5 Reasons To Watch Gilmore Girls!

Monday 27 April 2015

Hello you lovely lot, and welcome back to another in my "5 Reasons To Watch" series! Today I'm talking about one of my all time favourite television shows, Gilmore Girls!

I have to admit, it was hard to choose just five reasons for watching this amazing show, but I narrowed it down in the end! This is one of my absolute "go-to"s, if I'm feeling a bit rubbish - it never fails to cheer me up! So, without further ado, here are the five reasons I think you should give this fabulous show a shot!


It's the ultimate comfort food television

My favourite way to describe Gilmore Girls is as comfort food TV - you know when you have one of those days where all you want to do is curl up with a big mug of hot chocolate or tea, and eat something really comforting (don't know about you, but cake usually works for me!)? Gilmore Girls is the televisual equivalent of that tea and cake. It's warm and comforting and funny and familiar, and all you want to do is teleport yourself into the TV and hang out with Lorelai and Rory all day!

The strong, independent women

You know me, I love a well written female character, and this show is packed full of them. From the three generations of Gilmore women, Emily, Lorelai and Rory, to characters like Sookie St James (Lorelai's best friend, played by the wonderful Melissa McCarthy), Paris Geller, Lane Kim, and Miss Patty, the show is filled with strong, feisty, intelligent and funny women. These are women who aren't afraid to be themselves, but who are real and flawed, who make mistakes and are far from perfect. The fact that we see both the vulnerable and the powerful sides to their personalities makes us fall even more in love with them.

I love all of these characters, but I feel like Lorelai needs an individual mention. I adore her. Lauren Graham is one of my favourite humans, and I just love her character to pieces. She is independent, an amazing parent and someone I would seriously like to have as a friend in real life. Sure, she drinks too much coffee, can be a little too proud sometimes, and doesn't always have the best luck when it comes to relationships, but do you know what? That just makes her all the more relatable!

The Dialogue

Even if you've never watched Gilmore Girls before, I'm sure you'll have read at some point or another that one of the defining features of the show is the dialogue. It's fast paced, filled with pop culture references, from films to books to telvision shows and music, and can, for a beginner, be a lot to keep up with. But persevere, even if your first instinct is "these women talk far too quickly, I won't be able keep up" - you will! Give it a couple of episodes and you be a pro in Gilmore-isms! The more you watch, the more you love the writing style - it's so full of wit and charm, and it forever makes you want to read more books, watch more shows, and get lost in their world!

Stars Hollow is the best town

One of my favourite things about the show is the town in which it's set. Stars Hollow, the fictional Connecticut town is a character in and of itself, and is one of those towns where everyone knows everyone (which, as it turns out, can be a blessing and a curse). The quirky characters, the town meetings, the cute houses and town festivals and events will capture your heart, and you'll find yourself wondering if it's possible to move there.

The Story

Finally, this one sounds a little on the vague side, but the story of Gilmore Girls is one that I think everyone could afford to hear. Yeah, it's a mother-daughter tale at heart, but really, the show is about two women, one in her teens to early twenties, and the other in her thirties, and the people closest to them, going through the motions of real life. We experience love and heartbreak with them, we go through education with them, for Rory we experience high school and college, while with Lorelai we experience working for someone else, and eventually working for herself. We go through family dramas, friendship highs and lows, times when they aren't sure where their lives are going, and times when they couldn't be more confident. This isn't high stakes drama like House of Cards or 24, it's just ordinary, every day life (with a healthy dose of wit). And that can be even more fascinating to watch unfold than the craziest, action packed drama.

So if you've never watched Gilmore Girls before, I hope this post has inspired you to give it a shot - I promise, you will not regret it! You have seven whole wonderful seasons to devour, so go forth, release your inner Gilmore and enjoy :)

Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

Review: ActiDerm "UltraDerm" Cream*

Friday 24 April 2015

Hi everyone! Today I've got a little skincare review for you! This is the ActiDerm "UltraDerm" moisturiser, which I was lucky enough to be sent a sample of to test out, and I want to say a big thanks to the lovely folks at ActiDerm for that. It's always nice when a brand gets in touch in a really friendly and approachable way, so huge thumbs up for that!



What They Say?

"UltraDerm is formulated to protect existing stem cells and encourage multiplication and self-renewal. Combining the near impossible of a light, easily absorbed texture with incredibly luxurious richness. The high-performance formula of UltraDerm takes anti- ageing skincare to another dimension, combining the latest in plant stem-cell technology, antioxidants, peptides which support each other in revealing a healthy youthful glow.

This highly advanced proprietary Neuropeptide treatment activates surface renewal of the dermis to reveal visibly younger looking skin. It addresses loss of elasticity while reenergising and hydrating skin. It diminishes the appearance of deep lines and helps to reduce wrinkles and correct the signs of photo damage.

