My TV Guilty Pleasures

Here is the first part of a series of posts on my TV favourites.

This blog is all about my guilty pleasures currently broadcast on the box an why i enjoy them so much.

Emmerdale

Although some people may take pride in watching this soap opera, it is not a programme with a high amount of viewers of my age.

However there must be a part of me that wants to run away and start up a farm in the countryside as I love catching up with what has been going on while I have been away.

I am not a big fan of the ITV Player as I find it so slow compared to the iPlayer, but even if I could stand the site for long enough, I am not sure I would watch Emmerdale online.

I think the biggest part of the pleasure of this show is my Friday night catch-ups with mum on the sofa finding out what has been going on with the town’s residents.

I am particularly fond of the idea of the farm shop, and the Woolpack

gatherings, simply the whole dying concept of village living that I have never really experienced.

For those cynics of my sanity, I do know that it is all created for the show, but I like the added drama and narrative that only a regular soap can provide, and I am sure I will continue to indulge in the show more often now, whilst I am home for Easter.

Snog Marry Avoid

As a media student, I often ponder how this show fits into the BBC’s remit to: educate, inform and entertain. Yes it may inform people on how to be naturally beautiful and certainly entertains those such as myself who bask in its triviality. But how far will this remit bend?

But don’t mistake these thoughts about the BBC’s motivations for the show as criticism. As for escapism TV I couldn’t think of anything better.

An acquired taste, but a must see for those who observe how people have taken ‘fakery’ the extreme, and chuckle to themselves at orange fake tans, clumpy fake lashes and outfits that look like they haven’t yet got dressed.

POD (personal overhaul device) is witty and cutting and such a giggle.

Shown on BBC3, normally in the late evenings it is a show aimed at the teenage audience, but I know that friends into their 40’s still enjoy a bit of a giggle at the state of the people willing to appear on the show.

Another of my core guilty pleasures.

Take Me Out

Oh Paddy McGuinness makes this show for me. That accent, that cheeky smile and wicked sense of humour make me grin every time.

Again I must bore you for a second with my wonderment on its reflection on dating culture in the UK. The objectification of men is really interesting to me. As well as how women perceive different aspects of the contestant’s life and decide so quickly that they do not want to know any more about him.

Whenever I watch it I think of my dad saying “chuck her a sugar lump and send her home” with reference to one of the women looking like a horse, and it makes me think that maybe these cutting observations are best made behind closed doors and not told to the male contestants so openly.

It’s so cruel, it’s so cutting, and so totally my ultimate guilty pleasure.

A class entertainment for those who want nothing more.

Thank you all for reading :)

Please comment and let me know what your TV guilty pleasures are.

Love Rie

xxx

Oh the Wonders of Television!!

As some of you may know, I spend most of my week at university in Southampton. I don’t have a television licence in my place currently, so I rely on YouTube and BBC iPlayer for my entertainment.

But there is nothing like indulging in a bit of good old television when I am home. I have just come home for the Easter break, and as I told you what entertainment I enjoy watching at university I thought I would do a few posts on what television I enjoy watching a home.

Look out for 3 posts in the next 3 days on my guilty pleasures, my crime drama genre favourites and my addiction to cooking programmes.

Don’t forget to comment about what shows you like to watch, what you think of my favourite shows and programmes you think I might like.

Thanks reading,

Love Rie xxxx

Jennifer Love Hewitt Inspired Look

Hi all :)

Just a really quick bloggy to show you what I am wearing out tonight, and the inspiration I had for the look.

Let me know what you think (but be kind hehe :P)

The video I used for inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C06EZd4maY

Picture of Hewitt I used to help me with my hair and make-up

If you would like to know the make-up I used request a how-to post.

Love Rie

xxxx

TOP 3 YOUTUBE MAKE-UP GURUS!!!!!

Hi :)

As promised here is my top 3 make-up gurus I watch on YouTube.

I can spend hours watching these 3 everyday and I hope you will enjoy reading about them.

Follow the links underneath each of these to go to their YouTube channels and blogs.

