summer essentials.

Wow. It's been an emotional couple of weeks. If you couldn't tell already from my twitter, I've been an emotional yo-yo. It's been hard finding good days, but I had one today and decided to go out and treat myself to some nice things! When I got home and inspected what I'd brought, I realised that I had been overly optimistic that we'll get some sun as I've got my top 3 summer essentials to share with you;

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner

So when it comes to hair, I am completely a DIY girl. I colour it myself, style it myself and even cut it myself (because no-one knows what style you want better than you!). Recently I've decided I'm bored with my current auburn colour and want to go blonde, but to do that I need to get my hair in better condition before it's destroyed by the bleach. So I gave it a good trim today and also used thisssss for the first time!

Now, I did a lot of internet trawling before I brought this, and as cheaper products go, this came out tops, so I decided to give it a try! And oh my god it was so worth the money! Seriously, I'm so stingy its unreal, so at £4.99 I was a little reluctant to buy, but, no word of a lie, my hair feels like silk! It smells like bubblegum too. I don't use a lot of heat on my hair, but because I don't get it cut regularly and because I have an OCD think where I break strands off, my hair was in ruin, but this conditioner totally changed that. My hair hasn't been this soft in a LONG time. I'll also probably try Fantasia IC Hair Polisher too, as I've heard great things about that, but for now I'm LOVING this. Definitely a summer essential, as in my opinion, summer is the worst season for your hair. The UV damage from the sun, the dryness from all the heat and don't get me started on the chlorine from pools! This conditioner should be in everyone's suitcase.

Accessorize Nail Polishes

If there's one thing I have an unhealthy obsession with, it's nail varnishes. They make me feel so nice and I love all the pretty colours! Me and Mum spotted Accessorize had a sale on, so went in to have a look when we came across THE most BEAUTIFUL glittery nail varnishes I had ever seen. And they didn't even look tacky like some do! Plus, they were only £4, which is quite cheap in comparison to some other brands! I brought a dark blue with bits of purple called Dream and a copper colour called Molten Copper. I tried the Molten Copper first and it was amazing. So smooth and I only needed two coats to get a nice even spread of the glitter, with no patches showing! Needed a top coat to get rid of some of the roughness of the glitter particles, but its stayed put really well, so I'm pleased. I love this colour so much, it's a perfect beached bronze colour, which is a little more pink in natural light than it is in these pictures (above taken in the natural light in the car, the right taken with the flash), that has just the right amount of sparkle for partying during the night, hence why it's a summer essential!

Garnier Fructis Style Surf Hair

As I mentioned earlier, I try to do as little heat damage to my hair as possible, therefore, no hair straighteners, curlers or blow dryers! So how do I get my hair into a decent looking style you may ask? Fear not! I wash my hair in the evenings, wait 'till it's damp and put it into two French plaits. Not only does this save it from the horrors of heat and leave me with super awesome beach waves, but it means that doing my hair in the morning consists of taking the braids out and rubbing a little of the Surf Hair in it to give it more texture - which takes a grand total time of a minute! Which is PERFECT for the school rush! I've tried loads of matte clays before but this is the first one I've brought a second pot of because I love it. It's got a really nice fruity smell, doesn't leave my hair sticky (although do find myself needing to wash my hands after application) and means that I can really manipulate my style and have it stay in place. A pot of this, and some salt spray, are summer essentials as they mean that you can drop the heat stylers and give your natural hair some easy and gorgeous beachy texture.

I'd love to do an outfit post and show you this AMAZING yellow lace bodycon dress my Nan talked me into buying - I was going to! It was a tenner in the sale and looked great, I just didn't know when I'd wear it! - but I'm not sure how I'd do that, so maybe that'll pop up in a couple days? Also want to share some pictures of prom and my experience of the night, as I have officially recovered now.
G'night all!
xox

words of wisdom.

So it's a Saturday, which means one thing - photo & song of the week!

But before I get to that, I wanna share with you something I posted on my FaceBook and elaborate on it a little for everyone, as it has quite a strong message behind it.


'Just wanted to say a little something about last night.. I'm not gonna apologise, because I wasn't drunk - I remember everything that happened, and I meant every word I said - I had a break down from stress and depression. I want people to realise that this whole #supportpeoplewithdepression thing on twitter isnt just just to get more followers. Depression is an illness, not a disease. Most people seem to think that if they try to help someone who's depressed, it'll rub off and they'll get depressed too. But if everyone reached out to someone with depression, even just to ask how they are today, then there would be a lot less lives lost. It's not something someone brings upon themselves, so why treat them like that? Everyone needs help sometimes, and people shouldn't be shunned for that. Don't sit back and pretend it'll get better, talk to your friends.'


Last night was the first time since the break-up that I've seen Marko, and I thought that I was ready and was strong enough to face him, but I wasn't. And its taken a talk that went on into the early morning with the Polar Bear for me to realise that I'm not just sad or lonely, I'm depressed.
Depression is a difficult topic for a lot of people, because no-one really fully understands what to class as 'depression', and it also scares a lot of people because, like I said, people think that it'll rub off on them if they try to reach out to someone who's depressed, but in fact it's the opposite. Just talking to someone who seems down, and not even necessarily depressed, will not only make them feel loved and like they aren't alone, but it makes you realise how much you value that person in your life and you feel better for helping them. Because depression kills people. 15% of people who are depressed will commit suicide and succeed. It's not something you should be ashamed to talk about, and admit to, and I know because it's something I've tried to hide and pretend it wasn't there all my life, and that's done nothing but bad as I've self harmed and tried to kill myself several times before - something I am ashamed of.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that people that are depressed are just humans, and shouldn't be treated like a mental case. Everyone needs love, and deserves respect, and if you can't give that to a person, then its not the person with depression you should feel sorry for, it's yourself.

Well. Enough with the sad stuff, lets have some music! (sorry that there's no photo of the week, but I haven't taken anything lately!)

Well, I wanted to give you something happy today, but this is MY song of the week, and as I've needed a little cry, this has been perfect.

The Swellers - Stars

xox

procrastination on study leave.

So if you're anything like me, you'll use anything as a way of procrastinating. But sometimes you run out of things to do. NEVER FEAR! Here's my top ten procrastination activites, in no particular order :)

1. @Queen_UK on Twitter
Seriously. That shit is HILARIOUS. She's even got a book. I want that book. Someone buy me that book. Some of her recent favourites of mine are 'One can confirm that "Big Ben" is to be renamed "Elizabeth Tower". Nick Clegg shall also be renamed "Jemima Puddle-Duck" ' and 'Someone get one a bacon, sausage and egg butty. Queen Mother of a hangover.' It's just TOO funny! Brightens up those gloomy Monday mornings ;)

Ps. It's not actually the queen - duh?!

2. Rhett and Link on Youtube
If you are yet to have the pleasure of coming across Rhett and Link's channel, YOU ARE MISSING OUT! Start with 'Rub Some Bacon On It' and never be bored again. They are a very clever and talented pair :)

3. Julian Smith on Youtube
Another very talented youtuber, this one does more comedy sketches and less music, but is also a very talented musician too. Try 'Google The Heimlich' for starters, but don't neglect Jeffrey Dallas!

4. Club Penguin
I know there's going to be a lot of people saying to themselves 'that sounds familiar..', well that's probably because Club Penguin was a MASSIVE craze about 5 years ago. It's meant to be for kids, but for procrastinating, it's actually pretty fun.

5. Tumblr
Some of you may have  heard of Tumblr, but until recently it was new to me too. Tumblr is basically a picture sharing site, and it's actually really interesting to see some of the photography and artwork that's on there. Definitely worth a visit. My tumblr is imicooper.tumblr.com if any of you were interested :)

6. The Big Bang Theory
I've only just got into this too, and you can find a few episodes on 4oD, but YouTube is a gold mine of goodness. Trust me, watch this if you don't believe me.

7. The Sims 2/3
My name's Imogen and I'm addicted to The Sims 2. Not 3. I haven't got it, but I prefer the graphics on The Sims 2. Unfortunately this is the only one of my 10 you have to pay for, but it is WELL worth it. The Sims 3 is new so will be very expensive, but you can get 2 dirt cheap online. Anddd if you're not a computer gaming nerd like I am, they both come on almost all consoles! I don't know what it is about The Sims that's so addicting. I have friends that think I'm crazy for enjoying controlling virtual people's lives, but don't knock it 'till you've tried it!

8. Funny Junk
Most people will have heard of FunnyJunk or something similar, but it's a website where users post funny pictures or fails. Seriously, don't go to this site with a mouth full of coffee. And be warned, you may end up wanting to share EVERYTHING.

9. Mythodreas
This might be showing how lame and nerdy I am, but mythodreas.com was once called 'Zetapets' and is a spin of of 'Neopets' and BOY is it addictive! You don't really do anything except for look after virtual pets, but if you're anything like me, you'll just want to rack up as much money as you can!

10. Stalking teachers, ex's and ex's new partners on FaceBook
Pretty self explanatory, but leads to hours of fun!

Well there you have it! Hope these keep you interested when you have better things to do!
xox

end of this chapter.

Wow. It's been a while. And a LOT has happened..

GCSE's are OVER! My last one, maths, was almost two weeks ago - feels so good being free! It's so weird that they're done now though, considering I've been leading up to them for 11 years and now they're all over. But something else is over too..

Me and Marko are no longer together. And it's okay, because everything has to come to an end. But after being with him for a year and a half, its a little odd, so here comes the inspirational bit..

I'm turning 17 in a  few months. I've finished my GCSE's and I'm moving onto my A Levels. I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm entering a new stage in my life, so as scary and as sad as the split may be, I think it was the right time. Everything is going to start changing now; people's attitudes towards life, schools, what I get up to in my free time.. The list goes on. So for anyone else in my shoes, who's just come out of a long relationship and is a bit shaken up (trust me - some days I've been beyond a wreck!), don't worry! It's okay to cry! This is new and scary, but it'll be okay! It's just a new chapter in your life. And just like a new chapter in a book, you don't know what's going to happen. But that's okay too, because It's always fun finding out.

Right. That's my boring bit over. Lets have some fun stuff!

My prom is coming in a week today, and I am both TERRIFIED and very EXCITED! So now I actually have the time to post, I'll be doing a couple posts on how to survive prom - 'cause I've been going out of my mind!

So my photo of the week is probably from a month ago, but I wanted to post this one anyway because it's of me and my friend Chris dressing up on the very last day of Year 11 - Any guesses what I'm supposed to be?!

Sent to me by a very good friend, this song is not only great for nostalgia, but also made me realise that everything is gonna be alright ;) 

Jimmy Eat World - The Middle

That's it from me for now. I'll be back tomorrow with some old stuff that never got posted. BAH!
xox

Ps. It's okay to get angry too, as long as you think of clever ways to get revenge ;)

happy late valentines!

So its been a busy week at Panda towers! We've cleaned the garage out, moved the kitchen around, had carpet fitted and have been delivered a new broadband router - so no more dodgy internet!

This is just a quick little post, hoping you all had a lovely Valentine's day. I had a busy, but very interesting day. Marko surprised me while we were cleaning out the garage, with a beautiful rose, and we went swimming that evening. Didn't make too much of a fuss about it, as last Thursday was our anniversary! I can't get over that we've been together a year now.. It feels like forever, but like the time has flown by! Thinking of all the cool stuff we've done just blows my mind away.. So, inspired by Valentine's and our anniversary, this week's photo and song of the week are a bit more personal to me and Marko.

I loved this before 500 Days of Summer, and ironically, it's a perfect summer tune. Such a beautifully quirky band. This song makes me so happy.

Mumm-ra - She's Got You High

I'll finally get round to posting that DIY and get back on track with my monthly playlists in the next few days. In the meantime, hope you guys find love!

xox

panda, we have internet.

Ugh. Frustrating and stressful couple of weeks! But the internet is back up and I'm pleased to announce last week's photo and video of the week, as well as an upcoming tutorial and band review/photo dump that I've had ready and waiting for when the internet came back up!

I haven't really got a lot for last week's photo of the week! The most pictures I took were of friends at a party, with the exception of thissss.. A little something two of my mates left our host's parents..

Song of the week this week is in fact two songs! They're just in parts, so really it's one long lot of loveiliness! This comes from a French band, of which me and a friend are DYING to get their new album. From the album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix isssss..

Phoenix - Love Like A Sunset

All rights to V2 Records.

Enjoy! Will be back tomorrow with my tutorial, as well as this week's photo and song of the week.
xox

slow sunday.

I've realised just how fun it is making gifs..

The timing on it is a bit screwed up, but it's probably about the same time as it would be if it happened right in front of you.. Pretty pleased for a first go!

Had a bit of a slow Sunday where no-one did anything until about half 2, when we all got up and went to the beach!

It was really windy and cold, and the boys were moaning, but we braved it and it turned out to be a really lovely couple of hours! Of course, it's only Weston, so the snaps are nothing special, but I wanted to upload and share them with you all.

And my favourite picture of the day...

I'd just like to point out that she's not kicking HIM, she's kicking a ball for him to chase - it just came out as a hilariously funny picture!
xox

i'm useless. but this will make up for it.

YES. OKAY. I REALISE IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS!
But a very busy two months. And I come today baring gifts!

This actually breaks my heart that I'm able to share this with you all, as I spent a lot of money getting a hard copy of this beauty sent over from the US, but one of my all time top 3 bands Paper Route, have released their first full length album from 2009, Absence, and their brand new single, Better Life, onto NoiseTrade! So the album that I've literally worn down from playing so much, can be yours FOR FREE!

Not bitter. Honest.

I don't work with Paper Route in any way, I'm just a huge fan of such an unfairly underrated band, and in a way I'm quite sad they're releasing their music for free, but it's sooooooo good that I just can't not share it with you!
You can find the whole of Absence, plus the new single Better Life, HERE!


So now that I've made up for my absence (heh heh.. Absence..), I feel it's time to introduce you to the newest member of the little panda bear family..

My Christmas present - A Nikon L120
(Just a quick snap I took before heading off to school.. Like the Koala hat Marko brought me?)

I say 'newest addition to the family' as I'm hoping this will mean the start of a LOT more posts from me. This makes it so much easier for me to share what I've been up to, or found, so easily. So here is where I introduce 2 new features to the blog!

(Okay.. Small lie.. I couldn't decide on just ONE for the first week.. So here's four!)

This week's song of the week isssss...

Lykke Li - Get Some

All rights to LL Records.

So there we go! Both those features will be popping up on Saturdays and will be separate from any other posts during the week :)

Ending on a sad note today - Picnik is closing! I'm so sad, it was the easiest way for me to edit my photos for free.. Anyone know any alternatives?

Have a nice night!

xox