UltraDerm Cream is formulated with a combination of the most powerful anti-ageing ingredients that nourish repair and lift the appearance of skin, while delivering superior antioxidant protection."


What I say!

Firstly, I was really impressed with the packaging of this product - it's simple but still looks pretty displayed on your shelf. It's the simple things, I know.

In terms of the product itself, I've been impressed. This moisturiser feels lovely - it has a really interesting texture, and I totally agree with their claim that it is rich, yet easily absorbed. I have the awkward situation of having skin that is crying out for a heavy duty moisturiser to inject some life back into it, but I really don't like having anything too heavy or tacky feeling on my skin. You know those moments when you've applied your moisturiser and five minutes later your hair is still getting stuck to your face because it still feels tacky? I was delighted to find I had no such problem with this moisturiser! That was probably my favourite thing about it. It feels like your skin is getting a proper drink, without the feel of a super heavy moisturiser.

In terms of the anti ageing properties and wrinkle reduction claims of this moisturiser, I don't know that I can be the best judge - at 25, I feel like I'm just starting to have to think about these things, so it isn't something my skin has been in desperate need of so far! However, I definitely have felt that my skin looks glowy after using this product, which, considering how temperamental my skin has been of late, I would definitely say is a positive sign.

The other great thing about it is that you really don't need to use a lot of product in one go. A small amount goes a long way, and thanks to the texture, it glides on really smoothly, so you don't feel like you need to keep going back for more! The 50ml jar comes in at £29.99, which is actually pretty good for the amount of product you're getting, and the amount you'll use daily! I popped on to the Space NK website there for a wee look, and when you consider that some of the moisturisers they stock are upwards of £200 and even £300, £29.99 is a good deal!

Keep your eyes peeled, because I also have an ActiDerm eyeshadow, which I want to show you over on my YouTube channel rather than on here - it'll let you see the product in action! I'm planning to use it in a Get Ready With Me at some point over the next few weeks, so be sure to subscribe to my channel to watch out for that!

You can check out ActiDerm's entire range of skincare and beauty products over on their website here.

Thanks for reading!


*While this product was sent to me, all opinions and thoughts are completely my own.

London Vlogging!

Monday 20 April 2015

This week my friend Roisin (from Rose Keats!) and I headed down to London to visit our lovely friend Gill and stroll around enjoying the sunshine! We had such a lovely time, and I vlogged the trip, so rather than tell you about it, I thought I'd show you, in video form! If any of you have subscribed to my YouTube channel, you'll have seen this yesterday, but I know that not everyone who reads my blog is subscribed!

Hope you enjoy, and let me know - if you've been to London, what was your favourite thing about the city?



Thanks for watching/reading!

Pinterest Wanderlustin'

Monday 13 April 2015

Lately I've been having a serious case of itchy feet. When I got home from Australia, I made a promise to myself that I would gradually tick all of the places I wanted to visit off my very long "to visit" list, and then? I went back to uni. So for 2014 I was busy with my Masters, and didn't get a chance to get away anywhere.

Now, here we are in April of 2015, and my wanderlust is spiralling out of control. Pinterest is my weakness - I could (and do) spend hours scrolling through the many, many beautiful travel pins and updating my Wanderlust board (which you can see here!). So here are the places that are currently sitting right up at the top of my list, and that I'm hoping I'll have the chance to visit soon - I've had casual chats about getting away for a wee city break with a couple of my pals, just need to get something in the diary!!

Iceland

I've been desperate to visit Iceland for a really long time now. There's just something so beautiful and magical about the Icelandic landscape, it fills me with excitement just looking at it! So when Amy from The Little Magpie uploaded a post last week showing off her photos from her recent trip, the green eyed monster definitely took over - it just looks so lovely. And who wouldn't want to go swimming in a pool of hot water surrounded by ice and snow?!!


Budapest

This is a very recent addition to my list, thanks to another blog post! Nikki (from Nikki and Things) uploaded a post after her city break to Budapest, and I'm not kidding - the minute I was done reading I was googling cheap flights to Hungary! I knew it was an interesting city, but I had never really paid attention to how utterly beautiful it is! Look at some of those buildings!!


New York

And finally, we have New York. Yes, NYC is still at the top of my list because despite wanting to go for as long as I can remember, I still haven't made it there! Roisin, our friend Gill and I had planned to go this year but a few big life changes (moves to new cities, job changes, etc) has meant it has been postponed - but we'll get there!! You can practically feel the buzz and the energy of the city, even just in pictures!


So for now, my top three travel destinations consists of these three lovely places!

