrub you're supposed to use the lip balm that comes in the set. To be honest, I don't think I really like the balm, it has a thick consistency so you don't need much but I like my lip balms to be quite light. I usually put lipgloss on top of the lip balm so the Benefit balm doesn't get used much.

If you have quite dry lips I would recommend using it, but for me personally, I don't like how it feels.
Saying this, I LOVE the scrub and it does achieve what it sets out to do 'you'll kiss goodbye prudish lips and unattractive dry flakes...'

There are many other scrubs for lips... This is just one that I've tried & liked. If you don't have any products, SUGAR is something that can also be used as a home remedy!

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