Mind Tap | July Favorites

Oh no, it's the last Mind Tap post! I was very much enjoying it!

Who is ready for a new favorites post? Me, me, me! Here are my top 5 favorite things from the month of July!

Mad Men

If you have been following Mind Tap month, you'll know I have been on a Mad Men binge-athon. Every summer I pick a TV series to start watching, and this year Mad Men was the lucky winner. I have desperately fallen in love with Don Draper and his devious lifestyle. Peggy is starting to grow on me, but Pete still annoys me. I am currently on season 4, but plowing through fast. And can I just say, the new 1965 vibe is amazing; I'm loving this new season!

Parade's End

I recently rewatched the HBO series Parade's End, starring our beautiful Cumberbabe and the even more beautiful Rebecca Hall. And I think I found Sylvia even more irrationally irritating this time around. Parade's End is a gorgeously directed serial about the aristocratic class's privileged drama in a time of world depression. During this viewing, I took great appreciation in the beautiful cinematography and how annoyingly placid (in a good way...) Christopher and Sylvia's life's choices are. Parade's End is really a gorgeous piece of filmmaking.          

Comic Con

Who doesn't love Comic Con? It's just a great big party for nerds to get together and worship over their obsessions! And it also means new movie trailers, super funny cast interviews, and celebrities cosplaying incognito (I'm looking at you, Dan Rad) on the floor. Comic Con really is a glorious time of year, and this year was no exception. Favorite bits? Benedict posing with a giant penguin, the women who kick-ass panel, Karen Gillan looking oh so beautiful, and Daniel Radcliffe being to most gorgeous nerd ever.    

The Silkworm

This month I have been completely engrossed in J.K. Rowling's new novel, The Silkworm. I had the most amusing time solving crimes with Cormoran Strike in this second installment of Strike's series. This time around dealt with the famous literary scene, and the murder of obtuse author Owen Quine. And the ending really was quite a surprise! 

This Photo

Photo Credit: wikipedia.org, comicbook.com,newyorker.com, amazon.com, plus.google.com,

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Mind Tap | The Muse

Happy Birthday Harry and Jo! 

So is anyone else extremely disappointed that JK Rowling didn't surprise us with a new Harry Potter book today? It just seemed so promising...

Although I didn't get my wish of having a new book about adult Harry, I did get a my long awaited wish of a new Ben Whishaw film! Woot!

The Muse, a short film directed by Tim Walker, is about an artists obsession with his muse. Here's the trailer.  

We all know Ben is the king of romanticism. There's no questioning it. So, naturally this short is going to be brilliant. The film itself looks hauntingly beautiful. And guess what? August is tomorrow! I mean, I've been waiting two years for a new Ben Whishaw film! 

The film will be available on wearecolony.com, a website I would highly recommend to anyone who loves films. We Are Colony offers exclusive behind the scenes content, trailers, cast and crew interviews, and much more from independent filmmakers. You need to be invited to join the Colony, but it is definitely something to look into if you are passionate about filmmaking. I absolutely love what the Colony has to offer, and the content is very rewarding!

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Mind Tap | A Failed Atempt

Good Afternoon

I've failed. I have let you all down.

It was a good 14 day streak, but I've done it... I missed a day of Mind Tap Month.

What a load of bologna. 

And I think today is going to another "what wait?" stream of nothingness days. I've been thinking hard all day about what I was going to write for today, and the only things that came to mind was Daniel Radcliffe and Benedict Cumberbatch. And I swore to myself I would not spend another Mind Tap post on those two cutie pies. (But that promise is probably going to fall through soon too so...)

So, instead of wasting your time reading this, why not head over to my Tumblr where my blog is always popping with reblogs! I promise it's funny, majestic, and loaded with lots of beautiful men! You can also give me a follow if you like! 

See you tomorrow! 

Mad Men binge-athon Update: I'm on the penultimate episode of season 3! Whoa, what a killer season! I am completely hooked now! I'm surprised Betty hasn't ripped Don's throat out yet. And Pete is still just as annoying. But you'll be pleased to know, Peggy is starting to grow on me.   

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Mind Tap | Clearly Royal

Hiya!

I will admit, to me mockumentaries are one of the greatest delicatessen in entertainment. I fall in love with every single mockumentry I watch, and, no matter how terrible it is, I will find it absolutely hilarious. 

Almost Royal on BBC America has completely captivated me! I am absolutely in love with this mockumentry following aristocratic siblings Georgie and Poppy Carlton as they travel across America on their father's dying wish.

Firstly, Georgie and Poppy are outlandishly wonderful characters. They are terribly beautiful. Ed Gamble and Amy Hoggart are just fantastic in their improvisation, and the genuine reactions from the people who interact with Georgie and Poppy is just rib trickling. 

The situations these two privy English "royals" get themselves into is just hilarious! They truly are experiencing America's greatest. But I don't think the Carlton's were amused by America... Nor America by them... But I surely was. 

   I would highly recommend Almost Royal to everyone! It is quite a hoot of a time!

