DIY Facial to restore natural ph

Right so, DIY time!! I know I've been MIA lately, but I've had so much going on that I've abandoned my little bloggity. But I'm determined to change that now!

Anyhoozle, I've been swimming a lot lately which has taken its toll on my skin. I've therefore had to search high and low for natural remedies to restore the ph of my skin and undo the damage the chlorine has done. So, here is a face mask I found that restores the natural ph of my face and moisturises it to combat the drying and stripping effects of the pool. So, here we are!

1 egg

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

-Seperate the egg, yoke in one bowl and whites in another.

-Whisk the egg whites until they're frothy. This will make it easier to apply the mask later

-Add honey and vinegar to the yoke, mixing until combined.

-Add the yoke mixture to the egg whites, stirring constantly until combined.

-Apply mixture to face. You can use a make-up brush, the back of a spoon, or I just used my fingers 'cos I'm lazy. Allow to dry for about 10-15 minutes, but you'll know when it's dry because you won't be able to move your face because it will be so tight. This is normal!!

-Wash off gently. It will be kind of hard to get off, but whatever you do don't scrub as this will just make your face red and blotchy and undo all your hard work.

Et Voilá! Your face should feel maaahvelous dahling. The key ingredient here is the vinegar to restore the ph(which is very important, trust me). But you can't exactly go dipping your face in a bucket of vinegar, so you add the egg to exfoliate and the honey to moisturise. I didn't invent this mask and I don't claim to, I just wanted to share with you! This is for women AND men, clear and healthy skin is not gender sensitive!!

So there ya have it, I really hope you try this and it works for you! I also have another facial post here if you want to take a look! You can use this as often as you like as there is nothing harsh in this mask, so prep and prime 'til you're black and blue!

Enjoy looking amaaahzing,

Aila Maritz xox

Personal Rant

How did I become so fucking weak?

I know this is a little bit personal, but I guess that's what happens when you have a blog; you tend to rant a little more than you should as it's your only outlet that won't get sick of you.

I used to be a very strong-willed girl. When I was little, it would take so much to phase me and any sickness or hardship I had, I'd just say era sure fuck it, I'll be grand. Although I didn't use the word fuck reader, being the little goodie two-shoes that I was, I merely use this for dramatic effect now. Now though......now. I'm kind of ashamed at how pathetic I've become to be perfectly honest. Now, I'm going to tell you some of my life story. If you feel you're going to judge or leave nasty comments, please stop reading now and I beg of you don't be mean!

Well, when I was 11 I had a spinal fusion, I was in 6th class at the time methinks. Needless to say, not being able to walk for more than five minutes at a time for a year made me stronger. I could have taken on the world at that time, and if I had been left to my devices then I would have been an amazing person. However, one has to go to secondary school. I fell in with the wrong crowd, not in a criminal way; I was one of the mean girls. I bullied a girl (not severely now, no physical contact was involved) who later became my best friend and still is 8 years later. I only did this because I didn't fit in myself and wanted to, desperately.

One day, these "mean girls" decided I wasn't cool enough any more, and turned on me. Now, I was the bullied. It just so happens that complete lowlifes around where I live where bullying me at the same time, telling me how annoying and ugly and fat I was and basically that I was a worthless piece of shit. Well, being a 12/13 year old lost little girl, I did something stupid, something I had no idea would effect my life so profoundly; I made myself throw up. Once I started, I couldn't stop until I had a full-on eating disorder. I hid this for 3 years from anyone, until I finally admitted it to my parents, but I still struggle with it to this day.

Since then I've never gotten my strength back. I can only cope with so much before I break down or panic. I can never live for the moment, or enjoy what I have right now. I'm always worrying about "if" and "how" and "when". Right now I'm on the verge of a panic attack for no good reason, other than a few things are happening that I have no control over. And yes, you can think I'm a bit pathetic because I think so too. This isn't putting myself down, I just want to cop the fuck on and stop being so weak and feeble-minded. I need to not worry about others, what will happen, how I'll do this, how I'll keep this person in my life, how I'll get there, how I'll get this money or that job. I need to be the little girl who doesn't care about anyone else and carries on with life because she feels like it. I need to stop panicking when I see a rainy day, or have no plans, I need to stop feeling physically ill with worry over every little fuckin thing. I need to COP THE FUCK ON and be the strong girl I know I can be and I know is inside me still.

Ok, sorry guys, rant over.

Aila Maritz xox

My new youtube channel!

So, strange thing about me; I love the sound of whispering. I find it hard to sleep at night but when I listen to whispers I sleep like a wee baabee. You will find a lot of whisper videos on youtube if you search for them.

Wanna know something else strange about me? I started my own whisper channel on youtube. I know, weird right? Well, I've been pretty bored lately so I decided to start a youtube channel. I was going to become a beauty guru, but they come a dime a dozen and to be honest I'm not sure what I could bring to the table that hasn't already been done before.

So, here's my channel. I only have 6 videos so far as it's a new channel so ignore the emptiness of it all. I'm not showing you all this channel for views or praise or anything of the sort, I would just love some feedback or to introduce everyone to the world of whispering if you've never heard of it. Trust me, I know how weird it seems, but don't knock it 'til you try it! It helps a lot of people sleep at night and it's something to do in those boring moments of the day in this recently freezing "summer" weather.

Enjoy! Feel free to dislike, but please don't be mean, I had to delete my last channel over that ;(

Also, would anyone be interested in seeing any types of videos? It doesn't have to be exclusively whispers on the channel, if people would be interested in seeing other things I could work something out =)

Happy sleeping,

Aila Maritz xox

Top tips for DIY Tanning!

So now so, since a lot of us a pale pasty feckers lacking a glimpse of summer sun, we need a little help in the tanning department. Enter false tan in a bottle. Fake tan can be a girl's best friend, helping her play dress-up and change her appearance for a few days before wearing off with no harm done. There's absolutely no shame in wearing tan so you don't look like one of the Cullens(but far less poised and glowing) in the hundreds of facebook photos that will undoubtedly be tagged the next day.

