Dress to Impress: How to Beat the 'Blue Monday' Blues

Blue Monday is fast approaching and at the beginning of the week we'll all be (supposedly) waking up to the most depressing day of the year. Mental Health Research UK is urging people to dress bright and colourful on Monday to highlight the plight of those who suffer from depression and seasonal affective disorder as part of their 'Blooming Monday' event. I instantly fell in love with this idea and so collected together my Blooming Monday outfit.

I paired a white shirt with a hot pink jumper to celebrate Blooming Monday. The jumper is from River Island for £20. 

Starting with B. Prepared Makeup Primer, dab a pea-sized amount onto your finger and massage evenly over your whole face, not forgetting the eyelids. 

If, like me, you're prone to breakouts on your skin, lipstick concealer should be next. I don't use any fancy or expensive lipstick concealer, as after trying a few, I believe they all have similar coverage of my breakouts. I use 2True Cover n Conceal as it won't break the bank and lasts a while before running out. 








Next up is Bobbi Brown's Creamy Concealer Kit. I absolutely love this concealer and think it's well worth the money I've spent on it as the coverage you get with this concealer kit is just unbelievable. I have very dark circles under my eyes and the difference Bobbi Brown's concealer makes with this problem is incredible. Not only does it balance out the darkness under my eyes but it also brightens the area. It also somehow makes the skin seem tighter and more energised as well. As this is a concealer kit, the product also comes with a powder that matches your skin colour that will set the concealer so it won't move all day and you look like you have naturally bright and revived skin.

 Next up is B. 16hr Foundation. Recently, I love the B. range as it doesn't feel heavy on my skin but yet gives a full coverage and makes me feel confident in my skin. I use a foundation brush to apply the foundation as it gives a more even coverage. If I need to, I will then go in with my fingertips to blend out any bits the brush can't reach. 









For my last and final concealer, I will use MUA Cover and Conceal Wand. I use this more of a highlighter as I will dab a bit over my under eyes, top of my nose and high points of my cheek bones.












I will then use Collection's Pressed Powder to set the foundation. I like to pat the powder from the brush onto my face. This patting motion means that you won't move any of the foundation you just applied so it is all set in the right place. 

Next I will use bronzer to bring out my cheekbones. I also like to run a tiny bit of bronzer down each side of my nose. This make your nose look slimmer and more of a cute button nose shape. After the bronzer, I will take a natural pink blush colour and brush it lightly over the apple of my cheeks to get subtle rosy cheeks.

I use Lancome's eyeliner to create a winged effect as it will elongate you eyes and make them look bigger. 








As a big fan of Lancome, I also use their Hypnose mascara as it extends the length of my eyelashes in just a few strokes and also makes them thicker and darker. The mascara truely makes a sexy but elegant eyelashes look.
http://www.lancome.co.uk









Last but not least, to finish off this Blooming Monday's look I will be using Revlon Colour Stay 005 Muse. This hot pink colour will match perfectly with the jumper I will wear whilst also making a statement. I love this lipstick as it's bright pigment really stands out and does exactly what it says on the tin - the colour actually stays! This of course means you have to be a little careful while applying the lipstick as if you slip, the colour will stay where you made the mistake but once the lipstick is on, the colour is beautiful and means you don't have to worry about re-applying every half hour!

Here is the finished look. Gorgeous, bright, fashionable and perfect for beating the Blue Monday blues!

Submarine Review

Although this movie isn't technically to do with London, I did watch it in London and I want to write about one of my favourite films! 

Submarine

Written and directed by Richard Ayoade and based on the novel by Joe Dunthorne, Submarine is a coming of age story about the protagonist Oliver Tate's teenage worries, problems and relationships. 

Tate's 'Adrian Mole-like' character gives a potentially sad story many chances for the audience to laugh out loud while simultaneously not taking away the weight and seriousness of issues explored in Submarine. 

The sudden close up and swooping camera shots give the film an perfectly broken and rugged feel which mirrors the movie's theme of awkward teenage discovery and finding oneself.

Alex Turner

I found Ayoade's idea of exclusively using Alex Turner's solo music in 'Submarine' extremely well thought out and researched as Turner's songs embody abstracts such as mystery, eeriness and with Turner's voice echoing on every note, similarly it echos through the grey and empty space of the deserted Swansea beach in what Submarine is sub-mainly set. 

When with his band, Arctic Monkeys, Turner writes and plays upbeat, alternative songs but on his own, Turner's songs seem to unwind as he writes about the small happiness's in life such as watching a girl turn down the lights or going to a fun-fair. This simplistic view featured in Turner's songs fit perfectly to the vibe of 'Submarine' as a main theme of the film is the simple desire of searching for happiness or even just the feeling of content in Tate's life. 

Final Thoughts

'Submarine' is filled with beautifully sad moments and equally enchanting, uplifting and memorable scenes of family, friends and finding oneself. Submarine is nearly 100 minutes of pure entertainment which leaves the audience with a feeling of happiness and a renewed sense of being grateful for their life.