It's Halloween Y'all!

Happy Halloween Readers! Today is the day when once a year on the 31st of October, the undead is the life of the party as you go around to strangers' houses and ask them for candy. Yeah, it's an odd tradition, but I'm all about Halloween. It really is on the rise, and here in Australia, every year it seems to be getting more popular (which for the record, I am totally on board with). In fact, I myself had a party to go to tonight. I know what you're thinking, she has friends? I was shocked myself. Nerd life for the win! Just for fun, I'll show you my costume just because I'm really pumped about it:

Yep, that's me on the right, croquet mallet in hand (shout-out to my grandpa for making it!). And as I teased in my last post, I did indeed rock up as Veronica from 'Heathers the Musical' (based on this image here). See, I told you I was obsessed. Anyway, I guess the main point I was trying to make with this (besides bragging about the legitimacy of my get up) was that costumes really are of great importance on All Hallows Eve, which of course brings me to my next point. Today, to celebrate the event of all things spooky, I've decided to list some of the best Halloween costumes we've seen throughout our lives in TV and movies, because, why not? And then, to top it all off, I thought I would give you some Halloween binge-watch material to spice up your night.

Best On-Screen Costumes

1. Pretty Little Liars, 'Grave New World'

For all PLL fans, there's seriously no way you can forget this. We were all anticipating it so much, because it was the first episode after the whole 'Ezra is A' reveal. So dressing up as the 4 girls will not only put our nostalgia to rest, but will also allow you and your 3 closest friends to dress up in these fancy period costumes like these liars did in Ravenswood.

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 'Halloween'

If you're familiar with the Buffyverse, of course you'll remember the episode in Season 2 when thanks to shifty Ethan Rayne, the Scooby Gang transformed into the character portrayed through the costumes they were wearing. It was some pretty crafty stuff, so why not pay homage to it this year? You can go as a ghost, or a man in the military, or even a wealthy maiden, whatever tickles your fancy. So many options, so little time.

3. How I Met Your Mother, 'The Slutty Pumpkin'

The girl in the 'Slutty Pumpkin' costume has been mentioned for years on HIMYM and had become an enigma to all of the viewers at home, that was of course until she came face to face with Ted years later (and of course was played by Katie Holmes). The mystery was solved, and a new Halloween costume was put into play for all of us. So why not rock a pumpkin suit this year? And turn up with your very own 'Hanging Chad'.

4. Friends, 'The One With The Halloween Party'

Everyone loves 'Friends', and I'm pretty sure everyone has a secret 90's obsession. So why not indulge both of these things and dress as one of the gang this Halloween. Sure, you could be 'Super Woman' like Phoebe, or 'Cat Woman' like Monica, or even a pink, fluffy bunny like Chandler, but I think we both know you want to go as Ross' massive potato 'Spud-Nik' costume.

Binge-Watchable Movies

1. Donnie Darko

Sure, it's not exactly a Halloween-themed movie, but I think it's sufficiently creepy to watch on the 31st. It's super quirky with just the perfect amount of creepy tossed in there for good measure. I would have no hesitation recommending this film to you any day of the year, but I feel watching it on Halloween can only enhance your enjoyment.

2. Beetlejuice

 

Surprisingly, I've only seen this film rather recently, however it's a perfect addition to your Halloween movie fest. It kooky, it's fun, and luckily for me, it's not scary. In my opinion, it really is just the ultimate October 31st flick. 

3. Repo! The Genetic Opera

This movie is absolutely insane. I don't know how I discovered it, but I'm so glad I did. It's perhaps one of the worst films I've ever seen, but in a really super awesome way. Despite the fact I don't think it's meant to be, it is absolutely hilarious. Plus, it's rather morbid plot line is absolutely perfect for Halloween.

4. Young Frankenstein

No, no, not Frankenstein. This is absolutely not a horror movie. Young Frankenstein is a whole different ball game. I saw this when I was about 7, and if I wasn't freaked out then, I can assure you that those opposed to all things horrific will be absolutely fine. This parody film is an ideal addition to the list, and I can guarantee you'll be in for a good time. 

