Thursday 31 July 2014

Favourites | Country Music Singles | prettylittlewriter

Apologies for the lateness of this blog post, I've been super busy today with work, going to the gym and then my sisters' house!

So to make it up to y'all, I thought I'd throw together a quick post about my favourite country songs of the moment! :)


First up is Jason Aldean's new single, 'Burnin' It Down'. Quite a chilled track, great for winding down to after a hard day at work! It is also a very sexy song; it makes me feel a lot more confident in myself and my body when listening to it! 
It has a really memorable chorus; I often catch myself humming or singing it!
Check out the Lyric Video for the song here - http://youtu.be/hC2tLWMMF38

Next up are two of my FAVOURITE music artists EVER. Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert. 


These two ladies are not only beautiful, their personalities and their voices are just as stunning! Their collaboration track is something I'm sure A LOT of country music fans have been waiting for, and it sure doesn't disappoint!
Their song 'Something Bad', describes two women who meet and decide to band together and cause havoc! It's an edgy and fun track, and with Miranda's twang and Carrie's sweet tone, it has the perfect vocals!
Check out the music video here - http://youtu.be/o4Yzj-m_SBk

Next up is the lovely miss Lucy Hale's new single 'Lie a Little Better', taken from her debut album 'Road Between'. 


This song is very summery and fun, with a hint of emotion within. The basics of the 'plot' for the track is that Lucy had a crush on a member of the Pretty Little Liars cast and found herself not being able to control her emotions/feelings around him and letting it slip. Which is why she sings 'I Guess I Should Have Learned How To Lie A Little Better'. 
Most of Lucy's song have that fun, 'get up and dance' feel to them, and this one is no exception!
Check out the new music video here - http://youtu.be/nEO139KXB6s

And last but not least is 'Girl In a Country Song' by Maddie & Tae. 


These two beautiful ladies sing about how recently a lot of country songs, mostly those by male country singers, have nearly naked girls in every video and have become objects to be looked at, rather than having a character and a reason to be in the song/music video.
This track is a fresh new look at country music and how it should be, not what it has become. 
Their true country twang is a beautiful sound, and the song is overall a very catchy and fun tune. It's certainly a breath of fresh air to hear a country song that isn't about love and heartbreak, and these girls have created a good'en.
The music video is also very humorous! Instead of the women being sexy and dancing, it is the men. 
Check out the music video here - http://youtu.be/_MOavH-Eivw

So there you have it, my top four country songs of the moment! Comment if you'd like me to do more of these posts or if there is anything in particular you'd like to see :)



Wednesday 30 July 2014

Product Review | Benefit's Gimme Brow | prettylittlewriter

I thought I'd review the Benefit Gimme Brow product as I have been using it for the past few months and I don't know what I'd do without it!


I only really started filling in my brows when I started at University, two years ago. Before then I never thought I'd needed to, how wrong I was! 
I think over the past couple of years I have probably overplucked my eyebrows so they look slightly sparse without being filled in, which is why my make up is never complete without my eyebrows done.


As you can see there is a huge difference. My brows look much thicker and fuller. It also makes them a shade darker than my natural brow colour (I use Dark), which is much better as they match my hair colour more. 
One thing I will say it that when you first start using your fresh tube, it can be quite messy. I usually do my brows first before foundation as I end up having to wipe away excess and then reapply a little to my brows after foundation has been applied.

The only criticism is how small the tube is; it is easily misplaced in my make up bag. 
I did have my first tube for about 3 months before I needed to get a new one, and that was because it had dried up, so I'd say that it was quite long lasting!

Overall a brilliant product and I really don't know how I managed all those years without it!

Where to purchase:



Tuesday 29 July 2014

Top 5 Tuesday | Nail Polish | prettylittlewriter

For this week's Top 5 Tuesday, I thought I'd show you my current favourite Nail Polishes. 

 From left to right: Max Factor Max Effects Mini Nail Polish in Candy Blue; Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in BlueberryBarry M Nail Paint in Red Wine; Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Green Berry; Liz Earle Strengthening Nail Colour in Awakening.


The Max Factor Max Effects Mini Nail Polish is one of my favourites as the colour is very deep and only requires one coat! I'm not sure why it's called Candy Blue as I always see Candy as being a pale colour and this is quite a dark blue. The one thing I will say is that I do not like how tiny the packaging is. Yes it is called a 'mini' nail polish, but they don't even do a normal sized version. It doesn't fit quite right with the rest of my collection, and it doesn't last very long either.