1. Kandee Johnson. Professional make-up artist and devoted mum of 4 turned to YouTube as entertainment, and has now turned into a sort of career!! Her two channels on YouTube as well as here two blogs keep me coming back daily for my Kandee fix!! She is simply the happiest person I have ever seen, and her infectious smile and love are real motivators for me. I love her look-a-like style videos and make-up tips are also really interesting to watch, alongside her personal channels everyday updates on her beautiful new baby. I would really recommend viewing just a couple of her videos just for your personal and mental health, as she is sooo happy all the time!

Make-up YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/kandeejohnson

Make-up Blog: http://www.kandeej.com/
Personal YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/thekandeejohnsonshow

Personal Blog: http: http://kandeelandkandeeland.blogspot.com/

2. PixiwooIt gets more difficult to choose after number 1. I regularly watch around 10 gurus and catch up on others from time to time and it’s really difficult to choose. But my second favourite has to be Pixiwoo. The British sisters Sam and Nic are really charismatic and will stop at nothing to provide brilliantly inspired make-up looks and tutorials. I love their dedication to the videos and love all there updates. They seem very knowledgeable and inspiring.

Make-up YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/pixiwoo

Make-up Blog: http://www.pixiwoo.com

3.Michelle PhanMichelle was the first guru I ever watched on YouTube and I have loyally watched every video she has created since. I do prefer the older style of bedroom videos with simple make-up looks over the new collaboration styles but all her updates are fun to watch. She stands out from the crowd with her expertly filmed and edited videos that are like little movies rather than self filmed tutorials. However she has slipped down to third on my list as I feel that she does not update as often as some other gurus and lacks the personal touch I love with vlogging that sometime accompanies other gurus.

Make-up YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/michellephan

Charity Channel: http://youtube.com/user/ricebunny

Thank you all for reading :)

Comment below and let me know who your favourite gurus are!

Love Rie

xxxx

Update

Hey all,

There is no real excuse for my absence from blogging for so long. I'm sure we all feel the pull of other micro-blogging sites like Twitter, and social networks like Facebook but they can really take up all my time online. I've also become addicted to YouTube since moving into halls and use it like a TV.

So as a little catch up I thought I would use this post to let you know how university is going, tell you what I am enjoying in the form of online entertainment at the moment (please do not read this as adult online entertainment :P), and some new books that are coming out soon that I am really excited about!!

So firstly, as you may already know I am in my second year at Solent University in Southampton, and I am currently studying Media Communications. Its been a pretty hectic term if I am honest, and I am feeling the pull of my double life right now. Being

here 4 days a week, home in Portsmouth 3 days a week can really knock it out of you, on top of my part time work commitments I have had to be on top of my game to keep up. I'd like to think I am doing pretty well, all assignments are running on time, and all work commitments are working okay and I am still sane!! But I can definitely feel the tension in my shoulders and the common cold has been sticking with me for a bit longer than I want it too.

I am really excited about my dissertation proposal, that I hand in as a 3,000 word assignment this year, rather than just the traditional 10,000 words in the final year (which I will have to do as well!!). It is something that my tutor has seen nothing on before, and something that really interests me, so I hope be keeping it fresh and update I hope it will all go well.

I have chosen to do it on how YouTube has changes women's identity through how-to videos!! As I mentioned above I have been really into YouTube since moving into halls, and can spend hours watching it everyday, which I can now call research. My entertainment of choice at the moment has to be make-up gurus, and it has me really interested in how cosmetics companies are using them to promote their products, and how this again affects the identity of the gurus and those watching them. I hope this sounds as interesting to you guys as it is to me!!

Watch out for a blog post coming up with my top 3 beauty gurus on YouTube for your personal pleasure - and honestly mine!!

Now to books. Something you may not know in less you are very close to me is my love of fantasy fiction! Call it what you wish by my little books of escapism are essential for my mental health and are a big love of mine. So you can imagine how excited I am to find out my two favourite fantasy authors are bring out new books for there series this year!!