Photo Credit: digitalspy.co.uk, out.com, youtube.com

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Beauty Review | Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette

Bonjour

I am super excited about this beauty review! For the longest time, I have been admiring the Urban Decay Naked eyeshadows. After listening to everyone rave about how beautiful they are, I knew I needed to get my hands on them. But because I am a poor college student, it is just simply not in my budget to buy them. Yet alas, I have the best best best friends in the whole world, and they were kind enough to buy the Naked 3 palette for me as a gift. So, thanks to the best chummies in the whole world!

Needless to say, I absolutely love this palette. Firstly, the pigmentation! Oh my God! I'm used to using drug store eyeshadows, which are not terrible; they just get the job done. But the pigmentation on these shadows are far beyond my expectations! I was so impressed by how gorgeous the colors looked not only in the package, but also on my eyelids. The Naked 3 contains shades of purple and pink, mat and shimmer. Your brush, which is included in with the palette, packs on product really well, and the shadow goes on smoothly. Plus, it's super easy to blend, making great smokey looks.  

Secondly, I was super impressed by the packaging. The palette itself is very impressive, with a hard case, a mirror, and 12 unique colors. But the palette included more than just the eyeshadows. The box also came with an Urban Decay eyeshadow brush and samples of their eyelid primer. The brush is so nice; it picks up a lot of product and blends the color very well. I haven't used the primer yet, but I am really looking forward to it! 

The matte colors (from left to right): Strange, Limit, Nooner, Factory, Darkside

The shimmer colors (from left to right): Blackheart, Mugshot, Dust, Burnout, Buzz, Trick, Liar

Overall, I really loved the Naked 3 Palette. My favorite colors so far are Strange, Nooner, Factory, and Blackheart. I am constantly impressed with Urban Decay's products, and would definitely recommend them to anyone! 

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Mind Tap | Con Catch Up

Who doesn't love Comic Con time?!

That's right! It's that time of year again for the nerds to descend upon San Diego. It's Comic Con time!

See, here's what I love about Comic Con: the interviews. I have never been to Comic Con, nor do I ever really plan to go (I'll only go if I get to cosplay Harry Potter), but I absolutely LOVE the content that comes from those few geek-tastic days. (I loved it so much I even enjoyed watching the Twilight panels... And I hate Twilight more than anything... So, that's saying a lot.)

But this year my two favorite people in the whole wide world came to Convention Hall H: Daniel Radcliffe and Benedict Cumberbooty. Here's my favorite moments so far!

Can we just take a minute to talk about Josh Horowitz. He is honestly my favorite interviewer ever! His interviews are always hilarious! 

What a beautiful, beautiful boy!

WHAT?! Who do I have to kill to get a snapchat from this hottie?

P.S. Here's the teaser trailer for Horns, the movie Daniel was promoting at Comic Con

Photo Credit: tumblr.com

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Mind Tap | Cormoran Strikes Again

Ooh, so punny.

So, what has been on my mind today? Well, since the late hours of last night, I have been completely engrossed in Robert Galbraith’s (or J.K. Rowling, if you will) novel The Silkworm. I have been effortlessly dedicated to Strike’s discovery of Owen Quine’s murderer. And what a thrilling discovery it was.

In case you have no idea what I am talking about, here’s the lowdown: The Silkworm is Robert Galbraith’s (a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling) second novel featuring the infamous private detective Cormoran Strike. Closely following the aftermath of The Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm picks up months after Strike’s infamous discovery of what really caused Lula Landry's, a famous supermodel, death. Business is booming now for Strike and his assistant Robin, but when Leonora Quine, the wife of the obtusely horrendous author Owen Quine, comes to Strike for help in finding her missing husband, he gets a little more than he bargained for. He discovers Owen’s dead body, which has been mutilated in death the same way as the hero in his new, unpublished novel. Now Strike has a circle of suspects, the police working against, a vicious killer on the loose. It's up to him, and Robin, to uncover the real literary killer. 

Now, I love detective stories, hence my utter obsession with Sherlock Holmes. Even the worse murder mysteries will have me completely captivated; I’m a total sucker for solving a “who-dunnit.” Needless to say, Rowling’s detective stories are fair from dull. The queen of detailed plots, Rowling has an immense talent for creative writing. She writes the kind of stories that make it impossible to put the book down— I needn’t even mention Harry Potter’s impact on the literary world. But one thing we did learn about Rowling through our years of salivating over the Potter novels is that she surely can twists plots, drop subtle hints, and plan an extravagant villain in disguise. So, we all knew she would kill it in the mystery genre. (Is it just me or am I dropping a lot of puns today?)

I love the Cormoran Strike stories. The cases are intriguing, the suspects are plentiful, and the big reveal is always a jaw-dropping moment. But I think what I love best is the way Rowling teases with information. In both novels, Cormoran solves the mystery before we do. Yet, although Cormoran knows the murderer, we are left in the dark until he confronts the suspect. I don’t know about you, but that always leaves me desperate to keep reading. I just need to know who it is! But I will admit, I was so wrong on whom I thought did it… It isn’t actually possible for the victim to have done it.

