Art And Appreciation

I've always been around art; my Mum is an artist. Growing up I never really had an interest in it, probably because I wasn't very good at it. As I've grown older I've definitely learned to appreciate art a lot more.

I seem to have grown a pretty big fondness for historical art, more specifically Renaissance paintings. I made a list of my favourite artists and it was pretty clear I have a 'type'. Italian Renaissance artists mainly.

My list of artists I love include Leonardo Da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo, Vincent Van Gogh, and Edvard Munch. Although the last two aren't Renaissance painters, I just adore looking at their paintings.

I've recently started getting in to creating art myself. I'm not very good, but I think art is subjective and there is no right or wrong way of doing it. It's been really enjoyable. It gives me a chance to disengage with reality; it clears my head. I recently got a new sketch book so I'm determined and excited to fill it up!

Art is a very personal and calming thing to do so I think it helps with my anxiety. Clearing my head and not having to think about things for a little while is for sure a great feeling. I can also express myself on the paper. I can do this with writing, but art feels different because it's like I'm the only one who knows what the outcome really means, so that makes it personal to me.
Even though I'm not great at art, I just love to look at it. I'm constantly on Pintrest pinning and admiring artwork by various artists. I have a few favourite pieces that I could look at all day every day. If you like any of the pieces I share below then follow me on Pintrest and see a lot more!
Here are some of the paintings that have really stuck out to me and that I could admire forever:

The Birth of Venus - Sandro Botticelli mid 1480's

I am obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology, so this painting by Sandro Botticelli of the 'Birth of Venus' is something I just adore. Venus is the Roman Goddess of Love, Aphrodite in Greek mythology. Venus is essentially the same as Aphrodite but with some minor differences, but they don't really change who she is and what she does. The story of Venus starts with her Birth, where she arose from sea foam. She had many lovers and many children. Her most famous child is her Son, Cupid.
I love this painting but I can't really pin-point why. Its obviously a spectacular piece of art, and Venus looks beautiful. It just shows the pure beauty of femininity and female sexual empowerment which I adore! It's just such an amazing painting to look at.

The Scream - Edvard Munch 1893

 This is for sure my favourite painting, ever. The colours and darkness about this painting intrigue me. It's colourful but the colours are muted which I find interesting. Like most of the paintings on this list, I wouldn't be able to tell you what exactly it is that draws me to this. There's just something about it. Art is subjective.

Starry Night - Vincent Van Gogh 1889

I think everyone knows this painting. It's very famous. I love Van Gogh's technique and distinguishable it is. In primary school my year group made a huge version of this painting and I loved it! I worked on the sky; it was so fun. I'm desperate to visit the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. Hopefully soon I be able to go.

The Creation of Adam - Michelangelo c. 1512

This is probably one of, if not THE, most famous painting of all time. Painted on to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. It took Michelangelo four years to paint the whole Sistine Chapel ceiling. The Creation of Adam is just a section of the ceiling. The painting supposedly portrays the creation of man by God. God is the grey-bearded guy on the right who is stretching his arm out to meet Adams, who is the naked one on the left. I'm not religious, but I really appreciate the artwork that comes out of Catholicism, and this is one example. Italy is the one country I have always wanted to visit, mainly because of the art that has come out of it throughout history (but also because of the beautiful scenery and lush food).

Venus and Mars - Sandro Botticelli c.1485

Another painting by Botticelli, and another portrayal of Venus. This time she is seen here with one of her lovers, Mars. Mars is the Roman God of War. In Greek mythology he is known as Ares. I think anything involving Venus just instantly interests me and I take an immediate liking to it. She is, after all, my favourite Goddess. I also, obviously, really love Sandro Botticelli's work.
I would include some of Da Vinci's work, but there is no one piece of his I specifically love. I just really like looking at all his sketches that have been found and released.
I really suggest doing some art when you can. You don't have to be good and you also don't have to show anyone. It's a good way to relax and express yourself. Or if you don't want to do some art, then go look at some. Go to a museum or an art gallery and appreciate the hard work that goes in to creating something so important to history. Because, after all, paintings and drawings are a huge reason as to how we know about ancient historical events. Art is timeless.
Thanks for reading!
Bx

Current Playlist - What I'm listening to...

I love music, and it has really helped me through some tough times in my life. Music is a personal thing and every one has different tastes. I listen to a variety of different music; I can go from listening to grime to musicals. I don't really have a specific genre I listen to. I also believe that the lines are blurred when it comes to genres, music is music and if you like it then listen to it. 

I used the website Obscurify to find out what music I listen to the most. Kind of surprised, but also not really surprised at the same time. 

Punk Christmas? That's the surprising part.. I wasn't aware I listened to that many 'Punk Christmas' songs, especially considering that it's March! 

