5 most memorable songs of the 90's-00's

When I say nineties, I really mean late 90's and early noughties. 

Since I was only born halfway through the nineties and my core childhood was lived during the noughties, I thought it would be fun to write a little throwback post.

I remember being allowed to watch TV after finishing my homework, and after watching a series of cartoons like cat-dog, Hey Arnold, Pepper-Ann (I could go on forever here), I would switch over to the music section.

MTV Base and VH1 were my go-to channels where I would (innocently enough) groove and bop to x-rated and phallic hip hop songs, along with robotically choreographed 'groups' and cheesy pop songs, headbang and shake every limb of my body to rock music, whilst also embodying precocious heartache with the likes of Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. 

Was I the only one? 

The 90's to me, was a time where music was pretty diverse and great, and although we did have our fair share of hyper-sexualised videos, it was a little more cheesy fun and games, along with overly sentimental serenades.

I will now relieve you of all my nostalgic ramblings and list out my top 5 most memorable songs of the '90's to Noughties.

5. Blink - 182 // All the Small Things (2000)

Probably one of the first alternative rock groups I ever got into. There's something so 'noughties' about this video, seriously. The fact that they were parodying boy bands, was hilarious. These guys just didn't really care to fit the mould. And I would pump up the volume and jump around my house like a caffeine fuelled chipmunk. *sigh*

4. Lucy Pearl // Don't Mess with My Man (2000)

This tune is filled with spunk, funk, groove and soul:  the perfect recipe for a great boogie. Seriously, whenever this song came on, not even really taking note of the lyrics, my sassy inner black female would be released, and boy would I wreak sassy havoc upon the atmosphere with my killer finger wagging.

A confrontational yet reserved message, Lucy didn't need to call anyone a hoe (take notes Beyoncé and Nicki) she simply states 'Don't Mess with My Man'.

3. Janet Jackson // All For You (2001)

For some reason, this song to me symbolises the turn of the millennium, I remember listening to this song on the radio in my dad's car circa 2001-2003.

The break-down, oh the break down at 03:00, exclusively for the video, this sort of dance break was all the rage in hip-hop-esque pop videos, and I would almost pull a muscle thrusting my arms and legs in every direction convinced that I was one of Janet's backing dancers.

2. TLC // No Scrubs (1999)

The costumes, left-eyes rap, the sheer bluntness of the lyrics.  As a kid I was just fascinated by the whole silver sci-fi space suits with the über thick platforms. The best part of the video, has to be left-eyes rap, at the time....I would just spit a little gibberish, but now that I actually realise how smart her lyrics were. Just wow. The chorus is super catchy, and as soon as I hear the little guitar strums, I'm thrown back into the awesome 90's.

1. Rusted Root // Send Me on My Way (1995)

I believe I first heard this song on the movie adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda. Something about this song releases your primal nature. I'm not sure what it is, but the instruments and Glabicki's singing, just go so well together the song sounds so ethnically diverse, whenever I heard this song, I would dance around the living room like a member of an indigenous tribe. And I still do.

There is an endless list of 90's music that can take me back in time to my childhood, and that I'll still (surprisingly enough) be able to sing along to. Whilst writing this post, I can assure you that I had many a boogie. Maybe I'll delve into the 80's next?

Top 5 YouTubers

I've compiled a short list of my 5  current favourite fashion/beauty YouTubers. I hope you grow to like them as much as I do, or simply just check out their awesome channels.

5. Tasha Green

I love how Tasha puts her outfits together with a carefree attitude, she simply wear what she likes, and that's why I like her. She seems very natural and personable in front of the camera and it's always great to see and hear what she has to say about certain products and pieces.

