Pitch Perfect (2012)

Pitch Perfect is just that, perfect. I wasn't really sure what to expect before I sat down to watch it, all I really knew about it was from a few GIFs I had seen floating around Tumblr. To be honest, for what I had seen/heard/read about it, was a bit too 'Glee' for my liking. Not that there's anything wrong with that if that's your cup of tea, but I thought Hollywood was maybe taking the piss a bit if they did decided to make a cinematic version of Glee. But boy, was I wrong.

Let's start at the beginning. A prestigious collegiate a capella competition (because that's a thing now? Where have I been?), and the first all-girl singing group to make it to the finals, the Barden Bellas, lose out on a victory to their male rivals of the same university, the Treblemakers (get it? TREBLEmakers - like a treble clef?), after a very... erm... unfortunate incident, making them the laughing stock of the a capella world and sinking them to the bottom of the pile. So in the new term, it's time for the group's veterans Chloe (Brittany Snow) and Aubrey (Anna Camp) to recruit some new Bellas and get their rep back. Enter Beca (Anna Kendrick), except not really, because she doesn't really want to be at college, and is only there because her dad is a professor at Barden University, so she gets to go for free. Plus, he won't help pay her way to LA to become a DJ and music producer.We also get introduced to the fabulous Fat Amy, portrayed by the equally, if not more, fabulous Rebel Wilson.

First off, Anna Kendrick is kind of awesome. I wasn't really sure what to make of her, because the only roles I've ever seen her play is bitchy and two dimensional Jessica in The Twilight Saga and a sweet yet slightly dull therapist in 50/50. But she really came through in this film. I don't quite know how to describe it, she was funny without being over the top, sassy without being bitchy, and moody enough without coming across as just another angsty teen. And most of all, she knew when to hold back to let all the other kooky lasses get their gags in too. Author of the screenplay, and resident writer on 30 Rock and New Girl, Kay Cannon ticked all of the boxes for all the funnies in this one.



This film saw some other pretty great ladies. Rebel Wilson, who we all know and love from her role as the weirdo flatmate in Bridesmaids, just makes an already funny script even funnier. Horizontal running, vertical running... this may not mean much to you right now, but just watch her in action and I will guarantee that you will see the effortless hilarity she exudes. I see big things for her in 2013. Brittany Snow took me by surprise slightly as well. I had only ever seen her in the infamous John Tucker Must Die, where she plays a bland and generally not very likable loner, and in general she has a very stand-offish aura about her away from the screen, but she actually managed to add some personality to her character. And you know what? I didn't hate it, in fact, I was pleasantly entertained. And, even though he's not a lady, can I get a "hell yeah" for Christopher Mintz-Plaase? His role may have been small, but no one can get tired of seeing this McLovin' on the screen.

All the plot summaries and film reviews describe Kendrick's character, Beca, as an 'alt-girl', but that's not all I like about her. I mean, sure, I like the fact that she's a DJ and wears a ton of piercings on her ear, but I also like how relatable she is. Beca admittedly has more friends who are boys, but not in a 'whey look at me I'm one of the boys', in-your-face kind of way, is smart and funny and quirky, and also has weird emotional baggage just like the rest of us. Plus I also love her on-screen pairing with fellow a cappella group rival Jesse (Skylar Astin).

Pitch Perfect is musical comedy at its finest, celebrating your failings and your flaws and embracing diversity and change. But in a completely non-cheesy way, of course. Beca's right though, movie endings are predictable, but somehow, I'm okay with that. Because I have a complete and utter toner for this movie.

Nature Delivered Some Yum

My Graze box came in the post today! And let me say, I was very impressed with the array of goodies they provided for me in my little nibble box. I first heard of Graze boxes ages ago, every one seems to be talking about them, so when I was reading a copy of this month's Company magazine and a little leaflet fell out, advertising for two free Graze boxes, I thought it was worth a try. Best. Decision. Ever. This selection of goodies were so so good, especially the Scrumptious Blueberry Swirl - the blueberry yoghurt covered raisins are amazeballs. Everything is lovingly prepared by the cooks in the Graze kitchen, it's all healthy and nutritious and the packaging is recyclable. What more could you ask for? The best thing is, when I do start paying, each nibble box like this one is only £3.89, including delivery! How great is that?

