Recently watched...

 The Invitation (2015)

"While attending a dinner party at his former house, a man starts to believe that his ex-wife and her new husband have sinister plans for the guests."

This was such a slow film I really began to loose interest as nothing was happening then bam the ending was brilliant. Whether it was worth sitting through the rest though I'm not sure! 2/5

The Forest (2016)

"When her twin sister disappears in Japan, a young American named Sara becomes determined to find out what happened to her. Sara's investigation leads her to the legendary Aokigahara Forest or 'suicide forest'."

I thought this sounded like a great premise for a horror film, sadly it was the most bland horror I've seen in a long time. Not scary, a predictable story and boring characters. The only positive thing was the scenery. 1/5

The Woman in Black (2012)

Arthur Kipps, a lawyer, is recently widowed and grieving the loss of his wife when he is sent to a remote village to put a deceased eccentric's affairs in order. Soon after his arrival, it becomes clear that the villagers are hiding a terrible secret. 3/5

Emelie (2015)

"A couple's replacement babysitter turns out to be more than they bargined for when she subjects their kids to a series of twisted activities."

I can't even  be bothered to say much about this other than it was predictable and meh. 1/5

You Beauty Box November...

You Beauty is a bit different to other beauty subscription boxes in that it lets you choose which items you get. From a monthly selection you can either get 2 items for £6.95, 3 items for £8.95 or 4 for £10.95 (all include postage). I always go for the 2 items as they always chuck in some extras as well.

Here's what I got in my November box...

Firstly the 2 items I chose were:

The Library of Fragrance Baby Powder Cologne Spray (15ml)... I'm not much of a perfume person but I do like sprays that have simple clean scents so this is perfect- and it's just the right size to carry around too.

Emma Bridgewater Feels Like Home Body Wash (200ml)... This is a full sized item and I thought it would make a perfect stocking filler but i'm tempted to keep it for myself as the smell is amazing. It's described as chamomile, lavender and orange blossom but it just smells really cosy and lovely.

Each box also got Santa Baby Pop Bands, 7th Heaven Strengthen Nail & Cuticle Masques and Flowers By Kenzo mini spray.

I have to say the extras have been getting better and better with this box lately- and for so many full sized items for under £7 you can't go wrong!

October reading round up...

The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley
'In the Easter of 1976 a group of Catholic pilgrims from London journey to the wilds of Lancashire for a retreat, during which they hope to cure the narrator’s mute, mentally disabled brother, Hanny. The trip is led by a new priest, Fr Bernard McGill, who struggles to overcome the lingering presence of his predecessor who died in mysterious circumstances shortly after the last visit.' 
The gothic and atmospheric writing in this is brilliant and the descriptions of the Loney make you feel as if you are there. My main problem with this was that it was very slow paced and not much happened which wouldn't have bothered me too much as the writing was great but there were too many loose threads that didn't go anywhere and too many things left unanswered. 2.5/5

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher (audiobook)
'In Wishful Drinking, Carrie Fisher tells the true and intoxicating story of her life with inimitable wit. Born to celebrity parents, she was picked to play a princess in a little movie called Star Wars when only 19 years old. "But it isn't all sweetness and light sabers."
I'm not a Star Wars fan but I do like Carrie Fisher. Here she talks about her unusual chldhood, alcoholism, having Bipolar and other stuff with such warmth and humour. There were quite a lot of moments I was laughing along with her and listening to this as an audiobook made it so much more enjoyable as Carrie read as if she was sat chatting and you really got a sense of her unique character. 3/5

Keep You Close by Lucie Whitehouse
'When the artist Marianne Glass falls to her death, everyone insists it was a tragic accident. Yet Rowan Winter, once her closest friend, suspects there is more to the story. Ever since she was young, Marianne had paralyzing vertigo. She would never have gone so close to the roof's edge.'
This was an ok thriller if a little slow and predictable but the writing was good so I think I'll try some more books by this author. 3/5

Mind the Gap Vol.1 by Jim McCann
'Elle Peterssen is young, wealthy, and beautiful - and there is a reason someone tried to kill her. Only, Elle doesn't remember any of this.'
Artwork was great but the characters were unlikeable the story was meh and the dialogue was terrible. 2/5

The Unbelievable Gwenpool Vol.1 by Christopher Hastings
'Gwen Poole used to be a comic book reader just like you...until she woke up in a world where the characters she read about seemed to be real! But that can't be, right? This must all be fake, or a dream or something, right? And you know what that means...NO CONSEQUENCES! Could Gwenpool truly be Marvel's least responsible and least role-modely character to date? She can if she tries!'
LOVE LOVE LOVE this series! Lots of fun, nice bold colourful artwork and Gwenpool is full of sass and attitude. 4/5

Mental health and my comfort zone...