As you can see from my top artists I'm not too fussy about what I listen to. Although Blink-182 and The Neighbourhood are my all time favourite bands. Specifically The Neighbourhood, I listened to them exclusively when I was at my lowest and I think that they'll always have a special place in my musical heart.

I have a list of the songs I'm listening to the most at the minute and I really recommend checking them out; broaden your musical taste.

1. Fake Happy - Paramore

I love this song because I think it captures what it's like to have a mental illness perfectly. Sometimes we do fake being happy and the song is totally relatable. Plus I have the biggest crush on Hayley Williams...

2. Sadderdaze - The Neighbourhood

As I mentioned before, The Neighbourhood are my favourite band. I love everything they do but this song from their latest EP stood out to me. They released a new album on 9th March, which by the way is amazing! Go check that out too.

3. Northern Downpour - Panic! At the Disco

Who doesn't love early Panic! At the Disco? I know I do. I love Panic! So much. I've loved them since they released their very first album in 2005, and I've loved everything they've released since, and probably whatever they'll release in the future. But, early Panic! is for sure my favourite era.

4. Purple Rain - Prince

My Mum is a huge Prince fan so I grew up listening to a lot of Prince. It also helps that Prince was a genius song writer and fantastic musician. But Purple Rain is a perfect, classic, rock song that I think everyone likes whether it's secretly or not.

5. Kiwi - Harry Styles

I love Harry Styles. Sorry. He is just such a genuinely nice human being who also happens to write great music. Since leaving One Direction, Harry seems to have stepped out of the boy-band bubble and started showing his true self. The music he writes is so different to his 1D days. Every song on his self-titled debut album is different so it's sure to appeal to lots of people. I'm also going to need a studio version of Medicine, thanks Harry...

Every song I've featured in this post is also in a public Spotify playlist I've made. You can find that here, so please check it out and I'll be adding to it all the time. Also let me know what songs you're listening to at the minute!

Thanks for reading!

Bx

My reading list! - Stories I can't help but love

Narrowing my favourite novels down to just three was hard. But, I finally did it after lots of jigging my list around. I read quite often so I had lots of books to choose from, so I had to narrow it down to the stories I can re-read over and over again. No matter how many times I've read them they just never seem to get boring, and I believe that is the real test of what makes a good book. I know reading is a personal thing and you may think that some of the stories I mention aren't your favourite, that's okay! But if you haven't read them I really suggest giving them a go.

Wuthering Heights

 So, book number one, my all time favourite and I've read it probably about six times, is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. It's a classic and everyone has heard of it. It's a fierce story about love and revenge between the two main characters Heathcliff and Cathy. The story is set in 1801 in the Yorkshire moors, where Mr. Earnshaw returns home from Liverpool with a young orphan boy who he names Heathcliff. Cathy and Heathcliff fall desperately in love from a young age and grow up in Wuthering Heights together. After Mr. Earnshaw passes away Cathy's' older brother, Hindley inherits Wuthering Heights and forces Heathcliff to work as a servant at the house. Fed up with 'not being good enough' for Cathy, Heathcliff runs away to better himself. Upon returning, with riches, he discovers that Cathy has married Edgar Lipton. The love and revenge and even death that follows is a whirlwind of romance, evil and sorrow. It's one of those books you can barely put down.

There is a beautiful film adaptation made in 1939 starring Laurence Olivier and the beautiful Merle Oberon. The movie is filmed in black and white and I definitely think it's my favourite version of the film. 

Emily Brontë was born in 1818 in Yorkshire. She was the second youngest of six children, 
four sisters and one brother, although the two eldest daughters, Maria and Elizabeth died before they turned twelve years old due to tuberculosis in 1825. Her two sisters Anne and Charlotte were both poets and writers; famously writing Jane Eyre and Agnes Grey. 

Wuthering Heights was Brontë's first and only novel. It was published in 1847 under the pen name Ellis Bell. Brontë sadly died a year later in 1848 due to tuberculosis. Since her death Wuthering Heights has become a literary classic and is often used in schools and colleges.

Buy it here.

The Great Gatsby

Set in the summer of 1922 The Great Gatsby is a roller-coaster of emotions from joy to sadness; with flamboyant parties and a secret love. Regrettably I watched the film before I read the book, but that didn't take away from the beauty of the novel. The story follows Nick Caraway's journey of finding out exactly who his mysterious neighbour is. The one who throws all of the huge parties the whole city attends in hope that his one true love, Daisy Buchanan, would walk through the door. It's a tragic love story I can read over and over again. I don't think I could ever get sick of it.