Want to discover a world of healthy alternatives and see what all the fuss is about? Well, I'm offering you your very own for you're own FREE Graze box! Simply go to www.graze.com/fyf, enter this code: NT3GYQGD, and thank me later.

Ombre, olay!

So yesterday I took the plunge and finally ombred my hair! I've always loved the ombre/dip dye look, it adds so much texture and depth and makes hair look sun-kissed and glorious. I thought I'd make a little post just outlining the process and my experience with DIY ombre-ing.

I used the Jerome Russell Bblonde Highlighting Kit, which can be bought from most retailers such as Boots and Superdrug, but I ordered a box online. I was a little apprehensive at first, there's so much colour in my hair from previous dying and bleaching, I was scared that it would all go terribly wrong. But it was great, and I'll definitely be using it again should my hair ever require more bleaching.

The kit comes with power bleach and cream peroxide, which you mix together using a handy little mixing brush. Mixing it all together was a strange experience, at first the power made the solution go all pasty and lumpy, not comforting in the slightest, but it slowly smoothed itself out into a moose-like substance. I didn't apply the bleach straight to my hair from the brush, I used a 'scrunching' method recommended by several DIY  dip-dyers (I did some pretty thorough research). This way it stops it from looking streaky and gives the appearance of gradual and more natural lightening. I left it on for about 40 minutes before washing it out with the sachet of conditioner it came with.

 Just after first appyling... nervous!                               Bleach working its magic 30 minutes in.

It was a very nerve-wracking experience, but the bleach took to my hair surprisingly well considering all that my hair has been through in the last couple of years. And now I'm left with this end result:

I adore it! You can tell it's been done at home as opposed to professionally, but that doesn't really bother me. I'm gonna have to take even better care of my hair than I already do, but it doesn't matter because it was so so worth it. I adore my new hair, it is the perfect remedy for these dull winter days.

wrinkly shirt chic.

SHIRT - H&M / SKIRT - REPUBLIC 

COLLAR TIPS - TOPSHOP / EAR CUFFS - TOPSHOP

SHOES (NOT PICTURED) - REPUBLIC

It's an outfit post! A rarity here, but 2013 is all about mixing it up blog-wise for me, so it's a welcome change, and perhaps not the last you'll see. 2013 for me is about mixing it up style-wise, too. I'm not looking to change my style, I just want to be a bit more daring. I tend to stay in my comfort zone when it comes to my clothing, what I wear looks good but a lot of the time it's really 'safe', or lazy, which means I get bored with what I have in my wardrobe very easily. So instead of swooning over outfit posts on various blogs and doing nothing about it, I'm going to scout for the pieces I like that are perhaps slightly different to my usual style and make sure I never get bored of my clothes again. The key to this is accessories, which I think can really make an outfit, and though I have lots of jewelry and the like, I never really make much use of it, mostly due to laziness. Not anymore!

One of the big steps in being brave with my look is wearing skirts. Sounds silly, I know, but even though I own quite a few dresses and skirts, I don't really wear them that often. I'm much more comfortable in jeans and leggings and even shorts. I'm not sure why, maybe it's the unpredictability of skirts, one small gust of wind and you're left doing a Marilyn, but this year I'm going to put that aside and start becoming more of a skirt girl. I've always liked the leather skirt look, which is why I had to get my hands on this one from Republic in the Miso section, and paired it up with a not-so-crisp white shirt (as you can probably tell, I don't own an iron). I also really love the collar tips, I saw one similar to this in Olly Murs' Troublemaker video, where his romantic interest is sporting one on her own shirt. I think the tips add an edgyness to the otherwise safe plain white shirt.

Can't wait for this snow to pass and the weather to warm up a bit to really make the most of this look!

"Put on some lipstick and pull yourself together."

I've always loved the idea of lipstick and the women who wear them. We've all seen those chic French girls with cropped hair and a dash of red lipstick, making them instantly look fabulous. It is such a simple way to add instant glamour to your look. Even though I've always thought of myself as a 'lipstick person', for a long time I only really had one in my make up bag. It's only in the last year or so that I've started experimenting with different shades and acquiring a modest collection.

So without further ado, let's take a peek at the lippies that take residence inside my make up bag. 