4. BubzVlogz

Bubz (formally known as Lindy Tsang) videos always make me laugh, and I mean ALWAYS. She never fails to show us her genuine, carefree and personable nature, and I think that's why she has such a great following. Not any one of her vlogz are the same. She has this talent to turn mundane household chores into fun little chit chat sessions with minute philosophy as she entertains us with a little cute anecdote here and there. It's always fun to see little Domo and Chubbi get up to their canine antics, whilst Tim joins along with his dorky quirk, and the newest little addition to the family Isaac is oh-so adorable.

3. Shirley B Eniang

I can always count on Shirley to deliver spotless and seamlessly organised videos. Her set-up just seems so organised and desirable, yet she is super personable. I actually happened to bump into this fashionable blogger, she was really sweet in person too. I love how she manages to add a little African twang in her videos, and the fact that she makes simple and inexpensive items of clothing look super luxe is just the icing on the cake!

2. Claire Marshall

Oh hai claire! Claire is awesome. Her genuine, laidback and carefree attitude is what drew me into her channel. Not to mention her creative and innovative editing. I can always count on her videos to have a sprinkle of attitude, a pinch of rock and roll, and a whole lot of sarcasm. She's not your typical YouTube gal being covered in tattoos and all. And I love that she doesn't feel the need to follow the crowd. And we can't forget little Brucifer Lee, her trusty sidekick and companion.

1. Clothes Encounters

Where can I start with Miss Jenn Im.......her concise, articulate yet creative and personable videos are what drew me in. Her ability and willingness to try different pieces, and strut around in her 5"1 stature is awe-inspiring, her editing is fresh and clean and the music choices. Oh, the music choices. She seems to always find a way to "justify", or make a story for her outfits and I admire that ability.
Honestly this pint-sized Korean-American beauty is a force to be reckoned with, I can't wait to see what the future holds for her.

These 5 lovely ladies of the YouTube have made a big impression on me, and constantly motivate me to continue with my YouTube videos.

*Check them out by clicking on the links above their pics*

LUSH SKIN CONDITIONER : RO'S ARGAN BODY CONDITIONER

How can all this magical skin goodness fit in such a small little tub?

Who's Ro? A hound?

I can honestly not rave enough about this sensuous body conditioner by LUSH. 'Ro's Argan' is a soft and creamy conditioner that works wonders in giving your skin that supple, smooth and moisturised feel.

It is perfect for de-hydrated and dry skin, as it is literally packed with a bucketful of natural skin smoothing and moisturising ingredients.

SPITFIRE SUNGLASSES : LENNON FLIP-UPS

If you want that 70's boho look with a pinch of 80's metallic masculinity then these 'sunnies' are the perfect pair for you. For some reason I have an ardent fascination for rounded spectacles, they just seem to look a little less harsh, and don't overpower your face.

These sunglasses are produced by the London-based sunglasses company SPITFIRE, that has accumulated a cult following of hip and trendy fashion-loving individuals. 

KIMBRA - 90s MUSIC

When I first heard the audio for this track, I was a honestly a little taken aback. This is probably because I'm not used to hearing Kimbra's voice layered on this type of beat.  After a few more listens, and once my brain got adjusted to this 'shocking reality'...the song honestly grew on me.

One thing I love about Kimbra is that she has guts, balls and the other parts of the anatomy that connote with being brave. Some artists find their little niche and stick with it...but in todays' music industry, I would assume that people get bored of listening to the same old thing.

OOTD: TWINKLE TOES

After a few posts on Soo Wan and Dong Joo (Angel Eyes). I'd thought I'd shake it up, and stay true to my blog name 'Erratic Evaluations' and throw in a random OOTD. The weather here in London has been pretty bright and sunny for the past few days, and so I thought I'd take the opportunity to showcase my outfit.

Angel Eyes : through my eyes : Episode 10

This episode opens on a much lighter note, compared to the ending of episode 9, where Dong Joo was solemnly crying in dear Soo Wan's arms. Dong Joo and Soo Wan are cooking in Dong Joo's apartment, and the atmosphere is pretty light, jokey and flirtatious. The two 'soul-mates' eat a fried prawns meal in Dong Joo's comfy living room. 

