42. Sweet inspired Barry M nails

Hello everyone. Hope you're all doing okay, as promised here is my first beauty related post. I don't wear make up but love doing my nails and I like lip products too. My nail varnish collection  looked like it needed some new additions for the spring/summer and Superdrug currently have a buy one get the second half price special offer on all Barry M products so I just could not help myself! I do love Barry M nail varnish as a second coat is rarely required, nails do not chip easily and they are so cheap! All of the products were £2.99 except the confetti nails which was £3.99.

L-R: Bright Purple, Spring Green, Pink Flamingo, Dolly Mixture Confetti
 Nails and the 3 in 1 base coat, top coat and nail hardener.

I really did love the look of the confetti nails as they reminded me
of hundreds and thousands that you get on a Flake 99. However,
it was an absolute nightmare to take off but in all fairness I did use 3
coats of the confetti nails to give maximum effect.

This is my favourite look as my favourite colours are green
and purple and it reminds me of a Ribena carton/ blackcurrant
and lime or apple sweets.

Make sure you use a base coat with the spring green otherwise it
will stain your nails and you don't want mouldy looking nails! The green
was quite difficult to take off but I've found that with other brands too such as
Collection 2000.

I am yet to use Pink Flamingo but it will go perfectly with one of my summer dresses so I will probably post a photo of that on my Instagram (my username is shazia_4 if you'd like to follow me). Keep your eyes peeled for my Clinique skincare update which will be up later this week. Until next time, take care.

Love,

Mancunian Sheep x

41. Marchuary

Hello everyone, hope you're all well. I am sorry for not posting in almost a month, for once I do have a valid excuse in the form of a 9 page dissertation on Parkinson's disease and deep brain stimulation. A lot of Mancunian Sheep news has been accumulating over the past 4 weeks and I've been dying to share it all with you so here are the headlines, enjoy (there usually isn't much to enjoy on the actual news but I promise there is here)!

I don't think I can hold this in much longer so watch this and everything will become clear:
http://youtu.be/L_91HdmuenY
This is why I had to get this post up without further ado because I still can't believe I've managed to get tickets for the second Thursday of Wimbledon. It took long enough for Andy's win to sink in so at least the organisers have given me a few months to prepare! I will of course take lots of photos when I go to SW19 to post on here :)

I received some more good news at the end of February when my exam results were released. After a very tough semester to say the least, I passed all my exams surprisingly as I was convinced I'd failed 2/5 of them. I won't lie to you, there were times during the last few months when I thought there was not a light at the end of the tunnel but hard work does pay off, trust me. I hope everyone else receiving their GCSE/ A-Level and univeristy exam results are happy with them.

As mentioned above, I've been busy writing my dissertation and as Parkinson's Awareness Week is coming in April, I will do a post and/or a video to explain what I've learnt about the condition from writing my dissertation and how it has affected me personally. For now, if you'd like to find out more about Parkinson's then check out this website: http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/ 

I feel like this post is turning into a dissertation with the lack of photos so here are some I took last Saturday when I went to see Jack Whitehall at the Phones 4 U arena in Manchester. He was brilliant as ever and despite this being his first arena tour, he did not seem nervous in the slightest. Just to give you some context, Jack loves the Lion King hence his costume and as for the Emporio Armani underwear, he was talking about Cristiano Ronaldo being a really unrealistic underwear model. My personal highlights of the night were when Jack explained his motto "Get it wrong, gotta be strong" and when to use it e.g. mishearing someone's name and by staying strong and calling them the wrong name until they doubt their own name. I was also in stitches when he ended up turning what was supposed to be a Geordie accent to an Indian and then Jamaican accent. I will be seeing Miranda Hart in Manchester this weekend so that will definitely be what I call, such fun (see what I did there?)!

In typical British fashion, I just had to mention the weather. I'm not a fan of very hot weather as it makes me even more grumpy than I usually am but since Friday, I've just loved waking up to a sunny bedroom. I'm hoping the storms don't return as I'm starting a field course in the Greater Manchester area next week. The other thing I like about summer is that I am a lot more healthier during it. I've embarked on a no sugar diet. I've not gone completely cold turkey so have allowed myself fruit. During the winter, I end up having a lot of sugary coffee and tea, chocolate and cakes and I just wanted to cut down because I'm scared of getting diabetes and I'm hoping it will have a positive effect on my energy levels, skin and weight. I've been loving clementines and plums recently and they are a lot more colourful and tastier than brown biscuits and chocolate.