So that's the end of my little Halloween post. I hope you all have a spooky evening filled with a litany of confectionery, and have fun watching as many of these movie as you can. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

Liebster Award: Volume 3

Greetings once again blogosphere! Today, I am very pleased to inform you all that I have indeed been nominated for yet another Liebster Award by the lovely Frances from 'A Teen's Musings'. I'm super pumped about this, and of course plan on nominating 11 other cool and fancy blogs so you guys can do the same. Instead of babbling on unnecessarily for a few more lines, I say we just cut this intro short and get into it . . .

The Rules:
1. Acknowledge the blog who nominated you and display the award.
2. Answer the 11 questions given to you from the blogger.
3. Give 11 facts about yourself.
4. Nominate 11 blogs you think are deserving of the award.
5. Let the bloggers know you have nominated them.
6. Give 11 questions to them to answer.

As you can see, all the rules are relatively simple, so if you're one of my lucky nominees, there aren't many odious tasks ahead of you. Now as required, I shall answer the questions lovingly thought up by Frances:

1. What is your favourite perfume?

I wouldn't say I'm the biggest perfume lover to grace the Earth, but I've been known to douse myself in scented liquid here and there. My favourite though would probably have to be Daisy by Marc Jacobs (and yes, that's mainly because of the super cute bottle).

2. What is your favourite Social Networking site?

Tumblr. Tumblr tumblr tumblr. So much Tumblr.

3. Who are your celebrity crushes?

I'd go with anyone who's been on Broadway, but let's face it, the majority of the guys in musical theatre don't exactly play for my team (and yes, I just used a sporting analogy). So I guess it's pretty much just everyone talented and awesome ever, they're my only non-aesthetic requirements.

4. Which 3 singers should I start listening to?

Narrowing this down to 3 may actually be one of the hardest things I've ever done. Considering you mentioned that you should start listening to them, I decided to go with a few people who aren't really mainstream. Well the first artist I'm highly suggesting you check out is Darren Criss. Yes, yes, you know him from 'Glee' (or hopefully you do at least), but I'm suggesting you go take a look at some of his earlier stuff. If you hop on to the magical music sharing site known as Youtube, perhaps check out his EP album from 2010 called 'Human', because it seriously is super amazing (and I'm not even being biased). The next person I suggest you check out is Megan Hilty from 'Smash'. Yes, of course take a listen to her singles from the show, but in addition to that, also be sure to check out her 2013 album 'It Happens All the Time' and fangirl like me. Finally, the third person you should definitely take a look at is singer Lindsey Pearce. She does a bunch of awesome covers online, and if you take a look at her version of 'Alto's Lament', you'll be totally on board.

5. What are you obsessed with?

I find that I tend to have an obsessive personality when it comes to popular culture, but I'll try and narrow it down for you. At the moment, I have been absolutely fangirling over 'Heathers the Musical'. I already wrote a massive blog post about it, and now I'm dressing as Barrett Wilbert Weed's Veronica Sawyer for Halloween. Plus, I may or may not have been listening to the soundtrack everyday for about 4 weeks.

6. What's your favourite show?

I haven't exactly been shy about the fact that my absolute favourite show in the entire world is 'Glee'. So yeah, that's ridiculously awesome! However, a couple of my other ultimate, go-to shows are 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Pretty Little Liars'.

7. If you could be anybody else for a day, who would it be?

This is going to sound like a really weird answer, but I'd probably want to be one of Brangelina's children or something. Seriously, how cool would it be to live in that house and say you've been adopted by Hollywood's ultimate couple?

8. What's your favourite season?

You'll probably think I'm insane, but I really love winter. My birthday occurring in August probably has something to do with it, but there's just something about living under blankets and warming by the fire that trumps burning on a hot, gross beach.

9. What is the one thing you couldn't live without?

Internet. So much. I need wi-fi to live.

10. What or Who inspires you?

Lea Michele. 100%, no doubt about it. She's a broadway legend, starred in a television series, written her own book, released her own album, and had a go on the big screen. Is there anything she can't do spectacularly awesomely? I think not.

11. Biggest regret?

Not eating the last cupcake.

