Amsterdam 2014

Hello again to all of my sweeties, today I am back to tell you about- or show you- my latest adventure. Myself and my lovely mother went to visit my sister in Amsterdam earlier in July, just for a weekend. Amsterdam is an absolutely gorgeous city, even prettier than Vilnius- there's more Victorian-inspired buildings, skyscrapers, colourful people and the city itself has a large mix of, well, everything- such a varied mix that overwhelms you and almost has a cheeky and witty taste. I loved Amsterdam- the city itself is beautiful, canals, tall terraced apartments, flavours of history and bicycles everywhere, and I've tried my best to capture this all on my Canon. Believe it or not, with a Canon slung around your neck, a tiny backpack on your back and jelly flats on your feet make it not the easiest thing in the world to run for the bus, but thankfully the bus drivers are like the ones in Ireland- friendly and chatty, and will wait for you:)

Upon our arrival, we went to Rotterdam, the city with the largest port in Europe. I saw a few ships and things, but nothing too impressive as it was cold, cloudy and I couldn't wait to go to bed after my flight.

We headed into Amsterdam the very next day- the city centre. 

The Netherlands is one of the few countries where cannabis- or 'weed'- is legal. Coffee Shops mean something a little different here- these are 'cafes' where cannabis cigarettes are sold, and if you choose to smoke weed, you must only do it in these little coffee shops. The Bulldog is a chain of cannabis coffee shops throughout Amsterdam, I must have seen about 20 over my stay. In the Red Light District, theres about 3 in a row- no photos from there because of obvious reasons (I hid my Canon in a shopping bag to avoid confiscation).  

I saw a bachelor party across the street- when you have a bachelor party in Holland, the groom must dress up as a girl. His friends saw me snapping a picture of the party across the street, and I came over to tell him he looked beautiful, and to take a picture. Here's me making his bride jealous (thankfully she wasn't there or I would've been in trouble).

A customised Magnum to celebrate their 25th anniversary- mine is topped with strawberry sugar, rose petals (actually tasty), pralines and white chocolate. For 4 euros, it was undeniably delicious.

The view opposite the Anne Frank house- which I did visit, and recommend highly. It makes the reality of World War II very real, and the museum raises the awareness of how wars effect people, and future generations.

In all its glory, Amsterdam would be nothing without its people- and as it is such a big city, it overflows in creative juices. Just like the heroin and cocaine salt and pepper shakers shown earlier on, there is a lot of genius and beautiful minds in the city.

I visited the Van Gogh Museum too- once again, I highly recommend it. The museum is very modern, and as you ascend from the bottom floor to the 3rd, Van Gogh's life goes on up until his death. I like how the museum is not just about Vincent, but about his friends, fellow artists, and even showcases a photo gallery, where the photographer sourced her inspiration from Van Gogh's work. My favourite Van Gogh's work is The Irises- I even bought an overpriced mug, with this painting on it.

I had a wonderful time in Amsterdam- even though I was very tired for a lot of it. It is a wonderful city- I hope to definitely come back and see even more of it, and maybe even live in an expensive townhouse along the canals one day, and owning a white motorcycle. In the meantime, I'm off to Lithuania shortly- no worries however, as I've got all of my blog posts scheduled, so stay tuned :)

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed browsing through my little glimpse of Amsterdam as much as I enjoyed photographing it :)

My Twitter- @gabysayshey

Gaby x

Mane n' Tail Original Shampoo+Conditioner Review

Having fine, not very thick hair and trying to grow it long, healthy and as thick as possible, can be a challenge. I have gone through many shampoos and conditioners ever since I started this quest- everything from L'Oreal to Lush, and to be quite honest, nothing has really worked. The products that were supposed to thicken out my hair (cough, L'Oreal Elvive's Fibreology) only weighed it down and made it oily after a day, and the products that were supposed to repair and moisturise my hair only damaged it further (Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle, I'm looking at you). I thought my hair was just, ahem, not great, and that it wasn't the products fault, I just had 'bad hair'. My hair however, isn't 'bad'- it's well past my shoulders, fine, silky and prone to oiliness- I just needed a shampoo and conditioner that would treat it well.

