My Yearly Favourites 2018
Here we are at the end of 2018...where has the year gone!!!
Although I have not done much blogging this year I am hoping that fun little posts such as this will ween me back in. So without further a do, here are my favourites from 2018...
Artist: Ariana Grande
What a year it has been for this singer songwriter! She is such an inspiring and influential woman and we should all be so proud of her and her accomplishments. This year she released Sweetener, a beautiful pop whimsical and dreamlike album with singles such as God is a Woman and Breathin' which flew to the top of the charts. Furthermore to her success she soon released Thank U, Next a song dedicated to her past, including named lovers, as well as what could be in her future. The music video is pure nostalgia too, referencing iconic teen/romance movies from early 00's including: Legally Blonde, 13 Going On 30 and Bring It On, most importantly they all reference the change of a woman and female empowerment. As if I couldn't talk enough about Grande's successes from this year, she released another song Imagine, in which she talks about "a love that is now unattainable" referring to her past with Mac Miller. Again this song is dream like yet haunting and beautiful none the less. I'll be sitting here eagerly awaiting her confirmed fifth album and cannot wait to see what else this amazing woman will do in 2019!
Album: Staying At Tamara's - George Ezra
My favourite album of 2018 has to be George Ezra's second album Staying At Tamara's, it's equally chilled and dreamy yet upbeat and vibrant with different styles of songs. The most popular song from the album Shotgun has been in the charts for months now and it is still just as catchy as the first time I heard it. In fact it is listed down below as one of my top favourite songs of 2018! The indie rock album is one I constantly put on, and alongside Shotgun I love listening to Get Away, Sugarcoat, Hold My Girl, and Paradise. I also saw George Ezra live this year and he has such a fun and playful vibe when he is on stage, it was a wonderful night and the crowd were all upbeat and dancing along to the hits. If anyone is a fan, I'd suggest looking at tickets as he is going on tour next year which I can already tell will be a fun time!
Book: Wild - Cheryl Strayed
I read a lot of books this year but this one was hands down one of my favourite reads. Wild follows the story of Cheryl as she hikes the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) alone, with no experience of extreme hiking whatsoever, yet her story also reflects on her past and what has brought her to this moment in time. This is a beautiful story and you really feel like you are experiencing the PCT with her. The book was adapted into a movie which I had seen a couple of years ago, starring Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl, and was amazed at the story and journey that this woman went on and I became fascinated by travel and what is out there in the world that I haven't yet experienced.
After a long time owning this book I finally picked it up and read it. I love how Strayed talks about her past and reflects on it whilst she is on this journey and I truly did feel like I was there along on the adventure with her. Even speaking to other people who had read the book we all agreed that after reading it it made us want to hike the PCT to truly get to grips with the story and the way she describes the landscapes interwoven with her past and present battles.
A truly amazing story for anyone to read and I'd highly recommend it!
Film: Christopher Robin
Without a doubt Christopher Robin has to be my favourite film released in 2018. It follows Christopher Robin in his adult years, settled down with a wife and a daughter, and working for a business that is beginning to decline. Faced with difficulty and under a lot of stress Christopher Robin is visited by an old, and very much aged friend, Winnie-the-Pooh who has lost his friends and is in need of much help from his greatest friend of all. The story is unbelievably nostalgic and pulls at your emotions if you were ever a fan of Winnie-the-Pooh, I know I was. And to pull those heart strings even more Jim Cummings, the original voice artist of Winnie-the-Pooh, reprises the role making it one hundred percent more magical and fantastical. The story is beautiful and really tells us that we shouldn't forget our childhood and to have fun everyone once in a while and that family and friends are so important to have alongside you on your journey through life.
2018 was a really good year for film and although it was a tough decision to choose my favourite I thought I'd include my top ten films that came out this year:
1. Christopher Robin
2. The Greatest Showman
3. A Quiet Place
4. Black Panther
5. Ready Player One
6. Tomb Raider
7. To All The Boys I've Loved Before
8. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
9. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again
10. Avengers: Infinity War
Disney Movie: Ralph Breaks The Internet
It would also be silly to not include a Disney film in my yearly favourites. I am a huge Disney fan and although most recently my favourite film has been Moana, and if you haven't seen it stop what you're doing and go and watch it. However Moana came out 2016 and I wanted to talk about a Disney film that came out in 2018. Ralph Breaks The Internet is the sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, a story about a video game character that was once thought of as a monstrous villain to a game when people didn't understand him. Ralph is back in the sequel trying to help his best friend Vanellope to make her game fun and exciting, however when her game breaks and the characters are at risk of being unplugged Ralph and Vanellope go into the internet in a race against time to buy a part for her game.
The film is full of Easter eggs, probably more than Ready Player One although that would be a close call, featuring mostly Disney themed references. But as Ralph scours the internet we are introduced to some of the most popular sites in the world and it truly tells the story of how the internet has monetised its viewing capabilities for it audiences. Ralph learns he has to earn money and becomes a social influencer and an overnight success as he replicates memes and hilarious youtube videos to win likes and money. My favourite part of the movie is when Vanellope visits Oh My Disney and thousands of references to Disney and its sister companies (e.g. Pixar and Star Wars) is displayed in a ten second segment. Talk about pausing the film and wanting to spot everything! Ralph Breaks The Internet is still in theatres so catch it while you can!
TV Show: Greys Anatomy
I watched a lot of television shows this year but not many that came out in 2018...technically. There were some equally good shows such as the second season of Thirteen Reasons Why which can be found on Netflix. I liked how it branched away from the novel this season allowing free reign and depiction of what would happen to the characters from the aftermath of the first season, and you really got to see the character development and how they are changed from the events of Hannah's tapes.
Other shows I watched were re-runs to catch up on popular programmes however the favourite for this year I have decided would have to be Grey's Anatomy. Grey's Anatomy season fourteen was aired in the UK early this year as well as season season fifteen which begun too but is now on its mid season break (sigh!). Grey's Anatomy follows Meredith Grey and her fellow doctors and interns at Grey Sloan Hospital as they deal with interesting and shocking patients with injuries as well as the drama in their own lives. The show is written by Shonda Rhimes who has hands down won my heart over the stories she has told each season. The characters are so well developed that you want to believe they are real, and I even shed a tear at some of the deaths throughout the show, those of you who have seen it from season one know who I'm referring to. It's a beautiful story that I wish would never end but I also want a reunion between some of the characters that left the show too.
Playlist:
There have been some amazing songs that came out of 2018 and trying to hand pick just ten was a struggle, it's taken a while...trust me. However at this current moment in time these are some of the songs I have been gravitating towards the most. There is a mixture of genres and tempos but here are my top ten songs of right now:
1. Thank U, Next - Ariana Grande
2. Shotgun - George Ezra
3. Malibu Nights - LANY
4. Dance To This - Troye Sivan feat. Ariana Grande
5. Eastside - Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid
6. Type - Todrick Hall
7. Strip - Little Mix feat Sharaya J
8. The Cure - Little Mix
9. Westworld - Evan Gaii
10. Zero - Imagine Dragons
Moment of the Year: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This year I took a short trip to Amsterdam. I had never been before and it was beautiful and so serene as I imagined it would be. Amsterdam is most commonly known for windmills, canals, and Anne Frank; and although there aren't many windmills in the heart of Amsterdam (one famous one on the outskirts), it truly is a beautiful city and so easy to walk everywhere. I tried to visit as many tourist destinations as possible, and yes I did walk everywhere, where some of my favourites were the Rijksmuseum, a canal ride, and finding the smallest houses in Amsterdam. However the one down side was that I didn't get to visit the Anne Frank Haus/Museum or the Van Gogh museum which note to self as well as all of you, book in advance! You can only buy tickets online for these experiences and you will need to book way in advance as tickets are limited. The companies also release a small amount of tickets each day, so if you're lucky hopefully you can get some last minute tickets. Despite these set backs I really loved wandering around Amsterdam and it would be a destination I'd frequently go back and visit too.
