Queen and Adam Lambert 27th Feb 2015. The Last Night of the Tour!



Me in my VIPwees Queen tee.

The gig was absolutely amazing – beyond amazing! – and the best I’ve ever been to! They. Were. Phenomenal! Adam Lambert really blew me away. His vocal range … OH…My…God! *sighs and drools* And, can I just say, he was looking so hot! Especially when he wore his leather trousers and jacket combo showing a bare chest. Ooft! I’ve wanted to see him perform ever since he first auditioned on American Idol! I rooted for him the whole way through!





I think I’d be right in saying that seeing Queen was a dream come true for all of us. I think we all got a little emotional lol. Just a shame Freddie wasn’t there but I reckon he’d be damn proud of the amazing job Adam did! Plus Adam is a flamboyant as Freddie was. He was the perfect singer for Queen – second after Freddie of course! 😀









Freddie didn’t go unforgotten and it was touching when Brian May and Roger Taylor sang their solos with Freddie shown on the major projector at the back of the stage (sadly we couldn’t quite see this from where we were sat but we knew he was there) and then clips of him were shown on the projectors either side of the stage.



Was so awesome when they had him singing as well as Adam during a song. I won’t lie, I got all teary.

At one point during the night, Adam was nattering away to Brian in an English accent. It was hilarious! It reminded me and my sister of Lee Evans’ accent, actually! Brian May had a selfie video stick. It was so cool! You’d see his hand playing the guitar or the other members of the band or the crowd from his perspective and he even he got us all to do a Mexican wave!





It was so awesome when Roger Taylor and his son had a drum off (Yep his son was playing the drums at times, like when Roger did his solo).





Omg when Bohemian Rhapsody came on near the end, my sister, dad and I all went crazy and we totally did the scene out of Wayne’s World lol! We Are The Champions was the last song they sung and then God Save the Queen played them out.





My dad dressed as Freddie Mercury for the night. So many people asked to have photos with him! I think he was a little overwhelmed by it all lol. 



My dad and mum.



Me and my sister. 😄

A truly unforgettable and magical night!

Sorry about the quality of the photos. They’d been taken using my phone.

My Pink Parcel Box has arrived!

If you remember, I’d wrote a blog post a few days ago about a subscription box called Pink Parcel. It’s a must-have for *that* time of the month. We women can get a bit down or grumpy (or both) when it’s that time and need a little cheering up. So in walk Pink Parcel to do just that!

My Pink Parcel arrived this morning – just in time!



I love how classy and sophisticated the box looks. Is it weird that it randomly reminds me of Audrey Hepburn?



Still in-keeping with the classy and sophisticated look. The two boxes that say for bedtime and for later and the pouch that says for now are all the necessities you need for your period. The pouch is a great idea! Beats having pads or tampons floating around in your bag or accidentally having the zip undone on the inside pocket of your bag and someone seeing *coughs* that’s not happened to me, honest 😉! They’ve provided me with more than enough pads to see me through my period. 😊

The For You box was, of course, the box I was most excited about. Here’s what’s inside:



And a better look:







Contents:

Bubble T’s Lemongrass & Green Tea bath bombs - Great thing about these are they are paraben, SLS & SLES free so no nasties yay!

Perfectil Triple Active skin, hair & nails capsules (1 week supply). - It’s been a while since I took supplements for my skin hair & nails so I’m super happy I got these to try out!

Tea pigs Chocolate flake tea (1 tea bag). - I am sooo gonna try this in a minute! Sounds yummy!

Bandzee – Great! Not worn these before so shall wear one tomorrow.

Paw Paw Payaya Moisturising Balm (25g/.88oz. Contains no parabens or sulphates. I *think* this is full size). - It’s weird coz a the other day a fellow blogger had mentioned one of Paw Paw’s balms in their post and I remember thinking that I’d like to try it … And now I can! Yay! I tried it and it is really moisturising to your lips. I’m loving it so far!

O.P.I Nail Lacquer in “I sing In Color” (Full size). - You might not be able to tell from the pic but this is a dark purple colour. Yay my favourite! So pleased I got this as I really like O.P.I nail varnishes! 😊

Divine’s Caramel Dark Chocolate (40g. Standard choccy bar size. Fairtrade.) - Id seen this chocolate on a fine foods website recently and was really wanting to try it! It’s like Pink Parcel can read my mind! I shall be tucking into this tomorrow as my best friend’s son gave me a Creme Egg today so that’s my chocolate fix for the day lol.