My hair dresser recommended I tried the Mane n' Tail products out, as she swore it made her hair grow, and thicken out. I was always a little sceptical of the quiet hype surrounding these products, but I decided to give them a go. I purchased the two bottles above, the original shampoo and conditioner. They're not the cheapest products in the world, with each bottle ranging from 7-10euros, but they're not the most expensive either.  I had high hopes for these products, and thankfully, they didn't dissapoint.

Firstly, they smell amazing. This isn't the one thing I look for in haircare products, but it really helps if they smell nice, as then your hair smells nice too. During the first few washes, my hair didn't lather, and I didn't notice anything remarkable, but once I had used the shampoo and the conditioner together a good few times (3 or more), I noticed a definite change in my hair. My hair feels and looks so much more thicker, voluminous and it has much more body to it now than it did before. Normally, I wouldn't wear my hair down, as it went all stringy and oily- however now, I wear it down all the time, and no matter how many times I fiddle with it, it stays soft, fluffy, and looks great.

As regards to the whole promise of Mane n' Tail products making your hair grow long and thick fast, I completely agree. My hair has been growing much more quickly, and it grew about 3-4cm since I first started using these (late April). I will say that Mane n' Tail products are best suited for people with oily hair- before, my hair wouldn't make it to the third day as it was so oily, as now, I can definitely go to the third day and even the fourth. There is products for dry and damaged hair in this range too, however if your hair is super dry, Mane n' Tail products wouldn't be for you.

The only fault I have with these products is that they make my hair fall out- sounds very scary, but as my hair grows longer, it does tend to fall out (when my hair was waist length, I had a lot of hair loss). This could be either due to the shampoo and the conditioner or it may be just how my hair works- however after I used up the above shampoo,  I went out and got the Gentle Replenishing version, and the hair loss decreased.

If you want to give Mane n' Tail a go, I would definitely recommend you do. You may want to get the travel sized products first, just to see if they suit your hair, as paying 9e for products that end up not working is a waste. I'm going to stick to Mane n' Tail for a while, as they're the only products that have made my hair look good as I've been growing it. 

Overall, I'm giving the Mane n' Tail original shampoo and conditioner an 8.5/10. The hair loss was a little worrying, but as I said, I changed the shampoo to a gentler version and this stopped. If you're growing your hair, or long for thicker hair, or even if your hair is prone to oiliness- I recommend Mane n' Tail, as you won't be dissapointed!

Thank you for reading! :)

****Update 30/10/14****

I no longer use this shampoo as even after trying different editions, it made my hair loss increase, up to the point where I was losing an unnatural amount of hair. I don't reccomend this shampoo unless you have very thick hair that you want to gradually thin down.

My Twitter- @gabysayshey

Gaby x

10 Films You Need To See

Hello again to all my sweeties, today I am back with a blogpost, discussing the 10 films you absolutely need to see, if you haven't already. These are my top 10 favourite films, and it was reaaally hard to narrow it down, and there's still some I wanted to cram in and change it to 15 films, (Read: include Lana Del Rey's Tropico and Black Swan), but I've stuck to 10. Very few of them are comedy or soppy romance films, however I feel they are all worth a watch with a bowl of buttery popcorn and a soft couch.  These films are amazing- both cinematically and plot-wise, so grab a cup of tea and a biscuit as I ramble on about them. Then, when the time comes, actually watch them, and hopefully fall in love with them, just like I have. Hope you enjoy! 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The ultimate 'hipster' film, whoever has watched this knows that it's far from it- it may be brilliantly indie in a lot of ways, and all is done with a vintage, realistic vibe. This is Stephen Chbosky at his finest- writing a novel, then directing a film based on his novel, and rightfully so. No one could have pulled this film off better- it is quietly brilliant, cheesy quotes and all. The plot is a cliche- teenage boy starting high school, friendless and lost. Charlie, with a history of mental illness, is not ordinary- and this movie is far from it too. With brilliant characters, a clever storyline, beautifully edited and angled shots, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a must-see movie, especially for young adults.

