This Month's Favourite Purchases

Cream Grandad Top - Miss Selfridge - £18

Black Skull Print Top - Miss Selfridge - £20

Leopard Print Leggings - Republic - £10

Black Lace-up Ankle Boots - Zara - £40

Blue Chiffon Skirt - Miss Selfridge - £37

I'm not going to make this a regular thing as I don't plan on being a fashion blog, but I just wanted to share some of my favourite purchases I've made in the past month. The leggings were technically bought a little bit over a month ago, but it's one of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe at the moment, and since it is a fairly recent buy I thought I may as well throw it in. It's odd because I don't usually like leggings, but I completely fell in love when I came across them through a friend of mine.

I also fell in love with the chiffon skirt and the boots. The skirt is cut just above the knee and has another layer of asymmetric drapery over it, and I simply adore the colour. I bought the boots on sale so couldn't find the original picture on the Zara website, but the picture I've used is pretty similar to what they look like. They are wonderful and I wish I could wear them every day, but unfortunately I'm still not so good with heels.

I've listed all items at their original price, except for the boots because I couldn't remember how much they used to cost, but I bought everything (bar the boots) with my 10% student discount. Thank God for NUS, eh?

The Lana Del Rey Saturday Night Live Debate

Internet sensation Lana Del Rey made her live US television debut as musical guest on the popular show Saturday Night Live on 14th January, and has since become the victim of ridicule and many criticisms, as the general consensus stated that the performances of her two songs, viral hit 'Video Games' and 'Blue Jeans', was "awful."

Daniel Radcliffe, who was hosting SNL that night, has defended her, mentioning that most of the complaints actually had nothing to do with her music. "It was unfortunate that people seemed to turn on her so quickly," Radcliffe said at the BAFTA award nominations, "If you read about what people are saying about her online, it's all about her past and her family, and stuff that's nobody else's business." Which is true, if you look up her name, you will find lots of speculations and criticisms about whether or not she's had plastic surgery, or if her family were as poor as she claimed. All of which do not mention her musical talent.

Now, I may be bias, being a huge Lana Del Rey fan myself, but I think people are being way too harsh on her. From video clips I've seen floating around on YouTube, Lana is a nervous performer when she is on stage faced with a large audience. In a lot of her live performances, she does not emulate her natural swagger and attitude that you hear on her tracks, and often over-plays her vocals a little bit out of said nerves. People forget that SNL was, after all, her first live performance on US television. Before that, she had only done live TV in Europe, and you could argue that collectively, the viewers who watch SNL are about the same amount who have ever watched her live TV appearances in Europe put together.

That is not to say that all of Del Rey's live performances lack her original quality, here, I have stumbled across a beautiful live rendition of her single Born To Die at Chateau Marmont:

So as we can see, she definitely can sing. Del Rey was probably nervous at the prospect of singing in front of such a large audience, and let it get into her head a bit. I'll admit, they weren't her best performances, but they were by no means 'disastrous'. What I think is that people aren't quite used to her style and a lot of them judged her too quickly on those two performances, without looking into others first. For example, Hollywood actress Juliette Lewis first tweeted about the performance: "Wow watching this ‘singer’ on SNL is like watching a 12 year old in their bedroom when they’re pretending to sing and perform #signofourtimes." But Lewis has since deleted the tweet, covering her tracks by saying that Lana has "great haunting melodies" and that she's a "fresh and yummy songwriter", which shows us that all everyone really needs to do is give her a chance.

Lana Del Rey is by no means a bad singer. In my opinion, it just seems that she was so under the radar for so long, with no-one really noticing her at all, then suddenly as if by magic, she became so popular and in-demand in such a short space of time that it overwhelmed her. Her stage-fright will fade with time, and until then, I'll leave you with one of my favourite songs by her, Blue Jeans:

Lana's single 'Born To Die' comes out on 23rd January, and debut album under the same title on 30th January.

Plastic Surgery: How far is too far?

Pushy & Proud is a reality show on Sky Living where we follow the lives of various families who each take on different parenting extremes, from parents ignoring health warnings and plying their kids with junk food, to mothers who encourage and condone their children to have cosmetic surgery. What I want to focus on in particular is the final episode, Botox Mum, in which we follow Sarah Burge (aka the Half a Million Pound Girl or The Human Barbie) and her family, and why she thinks that it is a good idea to give her seven year old child vouchers for a boob job.

Burge's youngest daughter, Poppy, presenting her voucher

Burge appeared on That Sunday Night Show to explain herself as to her reasoning behind giving a voucher for cosmetic surgery as a birthday present for her seven year old daughter. Burge's intent was for her daughter to cash it when she turns eighteen in order to get implants in her breasts. She defended that, "it's an investment. She doesn't have to spend it on breast implants, she can use it towards her education or whatever else she want to do with it." What I have a problem with this statement, though, is that the voucher clearly states that it is a coupon for PLASTIC SURGERY. Burge can defend it all she wants, acknowledge that it can be used for educational purposes instead, but she is setting it in her daughter's mind it's original message: when you are old enough, you should have implants in your breasts. Never mind that her daughter is only seven, that she hasn't gone through puberty or even started developing breasts yet. If a child grows up hearing one message, they are likely to grow up believing in it. What Burge is doing is not allowing her child to grow up with her own views and opinions on whether or not she actually wants plastic surgery, and instead, making it an inevitability like her own mother and sisters.

It didn't surprise me when I heard that Burge once again spent money on more vouchers for her daughter, only this time for liposuction. She claims that her daughter "asks for plastic surgery all the time. She wants to look good and lipo is one of those procedures that will always come in handy." The way I see it, Burge is setting her youngest daughter up for a lifetime of insecurity about her looks, constantly thinking she is not good enough the way she is, which could lead to conditions such as Body Dysmorphic Disorder, or even Anorexia. I understand that those are two extremes, but if as a child she is encouraged to modify herself, how is she ever going to be happy with what she sees in the mirror, with Mummy standing behind her telling her what could be improved?

Burge was "thrilled" when she found that her teenage daughter, Hannah, also wanted Botox

Funnily enough, I am not completely against cosmetic surgery. I understand that sometimes when you look in the mirror, you're not always happy with what you see. A lot of our discomfort towards our appearance has to do with how people have reacted towards us in the past. Whether you were teased at school for having ears that stuck out or a large nose, or a simple phrase from a relative such as, "guys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses", it always comes from somewhere. I myself have always disliked my nose, as once when I was twelve was told by my mother's friend, "Oh, I used to have a little piggy nose like you when I was younger." Now, I understand that she did not mean it with malicious intent (at least I hope not!), and I know that my nose is far from pig-like, but it's always made me feel insecure about it and wonder whether people think the same as she did. Luckily, I managed to get over it, and though I am still not crazy about my nose, I wouldn't change it for the world, because it makes me who I am. For others though, no amount of positive thinking or counselling will help them with how they feel about the way they look. Sometimes, a little bit of cosmetic surgery to correct a lifelong insecurity will help on the road to a better life.

However, this can be dangerous, as we have seen in cases such as Pete Burns, the Dead Or Alive singer who modified his face beyond recognition, and has even had implants swell and lip fillers explode. I guess there is a thin line to tread on what is acceptable and what is borderline obsessive and extreme. At the end of the day, people can do as they wish with their own bodies, whether you want to nip, tuck, lift or plump... it's all up to you. But what I will never condone is parents encouraging their children on getting plastic surgery, constantly enforcing the message "you are not good enough." Let children be children, and let them decide what they want to do with their own future without any outside influence.

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Cassius:
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings."


Julius Caesar (Act 1, Scene 2)


The Fault In Our Stars is a poignant tale about sixteen year old cancer-suffer Hazel Grace Lancaster, who enjoys life's simple pleasures of reading poetry and watching trashy TV. All she wants is to be normal, and to not have others look at her like a 'cancer kid'. But since this is not possible, over the years she becomes somewhat of a homebody, staying indoors as often as possible, reading her favourite novel, An Imperial Affliction, over and over again. It is when she is encouraged to attend a Cancer Kid Support Group where she meets the mysterious and alluring Augustus Waters, who changes Hazel's life and perspective of it in the most wonderful ways.

John Green uses humour and philosophy to swiftly carry us through this journey of self-actualization, engaging the reader with his quick-witted dialogue, Venn diagram humour and profound outlooks on how we view the universe. He is one of those authors that can write the kind of books that make you feel ALL OF THE THINGS. You may not necessarily cry (I did), but you will certainly laugh, think and feel deeply for the story and all of the characters in it (which I certainly did). It is very rare to find a book that you want to read as soon as you finish it, and that stays with you long after the final page.

Whenever I read a John Green book, I always hear his voice narrating in my head, which made reading the first couple of chapters slightly challenging. But Hazel's voice becomes so clear throughout the story that it wasn't long before Green's voice slowly dissolved away (although I sincerely hope it comes back when reading his other books). Both Hazel's narration and dialogue, along with Augustus's, was real and unpatronising. I felt so invested and wrapped up in both Hazel and Augustus's lives, so much so that I felt as if I were a part of it all. I felt as I knew them as friends. Green paints such a brilliant picture throughout the novel, that I felt like I was right there with them, sitting with them at picnics, on Hazel's couch watching TV, amongst the circle in the Literal Heart of Jesus.

It's hard for me to pinpoint my favourite part of the book, because I think the whole thing is simply a work of genius, but I have to say, I did really like the philosophies and questions that were raised throughout the novel. John Green is a smart man, and unlike some adults out there, he acknowledges that teenagers are smart too, and therefore he isn't afraid to throw at us big topics such as death and oblivion and 'what happens after'. I find with some YA authors, they are maybe slightly afraid of overwhelming their readers, therefore simplifying things and and keeping it light. That is not to say that their books are not enjoyable, but it emphasises how much Green values his readers and does not undermine their intelligence.

The Fault In Our Stars is so much more than just a book about cancer. It's about a journey, both literal and metaphorical. It's about being realistic without being pessimistic. It's about wanting to be noticed by the universe, and noticing it back. It's about acceptance, longing and understanding. It's about family, friendship, love, and all of the things in between. It's about living your best life today.

Find out more about John Green through his twitter, website, and Vlogbrothers project on YouTube, where he collaborates with his brother, Hank, to create fun and informative videos with prevent the world from suck, and to make us laugh.