I think I've found a new favourite film. I also think it is not going to move from this position. Ever.

Reviewing films/books/any other thing I could talk about is something I've wanted to try for a while, and so I thought why not start with something I loved, so here we go!

For those who are unaware, Boyhood is a coming of age film about a boy named Mason and follows his life from a small child up until leaving for college. The thing that is so interesting and unique about this film is the fact that every single character was played by the same person over a twelve year period, so these actors and characters really were growing up on screen. 

I have an undeniable interest and love for films that show people as people instead of an ideal character that the audience cannot reach, and I believe that every character is real and relatable. We see struggles the family go through, and how these develop the characters and their attitudes to life without it delving into melodrama or unnecessary issues or pain being brought up. It stays very close to truth and realism which just adds to the relatability.

Another way it stays close to realism is the fact that all the different topics covered were filmed in real time and so things such as the Harry Potter book being released and the rise in social media all coincided with my age at that time. It let me reminisce on times in my childhood that I maybe had forgotten about, for example the excitement every time a new Harry Potter was released, and it was refreshing to see it captured in film form. It also struck a chord with me in regards to Mason's later years of high school, with his interest in photography and yet not working hard enough in class and his relationship, and it truly felt like I had stopped watching a film and instead was just watching a boy grow up into the person he wanted to be.

The way the film ended filled me with a lot of hope and genuinely made me happier. I will not delve into too much detail of the plot just in case I spoil it, but as someone who does fear the future and the fact I still have no clue what to do in further education, the end made me realise a few things.

I can see why this film has generically amazing reviews, but can also see how some people can see the lack of appeal. It is almost three hours and if realistic films are not to your fancy you may find it incredibly boring, but I find everything from the editing and cinematography to the performances and soundtrack perfect and I really do respect how twelve years of work added together to create a truly realistic and inspiring piece of film. 

xx

Dear 2014,

Thank you. I can't quite grasp the fact that you're actually almost over, but you deserve the biggest thank you out of all my years so far. I have learnt so much, varying from the happiest I've ever been, to the lowest, where I thought I wasn't even going to manage to see 2015. I have made new, very close friends, I loved and lost, I travelled to places I always wanted to go and saw things I'd always wanted to see. I started writing my first book, which admittedly is going to take a lot of editing and time, but it has been a dream of mine since I first learned how to write. I found a new love for beauty and fashion, but also expanded loves for other things, for example acting and films. I am a completely different person to who I was this time last year, and for that I have never felt so strong and so capable. 2014, you have been both kind and cruel to me, and for that I thank you. 

Goodbye,
Shannon 

x

June went far too fast, and we are now halfway through the year! Genuinely quite scared by that fact. I hope you had as good a June as I did, and here are my favourites;

Soap and Glory bodywashes; £6.50 each at Boots

I love these more than life itself. The two on the picture are the Sugar Crush with a sweet lime scent and the Rich and Foamous with an almond, oats and brown sugar scent. These are my go to body washes at the moment and have been for quite a while and that is simply because they smell so good. I use the lime scent for the morning as it really helps wake me up as it is quite a refreshing and citrus-y smell whereas the almonds, oats and brown sugar scent is definitely much more of a bed time scent as it is a relaxing smell and puts you in a "bed time" mood. The Sugar Crush also contains "CoolCapsuleX" which helps cool and refresh the body, making it perfect for summer as it is slowly getting much hotter in the UK, whereas the Rich and Foamous contains moisturising ingredients meaning that it is ideal for hot months where your skin is prone to getting dry. I also love Soap and Glory generally as they do not test on animals. 

Sleek Contour Pallets; £6.49 from Boots

This product does wonders with my face and I love it a lot. It is highly pigmented and so you do not need to use a lot which is great as this means it will last for longer. I love the matte pressed powder as it really does work wonders on the contours and really slims down my face. I am usually not a big fan of shimmer and try to avoid it where I can, but it works in the highlighter, especially in summer as it gives you much more of a glow and a summery look. I love the packaging as it looks sleek (no pun intended) and quite high end in my opinion without costing much at all, and also has a decent sized mirror without being huge, meaning I can put it in my bag if I need to top up at all and it will not take up much room .

Slanted Kabuki Brush; £16 from The Body Shop 

When paired with the Sleek contour powder I genuinely could not think of anything better for my face. This brush is ridiculously soft and when using it to put any sort of powder on my face it feels like my face is being stroked. Its shape means that contouring my face is easy as it follows the shape of my cheeks without any hassle at all, making blending very easy and quick. The handle is also easy to hold and makes controlling the brush easy. As the brush itself is quite fat, it means it covers more area on the face, making the process much quicker which is something I like a lot. My only drawback on this brush was the price as I found it quite expensive, and I managed to buy an entire Real Techniques kit for £1 cheaper, but I am happy I spent the money on it as I do feel it is worth it completely.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer; £4.19 from Boots

I feel like I'm late to the bandwagon on this one, but in all honesty I have been using it for a while. However, I didn't realise how much I loved it until I ran out of it in the airport on the way to Ireland and had to buy the Rimmel Hide the Blemish concealer and hated it, so when I re-purchased this when I got home it was like it had suddenly gotten 100000 times better. I love this a lot, mainly as it is one of the only skin products I've found so far to match my skin tone completely and not given me a hint of orange. Its coverage is brilliant and works on spots/redness and under the eyes, making my skin look much clearer and makes me look more awake. It claims it's waterproof which I'm not 100% on but it is very long lasting and usually lasts all day unlike my foundation. It is easy to blend and can be worn with or without foundation, meaning that on days where I want a really natural look or I just want to let my skin breathe, I can just put a bit of this on and some powder and I'm good to go. It is a very good quality product for the price which I like a lot as it gives great coverage and I don't have to fork out if I re-purchase. My only issue is the packaging does chip away very quickly as shown in the picture, meaning it has a tendency to look messy which I don't like.

Nandos Lemon and Herb Chicken Wrap

Until my trip to London I was a Nandos virgin, and now I've been twice! I have found a new favourite take out food I think, and it is definitely somewhere I'm going to be hitting up a lot more. I can also tick it off my 101 things!

The Fault In Our Stars movie

I'm not going to say anything about the plot as I know most people know it and if you don't I don't want to spoil it. I read the book probably over a year ago now and loved it, and so when a film was announced I was a stereotypical book person and went around saying "it's never going to be as good" "the casting's rubbish" etcetc. I am proud to say that I was proved wrong. I came away from this film an emotional wreck. It was true to the book, the casting was perfect and I found a love for the soundtrack and cinematography. It has rekindled my love and passion for films and made me want to go out with a camera and make something as beautiful. My boyfriend was just a big a wreck as I was, something that rarely happens, and I just have a special place in my heart for this now. Definitely a DVD I'll be buying when it comes out. 



Once Upon A Time

I am extremely late to the bandwagon with this one as it started in 2011 and I've only just gotten round to watching it. I am about a quarter of the way through series two and in love. I find the whole concept of "real life" fairytale characters genius and loved watching the flashbacks to storybook world and then real life back in real world. I think series 2 is going to be just as good as I think the idea is just as clever as the first series, but I won't spoil it for anyone. If you are into fantasy, slightly cheesy but clever tv shows, like Teen Wolf or Pretty Little Liars then this is definitely for you!

If you love any of these things, or have any favourites you wanna discuss then comment below so I can know about what you've been loving this month!