Horror Photoshoot

    So a couple of weeks ago I helped out a friend and decided to be her model for a horror themed photoshoot she was doing for her media coursework. I'm a big fan of horror and just everything connected to that genre, so I leaped at the chance when she asked me to model for her. She sent me over the pictures the other day so I thought I'd put my favourite ones on here to show you guys, over all there were 50 pictures so I'm going to chose maybe 6 or 7 that I really liked and you can give any feedback if you wish. All the clothing, makeup and hair was done by myself to look like I'd been chased by my mystery killer in some of the shots, then to look like I'd just gone crazy and was hell bent on revenge ha, so enjoy the pictures!

In Stitches || November 2013

    It's the middle of December, I'm extremely late on this but nevertheless here it is November's edition of 'In Stitches' hope you enjoy! I've also got some posts lined up for the week of Christmas so keep posted for them along with an update on what's been happening in my life recently!

©GusTheFox

    So something I'm quite excited to read the reviews for is the release of the Twitter sensation 'Gus The Fox's book. If you don't already follow the quite crude and witty tweets of Gus I strongly recommend you go and do it, especially considering its the winter season and I'm sure he'll have some good things to say about the upcoming holiday. Like quite a few people, I found Gus through his interactions with Noel Fielding on Twitter and they've sparked a loving friendship, that loving that in fact Noel has agreed to write to foreword for the book featuring some of his own drawings which will be exciting to see! There is an interview up on TVO with Gus which you can see if you click right here, it's only short but it is an entertaining 10 minute read.

©jackagency

    Talking about Noel Fielding, news has landed that some of his artwork will be featured in LA, as part of a new exhibition all about cats (internal squeal!) the location is still wrapped in mystery but it will start on the 23rd of January for 8 days with all the profits going towards the Stray Cat Alliance. As a fellow cat lover and art enthusiast I strongly encourage you to pop down (once we know the location) and have a nosey and definitely donate generously because it's going to a great cause and will be a wonderful day out! I will extremely jealous of you everybody there.

©BBC

    As a lot of people I'm a fan of Peep Show, secretly hoping for another series (although I don't think there will be) something else has fallen into our laps for Christmas and it's in the form of the radio. Six years ago, the Mitchell and Webb Sound graced the radio waves for 4 series but once again they've returned! In the new 4 part series you can listen to live on Tuesday's at 6.30pm on Radio 4, you can catch up any you've missed right here. Maybe we'll get news of a new series broadcast next year if all goes well with the reboot.

©people

    And finally this month, Chris O'Dowd and James Franco will be hitting broadway together next year in a rendition of John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice And Men', both will be playing the two main characters George and Lennie. For those of you who haven't heard or read the novel before it explores the lives of George and Lennie who is learning-impaired while they get work together on the fields but end up in huge trouble. It will be 47 years since the novel was put on broadway so there will be high expectations for success and to ultimately live up to the novel (which I studied for two years and its really entertaining). It's set to start production in April and will run through to the end of July, tickets are not yet on sale but keep a look out if your interested.

In Stitches || October 2013

    Over the past two to three months I've been doing special monthly videos on my Youtube account called 'In Stitches'. These consist of a comedy based kinda news round, revealing exciting new projects, tours etc by comedians as comedy is a strong passion of mine. Now October's edition of In Stitches, sadly wasn't filmed due to being extremely busy and some personal reasons and I feel absolutely terrible for it. So what I decided to do along side these monthly installments to also write a more detailed blog post about each news story, to give you that extra bit of knowledge and insight. I thought this would also be a great tool incase I'm unable to post one month's episode due to whatever reason, like this month. So sit back and enjoy October's 'In Stitches' blog post.  

© NME

    This month has marked a huge milestone for the comedy 5 piece 'The Mighty Boosh' as they have performed quite a few gigs in London in preparation for their set at the Festival Supreme in Santa Monica. After watching quite a few fan videos of the boys performing, I can happily say that all their efforts led to a successful outcome with hundreds of fans being able to relieve some of their boosh memories. While down in London, the boys performed at the Soho Theatre, with supporting acts Holly Burns, Joey Page and Stuart Silver (who I hear were outstanding) bringing back to life the chemistry the boys all had together, especially Noel and Julian. A few days after this, they jetted off to do their set for Festival Supreme, fine tuning their songs and jokes the night was another success. You must credit all of the boys for giving such an exceptional show, considering they've not worked together for a number of years and yet that magic touch is still there. Hopefully this is the start of something wonderful, with possibly more gigs, or finally the release of their album which has been on stand by for a good 5 years now.