HOWEVER, if you don't do it right, you'll end up looking like Snooki in her audition video for Jersey Shore. As a fellow tan-wearer(on nights out only, I embrace my rose ivory complexion most of the time!) I will take you through my hard learned lessons over the years on how to apply a good fake tan.

STEP ONE: MOISTURISE

Lads, ye don't even know how important this step is. You absolutely must moisturise your whole body prior to applying the fake tan. This will help it go on smooth, look less cakey and stop it grabbing onto certain areas e.g. elbows, knees, around the nose etc. I like to moisturise roughly 20minutes before applying the tan. A lot of the time I also mix 1 part moisturiser and one part tanner AS WELL as moisturising beforehand to keep it natural. You can always build it up, but you can't take it off.

STEP TWO: SHAVE AFTER YOU TAN

I know, this sounds strange. But if your shave before you apply tan your skin will automatically be streaky from the razor and although you can't see this, your tan will stick to these streaks. Therefore, resist the urge to shave so you'll look like jlo applying tan and I promise it will work out better, especially on the legs! Leave the tan overnight preferably, or alternatively 4ish hours before shaving and showering.

STEP THREE: START FROM THE TOP AND WORK YOUR WAY DOWN

When you read the next step, you'll see why this just works out easier. Apply tan to the middle of your chest and work it outwards; out to your shoulders, to your neck and down on your bossom(tan these too just incase ;). When it comes to the face, mix one part moisturiser with one part tan and carefully apply a little bit all over the face, being careful to blend the eyebrow area and hairline.

STEP FOUR: MIND YOUR HANDS!

When I was in second year, I decided to put fake tan on. As I didn't know I wasn't supposed to touch the tan directly, my hands looked like two brown-leather-mittens and was called oopma loompa for the week. You need to use plastic gloves people!! You can get the unbelievably cheap in most pound shops (or dollar stores for my yanks), or alternatively use the tanning mits which are more expensive but probably easier to use for a 1st time tanner.

I like to put one glove or mit on and apply carefully to my opposite arm, and without adding anymore tan, drag what I have on my arms onto my hands and slightly on my fingers. Immediately take off the glove, moisturise you hands and rub your palms and inbetween your fingers on a towel or rag you don't mind dirtying. Repeat this process on the other when the moisturiser has dried in. This way your hands will be tanned and blended without having tan in the creases of your knuckles. Same thing applies for the tooooes!

STEP FIVE: GET SOMEONE TO DO YOUR BACK

No explaining to do here really, just don't forget to ask someone to blend it into your back and neck.

STEP SIX: WASH OFF THE EXCESS

Now, I'll be honest, I rarely have time for this. But when I do my clothes thank me for not allowing them get absolutely ruined with tan. It will rub off on your most likely "dressy" outfit and will look more cakey and less natural if you don't have a quick body shower. When you get out of the shower you will be horrified with how pale you look, but worry not. This has something to do with body temperature over the shower(don't ask me for details) and you'll darken up again within a few minutes.

**Extra tips** Your tan will stay on much longer if you moisturise daily, and if it turned out a little darker than expected just throw on some talcon powder over it and it'll ease off a bit.

So there ya have it, my very long winded guide to self tanning at home. Tan is a very dodgy product, it's very easy to look like an orange hooker. But don't be afraid of it, once you're careful you''l be surprised at how easy it is to have that glowing tan we all love! That being said, I personally don't think you should wear tan everyday, it's just for special occasions really. Embrace the beauty of your natural skin colour because to most other people it's absolutely beautiful and what makes you stand out!

Happy bronzing,

Aila Maritz xox

Beauty tips of Ms. Audrey Hepburn

(This is a canvas painting I've had for a long time so I decided to jazz it up and add makeup to her face, not sure if you can see here!)

I've never really had a role-model before. Well, besides my family and such. But as regards to an idol, I was missing that whole aspect of star-gazing. However, the more I read about Audrey Hepburn the more I fall in love.

She was an absolutely beautiful woman, inside and out. She was elegant, poised, intelligent, talented and humble in her success. When I compare her to celebrities these days it's really sad that we have no one near as worthy as her to look up to. She encouraged women(and indeed people in general)to care for themselves and one another as beautiful people with souls rather

than the vain monkeys we all seem to be now. I'm sure you have all heard this quote, but I'll share it with you anyway seeing as it's my favourite quote of her's and indeed one of my favourite general life-lessons to live by. As a make-up artist especially, her "beauty tips" truly inspire me.

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows.

The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.

If you share this with another woman, something good will happen -- you will boost another woman's self esteem, and she will know that you care about her.

How could anyone not love this woman? She is a prime example of what women should be and one whose footsteps I strive to follow in(though I fall short most of the time). I, like her, would like everyone to love themselves for who they are and help other's to love themselves also. Don't hate people for their decisions, talent, intellect or life choices. Just realise that success means something different to everyone. You are absolutely beautiful, and so is the person you scowl at everyday, or the person who always seems to be just one step ahead of you. Just be happy in what your life is and who you are because I guarantee someone is looking at you wishing they had what you have. If we live by the words of Ms. Hepburn we will be a lot happier and more fulfilled than the way we have been conditioned to be in this society.

If you take nothing else from this post, please take the knowledge that we are ALL beautiful; beauty is in our souls, not how toned our bodies are or how structured our faces. Let's all stop competing and appreciate each other for the individuals we are.

Aila Maritz xox

Bitches be crazy

**sighs, closes eyes and rubs temples**

Women are stupid. Why? Three words.

Chris fucking Brown.