All in all, I loved all the products. I was so impressed by what I got and it really has cheered me up immensely! So thanks so much Pink Parcel for making my day! And for making that time of the month a little more bearable! 😉

What do you think? Have any of you guys got a subscription with Pink Parcel?

My First Birchbox Unboxing!

I decided that seeing as my Souksouk subscription was up, I’d check out a different subscription beauty box. I chose to go with Birchbox because I’d heard so many people raving about it and that they tailor to your skin/beauty/hair needs a lot better than some others, so I thought I’d see what all the fuss was about.



My box arrived yesterday and I was so excited to see what was inside. The box has such a cute and simple look to it! I would have blogged about it yesterday but was busy getting ready to go see Queen and Adam Lambert in concert (who btw were AMAZING!!! A post about that will be up sometime soon)!



I love that it came in a little drawstring bag. I got all excited when I saw that there Benefit High Beam as I’d been really wanting to try it out.



Contents:

The Chia Co’s Oats & Chia.

Eyeko’s Fat Eye Stick in Gilt (full size).

Caudalie’s Vinoperfect Radiance Serum.

Electric Hair’s Hydrate Shampoo.

Benefit’s High Beam.

T London’s Darjeeling Bath & Shower Wash.

So far, I’ve tried out High Beam which highlights my cheeks and brow bone lovely. I’ve also tried the Vinoperfect Serum. I found this didn’t completely sink into my skin and a layer of serum was left on the surface a bit like moisturiser does. I think I prefer using my Yours Truly Organics’ Fix Me Repair Serum as that totally sinks in and feels like there’s nothing actually on the skin.

I can’t wait to try out the rest of the products! Do you subscribe to Birchbox? What did you think to this month’s selection of products?

20 Questions!

I first saw this on Blonde Girl Talks post. I loved her answers and thought it would be a really fun thing to do! Here we go …

1. Thing you cannot leave the house without?

Being practical, it would have to be my keys. Being truthful, it would be my phone haha I’d be absolutely lost without it.

2. Favourite brand of make up?

 Oooh I couldn’t possibly choose! I like different brands for different reasons.

3. Favorite Flower?

I’m gonna sound really cliché here but I love roses. Lilies and orchids are very beautiful too. And if I was to get married (fingers crossed) I’d love to have a bouquet of wild flowers.

4. Favourite Clothing store?

I quite like Next for their quality. I also love Forever 21 for their diversity but I can never figure out their sizing when it comes to trousers/jeans haha! If I’m shopping in Lincoln then you’ll usually find me browsing the rails in Primark.

5. Favourite Perfume?

I actually have 3 favourite perfumes coz I’m greedy like that!

The first is CK One. It was the first perfume that I fell in love with.

The second is Gucci Rush. It’s such a sweet smell, if a little sickly at times, depending on my mood I guess.

My third and last one if Sui Dreams. I think actually this is my favourite out of the three. It is such a lovely sweet floral scent!

6. Heels or flats?

I wear flats most of the time (I have an artificial leg so balance-wise this is better for me) but I do like to wear heels, too on occassion.

7. Do you get good grades in school?

Well they weren’t exactly A*s but I was pleased with my results. After I started college, I popped back to school to visit my teachers and some were so mad at me when I told them that instead of doing something academic, I was doing a hairdressing course lol oops!

8. Favourite Colour?

Ohhh purple all the way!

9. Do you drink energy drinks?

Not any more. As well as becoming dependant on them, they made me feel poorly and gave me a poorly tummy, not to mention messing with my heart rate and making me feel jittery to the point where I couldn’t focus on doing my work. It’s baaaad stuff! People have died after drinking them because it affects your heart!

10. Do you drink juice?

Yes I do! I love orange and mango juice!

11. Do you like swimming?

I looove swimming! In school, because of my leg, it was the only sport I could confidently do so whilst everyone else was playing netball, rugby, hockey, etc. I’d be at the leisure centre happily swimming away. I’d love to go daily but I’d need assistance and there’s no one who could go with me. 😔

12. Do you eat your chips with a fork?

Mmmm chippy chips! I do eat with a fork but if they’re from the chippy then it’s fingers whilst eating out the wrapper lol!

13. What is your favorite moisturizer?

I just use E45. It’s a cream I’ve had to use all my life tbh. It works just as well in my face as any other part of my body. I am thinking about investing in an actual moisturiser, though as I’m being to get tiny lines in the outer corner of my eyes now. Eek! Damn getting old!

14. Do you want to get married?

I would love to! I would love a small wedding in the woods or a manor house or castle or something. Or maybe we’d just elope and get married on a beach somewhere haha. Like Hawaii! My dress would be simple yet classy like Monica’s dress in Friends! Her dress was gorgeous! Saying that, if we got married in a castle I’d totally have a medieval style dress. However, if it’s a beach wedding then would be hippyfied with flared sleeves and it would be made of cotton.

15. Do you get mad easily?

Not really as I’m a fairly calm and laid back person but people can wind me up easily and I can also be quite sensitive.

16. Do you believe in ghosts?

Hmm I’m not sure tbh. I’d like to think it’s possible as I’d hate to think we die and there’d be nothing afterwards.

17. Do you have any phobias?

Spiders and creepy crawlies. Eek me no likey! Ever seen the film The Covenant? There’s this scene where tinnes of tiny spiders are crawling around this dorm room, onto this girl and then into her ear! *shudders* I always look away now when I watch it! For a while I’d sleep in my hooded dressing gown so that nothing could crawl in my ears! This also happened after I got stung in the head one night by a bee! My god it was sooo painful and I was so shocked that I started to shake and was crying. It took me ages to calm down. I was in pain for several days!

My most illogical phobia (or maybe it’s a fear??) is ventriloquist dummies! I hate, hate, hate them! Those things creep me out so bad! My sister is the same. We were once watching a sitcom where all of a sudden, a ventriloquist dummy was pulled out the back of a car and we both screamed hahaha! I don’t like dolls either. Like Chucky or that bloody Annabelle doll! I won’t even watch that film lol!

Oh and clowns. I hate clowns!

18. Do you bite your nails?

Nope I’ve never been a biter.

19. Starbucks or costa?

I’m a Costa convert. Their Chai tea is to die for! However, I love Cafè Neros for their coffee. Much more flavour than Starbucks.

20. tea of coffee?

I’m more of a tea drinker now. I love trying different teas! Pukka teas are sooo flavoursome! They beat Twinings hand down!

The blog has had a makeover!

So I finally plucked up the courage to play around with the themes and change things a little. As it turns out, I ended up keeping the same theme but added a background, made the header clear and changed other minor things. I found the perfect font to go with the background, too, but was gutted when I found out I couldn’t actually change it without paying for it 😭 so I’ve left the font as it is for now. Is it worth paying for the premium upgrade?

I’ve noticed that the wordpress app isn’t actually showing the background (grrr!) and is just showing a purple background. Will try and sort that out at some point.

Guys, I need your help!



Here in the UK, Mother’s Day is just around the corner (15th March) and I have no idea what to get my mum! I don’t want to do the usual like flowers or pandora charms/jewellery, typical card shop Mother’s Day gifts or perfume. I’d like to do something different but I just don’t know what! She likes cats, she’s quite the sentimental soul, she wears a little moisturiser with a bit of makeup each day but I wouldn’t say she’s cosmetics obsessed. I thought about gifting her a subscription box but I’m not sure which would be right for her. Maybe something that doesn’t solely focus on cosmetics. Eek please help! What would you suggest?

Pink Parcel – A girl’s best friend!

If only a guy could be as thoughtful as Pink Parcel! This is a subscription surprise box centred around *that* dreaded time of the month. Not only do they make sure you have all your necessities, but they also send you treats to cheer you up and make you smile, too! This has to be the sweetest thing ever! It would be a perfect subscription box for a teen, too. Darn them not being around when I was a teen. I probably would have cried at the thoughtfulness had someone gifted it to me (yes, I was one of *those* emotional teens …. Still am lol)! – After delving a bit further into it, there is actually a “teen parcel” option!