© The British Comedy Guide

    A really exciting opportunity happening this month (November) in London is the Big Comedy Conference, this day entails you to attend talks and workshops from some of the greats in the comedysphere on careers in comedy. Such people like; Al Murray, Jo Brand, Andrea Mann, Freddy Syborn and over 40+ more speakers will be sharing their stories and tips on how to get into the comedy business. Sadly only in London, tickets for the day will cost around £149 for that price you will be able to attend all of the talks, get lunch and have the opportunity to stay for the comedy gig at the end of the day, with a bar open till 11pm. This event is not one to miss, I definitely would be booking my ticket right now if only I lived closer down to London but if you do live close by and want to book a ticket, this click HERE and it'll take you straight through to the website, but hurry because tickets are going fast!

© Channel 4

    One of my favourite shows on Channel 4 has finally returned for a full series and it's Matt Berry's 'Toast Of London'. A one off episode for Channel 4's 'Funny Fortnight' was aired last year, and it was one of the best they shown and I'm over the moon that it's finally been commissioned for it's first full series. Matt Berry stars as struggling actor Stephen Toast, who during his life as a middle aged idiosyncratic finds himself dealing with very bizarre situations, while trying to get recognised in the acting world. Being a Channel 4 comedy, TOL has it's weird and wonderful aspects to it, so expect some very peculiar jokes and gags. The show airs on Sunday at 10:40pm on Channel 4 (it's on tonight woo) and there are already two episodes on 4od which you can find HERE to give you a taste of the show.

© The Guardian

    After the great cornetto trilogy has ended, the Q&A session for The World's End has been announced this November. As the trilogy is due to be released on the 25th of November, it's only right for the Q&A to be happening to coincide with the release (I'm super excited to own the trilogy on DVD). Director/Co-writer Edgar Wright and Co-writer/Starred Simon Pegg will be attending a special viewing of the film at Cineworld Haymarket (23rd) with a live Q&A and unseen footage from the film. Then the following day Wright and Pegg will be introducing the whole trilogy at Prince Charles Cinema at Leicester Square, back to back from 4pm till 10:30pm. Tickets are selling like hot cakes so you can head over to Cineworld HERE or Prince Charles Cinema HERE to purchase you tickets for quite an amazing event. 

Shop Dixi || AW13 Gypsy Nights

    I'm glad to bring you another Shop Dixi preview collection, and this time it is for their first full own brand collection; Gypsy Nights. I received the email for this yesterday just as I was heading out to film this months In Stitches and I've been dying to tell everybody about it ever since. The collection for AW13 is outstanding, I was overwhelmed at how much they're releasing for all their lucky customers, so please take your time to look at every individual picture. 

    There's a few pieces I really like from this collection and will definitely be putting them onto my Christmas/birthday list (if I don't treat myself beforehand). For example the silver 'gypsy soul' bangle stood out to me straight away as a very versatile piece that would go with any outfit. Along with the pinky swear charm necklace, I don't own a lot of jewellery and when I do, it is mainly simple silver pieces and by George will my collection double after I've finished buying from Dixi.

    I, also have a special FREE shipping code for all of my lovely readers (sadly only in the U.K) when they spend £20.00 and over on any of the necklaces, earrings etc from Shop Dixi. The code BLOGGERDISC is exclusive to this blog and any other bloggers who have been contacted by Shop Dixi as they are not putting this special offer on any of their social media platforms, so definitely take advantage of this opportunity. The code will run from today till the 6th of October, so that is only a week to save yourself a couple of quid on shipping, enjoy!

Liebster Award

    It doesn't seem too long ago since I was last nominated for the Liebster Award, but here we are again. This time I was tagged earlier this morning actually by the lovely Laura from SmileatStyle (just click for the link) and all I've been looking forward to all day was to find some time to sit down and respond, so here I am with a chinese takeaway and Kate Nash playing in my ears, so here we go!