Starting with the nudes, we have Nude Delight by Rimmel London and L'Oreal's Kiss and Blush. As you can see, the L'Oral has been worn down a bit, and that's because it's the oldest on in this collection, the very lipstick that started off my love affair. As you can see from the swatch, it is very shimmery with a lightly pink tinge, an all-round great girly lipstick. I bought the Rimmel so that I could have a more matte nude lipstick, for days where I don't want to bring attention to my lips but still want to wear something on them.

Onto the 'darker' colours (for a lack of a better word). The first, a fairly new one, a classic red by MUA (it doesn't have the name at the base so you'll have to bear with me on the lone swatch). Does it really need elaborating? For times I want the 'classic French chic' I mentioned before. I think everyone should have a staple red lipstick in their make up bag. Its also really matte which I like, but I always have to make sure to moisturise my lips beforehand so they don't dry out after a while. Next is Showbiz by 17, a nice vibrant pinky-red that really shows through once on your lips, and its a nice spin on the classic red (how many more times am I going to say 'classic' in this post?) Finally we have Rimmel London in Electric Plum. First of all, I really love the name, whenever I pick this lipstick up I'm always saying it in my head, and sometimes out loud, over and over again. Don't know why, I just love it. This is one I typically wear at night, like to a meal or a night out, as I'm not really a fan of dark lipstick colours in the day.

And finally we have oranges, the newer and braver additions to my palette. I started getting into orange/coral lipsticks after discovering beauty blogger Zoella and her Youtube channel. Had I not been exposed to her before, I would have thought that orange was an absurd shade of lipstick to wear. But seeing how good and so not crazy it looked on her, it swayed me to have a try. To ease myself into the bold new colour, I started off with Magnetic Coral by L'Oreal, still orangey but with some pink undertones to soften it up, and I have to say, it's my favourite and my go-to daily lipstick. In fact, I even wear it at night sometimes too, I love it that much. Typically when my make up and outfit combination is quite dark, to brighten up and so that the look isn't too severe. Since I had some much luck with this one, I decided to purchase Zoella's favourite Infrared by Topshop. This one is definitely a true orange, and I have to say, it took a bit of getting used to when I first tried it on. Though in the swatches they look quite similar in colour, you can notice the difference a bit more when actually on the lips. I'm still getting used to it, but I really like it, and I think when I find the right look to wear it with, it will be in its element.

So there we have it, my small collection of lipsticks. It's a good one I think, each one has a purpose, and I can guarantee to find one to match my mood or what I'm wearing. Do you have a favourite lipstick brand/shade?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

(What's this, two posts in two consecutive days? Madness!)

It's happened, I've finally been able to watch The Perks of Being a Wallflower in all its cinematic glory. I've been wanting to see it since it came out in UK theatres in October, and even more so since I finished the novel only last month. When I sat down and started watching it, excited wasn't the word.

I know I've already written a review of the book on this blog already, but here's some quick background information on the film. It's directed by the original novelist Stephan Chbosky, stars Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson & the Lightening Thief), Emma Watson (Harry Potter series, duh!) and Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin), and is a coming-of-age film about a timid freshman who is taken under the wing of two seniors who welcome him to their "island of misfit toys."

The thing about film adaptations of books is that no matter how good it is, you're constantly making even the smallest comparisons to the book. The movie itself was actually quite true to the book, which is the benefit of having the director also being the authour - everything is how is how it was intended to be. A large chunk of the dialogue was taken straight from the book and any new addition didn't feel strange or forced, which is particularly important, especially in Lerman's narration to his mysterious 'friend'. The only real criticism I have with the film is that it is a bit too choppy at parts, meaning that it missed some scenes from the book that I would have loved to have seen in this movie. Perks is a very character-driven novel, with a lot of key bonding moments between characters, and some of the missing bits from the films I felt would have made the audience understand them better.It would have tied up the film nicely, but I guess you can't exactly fit every single detail of a book in just under two hours, so I can look past it (just).

Being set in the 90's, the film has a great, old-school nostalgic feel about it. They hung out at diners, made mixtapes on cassettes and listened to them on their walkmans, and wrote essays and letters pen to paper (or in some cases, a typewriter). Don't get me wrong, I like living in today's digital age, but it's refreshing to be taken back to basics, and seeing a high school movie where groups of friends actually spent time together in person rather than over instant messaging or Facebook. There's nothing like the company of others, and simply just watching people interact and grow and change and make memories, especially when it's paired with a killer soundtrack. It's also nice to watch an American high school movie where the plot doesn't involve popular kid and unpopular kid falling in love and facing the social adversity from their peers. In fact, it's refreshing to see a film where the popular kids aren't being worshiped full stop. It's a film about outsiders and I think everyone can identify with at least one person in this film that way.

I also need a moment to gush over the brilliant cast in this ensemble. First of all, I think Logan Lerman is a perfect depiction for Charlie, not overly exaggerated and brilliantly subtle, he fully embodies his character just as how I imagined him when reading the book. Emma Watson was also great, but what it being her first role outside of the Harry Potter franchise, it's going to be hard (for me at least) to see her out of her 'Hermione' shell. She's a wonderful actress, of course, and I can't imagine anyone else playing the role of Sam, but I'm looking forward to her really wowing us in the future like I know she can. I almost squealed in my seat when Paul Rudd appeared on screen as Charlie's English teacher, Bill, but I really wish Chbosky would have given him more attention in the film. Bill (or Mr Anderson, as he is better known in the picture) is such an integral part of Charlie's life in the book, and it was such a shame to see Rudd's character so underdeveloped to make room for everything else. But was we did see of him was great, because Paul Rudd is brilliant. Ezra Miller is also inspiring, playing the non-conventional Gay Best Friend and all round funny guy. I wish I could say more about him other than he's great, but I haven't seen We Need to Talk About Kevin, so I have no frame of reference on his past works. Honourable mentions to Nina Dobrev, Miss Vampire Diaries herself playing the role of Charlie's sister, parents Kate Walsh and Dylan McDermott (who could have also used a bit more character development, especially the father), and Joan Cusak's brief but well-acted role as the psychiatrist.

Films-from-books always pose the same age-old question for me: should we always read the book first? Does it really matter? I always try to read the book before watching a film adaption where possible, but sometimes I wonder if I watch the film first, I'll still experience those really great feelings when watching something for the first time, and still get to enjoy the book later. But then when it comes to reading the book, you already know what's going to happen, and the only new discoveries you experience are the ones they didn't include in the motion picture. But it goes the same for reading the book first, you still get all those really great feelings, and when it comes to watching the film, you get really nit-picky over the smallest things (like I'm being right now). I guess there's really no right answer when it comes to these things.

Nonetheless, it's a fantastic film, with great great music and a top cast. Despite the faults I see, it's not going to stop me from watching it again and again for a long time.

Hidden Treasure by Topshop

Happy New Year! I've been gone for a while having a well deserved break from the madness, but I'm officially back in business. I've had a lovely long break in Brighton, and tomorrow I'm travelling back up north to Sheffield (if all this snow will allow me, that is) and having another quiet week before being thrown back in to uni and work and the like! But anyway, on to the matter at hand...

I've recently made a purchase that I'm absolutely in love with. I've had my eye on this nail polish for literally months but have been holding off buying it until now. I'm not very much into nails (as you will see from my shoddy paint work below) but whenever I do fancy giving my nails a coat of paint, I usually go for darker colours - black, navy, plum, or even a dark, dark red if I'm feeling wild. One of my favourite repeat purchases is Barry M in Navy, and for a while it was the only nail polish I would buy. Which is why I was slightly hesitant with this one. I liked the look of it and the colours coming out at me, but I wasn't really sure how it would transfer on my nails.

Hidden Treasure 204 - and my poorly neglected cuticles

Unfortunately this picture doesn't do the colour much justice. But I love it. It doesn't have the darker tones that the bottle suggests, but the colour is still amazing. In different lights and different angles, it provides a range of pretty shades. At one angle its a minty green, at others its gold, and under certain light it even looks a bit coppery. It's like having three nail polishes in one! I can forgive there not being any of the blues and purples that the bottle promises because I love it nonetheless. It may have even opened my eyes a bit to bolder coloured nail polishes. You exactly won't be seeing me sporting a pastel or neon coloured nail any time soon, I'm definitely keeping my eye out for those metallics when shopping for my next polish.

(PS. I've now had this blog for over a year - woo!)