I hope these answers were relatively satisfactory, but who really knows with my level on insanity. Next up are my 11 random facts. I'm kind of grasping at straws, but here goes:

1. I don't just sing in the shower, I act out Broadway musical numbers and excerpts from dramatic music videos.
2. I try to be good at nail art.
3. I hardly ever laugh in movies despite the fact I find them funny.
4. I try to make myself cry on demand more than I probably should.
5. I used to own over 7 star doll accounts.
6. I've always wanted to make strangely shaped pancakes.
7. My favourite eras are the 50's and the 80's.
8. I plan on giving everyone at my school my signature at the end of year 12 so they can sell it on ebay when I'm famous.
9. I recently created a compulsory school blog. It's deliberately terrible in protest.
10. I wrote my first book when I was 9.
11. I think Monopoly's unnecessarily complicated.

Bam, crushed it. So now, the time has come that you've all been waiting for. It's time for the nominees to be announced. So without further ado, the bloggers are . . .

1. A British Sparkle
2. Dance of Destiny
3. I AM A FASHIONEER
4. Squire for Beauty
5. Teen Fashion Diary
6. The Darling Detail
7. A Lil Bit Fancy
8. For Teen
9. Cosmic Kick
10. Cathy & Cupcakes
11. Lovely Raindrops

Congratulations to all of the blogs above, I officially deem you to be awesome! Now, you guys all get to do the same thing I did and blog your lives away with a post practically identical to this on your own blog. Have fun answering the questions I concocted below:

1. What do you spend most of your free time doing?
2. What is your favourite musical and why?
3. What is your favourite food?
4. Are you a fan of dolphins?
5. If you could be any animal for a day, what would it be?
6. If you were forced to, which celebrity would you rob from and why?
7. Which celebrity would you give number 6's stuff to?
8. What is your future dream job?
9. What are 5 things you would put on your bucket list?
10. What are the 3 most recently played songs on your iTunes?
11. What is your favourite blog (and no, it doesn't have to be Teenage Fanatic, but it should be)?

So that's it! I've finished! I've officially completed all of my duties. Perhaps this post was entertaining, or maybe it was just a waste of your time, who really knows. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

Best Shows I Discovered This Year

Hello readers, welcome back! Today, I thought I'd share with you some of the awesome television shows I luckily stumbled upon throughout the duration of 2014. It's not secret I love me some television, so I thought, why not share my findings with the rest of the world (or at least the small minority of it who are actually reading this)? Without further ado, may I present to you your obsessions for the next few months . . .

Faking It

I happened to stumble upon this show as I was scrolling through a couple of posts on Tumblr. Understandably, I was lured from just a simple gif set, and things progressed from there. What exactly is it about? Now this one's a little tricky to explain. In a school where being avant garde is cool, schoolgirls Karma and Amy jump at the opportunity to be a part of the in crowd when they are mistaken as lesbians by out-and-proud school ringleader Shane. Things get complicated as they have to keep up the charade, love interest Liam and arch enemy Lauren putting a spanner in the works. I know it all sounds a bit convoluted, but trust me, the show is actually super awesome. It's basically your typical teen MTV comedy with a fresh new take. Do I suggest you watch it? Most definitely. Like seriously, right now.

Bates Motel

Okay, I know this one technically didn't premiere in 2014, however I did clearly state up the top that they were shows I discovered this year, and we all know I'm a bit slow at copping onto things in popular culture (unless of course it's Broadway related). Although, it did only come out last year, so I'm really not even that delayed. For those of you familiar with Hitchcock's 'Psycho', this show kind of acts as a prequel to that (however it's deliberately not set in the correct time period). We get an insight into the life of a 17 year old Norman Bates, and are privy to the dynamics of the relationship between he and his mother Norma. There's murder, there's intrigue, and there's oh so much drama. It really is ridiculously awesome, and the violence factor isn't over the top for those of you who tend to be squeamish. 