The next one is the Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Blueberry. This is a really nice pastel blue colour, usually needs two coats for it to become opaque. A pretty shade for spring/summer and is one of my go-to nail polishes.


Next up is the Barry M Nail Paint in Red Wine. Both this and the Blueberry Gelly Polish are only available from the Superdrug website, I'm not sure why that is. This is my go-to shade when I want vampy nails. It is a lovely deep red colour and doesn't wash me out like a lot of other red shades do (I have very pale skin!). I have had this exact pot of polish since I was 16, that's 4 years! The consistency is still thick but not gloopy and it is only half empty. For this reason alone it is definitely worthy of a spot in my top 5.


The next is the gorgeous Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Green Berry. This is such a cute colour for spring/summer. A lovely pastel green shade, it gives your nails a dash of pop! I have used this shade a lot over the summer, it is definitely one of my favourites!


And last but not least is the Liz Earle Strengthening Nail Colour in Awakening. Mentioned in my previous Liz Earle Review post, it has vastly become one of my favourites as it is such a pretty pale orange shade. I'm trying to branch out on the products I use, especially attempting to try out different colours as I usually stick to what I know (reds, pinks and nudes). Orange is a very daring shade, so when I saw this one I had to try it out as it isn't too bright. It also has a slight shimmer to it, so once applied to your nails they have little flecks of shimmer on them. It also dries relatively quickly, which is something I look for in nail polish as I get impatient when painting my nails and usually end up smudging them! 
The only downside to this polish is that because it's such a pale shade, it take about 3 coats before you get anywhere near a block colour.


So there you have it, my top 5 nail polishes! Hope you've enjoyed it, if so leave me a comment or question :)

Previous Liz Earle Post:




Monday 28 July 2014

Review | Exhibit Shops Website | prettylittlewriter

As mentioned in a previous blog post, I ordered a couple of items from the Exhibit Shops website. 


I was far from impressed with their customer service and their delivery was very slow.
My order consisted of a Vogue purse and a grey blazer. After waiting a whole week (Friday to Friday) and having not heard whether my items had been dispatched, I emailed Exhibit and asked how long delivery would take. 
I received no response and it wasn't until the following Wednesday that I heard from them. I received two emails, one saying my items had been dispatched, and then a second saying I'd been refunded part of the order. They had refunded me for the blazer, without any explanation. I would have understood if they no longer had the stock, but with no explanation and the blazer still on the website with sizes available, I was quite annoyed.


After another couple of days, I finally received my Vogue purse. 
A great product, perfect condition and plenty of room for all my cards; I often find that many purses don't have enough compartments for the amount of cards I own!



I am very happy with my purse, I am just very disappointed in the website and how they dealt with my order. I will think twice before I order from them again.

Thanks for reading :)

The Website:

Sunday 27 July 2014

My Weekend | Family Party | prettylittlewriter

I didn't post anything on Saturday as I've been super busy with work (Primark) and a Family Wedding Party to attend.

I feel like I've neglected my blog, therefore I thought I'd share with you pictures and some memories I am going to cherish forever :)

My Momma and I before we left for the party! She's Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter :)

Bathroom selfie just before everyone arrived at the party (my parents and I were the first there as we arranged everything).

 My niece (bride to be!) and I as Daisy from The Great Gatsby and Marilyn Monroe. I love this girl so much and I cannot wait till the wedding (I'm a bridesmaid!).

One of my cousin's lovely friends, whom we call my adopted brother as he fits in so well with our family! :)

My Daddy (Clint Eastwood) and I. Couldn't ask for a better man to be my Dad; he's always there when I need him and I love him to pieces :)

On the dance floor! This was when Frozen's Let It Go came on. My niece's fiancé (in the background) was trying to do ballet to it; caused a lot of laughter! As you can see, I have flip flops on; not part of my outfit! I had pretty bad blisters on my heel and the shoes I was wearing were hurting a lot, so I took flip flops for dancing :)

Now this little girl is such a cutie-pie! My niece's little sister, I've only seen her once before but she danced and played with me like she's known me forever. She even came running to me to dance even though her sister was there, I felt so privileged; she's such a darling!

