In order to explore the construction of the human skull I decided to create this half skull mask on my own face. I used makeup, paint and some photoshop to produce the final image. To read a step by step method of how I did this and watch a video of the application please click here

This is a poster I created for a local sport club (Cobo Cricket Club) to advertise their quiz night in order to raise money for the sport.

After a visit to Durrell Wildlife Park I felt inspired to transform myself into a bird. I was inspired by the wide variety species Durrell had and followed a tropical theme. Click here to see how I achieved this transformation and how I made the beak.

I created this wound using Special FX makeup. I chose to do make the fake wound on Henry's left shoulder as he already has a large scar on his right shoulder (as you can see in the image). This image shows both the scar and the Special FX wound and almost been seen as a 'before and after' shot. To read a step-by-step description of how I did this, click here.

 "Skulls and butterflies - they are life and death in the most obvious form imaginable".
To see my inspiration for this piece and how I got this final result, please click here.

My inspiration for this piece of work was an artist called Kelly Durette. I used makeup and paint to produce this final look. I used a green background to contrast with the purple on the eyes and to accentuate the green makeup on the forehead and the green in my eyes. Click here to read a step-by-step method.

Half Skull Mask

The Process

You can see the final image of the half skull mask at the top of this post. I used a black background so the skull stands out. To produce the final image I edited the photograph to make it black and white and increased the contrast. I chose to only paint half of my face to show the juxtaposition and to show what is under the skin.

If you would like to see me apply this makeup to achieve the final result please watch the video below.

GLAMGLOW Face Mask - Review

Looking for a face mask that actually works? Look no further. I want to write (and rave) about the Glam Glow Super-Mud Clearing Treatment that I have recently purchased.

So, a bit more about Glam Glow. The company have a number of treatments for different problem areas and skin types including hydrating masks, anti-aging masks, treatments for eyes and cleansers (which I would love to get my paws on). To find out more information on the products go to the official website www.glamglowmud.com

You can purchase the mask on various websites - I got mine from www.feelunique.com for £40. (I know, it is a lot for a face mask - but well worth the money in my opinion!). If you simply Google 'Glam Glow Mask' a variety of sites will come up. 

Right, on to the review...

The Packaging - The product comes in a clean white and silver box with all the information and the product inside. Each Glam Glow treatment comes in different colour packaging depending on the concern the product is tackling. The box contains intructions of use, ingredients and the 34g SuperMud Cleansing Treatment.

The Product - As you can see the mask is dark grey in colour and rather thick in constancy. This is because it is a clay mask. I do prefer to use products on my skin but this mask contains a 6 acid blend which shows amazing results. The mask isn't all chemicals though, don't worry! It also uses bio-life-cell-science to ensure skin is smooth, tight and calm. See the Glam Glow website for a full list of ingredients. The mask has a distinct eucalyptus smell which is some-what refreshing.

Application- Personally I like to apply the treatment with a brush. I tend to use a flat foundation brush. I feel this is the best way to evenly apply a thin layer of the product on the skin. You can apply the mask as a full face mask, on problem areas such as the t-zone or as a spot treatment. When first applied the mask can feel quite cool and tingle - but this is completely normal.

This is my brother Zak. He suffers from acne and has done for years. As you can see in the first image he has some blemishes, mainly on the lower half of his face. We applied the mask on him to see what results he could see.

When the mask is frist applied it is a dark grey colour - like in the pot. When it begins to dry the majority of the mask begins to firm and turn a lighter grey colour.

The dark grey dots you can see in the images is where the treatment is drawing out excess oils from the skin. The main areas that build up these oils is Zak's nose and chin. As you can see from the images below that is where the majority of the dark grey remains.

As the mask drys it hardens over the face and is smooth to touch.

To remove the mask after the recommended 15-20 minutes just use water to rise. 

Results - Once taking the mask off myself, Zak and my mother Tracy all found our skin felt significantly smoother, fresher and rather tight (in a good way). The mask really does draw out the excess oil but doesn't seem to strip the skin of the natural oils - this ensures the skin does not feel dry or dehydrated after use. As the treatment removes the oils from the skin it allows the pores to tighten again giving your complexion a smoother appearance and feel. I find this is brilliant if you are going to apply makeup afterward as the makeup can glide onto the skin with ease giving you a 'airbrush' finish.

As this product does bring the oils and gunk to the surface it may cause some blemishes to appear a day or so after (I would always recommend applying a fresh layer of the mask on a problem area for an extra 5-10 minutes to ensure all of the oils are removed from the skin, not just brought to the surface). Because of this though, I would recommend using the SuperMud Cleansing treatment the night of an event or at least 3-4 days before to ensure you don't have any active blemishes. 

