Film Review: Terminator Genisys

Photo credit: www.theterminatorfans.com

It took me a while, but I finally got around to watching the new Terminator: Genisys film, and it is safe to say that I was actually impressed. When I heard they were adding another film onto the Terminator franchise I was a little skeptical at first because this would be the fifth film in the franchise, and sometimes this can go either way in terms of good and bad. Although, when I found out that Emilia Clarke would be playing as Sarah Connor in this film I was actually a little more excited to see it because I am a massive fan of Game of Thrones, a series in which she stars.

First of all, I thought the graphics were incredible, and the special effects were a lot better than the first Terminator films (as you would imagine). This film is full of explosive action with guns and brutal fight scenes, a real signature with the Terminator franchise. At the beginning of the film I was a little confused as I was lost trying to get my head around what was actually going on. But once I figured out that this Terminator was based along a fractured timeline everything fell into place, and I began to enjoy the film even more.

I think Clarke did a really good job of the portrayal of Sarah Connor's character and really got behind the emotional side of her character, but she was also kick-ass when it came to the action scenes. I think Arnold Schwarzenegger fit straight back into his role as the Terminator brilliantly, and I even found some scenes very humorous, particularly at the beginning when he was trying to smile. Most of all, I loved that the director explored the deeper connection between Sarah Connor and the Terminator, and I thought the fact that Connor had nicknamed him "pops" was the sweetest thing. Because of this connection, the scene near the end had me holding my breath as it was very emotional (trying not to spoil it here). Also, I think Jai Courtney's portrayal of John Connor was brilliant, and he brought a great masculine energy towards the character. Of course, he looked pretty good in all the fight scenes too (I may be a little biased here).

I would definitely recommend a watch to anyone, especially if you are a fan of the Terminator franchise. Of course, I still prefer the first film and Judgement Day, but this comes a close third and is still a very enjoyable watch. I think I will be watching this film again in the near future, and I hope I enjoy it just as much as the first time I saw it.

I would rate this film 3 out of 5.
Have you seen this film and what are your views?

Film Review: Maggie

Photo credit: thingstodo.austin360.com

First of all, quite a few people had told me how great they thought this film was, and how they had seen it multiple times which was what made me inclined to watch this film in the first place. So, the other night I decided to watch Maggie, but I hate to inform you that I actually fell asleep, and I had to finish this film in two sittings. Now this might tell you something about I felt about the film because I tend to love watching films and if they have my attention I don't normally fall asleep.

I thought the concept behind the film was pretty good, but I think it lacked a certain "umpf" because it was not that exciting to watch. It was a very dull film, shot with grey skies and no happy emotions. Arnold Schwarzenegger's character did not seem to speak much, although I did think his portrayal of his connection with his daughter (played by Abigail Breslin) was very good. Next, Breslin's character was infected with a virus that would eventually turn her into a zombie, and she acted some very good scenes where the virus had begun to take effect, and I was certainly left wide-eyed during the scene with the fox (if you know, you know).

So, generally I have no specific complaints with the actors in the film, as I think they portrayed the story line brilliantly, and definitely made you feel the connection between the characters. I thought the special effects in Maggie were brilliant as well because I found Breslin's wound to be particularly gruesome, and her change looked very realistic. However, I stick by the fact that I just found it to be a little bit too boring, without any fiercely exciting scenes as you would expect in a zombie-related film. Also, the film was little too slow-moving which is probably why I fell asleep halfway through. I am not sure that I would be in a rush to watch Maggie again in the near future, but I would definitely recommend you to watch it and come up with your own opinion. I don't think you will be let down by the graphics and the story line, so that's a plus!

I would rate this film 2.5 out of 5.
Have you seen this film and what you do think of it?

L'Oreal make-up review

The other day I popped into my local boots because my current mascara was close to running out and I needed to replace my foundation. I have been using the L'Oreal True Match foundation for a few months now, and have been very happy with it, so naturally I thought to replace it. It is a great foundation that smooths and evens out my skin tone whilst being very light with medium coverage, but it is also very buildable without looking cakey whatsoever. At the moment there is £2 off the original price, so it cost only £7.99 which is a very reasonable high street price! And I love the new packaging style, it's very sleek and chic, making it look even more expensive than it actually is.