Preparing For A/W || Part 2 - Coats

Soft Furry Blue Coat - Topshop £95.00 || Black Mohair Boyfriend Coat - Topshop £89.00

    Why not start off with my ultimate winter coat, the faux fur coat. I can't speak highly enough of faux fur coats they're a chic, timeless piece to anybody wardrobe and you must go through winter at least once with a coat like this being your best friend. You could go with the common dark shades of faux fur (black,grey,brown) which match any and every outfit. Or you could mix it up with a baby blue faux fur coat like the picture above. I personally love this coat as it brings a vibrant pop of colour into an outfit when most people are wearing darker shades during this time. Now of course you can stick with the more neutral shades and feel like a cuddly polar bear or be more daring, it's down to you. 

Grey Duffle Coat - Zara £159.00 || Twill Duffle Coat - Urban Outfitters £98.00

    Another common winter coat is the duffle, these coats come in a variety of colours and different faux fur collars whether that be sheep or fox. I'm personally not a fan of the notorious buckling details however I feel the grey duffle coat allows the buckling details to blend in with the shading more, giving a more solid look. These coats are perfect for those still in school as they fall pretty much into the school regulations of plain, darkly colours coats that aren't over the top. These are possibly the most practical type of coat for those in the UK, as they keep you nice and toasty all the time, acting as a wind breaker at the same time.

Maison Scotch Print Parka - Urban Outfitters £80.00 || Combination Leather Parka - Zara £109.00

    The final coat is known for the festival goers as a lightweight, durable coat that keeps you warm and dry. I've put two varieties on this post as parka coats come in a few varieties, there's the thin parka that most people take to festivals, wear for their walk to work or during a firework display. And there's the heavier slightly warmer parka coat, both keep away the substantial cold from your person. I've experienced both types of parka coat and I find the thicker, heavier parka coat is the best for beating the cold weather while still looking stylish.

REVIEWED || Ren Sample Skincare Kit

    For those of you glancing at the magazine aisle last month, you would've seen that Red magazine we're giving away a freebie kit of Ren's latest 'clean skincare'. Personally I've heard of all the hype behind Ren, but I've never had the opportunity to purchase any of their products simply on the grounds that, they are not stocked in my local beauty stores. So one can imagine the excitement I felt when I saw these three perfectly sized samples (which have not run out yet). A little history lesson on these Ren products is that they don't use parabens, sulphates mineral oil or petrolatum synthetic fragrance and many other bad chemicals for your skin.

Preparing for A/W || Part I - Footwear

    As soon as summer begins, the stores seem to start stocking up on AW collections and I'm not one to object as the fall months are my favourite! So this year I thought I'd join in with a four part series on how to prepare for A/W, these will consist of posts on footwear, coats, cosmetics and finally accessories. I hope this will be helpful to some of you who are as excited about the winter seasons as I am! So hope you all enjoy this series as I get myself back into blogging. 

Brogue's £39.99 Zara || Chelsea Boots £62.00 Topshop

    In footwear I think leather is the best option not only throughout the year but especially during winter, as far as I've experience winter it's guaranteed to rain, hail be windy or possibly snow. And that's where these lovely leather beautifies go into play, while I've been at college my schedule during the midweek would finish at dinner time allowing me to go home earlier. This meant I had to take a 10 minute walk downhill a very narrow pavement alongside a road to get to the bottom of the train station, which I then had to walk up to as it was on top of a hill ha. Now this procedure isn't physically enduring but it did cause bother to my feet when I wore poor shoes. I won't go into the details but eventually I bought a pair of primark faux leather boots (which are now broken) and the difference in the material and sustainability was incredible. I'm going to actually be purchasing either the brogues or chelsea boots pictures above this year to give my feet that extra bit of luxury.

Boots £100 Office || Flat Forms £14.99 H&M

    If you're lucky to live in a climate that doesn't pour down with rain as regularly or are willing to risk getting wet feet then suede shoes will be your next best friend over A/W. I own too many pairs of suede boots that I can't wear during the winter because of the unreliable rainy weather in the UK but when we get a dry spell I love to bring them out. I like to compare suede shoes in the winter to wearing the warmest slippers you own, which is quite ironic as I don't even own a pair of slippers. Regardless of this, suede give an extra texture to your winter wardrobe without having to think twice. I especially like the burgundy flat forms as I feel that you could possibly get away with wearing these in the UK with the rain, as the raised platform keeps the suede section lifted from the puddles, keeping them nice and toasty.

