Matti May Hardie: 2017

I mean, I say get ready with me, what I mean by that is 'see what I put on my face and how I dress myself to look like something of a human for once'. To be totally honest I don't know how this post came about since I'm trying to bargain my way into wearing pyjamas every day and even when I have to wear actual clothes, absolutely no one is getting me to wear make up.

However, now and again I do get myself together and wear something other than sweatpants, and here's what that looks like.

I'm the first one to admit I'm not the most adventurous with my make-up, I like to keep things simple as I feel that's what looks best.
Starting off with primer I'm using the TooFaced 'Hangover' primer, and on top I'll be using, as always, the BareMinerals 'Complexion Rescue' cream gel tint. I'm setting that with the Estée Lauder 'Perfecting Loose Powder'.

For contour and highlight as always I'm using the TooFaced 'Chocolatier' palette that I am still totally in love with despite the fact that I've severly hit pan on the bronzer! (I would link it but it was a limited edition, even though I've heard they're bringing it back this Christmas *violently crosses fingers*). Blush-wise I'm using my new love, the Soap and Glory 'Love at First Blush' which is just the prettiest thing in the world.

For my eyes, I'm just doing a simple cat eye with the Lancôme 'Liner Plume', and then lining the top of the it, and my bottom lashes with either 'Butterscotch' or 'Honey Dip', depending on my mood. Generally I use the Chanel 'Dimensions' mascara. I'm going to highlight the corner of my eye with 'Desert's On Me' and my brow bone with 'Glaze'. I'm filling in my eyebrows with the Benefit 'Goof Proof' brow pencil and then setting them with 'Gimme Brow'. I'm going to use a nude eyeliner to open my eye up (Rimmel 'ScandalEyes' eyeliner in Nude 005).

Recently I've gone off lipstick. It's not something I reach to, probably because with the changing seasons and the cold my lips have become chapped, flaky messes, that I've been trying to combat with the Elizabeth Arden '8 Hour Cream' lip balm.

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In other news, it's Christmas in a week! And even though I'm a total Grinch I hope you guys enjoyed my attempts to festive-up my photos! Anyway, like every year, I'm leaving it up to you lot to decide if you'd like me to do a Christmas haul/what I got for Christmas-type post. I personally am not the biggest fan of them but if you guys would enjoy snooping around my presents, who am I to stop you? So I'd really appreciate it if you could vote in the poll, there's one on Twitter (link to that tweet here) or you can vote in that one there - it's as you wish!

M x

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I'm really proud of the title of this series. It's my favourite thing ever.

Hello! This is a new series I'm trying out, about everything LGBTQ+, which, for those who don't know, stands for Lesbian Gay Bisexual (yes, BISEXUAL), Transgender, Questioning and the plus is basically the rest of the acronym (LGBTQQIP2AA).

As you guys know, I've been dating a girl since this summer, and her mum is mildly homophobic and I wanted to talk about dealing with a relationship when one or both parents prevent you from seeing your SO.

The first thing you need to know is, in a lot of cases, if that makes your relationship stronger, then you're on the right path. If, however, not seeing your SO is hurting your relationship, then it's probably not meant to be. Saying that, there's always exceptions, but I've noticed that that tends to be the case.

First thing first, if you're both over 18, my first reflex would to be to tell your parents or whoever is preventing you to see each other to fuck off. It takes balls, I'm aware and it's not always possible to do that, but if you can, just gather up your courage and tell them to go fuck themselves.
For under 18s though, I feel you. I'm 17 and my girlfriend is 16 and it's a rather awkward situation. One thing I can recommend to you is to try and find ways to see each other. You need to get creative sometimes, but try and figure out if there are ways that the person can be leniant (if you're in the same class or club at school, use that, school projects or that kind of thing can be perfect). We tend to have to use that excuse with my girlfriend, and even though I loath lying, sometimes you don't really have a choice.

If you can see that the person who is stopping you from seeing each other could be open to talking, try and get you and your SO (or just yourself at first if that's best) to sit down with the person and explain things; it's terrifying, I get that, I've been in that situation and I found that explaining things and being open actually helped. You have to remember that 10 to 1 the person loves you or your SO and to see that you and your SO are happy together, sometimes that's all it takes (in the best case scenario).

I hate that I'm saying this, but I don't have a choice. Sometimes, you just need to keep it a secret. If you or your partner could be in a dangerous situation, keep it a secret! I hate that I have to say this, it makes me so sad but sadly it's the case. Make sure it's safe for the both/all of you before sharing it with people who could possibly bring you harm or problems.

Whatever you do though, you mustn't lose hope. Sometimes you'll find yourself thinking that you'll never see your SO, but believe me, things will be okay.

