Seeing Les Miserables Live

Yesterday, I saw Les Mis live and it was BEYOND AMAZING! We were supposed to watch this in Sydney last year but we weren't able to due to time constrictions. Most of the cast members also performed in the Australian leg of the show so I dont think I missed that much. Moving on, Im a huge theatre fan and ive seen quite a few broadway musicals like Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Sound of Music etc but I can say that this was the best productions so far. Ive seen the movie back in 2012 but the movie didn't fully justify the real production (ofcourse).

To quickly summarize my experience and the whole show, here are the top 5 things I loved the most

1. The set design & effects were AWESOME. The scene where Jean Valjean was carrying Marius around the sewer & Javert's death scene was 10/10!!
2. The chemistry between Cosette and Marius on stage. (OTP OTP)
3. Gavroche's performance was so powerful (and one of my favourites)
4. The orchestra was just *hands down*
5. Eponine's performance of On my Own, Fantine's performace of I Dreamed a Dream & the death of John Valjean was so full of emotions it gave me goosebumps.


The audio at the venue was quite low compared to productions held at other venues but it was still good. We had one of the best seats in the house which made me appreciate it better (we were seated in the middle orchestra which wasnt too near nor too far the stage). This is definitely a MUST watch because i myself would love to see it one more time!

Sretsis featuring Berry Pouch (AW 2015 collection)

SRETSIS  Thai designer brand was launched in 2002 by three sisters (yes stretsis is literally 'sisters' spelled backwards) which features a combination of vintage patterns with a modern taste.

Last Christmas, I received this beautiful pouch from Sretsis which sparked my love for the brand. This is the Berry pouch from the Labyrinth Autumn-Winter 2015 collection which was featured in Vogue Japan's December 2015 issue. 

The pouch's pattern came from "Kalocsa Embroidery". Kalocsa embroidery needlework is famous for its creative Hungarian hand embroidery patterns and designs which mimic handmade techniques; making the design look so beautiful and detailed. One of my concerns about the pouch is that it is too small. Not much can fit inside it except a coin purse and my phone. But aside from that, I totally love everything about it.

At the moment, The Berry Pouch is already out of stock but you can check out other Sretsis products at their website: http://www.sretsissuper.com/

Shondaland

  
 Shondaland is a company by Shonda Rhimes that produces shows you may have heard of like Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder which air every Thursday night (TGIT)

If you follow me on twitter, you may have seen how ive been raving about Scandal these past few days (and maybe a few weeks back). I have been totally OBSESSED with Shondaland shows ever since March.



My obsession innocently started with an epsiode of Grey's Anatomy. I was on my holiday and I started browsing through the television and landed on Grey's Anatomy. Ive heard about the show because im a huge Swiftie and I know how Taylor is obsessed with Grey's that she even named her cat after the main star Meredith. Im not gonna spoil anything just incase you'd want to start watching it but I can guarantee it is a really really good show. After sleeping at 4 am almost everyday, I successfully finished 10 episodes which consisted of 22 episodes that lasts for 43 minutes in 4 weeks.

Grey's Anatomy is more than doctors, hospitals, dying patients, code blacks and other medical jargons but it actually also teaches you life lessons (as well as an intro to premed haha). Expect LOTS of crying and cherish your favourite characters because you may never know what would happen next. After watching Grey's, expect yourself examining and diagnosing yourself even with the most minor injuries you get. This show actually also inspired me to take medicine in the future.


Shonda's other show, Private Practice also somehow connects with Grey's Anatomy but I didnt really enjoy it the first time I watched it but I'd probably try to start it again over the Christmas holidays.

Here are a few of my favourites on the show: 
basically these arent all my faves because this would end up being a loooooooong post. Aside from these 4, I love Lexie, Mark, Cristina, Derek, Amelia ++




Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), how can you not love Meredith Grey. She's the star of the show and well you'd get to know her more once you've seen the show.


