Saturday 30 August 2014

Back-To-School Outfit Ideas!

Welcome to my Back-To-School outfit blogpost!
This year I am starting college, and in my previous school years I've had a uniform, so being allowed to wear whatever I want (within reason) is a new and slightly scary prospect. I've put together five outfits for this post, which will show you what I plan to wear for school.

 
So for Monday's outfit I've picked out my pair of Levi jeans, a white lace tank top (H&M), and a baby pink hooded sweatshirt. The sweatshirt is from Lucy Hale's new collection at Hollister, and is super soft. On a Monday morning I'm not usually all that chipper, so wearing this sweatshirt gives an outfit that is comfortable, yet still has style.

 
Tuesday's outfit is a bit more put together, with a patterned blouse (New Look) and my Crimson coloured skirt from Brandy Melville. If it was cold outside, I would wear a pair of tights and be good to go.


 
Wednesday is my least favourite day of the week, because it means you are only halfway to the weekend. My cropped jumper (again from the Lucy Hale Collection) says "C'est La Vie", which I believe means 'That's life' - so the jumper suits this day of the week perfectly! I'm also wearing my Levi jeans.

 
For Thursday I decided on an outfit that was comfortable, because every week needs a comfy outfit. I'm a walking H&M advertisement, as both my leggings and my T-Shirt are from H&M. Usually I don't wear leggings, but this T-Shirt is oversized so I like the way this outfit looks.

 
FRIDAY! At last we have reached the end of the school week, so for this day I chose a slightly more party-ish outfit. My floral waterfall style top is from Forever 21, and again I'm wearing a pair of jeans. As you can see, I love my jeans! I think that since I live in England, the weather would warrant me to wear a cable knit cardigan over this outfit.



My school bag is from Accessorise, and is a navy blue leather style backpack with brown straps and zippers.
Thankyou for reading, and bring on the school year!
Emily xoxo
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Thursday 28 August 2014

My Current Shoe Wishlist

Today I will be showing you some shoes that I would love to have in my closet!

1. The first pair of shoes is a pair of  black Chelsea Ankle Boots from Next, costing £60. I love ankle boots in the autumn, especially when paired with a shorter pair of jeans. You can buy these shoes here.
2. The second pair of shoes on my wishlist is a pair of creepers from an online shop called Oasap. They are designed to look like cats, and since I love cats, I have obviously fallen in love with these shoes. I don't own a pair of creepers, but this pair is one I have been eyeing for a good while (ever since I saw CutiePieMarzia from youtube haul them!) They are £30.03 and you can buy them here.
 
 
3. I LOVE this pair of rose coloured Vans. I wear sneakers almost every day for comfort, so I love to find new designs and colours. These shoes cost £47 and you can buy them here.
 

 
4. This is a new pair of Taylor Swift Keds, titled 'Sneaky Cat'. The shoes are set for release in October, to accompany her new album, and feature the date of Taylor's birthday on the heel, as well as a cat on the side of the shoe. At the moment these are only shown on the US website for $55, but I'm hoping that they will become available in the UK as well. You can view them here.
 
 
5. My final pair of wishlist shoes is the most expensive pair on the list, and one that has been on my wishlist for years and years. As a lover of country music, I am desperate to get my hands on a pair of authentic cowboy boots. This pair from R.Soles is my favourite at the moment, but in truth I would most like to purchase a pair from Nashville, as I plan to take a trip there someday. This pair is £295 and is a classic brown cowboy boot. You can buy them here.
 
 
So that's my shoe wishlist! What shoes do you wish would land on your doorstep?
 
Emily xoxo
 
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Wednesday 20 August 2014

An OOTD and an Attempt at a New Hairstyle

I know I know I know, three posts in under 24 hours...I had some free time! Even though it's still my summer break, I have been super busy lately and it's nice to get a time gap sometimes where I can just relax and write some blogposts. I thought that today I would do an 'Outfit Of The Day', simply because I was already planning on doing a post about a new hairstyle I've been trying out. 