Tick Where It Hurts

Ever since Stray Dog, Bertie Gilbert's first short film was released, Bertie hasn't stopped in single-handedly putting together two more films, only with the help of a small crew, all ideas being his own. Tick is extremely clever and well filmed- the plot is strong and engaging, the camera angles and lightening is beautiful and well thought out, with hidden messeges in the film, exploring different elements and adding a sense of brilliance to the film. I love Tick and how the more often you watch it, the more hidden touches you discover. Tick is only 20mins long, and available on Bertie's channel. 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

This has to be the most clever movie I've seen since Shutter Island- it has the most clever plot twist in the end, and once again, is really well shot, scripted and edited. I love how it takes a turn and leads the viewer to be a little puzzled and wondering, but lets you figure out the turn of events yourself. That is an element a lot of films lack- innovation and mind play. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an another brilliant film- starring Jim Carrey, however not in his usual comical role. Jim is a gifted actor, whether the film is a comedy or not, like this one. Kate Winslet stars as Clementine, with her blue hair and her wit, the opposite to Jim Carrey. A very under rated film, this is excellent and a must-see.

Now is Good

Every once in a while, Channel 4 gathers its best British young actors and puts together a film- like Now is Good. Now is Good is based on a book, and I am a little annoyed they didn't use the original title- Before I Die- but it's probably to attract a wider audience. I've read the book, and I did like it- but I loved the movie. I've watched it probably about 7 times now, I love the brilliant recognizable British faces (anyone remember Effy? She's in this), and the discovery of Kaya Scodelario from this is what led me to watch Skins. I cry lots at the end, every time- it is a very pretty, well shot film, with phrases that tug your heartstrings and scenes that add a taste of poignancy. Definitely watch this- and bring tissues. 

Calvary

Calvary has to be the first proper Irish-made film I've seen, featuring well-known Irish actors (Chris O'Dowd) and even Irish settings (Sligo and Dublin). I saw Calvary in the cinema, and with a PG 15+ rating, it contains some strong scenes, but nothing too awful. I love how almost controversial this film is- it features elements from Irish history and reputation that aren't the prettiest, however they are spun together in the best ways. Again, I'm a sucker for beautiful films- and this is no exception, with gorgeous shots of the Irish nature, and in general, it is filmed extremely well. Give this film a go if you know a thing or two about Irish history in the 20th century, and you will definitely enjoy it.

We Need To Talk About Kevin

I think I mentioned this in an another blog post, but I do strongly recommend you watch it. It will make you uncomfortable in the best ways possible, but nonetheless it is an excellent film. It may get a little tedious, so it is best suited for older viewers. Once again, the shots are beautiful, with raw emotions in each and every scene. This will definitely stay in your memory if you watch it, so take in every scene. The film is a tale of a mother's voes, but it is a remarkable movie.

127 Hours

You would have to live under a rock to not hear about this film, the baffling true story of a mountain-climber who, on one of his adventures, accidentally trapped his arm under a rock. With very little food, 100ml of water and a camcorder, his battle for survival begins- and this movie is an outstanding adaptation of the nightmare he went through in 3 days. James Franco even looks like the original mountain climber, adding a very real feel to the film. The shots, the editing, the scenes and the hallucinations the climber went through are expressed beautifully in this film. Yes, you may need tissues for this- but you will feel very lucky to be alive afterwards.

One Day

A very underrated film. When released, it was met with very harsh reviews, saying that the book was a lot better and the film adaptation was very poor, as it left a lot of parts out. This movie began my uncanny obsession with indie and beautifully built films. I saw the movie, loved it, read the book, loved it. Anne Hathaway is, as usual, unbelievable in this- she remains probably my favourite actress of all time, with the exclusion of her role in Alice in Wonderland (cringy, if anything). The concept of this film is very clever, the plot is very well thought out, and I love how the scenes transition form 1988- 2011, so there's no 'boring bits'. This is not a chick flick at all- it is a love story, and a brilliant one at that. Watch the movie, read the book- both are golden.