Recently I have been re-reading the Women of the Other World series by Kelley Armstrong due to lack of new books, and have been really enjoying and discovering all over again her brilliant writing style. I honestly don't think any other writer is capable or creating such a large amount of well rounded loveable characters that fit into a seamless narrative so well. I often forget that I am reading a book, as the effortlessness of turning pages feels just like watching television (without all the annoying adverts!!). So when I heard of the release of Spell Bound I was jumping for joy. Due out in July this year, I will soon be pre-ordering with next day delivery so I can read it straight away. This book promises to be even more exciting that the rest following on from Waking the Witch and dramatic end with Savannah, as well as rumours its to include all previous characters together in one book!! I just can't wait!

Next it is the next book in the True Blood series by Charlaine Harris. Another American fantasy fiction series I love. I purchased the full set back in October last year with a gift card given as a birthday present from my best friend Sam. I found it in Waterstones for a reasonable price and though I would give it a go. I had seen the advert for the television series and I was curious, but I still haven't watched the series.... because I had to fly through these stories all in one go. They had me hooked from the first chapter of the first book. I loved the story so much, completely mindless entertainment, with nothing really challenging - pure escapism. I don't quite hold the same loyalty to this series as I do the Women of the Otherworld, but I was excited when I heard she was releasing a new book. I have read all the main books, as well as one of the short stories collections, and I aware of Sookieverse fiction around, but haven't found the inclination to splash out and purchase them, but this one is also on my pre order list. Dead Reckoning will be released in May this year and as long as it has as many steamy scene as the last I am sure I will love it.

Look out for my reviews of these books as soon as they are released!!

Thank you all for reading, and please comment lots and let me know what you think.

Is there any other books coming out that you think I would like??

Love, Rie xxxx

Blue Moon by Alyson Noël (2009)

This book was a birthday present from my mum who confessed she saw it in a supermarket and thought I might like it. We soon realised it was a book was actually the second in The Immortals series, but I am a huge fan of anything fantasy and was high on my reading list even if I couldn't read them in order.

It took me just over 2 weeks to read, which is no indication of its content which was great, but just a victim to my busy timetable of late. But anyway - about the book...

The synopsis provided on the cover reads:

"Things have changed for Ever since she fell in love with Damen. But just as her powers are increasing, Damen seems to be weakening. Panicked at the thought of loosing him, Ever finds a path to the inbetween world of Summerland, where she learns the secrets of Damen's tortured past - and accidentally discovers a way to twist time. Now she can save her family from the accident that killed them. It's all she's ever wanted - but so is Damen. And Ever must choose between them..."

Try not to be confused by the name Ever in the synopsis, as it takes a page or two to get used heteronym but I didn't think after then. Yet I was captured by the first page. Think magic from Harry Potter, and romance from Twilight.

Yes this book is a teen read but it does it well. And not as predictable as I first thought!! It does have that annoying American High School thing going on, and the usual popular and jock divide. But it is twisted and distorted in a narrative that I really enjoyed.

I am really keen to source an read the other books in the series, which is becoming and expensive habit. First it was the Stargazer series, the Women of the OtherWorld and now this, but I love the little bite size pieces of escapism.

Well recommended to fans of teen fantasy fiction, however may be a little tedious for 18+ audience (although I loved it!!)

4/5

Over and Out
Forever shall i rant :P
xx

Joesph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Andrew Lloyd Weber’s family musical has brought the spectacle to Portsmouth, with excellent results.

The retelling of the biblical story of Jacob’s dozen sons captured the hearts of every member of the audience. Well known songs such as “Any Dream Will Do” and “Go Go Go Jo” received supporting vocals from most of the audience, including the very impressive voice of the gentleman sitting behind me, who has battling the leading role in volume!

Although Chris Chalmers, the Any Dream Will Do BBC reality show finalist had a shaky start he warmed up and provided an emotional performance in the second half. The narrator however was outstanding throughout the performance, giving me Goosebumps from the very first song.

The comedic moments provided light relief, and worked well with the quirky personas promoted by the brothers.

Overall a amazing night I won’t forget, I would be happy to watch it all over again tomorrow!!