Orange Is The New Black Season 3 (SPOILERS)

So. Many. Thoughts. Where do I even begin?! Like the rest of the Netflix loving world, I spent two solid nights watching Season 3 of Orange Is The New Black and instantly regretted watching it so quickly. Some people said it was a boring season where others loved it but I personally thought it was a solid season which I really enjoyed. I found it more entertaining than Season 2 but still not as good as Season 1 which really drew me into loving the show. I think it may be easier to discuss the Season by character so here it goes!

Taylor Swift's 1989 Tour

First of all, my Orange Is The New Black post regarding Season 3 is coming... I have been so busy since it premiered that I haven't managed to collect all my thoughts together to write in a post! I watched it all in two days as I anticipated and it was fricking awesome.

Back to today's post, I was lucky enough to see Taylor Swift live this week as part of her 1989 World Tour and it was such an experience let me tell you! I have wanted to see her for a long time and it seemed like this event was never coming but this week it finally came around. 12,000 people were in attendance so it was absolutely packed to the point that it was slightly overwhelming with a half hour wait and body scanning to even get in the front door! The queues for merchandise were more like crowds and it was it was survival of the fittest to get your hands on a t-shirt! I was lucky enough to get one which has not just the European dates but all the tour dates across the world listed on the back. I really love that!

My Top 5 OITNB Episodes

Like the rest of the world, I absolutely cannot wait until Season 3 of Orange Is The New Black is released tomorrow! I am looking forward to sitting down tomorrow night to start watching and fully intend to finish it by the end of the weekend. I have no patience to stretch it out or I would to make it last longer! Stretching it out over the weekend is actually longer than I probably would like to... Anyway, I'd imagine a lot of people are re-watching the show this week so I thought I would share my favourite episodes from the first two seasons.

Moscow Mule (S01E08)

I'd say that this is probably my favourite episode of all time. I absolutely love the conflict between Pennsatucky and Alex that runs over these few episodes. I think is maybe the episode after this where she breaks Alex's glasses and steals her mattress but it is still funny all the same. My favourite moment though in this episode is when Alex finds herself locked in the laundry room dryer at the hands of Pennsatucky. It is still as funny as the first time I watched it!

Bora Bora Bora (S01E10)

Another Pennsatucky highlight for me where she thinks she can heal people through the power of 'The Lord'. I love how the inmates totally string her along in believing they are healing their conditions from Watson's dodgy knee to Big Boo's homosexuality. The commentary also from both Piper and Alex throughout this episode is top class and adds to the hilarity and ridiculousness of the whole thing. My personal favourite scene though is when Pennstatucky floors one of the visiting youths, Dina,  to ask God to heal her and "make this child walk again!"'. It really does not get much better than that moment for the comedy value. 

Tall Men With Feelings (S01E11)

I included this episode as I feel Larry's radio interview is a very poignant scene for the entire season. I remember this being the exact moment where I started to dislike Larry as I actually did really like him when I first started the show! It is incredibly sad that Piper is so excited for the interview that she asks her fellow inmates to listen for Larry to only bad mouth them all with her stories she has shared with him. I love how this particular sequence is edited to show all the inmates tuning in and seeing their reactions to Larry's comments about them. I really wanted to give Crazy Eyes a big hug at this point! Piper's reaction when she realises Larry knows about her and Alex is such an 'OMG' moment in the first season. I think that Larry's radio interview was a truly moving moment in this show as it shows that even though these woman are criminals, they are people and they do of course have feelings too.

F*cksgiving (S01E07)

Anyone else feel like this waiting on Season 3?

I like this particular episode as this is the first glimpse we get of the SHU when Piper is sent there by Healey for 'lesbianing' in the common area. Another classic moment from Pennsatucky and a total overreaction on Healey's part but still entertaining none the less. The SHU is a nasty place, no wonder Piper was starting to go a little crazy! I wonder if we will see any inmates headed down there this season? 

Thirsty Bird (S02E01)

This is the only Season 2 episode to feature in my Top 5! I really did enjoy Season 2 but I didn't think it was as funny as the first. However, this episode is an absolute favourite of mine and I have re-watched this one quite a few times. I loved seeing into a new prison but enjoyed how we followed Piper there so it was not totally detached from Litchfield as such. I really enjoyed the addition of the new characters and I am so stoked that Lolly will be back this season! I have read Piper Kerman's novel Orange is The New Black which the series is based on (if you didn't know) and the Chicago prison was a real life event from her book so it was interesting to see how the show portrayed it in comparison to her novel. I liked the appearance of Alex and there was a few good humorous moments between her and Piper. Finally, the music in this episode was actually really really good. I have listened to Pulaski at Night so much since this episode aired! 