The Hunger Games Saga

Not to be your typical fangirl, but I love the Hunger Games to absolute pieces- I love the storyline, I love how innovative and creative the storylines are, and I love how the entire series is restricted to 3 parts- admittedly, some parts of Catching Fire are similar to the first movie, but each and every part is very clever, exciting, incredibly captivating and even poigant. The visual effects are a little dissapointing, but the Jennifer Lawrence-ness and the beaaautyy of Gale incorporate drama elements to the films- the performances are definitely noteworthy, as there is a lot of famous, gifted actors- however the shots are quite disappointing.  Nevertheless, this saga is excellent- highly worth a watch.

Submarine


Another British modern classic, thanks to Channel 4 and their casting abilities. Craig Roberts is a genius- being only 23 years old, he has over 10 years of experience in filmography, and being unbelievably talented doesn't hurt. Jordan Murphy (Chops in My Mad Fat Diary) also makes an appearance, and Yasmin Page stars alongside Roberts as Jordanna, all gifted, natural actors. I love the indie atmosphere in this film, the vintage feel is extremely effective and gives a very unique feel to the movie. It explores the life of teenager Oliver Tate, all in the backgroud of the album Alex Turner wrote, exclusively for Submarine. Directed by Richard Ayoade, the star of The IT Crowd, it is an excellent, true British film- one I could watch over and over. 

Thanks for reading! What are some of your all time favourite films?
My Twitter- @gabysayshey



Gaby x

Canon 600D

For my 16th birthday, I was gifted a Canon 600D- a DSLR camera with 2 lenses, and I was overjoyed. I've wanted a proper, good quality camera for soo long- the 600D is absolutely flawless for beginners. Over the last month, I haven't been able to put my camera down, and I have taken a good few absolutely stunning paragraphs, that occured after many test shots. Please note that this is not a review of the Canon 600D- I am just showing you its capabilities as a DSLR.

I edit almost all of my photographs- it makes them look better, improves colour and makes them more appealing. Below, I have given you a range of edited and non- edited photographs taken by the Canon. I'm not a professional, and I haven't been educated on photography- I am simply an enthusiast. I hope you enjoy!

Edited

Unedited

And that's it! Admittedly, these are my best photos. To date, I've taken probably over 400 snaps with my Canon- more than half of them being test shots. I love photography and this blog will feature more photographic posts in the future too. As this Canon has 1080p video quality, I may even start a Youtube channel! :D

As for now, thank you for reading!

My Twitter- @gabysayshey - tweet me and say hi!

Gaby x

Life Lately- First Half of 2014

Hello all my sweeties! So I am finally back- after 15 state exams, I am officially done and over with the Junior Cert and back doing what I love- running this little blog, of course! As I haven't blogged recently, I decided to put up a Life Lately post- where I discuss things I've been loving recently and update you on my latest obsessions. I have fewer beauty and fashion things to ramble about today- I've been trudging in my horrible school uniform through exam halls, makeupless and tired, hence June has gone a little slowly. Anyway, here are the things I have been loving- I hope you enjoy!

Beauty

Palmer's Dark Chocolate and Cherry Lip Balm

I go through lip balms quite quickly- and I'm always on the hunt for more effective ones, better smelling ones, prettier ones, pinker ones. Although I swear by the good ole' Vaseline, I'm always buying tubs of new lip balms- like this one. I had tried the original Palmer's lip balm, and I loved it- the exact same with this one. This is amazing. It smells amazing, almost good enough to eat. It moisturizes dry lips immediately, leaving a thick layer of butter on the lips with a pretty red tint- it is very tinted, a cherry red colour. This makes my face look more awake and refreshed, and it's been a must-have for the days when I opted for a bare face.