If you are a film student or cinephile I'd recommend visiting the EYE Film building across the river (free river ferry transport) from Amsterdam Central station. The EYE building has a pretty cool film shop, a museum with different exhibitions throughout the year alongside a cool cafe and cinemas screens to watch an array of films old and new.
Theatre: Heathers The Musical
I discovered Heathers The Musical back in September; the adaptation, as well as Carrie Hope Fletcher starring as Veronica, had caught my eye and I went with a friend. It was a fantastic show! So fantastic that as soon as it had finished we both wanted to see it again! Carrie Hope Fletcher's voice is phenomenal and the rest of the cast were absolutely fabulous, I fell in love with the cast and the characters they portrayed. JD, the Heathers and Martha were phenomenal. So phenomenal that I actually saw this musical three times whilst it was in production in London. I took my best friends to see it in October who equally loved it just as much as I did: so much so that we booked very last minute tickets to the Sing-A-Long version of the show.
All three times I went were completely different and still as exciting and fantastical as the previous times. Olivia Moore, the understudy for Carrie Hope Fletcher, performed in the last two viewings of the musicals that we saw and she was equally as great as Carrie, her voice was amazing and really owned the role of Veronica. The sing-a-long was 'Big Fun' as the crowd was full of Heathers fans, who were dressed in awesome cosplay or wearing coloured scrunchies, and they got the cast enjoying themselves during the performance, even with the house lights on; everyone was smiling and having a great time. I can not wait for the UK cast recording of Heathers to come out! In the mean time I shall continue to listen to the Broadway version on Spotify and listen out for what is happening next for Heathers The Musical.
Beauty Products: Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat Palette
So here it is. These are my favourites from 2018. I hope everyone had a lovely year and here's to 2019!
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to you all!
Enjoy x
Although I have not done much blogging this year I am hoping that fun little posts such as this will ween me back in. So without further a do, here are my favourites from 2018...
Artist: Ariana Grande
What a year it has been for this singer songwriter! She is such an inspiring and influential woman and we should all be so proud of her and her accomplishments. This year she released Sweetener, a beautiful pop whimsical and dreamlike album with singles such as God is a Woman and Breathin' which flew to the top of the charts. Furthermore to her success she soon released Thank U, Next a song dedicated to her past, including named lovers, as well as what could be in her future. The music video is pure nostalgia too, referencing iconic teen/romance movies from early 00's including: Legally Blonde, 13 Going On 30 and Bring It On, most importantly they all reference the change of a woman and female empowerment. As if I couldn't talk enough about Grande's successes from this year, she released another song Imagine, in which she talks about "a love that is now unattainable" referring to her past with Mac Miller. Again this song is dream like yet haunting and beautiful none the less. I'll be sitting here eagerly awaiting her confirmed fifth album and cannot wait to see what else this amazing woman will do in 2019!
Album: Staying At Tamara's - George Ezra
Book: Wild - Cheryl Strayed
I read a lot of books this year but this one was hands down one of my favourite reads. Wild follows the story of Cheryl as she hikes the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) alone, with no experience of extreme hiking whatsoever, yet her story also reflects on her past and what has brought her to this moment in time. This is a beautiful story and you really feel like you are experiencing the PCT with her. The book was adapted into a movie which I had seen a couple of years ago, starring Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl, and was amazed at the story and journey that this woman went on and I became fascinated by travel and what is out there in the world that I haven't yet experienced.
After a long time owning this book I finally picked it up and read it. I love how Strayed talks about her past and reflects on it whilst she is on this journey and I truly did feel like I was there along on the adventure with her. Even speaking to other people who had read the book we all agreed that after reading it it made us want to hike the PCT to truly get to grips with the story and the way she describes the landscapes interwoven with her past and present battles.
A truly amazing story for anyone to read and I'd highly recommend it!