I have no idea why I decided to do this with my hair today, other than it wasn't as frizzy as usual and I thought I would try something different that didn't use heat. My hair has a natural curl/wave to it, and today I pinned it all up just above the nape of my neck (I had to search the anatomy of the head on google to get a term for that, how fancy) with some bobby pins. Before that, I added a little braid to the left side of my head, so the braid carries on all the way down to the back of my head. Yes, it does look a little messy, but I think that I kind of like it that way, especially considering that this is a first try!

 
My outfit today is a white shirt from River Island. I'm not sure if they sell it anymore, because I got it last year, but it's pretty much just your standard white shirt. Over that I'm wearing a black and white cardigan that I bought from Forever 21, which is super comfy and something that I wear all the time. I'm also wearing a pair of Levi's Jeans, and a simple necklace. Fun fact about this necklace: I haven't taken it off in two years...AT ALL. It has absolutely no sentimental value to me, but over time it became a little game to see how long I could keep it on for (I play the best games, clearly.) Now people just assume the necklace has a story, and I've been asked about it quite a lot!
 
I hope you enjoyed this spontaneous blog post,
Emily xoxo
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Liebster Award



Hello again!
So I've been nominated for the Liebster Award by three lovely people, which is so, so exciting! I was nominated by Jordan from Keep Dreaming, Emily from EmilysBees and Katie from Emilade, who have amazing blogs- thankyou for the nominations!
 
THE RULES

1. Provide a link to the blogs of the people who nominated you.
2. Tell us 11 facts about yourself
3. Answer the questions that they have asked.
4. Nominate some bloggers yourself, who each have under 200 followers (You can't nominate the person who nominated you!)
5. Ask your nominees 11 questions.
6. Inform the nominees that they have been nominated.
7. Provide a link to your post so that they know how everything works.

Let's get started!
11 FACTS ABOUT ME
1. My favourite time of the day is 3pm.
2. I am a Swiftie.
3. I hate tuna.
4. Next year I'm studying Biology, Chemistry, Geography and Religious Studies.
5. I absolutely love pizza, pineapple and macarons.
6. My biggest dream is to become an author.
7. I'm terrified of cows, since a horrible incident when I was chased by some.
8. I am as close to being a vegetarian as you can be without actually being a vegetarian.
9. One of my favourite places in the world is Paris.
10. I cannot dance at ALL.
11. Pretty Little Liars and Grey's Anatomy are the TV shows I watch the most.
 

JORDAN'S QUESTIONS
 
1. What has been your favourite thing about blogging? Being involved in a community and finding new products.
2. Do you wear eyeliner (If so, do you wear it with a cat flick or without?) I wear liquid eyeliner on days when I'm going out somewhere, and I do wear it with a cat flick!
3. What is your favourite colour eyeshadow to wear? Brown
4. What's your favourite drugstore makeup brand? Maybelline
5. Who's your favourite band/singer? TAYLOR SWIFT
6. You can only wear three make up products on your face. What are they? Concealer, translucent powder, and mascara.
7. Have you any pets? A cat called Bobo
8. What products do you use for skincare? Anne French Make Up Remover, Clean and Clear foaming facial wash, and Good Things Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser.
9. What's your favourite makeup brush make? Teeez
10. Do you have a favourite quote? If so, what is it? "And God created the whole universe from an atom no bigger than a thought." - Delirium by Lauren Oliver
11. Do you prefer to shop in the shops or online? Instore, because I hate having to send things back.

KATIE'S QUESTIONS


1. What's your favourite animal? Either a cat or a guinea pig.
2. Do you have any pets? A cat called Bobo.
3. What's your favourite quote? "And God created the whole universe from an atom no bigger than a thought." - Delirium by Lauren Oliver
4. Favourite childhood memory? My Dad pushing me around the garden really fast in a wheelbarrow - I know how weird that sounds, but seriously, it's the best fun.
5. What's your biggest goal in life? To have a book published.
6. What are 3 interesting facts about yourself? I am obsessed with country music, there are around 190 books on my bookshelf, and my bedroom has red walls.
7. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? I'd like to think that I'll be an author, and that I'll live somewhere that I've always dreamed of living, like Paris. I know it's a long shot, but we can dream!
8. Do you have any siblings? I have a younger sister.
9. Have you read any good books lately? Last night I read 'Isla and The Happily Ever After' by Stephanie Perkins and it was so perfect.
10. Who's your celebrity crush? Ian Harding or Logan Lerman
11. Why did you start blogging? So I could talk about my opinions and my favourite things, even if I'm too anxious to talk about it out loud sometimes. Also, because I love to write! 

