Concert Review: a1 - The Reunion Tour 2019

Hi everyone,

I had the pleasure of seeing a1 perform live on the 4th November 2019 at Manchester Academy 3. This was a very unclose and personal concert as Academy 3 holds just over 400 people, and what a very fun and enjoyable evening it was.

The show opened up with the opening verse of 'Forever in Love' and then the more upbeat 'Same Old Brand New You', followed by a combination of 'Be the First to Believe/ Summertime of our Lives'. What a fun way to kick off a concert with late 90s nostalgia, and we also had our first dance lesson of the evening as we got shown the moves to 'Be the First to Believe'. We where then treated to an acoustic version of 'One More Try', which was lovely to listen too. We were then treated to another dance lesson for the number 'Ready or Not', and the dance was created by Paul; and then the music began to flow, and then it slowed down just a little bit for the ballad of 'Walking in the Rain', which was followed by the audience jumping up and down to 'Don't Wanna Lose You Again', which is such a fun modern pop number. I loved listening to 'Heaven By Your Side' live, as its one of my personal favourites from their debut album. Then we had the medley that was entitled 'The Songs We Never Did/ Rarely Performed', and this included the hits 'Here Comes the Rain', 'I'll Take the Tears', 'Tomorrow', 'Make it Through the Night', 'When I'm Missing You','Hey You' & 'The Things We Never Did'. We were then treated to 'Learn to Fly', which was then followed by 'I'm in Love and I Hate It', which also involved a little bit of audience participation. We then got treated to their latest single that was released last year entitled 'Armour'. Then it was back to a1 classics that everyone knows and loves with the lovely 'Everytime', and the ever popular 'Caught in the Middle'; which was actually the acoustic version.

We then had a short break, which was followed by an encore in the form of the very popular and very lovely Benthm 'Like a Rose', which everyone knows and loves; and the show closed with their first ever Number One 'Take on Me'.

But that wasn't all we were treated too, as an audience we got chance to listen to a couple of exclusive songs that haven't been released yet, and are not due to be released until sometime next year.

a1 managed to put a fabulous concert, and it was such as fun filled evening. I've never been to concert like it, as they give the audience a few lessons so then they can join in; which also included a work out along the way; as well as a bit of Panto. I also really enjoyed the stripped back feel to it, as they was only a screen as well as Mark's keyboard/ digital piano and Christian's guitar; which proves that you don't need the fancy sets to put on a good show or in a1's case a fabulous, and a very long time coming show. We were treated to a1 trip down memory lane, as well as a sneak peak into some upcoming newness.

I also went to this concert on my own, and I ended up making quite a few new friends on the night. This is also something that's also never happened before while I've been out at a concert.

I would like to thank a1 for putting on such an amazing show, and it was certainly worth the 20 year wait. I will be back to see a1 again in the future.

Little Luxury Beauty Haul

Hi everyone,

I've done a little bit of luxury beauty shopping recently; so I thought that I would share with you what I have purchased over the past couple of shopping trips.

Marvis Aquatic Mint Toothpaste (25ml)

I have been intrigued with this brand of toothpaste for years, but I've never purchased anything from them. I decided to try the Aquatic Mint variety, as it seemed like the safest option as they have a few unique flavours.

Pixi Vitamin C Serum

I struggled to get my hands on this serum, as its nearly always sold out. I've been on the lookout for a good vitamin c serum, as this seemed like a good choice to get through the research that I did before I went out to purchase it. It also smells like fresh lemonade.

Nuxe Creme Prodigieuse Boost Energising Priming Concentrate

This is also another vitamin c based serum, but it has more of gel consistency. Also, you only need a very tiny amount of this serum as a little goes a very long way. It also has a very generous 100ml for a reasonable price, which shocked me a bit as I know that you can pay a pretty penny for a vitamin c serum.

