Hey guys and gals! We're in November where the heck has time gone? I'm back in the UK too, which means I'm back to binge watching as a sport. Such is life ;) if you've already managed to work your way through the list of comedy shows I made a few months ago -here- then don't fret. I have two more great recommendations for you now!



I had seen adverts for this on E4 but never bothered to go out of my way to watch it. Then I visited my friend in Bristol and loved it. Its not surprising really, being made by The Office US and Parks and Recreation producer Michael Schur. Its a comedy show set in an NYPD hence, Brooklyn Nine Nine. Andy Samberg is my new crush (yes, The Lonely Island and SNL guy) and Chelsea Peretti is my new sassy motivator! GURL!
The first season is on Netflix.



This is a totally different show for me. Apart from Orange Is The New Black I don't really watch shows that aren't comedy. When my friend Becca told me about How To Get Away With Murder. I started it and was instantly hooked! Its a crime drama with Law students learning the ropes from the master. Viola Davis is brilliant, she well deserves that Emmy! The actor that played Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter series is in the main cast, see if you can spot him... I must admit I didn't realise until having a Wiki sesh.
The first season is on Netflix.

I spent the majority of August travelling around France and have some blogs to catch up on. Would you believe me if I told you I was writing this from a campsite in Rome? I am - hehe. Anyway, here's a little list of 'Cool Places' in Paris, enjoy!

Bertie's Cupcakery
Cupcakery's are the best, welcome to Bertie's! The foodie in me will always be on the look out for cool places to eat. They had so many flavours, I chose Nutella, obviously. The restaurant next door is super pretty too!


Shakespeare and Company


Pont des Arts - Love Lock Bridge
Everyone has probably seen a padlock with a couples names written on it somewhere, right? Well this is where it all started. Tradition is you lock the padlock and throw the key into the river so the love will last forever...They had to move the locks off the bridge because the weight was damaging the structure, now they are on the riverbank instead of the actual bridge.


Palais de Chaillot
If in Paris you have to see the Eiffel Tower, of course. From most places in Paris it'll be on the skyline but why not have a photo with it? If you take the Metro to Trocadéro, walk around the corner and there is the platform waiting for you to say cheese or cerise :)



Coiffeur Vintage Shop
This was stumbled across by mistake and I'm so glad! I actually Googled it when I got home, because if you're French speaking or do notice - Coiffeur means hairdresser... Anyway, this has been labelled The Best vintage shop in the centre of Paris at 32 Rue de Rosiers. I picked up a 5€ plaid shirt! How crazy is that? In the middle of Paris! The man said he has a shop in London too and the same shirt would cost £25!

A new load of freshers have started moving into student halls. How was that me 3 years ago? *cries* it can be really strange moving away from home for the first time let alone at 18, feelings will be all over the place. Excited, nervous, apprehensive and even a little sad. Parents are probably crying whilst you're trying to look cool in front of the flatmates you've just met. When you finally say goodbye to crying family, its time to put everything where you want it, meet the people you'll be living with for a year (or possibly longer) and have some drinks. You have so much to look forward to...

1) Mocked for your accent/where you're from

Accent? I don't have an accent. Yes, yes you do. You'll meet people from around the country/world and everyone has seen The Only Way Is Essex. If you are from Essex, say the standard 'catchphrase' before anyone else has a chance to. I'd like to say as people become friends they let it go, but they don't. You'll always be known as the Essex Girl.

2) The weird flatmate

This isn't a myth. In a perfect world everyone will be drinking together and all be best buddies. The reality is 6/6 people that have been thrown together aren't all going to mix. Even if you start off with a bottle of Sourz and shot glasses, you still aren't that likeable. If you don't have a weird flatmate, its probably you...

3) Getting so very, very drunk

Uni towns mean cheap booze. Cheap booze means all lessons about alcohol you already know are thrown out the window. New limits. You'll probably be sick. Chunder. Even if you are one of those teens that doesn't/didn't really drink much, not living under your parents roof - the inevitable will happen. You'll be super embarrassed and hilariously awful photos will be taken. Life will go on though. And, to be honest you'll carry on getting super drunk.