Film: Christopher Robin Without a doubt Christopher Robin has to be my favourite film released in 2018. It follows Christopher Robin in his adult years, settled down with a wife and a daughter, and working for a business that is beginning to decline. Faced with difficulty and under a lot of stress Christopher Robin is visited by an old, and very much aged friend, Winnie-the-Pooh who has lost his friends and is in need of much help from his greatest friend of all. The story is unbelievably nostalgic and pulls at your emotions if you were ever a fan of Winnie-the-Pooh, I know I was. And to pull those heart strings even more Jim Cummings, the original voice artist of Winnie-the-Pooh, reprises the role making it one hundred percent more magical and fantastical. The story is beautiful and really tells us that we shouldn't forget our childhood and to have fun everyone once in a while and that family and friends are so important to have alongside you on your journey through life.
2018 was a really good year for film and although it was a tough decision to choose my favourite I thought I'd include my top ten films that came out this year:
1. Christopher Robin
2. The Greatest Showman
3. A Quiet Place
4. Black Panther
5. Ready Player One
6. Tomb Raider
7. To All The Boys I've Loved Before
8. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
9. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again
10. Avengers: Infinity War
Disney Movie: Ralph Breaks The Internet
It would also be silly to not include a Disney film in my yearly favourites. I am a huge Disney fan and although most recently my favourite film has been Moana, and if you haven't seen it stop what you're doing and go and watch it. However Moana came out 2016 and I wanted to talk about a Disney film that came out in 2018. Ralph Breaks The Internet is the sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, a story about a video game character that was once thought of as a monstrous villain to a game when people didn't understand him. Ralph is back in the sequel trying to help his best friend Vanellope to make her game fun and exciting, however when her game breaks and the characters are at risk of being unplugged Ralph and Vanellope go into the internet in a race against time to buy a part for her game.The film is full of Easter eggs, probably more than Ready Player One although that would be a close call, featuring mostly Disney themed references. But as Ralph scours the internet we are introduced to some of the most popular sites in the world and it truly tells the story of how the internet has monetised its viewing capabilities for it audiences. Ralph learns he has to earn money and becomes a social influencer and an overnight success as he replicates memes and hilarious youtube videos to win likes and money. My favourite part of the movie is when Vanellope visits Oh My Disney and thousands of references to Disney and its sister companies (e.g. Pixar and Star Wars) is displayed in a ten second segment. Talk about pausing the film and wanting to spot everything! Ralph Breaks The Internet is still in theatres so catch it while you can!
TV Show: Greys Anatomy
I watched a lot of television shows this year but not many that came out in 2018...technically. There were some equally good shows such as the second season of Thirteen Reasons Why which can be found on Netflix. I liked how it branched away from the novel this season allowing free reign and depiction of what would happen to the characters from the aftermath of the first season, and you really got to see the character development and how they are changed from the events of Hannah's tapes.Other shows I watched were re-runs to catch up on popular programmes however the favourite for this year I have decided would have to be Grey's Anatomy. Grey's Anatomy season fourteen was aired in the UK early this year as well as season season fifteen which begun too but is now on its mid season break (sigh!). Grey's Anatomy follows Meredith Grey and her fellow doctors and interns at Grey Sloan Hospital as they deal with interesting and shocking patients with injuries as well as the drama in their own lives. The show is written by Shonda Rhimes who has hands down won my heart over the stories she has told each season. The characters are so well developed that you want to believe they are real, and I even shed a tear at some of the deaths throughout the show, those of you who have seen it from season one know who I'm referring to. It's a beautiful story that I wish would never end but I also want a reunion between some of the characters that left the show too.