I would most definitely recommend The Silkworm and The Cuckoo’s Calling. If you love detective stories, you will love the Strike novels. And Rowling said she plans to turn Cormoran’s stories into her next series, with more than seven books! Now, we just have to wait for the movie to come out! 

Photo Credit: amazon.com, 

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Mind Tap | Top 5 Places I Want to Visit!

Aloha! 

As the title indicates, I'm going to be talking about myself today! That's right, I do think about things other than hot English men... Ha, just kidding, no I don't. 

But I did see a post yesterday in which the author talked about the top 3 places they wanted to visit. So I thought for today's Mind Tap I would copy them and do my top 5 places I want to visit!

English Countryside

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a bit of an anglophile. *Dramatic gasp* No, I would never believe it! Yes, it’s true; I do absolutely love the English. So, naturally I want to visit every inch of that beautiful country! I mean what with rolling hills of green, ancient castles, and herds of sheep, who wouldn’t want to visit the countryside. 

And if we're being honest here, I genuinely want to live in a British period drama: being a part of an aristocratic family, living on a grand old estate, the men go fox hunting, and frequent trips to the country's capital. Just think Brideshead Revisited or Parade's End.

Scotland

Ah, Scotland! Scotland is most definitely on the top of my list of places I want to travel. I think the Scottish Highlands has some of the most gorgeous scenery, and Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful historical cities out there. And I kinda just want  to give Nessie a little American hello. As a matter of fact, I would love to visit all of Great Britain. I love history, so visiting such a historical nation would be like Christmas.

Plus, Hogwarts is in the Scottish Highlands, so I obviously need to go there. 

Italy

Another historical country, Italy is another place on my holiday wish list. The gorgeous canal lanes of Venice and the ancient Roman architecture is probably the top seller for me, but I wouldn't object to some real Italian pizza!

  

Switzerland

Who doesn't want to go skiing on the Swiss alps... Even if I am the worst skier in the world. Switzerland is another country with absolutely gorgeous landscape. I would absolutely love to visit Switzerland in the winter with the mountain tops covered in snow; it would be like a fairy tale. 

Germany

Finally, I would want to visit Germany not for it's historical background, but to experience the modern-day city atmosphere. I am completely intrigued by the German underground art scene. It's edgy, European, and very now. 

Photo Credit: theyuppiesfile.com, oneluckysoul.blogspot.com, poetry.rapgenius.com, flicker.com, grittletonhouse.co.uk, gaintbomb.com, meaningfultraveler.com, markettours.wsc.rs, lizzanos.com, stage-d6.eurail.com, world-placez.blogspot.com, redbubble.net, villavillas.com, telegraph.co.uk, wallcoo.net,  tours42plus.com, private-guides.com, linotravel.com, smashingmagazine.com

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Mind Tap | Happy Birthday Daniel [Gorgeous] Radcliffe!

So many birthdays, so little time!

Another July birthday is upon us, but this one is my favorite! Today we celebrate the birth of our gorgeous darling Daniel Radcliffe! Wooh!

Daniel Radcliffe will always hold a special part in my heart. He was the first boy I ever had a crush on (still is, as a matter of fact). The first person whom I ever looked up to. He's always been a part of my life. Whenever I'm having a bad day, I know I can pop in a Daniel Radcliffe movie and smile like a teenage girl in love. I know he will always be a ray of sunshine in my life.

I am so incredible proud of what Daniel has accomplished not only over the whole of his career, but as a public figure. Although I don't known him on a personal level, I do believe Daniel is a good person. He's constant charitable endeavors and intellectual conversation has had a massive affect on my life; probably even more than I know. 

As for his career, his transition from child star into a mature actor has been the most flawless transition I've ever seen. He has taken on projects both challenging and enticing to show off how versatile an actor he is. Along with thrilling film choices, his work in the theater has further proven his ambition to be a respected actor; and has shown nothing less than his impeccable talent. He has truly grown into a mature, polished actor, and I could't be happier for him. I cannot wait to see where Daniel's career takes him the next few years.

To many, Daniel Radcliffe is just the figurehead of a massive franchise, a privileged child star. To me, he's far more than just the average actor. This may sound a little weird, but he has always been a constant in my life. I have grown up with him through Harry Potter. Through every stage of my life, I have looked up to Daniel Radcliffe as a role model. He has influenced my love for film making, taught me that knowledge is important, and not to take yourself to seriously. I aspire to live my life as an artist, strive to learn something new everyday, and view the world with an open mind thanks to Daniel.    

I wouldn't be half the person I am today without his influence in my life.  

  

Happy birthday to the most handsome, hilarious, talented, generous, and kindhearted person out there! To many more amazing years!  

Photo Credit: digitalspy.com, bostonglobe.com, celebitchy.com, scifinow.co.uk, blogs.20minuto.es, broadway.com, playbill.com, tumblr.com, thetrevorproject.tumblr.com, 

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