4) Friends for life

Weird flatmate aside, the people you meet will near enough instantly become your friend group/urban family. Within two weeks it'll feel like you've known each other for ages. The crazy stuff you'll get up to together means you have to be friends anyway. They have seen things. Some of those people know so much about you, you could be a specialist subject on Mastermind.

5) You decide

If you didn't go to college this is the first time in education you're treated like an adult. The loan is in your name. The debt. Lecturers aren't ma'am or sir but Steve or Julie! Independent. You can be who you want to be. If you want to go out the night before a 9am lecturer, thats on your shoulders, Mum won't phone in sick for you.

6) The best time ever

Most importantly you'll have the best time ever at uni and will never want to leave.

Today I start my European adventure! I'm so excited!!! The ferry ticket says we're in 'Economy Unicorn' which can only be a good thing, amiright? Here is why I decided to travel straight after graduating. Even if I encourage one person to get out there and go, I'll be happy with that :) Some people have said to my face that I'm putting off being an adult for a while longer, whilst others have said they would never have the guts to do something like this. I'm going for a bit of both, I suppose!

It Looks Great On A CV
Travelling shows potential employers that you have a lot of experiences and stories other people your age don't. You haven't settled in job. Don't get me wrong working up a career ladder can be great. But you've gone out and grabbed life by the cheeks. You have ages to get settled in mundane life, paying bills and working 9 - 5.


Meeting New People
Going to Uni you meet people from around the country maybe even the world, its all new and exciting. Then those people become friends. I honestly can't remember the last time I met someone new. Friends, I love you all, but when I look at my 'Recently Added' there's no one there! Its time to put those relationship building skills to the test again. Stepping out of your comfort zone can only bring good things. Having friends and knowing people around the world is something I'm really looking forward to - I'm packing name badges!

You Regret What You Don't Do
A lot of people have told me this through their own life experiences. I personally try to regret nothing and take my mistakes in my stride (my biggest regret until recently was not seeing Ed Sheeran at V Fest 2012, but I managed to catch his secret set at Latitude this year, who'd have thought! Anyway going off track....) Yes, just say yes. If someone asks do you want to come travelling with me, you bloody say yes.

Big Wide World
Everyone says getting your first full-time Post-Grad job is scary stuff. I didn't have a gap year so I've been in education since I was 5. Now I'm 21... Thats a long time. I'm going to have a break :)

I'm talking about a shower gel not a fancy restaurant by the way. Ahhhh The Olive Branch RRP £4.75 - £15.95 this is the first 'mature' Lush shower gel I've tried. By that I mean it isn't bright pink, with glitter in and well, instead sounds like something my Mum would pick up. Can Lush do any wrong though? I was pleasantly surprised when I replaced my massive Baylis & Harding bottle. Its a lot runnier and thinner than other shower gels I'm used to. You can tell theres oil in there and needs a good shake before use.

The standard Lush product it is, the ingredients are natural and/or safe. On the website it says the olives used are Fair Trade coming from an Israeli/Palestinian collective, which is nice to hear! I find the scent wakes me up without being too in your face, but at the same time has a calming effect. Maybe thats because the smell reminds me of being on holiday though, ha! It makes my skin super soft too and I would invest again for sure, up there with my favourites!

Life as we know it is over. The inevitable has happened, I've moved back home with Mum and Dad... I don't mean to sound overly dramatic, but my university life has come to an end. I'm no longer a student. I'm about to be flung into the big-wide-world at the moment its a bit like Bambi on ice.

I had to Google what ' eyebrows on fleek' meant, am I that out of touch at the ripe age of 21? Eyebrows are a vital part of make-up. I started using pencil, thought it was fine it did the job and all that. Then I moved on to powder and using a brush. The effect is so much nicer! Everyone is entitled to their own preference of brows, my personal choice being defined and thick, without being Scouse or black. My powder journey was started by this wonderful palette Collection 2000 - Work The Colour Eyebrow Kit RRP £2.99.

What a steal! £2.99! It comes with three shades: a dark blonde, brown and near enough black, a double ended brush, a clear brow mascara and a little mirror in the lid of the palette. I use the angled end of the brush in the medium brown colour. If I'm going for a more natural look the dark blonde at the start of my brows and the brown on the rest. To finish I fix with the brow mascara. It did feel strange at first, being shaped like a mascara brush and I've never had that feeling on my brows before... Such a handy little palette at a bargain price! If you're making the transition from pencil to powder or just starting your eyebrow journey, give it a try!