Currently, there is a 3 for 2 offer on all L'Oreal products, so I jumped at the chance to get a new mascara in with this offer (you know you would as well). I picked up the L'Oreal Voluminous Extra-Black which claims to build volume by 5 times and adds no clumping. I am very much impressed with this mascara, I think it gives pretty much the same effect as the YSL Faux-Cils mascara that I have been using. It does have quite a strong smell which can be a little bit off-putting at first, but who sniffs their mascara anyway?! This cost £8.49 and I would certainly purchase it again.

Next, I have putting off purchasing a primer for absolutely ages! But, I noticed my face becoming quite oily recently and my make-up was literally sliding off every time I touched it (not a good look). I decided that since my graduation is coming up, I really could not afford to let my make-up slide off because I need to look great in all the photos. So, I picked up the L'Oreal Infallable Mattifying Base Primer because I have seen it advertised in store and on a few blogs recently too. The 'mattifying' effect is really what had drawn me to this product because I really need my make-up to have some staying power. And guess what? It works! Honestly, I am so impressed with this primer (I add that I have never used a primer before) and I did not realise how essential a primer should be in your make-up routine. Only after smoothing a small amount over my face, my foundation glided on smoothly and whenever I touched my face throughout the day my make-up wasn't sliding off on my fingers, as what was happening previously. So a big thumbs up from me, and at only £7.99 you cannot go wrong!

What are your make-up essentials?

Michael McIntyre Show!

If you know me, then you will know that I am a very big fan of Michael McIntyre! I bought my tickets for the Happy and Glorious 2015 tour back at the beginning of June 2014 (fan pre-sale), which also shows how much of a fan I am. So, on Saturday evening, the night was finally here for me and my mom to go and see Michael McIntyre in Birmingham, and I was so so excited.

I think we had pretty good seats, and a good view of the stage, although Michael looked really tiny in the distance so I mostly watched him on the large screens above the stage. Both me and my mom laughed all the way through the show and our cheeks hurts afterwards. The highlight of the show for me definitely had to be when Michael pulled up his trousers to show us his large calves as part of his act, but he couldn't get his trousers down back over his calves again and he was laughing at himself which only made you laugh even more!

We also saw Michael McIntyre on his last tour (Live and laughing) in 2012, so I was super happy that we got to see him again. Of course, I will be looking forward to his next tour! So for now, I'll leave you of selfie of me and my mom whilst we were laughing at ourselves trying to take a 'beer selfie'.

Are you a fan of Michael McIntyre too or have you seen his shows?

Budget Haulin'

Hey guys!

It is shopping haul time again (woohoo) and since I have been on a very tight budget lately, I have been a lot more picky with what I am going to spend my money on. And I have to admit, a lot of my shopping has been done in Primark, but they have so many great clothes coming out for A/W '15 so being on a budget is being made so much more difficult! But, I did manage to pick up a couple of sneaky treats from Lush as well, which I will share with you, of course.

First, here is my casual outfit that I picked out from Primark last week. I though I would mix it up a bit and show you a picture of me wearing the clothes instead. I got this outfit for under £15 which I am very impressed at. I have been after new jeans that actually fit me, and these supersoft skinny jeans are a good fit, and only £12. Due to my 'most of my jeans not fitting' problem, I thought it was time to invest in a belt, and this black one is perfect at only £2. Lastly, the basic V-neck grey t-shirt was a winner at only £2.80. So there, you have it a great casual outfit for just under £15.

Next, I purchased a new bed-shirt because I saw this pink Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hanging up in store and I simply could not walk past it. Being a fan of TMNT, this is perfect for me to wear to bed and only cost £5, so it is a winner in every way possible. Also, I think it looks really cute on (not being biased at all). And, I practically live in fluffy socks when I am at home, so I bought this two-pack of bright pink fluffy socks to go with my new bed-shirt because they matched and it was the best excuse I had to buy even more fluffy socks (and they were only £2). They're so fluffy I'm gonna die!

Lastly, on a trip to Birmingham the other day I decided to pop into Lush because I felt like treating myself to a super cool bath bomb. But, one does not simply pop into Lush without wanting every product you lay your eyes on (if you know, you know), so I quickly had to calm myself down and remind myself reluctantly that I am on a budget... key word here is BUDGET remember? So, a very nice and helpful member of staff politely demonstrated the Dragon's Egg bath bomb, and I was completely sold as soon as I saw the glitter (I'm such a girl at times). I will do a review of this bath bomb when I use it. Also, I have been wanting to purchase a lip scrub for a while, and my friend reminded me that cold weather is on its way, so it would be very useful to have in my bag and it lasts for ages! I decided on the 'Mint Julips' lip scrub because I am a big fan of mint (I love mojitos and after eights), and felt like it would feel a lot more fresh on my lips. What are your fave Lush products?

Have you done any budget shopping lately and what have you purchased?
Thank you for reading!

September Goals

Hey guys!
I have seen quite a few people posting their goals for the start of September, and thought I would contribute to this theme. I graduate from university nearer the end of the month, and I think it has finally hit me that I won't be going back studying at university this year, like I have for the past three years and I will no longer be a student. It is a bit of a lifestyle change that I am not sure I am ready for. I mean I absolutely love learning, and although it was very stressful, I am going to miss studying. But, this means actually growing up and moving on to the next chapter in my life, which is actually quite exciting (although I have no idea what I am doing). So, there's the basis for my goals in September...

1. Be more organised
Since finishing university I feel like I have been at a loose end for the past few months, and I don't like it because I am used to organising my time around work and deadlines (I am definitely a list person). So, I really feel like I need to organise my time better so I can be more productive, and feel like I have actually done something worthwhile each day. Although, this would probably prove to be much easier once I actually get a job... which leads on to my next goal.

2. Get a job
Okay, it is not really a job I want, but a career. I cannot even begin to tell you how difficult these past few months have been for me in deciding which career path I actually want to go down and actually finding a job. Some days it gets so tedious when applying for plenty of jobs each day, and sometimes it's harder to keep positive when you have no luck for a while, especially when everyone else around you is making money. So, my goal is to work out what I actually want, and find some income along the way. It is really one of my most important and much needed goals in life right now.

3. Continue blogging/ revamp my blog
I have only been blogging since the beginning of June, and I have found myself to really enjoy it for many reasons. It has become the perfect outlet for me and has helped me to keep my mind proactive, which I never thought the blogging community could be so useful for (I am thankful for this). So, I hope to continue blogging and hopefully make my blog a little more interesting (I need to do a bigger variety of things). As for revamping my blog, I just want to make it prettier and attractive to those who may visit!

4. Get my happy back
Again, since finishing university a lot of the stressful weights that were pressed on me were lifted, and I finally felt like I could breathe for the first time. I had a very stressful last few months during my studies for a variety of reasons, where eventually I lost my sparkle and all motivation to do anything in life. Which is such a sad thing. Anyway, I feel like I'm at the stage in my life where I can make a fresh start and finally begin to get my happy back, and all I want is to be genuinely happy in life. So, more positive vibes heading my way please!

5. Start writing
Ever since I can remember I have always wanted to write a book because I love the world of books and how they can make you feel. I have been writing down a few ideas for stories for a while, but I keep putting off writing anything solid down. So, one of my goals is to write things down when I get an idea (even if they are pants), and hopefully begin turning my ideas into a real life project.

So, there you have it, my goals for September! I am hoping to make some serious headway on my goals and I am feeling very positive about them right now.
What are your September goals or just goals in life right now?

Bank holiday dullness

So, on Friday my mom went on holiday with her friends to Benidorm in Spain for a long girly weekend away and I was left very jealous. We didn't have the best of weather over the bank holiday weekend (rainy and dull as usual) and my mom was messaging me to let me know she was melting by a pool, how unfair does it get?

But, my mom did bring back some lovely gifts for me; a cute key ring (I love sugar skulls), koala bear car fresheners, and a little Eeyore (I love Eeyore!). They are such cute little gifts so I thought I would share them with you.

My bank holiday weekend was a little dull thanks to the weather, but I did get to be very lazy and lie around watching films, so it was not all too bad. I know a lot of people did some more exciting things for their bank holiday, so maybe I will have to think of something to do next time. However, I did cook a pork joint yesterday and my family and I had some of the tastiest hot pork sandwiches for our tea. Food would probably have to be the highlight of my bank holiday! You have to love those simple things in life :)

How did you spend your bank holiday?