I hope you've all enjoyed my Marchuary news. I've not forgotten about updating you all on my Clinique skincare regime, I will be putting up another post later this week to make up for my absence because I've been painting my nails quite a bit lately so it makes more sense to do a separate beauty related post.

Have you received any good news in the last few weeks? Make sure you all make the most of the sunshine after the horrendous storms. Until next time, take care.

Love,
Mancunian Sheep x

40. Song of the Month- February

Hello everyone! I hope you've all had a fab weekend. I've decided to start a new feature on here. Last month, I shared a song that I was listening a lot to during revision (see the post titled "A little gift for you all") and that gave me the idea to make it into a regular thing.

This month's song is Play by Katy B feat. Sampha taken from her new album, Little Red which went to Number 1 in the charts today! :D I downloaded it last night after watching the TV advert so many times and was not disappointed. It is definitely going to be one of the best albums of 2014. I like Play particularly because both vocalists are in harmony. Aaliyah and Emotions are my other personal favourites from the album as they showcase Katy's voice.

I remember when Katy's debut single, On a Mission came out back in 2010 when I started sixth form so her second album has been long overdue. Have any of you listened to Little Red, if so what is your favourite track? Have a great week and until next time, take care.
Love, 
Mancunian Sheep x

39. From Offensive Umbrellas to Sniffing Butter

Hello everyone, I hope you're all safe in this horrendous weather. I'm surprised that the battering of Britain hasn't been categorised as a hurricane. I would call it Hurricane Deidre or Hurricane Blanche if it snows, after the Corrie characters. On a serious note I really do hope you and your homes are in one piece still. In my previous post, I shared some cheeky purchases with you and instead of learning from my wild and rebellious ways and saving for a car, I've gone and done some more shopping. Here's a video filmed on my new Nikon P520 featuring even more naughty purchases, enjoy!

Until next time, take care.
Love,
Mancunian Sheep x

38. Presents All Round!

Hello everyone! I hope you're all well and have survived this awful weather. It's been one big storm since November. One of our garden fence panels was knocked over by the gales which is a bit annoying.
I've had a fairly busy fortnight since I last updated you all with everything. University is nowhere near as hectic as it was last semester so far. I'm only in for 3 days a week and spend the other 2 researching for my dissertation/ pondering life's mysteries (well my life's anyway). Last week, I met up with my dissertation supervisor and he seemed impressed with my plan and the reading I'd done so far so it's reassuring to know that I'm on the right path. In terms of lectures, I'm enjoying immunology and evolution and some of it is quite similar to stuff we have done before such as the innate immune system and the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. My plants module takes me back to the glorious days of GCSE Geography because we are learning a lot about agriculture. That's fine by me as one of my dreams is to become a shepherd. Talking of sheep, I was watching Eastenders on Friday night with my Mum and I spotted one of my flock! There was a scene when Carol went up to check for David and Arg Miles was lying down on the pillow. I asked Arg Miles about it and he said he'd got the train down to London to film one day when I was busy revising! 

Two of my good friends at university turned 20 during the last fortnight so I got them both a little something. I thought I'd share with you what I bought them if you were looking for inspiration for people with similar interests. One of them loves doodling in lectures and is very good at art so I bought him a Wreck This Journal which I thought could also be used as a stress buster just in case this semester turns out be chaotic like the previous one. I also bought him some chocolates from Thorntons because who doesn't love chocolate?!

My other friend is a huge Downton Abbey fan and I was really struggling with what to get her but thank God for M&S! When I don't know what to get for someone as gift, I usually check the M&S, Accessorize, Boots, Cath Kidston, Next, Asos and Topshop websites and Amazon of course! They are my favourite retailers and this method hardly ever lets me down. Anyway, M&S do a lovely range of Downton Abbey products so I have provided the link below:
http://www.marksandspencer.com/Downton-Abbey-Brands-Z-Beauty/b/2999969031
I ended up buying the Dowton Abbey cosmetic bag and lip balms and a cute tea for one set from Kirsty Allsopp's range because she is great on Location Location Location :P

I was a bit naughty and ended up buying myself a few things too. A few months ago, I told my Mum that if I came home with a new pair of shoes or a bag to make me return them but alas, she didn't. I can justify my purchases because one of them I really needed and the other, well, I couldn't resist! Since losing some weight, I'd been looking for a good quality belt but everywhere sells the really narrow waist belts or just weird ones but Next saved the day. I picked this little beauty up for £5, what a bargain!
 http://www.next.co.uk/g56276s2#650823g56
I always struggle to find shoes at this time of the year during the weird winter-spring transition because aside from the storms, we have really mixed weather. It feels too cold and can be too wet to be wearing canvas pumps but then again, big winter boots start to feel a bit heavy at times when we have the odd sunny day. I'd been looking for Chelsea boots everywhere that day but the ones in Topshop seemed to tight to slip on and that didn't change regardless of a 6 or a 7. The ones in New Look had too much of a high heel and I don't remember seeing any in H&M. There were a lot of ankle boots in Next, Topshop and River Island which had cut out detail which I hate because then your feet would just get wet. You may as well walk around in sandals! Eventually after 2 hours (luckily I was on my own so didn't drag any of my poor friends around with me), I purchased these Next Black Ankle Workboots. They do have a heel which does not compromise how comfortable these are. I've worn them every day since I bought them last Monday and not a blister in sight. I was in university from 9am-4pm on Friday and still managed to walk in them despite the fact that I hardly ever wear heels.

As promised, it's time for my update on my Clinique skin care regime. It has been exactly 2 weeks since I started (see my previous post Investing in my Skin for more info) and my Mum and I have both noticed a difference in my skin. My forehead especially, has cleared up really well. Don't think I've been this blemish free since pre-puberty. My nose has significantly fewer blackheads. I think I've only had one teeny tiny breakout in the form of a spot on my forehead but even that faded after a couple of treatments. There's been no new big breakouts on my neck and chin and it's clearing up the old ones well. I have attached some photos so you can judge for yourself. What amazes me is that even after I've done step 1 (cleansing foam) and then do step 2 (clarifying lotion), my cotton wool ball that I use to apply the lotion is fairly grubby which is scary.The clarifying lotion is quite strong and does sting when you apply it to red spots. I recommend not using it where your face is blemish free already because it ended up giving my cheeks a rough texture. I shall update you all in a fortnight.

Have any of you done a Wreck This Journal or are writing your dissertation/thesis currently? If so, what is your title? Has anyone else been a bit naughty and treated themselves for getting through January? As ever, feel free to comment below! Until next time, take care.

Love,

Mancunian Sheep x

37. Spontaneous Vlogging!

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well. Now in a previous post I mentioned that I would be starting a YouTube vlog in summer but as always, I always want everything done yesterday. I've taken the plunge and have just uploaded my first video which you can find here:

I know the quality isn't great but I just could not wait until summer when I will be buying a DSLR. Hope you all enjoy watching. Until next time, take care.

Love,
Mancunian Sheep x

36. Top 10 Biology facts!

Hello everyone, as I am in my second year at university studying Biology, I thought I would share some interesting facts that I've learnt with you all.

1. Humans have ten times more bacteria than cells in their body. Our microbiota carry out many important functions such as producing anti-microbials to deter pathogens and secreting enzymes to help us digest food.

2. Many common illnesses such as Type 1 Diabetes and Rheumatoid Arthritis are autoimmune diseases which is when our body rejects our own cells and attacks them.

3. Female kangaroos, koalas and other marsupials have two vaginas.

4. Earthworms have five heart like structures called aortic arches.

5. Some species of fish can change sex. Clownfish are protandrous i.e. change from male to female and blue headed wrasse are protogynous i.e. change from female to male.

6. Toxoplasma gondii is a unicellular parasite with devastating consequences. In America, it was spread by cat faeces contaminating the water supply causing humans to develop severe psychosis and display suicidal thoughts.

7. The biomass of viruses in water alone is larger than the total mass of elephants globally.

8. Oxytocin is a hormone which when inhaled may make us more trusting of others. They even sell it as a spray in the USA! It also plays a role in uterine muscle contraction during childbirth, establishing maternal behaviour and stimulating milk production in new mothers.

9. The world's largest flower is Rafflesia arnoldii and it smells like a rotting carcass.

10. Studies in fruit flies have shown improvements in long term memory formation after a period of "fly rest" which goes to show that 8 hours every night are crucial and all nighters don't work.

I hope you've all learnt something new. 
Until next time, take care.

Love,

Mancunian Sheep x