How it works:
Step No 1 – Select a brand (tampon/towel brand)
We supply all your favourite brands so you won’t have to change a habit of a lifetime.

Step No 2 – Tell us your dates
Let us know when your period is due. Don’t panic if you’re not sure, you can change the dates at any time.

Step No 3 – Receive your parcel
You’ll receive your products and treats 3-5 days before your period starts each month.

Step No 4 – And Relax!
Now it’s time to pamper yourself and make your time of the month a little bit lovelier.

Here’s what they say is included:

TEA
because a cup of tea solves everything!
SOMETHING SWEET
to help hit that craving spot.
TAMPONS
brands you know – plus something new.
TOWELS
all your favourite brands
BEAUTY PRODUCTS
for that all important pamper time

And pssst here’s a sneak peak at this month’s box (look away now if you don’t want to see):

The first box is £5.95 and then it’s £9.99 thereafter (p&p included!).

This is such a wonderful idea and is definitely something I’d be interested in getting. I can’t stop gushing at what a sweet, sweet thing it is!

Have any of you subscribed to Pink Parcel before? What did you think?

If you have any review requests, feel free to email me at: secretlivesoffictionlovers@gmail.com 😊

To give the blog a makeover/name change?

For a while now I’ve been thinking about giving the blog a makeover and also a name change. But I’m undecided. I’ve never been a fan of change. It’s something I’ve always found hard to adjust to. Plus, in this case, I’d also have to inform publishers etc of the change, not to mention a new email address. Oh, and a new Twitter name! *sigh*

However, I feel it might be necessary as the blog has really changed over the years. When the blog first started out, it was thought up by myself and 3 other friends. We were keen on reading and reviewing books, talking about movies and TV shows, and writing about celebs and the entertainment world. It was really fun working with the girls on the blog but, after a while, things had gone really quiet which eventually lead to the blog going on hiatus due to my friends having other commitments and myself feeling like I was on some kind of reviewer’s writer’s block. I’m not sure if the girls would agree here but, it could also have been because of the pressure to constantly come up with something to blog about. Anyway, fast forward to 2014; I’d been off work ill and had this sudden urge to start the blog up again as a way to keep me occupied. This time, though, I found that as well as reviewing books, generally chatting about books, and doing a bit of proofreading, I was also talking about beauty and skincare products. Basically, anything that I was interested in. This made it easier for me to blog because it meant my focus wasn’t solely on books. Hence the name change. I feel that Secret Lives of Fiction Lovers no longer encompasses the things I blog about and that I should now come up with a more apt name. What are your thoughts? To keep it or change it?

Really sorry about the long arsed post.

Take care,

Dayna.

My Kindle case/cover dilemma: update!

I just realised that I still hadn’t blogged about which cover I’d chosen for my Kindle. After a lot of umm-ing and ahh-ing, to-ing and fro-ing between which case I wanted the most – to be honest I wanted them all! – I eventually settled on the book-style cover. However, I did not go for The Secret Garden cover, I instead chose Pride & Prejudice! And look how pretty it is:

I really do love it! My Kindle is now snuggly safe and sound, held in place by a rubber case which is attached to the book-style outer. So I can finally start using it knowing it’s less likely to break if I drop it, yaaaaay! I still might have to buy another, though, so that I can swap and change and maybe buy one of those kindle bags, too! Hah instead of collecting bags or shoes, I could collect Kindle cases lol!

A bit of primer and mascara go a long way.

I am in no way an expert at the art of applying makeup and most of the time I don’t bother wearing it. However, I do feel a little more human-looking once I’ve put on some primer, mascara and lip balm. I don’t always do it but when I can’t be bothered to put on the full war paint yet still want to make some kind of effort, those are my go-to items. I just feel that the primer smooths out the flaws a little? the mascara brings out the eyes and the lip balm makes your lips smooth and soft.

(Sorry about the crappy quality of the photo)

Today I used my Rimmel Stay Matte Primer, Avon Supershock mascara in black and another mascara, also in black, which has a ball style brush to help separate and “lengthen” the lashes. It also helps get the lashes in the outer corner of the eye. I love that mascara but can’t for the life of me remember what brand it is as all the writing had come off but it’s red with a black top. The lip balm I used is by Cecily. It’s Banoffee Pie flavoured!