Finding Carter

Yet again another MTV show graces the list, however this time, it's certainly not a comedy. The renownedly comedic channel showed off its dramatic side with new show 'Finding Carter'. It surrounds a teenaged girl named Carter who lives with her single mother Lori, leading a relatively average life. However, this normality doesn't last long, as she soon discovers that the woman she thought was her mother her entire life had actually kidnapped her at age 3. The show then follows Carter as she is reunited with her family and is forced to re-evaluate her entire life. Okay, I definitely know what you're thinking, 'why the hell is this overly dramatic soap opera on the list?', however, I can assure you this is not the case. The synopsis sounds a tad ostentatious, although that really is not a reflection of the awesomeness of the show. And trust me, it's not all doom and gloom, there are some comedic elements chucked in there as well. Come on, just give it a go and I promise you won't be disappointed. 

How to Get Away with Murder

If you love a good mystery and of course some creative and unexpected murders, I can guarantee this show is for you. Surrounding a bunch of students studying criminal law at Middleton University, the show follows professor Annalise Keating as she attempts to win her array of court cases. However, to add to this intrigue, there is also a central murder introduced in the pilot via a range of flash forwards which we discover more and more about as the series progresses. So much mystery, so little time. Come on, there's absolutely no way you aren't already lured. This show is seriously so so good, and I can guarantee you'll enjoy binge watching it as fast as you can. Also, good news, episode 5 was only recently released in America, which means you really don't have many episodes to catch up on before you're up to date.

Jane the Virgin

If you're freaked out by the title, have no fear, I haven't turned into some kind of indecent maniac, there is a method to my madness. This show is also relatively new, revolving around 23 year old Jane, who accidentally gets artificially inseminated by her super distracted doctor. The plot's totally improbable, the twists and turns are outrageous, but it's just so quirky and awesome I promise you can't help but like it. It's so much better than your standard fare, and it's probably because the main character is just so likeable. I highly suggest you give it a go as soon as possible. 

So that's now the end of my micro list. I hope you found some pretty cool television inspiration, and have 5 new awesome shows to binge watch in your free time. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

The Problems with Public Transport

Hello again readers! In true Teenage Fanatic fashion, today I thought I'd take some time to have a bit of a complain about things in society which I strongly dislike. Today's topic of conversation? Public transport. Yes, I'm one of those people who gets driven everywhere by their parents. Am I ashamed of that? No, not at all. I seriously love it. In my opinion, why put yourself through the trouble of getting on a crowded vehicle full of strange people when you could hitch a ride with the people legally responsible for you while you still can? Saying this, no matter how much one tries to avoid it, catching public transport is pretty much inevitable. However, that doesn't mean we have to be happy about it (hence this massive ranting session you're about to endure). Intro over with, let's get into it . . .

1. You're Always Running Late. Always.

This is so true it almost hurts. Seriously, I could leave the house two hours early, yet I would still need to run in order to catch some sort of transportation. Why? I have absolutely no idea. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the timetables are seriously messed up, or maybe the universe is just trying to make us cry. Either way, it's no fun. It seems even when you're trying to be early, there's some bus or train headed for your desired destination leaving the station just as you come bolting towards it. And no, it's really not avoidable.

2. You Have to Fight for your Seat

Because we've already established that the universe is totally and utterly against you when you decide to take public transport, your bus or train is always inevitably going to be jam packed with a bunch of (most likely annoying) people. However, it seems that those in charge of constructing these vehicles haven't quite copped on to that, and as a result, about 50% of travellers are forced to stand (and that's only a minor exaggeration). Most likely you'll be one of them, but that doesn't mean you can't put up a fight. As soon as you actually make it on the bus, it's every man and woman for themselves.

3. It Smells. A Lot.

Again, I really don't understand why, but public transport always smells like a unsavoury mash-up of urine and horrendous body odour. Personally, I think that everyone just bands together to plot against you, and decides to not shower for a number of weeks before hopping on a bus and standing right next to you, armpit on full display. You can try and hold your breath for as long as you can, but inevitably, you're going to have to endure the hideous pungency of unwashed humans, and that my friends is something no one should have to experience.