That's all I have to say on the subject, but if anyone has any opinions or advice feel free to leave it in the comments.

M x

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I'm finding a fair few shows on Netflix at the moment, and it's safe to say that it's being very damaging to my productivity and general work ethic. But who needs a degree when you've got TV right?.. I mean.. right? *sips tea nervously*

It's quite a miracle I've managed to find shows that I like, because for a show to grab my attention is rare as fuck. I'm not sure why, but I just can't get addicted to a show to the point where I'm binging it at every given opportunity. Sigh.

Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On

I mentioned this in a previous favourites post of mine, but as I said in the post, this show just transfixed me. It covers the topic of the sex-industry, and also the online dating industry, and it's super interesting to see the behind-the-scenes of the porn industry. There's only 1 season so it's pretty lightweight, too.

Mad Men

I finally managed to get around to finishing the 7 seasons of this show, and my god was it a whirlwind of emotions! For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few years, Mad Men is about an ad man called Don Draper set in the 1960s, basically. But it's so much more complex than that but you can only really understand if you watch the show so I would encourage you all to go and watch because it's the coolest show ever.

Stranger Things

Yes, I'm aware I'm rather late to the Stranger Things party, but to be honest it hadn't really been something I was attracted to, that is, until Ayden binged it in a weekend and she started talking to me about it about 19 out of 24 hours of the day, so I found myself with little-to-no choice. Turns out I'm now hooked so the joke's on me.

New Girl

This is the kind of show that's totally perfect when you just need to switch your brain off, or you need some background noise while you're working. It's chewing gum for the brain, if you will. But it's really sweet and you learn to love the characters.

American Horror Story

Again, I entirely blame Ayden for my love of this show. At first I didn't dare watch it because I was scared I would be traumatised (I don't tend to do well with horror and scary stuff), but I watched it with her entire body as a safety blanket and it turns out it's bloody brilliant. My favourite seasons have to be Murder House and Coven, and I can't bloody wait to watch Cult!

What are you watching? I can always do with some recommendations!

M x

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I've decided to take my skincare into hand over September. Because over the summer, pitiful is not the word. I wasn't even moisturising, guys, I WASN'T. EVEN. MOISTURISING! Because of that shameful fact, I decided I needed to do something asap. I'm going to just show you the products rather than do a point by point run through of my actual routines.

I try to keep my skincare fairly minimal, since I don't see the point of using fifty different products and make my skincare routine take half an hour every time, since I need it to be quick and efficient with college.

Neutrogena 'Visibly Clear: Black Head Eliminating' Exfoliating Cleanser

I'll use this first thing in the morning. It's a cleanser with little exfoliating beads in it, but it really doesn't feel like an exfoliant as it has a really silky smooth, almost creamy texture to it which is a really nice texture on the skin. I've definitely seen a difference since I started using this, after I use it my skin looks so much brighter and just generally healthier.

Neutrogena 'Hydro-Boost' Water Gel Moisturiser

This is the brand new fancy moisturiser from Neutrogena, and when I first tried it out I was a bit skeptical. I like nice creamy moisturisers because it actually makes my feel like I have something on my face and it's this isn't quite that. It sinks into the skin rather fast which can sometimes make you feel like it hasn't done anything, but I really like how soft and plump my skin feels after.

Nuxe 'Anti-Fatigue Moisturising" Eye Cream

Nuxe is the kind of brand you probably wouldn't hear about otherwise, but my god it's good. I tried the eye cream and it's the stuff of miracles. Immediately after I put it on my eyes looked brighter. And every time I use it it's the same.

Caudalie 'Deep Cleansing Exfoliator'

I tend to use this when I need a bit more of a deep cleanse. I really love this product but you can really tell that it works, you can almost feel it working into your skin. There's not a whole lot to say other than it feels really nice on the skin and works bloody well.

Matti x

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It's been a while, hasn't it? I've kind of lost the habit when it comes to blogging, which is an odd sensation given that it's something I've done regularly for the past 4 years. It feels good though, I'd missed blogging. As you've probably seen, I've also done some major redecorating over the past couple of months, what do you think? I'm actually pretty happy with it, which is a refreshing change. I'm between two minds for my blog design, whether I should make it very clean and minimalist or whether I should do a very random and original design, though I am really enjoying this current layout so I think I'm going to stick this one for a bit.

I'd really like to say that things have been super hectic at the moment and that "I've simply got no time to blog!" but I'd be lying through my teeth if I did. Honestly, this has been one of the most unproductive summers I've ever had. I kind of feel terrible for it but it felt so good!