This post is overdue, but I finally got round to writing it up!
Amsterdam, its a wonderful place that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. For my 21st my wonderful friends and fellow travel buddies planned a trip to see The Anne Frank House. I mean quick roundtrip, starting in Essex at 5am and getting back the following day at about 2am, driving and ferrying. Crazy, crazy, crazy!


LIVING - After a crazy hunt for passports and mad rush, we made the first ferry leaving Dover. Thanks to feeling a bit icky on the way over, I didn't need to splash out on a full English for £10! A tenner for a breakfast?! Will remember to travel with food in the future for sure! The drive through Europe was so strange, we went through boarders without even realising. Hell, we're in Brussels man! Getting stuck in traffic when you're busting for a wee with services few and far between, was bladder testing I must admit. I think the services in the UK are taken for granted. We treasure you now Welcome Break and Moto!!

Accommodation in Amsterdam is really expensive good job we're hostel enthusiasts! Looking forward to the opening of the Amsterdam Generator though. We stayed at the Season Star Hotel which is actually a hostel but it was better than I'd expected. Having already been told that this place was the cheapest they could find. Normally hostels have bunk-beds when its a room for 4 right? Nope! This had 4 single beds in a row ha! It was only for a night though and the location was spot on! Across the road from Amsterdam Central Station, ideal!

Being my brothers first visit, we squeezed in lots of touristy bits; coffee shops, Red Light District, Dam Square and the tulip market. If you're planning to visit coffee shops, be careful, even experienced pot users have said its a lot stronger in Amsterdam. Maybe stick to a space cake... Getting to the reason for the trip, The Anne Frank House. Absolute must-see, its hard to express how emotional it is if you haven't been. They've keep the posters up that she glued to the walls in glass cabinets and even though its 70 years on, its still raw and heartbreaking. Its nice how everyone is quiet walking around completely submerged in her story.


WEARING - Not the most fashion forward trip I must say. Wearing flip flops on a ferry, in heavy weather conditions was not the wisest decision ha! What can I say, I like to have cool feet when I travel... The weather was terrible in comparison to our previous trip no legs out or summer dresses but instead another hat, coat and scarf trip. I did end up buying some tourist socks for the journey home and some cool coloured mirror sunglasses which I'm sure I'll make good use of in festival season :)


EATING - The food in Amsterdam is heavenly, I honestly mean that. Down every street near enough you will find fresh food shops selling; bread, cheese or waffles! The biggest jars of Nutella you will ever see just sitting in windows. Amsterdam was made for Leslie Knope! The supermarkets have such a better range of fresh foods too. We tried some cheese samples and ended up having to buy some (I'm getting saliva just remembering). Try the freshly squeezed orange juice. I'm sure a lot of other places in Europe have freshly squeezed orange juice too, but Britain is severely lacking. The restaurants are real yummy too, burgers the size of your face!
*NEED TO TAKE PHOTOS OF FOOD BEFORE EATING*

Travel Tip: book tickets online in advance to avoid massive queues or disappointment for The Anne Frank House. We witnessed a huge queue even in the wind and rain, it did feel good walking right on in.

What a great trip! We laughed and laughed and laughed! Finding out European radio stations love a bit of classic pop, made the journey extra hilarious, diamond songs were found between Lille and Rotterdam especially. I love Amsterdam and looking forward to going back when we start travelling :)

This may completely shock some beauty bloggers, when it comes to mascara I stick to what I know and leave it at that. After a horrible Bourjois one *gasp* a few years ago that led to my eyelashes falling out, I keep to one and one only. That mascara is Clinique High Impact Mascara, which is without a doubt a brilliant mascara by the way! Until I met Benefit Roller Lash Mascara it was stand alone in its brilliance. By this point you may be fed up of reading Roller Lash reviews but my god, its so good! Its a wonder I even tried it, but like anyone in their right mind when a magazine offers an exclusive mini then I'll snap it up! (This was a sample in the Keira Knightley cover issue of Elle).