Catrice Waterproof Ultra Fine Ink Eyeliner

Catrice does the job every time- it's like a more grown up version of Essence, with the same price tag. I was actually for the lookout for the original Catrice Liquid Liner, as suggested by the lovely Melanie Murphy in one of her Youtube videos, however I found that this liner had an applicator which was a sponge, and not the usual brush applicators I look for. So I opted for this Ultra Fine Liner, with a small bristle brush. This liner is very much like the Essence Liquid Liner, except the tube is bigger and the brush is a little bigger too. This is great for winged liner, the only liner I do- it's easy to wing it out and get a sharp edge on the wing, and the brush is very flexible, with easy application. If you are desperate to try out the cat eye or eager to master it, I highly recommend this eyeliner. Mine is in the black waterproof shade- 010 Don't Move!

Fashion

Penney's Jelly Sandals

Every summer, I invest in a few cheap pairs of flats to get me through walking around the town, the Vilnius city and this year- Amsterdam! This year, I wanted retro sandals, and a pair of comfy jelly shoes- and this pair ticked both boxes. I love their alternative mint shade, the weave detail in the front and how undeniably comfy they are. These suit almost every look, from dresses to jeans to skirts to shorts, and make a statement. For only a few euros in Penneys, I'll be wearing these to death- and because of their rubbery-jelly texture, they won't wear quickly.

Thrifted A-Wear Cotton Top

Oh, A-Wear. How I can never bring up myself to pay 40e for a gorgeous top, and how you always pull off every trend, every season. Luckily for me, scouring the local thrift shops with my patient mother every Saturday finally paid off, proving you can get a good bargain in a charity shop. I discovered this absolutely beautiful light cotton top for only 4e, with the most stunning lace trims and lace detail on the front, shoulders and back. It has a high neck, cotton trims and panels with lace ruffles on the front. I can already imagine wearing this on the dusty Vilnius streets with the sun pouring out of the sky- oh my goodness, if only the weather was better here. I am so in love with this beauty, and this may be my best ever thrift shop find- even better than the Topshop skater dress I found a few months ago.

Random

The Junior Cert

3 years, 5 practicals and 15 2 hour exams later, I am done and dusted with the Junior Certificate. Finally, I can breathe :) That is until I come back to school in September, and will have to start preparing for the Leaving Cert in 2 years time haha...anyway, for the meantime, I hope everybody got on well with their exams and I'm wishing you luck for the results, because I know I'll need help hiding them haha:) In the photo, is my best attempts trying to clear and sort through all the JC rubbish and books- the amount of sheets and handouts I have thrown out is unbelievable...

Bertie Gilbert

Another month, another boy crush...I've loved Bertie Gilbert for a long time, ever since he was a cocky Youtuber, and especially now, since he is a creative and mature filmmaker, with 4 short films made and 3 released. Bertie, for a 17 year old filmmaker and director, is extremely talented- his films are beautifully shot with clear messeges and hints beneath the surface. The above is a poster for his third short film only released recently, 'Tick Where It Hurts' - which you can watch here. I've been more into Bertie and his work recently- maybe because he actually DM'ed me on Twitter, after I tweeted him asking why he removed some of his old videos (!!!!!). I, of course, screamed.

Canon 600D

Oh yes, now on to what has been recently making my life exciting. I turned 16 years old in May, and for my birthday, I got something from my parents that I had been after for years- a DSLR camera, specifically the Canon 600D. It took me a long time to choose and select the camera I wanted, and it turns out I'm a Canon girl after all! I got mine from Currys, and purchased a double lens version- meaning I got the standard lens and a powerful 75-300 zoom lens too. I've been craving a good DSLR for ages, both for myself and for this blog, means I'm happier to keep blogging as quality and good images make posts better and prettier. If you're wondering why the photos in this post look better than they usually do, it's thanks to this bad boy! I'm still learning how to use it properly and to its full potential, but I know a lot about it already and I will have a whole post, talking about the Canon and showing some practice shots, coming later this week!

Also, a quick note- I hit 10,000 pageviews earlier this week! Thank you so much for clicking on my blog every week, you guys are amazing.