I passed my exams in June and left my college and got my qualifications and began looking for a job. I had a couple of trial periods but they didn't amount to anything, and after a really awful experience with a salon, I started really questioning whether or not I wanted to stay in hairdressing. It was kind of a terrifying thought, given that for about 3 years I've been convinced and insisting to everyone that hairdressing is what I want to do. I look like a *bit* of a tit. I've been thinking about what I want to do, and long story short, I'm going to be (hopefully) doing my a-levels in commerce.

As I said, this summer has consisted of varying between my girlfriend's house and my Mum's house. I feel like I haven't done all that much else, other than my job at the pizzeria next my my Mum's and babysitting my girlfriend's nieces and nephew.

I guess you may be wondering why I went fairly AWOL recently, and to be honest it's just been a total lack of inspiration and motivation. I seemed to have, overnight, lost any capability to write something sassy and original and interesting that would captivate people. And more importantly, I'd lost the motivation and the willingness to do so, for the first time in about 3 years. Everything I wrote seemed bland and a little lifeless. I felt like I was writing the same content thing over and over and I just didn't want to tell you guys yet again 'what I've been loving this month!' with a fake smile and pretty photos that took me an age and a half to take. It started to feel exactly that - plastic. Fake. Unoriginal and more importantly unauthentic. It was me, just not quite. I write in the same voice that I speak in, but sometimes I struggle to get across the nuances and the tonalities, especially when I'm being sarcastic. But that's beside the point. The point is that I needed some time off. Some genuine time off, and not a note at the end of a post saying that I'm taking a week off, only to continue posting. I needed some time where I could close the tab in my browser that has been open constantly on every computer I've had for 4 years - the Blogger tab. I needed some time where I could let myself not wonder how my latest blog post is doing. I needed to let myself be a person before I was a blogger.

Anyway, I'm off on my holibobs (does anyone say that or is it just me?) on Saturday and I'm thinking about writing a post with some photos because it's meant to be a really nice place. What do you guys think?

Matti x

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Hey all, hows you?

I was inspired by Zoe London's post to write this because it really got me thinking about androgyny and gender-fluidity and gender-conformity.

Fashion, as a general rule, is very gender normative. Which is something I don't really understand since fashion is meant to be one of the best ways to express yourself, yet on the flip side it's very selective in how to express yourself.

I enjoy looking like a boy and dressing in boy's clothes, yet somehow I'll seem odd for wearing guy's jeans because they're "not made for girls" or because they're not "lady like" enough, which is always something that has bugged me/.

I feel like people are a little bit bias towards women. Okay that's a weird sentence (especially given all the inequality) but let me explain: Generally, people don't mind lesbians. But gays are seen even worse. I mean, homophobes are homophobes but some people find it worse if two guys kiss than if two girls were to kiss. You know what I mean? People let women off with a lot more than they would men. It's the same in fashion. If girls wear trousers then people don’t look twice, but if a man wears a dress to go shopping people are like "WHAT OKAY THATS WEIRD”.

I like dressing androgynously. I enjoy it. Some days I feel like dressing like a guy, and it's for no other reason than that I like dressing in clothes that are generally made for men because I don't believe that there should be a restriction.

Zara launched a unisex collection a while back and at first I thought it was great and I was all for it, but I was wrong. Really it's just male loungewear branded as "unisex". Lovely. Call me the day you see a unisex dress or skirt or something that isn't that. Granted, it's a step in the right direction, but it's just that I wish they'd have done more research or made more of an effort to go further out of the box of what they know and have dared a bit more to go out of their comfort zone.

This is a constant battle. Liberty of expression is a supposed thing, but even though you’re free to express your opinion, you still do it at your own peril. And that’s kind of what irritates me. You can be open about it, but most people don’t dare because you don’t know if you’ll get roasted and everyone will be on your back, cursing your very existence. Is that what it’s come to? People being too scared to speak their mind, out of fear that the rest of the world will turn against them in the space of a tweet or an outfit or a song? If so, we're all fucked and personally you'll find me running in the opposite direction.

What are your thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks to Dreast for looking so goddamn hot. It helps.

Matti x

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Hey all, how's you?

I've got to say, I'm not doing too well with this blog malarky, am I? I'm trying, guys, I really am, but life has become very hectic all of a sudden so I'm doing my best to balance everything out, but something had to suffer and sadly it turns out that something was my blog content. I figured to get myself back into things I'd give you guys a little run down of some things I've been enjoying using of late. There's no particular month or anything to this, just things I've been liking recently.

Melodrama - Lorde

Okay, now THIS is a comeback. After lord (haha, sorry) knows how long, Lorde is back with this superbe new album. I'll be incapable of explaining it to you, but god it's beautiful and makes you feel everything at once.

