YOUTUBE | KYLIE LIP KIT REVIEW + GIVEAWAY

I love a good matte lip product so naturally I was very intrigued by Kylie Jenner's new line of 'lip kits'. I managed to get my hands on all three of the shades and in this video I run you through what each of them look like on my lips as well as my opinions on the formulation and longevity of the product.
I'm also giving away a brand new Kylie Lip Kit so stay tuned till the end of the video to find out how to enter!

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OOTD | RUST

Zara trousers (similar here & here) / American Apparel top / Topshop boots / Proenza Schouler bag / Daniel Wellington watch*
Decided it was okay to take these shots while it was drizzling and voila — granny Hermione chic with hair bigger (and frizzier) than my life aspirations. This was quite a simple outfit but it's all about the trousers baybayyy... I'm still experimenting with different fits and silhouettes since I'm quite new to the whole pantaloon shebang (perhaps you still remember the Andini who wore nothing but dresses and skirts). I thought this oh-so-70s Zara pair were only a step out of my comfort zone though... highwaisted and wide-legged, it's close enough to wearing a long skirt.

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GET THE LOOK

OOTD | WINTER FLORALS

H&M dress / ASOS hat / ASOS belt / Rachel Comey boots / Daniel Wellington watch*
Florals? For the winter? Groundbreaking. Devil Wears Prada references aside, I do love a good winter floral and think we shouldn't necessarily ditch the print just because there aren't any real ones blooming (in fact the lack of actual flowers around should really be an excuse to wear more floral print hehe)... this dress' icy periwinkle blue print and darker background makes for the perfect winter floral.

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THEATRE | THE DAZZLE STARRING ANDREW SCOTT & DAVID DAWSON

Okay so I actually first saw a poster advertisement for this play on the wall of a local sushi train I often frequent for lunch and my first thought was just a nonchalant "Oh, Andrew Scott's doing another play..."  I'm probably one of the few people living in the UK who isn't a fan of  Sherlock (shock horror, I know... I just can't get into it), and wasn't initially interested in going to see The Dazzle despite actually being quite impressed by Andrew Scott's last performance in Birdland. Fast forward a few weeks and the show began its run, I was suddenly in the mood to watch a play (maybe suddenly isn't quite the right word as this happens pretty often) and there were far and few productions on at that moment that I hadn't already seen. After doing a little research online, I found out that it's being held at a brand new theatre venue that's part of Soho Theatre's management, called Found 111. I booked tickets and before I knew it I was walking down Charing Cross Road, trying to locate the venue before the show. 
Found 111 doesn't look like much from the outside (in fact it doesn't look like anything, it's just a single door in between other buildings) but you actually have to climb a couple flights of stairs upwards where it opens up to a cozy bar area that then leads into the studio room. There's no elevated stage of any kind so the play is executed using floor space in the middle of the room which on the whole isn't very big, I think it seats just over 100 people. Speaking of seating, nothing is allocated so it's first come first served and what was kind of quirky was that they seemed to have just bunged in all the random chairs they could find in varying shapes and sizes and lined them together in rows to form the audience. Upon choosing my seat I inconspicuously stole a cushion from a vacant chair to line the seemingly unforgiving wooden stool I ended up on. I shift my eyes to the middle of the room, where there's an old piano, an antique looking sofa and not much else. The first act is set in New York in 1905 and as the lights dim and all three of the actors enter the room in a flurry of waistcoats and pearls, what unfolds in the next two and a half hours was probably some of the best acting I have ever witnessed at the theatre.
We are first introduced to Langley Collyer (Andrew Scott) and initial impressions are that he's an extremely gifted and successful pianist. Even the bubbly and beautiful Milly Ashmore (Joanna Vanderham) seems quite taken with him. Langley lives with his brother Homer Collyer (David Dawson), who looks to be the more rational of the two and as the story progresses, it is revealed that the former lawyer and now manager of Lang's musical career is the one keeping their financial situation in check. The next scene opens with an exasperated Homer scolding Langley for cancelling yet another performance and here we begin to see that Langley's mental state is almost like that of a child's. He does what he fancies, whenever he wants and his attention span is even shorter than mine. Homer calculates that at this rate the brothers will fall into bankruptcy in the near future so he cooks up a plan to marry Langley off to the besotted Milly, who is conveniently a wealthy heiress. Unfortunately things don't go quite accordingly to plan due to a volatile Langley who doesn't return Milly's feelings and only hangs around her because to him she's 'so ordinary it's refreshing'. Alas as you can very much imagine, the downward spiral begins here. 

As I previously mentioned, 2014's Birdland already proved to me that Andrew Scott is a brilliant stage actor. The role of Langley is another far cry to anything I've seen him play, though perhaps there are elements of Moriarty's cheek and playfulness that can be seen in him. Eyes wide, an innocence radiates from him that is impossible to condemn though I often feel sorry for Homer whom it falls upon to deal with his carelessness and erratic behaviour. However angry with his brother Homer may be in an instant, his nature to protect and look after him always overcomes everything else and I feel this is ultimately a story about fraternal love. Now can we please talk about David Dawson? I'm gonna talk about David Dawson because that man is an absolute revelation and I didn't expect him to command my undivided attention throughout the entirety of the play, I was thoroughly fixated. Personally I thought it was his heartbreaking performance that made The Dazzle so beautiful. As I sat in the theatre watching him, I recalled that I had seen him before in another play called The Duchess of Malfi  (shamefully I had no idea who he was back then) and as soon as I returned home I re-read my review on it and sure enough I wrote that 'his was the standout performance' and now I'm pretty much just reiterating the very same thing. I felt like I was with Homer every moment of the story, being torn between two opposing things that he so desires. Homer's intense drive towards his own dreams knocked the breath out of me yet there were times when such a palpable sense of resignation on his behalf hung so strongly in the air and both of our eyes would well up but the only difference was that Homer would smile through his tears for the benefit of his brother. So yes dear reader, my heart has been thoroughly crushed by David Dawson's performance. I don't hesitate to go as far as saying that this is the best acting I've ever witnessed in my years of going to the theatre. Combined with Andrew Scott and Joanna Vanderham, who is a breath of fresh air as Milly and gave me some serious Carey Mulligan vibes, this powerhouse of a trio serve up a chilling and poignant masterpiece.

I thought I'd also add that I was doing some background research whilst I was typing this and I didn't realise that The Dazzle was based on real life events and that the reclusive Collyer brothers actually existed... how fascinating but also very sad. I feel ridiculously blessed to have had the chance to experience this play and now my future theatre escapades will have to face up to this production... how will anything ever top The Dazzle?
The Dazzle is at Found 111 theatre, London, until the 30th of January 2016. Book tickets here.

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OOTD | COATIGAN

Zara coatigan (similar) / Topshop dress (similar) / Orange belt (borrowed from mum) / Alexander Wang boots / Givenchy bag

Investing in some sleek knitwear pieces for the winter was definitely one of my favourite fashion decisions this season. They truly give you that 'super chic and put together' vibe when actually you've taken the same amount of minimal effort as you would've throwing on a baggy jumper and leggings (which there's nothing wrong with of course but sometimes life just calls you to look a little more presentable, even when you're not in the mood). The two pieces I'm wearing today are a bodycon Topshop striped dress and a drapey Zara coatigan which is basically like a cardigan with added collar lapels that immediately transform it into something smarter. Together I think their silhouettes balance each other out nicely and the neutral colours are perfect to induce into anyone's capsule wardrobe.
On a completely unrelated note, I've just joined Snapchat! About ten years late to the party I know, my username is andiniriaa and I've only had it for a day but I'm already hooked. I'd love to follow more bloggers so please leave your snapchat usernames below :)

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SHOP THE LOOK

OOTD | THE PINK ROOM

Vintage dress / ASOS brogues

Fun fact: I wore this dress on my birthday last year when we went to Sketch for afternoon tea. The Pink Room over there has a (yup, you guessed it) completely pink interior so I would've disappeared into my surroundings if it weren't for my yellow hair... in all seriousness though, this dress is one of my favourite vintage finds, I love the colour combination as well as the mix of dainty prints.

Have you ever found a vintage dress that you felt was just the one?

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LIFESTYLE | HYPER JAPAN FESTIVAL

I've no idea how it's taken me this long to attend a Hyper Japan festival but boy am I glad I finally went last (still feels so strange saying that) year. I adore Japanese culture, food, and fashion, in fact I studied the language all throughout my high school life and even travelled to Japan on an exchange program in my final year. My friends literally wouldn't stop going on about how good 2014's festival was and at first I was unsure about whether I wanted to go. I'm not the the biggest anime buff (the only one I watch is Attack on Titan) and although I was familiar with pop culture conventions, I'd never been to anything like Hyper Japan before. I'm all for new experiences though so I joined a group of girl friends on the Saturday of the weekend long affair. 
The festival was held at Tobacco Dock which is a huge warehouse in East London and though it took about an hour in the freezing cold and gusty winds for the queue outside to make its way inside, it was well worth it as the set up was warm and welcoming. None of us cosplayed but my friend and I did decide to wear our Attack on Titan jackets just over regular dresses. The dress I wore is by Bonne Chance Collections and I thought the cutesy print and oversized collar would go nicely with the whole Japanese theme. Instead of a huge open space with rows of stalls like at usual conventions, the warehouse is split into little rooms with glass walls, so visiting each vendor is kind of like going into a shop. Although some voiced their discomfort at this layout, I actually quite liked it, it made areas seem quieter and more secluded. One of the first shops we wandered into was full of plushies and candy. I don't know why llamas are so popular in plushie form but I can't object, they certainly look adorable. The candy section worked like a buffet bar, you pay a certain amount to get a tray which you can then fill up with the sweets of your choosing. We tried everything from bubblegum sherbets to pumpkin Kit Kats, yuuuuum. On the way out I spotted a whole rack of Gudetama merch but I only ended up purchasing a pack of tissues (which in my defence are probably the handiest thing to have and these ones have Gudetama print on them, so there).
After taking a look at all the different stores we started feeling a little peckish. It just so happened that we walked past a Maid Cafe and my friend explained that it's a fun, Japanese style cafe that is run by women in maid outfits. Food is served as well as activities such as games, music, decorating etc. each for a certain price. I was definitely intrigued so we took a table. The maid designated to our table was named Lisa and she was the bubbliest and loveliest girl ever. She took our orders of ramen and doriyaki (Japanese pancakes with custard filling) before showing us the 'activities menu'. My friends and I settled on Jenga and a game between Lisa and I turned out so intense (like 'only single blocks left' intense) that it seemed the entire room had their eyes trained on us. Unfortunately I was the one who caused the tower to tumble at the end and consequently lost but it was such an amazing game and I think everyone was glad that they could release their breath haha. Before we left we got a little polaroid taken with Lisa to commemorate out visit, on which she also wrote each of our names in Japanese. I actually used to be quite a fluent writer in Japanese (my speaking skills not quite on par though) and looking at this really makes me want to pick up a calligraphy pen and refresh my memory.
Closing time approached much to soon but not before we managed to squeeze in some more Japanese delicacies including takoyaki (octopus balls), chicken karage (fried chicken), bubble tea, and matcha soft serve. With full bellies it was time to make our way out and home, which was easy peasy since Tobacco Docklands is right next to a tube station. The last thing I wanna do after a long day is have to navigate a complicated travel journey, complete with itinerary, home, so I always appreciate this. I had a totally amazing and memorable first experience at Hyper Japan festival and the event has definitely rekindled my love for all things Japanese. Don't be surprised if my blog name changes soon hehe.
PS. Just kidding, forever an anglophile first and foremost.
Have you been to Hyper Japan or a similar Japanese & anime convention?

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