I HATE Chris Brown. Genuine hate, with every atom of my being. If his music comes on the radio, I'll turn it off. In a club, I'll sit down. In my eyes he doesn't deserve the privilege of my listening to his music. Reasonable, I think, considering he's a scumbag who tried to kill his girlfriend.

Yet, YET, he still has a successful music career. What. The. Fuck.

Excuse my language, but this is very confusing to me. People actually listen to his music. Worse still, women listen to his music. I don't want to offend anyone reading this post, but if you listen to his music, Bitch you crazy.

Let me just remind you all of some of the details of Sir Brown's attack. He tried to push her out of the moving car, but she had her seatbelt on so he carried on driving with his left hand while beating her with his right hand. He told her he was going to "beat the shit out of you when we get home", and when she rang for help she was told "you just did the stupidest thing ever, I'm really going to kill you now." He then grabbed her in a headlock, bit her ear while squeezing so hard she almost lost conciousness. During examination they found further bite marks on her inner thigh, her arms and several of her fingers.

I could go into more details of what he did after the attack, such as release ridiculous love songs in which he is the best boyfriend in the world, breaking windows at interviews, having nothing to say for himself on the assault except "it's just like...wow", but I don't need to. Just those details of the attack alone are enough to make anyone hate him.

BUT, women still listen to his music. How can you carry on supporting his career when you see all he did? By dancing along to his music, you're saying it's ok to beat the living shit out of fellow woman. It's beyond me how people help him to make money after this, I for one am absolutely sickened at the sight of him or the sound of his evil voice. There is NO excuse for what he did, to try make excuses for him like "stress" is absolutely pathetic.

Please, look at this woman's face. Forget that it's Rihanna, forget whether you like her music, or even if you like her as a person. She was a 20 year old girl who was beaten to near death by the man she loved. How can you carry on listening to his music as if nothing happened?

Aila Maritz xox

Change....

I'm scared of change. I'll admit it; I'm one of these sensitive people who cries at goodbyes and worries about the future and hates the thought of life being different. Silly, I know, since life is one big series of cycles that will inevitably end.

I know, change is good, yadda yadda yadda. But I don't like things to change! If I love someone, I'll keep them please, if I like a place, I'll stay there please, if I like a sandwich, I'll eat that day in day out and there's feck all anyone can do to stop me.

I don't like change because what if things don't turn out as good as they are now? What if right now is the best time of your life, but you don't know it so you don't try to maintain it? What if change takes people you love away from you? Change is scary.

And right now I feel like my life is going to change, a lot. I've just finished college (AH!) so obviously enough, that's one chapter in my life done and dusted. Now I'm in the "real world", and it's scary as fuck. The scariest part is I don't feel one bit different, but I'm supposed to be a totally different person. I'm only 20, not even old enough to be the alcoholic that I am here were I in America. Yet I'm supposed to know what to do with the rest of my life.

I just got my first a job. Ever. Due to a long series of boring circumstances I've never had a job before, so I'm excited and terrified about it at the same time. I'm still on a trial run so they will decide if I'll be full-time or part-time when the trial is over. I've been told full-time is very tough and I believe it. If I had the choice, I would probably start off part-time and work my way up, but I'll take whatever they're offering now 'cos I'm a feckin pauper. I'm half delighted and half scared shitless. I'll get money, awesome. But.....I'll get money. Which means saving, and figuring out what I want to do with that money, and where I want to go with it. I feel like I'm going to see everyone a lot less, and some relationships I have are very dear to me and the time I get to spend on them is limited as it is.

I'm so grateful I have a job, not many do. But.....I'm just plain scared. I'm scared of change. I just want to skip over this transition in my life and see where I will be next year, if I'll still have the same amazing people I love so much in my life, if I'll have moved to America for a while which is my dream, if I'll still be in the exact same position in my life and look back at this post and scoff.

I hate now knowing, and I'll inevitably worry about all these things until my brain fries and I cry myself to sleep. I know there's absolutely nothing I can do and I have to cruise along life and let it all happen, but that just aint me. I'll just sit here and panic, as always....anyone with me?

Aila Maritz xox

How to prevent creases in your hair

One of the worst things about doing make-up is having to clip your hair back while doing it, giving you an unwanted line or bump in your fringe/bangs. Alternatively, you have to do your hair after your make-up which is less than ideal.

No more!! The best way to keep back your hair: velcro.

Noft side of velcro obviously, but the rougher side. You can buy patches of it online, but I have a much easier and more convenient way to get some, or make it yourself.

Get yourself a big velcro roller, you can get them really really cheap at a beauty supply store, mine was less than 3euro for 6. Now, cut the velcro off the roller, or better yet find the natural crease where the velcro meets and it should easily pull of the roller.

Now, sweep your hair back off your face and press the velcro down where your hand is. It's perfect! It keeps your hair back, no creases, no bumps, no messing of the do. I love it!!! When your make-up is done, simply pull it off and let your hair sweep back into place. This is one of my most annoying problems with make-up sorted, I am so excited I now have this you have no idea. I'm positively giddy!

The over-sized rollers can even be cut in half to make two, so you have a back-up for if or when (lets be serious, when) you lose the other. Or, if you do make-up on clients like myself, it's the perfect way to keep their hair back without messing it as usually clients will have their hair done before the make-up! So you have one half for yourself and the other half for your kit. I'm so excited I just feel like over-using the exclamation point!!!! AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, some of your are probably thinking dear God this woman has gone crazy, but if you do make-up on other people you'll know the importance of keeping their hair off their face without messing it. You could be undoing hours of work with one little clip!

Seriously lads, go try this, I promise it will change the life of my fringed lovelies!

Aila Maritz xox

My Friday 13th horror reality!

When I was younger, I babysat my cousins a lot. It was the only source of income available to a youngin under the age of 16. They were young also at the time, between the ages of 3 and 11 I would imagine, and there were two boys and one baby girl.

Before I embark on my story of terrifying ordeals, I would like to describe their place of habitat to you all. They lived out in the suburbs, far enough from the city and down a very dark and windy typically-shit-irish-country-road. However, they were in a housing estate, one lone housing estate in the wilderness(ahem) so I considered myself to be fairly safe. As it was a housing estate out the country, they had a fairly big back garden with a massive glass patio door the length of the back wall.....with no curtains.

Well, one night I was off to babysit while their parents went off promising to be back between 1 and 1:30 am. So I played with the kids for a while and come their bedtime, off up the stairs they went. Once I knew they were soundly asleep, and those kids slept like planks of wood, I sat down and watched tv. Flicking through the channels I realised from the date and time in the corner of the screen that it was a Friday. Near midnight. And it just happened to be the 13th.

Well, I was understandably freaked out for a second, but logically calmed myself down and continued flicking through the channels. After skipping many horror movies appropriately playing on this specific date, I settled for a random comedy film and watched away.

Now reader, I am known to be a bit of a scaredy cat, jumping at random noises and checking behind the couch every so often when I'm alone in the house. The fact that it was Friday the 13th did not help this one little bit.

The time ticked on, and I was beginning to get a little impatient and dare I say, desperate for them to come back and relieve me from the misery of knowing perfectly well that my situation would make the perfect horror movie. 1am came, and went. 2am came, and alone I was still. Every flicker of movement I saw outside I assumed would be them. I convinced myself I was watching this hilarious comedy, but in reality I was listening to every flicker of noise I heard waiting for them to FECKIN COME HOME.

Well, finally, I heard the door. Although I saw no car pull up I knew it had to have been them and forgot their key, trying to see if the door would open without one. At this stage it was close to 2:30am. Overcome with relief I skipped out the front-room door into the hall to see their friendly faces outside the foggy-glassed front door.....'til I stopped dead in my tracks in the middle of the hall.

No faces did I see, no car outside. No lights or movement in the street outside.

Needless to say, I shat a brick. I'm not one of these girls to walk towards the door and open it to see who's outside. Oh no, I ran the other direction, like a normal person would, toward the phone to promptly ring my mammy to come and get me before the axe murderer-rapist outside the door got to me first.

The phone just happened to be right in front of the massive glass door overlooking the massive pitch black back garden. There was no such thing as cordless phones in those days y'see. Naturally enough, I wailed and ran towards the cutlery drawer and grabbed the most cliché big sharp silver kitchen knife, you know the one they always get in the movies right before they die?

So there I was, staring at the glass, sobbing my heart out and shaking like a leaf, phone in hand. I urgently told my mother the situation and forced her to stay on the phone for the 20minutes it would take my Dad to get there.

20 feckin minutes. Sure at every moment I was convinced I was going to die, and the children would be next. I stared out the window, knife in a ready position, back to the wall, waiting to face my doom. His big hairy head and massive killer hands were just out of sight, I knew it. I couldn't believe I was in this situation. On Friday the 13th. I would die on Friday the 13th and my story would be made into a made-for-tv movie. I have no clue what my Mam was saying to me, in my head she was just there to hear the massacre.

The doorbell. Relief, followed by suspicion. I put down the phone and edged my way towards the front door, eyes ever watchful of all the windows I passed. I could see a big figure, who could have easily been my dad, but could just have easily been the crazy psycho who's about to murder me. The closer I got, the more familiar the silhouette was. However, opening the door I had the knife at the ready. Sure, he'd probably kill me, but I'll have screamed enough and injured him too much to walk up the stairs to get the children.

Well, it was my Dad, THANK GOD. I collapsed in his arms and bawled my eyes out for 20minutes until my uncle came home. I hastily told them my story, them explaining it with one of their neighbours being drunk and probably went into the wrong house. I went home, into bed and slept with the light on, vowing never to be alone on Friday the 13th again.

So, there's my story. Perhaps I was jumpy and over thought the noise, perhaps the fecker saw the fierce mothering instinct in my eyes and the massive weapon in my hand and knew not to cross this bitch.

I shall let you decide.

Aila Maritz xox

Taking Chances

It's the heart afraid of breaking that never loves, the fool afraid of chasing after their dream that never reaches it, the one who never takes a chance that never learns to truly live.

You have to be willing to take a chance on the improbable, no matter how scary that is. I have taken a lot of risks in my life, and none have led me astray thus far. Without delving into the details of my personal life, I'll simply talk about my dream. As is probably obvious, I want to be a make-up artist. Well, I technically am, I just don't work. Yet.

Within the past few months I have taken chances with this. I have emailed stylists, photographers etc. in the hopes of making a few contacts. In doing so, I have made some wonderful contacts. I have the beginnings of a professional portfolio, I have potential photo shoots planned for the future, I even organised a whole photo shoot myself with models and a photographer, the photos of which can be seen here. Just last night I emailed a modelling agency asking if they needed make-up artists and they said yes! So hopefully I will be working with them in the near future also.

All of this happened because I took a chance. I asked random people if I could work with them, and now I'm starting to get a name for myself locally.

My point is, no matter how scared you are, if you don't think you're ready for something, you don't think they'll deem you good enough, you don't think you'll get a certain job, you don't think he'll like you, you don't think it can work out between you and him because it's just too complicated. I promise you, if you take that risk nothing bad can come of it.

Of course, you may get rejected. And let me tell you, if I had been afraid of being rejected with every email I sent I would still be twiddling my thumbs with no contacts and no portfolio. But that's the risk. You don't know what life you're missing out on by sitting there afraid of being hurt. You're life could be absolutely amazing, everything you've ever wanted and more. You just need to trust that it will all work out, and eventually you'll be that dream version of you that's just out of reach.

Please, take a risk, if you see a potential opportunity snatch it up before it's gone. There's only so many opportunities in life, if you don't risk it you'll miss them!

Go, chase your dream, follow your heart, and hang in there if it makes you happy.

Aila Maritz xox

Film Review: Insidious

I had high hopes for this movie. Everyone I know that had seen it said it was "genuinely scary", unlike the mountains of scary movies that have been made in recent years. From the trailer I gathered it was a similar story to Paranormal Activity, but with more action and fright bits. Can't go wrong there, right?

Well, going with my two girl friends, we were shaking going into the cinema to begin with expecting to be traumatized going home that night. For the first 20 minutes we were totally on edge, holding onto each other waiting for the scary bits to embarrass ourselves with chilling screams. Those scary bits never came. Thirty minutes in and still not a notion of a shock scene. There were moments we thought something would happen and braced ourselves, but those moments passed with no action. This was most likely intended in order to build suspense as those movie makers love to do, but I'll tell you it was damn annoying.

However many minutes in(a good aul few) the scary parts began. Now, this portion of the film was.....grand. Nothing spectacularly terrifying, but enough to make us scream to the point of the cinema erupting in laughter. It had the jump factor, but as for the content itself.....well, it was a bit cheesey to be perfectly honest. The further into the movie we went, the more ridiculous it seemed to be becoming. I can't say too much without ruining the plot(and I HATE when movie reviewers ruin the plot), but let's just say the ghosties weren't entirely believable as far as ghosties go. Don't get me wrong, there were some scary monsters to make you scream and freak you out, but I was able to turn the lights out and sleep like a baby when I went home.

When it reached the climactic sequence, it just turned into a ridiculously far-fetched movie. It was laughable to be perfectly honest, the ending COMPLETELY let the movie itself down. It had such potential but was let down by an overactive imagination within the script writers who wanted to turn the ending into a movie akin to "Are you Afraid of the Dark". Once again, I can't say much without ruining the film, but trust me when I say it veered onto the ridiculously far-fetched and cheesey route.

Cool points: Funny ghost busters, jump tactics, suspense, hearing all the girlies scream in the cinema.

Fool points: Far fetched plot, unoriginal, crap ending, misleading us into thinking the child would have a lot of action(he had very few lines throughout), inability to make me leave the lights on.

Would I recommend going to see this movie?

Well, it depends on what you're looking for. My friends and myself had a nice night out and laughed about our girlish screams and the hilarity of the ending on the way home. If it's for entertainment you're going, and want something to laugh about, I say belt away.

But if you want a profound horror movie, rent a classic and stay at home.

Love as always,

Aila Maritz xox

So you think you know me punk? #2

Uimhir a dó! Or number 2 to all you non Irish folk, of my 30 questions challenge in which you get to know me a little better.

• Fictional Book: Well....all books I read are fictional really. I have read a lot of books(English student, hello) and I already picked my favourite book so I feel like they're just grasping at straws here.....but that's ok, I shall play along for you, reader. I'm just going to say the Twilight Saga, that's right I said it! I'm a Harry Potter nerd, a twihard AND an gleek! What you gonna do about it?? HUH??

• Non fictional book: "A City of Surprises: Hidden Treasures of Cork's Northside". Such a lovely book comprised of beautiful pictures of my hometown along with interesting historical facts about the subject of each photo. Where I live has a pretty bad reputation, but this book really shows how colourful and cheerful the place can be! Also, did I mention it was written by my Daddy?

• Fanfic: Well eh, I'm not too sure what this actually means. But from what I can gather, it's something a fan wrote as part of what they are a fan of.....e.g. a fan of twilight writing a 4th book, not actually Stephanie Meyer. This kind of sounds like the short story I wrote about Hermoine Granger going to summer camp while away from Hogwarts...that enough info for the question? The embarrassing Harry Potter thing making sense now?

• A song that makes you cry: Love ballads always make me cry, especially if they're relevant to how I'm feeling at the time. Or songs about death make me sob like a wee babbie.

• An Art Piece: Well, this is awkward. I don't actually have a clue about art,or care for it very much. I'm not one of these people who gets an abstract painting of a dot and a line....perhaps I just haven't found my niche yet.

• Fancy tickler: Cadburys chocolate dipped into tea on a cold day. If you haven't tried it do so, immediately.

Once again, please do join in if you have a spare few minutes by writing your own answers in the comment section! Or even on facebook!

Love ya lots like jelly tots, but not as much as vodka shots,

Aila Maritz xox

p.s. I have absolutely no idea why the second half of this post is underlined and I don't know hwo to change it, sorry if it's annoying!

So you think you know me punk? #1

Well, I'm bored. I just broke my tooth and I'm in pain, thus unable to sleep...in the middle of exams....OF COURSE. So, I decided to do the 30day challenge of random facts about myself, mostly out of narcissism but maybe someone might be interested! Probably not, but that's ok, it'll keep me occupied anyway.

I think I'm going to do this in a few blogposts, not 30 posts but not all 30 questions in one! So here's the first 6 questions to start me off =)

• Favourite Song: Easy. My absolute all time favourite composition of music is Clair de Lune. It's not a song in the modern sense, but as a piece of music it it just the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.

• Favourite Movie: Well, to be honest I don't really have one. It always depends on what sort of mood I'm in, but I definitely love films like The Hangover(of course), Knocked up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Zoolander, any comedy with that whole leaugue of comedians right there! I also love a good drama that I can cry to, or a good thriller to get sucked into. Scary films with a group of girls is hilarious, I scream sooooo much, I should be gagged.

• Favourite Television Programme: I have no one in particular, but I watch Big Bang Theory, 30 Rock, 90210, Desperate housewives, GLEE!, Home and Away, Bones, Grey's Anatomy.....I also watch random episodes of things, like cartoons or random comedy shows you don't really need to follow, but those are the ones I actually do follow(on and off).

• Favourite Book: Harry Potter. I was suuuuch a Harry Potter fan, it's disgusting. I just loved that series, and I'm picking this book because it was my childhood. I grew up with those books, they got me into reading to begin with, and as a child getting lost in that world....I don't think I could ever be enthralled with a book like I was with Harry Potter. It was just so magical!!! I love To Kill a Mockingbird too though, that makes me mature, right?

• Favourite Quote: Oh, I have a few. Again, it depend's on how I'm feeling and what relates to me in the moment, e.g. about boys, about being strong, about love, about sadness.....a good life motto that seems to stick with me always though is thus "Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to become a victim. Never accept anyone's definition of you; define yourself."

• Whatever tickles your fancy: Ok, this comes up every six questions, so I guess it's open to whatever you love. Well, I really love my dog. Sad, maybe, but she's so cute I could scream! She's a little Jack Russel named Holly and she's just awesome. Here is a drunken me(ever a recessionista having a couple drinks at home before hitting the town) being attacked with dog kisses.

Well, that's just a few facts about me. If you feel like joining in please do so in the comment section or on facebook, I would absolutely love to read your answers and interact with you all!!

Happy judging me,

Aila Maritz xox

How to survive exams

Well, well, well.....we meet at last. Final year exams. Now, I'm a very far stretch from a model student. I'm consistently a 2.1, or a B if you will, student, so if you strive to be the best student in the class, I can't really help you.

Hoooowever, on my third year of exams I'm still in my course, never having to do an August repeat. SO, here's my bible of exam time tips to help you get through that nasty month to the other side of lazy days, barbeques and drunken parties.

NUMBER ONE: 8 hours of sleep is for pansies.

Never have I gotten more than 5 hours sleep the night before an exam, and I don't plan on it this year. Now, if you have a week full of straight exams, you'll need at least 6 hours, depending on how well you can function. But if you have days off between as most people do, sleep can wait. Trust me, that extra hours study will seriously pass you the exam.

NUMBER TWO: Whoever says cramming doesn't work is LYING!

It works, every single time, without fail. Of course, this doesn't mean do no studying until the night before(or the morning of if you're me). Buuut, if you haven't covered everything you need to and it's 4 hours to your exam, don't give up hope. Cram your little bum off and don't listen to those teacher nazis!

NUMBER THREE: Be Fat.

Seriously, now is not the time to worry about your bikini. During exams, there's no way you can socialize, unfortunately that's an unavoidable rule. Therefore, your only joy in life is food. Eat your vitamins, and drink your water, but for the love of God don't count your calories. Yes, you will most likely gain some weight, but then there's a whole 3 months to lose that weight so you can look a bit chunky for one month in the name of exams.

NUMBER FOUR: Get out of the house for at least half an hour

I tend to not leave my house during exams, ever. In the days coming up to exams I become an absolute hermit. Today, for example, the most fresh air I got was standing out the back garden in my pajamas for 30 seconds, getting cold, then coming back in. This is baaaaad. You NEED fresh air, you absolutely need a break. I don't mean go on a shopping spree, but take a walk, go for a spin. If you want to maintain your sanity, you shall certainly need to see daylight every single day!

On the other side of that, however, you also need to be a slight hermit. You do need a break, don't get me wrong, but you also need to put in some hours study without any distractions. I'm sorry, but if you want to pass, friends will wait!

NUMBER FIVE: Check Vanity at the Door.

Don't straighten your hair, or have 30 minute showers, or do the perfect makeup in the mornings. Trust me when I say that NO ONE CARES what you look like. Do you want to be the girl with the Degree, or the girl with the pretty hair in the exams?

NUMBER SIX: Google books

I never get to the library, but what I do do is check for my secondary sources on google. Type in the name of the book you want, click google books and it may very will be there, all the ones I used this year were!If some thief stole them from the library which they always do, worry not, for google knows all.

NUMBER SEVEN: Don't Panic!

Look, I'm not going to say exams aren't important. But life will go on, pass, honour or miserable fail. If you panic, you will lose study time. Trust me, I have cried so much and gotten so bogged down with panic that I've lost at least an hour of time I could have used to learn some shit for an exam. Take some Kalms, or whatever relaxation tablets/drops you know of. You can always do the August repeats, appeal or if worst comes to worst, you can repeat and you'll still be here after it's all said and done.

So there you have it, what I do during exams. These aren't perfect, and may not work for every situation, but if I help just one person through their exams I shall be a happy student. Relax lads, they're only exams, and remember the lecturers/teachers WANT you to do well for their own feckin statistics!

Good luck and happy soul crushing studying,

Aila Maritz xox

Ode to White Rabbit...

G'day my little bloggers! Well, today I'm going to do something a little different for y'all (see how I went from Australian slang to Southern American in the same sentence? Makes me seem worldy methinks). I want to introduce you all to another blogger, by no means little known, but for all of you who haven't read her blog you must go. Now.

She goes by the name White Rabbit http://whiterabbitni.blogspot.com

This blog is literally the funniest blog I have ever read. She is absolutely hilarious, writing about everyday things but making them seem like the funniest comedy you have ever seen. She does a photo of the day with her own captions along with longer stories of her own life laced with good aul Irish sarcasm and witty banter. I frickin love this blog!! Many a time have I been in foul humour and read this blog, only to chuckle away old-man-esquely to myself while making sure no one I'm in foul humour with can hear me. Other times, I have literally laughed out loud (I refuse point blank to say LOL'd) at a little snippet of her experience that I can relate to. Creepy, yes, but I think she's just great for the craic.

Now, this isn't some sort of advertisment or plugging on her behalf. I have absolutely no idea who she is, and she has absolutely no idea I exist. At the risk seeming like a stalker muppet and losing many of my readers to her blog, I feel a duty to share with you one of my must-reads to cheer you all up and make you smile for a little bit! Seriously guys, just go check her out, you won't regret it!

Happy abandoning my blog for the cool kid on the block,

Aila Maritz xox

(p.s. ok, so the picture doesn't have much to do with the topic other than being a rabbit, but who doesnt love a picture of a baby rabbit?? And it's clapping! Thats what I thought reader, you're lovin' the shit out of that photo. Word.)

Real Life Barbie Proportions!

I dread sunny days like today. I much prefer being able to cover up in my winter/autumn clothes and conceal what I don't like with black clothes, but in heat like this I have no choice but to whip out the summer dresses and let it all hang out. But I'm guessing a lot of you feel the same, since every other girl I have ever spoken to in my life has said the same thing.

So escaping the prying eyes of neighbours balming out the back in the blistering heat (ahem, by Irish standards), I came up to my room and came across these hilarious parodies of the Barbie doll. I can't believe these proportions were actually deemed acceptable, no wonder we're off our heads when it comes to body image!

Yes lads, very attractive. Well done on making this the female image that was drilled into every child's head from the age of three. No wonder Barbie never had hats, they couldn't find one to fit her abnormally tiny head.

I also came across this article about a girl who made a lifesized Barbie doll with Barbie proportions, to help expose how ridiculous todays "perfect body" and how it causes eating disorders. It's here if you'd like to check it out. http://www.beautylish.com/a/vmaxj/what-does-a-real-life-barbie-look-like

I absolutely love this next photo, I would have been a much happier and secure child if I had had this Barbie rather than the regular one! I garauntee, even the skinniest of super models are closer to this Barbie than the original.

So my lovelies, go out in the sun, wear your tiny(yet flattering) dresses and flaunt what you've got while pasty white and eating a choc ice.

Aila Maritz xox

My Personal Jesus

Ok ok, I KNOW I should be studying, but relax MOM, I'll get back to it in a second! Whilst taking one of my 15-minutely breaks from studying, I came across this girl. She is my new favourite person on the planet. If I could give her my secret stash of nutella, I would. Oh yeah people, thats how deep this shit goes. I had to share these photos with you, so you can all marvel at the sheer awesomeness of this fantastic woman.

I want to be her.

Jail Photoshoot!

Ok so, I thought since I don't have an interesting topic to rant about I would show you my favourite photoshoot as of late. I put this shoot together, and by God was it hard to make sure everyone got where they needed to be! I'm not showing you this for praise or anything, I just thought it might be interesting to look at and see what I've been doing. If you think these are appalling, by all means write how I'm a silly goosini in the comment section and I shall go hang my head in shame indefinitely.

The main component of this shoot was, of course, the make-up; but I wanted it to look more interesting than just a face of make-up against a white wall. There is no theme really; it was shot of an old jail so the make-up was slightly on the gritty side, but we pretty much just winged it on the day!

Models: Sarah Delea, Rachael Costello

Photography: Cian Daly

Venue: Cork City Gaol (so helpful and nice!)

(p.s. Rachael has an amazing blog by the name of Ruby Ragdoll, go check her out!)

Hopefully these photos will keep my little bloggity ticking over, and with that I must ignore the beautiful sunshine outside and read these god forsaken books for hours upon end.

Candy floss and fairydust,

Aila Maritz xox

p.p.s. If you click on the photos they get bigger!

sowy!!

Hello my lovelies!!

Just a very quick post to say that....I have no posts! I've been beyond busy with college, what with being in final year and having a loooot of reading to catch up on before my exams in two weeks, AH!!

Also in the past couple of months I have broken my nose, sprained my ankle(badly), had swine flu, got hit in the face by a 50 year old man in a bar, had many amazing photoshoots and said goodbye to my beautiful days at college, how I shall miss thee...

I promise after my exams I will start back up again, but for right now I must concentrate on maintaining my sanity during this painful study month, for it is fading fast.

So to all those in the midst of exams, good luck, I truly feel your pain. And to everyone else, Happy Easter! Eat as much chocolate as you can, for it is as Jesus intended it to be.

To be continued, I promise! May the Force be with you til I return....

Aila Maritz xox

How to get glowing iridescent skin the easy way!

This technique is really very easy, but people tend to get the concept of this look wrong. I know that I personally need fairly good coverage, so buying a water-based foundation or mixing some illuminating crème with my regular foundation never worked.

The trick is the place highlighter in the right places. If you leave your face unpowdered it won’t look dewy; it will look oily. So here are the steps you need to follow to get that youthful glowing look.

First apply your foundation as you normally would. Leave it unpowdered for now as we will be adding more cream products.

Then apply your favourite highlighter onto your outer cheekbones (do NOT bring it further in than the pupil of your eye), on your cupids bow which is the dip in your upper lip, a very thin line on the bridge of your nose and on the inner tear-ducts of your eyes.

If you are wearing a dress or top that shows some cleavage, you can also add some onto your collar bones and a little bit on your breasts just before they meet the top of your dress/top. This will make your chest appear bigger and your shoulders skinnier!

I would suggest layering a lightly shimmered powder over the areas you have just highlighted to make it last all day. You want to make sure the shimmer in this is very fine, leaving a glowing effect rather than chunks of glitter on your face. Lastly, apply a loose powder to the rest of your face making sure to blend the shimmered powder so there are no harsh lines.

And that’s it! There’s no hidden secret or product, it’s all about knowing where to highlight and where to shadow. These are the professional, long-lasting tricks of the trade. Placement and layering is everything when it comes to make-up, so get highlighting those cheekbones missies!

Iridescent cheekbones and lustrous busts,

Aila Maritz xox

I'm not one of "them"...

I’ve been looking through some popular blogs lately to muster up some inspiration for my dwindling blog; mainly local girls who have become successful through the niche of fashion and makeup blogging. I have notices these girls are very witty, using metaphors, imagery and onomatopoeia to create a discerning vision to both intrigue and allure readers into following and sharing their ever growing oeuvre.

Well, I don’t do that. I am in my final year of studying English, so of course I could string together a few words to make myself appear apt and astute, but why? Who will that relate to? I’m a real person. I may not be the same as everyone else, and I may not be very interesting, but I’m real. I have no illusions of myself, I have no amazing contacts to set me aside, I’m not the cool girl who dresses indie, smokes cigarettes and drinks wine while cleverly enticing the elite crowd surrounding her nightly. I am but a variation of you. Right now I am sitting on my couch in my jammies with my hair tied in a messy bun thinking if I get more creative with my language people might like my blog more. I’m flat broke, insecure and the furthest thing from conventionally pretty you will find.

But who says it has to be a certain way? Maybe someday I will be able to string a few sentences together and make the perfect blog post. Maybe I will become more cut-throat and demand what I want from people and give no favours if I receive nothing in return.

For right now though, I will remain as I always have. I'm not a clone; I'm weird, random, quirky and slightly boring with many spelling mistakes due to my over-reliance on spell-check (which doesn’t always get the job done to perfection). I won’t overthink my blog to self-indulge in narcissistic success, or try to fit in with the cool blogging crowd that remains just out of my reach. This is my blog, an expression of me in all my randomnicity. I have no niche, no schedule, no weekly theme to draw my readers in. However, I am happy to say that some few people do still read my blog. Some commenting, some just leaving their footprint on my stats, meaning so much to me that someone bothered to pay attention to what little old unimaginative me has written next.

I’m not the perfect blogger and will probably never gain recognition for my "hard-core" blogging, but era sure, what can ya do?

Quick and easy Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting

I do believe it’s time for another recipe!

In the cookbook this is a recipe for “Chocolate Butterfly Cakes”, but in my recipe I added a chocolate icing instead of cream and they tasted trés magnifique. I wish I cud say the cake was the best part but icing was divoon. These are quick and easy and a perfect little touch for Valentine’s Day, be it with your lover or just friends!

You will need:

25g/1oz plain chocolate

125g/4½oz butter

85g/4oz caster sugar

150g/5½oz self-raising flour

2 eggs

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Icing cugar

White Chocolate

So here’s the recipe:

§ Preheat oven to 180 C/350 F/ Gas mark 4. Line a 12 hole bun tin with paper cases. Preparation is key my lovelies!

§ Melt Chocolate on a double boiler pan or in the microwave, but make sure to keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t burn.

§ Beat together butter, sugar, flour, eggs and cocoa in a large bowl until just smooth. Beat the melted chocolate into the mixture.

§ For this I sneakily defied the instructions of the cookbook (teehee) and added in a square of chocolate into each cake. I half-filled the paper case, place a piece of chocolate in the middle and poured the rest of the batter over the top. Some sank to the bottom but they tasted absolutely gorgeous!

§ Spoon into the cases (about ¾ full) and bake in the oven for 15minutes or until springy to the touch. Allow to cool completely.

For the Icing:

§ Melt some white chocolate and add in an equal amount of icing sugar or confectionary sugar. The amount will vary on how thick or how much you want on each cupcake. Gently mix together until it thickens to a paste, you know yourself what icing looks like!

§ Spread onto the cupcakes and there you have it! Beautiful cupcakes!

So there you have it, a quick and simple recipe for any special occasion sure to make any mouth water.

Happy licking of spoons,

Aila Maritz xox

Mental Health Week

Just a very short post today, but I'd just like to address the fact that it's Mental Health Week.

Most of us have had some form of depression in our lives, the fact that there is a week dedicated to it proves that it's nothing rare or to be ashamed of.

"Depression isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign that you have been too strong for too long".

I want to reassure everyone that you're not weak and you're not crazy. It's not your fault and it's hard to overcome, anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. However, you need to realize that you create your own destiny; if you think your life isn't worth while then you will accept this fact and do nothing to change it.

It's ok to cry, it's ok to curl up with a blanket sometimes and let it all out. But don't let it overcome you, don't let it define your life. Life is happening right now, don't miss it because your in crying about how you're missing it!

One night a while back I was feeling really down and couldn't sleep, so at sunset I took my dog for a short walk. We watched the sunset (my dog knew what was going on, obviously) and it was so peaceful and beautiful. It made me see the beauty of the world, and the fact that every slight noise in the dead silence made my dog have near heart-failure made me laugh so much I forgot about my woes.

It's the little things that help, realizing life is all around you and if you open your eyes you might be amazed.

"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Never accept anyone's definition of you; define yourself."

Listen to your favourite happy music and flick through this website http://weheartit.com/. You never know, it might inspire you to smile!

Don't take life too seriously lads, we'll never get out alive.

Aila Maritz xox

How to love yourself

1. Pick out five things you hate about yourself.

2. Pick out five things you don’t hate, but you wouldn’t mind altering a bit.

3. Pick out five things you love about yourself.

Which was easiest? Could you pick five things easily?

Bet it was really easy to pick the things you hate, and fairly easy to find the things you wouldn’t mind tweaking. But the things you love about yourself?

How many times a day do you look in the mirror and tell yourself you’re amazing? And how many times do you think how fat you are, how big your nose is, how you hate your eyes, how your ears are a weird shape, how you would be pretty if you could just change that one major flaw?

Everyone should look at themselves and think I’m not perfect, but I’m better than everyone else. I know everyone wants me, they’re just too shy to do anything about it. Don’t mistake this for vanity for self-praise is no praise.

But how can you give yourself completely to another, mind and body, perfections and flaws, if you don’t love yourself enough to accept these flaws yourself?

Don’t talk down to yourself, don’t treat yourself how you wouldn’t want to treat your mother, or sister, or best friend. If you think you’re beautiful, you’re right. If you think you’re ugly, you’re right. By this I mean embracing your beauty will make you shine; don’t ever frown as you don’t know who could be falling in love with your smile.

You were born an original, don’t die a copy.

Aila Maritz xox