Roller Lash claims to be a 'super-curling and lifting mascara'. Time for another confession - I don't curl my eyelashes either. Yet this does seem to do the job, thats the point of mascara right? The brush is a lot different to the High Impact. Its more like a comb than a thick brush, one side curved for curling. You definitely need a mirror to apply this though - coming from the girl who used to put make-up on, on a school bus without a mirror... It keeps lashes individually long which I love. In the past I've gone for the full-volume-sometimes-clumped look but this is definitely better. Coming to the price... I normally steer well clear of Benefit products because of the price. This sample has converted me - uh-oh. Its priced at £2 more than High Impact, RRP £19.50 from £17.50. Some people may faint at spending that much on a mascara. Personally and as a contact lense wearer a decent mascara is important for me. Seriously planning to invest in the full-size once this has finished. AND a swap on my Christmas list.
(Yes, I did just mention Christmas in the middle of May...)

Its time for a music refresh! I cannot believe its the middle of May already, where has time gone?! Ok, now I sound like my mother... Here I've complied a playlist with a lot of summery vibes - of course. Including chart, new releases and personal favourites. Enjoy!

As you may know by now, I start travelling in the summer hence the new 'Travel Essential' themed post. My first item not everyone will be aware of, unless like me you are a complete Lushie. *sigh* Yes its another Lush product. I was first introduced to these when I was looking for a birthday present for my friend, Nicola who is travelling with me. They're Toothy Tabs RRP £2 - £3.50, a solid version of toothpaste. Yep, thats correct, solid toothpaste! You get 30 tabs in each pack and they fit into handbags, travel bags, wash bags so easily! The deal-breaker is because they're solid, they don't count towards the liquid allowance for hand luggage. Brillant :)

These do take a bit of getting used to, I can see why you'd pull a face reading this. The first time I tried them was on our trip to Edinburgh. I'm sure I described them as crushed paracetmol in your mouth at the time... Thats the worst bit, crushing them between the front teeth, once the toothbrush is wet and the crushed tabs are frothing its dandy, hang in there for a few tries. As per usual Lush have a range of flavours, some really out-there-wouldn't-fancy-brushing-my-teeth-with but you never know. I stick to the minty ones, Dirty and Ultra Blast.

This was my first MAC Lipstick. I love it and fully understand why people rave on about them. I was lucky enough to get a MAC voucher for my birthday and wanted to spend it wisely. I think the shop is really nicely set out, but I was really disappointed with the customer service. Considering its a high end make-up, that let me down. I was in there for about 15 minutes before someone helped me. I'm a MAC beginner and probably should have gone in with someone that knew what to do, it was awkward. Cardiff MAC store please get a friendlier staff. The girls in Cardiff Debenhams were much nicer, but turns out I couldn't spend my voucher in there. Rant over.

I chose MAC Satin Lipstick in Twig RRP £15.50. I've been loving the nude, but slightly-darker-than-nude lip as everyday wear at the moment. Its so easy to wear and goes with anything, daytime or for a night out. Twig is a 'soft muted brownish-pink'. Its so lovely to put on, I feel all grown up! A good start to my MAC collection :)

Amongst other things, I'm a queen binge-watcher. I finished The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in 2 days. Yes I'm a little proud of that... So why the good ol' British weather has gone all cold and wet, again, its time to put the time spent indoors to good use. If you're looking for something new to watch these are all available on Netflix either UK and/or US (there's a Chrome add-on called Hola Better Internet), so you better nab a login quick!

1) The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Kimmy Schmidt played by Ellie Kemper, has been living underground for 15 years. Now she's free and has chosen to move to New York and live her life to the full. This Netflix original comedy comes from the fabulous Tina Fey (I need to finish 30 Rock - hence why that hasn't made the list). The theme tune is hilarious, think Bed Intruder I mean, it will be in your head for days. The bright colours in her wardrobe will no doubt wiggle in to your own wardrobe too!
Fav Character: Kimmy Schmidt

Its been a long, long time since my last film review and have decided I should do more of them. I watch so many films! So here we go.

Love, Rosie is a film that I wanted to catch in the cinema but missed. I finally watched it last weekend and loved it. With Lily Collins and Sam Claflin playing best friends Alex and Rosie, comes a romantic comedy that I've been waiting for. Lily Collins, albeit half English, manages a real good English accent throughout the film. Supporting cast include; Tasmin Egerton, Christian Cooke and Suki Waterhouse. Its one of those films where you know whats going to happen (its a rom-com, like c'mon). The two leads have great on-screen chemistry and since seeing the film I went on a spree of watching promotional interviews on YouTube, they do genuinely seem to get on really well.

