The #NoMakeUpSelfie Campaign

Within a week, in fact, maybe less, #nomakeupselfies were covering everyone's Facebook timelines, all with the intention of raising money and awareness for Cancer Research. After these first started showing up, I was highly sceptical about them; they couldn't really be used for grabbing attention as the point is that we aren't looking good in them. But were they really raising money?
Yet, after seeing more and more of the selfies being posted alongside screenshots of their donations, my mind had been changed. The news also started covering the new trend and the awareness for Cancer Research grew by a huge amount. By nominating who you think should post the next unfiltered photo, there is sense that everyone wants to involve everyone else and that we all do actually want to help raise money for a good cause. I have even seen some which have donated to different charities, stating that it is a great campaign, but don't feel pressured to donate only to Cancer Research, but to a charity of your choice.
The fact that it is also so simple to donate, (just by texting), the money raised has been incredible. So far a total of £8 million has been raised for Cancer Research. The newspapers are struggling  to keep up to date with just how much money has been raised; it must then be a good cause!

My mind was changed after realising just how much money was being raised and I followed through with my nomination. I then nominated two of my friends. However there does still seem to be a sense in which we making this seem like a 'big' or 'brave' move upon women; that God forbid we should ever been seen in photos without make up! I'm pretty sure that all of the boys I live with at university cannot tell the difference between when I've got make up on and when I haven't; and they don't care. Yes, it is capitalising on the fact that as women, there is a general belief that we should, and need, to always be wearing make up and that it is apparently somehow morally beneficial to be seen without it. But whatever our beliefs upon this actually are, the difference it is making is incredible.

So maybe we should be grabbing our cleansers and our make up wipes and smearing the norms of society, especially if we can raise money for charity at the same time.

I now nominate all of those who wish to join in the trend/campaign. It seems that the #nomakeupselfie has blurred the meaning of these two words; be a part of something amazing.

Please either donate by texting BEAT to 70099 or online at https://www.justgiving.com/cancerresearchuk/

If you also fancy reading some more views on this, check out: http://www.warwicksu.com/blogs/blog/catturhan/2014/03/26/Bare-Faced-Truth-on-the-nomakeupselfie-and-change-in-campaigning-culture/

A great by the soon-to-be SU President of Warwick University.

A Day In The Life #4 | Taylor Swift at the O2!

Copyright @TheKazlightAnthem

That's right my friends. One of the best nights of my life ever happened. Genuinely cried too many times count. I went with Lucy and at the end she said to me that she thought I had actually died or become paralysed at one point.
Now, Taylor is already the love of my life, and I believe that she is sent from the Gods, so I am obviously biased, but she was AMAZING. She truly is one of the greatest performers that we have currently. To give you an unbiased opinion: Lucy was not originally coming with me but stepped in at the last minute. She's not the biggest fan of Taylor, but in her words: 'What the best thing for was not only the songs, catchy although they are, but her songs weren't commercial. Her songs told us not what we wanted to hear but about the truth. People don't talk openly about how they've been bullied or heart broken and most of the time we're not open to listening about it or feel uncomfortable talking about it. She wasn't truing to be someone that other people want her to be. She was just writing the truth. Which is why I cried and I'm not even a hard core fan. [Apart from when Danny from the Script came on and I was a dribbling ship wreck.] Oh yes that's right, Danny O'Donahue also came on! They duetted Breakeven.

I had already seen Taylor on her Fearless tour in 2008/9 but honestly. No words could explain how amazing this was. She did the entire show (just under two hours) with no break; only 30 second costume changes.
The set list included Red, All Too Well (omg, I think I actually died inside at this one. The Grammy's performance youtube video did not do it justice), Treacherous, The Lucky One, 22, I Knew You Were Trouble, State of Grace, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (the closing number; wow.), Mean, You Belong With Me and Sparks Fly.

All photos are Copyright @TheKazlightAnthem

What are your opinions on Taylor?

xoxo