Benefit 'Goof Proof' eyebrow pencil

Mama gave this to me when she realised it actually wasn't her shade and I've been really enjoying it! It looks really natural, yet it gives me the eyebrows I wish I had.

Reality Boy by A.S King

I mentionned this book in my birthday haul, and I started reading it almost as soon as I received it because I'd been waiting to read it for ages! It's perfect for someone who has anger management problems, and I really relate to it and it's so beautifully well talked about. Well done, A.S King, go you.

Chanel 'Dimensions' Mascara

This is fast becoming one of my favourite mascaras. It's pretty much the best replacement for Perversion that I have (okay, not the cheapest but it was given to me so, yanno). It makes my lashes look fuller and longer and just nicer than they usually look, and honestly I'm just enjoying wearing it on it's own.

White Vans Collective

Dreast is a great friend of mine, and when they came to me to design their blog, of course I said yes! Their blog is insanely pleasing to look at, and even their writing is just heavenly!

Fidget Spinners

BEFORE YOU JUDGE ME HEAR ME OUT! Look, I have anxiety. Like, really bad anxiety. Notably social anxiety. More precisely, social anxiety surrounding taking public transport, something I have to do often, so when Mama came home after someone gave her a fidget spinner, I figured I'd give it a go. I often play with my hair and my clothes and fidget all the time whilst waiting for things so I'm hoping this can help to remedy that.

Sephora 'Instant Nail and Cuticle care'

I've been using this for a few months now, and I'd never thought to mention it, probably because I didn't even realise how well it worked until now. My nails are in dire condition. They break super easily, they spend a lot of time suffocated under nail polish, they chip, I spend a lot of time with my hands under water because of my job, and I don't put hand cream on and stuff to nourish them nearly as much as I'd like. Let's just say there's a certain lack of love towards my nails! This, however, is perfect. This little gem is non-rince, and all you need to do is just stick your fingers in really quickly, massage it in and you're good to go! And, you can do it with or without nail varnish. (It's also impossible to find a link to this thing. My apologies)

Yankee Candle 'Viva Havana'

This smells just wonderous. I'm not even going to try and explain the smell because I will botch it up entirely but just trust me it smells amazing.

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Hey all, how's you?

I've been a bit out of sorts on my blog recently. I'm not really sure where I want my blog content to go, because let's face it, there's only so many times you can talk about lipsticks, so sorry about the odd posts and strange posting dates.

I'm going through a lot of changes in myself recently. My interests are changing, my style of thinking has done a 180, and I'm finding myself interested in things that I would have found weird once upon a time. Actually my life is doing a 180 at the moment. Given the fact that I'm finished college, exams are upon us, and everything feels very final. I'm currently stuck with what to do next year, given the fact that I can't get an apprenticeship until I get my qualifications, but I need to do stuff with the school involved with the apprenticeship but I can't given the fact that I can't get an apprenticeship. Also, I need to inscribe myself to my backup course. GAHHHHH. It's a massive vicious cycle and it's scaring me because everything is just teetering on 'nearly happening' but then life is moving too fast for everything and it's a very strange sensation and it's basically just making me want to hide in bed and watch Friends all day.

Long story short, everything is going to shit, but it's okay because it was my birthday so I'm going to have a shit ton of money to buy pretty shit. To be honest, being able to find discount codes everywhere is starting to become an art, I swear, it's wonderous.
Speaking of pretty shit, I've realised more and more that I'm a massive snob when it comes to make-up. I swear I turn my nose up at anything that doesn't have a certain price tag or a certain name, and I KNOW HOW BAD THAT IS but I just can't help myself! I just can't trust it!

I'm trying to write and create and develop my skills in music but it's just not happening. I'm trying to get better at song writing and playing guitar but I'm totally unmotivated. I don't think right now is quite the right time for me to learn anything like that, given that I need to make my exams my main priority (says the girl writing her blog while she's supposed to be revising).

SO YEAH FUN TIMES. On the mental health front, I had a bad pass a week or so ago when I was constantly having panic attacks for seemingly no reason, but they seemed to have calmed down. My anxiety and my paranoia is on a normal level and I haven't had a really low day for a while now (touch wood!). I'm making the most of this time where my brain is fairly level to try and understand my mental illnesses better. Trying to understand what triggers me, what I should and shouldn't do; my logic behind it is that the better I understand it, the easier it'll be to conquer it.

I'm not sure if there will be a May favourites, I have got a load of clothes from a friend and I'll have a fair few purchases what with my birthday money so I may just do a mega-haul, I'm not sure yet. To be fair, I'll probably put a poll up on Twitter and let you lot vote.

V-Neck Ruffled Casual Tunic Dress With Sleeves - Black

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