About Time was the last rom-com I fell in love with. But Love, Rosie is up there, I will definitely bother watch again. Starting at the beginning of Alex and Rosie's story, with a throwback to the early 00's. Its a bit like One Day in the aspect of following the friendship from the beginning. Using MSN and making bad clothing choices, memories will flood back. Even the song choices, Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall, cracking song! Based on the book from Cecelia Ahern Where Rainbows End, which I haven't read though. Its a super cute film with a feel-good factor which everyone needs from time to time, even if the ending was predictable. Out on DVD now if it sounds like your cup of tea :)

Note: this post is a little different to my others, may be seen as controversial and contains one spoiler about Avengers: Age of Ultron.

I don't know if you've already seen, Joss Whedon has deleted his Twitter account. Thanks to being bombarded with tweets calling him 'sexist' in reference to his latest film, Avengers: Age of Ultron. Now, I'm not a massive comic book or superhero fan, but I love the Marvel films and the new Avengers is a must-watch. By far one of the funniest and I really did enjoy it when we went to see it last week.
Today, however, my friend who is a massive comic fan and really knows his stuff, (which he won't mind me saying) sent me a message starting with, 'I know you'll hate me for saying this...' it was another 'feminist' thing.

A feminist is someone that believes men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. I am a proud feminist and that is something I firmly believe in. I hate it when people call themselves 'feminist' in order to sham men, at the same time hate it when men call women that have an opinion they disagree with, a 'feminist'. Its become a derogatory term and needs to stop. Everyone has the right to their own opinion, right, forcing someone from Twitter, wrong. These people criticising Joss Whedon's work on this film, in my eyes, aren't feminists.

It all came down to Scarlett Johansson's character, Black Widow.

Ok so technically it should be 'What's In My Shower' as like a lot of people, I'm sure, don't wash their hair in the bath because it doesn't give the desired effect... Anyway, this is Honey I Washed My Hair from Lush RRP £5.75. Its the first shampoo bar I've tried and at first I'll admit, I didn't know what to expect.
In a bar? Shampoo? Its supposed to come in a bottle and as a liquid? Wrong. This is hands down the best shampoo I've found in ages or possibly ever. Yes, I said it. Its toffee scented but not in a sickly way, with hints of fair trade honey and wild orange. I was a bit put off by the price. As I normally just settle for whatever's on offer at the time. After a couple of months of having horribly oily greasy hair I gave it a go. You know what it cleans hair really, really well - squeaky clean! On first use, in the shower it felt strange and a bit straw like. Thats because I was used to my shampoo leaving soap behind (something I'd never seen as a problem until using Honey I Washed My Hair). You simply lather the bar up in your hands, then wash your hair. I don't even use conditioner with it, it makes my hair so soft. To be honest I've used it a fair few times now and it lasts for ages, what an investment.
If you haven't tried a shampoo bar before, I highly recommend you do :) Lush have such a large range now, find the one thats perfect for you and your hair, and give it a go!

I love having bold coloured nails in the spring and summer, even when I'm just wearing a boring outfit it makes it look like I've made more of an effort. These are some of my favourites, don't they look so pretty together! There's a range of brands and they are all drugstore/high street buys. Ever the bargain hunter! Rimmel Lasting Finish - Cute As A Kitten Heel, Topshop Nails - AWOL, Barry M - Berry Ice Cream, Rimmel Pro - Peppermint and Barry M Gelly - Dragon Fruit. Berry Ice Cream featured in my previous Nails of the Week but its too lovely :) I don't know what to use first, maybe a different colour for each nail...

Its spring! Spring is my favourite! Bright colours or pastels, anything goes. The clocks go forward and everything changes - flowers, blue skies, April showers and a bit of warmth. Being home from Uni for Easter means family time, dogs included. This is Lilo and Nellie, our Black Labradors. Lilo is only 5 months old so can't go for long walks yet but Nellie is 6 years old. Heres some pictures from a recent walk and swim, enjoy :)