Where would you jet off to tomorrow if the opportunity to get away arose? :)

I wrote and published this post last week, but today I discovered that my urge to write it was actually fate - Transun are running a competition to win a trip to see the Northern Lights, which is something which has been lodged firmly near the top of my travel bucketlist for years! Since the requirements for the post are to write about your top three travel destinations, which is exactly what I've just done, I figure it's a sure-fire sign I should enter the competition! Wish me luck! :) http://www.transun.co.uk/blogs/bucketlist-blog-competition

Thanks for reading!


*All images sourced on Pinterest, and pinned on my Wanderlust board :)

3 Years on YouTube!

Thursday 9 April 2015

Today is a special day! It marks three years since I hit upload on my first ever YouTube video. While it hasn't always been the most consistent of journeys, I can honestly say it's become such an important part of my life, and I can't imagine not having my little space on the internet to ramble away on!

So, although I have a video dedicated to this going up this weekend, I decided to choose a few of the videos I've enjoyed filming the most, and pop them all in one handy little post for me to revisit in the future. I might do a post like this every year, and add to the list of favourites :)

So, in no particular order, a few of my favourite ever videos to film/edit have been...

Reacting to the X-Factor 2014 with Emma

My plan for my next year here on YouTube is to film more reacting to videos. I absolutely loved filming this, and even if Emma and I are the only two who think this is funny, it was a ridiculous amount of fun!



Vlog: Internet Friends

I really enjoyed this chatty, rambly vlog. I just decided to sit down and talk about the amazing friends I've made through YouTube and blogging, and though it was totally impromptu, I'm happy with how it turned out!



Port Douglas Part 1 - Meet my new friends!

I loved all of my Australia trip vlogs, but this one will always have a special place in my heart. My friend Lynsey said I looked like the happiest person in the world meeting those wee kangaroos and Samsun the koala!



Confessions of a Rewatcher (TV)

I had a stupid amount of fun filming this video, and it was round about this time that I realised I needed to channel my passion (as dramatic as that sounds) and actually start focusing my channel on what I wanted to talk about, which was film and TV. Rather than try to cater for what I thought other people wanted to watch, I just started making the content I enjoyed, and could not be happier!



Pretty Little Liars - Reacting to the Big A Reveal!

Another reacting to video - despite the blurred footage, again, I loved filming this, and definitely plan on making more of this type of video in the near future :)



Vlog: Good News, Lush Christmas 2014 and Dinner in Edinburgh

This seems like a totally random choice, but it's really for the first minute of it! I vlogged my reaction just after I found out I had passed my Masters with distinction, and got an amazing mark on the dissertation I had poured my heart and soul into, and while I never thought I'd willingly upload a vlog of me crying, I'm really glad I captured that moment.



Festive GRWM: 2014 Edition

Another fairly recent one, but as my channel started off focused on beauty, I couldn't very well not include a GRWM! My get ready with me videos never tend to work out as well as I hope they will, whereas I was actually pretty happy with how this one turned out :)



The Gossip Girl Tag feat. Rose Keats

And finally, we have the Gossip Girl tag, filmed with Roisin! How could I do a favourite YouTube videos post without including one with a friend I met through this very online community!




So I'll leave it there, but keep your eyes peeled on Sunday, when I'll be uploading a "3 years on YouTube" themed video! Thanks so much to all four hundred and thirty something of you, who have chosen to hit that subscribe button over the past few years. I know I don't have the most regular of channels in terms of content - my videos are a mish mash of everything from beauty to books to films and tv to chatty vlogs, so I really, really appreciate you watching :) if you haven't already visited my channel, here's a wee link if you fancy it - be sure to say hi!

Thanks for reading (and watching!) and here's to another three years!

5 Reasons To Watch Once Upon a Time

Monday 6 April 2015

Hello all - I really enjoyed writing my 5 Reasons to watch Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt post the other week, so I'm back with the next in that little series!

Anyone who watches my videos on YouTube, regularly reads my blog or follows me on Twitter, can tell you that I'm a huge Once Upon a Time fan. I fell in love with the show way back in 2011 when it first started, and my adoration for it has just grown and grown. For anyone who hasn't heard of the show, a simple summary would be that the show explores the lives of all your favourite fairytale characters, brought together in two worlds - the fairytale world which includes The Enchanted Forest, Neverland, Arendelle, etc, and non-magical world a.k.a our world. Via curses, portals and a whole lot of magic, the characters travel between the two, and each episode is told half in real time, half in flashbacks to events in the past (usually in the magical world).

So, if that isn't enough to pique your interest, here are 5 reasons to start watching Once Upon a Time!