Playlist:
There have been some amazing songs that came out of 2018 and trying to hand pick just ten was a struggle, it's taken a while...trust me. However at this current moment in time these are some of the songs I have been gravitating towards the most. There is a mixture of genres and tempos but here are my top ten songs of right now:
1. Thank U, Next - Ariana Grande
2. Shotgun - George Ezra
3. Malibu Nights - LANY
4. Dance To This - Troye Sivan feat. Ariana Grande
5. Eastside - Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid
6. Type - Todrick Hall
7. Strip - Little Mix feat Sharaya J
8. The Cure - Little Mix
9. Westworld - Evan Gaii
10. Zero - Imagine Dragons
Moment of the Year: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This year I took a short trip to Amsterdam. I had never been before and it was beautiful and so serene as I imagined it would be. Amsterdam is most commonly known for windmills, canals, and Anne Frank; and although there aren't many windmills in the heart of Amsterdam (one famous one on the outskirts), it truly is a beautiful city and so easy to walk everywhere. I tried to visit as many tourist destinations as possible, and yes I did walk everywhere, where some of my favourites were the Rijksmuseum, a canal ride, and finding the smallest houses in Amsterdam. However the one down side was that I didn't get to visit the Anne Frank Haus/Museum or the Van Gogh museum which note to self as well as all of you, book in advance! You can only buy tickets online for these experiences and you will need to book way in advance as tickets are limited. The companies also release a small amount of tickets each day, so if you're lucky hopefully you can get some last minute tickets. Despite these set backs I really loved wandering around Amsterdam and it would be a destination I'd frequently go back and visit too.
If you are a film student or cinephile I'd recommend visiting the EYE Film building across the river (free river ferry transport) from Amsterdam Central station. The EYE building has a pretty cool film shop, a museum with different exhibitions throughout the year alongside a cool cafe and cinemas screens to watch an array of films old and new.
Theatre: Heathers The Musical
I discovered Heathers The Musical back in September; the adaptation, as well as Carrie Hope Fletcher starring as Veronica, had caught my eye and I went with a friend. It was a fantastic show! So fantastic that as soon as it had finished we both wanted to see it again! Carrie Hope Fletcher's voice is phenomenal and the rest of the cast were absolutely fabulous, I fell in love with the cast and the characters they portrayed. JD, the Heathers and Martha were phenomenal. So phenomenal that I actually saw this musical three times whilst it was in production in London. I took my best friends to see it in October who equally loved it just as much as I did: so much so that we booked very last minute tickets to the Sing-A-Long version of the show.All three times I went were completely different and still as exciting and fantastical as the previous times. Olivia Moore, the understudy for Carrie Hope Fletcher, performed in the last two viewings of the musicals that we saw and she was equally as great as Carrie, her voice was amazing and really owned the role of Veronica. The sing-a-long was 'Big Fun' as the crowd was full of Heathers fans, who were dressed in awesome cosplay or wearing coloured scrunchies, and they got the cast enjoying themselves during the performance, even with the house lights on; everyone was smiling and having a great time. I can not wait for the UK cast recording of Heathers to come out! In the mean time I shall continue to listen to the Broadway version on Spotify and listen out for what is happening next for Heathers The Musical.
Beauty Products: Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat Palette
Urban Decay have had a very successful year full of promotions for the brand. At the beginning of this year they released their Naked Heat palette featuring very warm orangey toned eyeshadows that displayed a mixture of matte and glittery shades, and not long after released the Naked Petite Heat Palette. This has become a staple in my everyday life; unlike the bigger palette the petite features only matte shades within the warm autumnal orangey hues tones of its predecessor and is super adaptable and wearable all year round. You can wear the shades alone or build on top of each other to make a warm smokey eye.
Likewise Urban Decay announced back in the summer that they were discontinuing their original Naked palette, shocking fans that they would do such a thing. They also released another Naked palette towards the end of the year: the Naked Cherry palette features a lot of pinky red berry toned colours and I expect in the beginning of 2019 we will probably see another new palette come to stores.
Likewise Urban Decay announced back in the summer that they were discontinuing their original Naked palette, shocking fans that they would do such a thing. They also released another Naked palette towards the end of the year: the Naked Cherry palette features a lot of pinky red berry toned colours and I expect in the beginning of 2019 we will probably see another new palette come to stores.
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to you all!
Enjoy x
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