Emma Hardie Brilliance Facial Oil

I was after a new night serum, and I wasn't too sure what to get. I was introduced to the Brilliance Facial Oil from Emma Hardie, and I've never tried anything from the Emma Hardie brand before. But I'm looking forward to introducing this oil into my evening skincare routine.

Caudalie Vinosouce S.O.S Serum 

I've gone through countless bottles of this serum of the years, and its a lovely, lightweight hydrating serum that works wonders if your skin is in need of a boost of hydration throughout the day.

Marc Jacobs See-Quins Glam Glitter Eyeshadow in 'Star Dust' (LE)

The Marc Jacobs See-Quins Glam Glitter Eyeshadow in 'Star Dust' is a limited edition eyeshadow that forms part of the Marc Jacobs Christmas 2019 range. I fell in love with this eyeshadow last month, and I didn't think I would be able to get it. It's a similar shade to 'Fire Ball' from Urban Decay, only more intense and with silver glitter throughout.

Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Eye Primer

I'm currently using the Urban Decay Primer Potion as my eye primer, but its getting on the older side as I've had it for years. I got this eye primer recommended too me, as its similar to the Primer Potion from Urban Decay but it has a lighter consistency.

Percy & Reed Frizz Fixer

This was a product that I would never thought I would need, but it turns that I have just a subtle amount of frizz that needs taming. I only noticed it as I was getting ready for go for a night out as my hair is now getting longer and also my curls are slowly coming back.

This is the last of haul for 2019, and my final post will be on the 26th November as I'm taking a break over the festive period. I'm looking at around mid January to start up my blog again for the next year.

My 2020 Planners

Hi everyone,

I'm going to show you my planner line up for 2020. This year I have been using two planners, but for 2020 I will be introducing a third planner into the mix. All of the planners that I will be using will have their own purpose and function.

2020 Main Planner 

This will be my main planner that I use throughout 2020, and this will hold anything from my work hours to events, along with any appointments that I will have during the year. I also have a section at the back that contains all of the theatre productions that I seen in previous years.

Music Planner 

I have decided to go for the Erin Condren Deluxe Monthly as my music planner choice for 2020, as my A5 Kikki K isn't quite working for me. Within this planner I will keep track of my music lessons, practice sessions, tasks for me to work on for my next lesson such as scales, arpeggios, technique and development, and also any pieces that I will be learning. I've also opted to have an additional 80 lined pages at the back of the planner so then I can write down my detailed practice sessions. The twelve boxes at the front of the planner will be used for any finances related to music.

Health Planner

This is the latest addition to my planners for 2020, and this is going to be my health planner. This will help me to keep track of my mood, stress on a daily basis; any appointments and tests that I have to attend. There's also a section that will keep track of my medication that I get prescribed. I also have the monthly spreads in this planner, which is what I'm going to use for my monthly cycles.

I'm looking forward into delving into my new planners for 2020, as I'm trying something a little different; especially with new planners and layouts. The health planner is something that I have never done before, but I'm willing to give it a go to see it goes. The Erin Condren Deluxe Monthly seems to suit the style I would like for a music planner. I'm also trying a different layout for my main 2020 planner. I usually go for the horizontal layout, but for this year I'm trying the squared layout for something a little different.

Review: Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Toner

Hi everyone,

I have been using the Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Toner as part of my morning skincare routine for the past couple of months. I'm really enjoying using it, as it seems to be working well for my oily/ combination skin.

The Calendula Herbal Extract toner from Kiehl's is formulated to help and soothe problem skin or anyone with an oily/ combination skin type like myself. The aim of this toner is to help the skin maintain its natural balance, and to also look after the skin.

This toner is formulated with whole Calendula flowers and also plant extracts to make it a more effective toner. It also doesn't contain any alcohol, which means it won't dry out the skin after you have used it.

This is a great toner for anyone who has oily/ combination skin, and it also isn't harsh on the skin so it won't strip the skin of any of its natural oils. I'm really enjoying having this toner as part of my morning skincare routine.