Archive for the ‘20 Questions’ Category
20 Questions this week is a special one. Pretty Green Eyes is nothing to do with the song but all to do with my friend, Rhian who writes this new beauty blog. I say ‘new’ because Rhian’s blog is a baby in the beauty blogging world. Please give this Welsh rarebit a warm welcome and I guarantee if you meet her, you’ll adore her.
Why did you start your blog?
I’ve always loved cosmetics and beauty products, and my lovely friend Sheenie 
thought it would be a good idea for me to start one…. so I did.
How long have you been blogging for?
Not very long at all, just over a year. But if we were being precise 1 year 5 months (ish).
What do you enjoy most about blogging?
Sharing my thoughts on products and people responding to what I have written and hopefully. It’s nice helping people make decisions based on my thoughts.
What frustrates you most about blogging?
Trying to find time to blog – does that count?
What do your family and friends think of your blog?
They love it! I am always having to apply their make-up and paint their nails. It has even got to the stage they send me links to looks that they want me to try on them.
How frequently do you post?
Not as often as I should… trying to balance a busy work life with blogging can be difficult. Especially as I sit in front of a computer all day.
What’s your day job?
I’m a buyer for a department store. (Seriously Rhian gets paid to shop! – Sheenie)
How many bottles of nail varnish do you own?
100+ That’s easier than having to count them all.
Do you set yourself a budget, or do you buy on an as-and-when basis?
Budget? Ummm no. If I want it, I buy it.
What is your favourite make-up brand, and why?
Ooooo hard question, it’s difficult because I like to pick between a few, but if I were to say what brand I have most of within my collection it would be between MAC and Illamasqua.
Do you ever leave the house without wearing make-up?
Nope, never.
What’s your favourite beauty treatment to indulge in?
I love a deep exfoliating facial.
Tell us about the best holiday you’ve been on.
That’s a hard one! There has been a couple of memorable ones for a number of reasons, and I loved Florida but I went to Barcelona last year, and it was one of the few places that I’ve been to that before I had even left Barcelona airport I was thinking about when I was going back.
What would be your ideal day off?
A theme park provided it wasn’t raining.
What is your favourite TV show?
Currently I would have to go with The Big Bang Theory, but if we were saying of all time it would be a toss up between The Office and Phoenix Nights.
What music do you enjoy listening to?
Everything and anything… no particular genre, if it sounds good – I like it even if it’s the height of cheesiness.
What is your favourite food?
If I were to pick one thing then probably King Prawns, but if it were a type of food then Chinese.
Where would you most like to go in the world? (money no object)
I have always wanted to go to Barbados so I would have to say there.
Which 3 guests would you invite to dine with you and why?
Ricky Gervais, controversial but I love him. Britney Spears because I grew up loving Britney and even through the questionable times I would still say she is pretty iconic to me and finally my best friend Bethan because it wouldn’t be the same without her.
Tell us a secret…
I have a crush on The Rock and I’ve had that crush for the last 13 years. *cringe*
Oh dear. Well thank you for telling us a bit about yourself, Rhian. Don’t forget to drop in on Pretty Green Eyes here.
This week’s 20 Questions is all about Tanzina from MakeupAtoZ. This girl is an absolute doll – she’s stunning and so lovely. Blogging, studying, modelling and a make-up artist too, I don’t know she fits it all in! Mind you, I have seen a crazy side to her, which usually surfaces when Tanzina comes face to face with make-up. Oh well, I suppose that’s like most of us! I think it’s time you knew more about this lady…
Why did you start your blog?
Because I needed a reason to justify my obsessive beauty buying habits to myself! I joke (slightly), I guess I did start researching lots before buying products, dishing advice to friends and colleagues so I wanted a little platform where I could express my thoughts to the whole wide world.
How long have you been blogging for?
About a year and four months, for some reason it feels much longer than that but that may be because I was Youtube-ing about 3 to 4 years ago – I hardly posted anything so it’s really not worth mentioning. I might return back to it eventually.
What do you enjoy most about blogging?
Definitely the people and the community that exists in the blogging world. It definitely didn’t exist in the Youtube world for me, and it was amazing to find like minded individuals who are just so lovely. I’ve made some amazing blogging friends that I can actually say have made it into my very closest circle of friends.
What frustrates you most about blogging?
Myself! I feel like I never do enough posts, the backlog seems to never disappear and I end up getting really annoyed at myself. Sometimes I have to take a step back and tell myself, breathe Tanzina, no one is going to hate you if you don’t blog today.
What do your family and friends think of your blog?
They support me, and I do find them turning to me more and more often for beauty/hair advice which is always reassuring. Some are keen readers, some are more laid back but it’s nice to know that the support is there.
How frequently do you post?
I try to post three times a week, sometimes more sometimes less. I’m balancing my final year of university currently, so it’s hard to find a balance but I’m learning to stop beating myself up about it so much.
What’s your day job?
Currently I have decided to take time off work and just concentrate on University as it is my final year.
How many bottles of nail varnish do you own?
For a beauty blogger I would say I don’t have that much. Around 30? Which is really good in my books (just please agree and make me feel better).
Do you set yourself a budget, or do you buy on an as-and-when basis?
Well I tend to splurge and go crazy sometimes (Sheenie has had front row seats to witness this at UMAe!), but actually other than that I am really really good. Recently I did a bit of a big splurge but previous to that the last time I bought makeup was October time which I am really proud of. I did buy like two eyeliners in between, but I think I showed amazing restraint. So I wouldn’t say I have a budget, and it is more as and when basis but I do stick to months of spending bans on beauty products which is something I like to boast about.
What is your favourite make-up brand, and why?
You can’t ask that. That’s my answer. I can pick like particular brands for particular things like Urban Decay for eye shadow, MAC for lipsticks, (new find) NYX for lip liners but as a whole I find this question poorly constructed and invalid hehe.
Do you ever leave the house without wearing make-up?
Yes definitely. I’ve had this mantra in my head for years that I won’t let myself get addicted to any makeup item, so that I can brave going bare. I’m not a foundation wearer (except for shoots) because I’ve witnessed how addictive it can be. When I find myself getting too attached to something, I try to break the habit. Currently in love with under eye concealer which I desperately need! But I do go makeup free to Uni a lot.
What’s your favourite beauty treatment to indulge in?
Massage! All over massage or back, shoulder and neck. What could be better?!
Tell us about the best holiday you’ve been on.
It was a spontaneous trip to Paris for a few nights a couple of years back. I met up with my aunt from Canada in France, my favourite aunt who I only get to see every few years or so and it was just amazing. I’ve been Paris a few times but that was my favourite.
What would be your ideal day off?
A day lazing around at home with my family with no Uni stress, no workloads absolutely nothing to do with my time, and then slowly and leisurely getting ready for like a meal somewhere pretty in the evening. That would be perfect, a slow paced day with no stress!
What is your favourite TV show?
I have quite a few, but rather randomly I am currently enjoying Catfish the programme, which is about when someone talks to someone online, has a relationship with them and usually finds out the person was nothing like what they expected.. such as they think they were talking to a man but it was woman. Rather bizarre and fascinating.
What music do you enjoy listening to?
I definitely have a wide range in taste I like a bit of everything, country, pop, rock, soul, R&B, house it’s a mix. But I adore lyrics, if something has good lyrics in it I will obsess over it. Hence why my friends think I have a depressing taste in music, I do not! It’s just slow songs seem to be more poetic. I do study English after all.
What is your favourite food?
Indian/Bengali food. It truly is the best.
Where would you most like to go in the world? (money no object)
Maldives. I’d get a room hut thingy on the beach for a few months, all inclusive of course and just run away for a while. What better way to run away if not in luxury. I would love the peace.
Which 3 guests would you invite to dine with you and why?
This was such a hard question, the one I was dreading most! But I know now! The person I marry and my parents in about 20 years time. A) Because I’m nosey like that and want to know who I marry will be like (doesn’t everybody?! And that way if I don’t like them when I do meet them for the first time I can run in the other direction) and B) I want to see how my parents grow up, whether they’re happy how stressful their lives have been and then go back and make sure any problems they told me they faced – I eliminate them.
Tell us a secret…
Although I live by myself in London in my flat (and I have for three years) I still owe my parents two phone calls a day. Even if they’re in the house together they feel the need to have separate phone calls. I dread to miss a phone call because they come down on me like a ton of bricks! I guess I’m still their little baby which is nice in a way!
This week’s 20 Questions is with the infectious Rose of Mixed Gems – another top reason why Birmingham is one of my favourite cities. As a beauty blogger, Rose has quite a challenge with a day job working for a top beauty brand and she commutes from Birmingham to London every day AND she keeps smiling. Pretty like her namesake, her blog is one to check out, so let’s find out more about the multi-tasking and multi-talented lady behind it all…
Why did you start your blog?
I knew that I wanted to pursue journalism and so I thought it would be the perfect way to develop a writing style of my own.
How long have you been blogging for?
Originally I launched my blog two and a half years ago, but just last year I relaunched it as a beauty blog and that’s when I really switched on a whole new level of enjoyment for blogging.
What do you enjoy most about blogging?
I really enjoy challenging myself to pre-empt the answers to the questions that readers will have about a product. I also really enjoy the opinion forming process; I think it has helped me to be an assertive decision maker in all sorts of areas, not just beauty. It can also be fascinating to see how other people are using the same product as you; for example, when I got my Real Techniques brushes I noticed that Sam Chapman was using hers for all sorts of unusual things that I hadn’t thought of, like applying a primer with a foundation brush.
What frustrates you most about blogging?
Sometimes I wish I had much more time to put into my blog. Scheduling is a real help though and helps me not to feel so bad about being unable to keep the momentum up during the week.
What do your family and friends think of your blog?
They all know that I enjoy it and do look from time to time but although they’re very supportive they’re not half as beauty mad as me. My sister is my#1 fan and #1 critic all rolled into one. On one hand she gives me a no holds barred account of what she thinks of each post, but on the flip side whenever I post something to the Facebook page I’ll get a notification that ‘Maria Gallagher likes this’!
How frequently do you post?
Normally I post around 3-5 items on the weekend and schedule them to go out across social media during the week when I’m at work.
What’s your day job?
My 9-5 is working as a Social Media Manager for a British beauty brand. I really enjoy my job and it is fascinating to be on the other side of the beauty blogging equation. It has taught me lots about the kind of blogger that I want to be.
How many bottles of nail varnish do you own?
Around 70, and yet I always find myself rolling my eyes that I can’t find quite the right shade. That’s obscene, isn’t it? In my defence I do use them though and I change my nails all the time.
Do you set yourself a budget, or do you buy on an as-and-when basis?
I have far too little self-control for budgets! Even though it’s bad, one thing I must say is that I put a lot of research into beauty products that I buy. From press to bloggers I like to see what everyone is saying before I commit.
What is your favourite make-up brand, and why?
Oh I couldn’t possibly choose, they all serve different purposes! Estée Lauder is unbeatable for a fresh base, bareMinerals have some beautiful blushers for a natural flush… So many brands are in my make-up bag for different reasons. I could never pick one favourite because mixing the all is the best part.
Do you ever leave the house without wearing make-up?
All the time. Every morning I do my make-up on the train because I have quite a long commute. Then over the weekend I quite enjoy giving my skin a little break and keeping it fresh. I’m very into skincare so sometimes I like to show my skin off if I’m having a good run.
What’s your favourite beauty treatment to indulge in?
First I use my Clarisonic, then I mix some Eight Hour Cream and Clarins HydraQuench serum and go to sleep. By morning my skin is plump, hydrated and super soft! (Thanks for that tip – I’m going to try it! – Sheenie)
Tell us about the best holiday you’ve been on.
A few years ago I went to Berlin with all of my best friends, we had the best time. We travelled by coach which was so bad that it was good, and visited all of the war memorial places while we were there. I absolutely love the city and would love to go back again. Lazy holidays don’t appeal to me, I love to be out and about.
What would be your ideal day off?
I would be sat in the garden with all of my friends having a barbecue and a couple of glasses of wine. Anywhere to just sit and talk the hind legs off everyone all day, ha ha.
What is your favourite TV show?
Oh I get obsessed with everything. One of my all time favourites is Desperate Housewives, I have all of the box sets. At the moment I can not WAIT for the next series of Downton Abbey and I am really into Revenge; oh to be Victoria Greyson.
What music do you enjoy listening to?
Oh I have everything from Kylie to Kanye on my iPhone. I also love watching films and I’ll often download soundtracks to films that I’ve watched if I’ve enjoyed them. Recently I downloaded the Pitch Perfect soundtrack and it is just hilarious!
What is your favourite food?
My local Chinese is called The China Chef and I am just obsessed. I have chicken fried rice, chicken chow mein and a portion of chips. Amazing!
Where would you most like to go in the world? (money no object)
Without a shadow of doubt it would be Japan. I am fascinated by the kawaii world and would love to see the real life harajuku girls and go shopping for Japanese beauty brands. I would probably need an extra-case for BB cream stock ups!
Which 3 guests would you invite to dine with you and why?
Nicola Moulton, Newby Hands and Alessandra Steinherr because I have never met her and I would love to.
Tell us a secret…
I genuinely feel that if Harry Styles met me he would want to marry me. Obviously, I would say yes.
Thank you, Rose! Be sure to visit www.mixedgems.co.uk.
It is Good Friday today and have I got something good for you to read about. I am very excited to feature Fashionicide for the latest instalment of 20 Questions. Halima is the oh-so-pretty lady who pens this beauty and fashion blog.
This girl has the most amazing cheek bones but she’s also deeply passionate and rightfully opinionated – and not just about beauty. Please follow her blog Fashionicide, it really has an identity of its own and it’s true to Halima’s heart. Plus she’s a top Northern bird too.
Why did you start your blog?
When I first started out, I was watching the likes of Lollipop26 and Lauren Luke on YouTube and naturally ended up checking out Blogger. At the time there was a dearth of Asian bloggers, and I found it really difficult to find products that suited my skin tone. So whenever I did find something that suited me I just wanted to tell the world, and thus the blog was born.
How long have you been blogging for?
Well it all started way back in September 2009, so I guess that’s 3 and a half years? Wow, time flies!
What do you enjoy most about blogging?
The most enjoyable thing about blogging is the fact that I’m finding an outlet for my creativity, and that there are others out there who appreciate my work. I love the beauty/fashion blogging community and I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some amazing people through it. I also love how cosmopolitan the community is; people from all walks of life coming together talking about a shared passion.
What frustrates you most about blogging?
Recently I’ve become a bit frustrated at the spammy comments that are coming through. When I leave a comment on someone else’s blog it’s because I’ve actually read the post and want to strike up a conversation. I seem to get people saying, “Love your blog, follow me @ www.crapblog.com“. I also don’t like the bitchiness out there at the moment, disagreements get blown up out of all proportion and taken to Twitter, where their friends stick up for them. Take a step back, remember why you started blogging!
What do your family and friends think of your blog?
To be honest not many people in my life know about the blog, I only really share it with people that have similar interests. I’m quite a private person (would you believe?) and I don’t think many people understand the whole idea of blogging!
How frequently do you post?
Not frequently enough! At the minute I’m doing one a week. Typically I try for two or three in a week.
What’s your day job?
I’m sorry, that information is classified. 
How many bottles of nail varnish do you own?
I’ve never counted my nail varnish, but I was actually counting my lipsticks the other day and hit 60. Then I spotted one I hadn’t worn for ages, applied it, admired it, and lost count… Let’s just say I have a big box for nail varnishes and it’s overflowing! This makes me both happy and sad as I wonder, “How did this happen?!” :/
Do you set yourself a budget, or do you buy on an as-and-when basis?
I’d love to say I set myself a budget, but I don’t. Budgets are like New Year’s resolutions for me, they will be broken within days! I buy whenever I feel like it, so some months I’ll spend loads whilst others I will spend next to nothing.
What is your favourite make-up brand, and why?
Ooooh toughie! I have to say Illamasqua at the moment, there’s something a little ‘edgy’ and alternative about them. They cater for both the classic and the avantgarde looks and their brushes are synthetic, so cruelty-free. Oh and Growl lipstick is my fave!
Do you ever leave the house without wearing make-up?
Yes, sometimes if I’m going somewhere in my area I like the feel of fresh air on my skin. Also, I’m supremely lazy so like to wake up as late as possible! If I’m travelling I try to avoid wearing make-up, I find it ridiculously easy to fall asleep while on all forms of public transport – sleep-smeared make-up is not a good look!
What’s your favourite beauty treatment to indulge in?
Wow, I rarely ever go out for beauty treatments. I think I’ve had a manicure once in my life! I do go to salons maybe once or twice a year to get my eyebrows threaded, but that’s not indulgence it’s panic-inducing! I do love doing my own facials at home, once a month. Cleanse, exfoliate, steam, massage and mask. Bliss!
Tell us about the best holiday you’ve been on.
I’ve just came back from it! I went to Jerusalem for a week and spent some time in the West Bank too. It was an experience unlike any other! I’ve always been fascinated by the Holy Land in general, it’s been fought over for thousands of years and is so important to so many. I’m also interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and wanted to know what it felt like to live under the shadow of that. It was eye-opening that’s for sure.
What would be your ideal day off?
It would have to be going out and doing something. I hate having a lie-in, as it makes me feel bleurgh! I guess an ideal day would be cycling around Manchester with my camera, stopping off for some afternoon tea!
What is your favourite TV show?
I never really get hooked on TV shows and don’t watch too much, but The Big Bang Theory is awesome. I wish I had someone like Dr Sheldon Cooper in my life! If I’m in a rubbish situation, I think to myself: WWSD – What Would Sheldon Do?!
What music do you enjoy listening to?
My taste in music is quite eclectic, and I’m not quite so fanatical as I used to be. I’m into Indie, Electro and House but I love anything from Friendly Fires to Ellie Goulding…
What is your favourite food?
Hmm, I love eastern cuisine! Maybe a bit biased but I love Indian food, and after visiting Nepal I started loving that too. I think Indo-Chinese is great , but not many places do it up north.
Where would you most like to go in the world? (money no object)
I’m going to be spoilt and pick two places! Firstly, I’d like to go back to the West Bank but as an activist to do whatever I can to help the ordinary Palestinians who are trapped under the illegal occupation. Secondly, I’d love to swim with a whale, any kind so long as it doesn’t fancy an Indian take-away!
Which 3 guests would you invite to dine with you and why?
Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama. Maybe Ali and Mandela could talk to Obama about their struggles to be accepted in a white nan’s world and how Barack is betraying them by killing innocent people the world over with his drone wars.
Tell us a secret…
I hosted my own radio show for a month in the North West of England at the tender of 15.
Thanks for answering 20 Questions for JNT, Halima. Don’t forget you can chat to Halima on Twitter too.