4. The People Are Really Weird.

I don't consider myself to be a conspiracy theorist, however, I feel like the entire population of public transport travellers are out to get me. I really don't mean to generalise, but to be fair, the majority of people you find on buses and trains are indeed really weird. You've got the random salesmen forcing you to take their pamphlets, the strange, slightly creepy hippies, the loudly spoken alternative folk, and perhaps worst of all, the ridiculously annoying, snotty-nosed youths (and yes, I'm dissing my own age group). All you can really do is hide in a corner and hope they don't approach you.

 

5. Trying not to Eavesdrop Proves to be Difficult

Even though you have absolutely nothing in common with the people who happen to be travelling with you, it really is difficult not to listen to their conversations. Sure, one of the contributing factors is that they happen to speak obnoxiously loudly and aren't aware of anyone else around them, but you have to admit, listening to the intricacies of other people's lives is always strangely interesting. However, subtlety has never been my strong suit, so this doesn't ever work out well for me. Plus, the self loathing you put yourself through for caring so much about these people's lives really isn't worth it.

So that's now the end of my pretty short, anti-transport rant post. I hope you can all sympathise, or at the very least, don't lose the morsel of respect you may have already had for me. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

'Heathers: The Musical' Review (with GIF's

Greetings blogosphere, we meet again! I'd like to come up with a legitimate excuse for my lack of posting in the last few days, however I seriously really don't have one. I kinda sorta entered into a technology coma over the holidays, although now I'm back in action and making daily trips to my institution of learning, which funnily enough means I'll probably be posting more frequently (never doubt the immense powers of procrastination).

Anyway, enough about me, let's get this show on the road. I was recently able to find a (totally legal) copy of 'Heathers: The Musical' online which I have been searching for over the past few months, and can I just say, excitement doesn't begin to cover how pumped I was to watch it in all its glory. Of course, I would've loved to have seen it when it was showing Off-Broadway in New York at New World Stages, however the fact that I live in Australia and am not the proud owner of endless amounts of money kind of stopped me in my tracks. But whatever the medium, I managed to find it, and now folks, I've decided to review it for you all. Did it live up to my admittedly high expectations? Was it an explosion of awesomeness? You'll have to read on and see.

Okay, I'm just going to put you out of your misery and tell you now - it was ridiculously awesome! Yes, I am known to be an avid fan of quite a few musicals, however there honestly isn't any bias prevalent here with this one. Ugh, I've seriously been fangirling to the extreme about it for a couple of weeks now! The songs, the acting, the staging, everything was just brilliant, and believe it or not, I really don't think I could fault a thing (which is pretty much a first for me given my inherently judgemental nature). It's super funny, yet at the same time manages to incorporate some really genuine moments. So yeah, I can obviously say that without a shadow of a doubt, you won't come close to being disappointed.

Heavily based upon the 1988 cult classic movie by the same name, 'Heathers' focusses on protagonist Veronica Sawyer (Barrett Wilbert Weed) as she struggles with her position on the ever precarious Westerburg high school social hierarchy with her best friend Martha 'Dumptruck' Dunnstock (Katie Ladner). On the other end of the spectrum are dream team Heather McNamara (Elle McLemore), Heather Duke (Alice Lee) and Heather Chandler (Jessica Keenan Wynn), the popular group of girls who seem to just float above it all.

Impressed by her forgery skills and innate potential, Veronica is welcomed into the group by leader Heather Chandler and opened up to a litany of new experiences and possibilities.

Before we know it, obligatory love interest Jason 'J.D' Dean (Ryan McCartan) is introduced also, a mysterious, trench-coat wielding bad boy.

Of course, Veronica and J.D hit it off right away, and he's the first person she turns to after being harshly rejected by Heather C. With plans to rectify the situation the following morning, the pair head over to Heather's house, however instead of fixing her the hangover remedy she requested, she is greeted with a wake-up cup full of liquid drainer. As you can imagine, this doesn't go down well (literally), and she drops dead pretty much instantly.

The murderous rampage continues, and Veronica seems to keep getting sucked into all of it at the hands of semi-psycophathic J.D. A bunch of other stuff happens also, however I'm stopping here in order to at least keep some of the mystery alive (unlike some of the characters).

Now, I'm not going to spoiler alert the ending for you if you haven't seen the movie, though let's just say things go out with a bang.

As I already previewed earlier, yes, this musical is in fact amazing. I may or may not have become completely and utterly obsessed with it over the past few weeks (and by may, I mean 100%, I definitely have). It's really just everything a musical enthusiast could hope for. The songs are amazingly awesome and catchy, the acting is superb, and it is beyond entertaining. As I've pointed out before, musical adaptions of popular movies don't always go over well to put it lightly, however this one doesn't even come close to slotting into that category. If you have any taste at all, you'll be able to recognise how spectacularly awesome this musical really is, trust me.

Of course everything that I've described so far is basically the recipe for a perfect musical, however there are always other factors to take into consideration. Fans of the movie, this one directly relates to you guys. The main reason why musicals based on films tend to tank is the fact that they're never able to re-create the magic caught on camera in the first place, and solely focus on replicating the original source rather than drawing inspiration from it. However, 'Heathers' movie enthusiasts, have absolutely no fear. This musical manages to strike a perfect balance between paying homage to the original film, while also managing to become its own entity. Obviously the plot points are practically identical, as well as some excerpts of dialogue, however the characterisation has been altered rather significantly.

Considering that Winona Ryder's portrayal of Veronica has become so iconic, re-creating that on stage would definitely be a hard feat. However, I can honestly say that Barrett does this incredibly. How has she managed to perfect something that's so hard to pull off? Simply because she takes the character in a totally different direction. If she had just tried to emulate Winona's performance, not only would it have been cringe-worthy to watch, but it just wouldn't have worked at all. But seriously, she just took the character and ran with it, and that's basically what made the musical for me. I know all you 'Heathers' lovers out there are still probably a bit dubious, but take it from someone who's a fan of the movie, you have nothing to worry about. They literally took everything good about the film and transformed it into a stage show extravaganza.

If you've never watched the movie, seeing the musical will still be an epicly enjoyable experience. Sure, there are a lot of references to the film in it (which is to be expected), however that doesn't mean you can't understand it and be totally entertained by it without any prior knowledge of the storyline or dialogue. In fact, if you've never seen the movie, you'll have nothing to compare the musical to, which in a way is better. I have to say, I liked the fact that I saw the movie first simply because I'm one of those people who absolutely loves picking up on all kinds of hidden references, but if you're a normal human being, this shouldn't worry you in the slightest.

Overall, I don't know if you've got the message, but you absolutely must see this musical immediately! It is seriously super duper funny, and the songs are amazing. I can guarantee that you'll find it entertaining, and hopefully we can all fangirl (or fanboy) together about it soon. The cast is all kinds of awesome, and I highly suggest you also hop on over to iTunes (or you know, Youtube at least) and get yourself a copy of the soundtrack. I mean come on, even the cast of the movie thought it was epic, so I really don't think it's possible not to enjoy it. After you see it, I guarantee you'll be all like:

Or you know, you'll at least understand why I like it so much. Perhaps the best thing is that it hasn't even come to Broadway yet, which not only means that we're ahead of the game (trendsetters for the win!), but that this is only the beginning of the 'Heathers: The Musical' journey. Excitement? I think yes. Just to recap, go watch it, right now!  It may take you a while to find it (it literally took me a few months), but once you do, it's totally worth it. And if you don't see it, what will I hurt you with you ask?

I think you know what you have to do. And if you're not yet lured, seriously, what's your damage? Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

Your Fundamental Formal Guide

Hello, we meet again blogosphere! Today, I'm not only going to give you the goss about how to totally rock it out at your formal (or prom, whatever), but I am actually experiencing one of my very own. I know right? Such excitement. Because I'm pretty hyped up about tonight's festivities, I thought, why not be totally selfless (because we all know I am) and pass everything I've learnt on to you guys? Introduction done and dusted, let's get cracking . . .

The Dress

Perhaps the pinnacle of all formal and prom preparations is finding the perfect dress to blow everyone away. Now I don't consider myself to be superficial or anything, but I have to admit, my outfit really was of great importance. Before I even started looking, I already knew that I wanted the base my dress on a Sherri Hill frock I saw on MTV's 'Awkward' a few months back:

I spent a few days searching, although I seriously couldn't find anything that even resembled this. However, just over two weeks before the event (which is today, excitement!), I discovered this website called 'PromGirl', and thought I found something pretty similar. 

Short Cap Sleeve Lace Homecoming Party Dress, 'PromGirl', $230

But oh no, the story doesn't end there. Eventually the dress arrived on Tuesday the 7th, and low and behold, it was just all kinds of wrong. Now this is absolutely nothing against the website, but the dress to me seriously just looked like I'd gone up the local shop and plucked out a $10 fairy costume (which you know, isn't exactly the look you're going for at 16). So yeah, my mum, my grandma and I were in full on panic mode. We had absolutely nothing, yet only had 11 days to find me a dress (which I know sounds like a lot of time, but trust me, it really isn't). 

The next day we decided to head on over to Castle Towers, and there my friends is where all my worries were solved. I stumbled upon this retro-esque store called 'Kitten D'Amour', and let me just say, it is beyond brilliant. Unfortunately for all you prom-goers outside of Australia, there are no stores near you, however they do ship to practically anywhere in the world, so trust me when I say your outfits are sorted. You could try going somewhere else and having a browse around or whatever, but moral of the story, this shop is awesome. Now what exactly does my new dress look like?

Adore Reception Dress, 'Kitten D'Amour', $329

Absolutely nothing like what I had originally planned. But if I'm being honest with myself, what I found was actually so much better. Yes, it was pretty expensive, but it is made of French lace, plus I can definitely wear it again (whereas my original dress, that was definitely only a one time thing). 

The Accessories

Before you say anything, yes, I truly do consider shoes and clutches to be accessories. And no, you don't have to agree. Finding these two items however I can tell you now was much easier than finding a dress. I kid you not, I found both of these in a matter of hours, and really didn't have to look that hard. Maybe it's just the fact that I find shoe shopping horrendously boring, but I really wanted to knock this over as quickly as possible. Because it's pretty much my go-to shop for everything girly, I stopped off at 'Forever New' initially to look for either of the two necessities. And bam, what do you know, I found a clutch right off the bat!

Emmaline Crystal Clutch Bag, 'Forever New', $59.99

Once again, 'Forever New' is indeed a strictly Australian brand, but similarly, they have an extensive range of international shipping. I absolutely adore this store, and highly suggest you take note of it immediately, because it really is spectacularly awesome. 

Now, let's move on to the shoes. I had a bit of a look around before I found exactly what I was searching for, however from the very beginning, I knew that I wanted sparkly, peep toed shoes. And guess what? I found exactly that. 

Party Silver Pump, 'Myer', $199.95

I actually kind of lucked out finding them at 'Myer', because I had no idea a rather boring Australian department store would ever stock silver sparkly shoes. I mean, who knew? If you really want to, they do once again have international shipping, although I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find something similar in your own country. But hey, if you're desperate, they deliver (literally and figuratively).

All the Other Stuff

I couldn't be bothered separating all these extras into different subheadings, so I thought, why not throw them all together? Of course, formals and proms wouldn't be complete without the allusive makeover tools and beauty enhancements that girls use to make it look like they aren't using any at all. You know the drill, you've got hair, make up, nails, tan - the works! I don't like to admit it, but I'm pretty cliche when it comes to all of this beauty stuff. In a lot of ways I differ quite significantly from your average teenage girl, but this really isn't one of them. I've decided to just join the herd and give everything a go. 

The first step on my beauty journey was of course fake tan. Yes, I am actually super ashamed, but I did indeed tan myself. You have to know, I was never planning on it, I swore to myself I would never sink that low. I really had no choice, as literally only two days ago I got ridiculously sun burnt at a compulsory school swim survival challenge, so it was either betraying my morals or rocking up to formal looking like elmo. Obviously, I went with the first option. However, I don't think I was a total sell out, because to this day, I still refuse to get an actual spray tan. I've seen enough pumpkins walking around school to know I have to steer clear of that one, and considering my skin tone is that of a vampire's, that certainly wouldn't have gone down well at all. So, I decided to do it myself, and it really wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought. 

I kind of feel like an expert now, so considering my (brief) experience in the area, I would recommend the 'ModelCo' product shown above. It works really well and super quickly, and actually has a blue-green base so it doesn't turn you completely orange (nor does it turn you blue or green, so don't worry about that either). I'm just going to warn you, it does actually darken slightly overnight, so don't put a whole heap of it on, otherwise you'll be in for a nasty shock. Luckily, I was a bit afraid of it and hardly lathered any on at all, so when I woke up, it really just gave me the skin tone of an ordinary human (which is really what I was after). 

In addition to the enormous sunburn, I also happen to have a massive scar on my leg. Remember when I wrote last month about how I learnt to ride a bike? That skill seems to come with its drawbacks. In order to rectify this, I purchased a rather magic substance that you can see in the image below. 

This may sound super strange, but Sally Hansen's 'Airbrush Legs' basically acts as a foundation for your extremities. Apparently people use it ordinarily just in everyday life, however it worked really well to cover up my massive ass scar. If you have any bruises or cuts, I suggest you purchase it right now, because you definitely won't regret it. 

Next up on the list is hair. Obviously, what you do with your hair is perhaps just as vital as your dress. It needs to complement your face and your outfit, and can't possibly restrict you from breaking out terribly embarrassing 80's moves on the dance floor (or maybe that's just me). I was going after something fairy garden-ish, and bam, that's exactly what I got. I went to my hairdresser and basically asked for a combination of the hairstyle in the two images below:

And because my hairdressers were super awesome, the end result is seriously the best:

And yes, that is indeed the back of my head.

Now it's time to focus on nails. Of course, the colour of the polish totally depends upon the colour of your dress, but given that mine was a pretty neutral white-ish, cream-ish kinda thing, I could pretty much go with anything. So with all that choice, you think I'd go for some sort of radical colour, right? Wrong. Quite the opposite actually. You can never go wrong with a good, old, classic French polish. 

It always makes me feel so posh, despite the fact I'm probably the least sophisticated person ever. 

Last but certainly not least is make-up. Because I really don't trust myself to paint my own face, I enlisted the help of the fancy make-up artists at Napoleon. Can I just say? Best. Decision. Ever. They did such an awesome job, especially considering my rather extensive sunburn. I didn't exactly have any idea what I wanted done, so they basically just saw the colour of my dress and went for their life. And how exactly did it turn out? See for yourself. 

It took about 45 minutes, and even though it was $89, it was all practically redeemable. With the money you pay, you get $89 worth of Napoleon products, so in essence, getting your make-up done is actually free. I highly suggest you guys do something like that, because if you're anything like me and terrible at doing your own make-up, these people are life savers.

Tips and Tricks for Surviving Formal

This is the point at where me acting like a typical teenager comes to a dramatic halt. Fellow nerds, I speak to you. Surviving your formal or your prom can be difficult for people like us, because we tend to get so overwhelmed with all the mainstream music and annoying people that it's typically hard to cope. But have no fear, I'm here to help. Based on my rather extensive knowledge through the medium of movies and television, we can get through this together. 

1. If a good song comes on, savour the moment. Let's face it, when will this happen again? The music's going to be aimed at your painfully conventional cohort, so if a song comes on that you can tolerate, dance like there's no tomorrow. 

2. Try not to get angry at the cliche, mainstream, popular people. I know, they're annoying, but don't let them put a spanner in the works. If they're really getting to you, just make fun of them behind their backs and move on with your life. 

3. Indulge in the fact that you look awesome. Don't be one of those people that denies compliments, just embrace it and celebrate the fact that you're better than everybody else. 

4. Ditch your shoes, or accept that you'll inevitably be in extreme pain by the end of the night. Don't try and put on a brave face, just go bare foot and save yourself while you still can. 

So that's now the end of my little post. I hope you've managed to gather some useful (or at least semi entertaining) tips for your upcoming proms and formals, and perhaps may consider taking some of my advice. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx