Kylie Pang

Skincare

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 23:11:21 +0100

So I’ve done A LOT of Tennis posts, in fact, they are all I’ve been blogging about recently. So I’ve decided to do something else for a change. I’m going to talk about my skincare, and what products I use on a day to day basis.

I suffer from eczema, it’s not as bad as it used to be when I was younger but it crops up every now and again. I have very sensitive and dry skin, so I’m always cautious on what I use. My body isn’t as sensitive as my face, so using scented products isn’t as bad as it would be for my face.

On my face I use:

Bobbi Brown Protective Face Lotion, with SPF 15.

This stuff is heavenly! Its very light but gives enough moisture to keep my face hydrated all day. As it has SPF in it, I don’t have to worry about putting another SPF on. You only need a pea sized amount for your face, and so this product although a bit pricey at £33 a bottle, lasts a good 6-8 months. I’ve been through 3 bottles already, and I can’t say it’s going to stop there.

For spots or blemishes I use Savlon.

Now I know this is supposed to be for little cuts and bruises, but for me its a soft cream which heals my problem areas quickly. You can apply it regularly and its a light cream so doesn’t feel too sticky on your face. It keeps you moisturised and I’ve sworn by this cream for years.

The third product I use for my face is Oilatum Cream for dry skin and eczema.

This is a more recent product that I’ve found to work wonders. Its great for dry patches, and with regular application you can have soft skin within a few days of getting any sort of rash or irritation. Just apply a small amount to the problem area and let the skin soak in the moisture. Its quite a thick cream so a little goes a long way, but its amazing.

For removing my make-up and usually its mainly for eye make up as I don’t like wearing foundation, as I like to let my skin breathe, especially when I have eczema or any irritation, I find covering it up will just make the healing process take longer. I use Boots Essentials Cleansing Lotion. (couldn’t find the correct image… sorry)

This is so good! I put some on a damp cotton pad and then just remove my eye makeup. It doesn’t leave you with any panda eyes in the morning and doesn’t give you any stinging or irritation in the eyes. It’s a cheap and cheerful product and does the job quickly and effectively. I highly recommend this cleanser, and as it has a cucumber base, its very cooling on the skin.

So these are the basics I use for my skin everyday, and it really doesn’t change much, as if I’ve found a product that works, I will stick to it. Until next time :)

Tennis Talk - Wimbledon

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 22:41:00 +0100

So I know Wimbledon hasn’t quite finished yet, but for the Rafael Nadal fans… it has. In the second round against Lukas Rosol. I was one of the biggest Grand Slam upsets in a long time. But at the end of the day it’s only a tennis match and to give credit to Rosol, he had one killer serve and forehand. It’s a shame that it was just that one time, and he was out in the 3rd round…

Djokovic, Federer, Murray and Tsonga are all in the semi finals tomorrow, and with Rafa out of the way, I think Murray may have a chance to be in the finals, not saying that he has an easy chance to win, when you think about who’s on the other side of the draw, but who knows.

So thats’s it for me on Wimbledon. I guess we look ahead to the Olympics and Paralympics and see what the world of tennis brings to SW19 for the second time this year :)

Tennis Talk - French Open

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 01:00:45 +0100

So honestly there isn’t really much to say, and I’m a bit late on the bandwagon, but I have to mention how happy and pleased I am that Rafael Nadal won his record breaking 7th Roland Garros title!!!

With this match, history was literally at stake, it was either the Novak Slam, with him holding all 4 major titles at one time which hadn’t been done since Rod Laver in like the 1960s or the first ever man to win 7 Roland Garros titles, and my Rafa did it!!! It was a great success which was clearly very emotional and meant a lot for him and his team, friends and family. So with another trophy in his cabinet, on to Wimbledon :)

Tennis Talk - Rome

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:32:00 +0100

WOW WEE!!! This week was a good week for the Rafael Nadal fans out there.

In the beautiful city of Rome, the Foro Italico, back on the red stuff. It’s all going well. The players on the tour were delighted to be playing on the red clay again. This was another Masters 1000 event (1000 ranking points to play for) the last in the clay court season in the run up to Roland Garros!!!

All the top players were at this event. Andy Murray got kicked out by Richard Gasquet in the 3rd Round, the clay court season hasn’t been the greatest success for him this year. David Ferrer played an excellent semi-final against Rafa. Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer also played an exciting match in the semis, which then left Rafa and Djokovic to play in yet another final.

The last time these two met was in Monte Carlo, where Rafa finally broke the losing streak against Novak and on Monday Rafa got him back again :) It was a long awaited final, as the match was cancelled on Sunday, due to the rain. The final was close all the way through, with both players breaking each others serve. However, in the end Rafa came up on top, winning his 6th Rome title, and claiming his no.2 spot in the rankings!

So that’s that, and I shall speak to you in Paris :)

Tennis Talk - Madrid

Mon, 14 May 2012 20:16:00 +0100

Madrid… The birth of the blue clay.

Some players loved it, most people hated it. According to players it was too slippery, not traditional and just too hard to play on. This was one of the players favourite tournament, a Masters 1000, so a 1000 ranking points to play for, then it quickly became their most un-liked tournament. However, the infamous Roger Federer proved that it wasn’t that bad and came up on top winning the trophy, world no.2 title and a Men in Black 3 suit, which was presented by Will Smith.

It was a funny week for the top players. With Rafael Nadal sadly going out in the 3rd Round! Not even making it to the 1/4 finals, the King of Clay was not a happy person with the changes to the clay, and threatened the tournament that if changes weren’t made he would not return to this tournament next year. Djokovic got knocked out in the 1/4 finals, and so therefore it showed that he was not a fan of the blue clay either, and Andy Murray? He didn’t even turn up!

So for me as a Rafa fanatic, it was a short but not very sweet tournament and now he’s No.3 in the world, but I’m sure that won’t last long ;) So we now look onto Rome. Where there is a beautiful city, and a court laid with RED clay. See you soon :)

Tennis Talk - Barcelona

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:55:00 +0100

So onto the next clay tournament! Barcelona! This is a Masters 500 (so 500 ranking points to win).

This just happens to be another tournament which Rafael Nadal has won 6 times before! It’s in the heart of Barcelona, and always attracts all the Spanish tennis players as they are playing on home land.

This year Rafa defeated David Ferrer a fellow Spanish player, making it his 7th Barcelona win. Each time these two have met in Barcelona, Rafa has always come up on top. He’s not called the King of Clay for nothing! He played very well this week, and I do feel sorry for David, as the efforts he put in today were tremendous.

See you in Madrid :)

Tennis Talk

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:45:00 +0100

So seeing as one of my passions is tennis, I’ve decided to write a summary blog post after each tournament has past.

Quick summary for tennis tournaments. There are many tournaments a year, 4 main ones called the Grand Slams worth 2000 ranking points. These are the Australian Open, Roland Garros (Paris), Wimbledon (London), and the US Open. Then there are around 8 main Masters 1000s worth 1000 ranking points, and many other Masters 500, worth 500 ranking points. When you participate, you obviously aim to win the tournament to win the ranking points to become the best tennis players in the world. If you go out as a runner up, 3rd round, 4th, 5th etc you will get less points. Your points accumulate throughout the year to find out the best tennis players in the world. It’s complicated to understand but you’ll get it eventually.

I forgot to write about last week’s Tournament Monte Carlo, so I’m going to add 2 updates at once.

From the 16th to the 22nd April 2012, the Monte Carlo Tournament took place. This is one of the most beautiful tournaments of the tennis calendar, in my opinion. Its in Monaco, and the centre court over looks the sea.

Monte Carlo has be won by my favourite tennis player Rafael Nadal, 8 times in a row! This is a tennis record and a great achievement. It is the first Masters 1000 clay tournament in the year to start the clay season.

This year Rafa won yet again :D He defeated Novak Djokovic in the final, whom has beaten him in their last 7 encounters. All the recent defeats has taken a toll on Rafa, so this win meant a lot to him. He not only finally beat the world number one but also made a record in the Tennis open era, to hold the most consecutive titles.

On to the next tournament :)

Climbing

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:03:00 +0100

I love climbing. There isn’t much to say, but I’m sure I’ll think of something ;)

So I’ve been climbing for 2 years or so and have really been getting into it. I’ve always enjoyed climbing, and have done it in many activities during school. It’s only recently that I’ve decided to really go climb regularly.