And that's it! I'm happy to be back blogging, and I hope this lengthy post didn't bore you! Thanks so much for reading! Feel free to comment any favourites you've recently had :)

My Twitter- @gabysayshey

Gaby x 

How To Tie Dye

I am back today to give you a little tutorial on tie dyeing clothes. Over the Easter, I've had some free time (even though the Junior Cert is less than a month away, haha) and after seeing a Youtuber post a tutorial on tie dyeing, decided to give it a go myself. It really is so simple, but you need to make sure you have the right requirements to make it work.

1. Fabric Dye

I used all Dylon products here, and I suggest you use the Dylon dyes too because they really are the best. I picked up two colours for my tie dye- violet and green. The dyes come in little sachets and are sold separately, unless you want to buy a box of different dyes. Each little sachet costs around 2-3e, and I bought mine in the chemist's. They are available in lots of different places, and in a huge variety of colours. If you want a specific shade, make sure to check the Dylon website and pre-order it where you can, which is what I did.

2.Dye Salt

This is the thing that does all the magic. It lets the dye absorb into the clothing, and you will be lost without it. You can use ordinary table salt if you wish, the Dylon dye salt is just non-edible salt and it's much cheaper. 

3. Colour+Fabric of the Clothing you wish to dye

This is super important. The lighter the item you wish to dye is, the better the colours will show up. Colour mixing rules also apply, so if you dye a yellow t shirt blue, the result will be green. Make sure your clothing isn't made of nylon or polyester- plastics don't dye. If it is of natural fabrics, eg cotton, wool or linen, it is the most suitable. The t shirt I dyed was white, and 100% cotton, so I was in luck.

Above are all the basics you're going to need- you will need a few other tools you'll find around the house too.

You will also need 2 empty water bottles with a narrow/squeezy top, as this will make applying the dye easier. 2 rubber bands will hold your t shirt in shape when it's all twisted, and you will need some gloves too, to prevent multi coloured hands when you're done.

So firstly, I brought everything down stairs and prepared my t shirt. Make sure it is freshly washed, it needs to be damp. I stuck mine under the cold tap until it was fairly wet, then laid it out neatly on the floor. Put your hand in the middle of the t shirt, and twist the rest of it around your hand, kind of forming a Chelsea bun. Then, use the two rubber bands to secure your t shirt and hold it all together. Leave it aside.

Next, get all your dyes ready. Put the kettle on and measure out 100ml of boiling water into each bottle. Then, measure out 400ml cold tap water and add this to each bottle, so you have 500ml warm water in each bottle. Take your dyes and with gloves on, carefully transfer the contents of each dye into each bottle, you can even use a funnel if you wish. For the dye salt, I stuck to 2 tablespoons of dye salt per bottle. Screw on the tops of the bottles, and give them a good shake to mix.

Then, take your t shirt and throw it on the grass outside, as this part will get the surroundings dyed. Squeeze each bottle on to the t shirt, and turn it over to make sure it's evenly dyed. Leave the t shirt in a plastic container for 4- 24 hours, the longer, the better. Wash out excess dye under the tap and when the water runs clear, throw your t shirt into the washing machine on its own. Then simply take it out, dry it, and you're done!

The above was my result. Because of the way I twisted the t shirt, I got a pretty swirly pattern, but there is other ways you can do it as well. I did put a sachet of dye into each bottle, and this must have been a bit too much, as I had some remaining dye floating on top, unmixed, which explains some very vibrant dots on the t shirt, but they're barley noticeable.

All in all, it's a really cool thing to do as you will have a unique, one of a kind t shirt! The results are never the same, and you can use the same amounts for a few t shirts as well, as there is a lot of dye left if you're only dyeing one piece of clothing (I poured mine out at the bottom of the garden, haha). I hope my explanations were clear enough, if not, please dont hesitate to comment with questions! The dye does wash out so your colours do fade after you wash them in the washing machine, so don't panic. I would recommend to wash the clothing you dyed on it's own as well, to prevent staining other clothes.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post, and good luck if you are giving this a go!

My Twitter- @gabysayshey

Gaby x