The Hobbit Battle Of The Five Armies Review | NO SPOILERS

The story of Middle Earth has come to an end and i'm DEVASTATED!
But on the bright side the 3rd Hobbit movie was AWESOME!

The movie was true to its name of Battle Of The Five Armies and its action packed throughout and is non stop during the entire film. It gets straight into the battle with Smaug and within the first 45 minutes you feel like you've already seen an entire movie but it carries on and gets better and better.

I am a huge Tolkien fan and probably would have loved this movie regardless however it was truly amazing and i'm sure will please all fans, it ties the Hobbit series perfectly into the Lord Of The Rings and if you're anything like me then you will want to watch all three LOTR movies as soon as you get home from the cinema.

I just adore the characters, Thranduil is by far the coolest elf around and his hair is on point! And Bard is one HOT bowman!

There were plenty of tense moments and despite being a book reader they still had me on the very edge of my seat. As always there were also comedy elements dotted throughout and I especially loved it when they addressed the often argued point of how Legolas never runs out of arrows!

I don't know if it was the fact that this movie was bringing the franchise to its end or the heart wrenching emotional scenes but by the end the film definitely brought a tear to my eye. 

I am truly devastated that this movie franchise has come to an end but Peter Jackson certainly made sure it was epic. I give Battle of the Five Armies 9.5/10.

The Scorch Trials Book Review

The Scorch Trials is the second book in The Maze Runner series and written by James Dashner. Contains some SPOILERS.....

I personally loved the second installment in this series, the last book left us wondering what was going on and slightly confused as to who you could trust. If you read The Maze Runner you will know that a handful of gladers escaped the maze meaning The Scorch Trials is set in a completely different environment and explores into a whole new concept that is more action packed than the previous book if that is even possible.

This book has a very zombie like feel to it, so it comes as no surprise that I am obsessed with it.
It starts off exactly where The Maze Runner ended and the group thinks they are finally safe but one morning discover that their rescuers have vanished. The glader's are then informed that the trials are not over and that the world they have been returned too is suffering from a virus called The Flare, which turns its victims into cranks; people who become increasingly crazy and violent and end up as zombie like beings. They are instructed that they must cross the city inhabited by cranks in order to receive the cure for the flare, this is where they run into two new characters, Brenda and Jorge, they decide to help the glader's in return for the possibility of receiving a cure.

The book introduces a few new characters including members from group B who are all girls aside from Aris, they went through an identical maze trial to the gladers (group A). Also joining the character list are two people infected with the flare, Brenda and Jorge.

The introduction of Brenda introduces a love triangle type scenario with Thomas and Teresa, and Brenda and Thomas's relationship is also strengthened by the plot twist of Teresa's supposed betrayal.
I really enjoyed how this book has you questioning who too trust and even when characters claim to be telling the truth you always have a sense of doubt niggling in the back of your head.
I think Teresa's character has the biggest story arch in this book and she will have a very Marmite
affect on you; you will either love her or hate her.

There are a number of WTF moments and James Dashner's imagination is just genius, I'm really looking forward to the film interpretation of the final battle between the survivors and the monsters created by WICKED as the picture Dashner created sounds terrifying but creates such excitement
as a reader. I hope they don't stray too far form the book but given the differences in the first film I am suspicious they will.

What I really love about this series is the mystery element and you're always trying to work out whats real and what is just a creation of WICKED. I highly recommend this book and the entire Maze runner series, I would have give the first book an 8/10 and for The Scorch Trials I give it an 9/10.

The Hunger Games Part 1 Reviewed

First off I haven't read the book series..... I know I know I am a terrible person but I am about as  big of a fan of The Hunger Games as a non book reader can be!

So whilst I can't give you a book to movie what they left out kinda review I can rave about how amazing the film itself was!

Splitting the final book of a series into 2 movies is just what everyone is doing these days and as much as we complain about it we are still going to buy tickets for both films, lets face it I mean for people like me these series legit become your life and you can't not see it! That's just not an option.
Despite me being a huge fan I did go into this movie with my doubts as Part 1 of a movie is always terrible (Do I even have to mention Harry Potter: A movie about camping! and Twilight: Gets married, has a baby, the End.). But I couldn't have been more WRONG.

The acting as usual was amazing, Jennifer Lawrence is just perfect in everything she does, but this year showed some new characters added to the cast who made the franchise even more epic. Natalie Dormer as Cressida just brings a whole new meaning to the phrase bad-ass and I can't wait for part 2 to see her really kick some butt, and Julianne Moore as President Coin was simply genius and I couldn't possibly imagine anyone else in the role.

The movie begins in a much darker place and starts off in district 13, it is here that Katniss discovers that Peeta is still alive and after deliberations with President Coin she agrees to be their Mockingjay in return for Peeta and the other stolen tributes rescue. We really get to see a whole lot more character development with Gale in this movie which should please all you team Gale fans out there, he gets to show off his capable skills and helps in Peeta's rescue. The whole movie is essentially a propaganda battle between President snow and Katniss and is the single moment in my life when I have found politics remotely interesting.

'If we burn, then you burn with us' - Best line ever, I genuinely got shivers when she delivered this line.

There are some really deep and intense scenes in this movie, Josh Hutcherson really did an amazing job with Peeta's character arch and did a great job at leaving everyone with an OHHHH SHIIIIIT moment with that last scene (You know what im talking about *wink* *wink*).

Ultimately this movie has left me so excited and really anticipating The Mockingjay Part 2, like many I will be devastated when the franchise is over. 

I highly recommend you go see this film ASAP and I give it a solid 9/10.      

The Maze Runner Book To Movie

I recently went to see The Maze Runner at the cinema and fell in love with the series.
Naturally being the impatient person I am, I decided I had to start reading the books so I could find out what happened next.

I was slightly surprised with the differences in the book and the film, I realised book to movie adaptations often have their differences but I was shocked at how much the two differed. So lets talk about the MAIN differences.

SPOILERS ahead....Obviously.

1) Telepathy, I haven't yet read The Death Cure so I don't know exactly where the story is going...yet. But I feel leaving out the fact that Teresa and Thomas can speak to each other in their heads is kind of a big deal. I feel leaving this out of the film has missed developing Teresa and Thomas's relationship and as a result those who have only seen the film will not be as invested in the duo. It also explains quite a bit and is used a fair amount in the Scorch Trials so I am interested to see how they will play it out in the upcoming movie.


2) Solving the maze, This is one of the biggest differences, in the movie Thomas kills a griever and finds a mechanical key so to speak, this has a number on it which corresponds to a section of the maze and ultimately opens a door to freedom (at least what they think will be freedom). However in the book they realise that the maze is a code which can be cracked if you compare maps of the maze from each day, when placing maps on top of each other they reveal a letter and eventually they end up with a series of words that acts as a password to open the door to supposed freedom. Also the book results in them jumping of the edge of a cliff into a hidden door before entering the code whereas the film shows some amazing CGI moving walls making the escape that extra bit difficult.

3) The Grievers, in the book they are described more as slug like creatures with added mechanical spikes and other sharp metal protrusions. In the film they look more like a mechanical spider crossbreed, I love how they look in the film as they do look truly terrifying.  


4) Gally, so im just gonna go ahead and say it, in the book Gally is an utter SHANK. I don't think you are supposed to like him for one minute whereas I am a huge fan of him in the movie, I think this is largely due to him being played by Will Poulter who is utterly amazing and i definitely have a crush on him after seeing this film. Im telling you now he WILL redeem himself! I believe he will also be in the scorch Trials movie despite his absence in the book so im excited to see how that will play out. Again his story differs in the book as he just sort of appears at the end of the film as a pose to jumping on a griever and being carried away in the book.

5)A few other differences:

• The Gladers had only been in the maze for 2 years in the book and started with a small group not just Alby who had supposedly been in the glade for around 3/4 years in the film. 
• More gladers escape in the book
• Newt has long hair in the book
• Gladers already have a cure for griever stings before Teresa arrives (Gally has been through the changing and recognises Thomas)

Overall I am glad I saw the film before reading the book as I probably would have been slightly disappointed with some things that were changed and left out. That being said I did see the film first and absolutely LOVED it! The actors, the acting, the special effects are all outstanding and I literally cannot wait until The Scorch Trials movie is released, I think this series will just keep getting better and better and I definitely recommend this series as both a movie and book.

Dracula Untold Movie Review

I have watched and become obsessed with pretty much every vampire related TV show and movie so naturally I could not wait to see this film.

Firstly I was excited to see Luke Evans as the lead, for one he is amazing in another of my obsessions THE HOBBIT and two he is one fine human being to look at.

As the film began I got a real 300 feel, the way the opening described the main characters brutal upbringing and how he developed into a strong leader feared by his foes. I appreciate many people may have found the movie to be somewhat predictable given that its the story of Dracula, and lets face it i think we all know how that goes... But i think it was still an exciting action packed movie and I absolutely loved the battle scenes, I mean who doesn't think a man taking down an entire army single handedly isn't the coolest thing ever!

Charles Dance (Game of Thrones' Tywin Lannister, may he rest in peace) plays the Vampire who created Dracula and does a great job of coming across as sinister and creepy in my opinion.

I loved the story line and how everything was set up and I think the v

isuals and special effects were EXCEPTIONAL, however I was slightly confused when Dracula had to send his child away to stop the other vampires eating him when only a few seconds later he killed them all himself, but hey i'm all for the dramatics so I can forgive that one.

I really loved the end scene, bringing the movie into modern day and showing Dracula still alive and well, then cutting to Charles Dances character looking all stern and following his every move. All this has the perfect set up for a sequel, There are rumors of a Monsters Universe movie series and the ending of Dracula Untold certainly gave the impression that if they do go ahead that Dracula will feature in them, I can only hope as I adore Luke Evans and would love to see more of him as a super sexy vampire hunk.

If you love action packed movies with a fantasy twist this movie is definitely for you.

Overall I rate this movie 7/10      

Tips For Dealing With Stress

I find I am prone to becoming stressed and suffering from a number of anxieties from time to time so I thought I would share one of the ways I try to cope when i'm feeling really bogged down with things. I have no idea if this will be helpful to anyone but here goes!

It will usually come to me at night when I just cant switch my brain off and i'm trying to simultaneously contemplate about 10 different things which are stressing me out and I just cant get a clear thought or solution as I have too many things on my mind.
I have found writing a list of the things i'm stressing about very effective. Firstly seeing it all written down makes it actually appear as though I have less to worry about than when it was all jumbled in my mind and secondly it allows me to deal with each issue individually and if need be I can just jot down next to the problem how i'm going to solve it, when exactly I need to deal with it and when it is going to become a priority situation.
I think by having it written down it clears it from your mind as it is allowing you to store the information somewhere else.

Again I am not an expert and this is just what I personally do, hope this might be able to help anyone else feeling under pressure and as though their mind might explode and result in a gargantuan meltdown.  

Winter Essentials

It may be a bit early too be thinking about winter and all things festive but i just cant help myself...

Here are some of my essential tips to make your winter a time of luxury and relaxation:

Stock up on HOT CHOCOLATE.
Whether you make it with water or my personal favourite milk! A hot chocolate will not only warm up your chilled fingers and toes but is perfect for satisfying those oh so pestering chocolate cravings that are responsible for our dreaded holiday weight gain.
My favourite to enjoy whilst snuggled up on the sofa watching my favourite movie.  




Make sure to keep that MOISTURISER topped up.
It can get extremely cols during the winter (depending on your geographical location) and the cols weather can dry out your skin and make applying foundation a real pain aswell as damaging the general health of your skin, so its important to moisturise regularly and keep that skin in tip top condition. My personal favourite is Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser, I would recommend this particularly if you have sensitive skin like me.



That perfect RED LIPSTICK.
With winter comes one of my favourites holidays, CHRISTMAS! That means countless Christmas parties and family gatherings and everyone needs to rock that bright red lip at least once during the season. I personally love red lips and will rock them throughout the entire year as it is such a classic look but i feel it really comes into play during the winter months and my current favourite is Maybelline's Color Sensational in the shade Fatal Red, i have had this colour for a while and just cant get enough of its silky smooth feel.




It is of-course also important to wrap up warm, for example a HAT.
There are always such cool and funky hats on sale during Autumn/Winter and this one is one of my absolute favourites and allows you to channel your inner child.





Find yourself a good BOOK.
Lets face it we don't always feel like leaving are cosy warm central heated houses when the temperature outside is below 0 so you're going to need something to keep you busy over the holidays. Don;t you think being curled up on the sofa in your pyjamas maybe next to a nice warm log fire reading a book is a picturesque version of relaxation. If you're looking for a tear jerker this winter i highly recommend John Greens The Fault In Our Stars, or if you are more into the fantasy historical genre I recommend the book series I am currently reading, A Song of Ice and Fire which the hit TV show Game of Thrones is based on. 

The Collared Dress

Collared dresses are quickly becoming one of my go to items of clothing, one of my favorite things about them is that they give a plain and simple dress an injection of cuteness and give the dress more of an impression of style and fashion.

They can be easily paired with a cropped cardigan or jacket but what i love is that it can be worn on its own and still look like an entire styled and thought through outfit.
The collar itself is often the focal point of the outfit which is why i love patterned or lace collars all the more, like this coral dress from new look(Right).

When i think of a collared dress it is a look that i mostly associate with being worn in the day but can also be applied to outfits for going out at night and look just as fashionable, as you can see with this boohoo shift dress (Left).

Hair Care/ Routine

HAIR HAIR HAIR!
We all love our hair but are you giving it the love and attention it deserves?

I will start off by jumping in the shower and using Tresemme Deep Cleansing shampoo, after I've rinsed it out I will use Tresemme Remoisturise conditioner and leave it in for 2-3 mins. If i have been having an especially bad hair week I will leave it in for a quite while longer or alternatively use a leave in conditioner or use a deep conditioner and leave in for 30 mins.


Once i get out the shower i will towel dry my hair but be careful not to be to rough or you will end up damaging your hair even more, I will towel dry so as to minimise the amount of heat my hair is exposed too. You should also try and avoid brushing your hair when it is dripping wet as the hair is more fragile and more likely to snap if tugged on when trying to remove those troublesome tangles. Also try using a wide toothed comb instead of a hairbrush as this also pulls out and snaps less hair.

When my hair is dry I need to style it with straighteners or a curling iron as i was not blessed with naturally acceptable hair. To lessen the damage I create I use VO5 Heat Protectant Spray all over and comb it through before styling.

It is also good to use treatments such as hair masks and oil treatments such as argan oil once every week or two just to keep your hair in tip top condition, also try not to wash it to frequently as this damages the amount of natural oils that your hair produces which keep it looking healthy and shiny, NOT greasy.

September Favourites

Another month has gone by and that means its time for one of my favourite posts!
My Monthly Favourites!

Beauty/Fashion
For beauty products this month i have really been loving burgundy nail polish. We're coming in to autumn and burgundy and reds are really big at the moment and i love it, its such a warm colour and will look great with a number of outfits. It's also great for you make up fanatics who live by the rule "matching lips and fingertips" as dark lips in plum and deep red shades are another thing i am seeing everywhere this autumn.

A personal fashion favourite for me this month has been sheer shirts, they came into fashion a while back in plain colours but now you can buy all sorts, eg pastel polka dots, stripes, my most recent purchase was this pink and white shirt with black cuffs and collar and its perfect for one of those days when you feel like putting in a bit more of an effort when in actual fact you're just in jeans and a top. I love wearing them both tucked in and loose, with skirts and trousers, its one of those pieces you can squeeze a good few outfits from, perfect for those of us who cant afford a new outfit every day of week.

My next two favourites are Homeware.
If you didn't know already i have just started my second year at university which means i've moved to a new flat and in the process picked up a few things for my bedroom.
1) The first item is this lavender scented reed diffuser, i think these are a great invention for emitting a subtle scent around the room to freshen things up. It is a glass bottle of scented oil which diffuses up the reed sticks when they are placed in and results in a luxurious aroma emulating around the room. The bottle comes with a rubber stopper in the top which you have to remove before inserting the reeds yourself. One thing i will mention is that they are not extremely potent and give off a scent more like a bunch of flowers would than an aerosol air freshener. I have mine above my bed as i find the whiffs of lavender are especially soothing when i go to sleep. You can buy these diffusers in a range of scents and sizes and what i love about them is that they last for a good few months and only require the occasional turning over of the reeds every week or so just to refresh the scent in the room.
2) Secondly is this picturesque mirror i got from my new favourite shop B and M Bargains! its such a good place to find items for bargain prices and it sells pretty much everything. This mirror was such a steal for only £19.99 and it looks and feels amazing quality. What i especially love about this mirror is that it has 3 panels which allows you to view your face at every angle which i have found extremely helpful when doing my hair and make up.

Moving away from the my more materialistic favourites i am going to mention a couple of my...
TV Favourites
1) Doctor who, series 8 has recently made its return starring Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor and Jenna Louise Coleman continues as his assistant Clara. I've always been a fan of doctor who and fell in love with Matt Smith's portrayal of the doctor and his relationship with Clara, so naturally i was skeptical of the new Doctor but i have been pleasantly surprised and love the dynamic between Clara and the new Doctor, perhaps i will have a new ship to add to my list of OTP'S, think the name they have been donned is Whouffaldi (im sure mega fans will be able to work it out).
2) Secondly is Once Upon a Time which started this week for its 4th season and has introduced the well loved Frozen characters to the cast. I only began watching this show in September and managed to binge watch all 3 seasons within a month. The first episode of season 4 was great and im really excited to see whats to come in the next episodes. This show is perfect if you love all things Disney and fairy tale, I definitely recommend this as a must see TV show.

Day Trip To The Zoo

I went to Cotswold Wildlife Park last month and despite being 19 years old i still love going to the zoo and channeling my inner child. I only had my phone to take pictures but they still came out pretty good.
I loved seeing the Lions as i feel like i hardly ever get to see them on a usual visit because they're always so far away.
I also loved the Otters, it was quite early in the morning as you can probably tell, doesn't look like they've quite woken up yet. soo cute ^.^








We went through the Lemur walk-through and got some really close up pics aswell but they were darting about so fast some of the pictures came out a little blurry.

Also got really close to the giraffes in their enclosure, they were so entrigued by us and got so close i could have reached out and touched them, i didnt though, might have been a tiny bit scared they were going to bite my hand off :p 

Doubts About Going Off To Uni and Growing Up

I've just completed my first year at uni so i know exactly what it feels like to be nervous and apprehensive over the summer before your first time away from home. I was never one of the loud confident people who could go up and talk to anyone and make friends just like that, so one of my greatest fears was not making any friends and everyone hating me, which of course wasn't the case. Something you need to remember is that its most likely that everyone feels the same as you, its not like moving to a new school where everyone already knows each other, you're all in the same boat.

Id recommend making sure you have tickets to all the freshers events as its a great way to meet people and its something to do with your new flatmates to get to know them, i know in my case me and my flatmates literally felt like we had known each other for months after the first night we spent together and i would never have expected that i would become so close with people that fast.

I was really doubtful in the weeks leading up to moving in day and now i just cant imagine how much i would have missed out on if i hadn't gone. Ive met some of my best friends in the entire world there, its really boosted my confidence and i just feel a whole lot more grown up, i know university is about education i mean don't get me wrong all that's important and you have to get your head down and study at times but then again your first year is all about having fun and going wild :p. Believe me i did and its been the best experience ever, i can't wait to go back after summer.

Cheesey as it is, Family not just friends 

June Favourites

Makeup: 

Max Factor FaceFinity 3 in 1 Foundation

• Primer, Concealer, Foundation all in one, has spf 20 which is perfect for coming into summer, i have it in the shade Warm Almond

Maybelline Super Stay 14 hour lipstick

• I had wanted a pinky shade lipstick for a while and this is the perfect one for me and it smells so good! its like sour sweets. Mine is #180 in the shade Ultimate Blush.

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

• This is actually the first gel eyeliner i have owned and i cant believe its taken me so long to discover the sweet satisfaction of the ease of gel liner application, like most girls i struggle so much when it comes to applying eye liner and gel liner has saved me so much time on my makeup routine. I own it in Black for daily use and Black Gold for more of a night time look.

Hair Products

VO5 Heat Protect Styling Spray

• I apply heat to my hair on a regular basis, i was not blessed with naturally straight hair or controlled curls but a somewhere inbetween wavy frizzy mess so i am always attacking it with a straightener or curler, and as i already have somewhat damaged hair this product is great for me. It does what it says on the tin and absolutley love the smell of it.

Book

• As you can probably guess from my last post this months favourite is The Fault in Our Stars

Movie

• Again TFIOS but i also want to mention a few of the movies i saw in May and absolutely adored (I know i'm a month behind but just humor me) Pompeii, Godzilla, and Xmen DOFP as i am a huge fan of the Xmen franchise and could ramble on about it forever! i just cant get enough of Fassbender's Magneto!

Tv Show

• My favourite TV show of June was probably the 100, a show about 100 juveniles who are sent to earth after years of living in space to see if the ground is habitable or not, Bellarke forever. Ofcourse i cant not mention Game of Thrones, each season just gets better and better, it also has dragons so its win win.

The Fault in Our Stars

This movie has been out for a couple of weeks now and i actually went to see it a while ago on June 12th at an advanced fan screening as i live in the UK and the film wasn't officially released here until June 20th. I went into this movie unknowing of what to expect as i hadn't read the books and i was slightly apprehensive as to how i would react as i'm not much of a crier when it comes to movies, that being said i absolutely balled my eyes out during and for a good 5 mins after it ended and without giving away any spoilers all i have to say is that its not what you expect.

I have since read the book written by the wonderfully talented John Green, who for you YouTube buffs makes up one half of the VlogBrothers and i really cant decide if i prefer the book or the film adaptation.

I really do think it leaves you with a changed outlook on life and it has now become my latest obsession which is rather unsurprising of me as my list of movie/tv-show/actor obsessions could well add up to its own little infinity, so naturally i have been to see it a second time, who can blame me i mean its as close as i'm going to get to having an Augustus Waters of my own.

As i went to a fan screening i was lucky enough to be given this TFIOS pack of tissues, which i can assure was put to good use on both occasions, along with a fan screening pass, bookmark, and limited edition poster which is currently stuck on the wall next to my bed so that i can just stare at Gus and contemplate why the world is so cruel to have made him a fictional character and not a real person.

All i have left to say now is go and see the film guys, Okay?