Deaf Havana's 'Old Souls' Album Review

Deaf Havana first formed in their hometown of Hunstanton in 2005, however, over the past couple of years they have well and truly burst on to the ever so popular pop-rock scene and have gained an extremely loyal fan base in the process. With it being just under two years since the release of their much-loved album 'Fools And Worthless Liars,' which featured hits such as 'I'm A Bore, Mostly' and 'Leeches', there was a lot of anticipation surrounding their new album. Now, the band have finally released their long awaited album 'Old Souls' and it has certainly lived up to my, and hopefully everybody elses, expectations.

At first listen, it is clear that Deaf Havana have done a lot of growing up since writing their last album, as both the sound and lyrics of this album are seemingly much more mature than usual. The album kicks off with 'Boston Square,' which I believe is the perfect angst-ridden song with a incredibly catchy chorus, to transition seamlessly between their old and new album. 

In general, this album is filled with many ready-made hits such as 'Lights' and 'Speeding Cars,' however there are two much more subdued tracks that really jump out at me, the first one being 'Night Drives.' This song starts off very simplistic with minimal instruments, yet this builds gradually throughout the song, with the final chorus becoming a lot more like the Deaf Havana's punchy songs that we all know and love. 'Saved' is the second slower song on the album and it really tugs on your heart strings. After carefully listening to the lyrics, it is apparent that this song is all about the struggle of growing up in a small town like Hunstanton and how unstable it can be. The final song that caught my attention, which is also coincidentally the last song on the album, is 'Caro Padre.' This number has a few subtle gospel-like qualities to it, including an atmospheric middle-eight complete with a choir and some heavy drumming, which makes this song a direction that Deaf Havana have never previously explored, as well as it being a great conclusive song for the album.

Here is the full track-listing for the album:

1. Boston Square
2. Lights
3. Everybody's Dancing And I Want To Die
4. Subterranean Bullshit Blues
5. Night Drives
6. 22
7. Speeding Cars
8. Saved
9. Mildred (Lost A Friend)
10. Tuesday People
11. Kings Road Ghosts
12. Caro Padre

Overall, Deaf Havana's sound has really matured and come into its own, and 'Old Souls' is a great showcase of this. I would really recommend listening to or purchasing this album as every song featured is, in my opinion, a sure fire hit. I would love to know your thoughts on the album and what your personal favourites are, so please do not hesitate to leave a comment below letting me know what you think. Thank you!

My Holy Grail Product: L'Oréal's Skin Perfection Micellar Solution

Hi guys! First and foremost, I want to apologise for not blogging for well over a week now. The reason for this is that lately I have not been buying any new products to talk about or review. I am currently saving up as I am going to be doing a three day intensive nail course in mid October, so I need to pay for the course and buy all the kits required for the course very soon. In addition to this, I have been a little ill this week and so I haven't quite been in the right mindset for blogging. However, with this being said, I thought that today I would share with you my holy grail product (L'Oréal's Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution,) which I use day -in, day-out without fail. I did include this product in my 'Recent Beauty Buys' post all the way back in May when I first bought it and gave it a mini review, however, now I can give you all my true opinion of the product.

This purifying micellar solution claims to do three key things: dissolve make-up, unclog pores and remove impurities, as well as tone & soothe the skin. In my honest opinion, this product does all three of these things incredibly well. Whenever I have used cleansing and toning products of this nature in the past, my skin is always left feeling very tight and irritated afterwards. However, this solution is very gentle and is great for those with sensitive skin too. Although this product can be used on the face, lips and eyes, I tend to use a separate eye make-up remover and simply use this water on my face and lips if need be. To ensure that every scrap of my make-up is taken off properly, I normally have to use two cotton pads worth of this micellar solution. I have also found that using the products has made my skin far less oily, which is a great thing for those with oily/combination skin such as myself.

Another reason why I love this product is the price. It is usually priced at £4.99 but in my local Boots or Superdrug, it is usually on special for around the £3 something mark. I really think that this product is a great alternative to the Bioderma range, as it is a lot cheaper and more widely available too. I have never used the Bioderma range myself but from reading a couple of comparative reviews between these two products, many beauty gurus actually prefer L'Oréal's version which goes to show that expensive products are not always superior to high street brands.

I hope that you all enjoyed reading about my holy grail product. I would really like to know what your holy grail product is; whether it is a skincare, make-up or hair care item, please do not hesitate to leave a comment below. I love reading them and discovering fellow bloggers opinions on different products :)

My Month Via Instagram - August 2013

Hi guys, I literally cannot believe that August is over already. it only feels like yesterday that I was sitting at my desk writing about what I was up to during July! Knowing that we are now nine months into 2013 is crazy, the next thing we know it will be Christmas! This month hasn't really been too busy or interesting for me in terms of activities, my life is a little samey at the moment but I still wanted to write this post regardless, as I have been doing so every month since I first started this blog and I can't go breaking tradition now can I?! So,without any further ado, here is what I have been up to throughout the month of August.

1. This is a little bit of a random post but I am proud to say that I have finally found all three variations of Coke bottles with my name on them. When Coca Cola first started doing this advertising technique, they only release the top 100 most popular names in the UK, and my name sadly didn't make the cut as it isn't that popular here. However, they have recently added over 100 more new names and mine was luckily included. Have any of you guys found your names yet? Let me know :)

2. Secondly this month, I went to one of my favourite nightclubs with my friend Sarah. I think it's safe to say that we had a really good time and had a good drink (or several drinks!) Apart from the actual night out itself, one of my favourite things is the process getting ready beforehand. I really loved my outfit this night (I borrowed the bralet from my friend Laura,) as it made me feel really confident. I am definitely an extreme girly-girl who loves spending their time doing their make-up and so on for a night on the town!

3. I recently bought this stunning dress from H&M and I had to share it with you all, as I love it so much. Not only is the dress a bargain, coming in at £14.99, but it's cut-out details are so gorgeous. The cut-outs are both at the side of the dress and atthe front at the top of the stomach area, as you can see in the photo above. It is an extremely flattering dress. They also do the dress in a lovely green colour if that's more up you're alley! 

4. I posted this photo on Instagram last weekend as a throwback from 2010 when me and my friend Laura went to Reading Festival for a day. We saw acts such as the likes of Blink 182, Paramore, You Me At Six and many more. Seeing a lot of my friends go to the festival this year made me definitely want to go next year. I spent a lot of my weekend watching the live streams and wishing I was there, sad I know! I hope that I can save up some money and go next year, otherwise I will be very upset! (P.S - I cannot believe how bright and red my hair was back in the day!)

5. This is just a picture I took on a day that me and my Mum went on a girly day out shopping. We spent some mother and daughter time browsing through all of our favourite shops and we found some lovely bits and bobs! We don't often get manyopportunities to spend the whole day together due to my Mums's strange working hours and so I was really happy to spend such a lovely day with her.

6. Last but not least, I spent a really nice day at my friend Sydney's house. As she completed a nail course last year, whenever we hang out she tends to do my nails for me. This time around I went for a gold, glittery Shellac polish and I love it. I hate how often normal nail varnish chips and so Shellac is perfect for me. I haven't posted a picture of my nails to Instagram yet but I am sure I will, so keep your eyes peeled! Afterwards, seeing as it was beautiful sunshine, we decided to do a spot of sunbathing in Sydney's garden. I also think that I made a new friend in her gorgeous dog, Ossie. Isn't he just adorable! 

I hope that you have enjoyed reading about what I have been up to this month. Please stay tuned to my blog as I have a lot of content ready to post in the next few weeks. Thank you :)