Meet Bianca!

This week's post is very different to my usual Saturday posts as it is an exclusive interview with up-and-coming artist Bianca Claxton!

Lets dive straight in shall we!

Hi Bianca! I'm a big fan of yours but some of my readers might have never heard if you! Tell us a bit about yourself. 

Hey! Well I'm Bianca and you may not have heard of me, but you might have heard of the girl band Parade that I was one fifth of for 3 years. Since then I've been writing and recording my debut album with some awesome writers and producers who’ve worked with Britney Spears, Spice Girls and Lana Del Rey and I'll be releasing some music this year for you guys to hear and, fingers crossed, you'll love it! I’ve also been singing for a few other people, and last year I sang on Cher’s new album and also for Leona Lewis on her single ‘One More Sleep’.

So how old were you when you decided music was something you wanted to be apart of? 

I've always loved music, but I didn't start singing properly until I was about 16. That's when I decided that this was something I really wanted to do.

How did you become part of Parade?

We were put together by auditions by our management and record label. We had a load of initial auditions and then a week of boot camp auditions. It was pretty nerve wracking for all of us.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

It's so hard to pick because there have been so many highlights. Probably the first few times people started to sing our first single Louder back to us, that was a really proud moment! 

I'm loving your new look! What made you want to change from your style in Parade to now?

Thanks! It was definitely time for a change after Parade as I'd had the same look for so long. In the group we each had our own little characters that defined us, but now there is much more freedom to change things up a bit. 

Do you see yourself as a role model for young girls?

I hope so. I definitely try to be aware of what I say as I do have a tendency to blurt out exactly what I'm thinking sometimes!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to get into the music industry?  

Be prepared to work really hard and never take no for an answer! Also, you have to really believe in yourself otherwise nobody else will. 

What does the future look like for you?

It's exciting. I'm doing music that I'm really proud of and have been involved in most of the writing process for the album. I will be putting a few little sneak peeks of new music online, start gigging and have a single out later on in the year. I can't wait to start performing and seeing everyone again. It's the best bit! 

When you go on tour, will you being doing meet and greets? 

Definitely!!! It's always amazing to meet and chat with everyone and to be able to give something back and say thank you to the people that have supported me. 

If you could work with any artist who would it be and why?

I'd probably have to say P!nk because she seems completely bonkers and a lot of fun, That's definitely the sort of person I'd like to work with because you know you'd have a right laugh. 

Where is one place you'd love to perform?

That's a tough one. Probably The Brits! To be able to perform with the best British artists would be a complete dream.

What do you enjoy most about performing?

Seeing people's reactions in the crowd is deffs the best bit! There is no better feeling than seeing someone else smiling back or singing along and knowing that you've put that smile on their face. Music is the universal language and anyone anywhere can relate to it. 

Want to find out more about Bianca? Check out her Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
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I hope you enjoyed this and if you liked it then keep reading my blog as I have a few other little secrets up my sleeves!

Esmee x

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Buzzcut Season // Callie's Corner

It takes a lot of commitment to shave, I'll be honest. Whether it's your legs, your armpits, or half your head.

In case you haven't guessed it, this post is about undercuts and what it actually means to get one and my experience with mine. It's not just a case of breaking out the clippers on a whim and buzzing off a chunk, it genuinely takes a certain degree of commitment and a heck of a lot of maintenance.

I have actually had an undercut, well, I still do, but not as extreme. Now, I've had short hair for years now, or a pixie cut if you like, but around a year ago I made the snap decision that I wanted to shave half of my head.

This is probably the part where you expect me to bag about how awful it was; how I regretted ever falling prey to that enticing buzz of the clippers and wish I had never uttered the phrase "can I get a grade 3 please?" Nope. That grade 3 eventually became a grade 2 - which got me into some trouble with my mother because 2 was just that little bit too far. However, I did end up growing out the side after around a year of having it. I didn't grow out completely, although I did try and found I just couldn't do it! Getting out the clippers has almost become an addiction for me and I could honestly never get my hair cut without them again. Sad, amiright???

It's more subtle now for me, with both sides being clippered and the hair falling over the top. Honestly, I'm in need of a buzz right now and I'm getting that done on Friday... But this is a good reference for what a grade 3 looks like after 5 weeks!

Trying to grow out an undercut is considerably easier with already short hair though - it just blends in after a few weeks depending on the clipper grade. Honestly, maintaining it is worse than growing one out. I find that after about 4 weeks I'm itching to get it cut again. Depending on how quickly your hair grows (and mine grows pretty quickly) you'll be looking at getting it clippered ever 4-6 weeks. Personally I get mine done every 6 weeks, but that's purely because I'm pretty tight fisted with my cash and won't pay for a haircut every 4 weeks. Although, if you're close with your hairdresser like I am, they might be willing to give you a buzz free of charge or class it as a fringe trim and do it on the cheap. When I had a whole side done I just had to call for an appointment and she'd clipper it for free. Just remember though this is just for a quick trim with one set of clippers, so don't get cheeky and ask for more! There's always the option of using a men's barber as it is really just a walk in, walk out service which is reasonably cheap if asking for one clipper grade to do a quick buzz. I've worked in one before for a year, so trust me when I say this won't cost you more than a tenner.

If you have long hair I think one of the easiest options with growing out with grace is changing up your parting a little to cover it. You also have the lovely options of playing with headscarves and various other accessories to give yourself a little more oomph. I also have a real fondness of side buns and chignons which can be dressed to look either professional (if where you're applying for a job doesn't approve of alternative haircuts) or that little bit more classy for going out. But then again, who's to say you don't look classy as heck anyway??

This is mainly for side undercuts, however. Another includes getting the nape of the neck buzzed so it's visible when the hair is pulled up. This is definitely the least obvious undercut as it's practically invisible when your hair is down. I'd say this is probably the best for people who are unsure of how it would affect their look or are dithering about whether or not to take the plunge. I honestly do love these. I have a friend who has one and she gets patterns shaved into it as well which looks hella cute.

So there we have it! Undercuts! 

Hope this was helpful to anyone considering - or perhaps it's inspired you to hop onto the bandwagon and join the buzzcut crew?

Callie

Bucket List: Coachella

One thing that is definitely now on my Bucket List is to go to Coachella at least once. The weather is always amazing and the line up great but the thing I love most about it though is the fashion. I love festival fashion and I love seeing what people have decided to wear each year, this year there have been some big no-nos (think Kendall Jenner's huge fake nose ring or Kesha's crazy coloured hair and white jumpsuit combo)

Some of my favourite looks from this years Coachella are Paris Hilton's beachy maxi dress, Cara Delevingne's chilled out white tee and denim cut offs and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's daisy print denim shorts which I love and really want a pair of! But my favourite Coachella looks by far come from the Coachella Queen, Miss Vanessa Hudgens.

Paris and Nicky Hilton

Cara and Poppy Delevingne and Sienna Miller

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Vanessa Hudgens' many Coachella looks

Kendall Jenner

Coachella is on my Bucket List, but what's on yours?

Esmee xx

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Study Tips!

I know that posts like this are thrown up all over the internet as the dreaded exam time approaches. Students are sick to death with teachers, tutors, parents and exam boards constantly telling them set ways to revise that doing the same thing gets incredibly boring and they end up falling asleep at their desk. 

Getting a good breakfast is the key way to kick start the day (not going to lie...I'm guilty of not doing this and just grabbing something to eat in the car) but over the exam period I'm gonna try to get up at reasonable times and start my day with actually eating breakfast.

Everyone knows that fish and eggs are classed as "brain food" but did you know that so are blueberries, bananas and avocado are too? Even peanut butter is too! (Time to stock up on Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Reese's Pieces!)

 It's always a good idea to plan what you're gonna do each day - whether that's a timetable or a to-do list for the day or the week. This is just so you can get your head around what needs doing and when you're gonna do what so you can prioritise the things you struggle the most with but balancing it with the things you enjoy and are good at. By doing so it can give you a little confidence boost and encourage you.

Breaks are a key part to revising. So try to have one day a week where you just chill. You don't want to constantly be revising but then you don't want to not revise at all because essentially your future depends on these exam results. When planning what you're going to do each day plan it in 40-14 minute intervals therefore you have short bursts of revision rather than long hours. In between these intervals take breaks, whether that's watching a bit of telly or something on youtube, scrolling through social media, online shopping, whatever it is make sure it's something you enjoy but isn't gonna take over the day and be a huge distraction to you.

Speaking of distractions, in the periods that you are revising take away all possible distractions to you. Turn off the music, clear the room of people or pets but most importantly turn off your phone and leave it in another room, hide it or give it to someone to look after. I'm sure I speak for the majority of our generation in saying that parting with my iPhone will be hard as it is pretty much glued to my hand but I am determined to succeed. (haha yeah right Esmee...like that will actually happen!)  

Revision can be boring and with boredom comes hunger. Keep yourself stocked up with snacks to help you along and keep your energy levels up. Biscuits, dried fruit and nuts are perfect snacks as they won't make you feel tired and sluggish or hyper. Drink lots of water as well to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. Chewing gum can also make you more alert therefore less tired, it can lower stress and in some cases can help you improve in what you are doing. 

I hope these tips will help you succeed and I wish you the very best of luck if you're sitting exams soon!
What things do you do to help you revise? Let me know in the comments or you can message me on any of the links below!

Esmee x

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Goodbye for a few weeks..

It's not goodbye forever! In just three weeks time my exams will have started therefore I will be hiding from everyone trying to remember as much as I possibly can so I wont have much time for blogging (I know you'll all be incredibly sad...hahaha). There might be time for me to write posts but don't expect much from them and they probably wont be every week. So as for this post, I thought I'd leave you with a few things I've been loving so far this year.

The Crew Show

Victoria Secret Pure Seduction body spray

Creme Eggs

Skater Skirts and Dresses from boohoo.com (although I'm yet to buy anything!)

Look At Me Now by Charlie Puth

Thank you all for reading my blog! I'm amazed at how many people have read it and shocked that I have just as many American readers as I do British! So hello and thank you to every single one of you in Britain, American, Europe, Australia, Brazil, Japan, wherever you are, thank you!

Esmee x

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