Everyone has seen the beautiful, colourful film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel. Baz Luhrmann did a phenomenal job of bringing this wonderful story to the big screen. The 2013 film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire. The film is a fun ride filled to the brim with brilliant music and gorgeous costumes. It's fantastic right down to the last detail. It also doesn't stray too far from the novel, which to me is a big fat plus. Definitely check it out if you haven't yet.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in 1896 and has four finished published novels: The Great Gatsby, The Beautiful and Damned, Tender is the Night and This Side of Paradise. He also has an unfinished novel that was published after his death in 1941 called The Last Tycoon. The Beautiful and Damned is also a brilliant work of art, I highly recommend that story too! As well as novels Fitzgerald also wrote over 160 short stories for magazines and four collections of short stories. Since his death in 1940 he has been named one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century.

Buy it here.

Romeo & Juliet

Arguably William Shakespeare's most famous play Romeo & Juliet is a wonderful tale of forbidden love between two young members of rival gangs in Verona. I don't need to say much about this story as I'm sure most, if not all, of you have studied this story in school or college. Everyone knows the plot to this twisted tragedy. Although not technically a novel I couldn't leave it off my list. It's a special story featuring love, death and a very fast marriage. I feel like I was the only one in my English class who actually enjoyed studying this story. Although I love all of Shakespeare's works, this one really stuck out for me. I really hope to one day see it performed in the Globe Theatre in London. 

William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-Upon-Avon. He was a poet, playwright and actor. He wrote roughly 39 plays in his lifetime and over 150 sonnets. When he was 18 he married Anne Hathaway who he had three children with. He started his career as an actor but soon discovered his love for writing. There is lots we don't actually know about Shakespeare as he kept his private life very low-key and there's barely any records of him. Therefore, we have hardly any knowledge of his beliefs, sexuality or even his physical appearance, except the very famous portrait of him. There is speculation that Shakespeare was bisexual as the famous 'Sonnet 18' presumably written by William Shakespeare was dedicated to a Mr. W.H. Although it has never been confirmed that it was written my Shakespeare himself lots of people believe he liked the company of men as well as women. I like to think he was an open minded human being, based on his work. 

Another Leonardo DiCaprio and Baz Luhrmann collaboration coming your way. Now, I don't believe anyone when they say they've never seen the 1996 adaptation of Romeo & Juliet featuring Leo and Claire Danes. It's an iconic movie with beautiful imagery. Again, the costumes are beautiful and classic with the magical touch of modern music perfectly placed. 

Shakespeare sadly died in 1616 at the age of 52. A reason for his death has never been determined, although he died a week after signing his will in which he described himself as being in 'perfect health'. Since his death he has been hailed literary genius and I believe he will always be loved for his work. He will stand the test of time with classics like Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummers Night Dream, Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet. I truly urge you to read at least one play by Shakespeare.

Buy it here.

Thank you for reading my list of favourite novels/stories (although if you ask me what they are they're likely to change as I have so many). I highly recommend reading these stories to open your literary mind, and where better to start than absolute classics. 

Bx

Pictures courtesy of :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wuthering-Heights-Wordsworth-Classics-Bront%C3%AB/dp/1853260010

http://www.loyalbooks.com/book/romeo-and-juliet-by-william-shakespeare

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-wuthering-heights-1939-movie-poster-87843752.html

http://collider.com/the-great-gatsby-review/

http://mentalfloss.com/article/84077/12-star-crossed-facts-about-romeo-juliet

Skin care routine! - Lots of Body Shop products

I have recently changed up my skin care routine because my acne decided to make this huge comeback and attack my face. My routine depends on a lots of things like if I'm wearing make up or whether it's morning or evening, either way I use most of the same products. 

No matter what I use the Body Shop Aloe Vera Toner to clean my face of any oils (my face is so incredibly oily) and get a good base for make up if I decide to wear any that day. I also use Witch Hazel across my T-Zone and down to my chin, mostly where my acne is most prominent and also where my pores are huge. I use this to just help clean up any dirt or oil that's trapped in my pores. I also think, I don't know if I'm just making this up, the Witch Hazel helps minimise my pores so my make up doesn't sink in to them. After I've cleaned my face I simply moisturise with the Superdrug Vitamin E SPF 15 face moisturiser then add Solait Anti-Ageing Face Fluid SPF 30 to give my skin extra protection against the sun. That is it for my morning routine, I try to keep it as minimal as possible so my skin is able to breathe. I then go ahead and apply my make up as usual for the day.