I hope you enjoyed this post, what are your favourite episodes of OITNB? Will you be tuning into see Season 3 tomorrow? Let me know in the comments! I'll be back on a similar note with my review on Season 3 probably at the start of next week!

My Spa Day Essentials

If you saw my previous post, I shared that I had been on a Spa Day recently! I had never been to a spa before never mind staying for the whole day so I was really unsure on what I actually needed to take with me.  After some (or maybe a lot) of googling, I found a few guides with some very useful tips. After conferring with my friend, we figured out what we thought we needed so I thought I would share what I think are essential items in my experience to take with you on a spa day!

The spa we visited provided us with towels but I still took one of my own and it turned out to be absolutely the right thing to do! We used the pool/jacuzzi before and after our lunch so my first towel got really wet from me jumping in and out so much that I really needed a dry one in the afternoon! I guess they would provide you with another if you asked but I found it really handy to have an extra one of my own. I additionally took a bikini bag with me that I picked up in Primark for £2 which was ideal for holding my wet swimwear when I left. I also used my towel to wrap extra wet bikinis that we couldn't fit in the bag!

I read online to take a second swimsuit to for your treatments to save you having to wear your wet costume. I found this really handy as we used the pool before our treatments so I was able to change into another dry bikini that I had with me! I'm really glad I did this as my bikini's were still wet the following day despite hanging them in the hotel bathroom to dry!

I also took my own shower gel and loofah so I could have a better shower than just rinsing myself off. Shower gel was actually provided from a soap dispenser which was handy but I would advise taking your own just in case as I really didn't think it would be!

One thing we were really unsure of was the dress code for our Afternoon Tea. The spa facilities were in a very compact part of the hotel which we didn't need to leave at any point. Our lunch was provided in the seating area next to the pool so you could dress however you wished. I'd imagine every spa would be different but I took some shorts with me to wear with the top half of my bikini and my robe to feel slightly more dressed for dining! I certainly wouldn't have liked to have sat in the hotel restaurant dressed like that!

Finally I took my own flip flops for mostly wearing around the pool and in the changing rooms. I wasn't too keen to walk about bare foot all day. The flip flops really came in handy for walking about in the areas away from the pool as I didn't have to go back to my locker constantly to put my shoes on. They were very easy to slip on/off and I was able to wear them for lunch and to my treatments.

I hope this post will help someone out if you're going on a spa day soon! These things may not work for everyone but I found they worked very well for me.

May Favourites

It seems like this month has gone in so fast as I have not long posted my April Favourites! This favourites post however, is actually going up on schedule. I actually have a lot of new favourites this month that are mix of TV/Film as usual with some new beauty products that I have tried! 

Bourjous Volume 1 Seconde Retro Summer Mascara

I had my eye on this product as I absolutely loved the packaging. It's so bright and eye catching! I did not buy it initially as it was slightly on the expensive side and I have plenty of half used mascaras kicking about in my makeup drawer. A couple of weeks ago, I travelled to the city to meet a friend from university that I had not seen in a few years and as I was doing my makeup on the train there, I realise I had forgotten my mascara. I contemplated whether I was being ridiculous going to buy another mascara but I felt my make up just looked incomplete without it. So I picked up this product as it felt like less of a pointless spend as I would of bought it eventually anyway! I think mascara is mascara in all honesty but this applies easy and it makes my lashes look really big too!

Ted Baker Pink Body Spray 150ml

This fragrance was literally love at first smell, it's so good! I picked this up in Boots for £7 which I thought was incredibly cheap for a designer fragrance. I have bought a few products from Ted Baker's  range and I really like the scent as it's really feminine and fresh. This product is fruity with floral notes too and comes in a lovely plastic bottle which is lightweight for travelling! I feel like the scent does not linger on your skin for long though so it needs reapplied frequently.

Khroma Beauty Palette

I picked up this absolute gem in TK Maxx a few weeks ago. This palette consists of six eyeshadow shadows, a blusher and a bronzer so it is also ideal for travelling. Each Kardashian sister has their own palette with different shades and this is Kourtney's one. She is my favourite on the show so I was really happy about that! I really wanted to try the Kardashian Beauty range so I was really happy to find this so cheap. 

Age of Adaline 

I was so looking forward to seeing this film as I am a massive fan of Blake Lively and I was really excited to see Michiel Huisman from Orphan Black in another role as I love his character Cal. Age of Adaline follows the story of a young woman played by Lively who finds herself in a car accident  before being struck by lightening causing her to stop aging. We follow Adaline through decades of her life when she outgrows everyone and interestingly her daughter now looks like her grandmother. Adeline meets Michiel Huisman's character on New Year's Eve and he persistently pursues her yet she struggles with commitment due to her immortality. The film frequently flashes back to Adaline's memories which adds a really interesting dynamic to the story. If you love romance films, this really is worth watching. It is slightly predictable in parts but it is a really feel good film and is one of my favourites so far this year.

