Let's Talk Blog Challenge - Aishling's Summer Essentials

So it's week 2 of the #LetsTalkBlogChallenge and if you don't know what that is here's a quick explanation in the words of creator @sarah_hamersley Sarah's Blog.

So this is going to be a 6 week challenge, with a different topic each week that we'll write and tweet about. The plan is to write and schedule our posts for Monday at 8pm and then tweet our posts on twitter at that time, using the hashtag #LetsTalkBlogChallenge. That way every Monday at 8pm all our posts are live and we're all online to interact and share our posts with each other. I'll be online from 8-9pm every Monday, reading and commenting on all the posts and chatting to you all, just so there is a sense of community and interaction.

The topic for this week is; Summer Essentials! Kerrie and I are both going to share are summer essentials with you. I'm up first and be sure to check out Kerrie's post here :) I hope you enjoy!

First up is some music! I created a playlist on Youtube which I thought was handier than adding individual YouTubes. The playlist includes Joan Jett, Smashing Pumpkins, Eels, Jefferson Airplane, Queens of the Stone Age, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Dinosaur Jr, The Who, The Clash and lots and lots of others! So hit play, enjoy the tunes, scroll down and read the rest of the post!

I only just figured out how to use Polyvore and now I love it! It's such a great way to put outfits together. Expect more Polyvore outfit sets from me in future. I will always try and keep everything in Polyvore sets available to buy around here and not too expensive. Some Polyvore sets I see are ridiculous and you can't even get any of the stuff.

In this first set most of the stuff is from New Look and Etsy. I went for a nice summery mint look and added my own style.

Summer Mint by fluffyvolkswagen featuring vintage turquoise jewelry

AX Paris blue skater dress / Light blue jean jacket, €28 / Vintage turquoise jewelry, €6,49 / T.U.K. Mondo Hi Brothel Creeper Mint Suede, €91 / BEAT IT CREEP Wanda patch by witchhboy on Etsy / Zombie Creepy Cute Laser Cut Green Eyeball Necklace by Clotique / mint GOOGLY EYES pastel glitter heart brooch cute & by cryybaby

Next up I went for a more laid back grunge style.

Whatever Smashing Pumpkins by fluffyvolkswagen featuring a vegan biker jacket

Vegan biker jacket / Denim mini shorts, €28 / Ankle booties / Pin jewelry, €6,85 / Smashing Pumpkins '93' TShirt. by SlunkTees on Etsy / Fashion 80s 90s Vintage Thin Black Bead Magic Tattoo Choker Necklace... / Models Own - Polish For Tans, €6,09

I need to buy all of those things! I do actually have that Models Own nail polish and its so neon green! I will be sure to have a review up after I use it! I hope you like my picks and get an idea of my style :)

I love colourful eyeshadows and lipsticks for around spring and summer. I've recently been dying to try some of Limecrimes amazing lipsticks and glitter eyeshadows. Just look at those colours! I need!

Summery Limecrime Wants by fluffyvolkswagen featuring lips makeup

Glitter makeup, €9,38 / Glitter eyeshadow, €9,38 / Glitter eyeshadow, €9,38 / Lips makeup, €13 / Lips makeup, €13 / Lips makeup, €13 / Smudge proof eyeliner, €10

I love the new eyeshadow palettes that have come out by Essence which are available for about €4 in Penneys/Primark. They're in lovely colours and the colour pay off is great! I already have All About Sunrise which is full of neutral colours and a lovely yellow. Keep in mind though that they're all glittery and shimmery, not matte. There's 3 other palettes available but the main ones I want are below along with some Mac lipsticks I really want!

Cheap and Expensive by fluffyvolkswagen featuring lips makeup

                                       MAC Cosmetics lipstick, €12 / MAC Cosmetics lips makeup, €12

I'm not a lover of pink but pink lipsticks actually suit me well, if I do say so myself :P, and Candy Yum Yum is one of my favourites. It looks amazing on nearly everyone and I would love to try it myself! Lady Danger is another one everyone is raving about this spring/summer and who can say no to a coral red?!

I thought I would include some summer movies or movies that give me a summery vibe. Whether its set around summer time or you can just feel that sticky heat and summer air or it simply reminds me of summer.

Dazed and Confused in my opinion has to be the best summer movie of all. Set in the 70s in follows different groups of teenagers on the last day of school. It feels summery and hot, it's set in an amazing time, the clothes, the music! UGH. If I could go back to then, I would in a heartbeat.

I love everything about it, I love all the people in it, there are so many familiar faces. We're the Aliens, man.

Adventureland stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart and Martin Starr. It's set in the summer of 1987, James (Jesse Eisenberg) has to find a job to pay for a trip he wants to take before going to College. He ends up getting a job at a local amusement park called Adventureland. Stuff and tangs happen :P

Jesse Eisenberg, I feel, is a toned down version of himself in this. I find he can be a bit too much with his quirky ways but he fits well into this excellent summertime indie movie. Kristen Stewart is particularly good. I find she is tainted because of the awful Twilight films but actually she is a good actress (especially in The Runways which I mention below) but there is just not much than can be done for terribly written characters like Belle Swan. If you're a Freaks & Geeks fan, which you fecking should be, this film also stars Martin Starr who is amazing and so nerdy and impossible not to love.

Almost Famous is about a boy named William who gets to write about, and go on tour with Stillwater for Rolling Stone magazine. I didn't know whether to include this or not because although it feels like summer film he actually goes and tours with the band while school is still going on. But to me it feels very much like a summer movie.

Everyone is brilliant in this film so there is no point going through every one of them. Even the people who aren't in it much are excellent. And one of Philip Seymour Hoffman best performances. Excuse me while I have a little cry. RIP :(

The music is especially amazing, even from the made up band Stillwater. Again, like Dazed and Confused, the clothes, the feels, the people. So so good.

The Runaways, keeping with the music theme, a film about the girl band The Runaways. It stars Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie, Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Michael Shannon as a creepy music producer. I feel like they did tone this movie down a bit for the teens but overall it is very good. Kristen Stewart is especially good in this. She is actually perfect as Joan Jett.

Like the movies I mentioned before it, it's the time it's set in, the clothes and music that makes it feel summery to me.

Whip It is currently my favourite movie. I can't watch it enough and it is to me a perfect summer movie. It's hard to tell when it's set because they have mobile phones yet it feels very like a 90s movie. Directed by Drew Barrymore, it's about Bliss (played by Ellen Page), a girl living in a small town being entered into pageants by her mother. She finds a Roller Derby league near her and joins up.

I love this movie so much. Who doesn't have her feels of being trapped in a small town? Every woman needs to watch this cos it shows women and how badass they are. Now I need to go find me some skates.

And there you have it! My list of Summer Essential things! I do hope you enjoyed and can't wait to read what everyone else's summer essentials are! Let me know if you liked the music and the outfits and have watched or will watch any of the movies! Thanks for reading :)