I hope this helps anyone who is looking for a clarifying mask that actually works.

Thank you for reading.

Bye for now x

Volleyball Inter Insular 2015 - Game Footage

The pressures on young adults today

It's that time of year where GCSE's and A-Level exams are looming. I did my A-Level exams last year and I know all too well how much pressure young adults are under.

I find now-a-days there is a huge amount of pressure on young adults to know exactly what they want to do with their lives. I have never known what path I want to take my life down or what career I want to venture into (and I still don't!). I feel like a lot of time at Sixth Form was based around finding the correct University degree for you and acing exams - which is not ideal for a student who does no intend on further education. I always enjoyed going to school, seeing my friends and learning when I was in the lower years but I found Sixth Form drained the energy out of my and I detested it. Not every student that wants to continue education after GCSEs wants to go to university - some are just want to continue learning and gain more qualifications before joining the world of work or taking a gap year. 

I remember the way I felt during my time at Sixth Form. The thought of the future was very daunting and made me anxious. The pressure put on me by teachers and by myself stressed me out and was truly overwhelming.

During my time at Sixth Form there were days that I would panic because I felt I was the only one who didn't know where my life was taking me. I would always turn to my parents at times like this and they would reassure me that everything would be okay. I know it seems easier said than done but there is always another option. In the last weeks of school I still didn't have a full-time job lined up for me and I was beginning to panic. That is when I heard about the Cabin Crew job I now work and I applied because I had nothing to lose. Sometimes in life things work out - some call it fate, others luck - but either way I couldn't be happier.


So some final words of advice from me

• Talk to someone if you are feeling down - my parents are great, but if yours aren't as understanding try talking to other relatives or friends that may be going through the same thing.
• Remind yourself that you don't have to do what everyone else is doing - just because your friends want to go to university and people 'expect' you to go, you don't have to. If you don't feel ready to move to the UK and go to university don't. It is your life.
• You do not have to know what you want to do with your life just yet - you are still young. If you are in Sixth Form you are only 17/18 years old - you have your whole life ahead of you! I know it can be scary not having a plan but sometimes you need to roll with the punches and enjoy life.
• Take life one step at a time. I have always been a person that thinks about my future and I like to plan everything in advance but sometimes you realise you need to live life in the moment and stop worrying about the future.
• Try your absolute hardest! Take time to revise, you are not missing out on anything - It is only a couple of months of your life you need to work your butt off then you can say you did your best. If you try your best in all of your exams then your relatives, teachers and friends should be very proud of you. Make yourself proud.
• If you try your best and you don't succeed, try and try again - If you don't get the results you are hoping for, just remember, there are always other options. There will always be another way to get to where you want to go whether that is retaking exams or gaining work experience and working your way up.

So live life for now. Don't panic about the future. Do what makes you happy and stop trying to please everyone else.

Best of luck to all of those taking exams and just think, this time in a few months it will be all over with!

Volleyball Inter-Insulars 2015

After months of hard work and training the Volleyball Inter-Insulars were finally upon us. Last Saturday (18th April 2015) the Guernsey island volleyball teams travelled to Jersey to compete.

The Ladies B team played first, unfortunately losing 3 sets to 0 against the strong Jersey side. The Ladies A team arrived after the first set was played (after having to travel over on a later flight) so unfortunately we missed some of the match but what I did see the Guernsey ladies were fighting hard and making their island proud. There was great team work and excellent back court hitting from Carly Tucknott and Laura Eggo (even if she managed to jump above the height of the net!). Once the match finished, Laura was approached by the umpire to congratulate her on her efforts and how well she played.

Ladies B Match ended 3-0 to Jersey

1st set - 25-18 to Jersey

2nd set - 25-10 to Jersey

3rd set - 26-24 to Jersey

Laura Eggo (11) goes in for an outside hit

Our youngest female island player Becky Gauvain (5) showed her excellent setting skills throughout the match

The unstoppable block - Sophie Alder (8) goes up to block a Jersey outside hit

Next to play were the Mens B team and they too lost 3-0 to Jersey. The final result does not represent how close the match was, with the final set ending 24-26 to Jersey. I definitely feel the younger players in the team deserve some recognition. Sam Eggo, Luke Archard and Tom Guille played really well despite the opposing team having much more experience. (Also a quick shout out to Andrew Maiden who played for the Volleyball Mens B team, then flew back to Guernsey to compete in the first ever mens netball inter-insular match and WON!)

Mens B Match ended 3-0 to Jersey

1st set - 25-15 to Jersey

2nd set - 25-13 to Jersey

3rd set - 26-24 to Jersey

Great defence by Andrew Maiden (4) and Luke Archard (3)

Tom Guille beating the Jersey blockers with his outside hit

The Mens A team played after the Ladies A (I will get to our match a little later) and they fought until the end. Unfortunately Jersey won again but this time the final score was 3-1. The match was everything you would expect from top island players - it was fast paced with big blocks and even bigger hits! Nick Gaudion's setting was brilliant and both Ross Martel-Welsh and Dan Skipper dominated at the net. The Guernsey guys really gelled well as a team, despite only finding out the final squads 4 days earlier.

Men A Match ended 3-1 to Jersey

1st set - 25-27 to Guernsey
2nd set - 25-22 to Jersey
3rd set - 25-15 to Jersey
4th set - 25-29 to Jersey

Callum Hockey (5) somehow making jumping THAT HIGH look easy

Dan Skipper (8) going up for an outside spike. The main question though, what is Nick (2) doing?

Big block from our Guernsey guys Ryan Martel (6) and Callum Hockey (5) against the "fit meerkat" (Helen's words, not mine).

I think it's fair to say the Ladies A match was the most nail-biting of the day. Our match was the only one to go to the 5th and final set and Jersey just won by 2 clear points. During the course of the match we saw some great three touch volleyball - accurate digs coming in to the setter (particularly by our libero Hannah Riley). Our setters, Karen Jehan, Gemma Nicolle and Helen Crawley were then able to set the ideal ball to us hitters to spike. Jennifer Lindfield, in particular had some stellar spikes that, I'm sure, impressed even the Jersey team. I was fortunate enough to be awarded the player of the Ladies A match title for which I am extremely grateful and flattered. I would like to thank all my team mates for such an amazing game and season so far.

Ladies A Match ended 3-2 to Jersey

1st set - 25-16 to Jersey

2nd set - 24-26 to Guernsey

3rd set - 25-23 to Jersey

4th set - 17-25 to Guernsey

5th set - 15-13 to Jersey

The Guernsey Ladies A Volleyball Team
Karen Jehan (7),  Jennifer Lindfield (5), Carla Marly (4), Emily Gaudion (12)
Sarah Biggins (8), Tyler Thorne (9), Hannah Riley (11), Gemma Nicolle (10), Helen Crawley (2)

Jennifer Lindfield (5) doing what she does best!

Ladies A - Me (9) to serve

The medal I received for being awarded player of the match

It was a long day but well worth it. I feel so proud to represent Guernsey and play with such lovely people. Of course we made some mistakes and simple errors but we now know what we need to work on and practice in order to improve further.

It was a long day... zzz
Head cheerleader, Karen, having a well deserved nap on the ferry back home (Sorry Bucky! It had to be done!!)

I would like to take this opportunity to thank a few people who have helped me and the rest of the ladies along the way. First and foremost our coach, Rodney Elmy, for all the hard work and effort he has put in to training us and improving our skills. Also to Neil Elmy who has helped out a many of our training sessions. Lisa Dowinton helped organise the whole Jersey trip as well as play some great volleyball, so thank you Lisa for all your had work.

Finally I just want to congratulate all of the men and women who played in the inters this year and say well done to them all. I am so proud of all the women I play with and I absolutely love my volleyball family! We have trained so hard this season and it showed in our performance! We have improved so much since last year and that shows in our final result. We should all be so proud of ourselves! Now to concentrate on the Natwest Island Games that are being held in Jersey in the summer time.

GREEN ARRRRMY!

PS: Thank you to Karen Jehan for letting me use the images she captured (along with Karen Buck-Archenoul & Ross Martel-Welsh) - they are great.

Below is some footage I managed to capture of the matches with the help of some other players. Enjoy

Bye for now x

Happy Easter

For me, Easter is a time to spend with family & friends, to enjoy the sunshine and indulge in WAY too much chocolate (then feel really guilty about it later). We were lucky enough to have absolutely beautiful weather in Guernsey this Easter weekend.

I just wanted to write a quick blog post to say I hope you all had a lovely Easter time and enjoyed the long weekend!

Below are a few images I took this weekend - A time line of my Easter weekend 2015.

Bye for now x

Mini Egg goodness

Easter treats - Courtesy of Gran

Easter Egg hunt for the young ones in the family - Erin searching - Easter Sunday

Beautiful weather with an even better view - Bank Holiday Monday

Ladies that lunch

Post-lunch ice cream with the BEAUTFUL Isla

Chocolate goodness

Island tour in Isla's new wagon