And finally a shot with my sister! Dressed as Maleficent, she looks so fierce! She made the entire outfit herself, including the staff and the headpiece! She's incredibly talented! Love her so much and she totally deserved to win best dressed! :)

So there you have it! That was the best part of my weekend and I couldn't ask for a better bunch of people to have spent it with! 




Friday 25 July 2014

Review | True Blood | prettylittlewriter

SPOILERS AHEAD! IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO KNOW WHAT IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING IN SEASON 7 OF TRUE BLOOD, DO NOT CONTINUE!

True Blood is one of the most controversial American TV Shows around; many critics have said the show promotes rape and other obscene actions and circumstances. 
On its seventh and final season, True Blood is slowly coming to an end by killing off many of their main characters.

To begin, if you have never watched the programme before and you do not have a clue what it is about, let me enlighten you!

Based on the novels by Charlaine Harris, the show revolves around the character of Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic fairy. In the first season, she starts off simply being a telepath who falls in love with a Vampire. She is attracted to him first and foremost because he is the only person who's mind she cannot read. As the seasons pass by, Sookie goes through many struggles (and men!), discovering along the way that she is of Fae blood through her Great Grandfather.

Another aspect of the show I should point out is that it includes a lot of nudity! If you feel uncomfortable watching anything with nudity in it, then this programme isn't for you!



Now, at the beginning of this season (Season 7), main protagonist Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), was in a happy, loving relationship with resident Werewolf Alcide Herveaux (Joe Manganiello). Then he got shot and died. Out of all the men in Sookie's life, Alcide was my favourite. He was always there for her, even when she didn't want him, and he hardly ever brought any drama into Sookie's life; something which Sookie has always had a ton of. It was a very sad and difficult scene to watch; tears were shed.





It seems to me that the writers and producers of the show have decided upon a very specific ending for Sookie, and Alcide is not to be a part of it.

Certain scenes within the 5 episodes that have aired so far lead me to believe that Sookie is to end up either alone, with Bill (Stephen Moyer) or her brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten). 
There have been many flashbacks from Bill's past, including a scene with Sookie from Season 1 when they were in a relationship. The focus upon their relationship, and a few looks of longing between them both, is just a couple of reasons why the show could be taking us full circle, ending with Sookie and Bill together again. 
Plus, the actors who play these two characters (Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer) are married with twins in real life; they could have some influence on their characters ending up together in the finale.





One reason why Sookie could end up alone is that the writers have been very brutal with the killing of characters lately. Sookie's childhood friend Tara (Rutina Wesley) was killed off in the first 30 seconds of the first episode in the new season, Alcide, who has been a major character from season 1, and even Hoyt's Momma Maxine was killed, and she has also been there since the beginning.


What is stopping them from killing off all the characters that have a close relationship with Sookie? Both Eric and Bill are now infected with HIV (which affects my theory of Sookie and Bill being together in the end), and Jason has just cheated on his Vampire Girlfriend Violet (Karolina Wydra) with his ex Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll). I'm pretty sure she is going to get revenge on them both one way or the other.

If this is how it ends, with Sookie alone and all of her friends and family gone, I'm not really sure what kind of ending it will really be. Sookie has always put family and friends first, she is a very caring and nurturing character, therefore, if she ends up alone with no one around her, I think that is very cruel.

With that being said, the writers could also be making it so Sookie ends up with only her Brother Jason by her side. As mentioned before, Sookie is very family-orientated. This could be an important aspect of the show as they have always shown Sookie's maternal side in detail. This allowing for a somewhat happy ending for Sookie and Jason.


Moving on to what I like about the show.

As a fashion and beauty addict, I'm always looking out for great clothes and beauty tips used on TV Shows.
My favourite character's style is Sookie; very girly and floral, usually seen wearing very pretty dresses!





I'm always on the lookout for clothing very similar to Sookie's; I myself am a huge fan of floral patterns and pretty dresses.



Sookie also manages to pull of the Merlotte's Uniform very well, which is simply black shorts and a white tee.


Sookie is my favourite character, not only for her style but her incredibly big heart. Throughout each season, Sookie has been put through hell, and somehow still manages to forgive the people that hurt her and love them just as much as she did before. Anna Paquin who plays Sookie, is also such an amazing actress, she started acting when she was only very young and starred in The Piano (in which she won an Oscar). One of my all time favourite actresses, Anna is superbly sweet and kind, and by the looks of it, an amazing wife and mother.