Angel Eyes : through my eyes : Episode 9

Ji Woon has finally realised that Soo Wan and Dong Joo were speaking about one another when talking about their first loves to him. He finally pieces the puzzle together and with a dramatic memory montage and depressing rain scene, he finally found out.

VIDEO VERDICT - EXO - OVERDOSE 중독

The 12-man Korean Pop group EXO has finally released their most recent music video 'Overdose' and boy am I overdosed!! With over six million views of both their music videos (Exo-M who promote in Mandarin + Exo-K who promote in Korean) released on the 6th May, this break-out band is on a steady roll.

I had been anticipating the new music video ever since I saw the images showcasing their new looks for promoting their new mini album, and I can honestly say I am not one bit disappointed with the outcome !

It's vibrant, energetic and makes me want to dance!! Let me break-it-down textually about why I love it when these guys break-it-down physically!!

5 Things You Should (Or Shouldn't) Do At A Nightclub

Recently I and my friends boogied our way on down to a nightclub based in the heart of London's shopping district. The club (Piccadilly Institute) literally a few minutes away from the popular hotspot Piccadilly Circus, is likely to be filled with your average 20+ club-goer and plenty of tourists. I myself am not an avid 'club bunny' only frequenting clubs on rare special occasions, so the entire experience could simply be from a clubbing-novice's point of view. But from the few times I've been, I've been able to construct a small list of things you should watch out for when 'shaking what your momma gave ya' in London.

SKINCARE SNIPPET - MALE KOREAN SKINCARE ROUTINE

Those who are close to me know that I have an obsession with the South Korean Pop Culture, and those who aren't can probably tell anyway, since I take every opportunity I can to express my devotion to the almighty Hallyu!!

Like any other teen going through puberty (and in many cases, fully fledged adults)...... there's something we all fear and dislike....and that's BAD SKIN. Let's be honest here, the whole 'self-conscious about our skin' thing is definitely pushed and emphasised due to cosmetics and skincare companies, and the 'general' view of beauty within our modern society.

There are many teens and just people in general who couldn't care any less about their skincare, so my deductions could be borderline subjective due to the fact that I am a teenager, but anyway, back to Korean Skincare!!

MY SOUTH KOREAN OBSESSION

I've come to the realisation that I should probably start writing about K-Drama's and K-Movies. For those who don't know, the 'K' stands for Korea. And the Korea we're talking about here is South Korea.

I don't really know exactly when this fascination/interest-turn-obsession started but I'd like to say it was around mid-march of last year, where I decided to emerge myself in the Korean Pop Culture. So to many I'd be viewed as a novice, lol, the 'rookie'. But the status doesn't cap-size my adoration for the Pop Culture of South Korea.

I was actually introduced to K-Pop quite a while ago, by my awesome older cousin, but didn't really show much interest in it. Like the unimpressed and naive pre-teen I was, I would usually respectfully participate in other people's interests/hobbies, but never be committed enough to actually develop more of an interest, as I supposedly thought that everything I enjoyed was far more interesting than what my friend/family member etc, enjoyed. Anyway, enough about 12 year old MJ.

VIDEO VERDICT - EXO - OVERDOSE 중독 (TEASER)

OMG! So EXO are coming out with their second mini album 'OVERDOSE', which will be released on April 21st.

Their new logo concept for this album is still in the shape of a hexagon, like their previous logos, the hexagon representing the six members in both Exo-K and Exo-M. But the new logo is in the form of a maze, this maze is also featured in their new music video for 'OVERDOSE'.

OOTD - OXFORD CIRCUS

I and my best bud Lisa, decided to venture to one of London's most populated and popular shopping strips, Oxford Circus for our OOTD videoshoot. 

Check out the video!!! 

Since we were trekking quite a bit around, I thought I would keep my outfit borderline casual with a little edgy flair, so here goes ^___^

OOTD - BRICK LANE

A few days ago, I and my best bud Lisa decided to hit the ever-so-artsy and urban BRICK LANE to shoot our OOTD video.

>> CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT <<

Or you could just watch it right here....

OOTD - WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

I and my best bud Lise decided to visit the woods for out first ever YouTube fashion video, and I decided to take a few snaps of my outfit.

>> CLICK HERE TO CHECK THE VIDEO OUT<<

OR..... you could just watch it here, the choice is entirely your own...

Here I am wearing my PULL & BEAR Leather Imitation Jacket, I love this coat because it gives a super relaxed and casual feel to your outfit. The lapels slouch down a little giving your outfit that effortless touch. 

WHAT'S IN MY SCHOOL BAG?

It's 11pm and as I organise my outfit and books for the academic day ahead inspiration strikes leading me to write this post. I couldn't decide what t-shirt to wear with my PULL & BEAR imitation leather jacket, so I just grabbed a couple of shirts and hung them up hoping that my indecisiveness will cease by tomorrow morning and that I'll grab whatever shirt tickles my fancy in the morning.

VIDEO VERDICT - SO NYUH SHI DAE (소녀시대) - MR MR

Okay, so If you didn't already know, I'm into K-Pop. And one of the biggest girl groups in South Korea, Girls Generation a.k.a So Nyu Shi Dae have recently released their fourth mini album 'Mr Mr'.  With over 10,000,000 views of their latest video, and a YouTube Music Video Award for 'I Got A Boy', it's not a surprise that these girls are frontrunners of the Korean Wave (Hallyu).

TECHY TOURIST - OUT AND ABOUT WITHOUT A SINGLE DOUBT

So, I decided to hit the town with my best bud Lisa, with exams and assignment deadlines flying our way we decided that we should take a little break and took to the streets of Central London for a little impromptu photo session.

Since the weather is pretty crazy, as we slowly step out of Winter and step into Spring, I decided it would be a safe bet to throw on my Everest Parka Coat from SuperDry, lightweight and waterproof it is the perfect parka for the hustle and bustle of London. Underneath that I wore a staple American Apparel Salt & Pepper Zip Hoodie for that extra touch of warm, it also added a more casual feel to the overall outfit. I donned my waterproof and super sleek Black Leather Imitation Skinnies from Topman, they're super cosy and tight so you don't feel all groggy and clammy whilst whizzing around town.

TECHY TOURIST - IN LONDON

So I decided to embark on a little trek around the tourist-filled capital of London. Amongst the weekend joggers and dog walkers in Hyde Park, there were a prodigious amount of people lugging around the latest DSLR model and avidly taking snaps of every inspiring rock, leaf and grain of sand.

Now, I have had 0% of photographic training, so this was just me testing out my new Canon 600D. I honestly think that my snaps turned out pretty okay, but the real judgment falls to you guys. I have a whole lot to learn, but I was super anxious to get shooting that I thought, 'what the hay! Let's just do it!'. And hence my can-do attitude resulted in this photo session. Enjoy!!!

CONCERT CAPTURE - PARA-PARA-PARAMORE!!! - 28/09/2013

Well what can I say? Yet again another post about an event that has happened aaaaages ago. But yet again I can't pass up the chance to textually babble about it, so here goes!!

After the long awaited release of their self-titled album PARAMORE (if you haven't heard of them where have you been?), the alt-punk-rock-pop group decided to embark on a world tour. I have personally been a fan of the group ever since I heard their single 'Pressure' in a Sims game (lol), so I would say I've been a Paramore fan for seven years now? Haha.

I and my best bud Lisa were in a panicky frenzy when we heard that the tickets were out, and boy where they selling out fast, we purchased a pair as soon we could. This being my second Paramore concert, I was filled with anticipation of finally getting to re-experience the great Paramore LIVE. I was also super buzzed to accompany Lisa (who I introduced to the band, yes I take full credit) to her first ever Paramore gig.