Pitch Perfect 2

I have already done a separate post on this so I won't go into too much detail as you can read my thoughts here if you wish too! I thought this sequel was really funny but the plot lacked a little. The first film was better in terms of the story but this was one was packed full of laughs so that definitely made up for it me. Rebel Wilson was as funny as ever as Fat Amy and my favourite part of the film had to be her crossing the lake singing to Bumper, it was fabulous!

Wicked

I also did a separate post on this last week, you can see this here if you wish to read it! I saw the touring production of Wicked and it really was fantastic. I am so glad I decided to get tickets at the last minute rather than missing out as it was such a high quality production to be outside of London! Emily Tierney was brilliantly annoying as the Good Witch Glinda or Ga-linda as she kept correcting everyone! However, Jacqueline Hughes excelled as the Wicked Witch Elphaba with her incredible stage presence and phenomenal vocal. I did not realise until after the performance that she was the standby Elphaba and I honestly do not know how the principal could be any better! 

I hope you enjoyed this post, what were your favourite things in May?

Season Finale Roundup

The start of summer means that all our favourite TV shows that run the whole year reach their season finale. I prefer 'binge watching' TV series' now as I can watch as many episodes as I like until I decide I love it or that I am never going to tune in again. I do think it encourages me to watch more new TV (I'm currently watching the first episode of the new Netflix original Grace and Frankie right now...) but I still like to stick with my old favourites by tuning in every week for them. There were some pretty great season finales last month so I thought I would share a few thoughts on them. This post will contain spoilers but they all aired a good few weeks ago now so I imagine most people will have seen the episodes!

The Vampire Diaries

I was really anticipating the season finale of this show as it was the last appearance of Nina Dobrev as the lead character, Elena Gilbert. I was rather gutted when she announced her departure as asides from Damon Salvatore, she is probably my favourite character on the show. I don't know how long the show will last without her as she really is the staple character that the story revolves around but I am interested to see where it leads next. I could not realistically see Elena leaving Mystical Falls  so I expected her character to be killed off which I did not really want to see either! I thought Elena's exit from her falling into a coma after being magically linked to Bonnie was very tasteful yet still totally tragic as Bonnie would have to pass away before she would ever wake up again. I would like to see Elena make an appearance again when the show ends so she can come out of her coma and live happily ever after with Damon. I am a bit of a hopeless romantic like that! On another note, I am still mourning the loss of Jo. I was loving her character this season, they wrote her out far too soon!

Modern Family

I thought the season finale was absolutely fabulous this year! It was not an overly exciting episode but it was was packed full of humour from start to finish. Cam's new braces affecting his speech was brilliant and the whole scenario of him thinking Mitch was cheating on him was really comical. This episode revolved around Alex's graduation but Phil was unable to fly home to be there so he spent the episode 'Skyping' the gang on what looked like an iPad attached to a Segway. The whole concept was very cleverly done and I truly found it very funny seeing him scooting about Jay's house causing all sorts of mischief! On a more serious note, I loved the little bit of drama between Haley and Andy. The moment between them and Phil was very touching as he threw himself down the stairs to try and tell them that they loved each other as his sound cut on out his screen! I would like to see them get together at some point on this show as they are very sweet together.

New Girl 

I have had a bit of a love hate relationship with New Girl over the past couple of years. It was hilarious when it first started but I have found myself increasingly less interested in it. I did however, really enjoy the season finale. It was nice to finally see Schmidt and Cece get back together after a long season of building up to it. I thought Schmidt's proposal was very sweet and I am really intrigued to see what happens with them next season!

The Big Bang Theory 

I was spoiled for the last episode of The Big Bang Theory as someone I followed on Twitter went to watch the taping and posted pretty much the entire plot on my feed... I was rather mad so I didn't enjoy the season finale as much as I should have as I knew everything that was going to happen! I cannot believe what happened with Sheldon and Amy though, I really hope they resolve their differences next season! I had a discussion with a friend about Sheldon's apparent 'engagement' ring for Amy and I'm not entirely convinced that is what it was. I think it was simply to generate a big cliffhanger and discussion point for the next season as is Sheldon really going to commit to something as major as engagement when a few of episodes ago they just had their first sleepover?! I think it was maybe more along the lines of a promise ring or something like that. I can't wait to find out what happens next with them!

Do you watch any of these TV shows? If so, what did you think of their season finales?