For me it is really important to have a partner that you really get on with, because at the end of the day, it is them who is holding you up and saving you from falling from a great height. My partner was a much better climber than myself when we first started, but as you practice more, you get stronger and more agile so our levels are now more or less the same.

Climbing takes a lot of strength, from your fingers to toes, to arm and legs. It also requires some mind strength, you’ve really got to work out your routes, and really try to push yourself to climb harder graded routes.

Climbing, can be expensive, although if you are really interested in the sport, and willing to sign up for a membership then I think it’s really worth it. The equipment is also quite pricey, and it took me the 2 years of climbing to finally feel the need to splurge on everything.

For climbing you’ll need, a harness, climbing shoes, chalk bag, a carabiner and a billet device. All these products can cost quite a bit of money, a harness can cost anything from £45 to the £100s. Climbing shoes can cost from £35-£120. The rest are fairly reasonably priced. Of course the pricing can always depend on the brand of the products, for example one of the best climbing shoe brands are la sportiva, but if you do your research you can get it at a much cheaper price.

Harness wise, Black Diamond is also a good size.

I really did my research and spent just under £100 for all my equipment and I really got my money’s worth.

There are many climbing locations over the country, and I really do encourage you to give it a try. It’s a great work out, and really helps you to tone up your body and build up your strength.

Okay, I think that’s enough about climbing, and I know that this sport may not interest anyone but for those who are interested I hope this helps. Happy Climbing :)

Positivity

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:26:00 +0100

Being positive all the time is difficult, but for me, its something I try to be everyday. Some people who know me, will recognise that I’m very rarely grumpy, unless it’s being sarcastic of course! I know that it’s probably impossible to be happy every hour of everyday, and everyone has their moods and down times, but at the end of the day, unless you’re starving, homeless and severely sick then I don’t really see why. Now this might be bold statement to say, but I truly believe in putting everything into perspective.

Now I’ve been very privileged, and had a pretty nice upbringing (not perfect but pretty good). So honestly, I’ve never had anything major to be upset or negative about. I try to always look at the positive side of things, and really say to myself, well at least I have a roof over my head, and people who love me. Now I can be quite brutal sometimes… if you’ve just been through a break up with a boyfriend who cheated on you, and you’re really upset because you thought he was the one… well I’ll probably be the one being like, look good riddance to him! There is no need for people like that in your life, and now it’s time to move on! Harsh I know… but true.

Anyway… focusing on positivity. I always think that most things you do in life will be for a positive reason. You should never be afraid of trying something if you think it will go wrong. You’ll never know till you try and if you never try, you may have missed out on a great opportunity. I truly believe everything happens for a reason, and somehow, however difficult some times may be, it will all work out in the end.

Now don’t get me wrong. I have days when I fell fed up, and to be honest it doesn’t take much to make me happy again. A good laugh with friends, some good music or even some tasty food. If you don’t take life too seriously, then you shouldn’t feel yourself being down.

I’m very grateful for everything I have, and for the opportunities I’ve been given and I really appreciate what I have. Now I’m not saying I’m always satisfied, and being a girl loving fashion and beauty and everything else in the world, there will always be things I will want… Its inevitable. But I can say so far in my 18 years of existence, I’ve had a pretty good time, so for me I know, that however bad my problems are, there will probably be someone out there who’s got it worse.

For those who are really down and feeling sad and negative, I honestly hope that everything works out in the end, and good luck. So I’ve rambled on enough now, and I hope that you can be more positive in life or even help someone else to be more positive. The world would be such a better place if everyone smiled a bit more to each other. So for now I’ll say goodbye and see you later :)

Yankee Candles

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:08:00 +0100

Being at University, allows you to be independent, and live a life away from you family and friends back home. You’ve left everything you’ve done for the past 18 years or so behind you and now you’re starting a new chapter in your life. However, even though you’re leaving your home, you still want to bring ‘home’ with you.

Being in University accommodation, can be dull and depressing. With square rooms, and bog standard furniture, you always want to make you room as homely as possible. After all, you are living there for a whole year, and it’s probably the only place which you can call your own.

For me, I’ve put photos on the walls, pinned stuff on my board, and put my favourite bedspread on. These little things, all make your room, a little more unique. Recently, I’ve been really getting into burning scented candles. It can make your room change completely. If you have a spicy and warm scent, it can make you feel really cosy, or if you have a really fresh and citrusy scent, it can make your room feel clean and inviting.

My favourite candle brand is Yankee Candle. Now this is an American brand, but becoming more and more popular over here in England. Especially over the Christmas period, candles became a new craze, and you wanted one in every scent.

A few of my favourite scents are…

Mandarin Cranberry.

This is a very citrusy scent but smells warm at the same time. This is my favourite scent. It makes my room feel very inviting and comforting.

Next is Fluffy Towels.

This is a very clean and refreshing scent. I love to burn this when I’ve just cleaned my room. It’s also quite a warm scent, and literally smells like fresh laundry, and I love it.

Lastly, Strawberry Buttercream.

Now this is a very sweet scent, and for some may be quite sickly. But I really like it. Its vanillary and you can also smell the citrusy strawberry scents. This is a very girly and feminine scent and I think really suits those who love smelling delicious and want their rooms to smell the same.

Now Yankee Canldes can be a bit pricey, but they last for a very long time, and really fill up the whole room. The scent lingers for a long time even when you’ve blown them out, so I think it’s really worth it. They also do really lovely seasonal scents. The Christmas ones are lovely, especially Christmas Eve. There are many scents, which I want to try, and I think there is a scent for everyone. Till next time… :)

What's in my YouTube subscription?

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:57:00 +0100

For the past few years, I’ve been really in to watching beauty and fashion gurus on YouTube. I have a few favourites, and thought I would share them with you. Beauty Gurus have been really popular in the recent years and have started a craze. There are many channels with girls giving make-up tutorials, fashion and beauty hauls and tag videos. It seems to be a really superficial concept and has been given a lot of criticism with some YouTubers being sponsored by companies to make these videos and young girls being influenced to spend all their money on fashion and beauty, but to be honest, it’s just a bit of fun, and I love watching them.

I first started to watch Blair Fowler, juicystar07. She was the same age as me, and from America. I loved watching her hauls and tutorials. Over the past couple of years her and her sister, Elle (allthatglitters21), got bigger and bigger, and are probably one of the biggest ‘YouTube sensations’ out there. They have now created a career out of their YouTube channel, with deals with cell phone accessory brands, media shows, red carpets and they are also about to release their own novel. It’s needless to say that they have hit it big with YouTube.

Another American Beauty Guru that I enjoy watching is Ingrid, missglamorazzi. She’s in her early 20s and her videos are really easy to watch. Her videos are simple, but I mainly like her because she also has another channel, thegridmonster, which has casual day to day videos, which I love to watch and be nosy, and you get a look into others people’s whereabouts.

Now out of all the beauty gurus out there, I prefer the British ones. Mainly because I’m British and I can source the products and items they mention in the UK, and I suppose because they’re from where I’m from, which in a way makes you relate to them more.

The first guru I watched, and still love, is Fleur from fleurdeforce. She’s a bubbly girl, with very informative videos, now she also has another channel, fleurdevlog, which has videos of her day to day life. My favourite videos of Fleur’s would be her hauls, she shops in both High Street and High End, and when I watch her hauls, its like I’ve been shopping too. Weird, but true. She’s one of my favourite YouTuber’s and bloggers.

Another British make up guru that I love is Tanya, pixi2woo. She is a professional make-up artist, so she really knows what she’s talking about. She seem really sweet and her tutorials are amazing. She re-creates tonnes of celebrity tutorials, and her videos are very professional and informative.

I also love Sam and Nick from pixiwoo (Tanya is their brother’s girlfriend if you wanted to know). They are both sisters and are both professional make-up artists. They do incredible make-up tutorials, some high fashion and really out there and some more wearable make-up looks. They also brought out their own brand of make-up brushes, RealTechniques, which I love! They are available from Boots, and are really affordable for amazing quality synthetic brushes.

One of my favourite fashion haulers would be, Zoe from Zoella280390. She does amazing Primark hauls, and other retailers in the UK. She’s got a lovely fashion sense, and I just love her hauls, as what she buys is really affordable which means I can buy them too. She also writes a lovely blog, which is about fashion, beauty and some of her personal life too.

Now the last YouTuber I’m going to talk about it Barbara, thepersianbabe. Now although her channel name sounds like some Pornstar, don’t be fooled. She is 19, and goes to Uni in London. She is a lot like me, and I love her fashion sense. She does fashion and beauty videos and is really easy to watch. I love her videos, and she is also very interactive with her subscribers, and replies to their comments on a regular basis. Barbara is another one of my favourites to watch.

So that’s it for my favourite beauty gurus on YouTube. There are some other channels I watch like, Kandee from kandeejohnson, Lexi from sototallyvlog, Sammie from beauty crush, Bethany from Macbarbie07, and Megan and Liz from MeganandLiz, who are actually singers.

Some people like these videos and some don’t. I personally consider making my own channel one day. Yes, some of them get sponsored to do videos, and they make some money from YouTube, but at the end of the day, if that’s what they want to do and they enjoy it, then just leave them be. I personally don’t see anything wrong with these types of YouTubers, yes, sometimes I get a bit jealous that they can buy all these lovely products, but hey that’s life. I don’t worship these girls, but its just something nice to watch and they’re almost like a guilty pleasure. Anyway, that’s enough rambling for now, see you in my next post :)

Soap And Glory

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 01:53:00 +0100

So. My first beauty post.

Soap and Glory, have been a pretty recent discovery. I first found out about them through watching one of my favourite beauty bloggers on Youtube, fleurdeforce. I then decided to ask for a range of their products for Christmas.

Since then, I’ve been addicted. I think its the quality and fragrance of their products which is definitely the selling point for these products. I have to say, I cannot fault any of the products I’ve tried. With the products having a 50s housewife style theme, it makes the products seem very feminine, and when you use the products it feels very luxurious.

My first little product rave would have to be the Hand Food.

What can I say. This stuff is amazing! It’s a very thick cream, which just melts into your hands, it doesn’t leave any oily or sticky feeling afterwards, and leaves your hands feelings so soft, and smelling amazing. I have one for my handbag and at home, I just can’t be without it!

Next would be Heels Genius.

I asked for this just to see if it would make my heels softer, and its great. Now I wouldn’t say this is the best Soap and Glory product, but it’s pretty good, and does leave your heels feeling much smoother. Oddly enough, the cream is turquoisey/greeny looking, but don’t let it put you off, it doesn’t smell bad, at all.

Going on to body products… Clean Girls, body wash.

This is a lovely body wash, which of course, like all the other Soap and Glory products, smells incredible. The fragrance lingers on your skin for ages, and leaves your skin feels smooth and hydrated.

Daily Smooth Body Butter.

This is a gorgeous thick cream, which leaves your skin feeling hydrated and even. Of course this product carries the infamous scent, and just leaves you feeling well pampered after a long bath or shower.

Now on to the hair products. Glad Hair Day, shampoo and conditioner.

Now these products, surprisingly do not smell like the usually Soap and Glory products. They have more of a citrusy smell, with raspberries being the main scent in these products. They leave your hair feel smooth and glossy, and of course smelling amazing.

Now, last but not least, the Soap and Glory Eau de Parfum.

Now this perfume is basically, the Soap and Glory range all bottled up in one. What can I say? It a sweet scent, that makes you feel very feminine. You can’t go wrong with this being a lovely everyday scent. It’s a steal at about £15 for a 50ml bottle. Its not the longest lasting perfume, but for the price, it’s what you would expect. I love this for the everyday, and being so affordable you can allow yourself to just spritz away!

Okay, so I hope you enjoyed this overview of these Soap and Glory products. It’s needless to say I love these products and hope to try out many more of their range. The brand is of great quality and at affordable prices. They also have a newish cosmetics range, which I have yet to try, but when I do, I’ll be sure to blog about it. So just to sum up, and in conclusion… Soap and Glory smells amazing :)

I love these drawings, and am lucky enough to have the one on...

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:57:00 +0100

I love these drawings, and am lucky enough to have the one on the right :)

byfrancescaphillipa:

© Francesca Young 2012

A few of my favourite things.

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:45:22 +0100

My Flute

My Favourite Ballerina, Darcey Bussell

My Hero, Rafael Nadal

A few of my favourite things.

A few of my favourite things

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:33:00 +0100

Deciding what to write on my blog was tricky. I have many passions but I have no clue what to say. So these are a few of my interests, some old, some new, but all mean a lot to me and have played a significant role in my life. This may not interest most, but for those who are, I’d like to think that by reading my blog, you’ll get to know more about me.

Firstly, music.

I have always been surrounded by song, whether it be nursery rhymes, classical music or some good old mainstream tunes. Music has always made me happy, calm and has always been what I’ve turned to when I need a ‘pick me up’. Like most I’m sure, everyone has a song which they can listen to time and time again. Mine has to be ‘Gypsy or Gitana’ by Shakira, now not only is this because the music video has a certain sports icon whom I adore, but every time I listen to this song, it makes me feel happy and calm. Sadly I know this song off by heart and in both English and Spanish, and to be honest I’m proud of it.

Now, not only do I love to listen to music, I take great pride in being able to play. From a very young age I’ve played the flute and piano. I indulged myself in lessons and practicing, and always gained a good sense of achievement each time I passed a grade. However, I never played to be ‘the best in the class’, I only played because I thought it was amazing how I could pick up a piece of metal and create a song, so clear and full of passion, that made me feel like I was just oozing melodies from within, and everyone could enjoy and really feel the emotions of the piece. That to me is real music, my teacher always said that you may be able to play a thousand notes at a very fast tempo, but adding the character to the piece will make it ‘music’.

Secondly, ballet.

I’ve done ballet, ever since I can remember. I love dance. I think it’s beautiful to watch, and I have great respect for the professionals who dedicate their lives to dance. I could watch dance for ages and never get bored. For me, the most incredible thing is that when you watch a show, you are given the opportunity to create the emotions for yourself. It is purely the music and the movement which tells the story, and your imagination fills in the gaps. I’ve always enjoyed dance, not only is it excellent exercise, but you can enjoy it as an individual sport (and yes, I consider dance a sport), or as a huge production with hundreds of dancers. You know when a show is good, when you get goosebumps and never want the show to end.

So I’ve written quite a lot so far in this post, but I can’t leave it without mentioning my other passion in my life. Tennis. But probably more importantly, Rafael Nadal.

Now this is a more recent passion of mine. I’ve always had the opportunity to play tennis, and had lessons ever since I can remember. However, in the past few years my interest has grown and grown. The excitement of every match gives me that tingling feeling inside, especially for the finals. Now, my favourite tennis player of all time has to be Rafael Nadal, the Spanish Matador. Not only has he been honoured with unbelievable good looks and muscles, he also seems to be one of the most humble sporting celebrities out there.

Now I know there are many people who prefer Federer for his classic style, or even Djokovic for his recent success. But for me, it will always be Rafa. From reading his book, and constantly following his media whereabouts, I have built up quite a large, maybe freakishly large knowledge base of him. But what can I say, I’m a Rafaholic. His passion for tennis is admirable, and his fight to never give up and always wanting to improve his game even though he’s gained 10 grand slam titles and an Olympic Gold, has always inspired me. Now I know I’m never going to be a tennis player, for one I’m too short at 5ft, but I’m just not talented in the sporting area in general. On the other hand, by looking at how hard Rafa worked to get where he is today, has always inspired me to work hard, and has shown me that, hard work pays off in the end.

Okay, I think I’ve said enough for now, and maybe I’ll write some more on my favourite things in the future. Well done to those who have actually read to the end, this was a long one… but hey, I had a lot to say :)

My First Blog Post

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:56:44 +0100

So, my lovely friend told me to start a blog, and so I did… at 2am on Easter Sunday, what better time could I choose.

I enjoy reading blogs, looking at photos, reviews and artwork, so I guess this will just be a space on the inter-web for me to share what I enjoy and just allow myself to be a little bit more creative than I am usually allowed to in my day to day life.

So I guess for now, this is another blog in the world wide web, another username, another re-poster, and of course another follower for byfrancescaphillipa, I hope you’re happy :)