If I've been wearing make up I use the Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil to remove all my make up. I love this product as it gets rid of really stubborn make up like waterproof mascara. It also leaves my skin feeling incredibly soft. I have also noticed since I've been using the Oil the redness in my skin has really toned down, its not as prominent as it once was. I haven't used this product throughout Winter yet when my skin obviously gets a lot more sensitive so I'm going to continue to use it and I'll let you all know how it goes throughout November and December. Once I've used the Skin Therapy Oil and I've removed most of my make up, I use the Body Shop Aloe Vera Cleanser, as you can probably tell I am in love with Body Shop products. I love what they stand for and I've definitely invested more in their products since they announced they were leaving their parent company to because a completely cruelty-free brand. That's so important to me as I only use cruelty-free products. It also helps that their products are amazing too! The cleanser really helps with my sensitive skin (I'm allergic to a lot of skin care products) as it doesn't cause any redness in my skin whatsoever. Its a thick creamy formula that cools my skin when I use it. Once I've run that over my skin I can clearly see that it has removed even more make up I missed the first time with the Oil. Once again after using the Cleanser I go back to use the Aloe Vera Toner I used in the morning to remove any Oil left over and also to triple check all my make up has been removed, usually by then it has been. I swipe Witch Hazel over my T-Zone and chin again to try and prevent any more break-outs. Once I've done this, if I have any pimples already, I use a small amount of Tea Tree Oil on a cotton bud on these spots. The Tea Tree Oil helps heal up these imperfections when I'm sleeping and I always wake up to either no pimples or very very faint/small pimples. Its a Godsend, really. Finally, I apply Superdrugs' Vitamin E Night Cream to just give my skin a bit of moisture after the amount of cleaning I've just done on my skin.

If I've not been wearing any make up I do exactly what I did in the morning with the added extra of using Tea Tree Oil on any imperfections I have. I may also use a 99.9% Aloe Vera Gel which also helps soothe and cool my skin after all the scrubbing I've been doing to it.

A couple times a week in the shower I use the Body Shop Seaweed Face Wash for oily/combination skin. This helps to balance the oil I produce and I've honestly noticed a huge difference. My skin is nowhere near as oily as it was a few months ago. It's a lot easier to maintain and I've noticed it when I wear Make up too. My make up stays put all day, even around my problem areas like my nose and chin. I cannot recommend Body Shop products more! They have loads of different products for every skin type! I can't fault them at all.

Okay, I know I know, EVERYONE says this. But it really does work. Drinking water. I promise you my skin has been incredible since I actually started drinking water. I absolutely hate plain water so I add a couple slices of lemon to my bottle and I'll also squeeze some juice in to the water. It's so beneficial. Lemons are probably one of the healthiest foods you could eat. They help fight illness and they really cleanse your body. Even if you didn't want to do this, drinking a cup of hot water with a lemon in every morning and night also holds so may benefits. I've even lost weight since I started drinking lemon water, and it's the only thing I've changed about what I consume! I promise you, the benefits outweigh the cons. 

I know my routine is a lot of products, and I also know it may be way too many for you. But finding a good skin care routine that works for you is amazing. It's really helped with my confidence as my acne is really reduced along with the redness in my skin I've actually started feeling confident going completely make up free. Its just all about finding something that makes you feel good and does something for you.

Thanks for reading!

Bx 

Introduction to myself

Hey Guys, so my name is Brenna and I've decided to start my own blog. I intend to blog about beauty (makeup, hair and smellies), fashion and lifestyle really. I'm really in to all of these things and I really wanted to write about them. I'll be writing reviews for products I use and try out, also my opinions on the latest fashion trends or shows.

So, a little about me; I have two dogs, and three hamsters. My dogs are named Tilly and Herb. Tilly is a Labrador X greyhound and Herb is a border collie X lurcher. I love them both to pieces. My hamsters are named Hershel, Judith and Fez. Yes... Hershel and Judith are named after The Walking Dead characters! And Fez is of course named after the best character from That 70's Show.

I live in Cornwall, UK. I intend to either move to London or Ireland within the next year for a new adventure. It's beautiful down here but when you can't drive it's rather boring.

I love reading, I have a huge collection of books. My favourite novel is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I also intend on writing my very own novel in the future. I'm a huge fan of The Walking Dead of you hadn't have guessed already! I also enjoy Game of Thrones, although I wouldn't say I'm the biggest fan in the world. Horror movies are my favourite genre of film; I am yet to find one that truly scares me unfortunately! My favourite films include Rocky Horror Picture Show, Disney's Hercules, Carrie Pilby and Trolls. Music is one of my favourite things in the world, I love love love The Neighbourhood, Ed Sheeran and Lady Gaga. I'd say I have a well rounded like for all sorts of music.

I love tattoos and have seven of them. They all have personal meanings to me which I wont share on here just yet, maybe I'll a blog post about them in the future! 

Drew Barrymore is one of my favourite human beings ever. She is such a style icon and woman power model. I am a strong believer of woman power and I think all women are beautiful, majestic beings. 

I apologise for the most boring first blog post in the history of first blog posts, I thought this would be a good ice breaker. Feel free to follow me on all my social media, I often follow back!
Twitter: brewdarrymore
Instagram: brennaahenryy
Snapchat: brennaahenryy

Thank you all, and please stick around for all my future blog posts!:)

Bx