Blogging Draught

    I'm sure you've all noticed recently that I've not been blogging and I'm extremely sorry about this. If you follow me on youtube you will know that I've recently decided to make more comedy driven videos, so most of my time has been spent on coming up with ideas and filming/editing. Along with these new ideas, my new monthly series 'In Stitches' keeps me busy on a daily basis as I have to follow up any stories I've heard about to get the correct information for you all. In no way am I trying to make excuses as I'm 100% sure that if at the time I really wanted to blog, I would've blogged. This new creative outlet has let me indulge myself in something different compared to my fashion posts and reviews. 

    Living in the UK, I'm currently on my summer holidays which in total is 11 weeks long and I still have two and a half weeks left, which means I've also been taking a lot of personal days to do whatever I want whether it be sleep in till 3pm or.. that's pretty much it ha. Don't get me wrong I've not been living inside a cave all this time but after putting a crazy amount of effort into the last month of college, I thought it was something I earned without feeling guilty. Although during my time off college I did take part in a 4talent day with Channel 4 which was incredibly inspiring, so I did spend some time outdoors ha. On the subject of college, I received my AS results last week and I've got B's in all my subjects literally 10 points in each subject away from A's so I'm extremely chuffed with that outcome!

    So I know these reasons may not seem credible to you all, but I hope you can understand why I've been absent from the blogging word recently. I intend on catching up on everything I've missed (I have two reviews on the horizon) and I'd like to thank you all for sticking with me through this blogging draught.

New Monthly Series || In Stitches

    Since participating in the 4talent day, I've been racking my brain for new things to blog/film and write about and I've got quite a few things lined up for you all. In terms of blogging I've not come up with any new ideas as I quite enjoy the content I put out (fashion and reviews). Yet when it came to doing videos, I never had any ideas that would set me out from the millions of youtubers, so I didn't post videos as regularly as I wished; until now.

    I've always had a passion for comedy, I love discovering new comedians/films or series that I can sink my teeth into but I've noticed that comedy isn't publicised as much as say reality shows or soaps. Now don't get me wrong there are brilliant social media platforms displaying the latest in the world of comedy (thevelvetonion is smashing) but I never found that in a video platform. Considering that and my aspirations to be a TV presenter, I thought why not create my own comedy updates series where I am the presenter. Not only will it fill that online void but it should be a bit of fun and experience for my future career. 

    As you can see from the pictures above, I've already written out a script for the first episode of my new series 'In Stitches' (so original right ha). I've obviously blurred the picture partially not to give away what will be in the video but I can guarantee The Mighty Boosh's return will be covered. My plan for these future videos is to have them released on the last day of every month, to give a roundup of what's happened in the comedysphere. Which means the first episode will be up and running on the 31st, so I better get filming and editing done.

    I'd love to get other peoples opinions on this concept because I'm extremely excited to finally be producing some work that I'm 100% enthusiastic for. If you have any ideas what I could include in the series such as comedian of the month (I might do that?) then leave it in the comments down below, all feedback is welcome! So keep peeled on twitter and subscribe to my youtube channel to make sure you don't miss out!

Twitter - @FagansFinds

Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/user/FagansFinds

4Talent Days || Wigan

    If you follow me on twitter you would've known that I applied and got accepted for Channel 4's talent days, these days give people the opportunity to learn about the media side of the world to give an insight and guides to your future career. I've never been to an event like this before especially on my own but I'll tell you know I highly recommend it! I got to the event at around 8:45ish and there was roughly 140-200 other people there as well, I actually seen somebody I knew from college so I hung with them till registration time.

    I signed onto the 'Adventures into TV Journalism' workshop with Jules Mccarthy; the senior broadcast journalism at Staffordshire University. Throughout the day we got given freebies to take home with us which I thought was extremely sweet considering the whole event was free of charge (I got a shoulder bag, water bottle, pen, notebook and USB drive all with the Channel 4 logo imprinted) we were also offered free water, tea, coffee and pastries over the course of the day along with a free dinner. 

    During the event we had a few talks off a variety of people such as, Priscilla Baffour who introduced us to the whole event and what we was going to expect and take away from the experience. Ade Rawcliffe who discussed her journey and experience into the media industry, along with documentary makers Nine Lives Media. 

    During the 'Adventures into TV Journalism' workshop we were paired into groups and had to arrange a small radio package, displaying three pieces of news that we felt was most important; we chose a crime, weather and media broadcast. We were also given out booklets regarding broadcast journalism, we handy tips and tricks along with useful websites. The whole day was absolutely brilliant and I'm quite sad now that Channel 4 have gone and it's all over ha.

Haul || Topshop Pre-Summer Sale

    Just a little quick post, as I've been rather busy over the course of the day. Anyhow today I ventured into town with my cousin and decided to have a little nosey in Topshop considering they had a sale on. There were so many nice piece available but I had only brought out so much money so I had to restrict myself to just three purchases and here they are.

    Hallelujah I finally own another pair of paisley trousers! These trousers are hands down my favourite purchase of the month so far, they have an elasticated band which make them so comfortable to sit down in and don't stick into your skink. What I love especially about these trousers is that they're slim leg created that polished look, because of this I feel I can wear these in the day but dress them up with a court heel for the night time.

    Everybody by now should know that cami's are essential pieces to everybodies wardrobe and can set off any outfit. This piece was not in the sale unfortunately so I did pay full price however it is very worth it, these cami's are sheer so make sure to wear a bra the same shade or just a nude one and you'll be alright.  

    Lastly is this really delicate dress, I love dresses as you all know so I can't say no when something this pretty is on sale for almost half price. The cut out detailing at the sides are really sweet and give the dress character instead of being a plain floaty dress. The material is very thin too so it's perfect to wear over the warmer seasons without tights (or with).

The Perfect Summer Lingerie || Bras

    I'd like to kick this post off with stating I am in no way a professional when it comes down to lingerie, I've been wearing bras since the age of 12 (maybe) so I've only had 6 years experience with them but after reading an article by Sarah Kennedy in Red magazine entitled 'Summer cleavage: how do you wear yours?' and going through a few lingerie changed myself I felt quite strongly towards this discussion. So to make this more understandable from my point of view I'll give you some history from my 6 years of wearing bras, shall I?

    Like most girls in their last two years of primary school, I started wearing vest bras. Now as you can tell from the name they're literally a cropped version of a vest that just covers your not really existent boobs. Then throughout my life at high school, I wore the generic bra that most girls wear which consisted of a wired and padded bra is a variety of colours and patterns. I was bought the majority of my underwear by my nan or mum, so I never dabbled in push up bras (I didn't really need the extra lift), plunge bras or even sports bras.

     Up until recently I was wearing padded bras and because I am rather larger chested (38D) I found it more uncomfortable and inconvenient because of that extra padding, for example I've always lived with the problem of having buttoned shirts reveal some of my boobage (yes boobage!) as the material would separate near the bust area because of the padding, and when you're a young teenager that's the last thing you want happening. Now by all means I am not saying everybody wear non padded bras, but they have become a preference of mine. 

    Now these bras aren't a collection of my own (hopefully they will be soon) but these are what they're supplying at the store '& Other Stories' if you was to ask for a bra like this, you'd ask for a 'non padded underwire bra' and bingo you have a match! Now I'm sure girls can relate with me about this, especially those who have gone through the transition of padded to non and it's that these bras in the summer enable your boobs to breath better which results in less sweating, because lets be honest boobs can be sweaty sometimes. Another brilliant thing is that not only is it becoming more culturalised and on trend but if you sleep with your bra on at night (maybe you're at a friends house?) your boobs stay right on in there and don't pop out or flash any unwanted nipple, plus plus!

    But tell me below, are you an old school padded bra girl or do you switch it up for a few months till bingo you've found your match? Please leave your comments below as I find this is quite a controversial topic anyway, so I'd love your input or even any store recommendations for good lingerie.

Summer Soundtrack || 2013

    I've just come in from an hours sun bathing, and thought it's the brilliant time to create a summer's soundtrack. I came up with the idea late last night before I went to sleep and well now I'm acting on it ha. Just a quick disclaimer, music taste is subjective to everybody so if you don't like certain songs you can swap and change it's down to you, so here we go!

    So to kick off the summer playlist, I thought I'd include a classic track that many great artists have covered themselves and it's All Day and All Of The Night by The Kinks. The guitar riffs in this give it the fluid and quick beat that gives this song it's attitude. Now I will hold up my hands here and say, I only know this and maybe two more songs by The Kinks so I'm not their biggest die hard fan out there but this is definitely something to check out!

    The next song is a very recent release and it's Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkeys, now compared to The Kinks I'm a huge fan of Arctic Monkeys and sadly missed out on tickets for their next UK tour (sold out in 30 seconds!!) but I've been following their glastonbury coverage where this was played. Arctic Monkeys never fail to release good summer tunes and this one will definitely be over played on my ipod.

    Oh cheeky, The 1975 have been floating around recently and I never really got around to listening to them. However after recommendation from a friend (I'm talking to you Charlotte) I gave their song Sex a listen to and I loved it. Their alt-rock tune reminded me of going out to the beach on holidays and visiting parks on hot days, and I think that sums up summer quite well. They also hail from my home city of Manchester, so that's another perk!

    Another blast from the past (a little bit) and it's Last Nite by the The Strokes, this is another cult hit that I'm sure most of you have heard of before and it's just a very light 3:18 of you trying to understand what Julian is singing about ha. The Strokes have released many hits of their band career, and have been the backing track for many famous advertisements. 

    My second recent obsession has been Django Django and in particular their hit Default, I've recently started listening to more psychedelic art pop music and these guys have been at the top of my list for a couple 7 months or so! They were part of the NME Tour which I sadly missed out on (I was too late on buying tickets again) but after seeing some of their set live at festivals, I know not to miss out next time.

    Now my summer playlist wouldn't be complete without mentioning this guy, it's Tom Odell with the lively and upbeat Hold Me. I've recently done a review on his latest album and wouldn't stop raving about how his album is one for my summer soundtrack. Now I obviously can't have all of his songs on here, so instead I've picked my favourite (at the moment) and it's Hold Me. The video too this looks so fun to of made, and it's just a very free spirited song that can be interpreted in quite a few ways.

Topshop || Tall Section Weekly Selections #4

    Hello everybody, and hasn't it been some time since I've done these Topshop segments on here, I feel like I've done about 50 of these never mind only 4! Anyhow, I Topshop's tall section has been slacking recently so I've not really seen any motivational pieces to write about, however I've managed to snag four clothing items you can't miss out on.

*all images supplied from Topshop.com, edited by FagansFinds

Dove Tee || £16

    So the first item for this week is this lovely slouched tshirt, with a mirrored image of a dove which is just divine. I'm not normally a fan of graphic t shirts but simple images such as this on neutral backgrounds really catch my eye. I think this is a staple piece in anyone's wardrobe as this can be worn with a pop of colour, like in the image above or just very casual with your favourite pair of jeans.

Marble Skirt || £34

    The next item is quite a bold piece that has a rare element to it that I've not seen recently, and it's the hi-low effect. Now this was rather big last year and still strong this year for midi dresses and midi skirt, yet I've not seen it applied to 'mini' skirts. I think this is a great thing to do especially on the tall section of clothing, as I find skirts to be too high at the back risking me flashing about 50 people on a regular basis. This gives you the freedom to wear the skirt on it's own or with tights without worrying about the town seeing your knickers.

Shirt Dress || £42

    The third piece reminds me of something very similar that I bought from H&M last year, but didn't adapt the hi-low effect so I couldn't wear it for so long as I've grown again (ha). I think this piece is very adaptable for day and night and it something that would be very light for the warmer seasons, as the UK is getting quite warm at the moment. The elasticated waist band is a favourite of mine, allowing you to out a little bit of extra weight on one month but not causing the dress to look tighter, and visa versa. I also think you could pull this off for work if you had an office job, was a teacher or basically a career without a strict dress code. 

Split Back Maxi || £20

    The final piece for this post is one of the most essential pieces in a girls wardrobe for over summer and it's a simple, black maxi skirt. What I like about this one in particular is that it has a split at the back allowing air to circulate stopping you from getting very hot and sweaty. I also prefer a back split over a front split as well, because exposing the back of your legs is less sexy and revealing than the front. Primark are producing similar maxi skirt that are very cheap but are quite thin, so I'd definatly invest in something a little more expensive.