EMILY'S QUESTIONS
1. What's the farthest you've ever been from home? I went to California last year, which was an 11 hour flight!
2. Favourite Smell? Gingerbread
3. If you were only allowed three makeup products a day, what would they be? Concealer, translucent powder, and mascara.
4. What is your go-to school outfit? Jeans, a concert T-Shirt, and a pair of sneakers.
5. Do you play any sports? No...oops!
6. If you could be any animal, what would you be? A cat
7. What language would you love to be fluent in? That is SUCH a good question! Definitely French.
8. Would you ever get a tattoo? Yes, but not a huge one, maybe a word or something that means a lot to me?
9. What's your biggest pet peeve? When people crack their knuckles.
10. What time did you fall asleep last night? 3am...Taylor released a new single, it was an exciting night!
11. Choose one: Blogger, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram? I'm going to say instagram, because I haven't had blogger as long. 
 
PEOPLE I HAVE NOMINATED

Simee from Cup Of Simee
Olivia from Liv-Rose
Alina from Beauty With Charm
 MY QUESTIONS
1. What is one skill you wish you had?
2. What is your favourite Taylor Swift song?
3. Best drugstore makeup purchase you ever made?
4. What is the name of the magazine that you read most often?
5. If you could relive one moment of your life, which moment would you pick?
6. Sneakers or high heels?
7. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
8. Last thing you ate?
9. What is your favourite perfume?
10. Any superpowers you would like to have?
11. What is the colour of your bedroom walls?
 
Thankyou for reading, Emily xoxo
 

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Sunday 17 August 2014

A Gift From Keds


Hola Bloggers!
Today I want to talk about a package I received in the mail a couple of days ago. A few weeks ago I messaged Keds to enquire about something from their Taylor Swift range. Keds is a shoe company similar to the style of Converse and Vans, and makes good quality shoes with amazing designs. Over the past couple of years Taylor has teamed up with them to create a collection of shoes designed by her, and me and my sister have both bought pairs of these shoes. I had heard that Taylor Swift shoelaces were available, but I couldn't find where to purchase some, so I emailed Keds to ask about where I could find them. In response they told me that the shoelaces weren't available right now, but that they would like to send me a pair of shoes. Of course I was absolutely ecstatic, because these shoes can cost £20-£50, and I was getting a pair for free. The Taylor Swift shoebox pictured above arrived on my doorstep the other day, and to say I was excited would be a big understatement.


This is what the inside of the box looked like (there was also a kind note from Keds), with the pair of shoes, some Taylor Swift stickers, a Taylor guitar pick charm, and some Taylor tissue paper.


The shoes are Taylor's RED Keds, a red sneaker style shoe with the name of her album printed near to the heel. These shoes are so pretty, and extremely comfortable to wear! I have worn them multiple times already, and know that I will get a lot of use out of them. I still can't believe that Keds were kind enough to send me these, as they really didn't have to do anything like that. They are the perfect pair of shoes for a Swiftie!


I received about twenty of these really cute stickers, advertising the Red Tour (which I attended in February). I'm so happy to have received this package, and am still shocked that Keds did this for me. I am so so grateful to Keds, and would definitely recommend that you purchase a pair of these shoes because the quality of them is great. I know that I will definitely continue to purchase Keds, and especially now that I know what a generous company they are. THANKYOU KEDS!

Emily xoxo
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Wednesday 13 August 2014

Barcelona Haul

Hey!
So I'm back from Barcelona now, and I thought I would share with you the items I bought whilst I was away. Most of the items are clothing and beauty related, with a couple of random items thrown in there. Let's get started!


First of all, I visited an American store called Brandy Melville. Since there is only one in the UK (in London) I never get to go to the store, so finding one in Barcelona was hugely exciting and I just had to buy a couple of things. I bought a dark blue and white, tie dye style t-shirt, because lately I've been really into the idea of tie dye - I actually think I might try to make my own soon! This is probably my favourite purchase, purely because there are so many possibilities for this item.
I also bought a maroon skirt, made out of a velvety material. The skirt is SUPER comfy, and is something that I think I will get a lot of use out of. I'm starting college in September, and I feel like this outfit (the one pictured above) will be one I wear a lot.




I bought a couple of accessories from Brandy Melville as well, a tag necklace and two scrunchies. Recently, I've become a little obsessed with scrunchies. They are the perfect solution to high ponytail headaches! I love these ones because the patterns are so pretty (I'm wearing the blue and white one right now, as I'm writing this). The tag necklace was an impulse buy, I saw the necklace on a model in the store and knew that I had to have it! I paired the necklace with the tie dye t-shirt and I love the way that it dresses up the outfit.


 
From H&M, I bought a long sleeved men's shirt with the word 'Nashville' on it. When I first saw this in the window, I wasn't aware that it was from the men's section. Usually, this would put me off, but considering that taking a trip to Nashville is a big dream of mine, I just went for it. I'm not sure how I'm going to wear this exactly, probably with a pair of jeans or tucked into a plain black skirt.




Whilst I was away, my Covergirl mascara dried up (sob) so I had to run out and purchase one from the shopping centre next to my hotel. There were lots of brands that we have here in the UK, but I kind of wanted to try a brand I'd never heard of before - I'm not sure if this brand is Spanish, it might be! The mascara is the 'Seduction Codes' mascara by Astor, and it promises high volume and definition. I really like the packaging for this mascara, it is gold, and designed to look like a gift, with a little black bow around the edge. It doesn't clump eyelashes, which is great, and gives great volume, so it really does live up to its name.

 
 
 
 
I was extremely happy to see that they had Sephora in the city centre, because I loved that store when I went in America last year. I purchased the Sephora make up palette, which contains eye shadows (very pigmented, yay!) lip-glosses, blush, bronzer, and crème eyeliner. The palette was a good price considering everything that is inside, and the packaging is so cute and compact. I also bought two of their shower creams, in the scents 'Mango' and 'Chocolate', because I have a slight addiction to buying shower gels and creams. Chocolate is a scent that I wouldn't ordinarily choose for a shower cream, but I actually really love this one!
 
 
 
One thing I knew I wanted to buy before I went to Barcelona, was one of my favourite books in Spanish. I took Spanish in high school, and since I'm not carrying on with the subject, I thought that attempting to read in Spanish every now and then would keep me on my toes and stop all the vocab from slipping out of my mind. I chose 'Bajo La Misma Estrella' which is 'The Fault in Our Stars', because I love the book and know the story really well.
 
 



 
 
Lastly, when I visited the Picasso museum, I bought a bookmark (because who can ever have too many bookmarks?!) The museum was really interesting, and was probably one of my favourite parts of the trip. The bookmark has a copy of a Picasso piece on it, one with sketches of cats. I don't know, I just love books and art and cats.
 
 
Hope you enjoyed this post! See you next post,
 
Emily xoxo
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Thursday 7 August 2014

Color Tattoo Maybelline Review

 

You may have seen these in your local drugstore, or heard about them in many a review. These babies are the 24 Hour Color Tattoo cream eye shadows by Maybelline, and they are practically my favourite item in my make up drawer. Each eye shadow is usually around the price of £4.99, and they are worth every penny. I have tried to use eye shadow a lot over the years, but I have yet to find one that is as easy to use as this one. I literally don't even need a mirror to apply it, I just sweep it over my eyelids and I'm ready to go. For a more dramatic look I make the shadow darker on the inner corner and then work outwards.

I was surprised at how pigmented these cream shadows were. For such a good price, I expected a hint of colour, and maybe a little bit of sparkle, but I was pleasantly surprised. I was even prepared to only use them as a base, but I quickly learned that all I needed was a swipe of the shadow to get the effect that I wanted. I'm not big on bold eye shadow, because I feel like it makes me look like something I'm not, and the subtlety of this shadow is great, because whilst it adds extra dimension to my eyes it doesn't leave me feeling as though my eyes are barely recognisable. My favourite colour is 'On and on Bronze', which is the shade I use most days, and the shadow I always use for school. It is a metallic bronze colour, and since I always tend to go for brown eye shadows it was the best shade for me. I also own 'Immortal Charcoal' and 'Pink Gold'. Immortal charcoal is a shade I use more for when I'm going out, and also in the winter when my make up tends to get a bit darker. Pink Gold is a summery shade, which I take on holiday with me and also when going on day trips with friends. Although it isn't the shade that I like best on my eyes, it is probably my most loved colour of the three, because I adore the colour pink.

I'm so happy to have found these cream shadows, because they have become one of my everyday makeup products and are an ideal candidate for a product that needs to be applied quickly and easily. Five stars.

This is a scheduled post, and when you read it I'll be in Barcelona. I am extremely excited because they have a Sephora, which we don't have over here! EEEEEP!

Emily xoxo
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Tuesday 5 August 2014

A Blog From A Plane

Hola señoritas! I am writing this blog post on a plane to Barcelona, due to extreme boredom. I would show you my outfit of the day but it's literally leggings and a comfy T-Shirt - I just don't see the point of putting effort in for airport days, anyone agree?


Representing T Swizzle today, as always! So basically we spent a couple of hours in the airport lounge, drinking mochas and reading magazines, until our gate was called. Now, I am actually making my first ever 'loom band' bracelet, a phenomenon I am quite late to accustom myself to. 


Even though the procedure is very basic, I am so proud of this! By the way, I understand that this post is a) boring and b) full of rubbish quality photos, but I just needed something to do during the flight as I HATE flying (anxiety and all that jazz). I'll go now, this post is getting rambly and we are about to start the descent. Bye guys!

Emily xoxo
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Monday 4 August 2014

Since You've Been Gone Book Review

Hi!
Today I'm going to review a book that I read and loved recently, called 'Since You've Been Gone' by Morgan Matson. It's a summer read for sure, with elements that we can all relate to.


The novel centres around two best friends, Emily and Sloane. Sloane is by far the more confident of the two, whilst Emily is content to allow her best friend to take the spotlight. At the beginning of summer, Sloane leaves town unexpectedly, without telling Emily where she is going or even hinting that she is moving at all. Emily is distraught, already mourning the loss of the amazing summer they had planned. Weeks go by without any word from Sloane, until a letter is sent to Emily containing a list. Sloane was famous for her lists, so Emily immediately recognises the sender, and quickly realises that every item on the list is something she is afraid to do (such as skinny dipping, or kissing a stranger).

With the hope that completing the list will lead her to Sloane, Emily begins her journey to complete all the weird and wonderful items on the list, and the book shows her growing as an individual, and learning how to be someone who isn't just known as 'Sloane's best friend'. By the end of the book (I'm not going to spoil anything here) Emily is barely recognisable from the timid character we saw at the start of the book, and she has met a whole new group of people. At this point she questions whether Sloane's disappearance was a good thing, because the space was what she needed to become her own person.

I truly do love this book because not only is it a light, summery read, but it also creates suspense, and emotion for the characters. Let me just tell you, the character development in this book is HUGE. I mean, I really can't stress that enough. I also liked the romance in the book between Emily and Frank; it wasn't passionate and in your face, it was very slow and deliberate and stuck to the side-lines of the plot, leaving the main storyline open to be all about friendship. That sounds cheesy, but I always enjoy a book that's centred around a non romantic relationship. Mainly because it stresses that all relationships are of importance, whether it be family, friend, or love interest orientated. We don't really see Sloane in much of the book, only in memories, which meant that Emily was really able to shape the summer however she wanted, without the influence of her best friend.

Emily is such a relatable character, nervous in the face of anything even remotely new. Since my name is Emily, and I tend to be a nervous wreck half of the time, this book was especially relatable to me (although my best friends haven't disappeared on me yet, thank God.) The book explores topics of first love, and discovering yourself, and Morgan Matson writes in such a way that you just sit there, nodding along to the words in the book. So many moments in this novel I couldn't believe how true they were to reality, and situations that we all have to deal with.

I would definitely recommend this book (5 stars) and am going to continue reading books by this author. I actually just went out and bought another of her books, 'Second Chance Summer', so we'll see how that goes. Thankyou for reading this review if you did, I know it was a long post!

See you next post!

Emily xoxo
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Friday 1 August 2014

July Favourites!

Since August has just begun (how the heck are we at August already?!) I thought I would do a post showing you some of my favourite things that I discovered/rediscovered in July. Some of the items are Beauty, and some are just a little bit random.


Okay. My first favourite is the 'Beauty Balm' by Rimmel. I have tried countless BB creams, and whilst some have been alright, some have been dreadful, and I am so thankful that I have found the perfect one for me. Not only does the shade (light) suit me well, I love the way that it covers blemishes without looking too full on. In England lately the weather has been a lot sunnier that it normally is, and this BB cream has provided great protection from the sun. I didn't have to add any extra sun lotion, I just whacked on some of this (SPF 15) in the morning and it lasted all day, leaving no room for sunburn in my life. Also, I love how it gives a matte finish. One of my pet hates is oily looking, 'shiny' skin, and this beauty balm gives me a matte look, with hardly any need for translucent powder to balance out shine. I would definitely recommend this product, and it lasts a long time as well - I have used it every single day this month and it still isn't even close to running out.
 

My next favourite for this month is the 'BB lips' lip balm by No7. My Mum gave me this because she bought two, and I instantly fell in love with it. Honestly, I'm usually more of a lipstick girl, but I wore this lip balm constantly this month with no regrets. Mine is in the colour 'Blink Pink' and the colour is subtle but gives a girly effect that I really like. The lip balm is so moisturising, and leaves your lips feeling extremely soft. I love lip products that are a cross between a gloss and a balm, but most products that claim to be both moisturising and glossy are usually, in my opinion, not what they say they are. I would totally suggest buying this product!


I am firm believer that we should have 'Bath and Body Works' in the UK, but since we don't, I take every opportunity that I can to get my hands on some of their products. My favourite product that they do is the PocketBac hand sanitizers, and I have many of them sitting in my cupboard. This month I decided to try out 'Caribbean Escape' due to a recommendation from a friend, and oh boy, this scent is SO GOOD. The website (http://www.bathandbodyworks.com) states that the sanitizer is "Lightly scented with crushed raspberries, sweet strawberries and warm musk". This scent is so perfect for summer, and is my go-to hand sanitizer. If you, like me, can't get BABW in your country, Ebay is the best chance you have of getting some of these babies.


 My next favourite is the newest perfume by Taylor Swift, 'Made of Starlight'. I had to get this perfume to add to my collection, and I have to say, it is probably my second favourite of her perfume range - Wonderstruck being my all time favourite. The packaging is absolutely beautiful, and the pattern on the bottle is just flawless. You can purchase the 30ml bottle from The Perfume Shop for £14.99, which is a great deal! I'm no perfume reviewer, so I'll link the description from The Perfume Shop here: http://www.theperfumeshop.com/fcp/product/womens-perfumes/taylor-swift/made%20of%20starlight/1132. All I can say is Taylor, you have most certainly done it again.
 

 My second to last favourite is a bit of a weird one, but I'll tell you what it is none the same. In honour of the world cup being hosted by Brazil, Volvic created a 'Coco Pineapple' flavoured water, which is basically heaven in a bottle. The flavours are obviously coconut and pineapple, which happen to be two of my favourite flavours. This water is limited edition, which makes me incredibly sad, but I plan on getting as many bottles as I can and then stashing them so I have an (almost) life time supply of this water. There have been sightings of me walking around my local supermarket carrying ten bottles of this stuff in my arms. It is just that tasty. Don't believe me? GO BUY SOME.
 
 
My final favourite for this month is Pretty Little Liars. I've been watching this TV show for a while now, and although the second season is shown in the photo, this month I've watched both season 3 and 4. Can I just say, the ending to season 4 blew my mind. So many plot twists. Basically, if you haven't watched this show (where have you been?!) it is about four teenage girls, and their lives following the disappearance of their best friend, Alison. The show begins a couple of years after their friend goes missing, with the four girls nowhere near as close as they used to be. In the first episode the girls reunite, and mysterious, creepy things begin to happen. This show has completely taken over my life, and I think that a very varied audience would enjoy this.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post, and I would love to know what your favourites for the month of July were.

Emily xoxo
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