Ok so we were literally in the front row! Like, there was a row of people in front of us but seeing as I and Lisa both are around 6ft we had a clear view of the stage as we towered over them, and this enabled for us to experience intimate moments with the band members, not to mention the fact that we were able to grab some great kodak snaps.

CONCERT CAPTURE - CHIME FOR CHANGE FESTIVAL - 01/06/2013

Although this event occurred quite a while ago, I decided I would write a post about it since it was a great experience, and I enjoyed being a part of the cause.

CHIME FOR CHANGE is an organisation founded by GUCCI alongside Beyoncé, Salma Hayek and  Frida Giannini, that promotes education, health and justice for women and girls all around the world. What differentiates this organisation from others is that you actually get to pick where you want your money to go.

For example if you want to help young women in Mali fight female sexual mutilation or support health advocates in the Philippines, you can pick an issue that you feel most strongly about and donate. 

CHIME FOR CHANGE hosted a global festival event where ambassadors such as Beyoncé, Madonna, Salma Hayek, James Franco, Zöe Saldana, Jada Pinkett-Smith and many more influential stars were present. Each of the 50,000 concert-goers were able to donate the full-value of their ticket to their chosen cause.

OOTD - LAYER IT UP

The common denominator of all my blog posts this month? THE COLD WEATHER!!! You'd think I'd be used to the British weather, but whenever I find a chance to moan or complain about it, lol, I grab that chance by the marbles!!

I threw this outfit together before going out to run some errands. This blog post however will have a tiny twist. I'm going to reveal each item of clothing, using the strip method. How saucy!! (not really)

FASHION FOCUS - WALLET OR CLUTCH?

Do you ever find yourself just passively signing up for membership cards that gradually accumulate in your wallet? If you do than this cluchett, lol, can be the perfect solution for you.

I've always found that male wallets were super tiny, predominantly because the unvoiced consensus is that it looks cool to shove it into the back pocket of your jeans. But as an avid shopper I found that my wallet started to gain a beer belly, and I couldn't fit in anymore much needed (not really) cards. 

OOTD - EVEREST

Inspired by a Parka Coat that Ahn Jae Hyeon and various other Parka Coats that Korean Pop stars and actors wear, I decided to head on over to SuperDry at Westfield London to search for my own.

After searching around the store like a headless chicken, I finally decided to try on this coat. It's one of many Everest coats that SuperDry produce, but this one caught my eye particularly because of the brown camouflage print. 

OOTD - CHARCOAL LEATHER

As the winter days become even cooler, one needs to make sure they are bundled in a bunch of insulating clothes. But this doesn't mean that we need to look like an elastic band ball. Here's one of my favourite outfits for a cool winter's day.

First I make sure I'm cosy and warm by wearing this Fisherman's Pullover from American Apparel in a cool 'vintage grey' colour. Made out of a soft cotton-knit weave, it can be worn all year. The loose knit allows the skin to breathe, and the soft cotton retains heat. The sweater retails at £66 and $78. And comes in a varied assortment of colours.

FASHION FOCUS - HELMER LEATHER BACKPACK BY SANDQVIST

I purchased this bag on a sneaky whim. After searching online for two weeks for a bag that suited my taste, due to my peculiar and picky attitude in regards to bags and shoes, I finally stumbled across this bag.

The leather backpack made by the Swedish brand 'SANDQVIST' caught my attention whilst I was nonchalantly scrolling through the pages of the URBAN OUTFITTERS website. My personal requirements for a bag, was for it to be sturdy, simple, easy to clean, long lasting and to be able to fit my notebooks and laptop. 

This bag fortunately ticked all those boxes. Made out of leather, it is easy to clean and will last longer than a cloth bag. It's simple boxy structure enabled for me to fit my 13" laptop. And the official SANDQVIST website claims that it can fit a laptop that is two inches bigger.