The Fairytale Characters

I'm not exaggerating when I say all of your favourite fairy tale characters will make an appearance in this show at some point. To name a few, you'll meet Snow White, Prince Charming and the Evil Queen, Rumplestiltskin, Belle, Pinocchio and Gepetto, Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Mulan, Maleficent, Aurora and Phillip, Red Riding Hood, Ariel and Ursula, Cruella de Vil, Robin Hood, Tinkerbell, Elsa, Anna and Kristoff, the seven dwarves and the mad hatter. And that's just off the top of my head. That isn't even counting two of the main characters, Emma (played by the brilliant Jennifer Morrison) and her son Henry (played by Jared Gilmore). You never know who is going to turn up next!


The Plot Lines

Ever wondered how Maleficent is connected to Snow White? Or how Prince Charming met Anna from Frozen? What about the history between Rumplestiltskin and Peter Pan? Okay, so up till now you probably haven't, but what I love about this show is that it creates this amazing, rich backstory for characters we already know and love. Like why Ursula became evil, for one! In The Little Mermaid, she just goes about her villainous business, and we never find out what brought her to that point. Enter Once Upon a Time to fill in the blanks! Following on from this...

It's a perfect dose of Escapism

My favourite thing about OUAT is that it really is the perfect level of escapism. It's dramatic, and filled with intrigue, but in a light hearted way. This isn't a Breaking Bad style, heavy going show. It's emotional, but fun, and envelopes you in a magical world, where anything is possible, and nothing is black and white. It has a nice nostalgic quality to it too, because if (like me!) you were fairy tale mad as a child, it brings these tales back into your life in a new way, and gives new life to old stories!


The Writing -

The writers really do an amazing job with this show - hardly surprising, when their past work includes Lost! Whatever the storyline, they handle it beautifully, but I'm sure it won't come as a surprise that it's packed full of romance. It's fairytale land, how could it not be! The writers do the most brilliant job with their pairings - not only have they been really lucky to bring together a bunch of amazing actors, so many of who have incredible chemistry, but they just know exactly what to do to tug at your heart strings. And putting romantic relationships aside, they also do a great job with friendships/familial relationships in this show. People who have gone through a lot have a way of finding each other, which is always nice to see.

They have also written a ridiculous number AMAZING kick ass female characters over the past four seasons. Emma, Snow and Regina, three of the most prominent characters, are strong, feisty and independent, and while they are not immune to the considerable charms of some of the leading men, they are more than capable of taking care of themselves - there's none of the Disney-esque damsel in distress stuff here.

And finally, we have...

The Cast

If I could join a cast of a TV show, it would be Once Upon a Time. Not only are they all phenomenal on screen, but when we see blooper reels, or interviews with them, they seem to be having the best time. The show has done so well to bring together such a great group of actors. Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Dallas, Lana Parilla, Robert Carlisle, Colin O'Donoughue and Emilie de Ravin are just a few of the brilliant cast members, and I now struggle to imagine anyone else playing some of these famous fairytale characters. Also, let's be honest - none of these people (in addition to the likes of Jamie Dornan) are particularly difficult to look at - always a bonus!



So there you have it - 5 reasons why you should put Once Upon a Time firmly on your "to watch" list!

One bonus reason - if you are a fan of Lost, this show is full of Lost references! From lots of the same cast members (Emilie de Ravin, Jorge Garcia, Lana Parilla and Elizabeth Mitchell are just a few who have appeared in both!) to constant references to the lost numbers (you know what I'm talking about!), and even the odd Apollo bar. That all makes me much happier than it probably should.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you've had a lovely Easter weekend!

Wednesday Wishlist - Monochrome Must-Haves

Wednesday 1 April 2015

It's time for another Wednesday Wishlist. Spring is approaching, which means the shops are being filled with bright and beautiful colours, which I always enjoy browsing through. The majority of my wardrobe, however, consists of little black dresses - no matter how many times I tell myself I'll buy something colourful, I always end up coming back to black. It's classic, flattering and goes with anything (is what I tell myself when I'm putting back that bright orange top in favour of a black one)! So today, I thought I'd do a little pre-spring fashion wishlist, with some of my favourite monochrome bits and pieces from some of my favourite places to shop. I know we're into April now (whaaat?!) but I put this wishlist together a week or so ago, hence the "March 2015" caption!


ASOS PETITE Mono Aztec Print Peg - ASOS - £22.00

Aztec Jacquard Shift Dress - Topshop - £70.00

White Winged Mini Tote Bag - New Look - £15.99

ASOS Knitted Vest With Lace Hem - ASOS - £28.00

Wool Wide Brim Hat - H&M - £19.99

White Iridescent Stone Ring Pack - New Look - £7.99

That hat? I've been considering it for months now. Every time I go into H&M I try it on, and every time I chicken out. I'm not someone who has ever worn hats, so it's well out of my comfort zone, but it just looks so cool... should I bite the bullet and go for it?!!


Where are your favourite places to shop at the moment?

Thanks for reading!