For the last month or so I have been feeling, for want of a better word totally shit. My anxiety has reared its ugly head as well as falling into a pit of depression. I have felt the strong urge to run away from everything and hide in the safety of my home surrounded by my nice and comforting things. I get this urge whenever my mental health is wobbly and so my home is as well as my safe place a space that I surround myself with things that I like and things that make me "happy" such as books, and toys and random cute stuff. I didn't want this post to be a total downer but I also haven't had much motivation to type posts out lately so though I would just do an easy picture post showing you some of the things in my comfort zone i.e my home. 

It may seem materialistic by I do love having and collecting stuff. When I feel like I am loosing control of my life being surrounded by nice things grounds me and gives me back a (small) sense of control. Being in familiar and safe surroundings is very important to me when I am feeling anxious and I like spending time organising and tidying up. (I was the strange kid that actually enjoyed tidying my room!)

Recently watched TV shows...

Black Mirror Series 3 (Netflix)

"Featuring stand-alone dramas -- sharp, suspenseful, satirical tales that explore techno-paranoia -- "Black Mirror" is a contemporary reworking of "The Twilight Zone" with stories that tap into the collective unease about the modern world."

As a fan of Charlie Brooker, I've loved this show since the beginning and this new series was on the whole great if not at times a little more tamer.

The Last Man on Earth series 1 & 2 (Amazon Prime)

"In 2022, a cataclysm strikes Earth, seemingly wiping out the population save for former bank employee Phil Miller. Sad and very lonely, Phil travels the United States in his RV searching for other survivors.  As more survivors turn up, complications arise and Phil finds it difficult to co-exist with others again."

Written and starring former SNL cast member Will Forte this is his usual quirky style, whilst also being very very funny. I can't wait for series 3 to come to prime as I am hooked.

The X Files series 10 (Amazon Prime)

Mulder and Scully are back! After all these years it's great to see the pair back together and even though I enjoyed these six episodes it was left on a big cliffhanger that makes me wonder what the point was....

Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends (Netflix)

"A documentary series, in which Louis Theroux gives brief glimpses into the worlds of individuals and groups that would not normally come into contact with or experience up close. In most cases this means interviewing people with extreme beliefs of some kind, or just generally belonging to subcultures not known to exist by most or just frowned upon."

I love Louis Theroux and have enjoyed watching some of his earlier documentaries on Netflix, often very interesting but also very funny and quirky. I especially recommend the UFO episode.

Gotham Series 2 (Netflix)

"Gotham is an American crime television series based on the early years of characters published by DC Comics and appearing in the Batman franchise, primarily those of James Gordon and Bruce Wayne"

Admittedly not the best TV show in the world, but an easy watch and a lot of fun. I especially enjoy the storylines of Selina Kyle and Penguin.

Pink Parcel November...

Pink Parcel is a 'luxury period subscription box' that sends you a monthly supply of tampons and/or pads and a selection of treats including tea, something sweet and other goodies.

I forgot to take a picture of the rest of the box but you can check back at any of my previous Pink Parcel posts to see the rest of the contents.

November's edition of Pink Parcel is sponsored by Look magazine and we got a copy of the latest issue with the box (we will also get an issue with the next two months.) They also curated the items in this months 'for you' box, so lets see what I got.... 

1. Spiced Chai Latte. I'm not a tea drinker so I will pass this on.

2. Ombar Strawberry Mylk. Dear Pink Parcel stop sending us this crappy raw chocolate and give us some proper chocolate! (Also spell milk properly.)

3. Carmex Moisturising lipbalm Mint. I'm happy to receive this as I love a good lipbalm- especially at this time of year.

4. Nails Inc Polish in Whitehall. I will be using this soon- I love Nails Inc polishes.

5. Seacret Hair Mud Mask, Hair Serum & Shampoo. According to the book this stuff is rediculously expensive, I'm looking forward to trying it out.

6. Korres Bergamot Pear Body Milk. Glad to see this brand- it smells amazing.

7. Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner. I love a good black eyeliner so will definitely give this a go.

8. Carnaby & Cross Gemmotherapy Face Mask. Face masks are always a good inclusion, this one is a fancy sheet mask.

Overall I'm very happy with this months box, there are lots of full sized products and it is all stuff I will use :)

Lately October...

 Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year and I love all the spooky stuff in the shops!

I had a big sort out at the beginning of the month and took a load of stuff to the charity shop, whilst there I picked up a couple of books too :) 

This is the time of year when I like to stock up on wax melts and candles. An Autumn night with candles burning and snuggled up with a book sounds pretty perfect to me!

 Catching up with my favourite comic series: Paper Girls

 This month the third series of Black Mirror hit Netflix, and I watched it all straight away!

I'll be honest, this month has been a tough one for me. I've been struggling a lot with my mental health. Hopefully a change in my meds will help but in the mean time I've been trying to practice some self care- including some colouring in which is does help my anxiety.