Another thing I love about the show is the music. The title of the episode is always the name of a song which is played in the ending credits, something very different and unique. They have had many great songs appear, such as Mikky Ekko's Who Are You Really?

Not forgetting to mention the theme song. Bad Things by Jace Everett is a classic country song which suits the show so well; it talks of doing bad things with a certain person, and as the show is very sexualised, it fits perfectly.

One thing I do want to say is that I do not believe that True Blood promotes rape or violence in any way. The show is fictional, and it revolves around Vampires. They are not your sparkly good kind of Vampires, they all have some issues. A lot of what happens also happened in the books, and like many other shows (such as Game of Thrones), violence and sex is a part of it. One scene within this season that caused so many people to complain about it was the scene between Jason and Violet, where he finally stood up to her and told her that they were going to have sex. These people complained as they believed that the way Jason spoke to her was violent and how a rapist would say it. But Violet has been stringing Jason along for such a long time, never allowing him to get closer to her, but always teasing him. This would drive anybody crazy, so Jason finally sticking up for himself was brilliant!
True Blood is always going to be controversial, and if people don't like what happens on the show, then simply don't watch it :)

Lastly, the thing I love the most about True Blood, is the cast. They are such good friends and look amazingly adorable behind the scenes!



So there you have it! A much longer blog post than usual, just giving those of you reading this a few of my favourite things about the show and where I think it's heading :)
Thank you for reading!




Thursday 24 July 2014

Current Beauty Staples | prettylittlewriter

For today's blog post I thought I'd show you all the every day make up I currently use!


I definitely wear more than I used to, but it still remains as a completely natural look! It also takes me a lot longer to apply than it used to, I now need around 40 minutes to complete my look, when before it was only 20 minutes! 

Products:

The Seventeen trio eyeshadows gives a natural smoky eye look without being overly dramatic, and the Topshop lipstick in Charmed gives a pop of colour for lovely summer days! 
As you can see my Real Techniques brushes get some serious use and could do with a wash (hehe). 
The Simple Revitalising Eye Roll-On is a great wake me up for my eyes first thing in the morning. I used to sit with cucumber on my eyes for a few minutes, but I found this product and decided to give it a go. It gives pretty much the same results as the cucumber did; my eyes feel much brighter and more awake!




Wednesday 23 July 2014

Woman Crush Wednesday | Lucy Hale | prettylittlewriter

As it is Woman Crush Wednesday over many Social Media accounts, I thought I'd share with you all one of my main Girl crushes, Miss Lucy Hale. 


This lovely lady is best known for her role on American TV Show, Pretty Little Liars. She plays the character of Aria (an artsy type with a thing for older guys), alongside three other super talented actresses (see pictures below). She has also starred in a number of Movies and had cameo appearances in TV shows, such as Scream 4, A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song, How I Met Your Mother and Baby Daddy.




She recently released a Country album called Road Between. Her first single You Sound Good To Me was released in January of this year, and her album later released in June.


Her second single is set to be released on July 29th along with a music video. The title of the track is Lie a Little Better.
Many of the tracks Lucy co-wrote with other artists such as Kasey Musgraves and Kristian Bush.


Not only is this little lady incredibly talented, she is also one of the most beautiful women in the world, inside and out. Always on social media such as Instagram and Twitter, Lucy often responds to her fans and is always excited to meet them backstage for a picture and a chat after her music gigs.


Facts about Lucy:
  • Born June 14th 1989 in Memphis, Tennessee
  • Short little lady at 5"2
  • Full name Karen Lucille Hale
  • An older sister called Maggie
  • She took part in American Talent Show American Juniors in 2003
  • Always wanted to do music but acting happened first
  • She has 3 tattoos, a bow on the back of her neck, the word Light on the left side of her ribs and another quote on her right side.
  • A huge fan of Britney Spears, Shania Twain, Florida Georgia Line and Faith Hill
  • Struggled with an eating disorder in her younger years
  • Hates Cheese
I think a lot of my love for her stems from how alike we are in our appearance and character. We are both 5"2 inches tall, we both have a bow tattoo on the back of our necks, and both currently have ombre hair. I also love country music and singing! 
She is my idol and inspiration for everything, I love her to pieces. 


So there you have it! Lucy is such an amazing person and I couldn't be prouder of her!
A very worthy Woman Crush Wednesday :)

Lucy's Social Media Platforms: