Polyvore and what not

In other news, I've recently gotten into Polyvore again, so here have a Twin Peaks inspired set until I make real posts again! ♥

love me Agent Cooper by loren-not-lauren featuring

Pointy-toe pumps
$125 - styletread.com.au

Heart jewelry
etsy.com

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics sparkle eye shadow
barneys.com

Tarte lipstick
tartecosmetics.com

Smashbox eyeliner
beauty.com

PSA

Hey Internet, its been awhile.

This is just a post explaining some things that have happened recently, and whats going to happen from now on.

First and foremost, I've been dealing with (pardon my language) a lot of bullshit recently.  Shit really hit the fan for me and when you couple that with the stress I've been feeling here at school...well I haven't been 100% or on my A game for awhile.

Luckily, for the most part its really blown over!  I'm feeling a million times better, and its truly wonderful.

With that said, the first thing I'll tell you is that I deleted my tumblr.  That doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, its just a stupid blog that no one really paid attention to anyway, but I figured I'd just throw that out there.  Its actually helped a fair amount in focusing on schoolwork and my actual social life, so its not even a big loss.
Now that tumblr and whatnot is out of the way, I'm not really going to be super active on my blog (wow what a change) until the end of this semester...which is in two weeks.  I just really need to take time for myself and work really hard at school, after that I can do things like work on my Etsy shop, or blog about movies/beauty/what have you.  And with my pointless tumblr gone, I can actually take time to work on this blog, which I actually like a lot more!

Yeah, so thats not super exciting or anything.  Its just a 411 on whats been happening recently.  Its also a nice update that lets you know I'm not dead, and in the not so distant future I will be more active on this blog!

With that, I'll leave you my most recently make up tutorial for cosplay, Kyoko from Madoka Magica:

Thats it for now!  I'll see you next time I make a post!

Loren ♥ 

Going to update my Etsy!

Wow its late, but I'm really excited to say that I've revamped my Etsy shop!
Starting this weekend, I'm going to start putting out new nail designs, as well as some stickers I've drawn myself.
Earlier tonight, the boyfriend and I did a test run on making stickers, you see I recently signed up for the redditgifts horror movie gift exchange, and I decided it'd be cool and fun to draw some custom stickers for my "giftee." I doodled out a few characters, inked, scanned, and printed them on giant shipping labels and voila! One of a kind stickers that I am actually really proud of!

There they are!

Those, along with some of the more recent nail art I've been doing, re-inspired me to start making more things for my shop!

Here is the tentative plan of what I'm going to make and sell;

Stickers:

• Zombie Hero Pack: ft. Rick Grimes (the Walking Dead), Shaun (Shaun of the Dead [both pictured above]), Cherry Darling (Planet Terror), and either Lionel (Dead Alive) or Jim (28 Days Later); $5
• Madoka Magica Soul Gems; pack of 5 for $5 or 1 for $2
• Random assortment of horror movie villans, including the standard zombie above and Pennywise the clown (Stephen King's IT), with Kruger (A Nightmare on Elm St), Jason (Friday the 13th), Ghostface (Scream), and possibly Michael Meyers (Halloween) thrown in there. Also $5 for the pack or $2 for 1.

Nails:

• Breaking out the TARDIS in space nails again!! Those were very popular. $7
• Madoka Magica magical girl nails, comes with a free soul gem sticker! $7
• Standard pretty things like bows and stripes and dots...probably also $7
• Scrap comic book nails??? Those would be closer to $10 though.
• I will do nail commissions as well, and price them based on the design.
• And I'll send people nail glue with their nails for an extra $2

There will be more stuff...eventually. But right now with midterms finally ending and school still in swing, this is about as much as I can handle right now.

I don't know, maybe I'll throw in some cute pony bead bracelets or something, I have a lot of beads just lying around, we shall see.

But yes, thats my update! I also redid my shop to look nicer and cleaner; you can go have a look if you'd like!

Keep checking back for updates.

Loren ♥

Proof that I am not dead, and the movie V/H/S

Hi, yes, hello blog.
Once again, I am very sorry I haven't posted...well, all year *rimshot,* there is reason for that. Its mainly because this semester I've been cracking down on schoolwork, and yes, there is a lot of it, and since there is so much I haven't had much time to do anything else! Which proves to make my life incredibly boring.

Also the only thing worth talking about is probably Katsucon, but that was over a month ago already, so its old news.

Anyway, movie review? Movie review. Lets talk about horror movies, baby; more specifically one called V/H/S.
[Spoilers included below, proceed with caution!]

I'm home for break and yesterday I decided to watch this movie called V/H/S, which you may or may not have seen a billion GIFs of on tumblr. The movie itself didn't have much of a plot line, so let me attempt to break it down for you:

There are five different segments/short films in the movie, as well as an overall arch you see at the beginning, and in between the other five films. The entire movie is filmed from a person who is in its POV, then put on VHS tapes, like a home movie.
The main story arch is about a handful of criminals who go to a house to steal a video tape. There they find a dead old man and a whole bunch of TV screens. They break up and search the house, but one stays with the old man, and one of the TVs starts to play a video.

The first video, which is given a name on IMDb and Wikipedia but not in the movie so I don't care to tell you what it is, is about a few guys who want to make an amateur porn movie. They go out, find two ladies, one who is rather odd and creepy, and bring them back to the hotel. Big oopsies, one of them is a succubus, surprise. She kills two of the guys who try to have sex with her off the bat, and the third guy escapes. She follows him but doesn't attack him, instead she tells him that she likes him. He rejects her, she cries, and then flies off with him into the night. End tape.
The next movie is incredibly boring, but a couple goes on a vacation together, and you can tell they're having issues. The first night in the hotel someone walks in, watches them sleep, does some creepy shit while wearing a mask, and then leaves. The next day theres more fighting between the couple, and at night time the masked person returns, stabs the man in the throat, reveals herself as some woman who is the lover of the wife, and they run away together.

Cut back to main arch, between this movie we see the thief who has been watching them. He looks very disturbed and confused, as the audience we note that the dead old man is no longer in the room with him.

The third short is very campy. Four friends go into the woods. One girl seems weird and tells them they are all going to die out there, which, they do. Turns out she is trying to catch a supernatural-type killer who she can't catch on film. She doesn't succeed, they all die and she is gutted.
The fourth one is very weird and a little hard to follow. Unlike the past three shorts, instead of being filmed via camcorder, this one is recorded Skype conversations. While the two characters, a girl who thinks she is being haunted, and her boyfriend, fill in most of the details, it seems like things are missing. Actually this one has a pretty good plot twist, so I wont spoil it!

Back to the main story, yep you guessed it, the dead man isn't really dead and he kills all the thieves. Not very exciting and pretty predictable. With that the last tape plays.
The last one has four stereotypical bros who accidentally interrupt and exorcism. Stupidly, they attempt to save the demon girl and, well, I think you can work out how this one ends. Spoilers; it doesn't end well for them.

Over all, I found the movie pretty boring and slow. I liked a few of the segments, but something about them being "home videos" just made it seem, well, dull. The only segment that kept me interested or on edge was the last one, in my opinion, the best one.
The blood didn't look as fake as it does in other movies I've seen this year, and the way the make up was done for when people got cut open reminded me a lot of 80's slasher films, so thumbs up to that.
Other than that, I kept finding myself pausing it to see if anything more interesting was on Tumblr, and at points it just ended up being background noise while I painted my nails.

My nails, painted while watching V/H/S

I guess I'll give this movie a 6/10. Its on Netflix instant play for anyone who wants to watch it, and if you do, feel free to talk about it with me! Looking at you, Mack.
As said in every other movie review, do not let my opinions influence you, form your own, take everything I say with a grain of salt I'm a total horror movie snob!

Ok, cool, happy watching you guys!
Loren ♥

Movie Review: Django Unchained

Let's talk about Django Unchained, seen it yet? No? Go see it right now.
In case you couldn't tell, I loved it, and I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum while telling you why I loved it, to save those who haven't seen it yet and are not following my initial instructions to go see it right this second.

I'm going to start by saying that I am a huge Tarantino fan. My favorite movie of all time is Reservoir Dogs, so much to the point I have a wall sized poster of it, and watch it at least once a month.  WIth that said, everything I've seen by him I've liked. That isn't to say that I don't agree with some critics who say "bad" things about some of his movies. I can agree with the fact that Inglourious Basterds, while amazing, was a little pretentious, or Death Proof, which is actually playing on my TV right this second, is really long and a bit boring at times. That doesn't make me love either of those films any less.

Moving on, I loved Django Unchained and had few to no issues with the movie.
The first thing that really drew me to it, other than my undying love for Christoph Waltz, is that I do love a good western movie. While its set in the south in 1858, as the title card says, its filmed a lot like a western movie.
Another thing that I really loved about this movie, is the amount of blood and gore in it. Thats a warning; if you aren't a fan of blood and gore, this might not be a movie for you. It can be fairly brutal at times, the opening scene alone sets how much blood comes out of a person when they're shot. Spoilers: it erupts out of them with a bit of a "squish" noise. Gross, but adds to the humor of the movie.
Another thing that you should be prepared for in the "brutal" category, is this is a movie about bounty hunters set during the time of slavery. Keeping spoilers to a minimum, that means a lot of shooting, a lot of death, and a lot of brutality (both physical, and verbal) towards those playing slaves.

If you can get past that, the movie is actually very, very funny. It stars Christoph Waltz as an anti-slavery bounty hunter, and Jamie Foxx as a freed slave-turned-bounty hunter. The dynamic between the two is amazing, starting out with almost a baby-sitter/mentor type relationship, where Waltz teaches Foxx how to be a bounty hunter, growing into equals.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays the villan, and let me tell you he does a wonderful job. The trailer doesn't give away too much of the movie, so I wont spoil it for you, but I will say the focus is the rough and tough pair going to rescue Foxx's wife from DiCaprio's plantation.

My only problem with the movie is the run time, 2 hours and 45 minutes. Unlike Basterds, where I thought the movie with that run time was too short, Django's run time was a bit too long. The scene before the last scene, in my opinion, was too lengthy...if needed at all. The only point of that scene was to acquire something to use at the end of the movie. I don't think they needed that scene, granted if they cut it, Tarantino wouldn't have his 10 minute on screen time.

The last thing I will say, is I loved Samuel L Jackson actually playing a character in this movie. Not that he doesn't act normally, but whenever I saw him in a movie prior, it wasn't really acting for me. Rather it was "oh now Samuel L Jackson is on a plane with snakes." His character in Django Unchained was funny, and well portrayed.

I'll leave you with this, the review my lovely boyfriend made as his Facebook status; "Django Unchained was tons of fun! None of the pretentiousness from Basterds and 100% more horses!"

And if that doesn't sell you on it, I don't know what to tell you.
Loren ♥

Top 10 Teas

Hey there blog! Its been awhile, and its not that I've completely forgotten about posting, its just things have been so hectic here at school I haven't really had time to do anything except write essays. To be completely honest I'm currently taking a break from reading Pseudo-Xenophon for Greek history, so with this time I'll write a very simple blog post.

For those of you who read my blog and know me, you know that I really really really love tea. So let me tell you about my favorite kinds of tea.

      1. Matcha iri Genmaicha

This is probably my favorite tea of all time due to the fact its highly caffeinated. The color of the tea itself is a very odd shade of bright yellow-green, which is what drew me to it when I first saw it. The flavor is very nutty, and pretty strong, which puts some people off from it. But if you don't mind the flavor I'd give it two thumbs up!

I prefer my matcha, like most of my tea, without any additions; meaning don't add milk or sugar!

Just remember to brew it for 1-2 minutes to keep it light and avoid the really nutty taste.

      2. Twinings Pure White Tea

My god do I love white tea. 

I love how light and sweet it can be, and how you don't really need to add anything to it. Unlike the previous tea, its very very light and not quite as flavorful. White tea has caffeine as well, but not nearly as much as the last one.

For the perfect cup, keep it light and don't brew for more than 1 1/2 minutes! No seriously, any more than that throws off the taste, and most tea sites and experts will tell you to not brew for more than a minute. Personally, I think a minute isn't long enough and doing that you won't get as much flavor as you want.

      3. "Rory Williams"

Let's shift gears a little here, now I know I said I prefer my teas and coffees without add-ins, but this tea in particular tastes really good with a splash of milk, and a tiny bit of sugar.
The "Rory Williams" is a signature blend named after a Doctor Who character. I bought it...well mostly because Rory is my favorite character on the show, but also because the blend involves Irish Breakfast Tea, which I do really love.

This tea is very sweet, with hints of vanilla and, strangely enough, sweet potato. I had no idea that sweet potato tea would even taste good, but wow it sure does! Highly recommended by both myself and my boyfriend (I do believe its his favorite tea so far).

      4. Green Tea

Of any kind. No really, just go out to your supermarket and grab any kind of green tea. Preferably one not mixed with any other flavors, and a decaffeinated type, because with all the other teas mentioned, you'd want a minute to relax and not feel more awake.

Now why do I love green tea? Its so simple and smooth and plain. Also it has crazy antioxidants that just make you feel super! If its caffeine free, you can enjoy it whenever without the worry of staying awake all night, or being drowsy in the morning.

Plus its good for your health! Boosts metabolism, and it can go with whatever you're eating!

      5. "John Watson"

Ok, back to signature blends; this one is named for the lovable John Watson from BBC's Sherlock. This tea is a lovely mix of Irish Breakfast, Earl Grey, and cinnamon. Be warned though, the cinnamon is not terribly noticeable which is probably why I love the tea so much! I'm not big on cinnamon and was expecting a lot more, but luckily its very light.

I personally enjoy this tea both with and without milk and sugar. Its caffeinated, and I like mine brewed pretty dark so I can get the full flavor of the Earl Grey. I know that my boyfriend prefers it with some milk and sugar, but I think its because I brew it dark to begin with. If I were to brew it lighter, it would not need sugar...or milk for that matter!

But yes, definitely recommended.

Top 5 Honorable Mentions:

1. Earl Grey. Once again, any kind will do, but I prefer the Twinings kind. Its very refreshing, and I love it.
2. Irish Breakfast, of any kind. Dark, caffeinated, tastes good with a splash of milk. Need I say more? Oh yeah I do; eat with breakfast!
3. Jasmine tea. Light, flowery, look for a kind that has green tea in it!
4. Peach and Ginger black tea. That kind in specific. Very dark, but the ginger is very nice, and, once again, does not need add-ins.
5. And lastly, raspberry tea. Now I don't normally like fruit teas, but this one when iced with a dash of sugar makes the most perfect iced tea you could ask for. So it's worth a shot!

Happy brewing!

♥ Loren

Beauty Blogging

Oh thank the high heavens that midterms are over for me. Honestly this past week I've been stressed out, sleepless, hungry, and just irritable. (Bless Johnny for having to put up with my mood swings and crying over essays and not breaking up with me!)
But they are done and I can finally catch up on my sleep. Its time to relax again.

So the first order of business I tended to after finishing my last midterm was to properly pamper myself, I am a princess after all.
This past week in my favorite class this semester, Ancient Greek History, we learned about how people in Greece bathed themselves. As my professor said "soap is a very European way to clean yourself, and its not as useful as using olive oil."And that got me wondering about using olive oil instead of soap and what not, because let me tell you there nothing I love more than being pampered, and also Greek things (she said as she poured some honey into her Greek yogurt).

I set off to Google, looking up what people used olive oil for, and how I could use it in my shower. And there are a million different recipes on how to mix it because, turns out that its good for your hair, and skin, and just about everything. But I ended up doing my own thing, so here is what I did with it:

What You Will Need:

• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• About a cup of standard white sugar
• A razor (or two)
• A shower
• A towel that you don't mind getting dirty

So basically what I did was I heated up the oil (20 seconds in the microwave) and 15 minutes prior to getting in the shower, I rubbed it through my hair and let it sit.

Most of what was left I poured into the cup of sugar and mixed it with my hands. I used that to exfoliate my body. Once that was rinsed, I shaved normally, and so much dead skin peeled off! It was a little gross I'll admit.

I ended up using all of the sugar scrub, and poured the rest of the oil on my hair (and washed it out of course!), and now my skin feels like butter.

After getting out of the shower, use a towel to rub off whatever residue you have left on you. Normally this goes against my belief on pulling at your skin, but its needed in this case!

Dry out your hair, and bask in the soft clean glow your skin has. Hell I walked around naked for a bit, it was that nice.

To really top the feeling of being a princess off, but on some sexy underwear, even if its just for you!

It really is the best feeling in the world.

Loren ♥