Tag, You're It!

I've received a crazy amount of tags in the past couple of days so I'm gonna try and get them posted soon so they don't mount up too much! I hadn't seen this tag until recently and I've been lucky enough to get tagged by two blogging beauties! Laura from Pale Girl Reviews and Erin from The 411 of Fashion, go click the links as soon as you've finished reading my utterly fascinating answers. I promise you won't regret it. (Follow them as well. They're total babes.) I've done a couple of these sort of tags before so I won't bore you with any more personal facts. I detest trying to think of interesting things about myself. I know that sounds so bizarre but it's just the most stressful thing! You can find my previous Liebster and Versatile Blogger Tags here and here respectively where I do have some fun facts! I'm spent, I'm sorry.

The rules are:

Answer the 11 set questions

Set 11 questions for 11 people you tag

Mention the blog who tagged you

Laura's Questions:

1. What are you hoping will happen in 2013?

The big dream is to finally get to university and for it to not be awful. I'm genuinely worried about not fitting in because I don't have the usual student habits of binge drinking and avoiding morning lectures. I don't want to end up a social outcast but I don't want to change just to fit in. Maybe it'll be full of sober beauty bloggers? Who knows. Wish me luck!

2. Would you change anything from 2012?
Yes. I wouldn't be friggin' jobless. I was mad as hell that they "let me go."  I hate that wording. I'm not a wild animal, I didn't want to be free. Let me be a mindless sheep with a pay cheque!

3. If you went into a shop and could buy one chocolate bar, what would you buy?
Oh girl you know me so well. Bueno probably. Gotta love it! After that maybe a peanut butter KitKat. I'm not a massive fan of peanut butter on it's on but those KitKats are amazing. 

4. What was one of your resolutions for this year?

To actually make my blog look nice. It's functional but boring. I need pages and buttons and a banner that isn't a badly edited (in MS Paint I might add) photo of lace. My posting has improved so my blog should too. I think I'm gonna crack and pay some genius to do it for me. It's almost as stressful as being interesting. 

5. What's your ideal Saturday night?
I'm not a party animal any more but god I miss being one sometimes. I'd love to be at a house party filled with all the friends that I used to have loving me the way they used to. Everything changed so quickly after my mother died. I stopped coming out and time wasn't ready to freeze with me. Eventually the sympathy stopped and people stopped calling.  I miss them almost as much as I miss her, but it's too late now. (WHY ARE MY TAGS ALWAYS SO DEPRESSING?!) Nowadays I'd most like to go to a fancy restaurant and drink virgin cocktails with my boyfriend. He's a total rock and I love him to bits.

6. What are two of your favourite books?

Ooh! This is a toughy for me. I'd have to say... 1. The Beach by Alex Garland, I've read it maybe 15 times and I still think about reaching for it. I don't know what it is that I love so much about it. It's just so visceral and intense and I love the way he writes. I can feel the heat on my skin and smell the ocean when I read this book. Nothing can transport me like The Beach does. I think 2 is gonna have to be a tie between Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell and Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I swear to God I don't purposely go out and buy books that I know are gonna be films! I read them and then a year later they get announced and it's like oh okay. It's hard when you love something so much and it gets made into someone else's vision. Cloud Atlas was hard to get into. It opens up with a voice that's a few hundred years old and the writing style takes a little while to acclimatise to. Once I finally sat down and forced my way through the first 20 or so pages I couldn't put it down. I laughed and I even cried, which I never do for a book, but this deserved it. I fell in love with Frobisher and he broke my heart (you'll know if you've read it.) What a rollercoaster. If you appreciate any genre of book, you'll appreciate Cloud Atlas. Life of Pi was an amazing reflection on life, religion and the utterly unbelievable. It was smart and magical and it was like nothing I'd ever read before. Essentially a book about surviving the absolute worst that God can throw at you, and coming out of it still believing. I'm not a religious person at all but I still connected with the messages. Couldn't recommend it enough. 

7. Are you a Winter, Spring, Autumn or Summer person?

Probably Autumn. I like the feeling of letting the past go when the leaves go. It makes me feel optimistic for the future and the colours are my favourite. Dark greens, golds and reds.

8. What is your favourite TV show?Without a doubt, Dexter! I love a dark, sexy, anti-hero. What a babe.

9. Favourite movie?

The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Sex, murder and spontaneous song. What more could you want?

10. What are your favourite make-up products to use?

Mascara, liquid liner and concealer. I feel "done" wearing just those. I also love the transformative power of eye shadow but if I had to choose it'd be the first thing to go. And I love a tinted lip balm for some subtle lip colour.

11. How long do you take to do your face in the morning?

I don't wear make up every day but if I'm just going for my basic day look it'll be max ten minutes. Anything up to an hour when I'm experimenting for a night out though!

Erin's Questions:

1. If you had to give up any beauty item what would it be?

Hmm. Maybe hair masks? I really like them but my hair tends to be in fairly good condition anyway so I don't find them essential. Regular conditioner tends to do the trick.

2. What would you of said to yourself five years ago?

"Okay Lauren. I get it, things are real shit at home right now. And they're about to get a whole lot worse. You're gonna move away in a couple of months and you're gonna be lonely and miserable and then it's going to get even worse than that. You're gonna lose everything that you thought would never change. I don't really have much advice. Take comfort in the friends that you have whilst they're there. Don't be afraid to be the one that needs someone to speak to. You don't have to be the strong one any more. People aren't going to understand, but when they tell you they do, try and believe them. It'll make it easier to talk about. Don't lose faith in humanity, you're gonna meet the love of your life this year. No it's not the boy you kissed behind the recycling bins in Sainsbury's car park. It's the other one. Good luck sweetheart."

Very grainy me aged 14/15. With my friend's stellar editing skills. Oh dear.

3. What is your career aspiration?

I'd love to be working in beauty at a magazine like Company. Obviously that's a big goal but who knows? I just want to do something that doesn't make me feel sick with dread every morning and pays enough so that I don't have to worry where my next mortgage payment is coming from.

4. If you could only wear one fashion item for the next 10 years what would it be?

I'm guessing you mean accessory rather than an item of clothing?! For accessories probably a nice statement necklace or a timeless satchel.

5. Best holiday ?

I haven't been on holidays in years. But Turkey was good when I was 7! From what I remember anyway haha.

6. If you could look like anyone who would it be?

Emily Browning, I think she's so beautiful. I'd be a few inches taller though.

7. Best fashion store?

I'm a bit limited because I'm plus-sized but I love ASOS Curve!

8. Your worst habit?

My inexplicable belief that every bad thing that gets said is about me. I saw a tweet the other day along the lines of "Some people are so full of themselves" and there was absolutely no reason at all that this would about me, it wasn't from a girl I talk to a lot or had had an argument with or anything, I was just so paranoid. I hate it but I can't stop myself. I hope it's not just me.

9.What is your favourite food?

Old el Paso Enchiladas. Specifically Old el Paso. MMM. Last meal ever would be enchiladas.

10. Your style crush?

Hmm toughy. I'm not a big follower of celebrity fashion so I'm not sure really. There are a lot of fashion bloggers that are really inspirational with their style but I can't think of anyone specific right now! Sorry.

11. The best thing you like about yourself?

I asked my boyfriend for the best thing about me and he said, "I dunno. Nothing really. You're alright to talk to." I said, "What, so I'm the equivalent of leaving the tv on at night so you don't feel lonely?" Him, "Yes! That's it. I know the worst thing about you if that's a question?" Needless to say I didn't bother getting the answer. Following that conversation, I'm gonna say my patience. He's actually lovely, he's just awkward and thinks he's funny.

Wow what a marathon! I feel so drained. I hope you liked my answers!

I'm definitely gonna steal a few of my favourite questions, sorry for poaching!

1. Describe your perfect home.

2. Favourite accessory?

3. If someone anonymously gave you £1 million, what would you do with it?

4. If you had three wishes what would you wish for?

5. Biggest celebrity crush?

6. Bold lips or bold eyes?

7. What are your top two books or films? (Or both!)

8. Which personal achievement are you most proud of?
9. Describe your perfect first date.

10. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

11. What would you say to yourself five years ago?

I tag:

Jasmine at Oh So Flawless

Lauren at Material Matchbox

Chloe at It's Always Darkest Before the Dawn

Julie at A Girl Called Julie

Tori at Aztec Mess

Ashleigh at Beauty Obsessive

Holly at Summer Holly Day

and anyone else that fancies answering my questions!

Lauren