Izzie Stevens  (Katherine Heigl). Most people dont like Izzie but well I love Izzie and I really miss her on the show (ooooops). She made me cry A LOT




Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) I ADORE THIS GIRL! her character is so badass (considering her past) yet she's still very loveable


HOT GUYS ALERT: Justin Chambers plays the role of Alex Karev (right) whos been part of the original set of interns of Seattle Grace whilst Jesse Williams plays the role of Jackson Avery (left) who comes from Mercy West which merges with Seattle Grace during the 5th season.


 You may think that HOW DO YOU STAY UP UNTIL 4AM WATCHING A TV SHOW?!?1!?!?


Basically me everynight

"Okay im putting my laptop down after this episode"
*something interesting happens*
"... Maybe after the next one"

*cycle repeats*








The second Shondaland show I watched was How To Get Away With Murder. I decided to start watching this because I really loved Grey's and I know Shonda wouldnt fail me (and ofcourse she didnt). During term break, I was able to finish all episodes in half a week since there are only 2 seasons so far. This show can kinda get confusing slight spoiler alert: The show starts with the Keating Five (Annalise's intern students) carrying a dead body and debating on what they should do with it like WERE JUST ON EPISODE ONE AND IM ALREADY LOST LIKE WHAT IS THIS WHAT IS HAPPENING??1!?!?! Things will clear off once you've watched the next episodes trust me.


Here are a few of my favourites on the show: 


Laurel Castillo (played by Karla Souza) is the ideal law student and is also part of the Keating 5. I can say she's the most matured and serious compared to the other 4. 





Jake Falahee plays the role Connor Walsh (whos gay) and is also part of the Keating 5.







And the most recent one ive caught up on was Scandal. For me, amongst the 3, this was the show that made me cry the most for some reason. (maybe 20% more than Grey's did). Scandal is basically about Olivia Pope and her oh so complicated life because of being the mistress of the president of the United States of America. Well its not just that, I can say she has a really dramatic life but its so cool and badass.

Honestly, I had to force myself through the first 2 and a half seasons of it because it was quite boring. I actually attempted to watch this back in May but I didnt appreciate it so much and I gave it a try again this November. After you get through the first few seasons, its a non stop roller coaster of emotions.I cant make a list of my favourite characters here because I'll end up putting them all.


but CAN WE TAKE A MOMENT AND APPRECIATE JAKE BALLARD (played by Scott Foley)


He was one of the reasons I cried a lot and got emotionally unstable.  JUST LOOK AT HIM LOOK AT HIS EYES AND OHMYGOD.



I love all these 3 shows but Grey's Anatomy will always be on top of my list, followed by Scandal and HTGAWM


HERES A FEW TIPS IF YOU WANNA HOP ON THE SHONDA LAND TRAIN
(dont say I didnt warn you)

1. Its gonna be a wild ride of emotions (crying, screaming, perfect storms)
2. Prepare tissue (a lot of them), an inhaler, and a stress ball

3. Shonda doesnt care about your emotions, TRUST ME SHE DOESNT AT ALL
4. She loves to drop bombs on the last 3 minutes of an episode so you have to be miserable for a week waiting til the next episode comes back on
5. Whats worst is she loves making you wait til the series comes back from a midseason break so you have to be miserable for months
6. She has no mercy for your favourite characters, she'd kill or make them disappear in a blink of an eye
7.  You'll start thinking like Meredith, Olivia or Annalise
8.After watching, there may be times wherein you'd just curl up and stare at the wall thinking why Shonda is so cruel and torturing us
9. Heres the start of sleepless nights (especially when youre catching up)
10. You may really really hate Shonda but in the end you'd still love and thank her for making shows like these




Sorry for this super long post but I just had to share my love-hate-relationship with Shondaland! I hope you enjoyed this and you would also start to watch some of her shows. Honestly, these are the things I look forward to every week. These shows keep me sane especially when I have tons of things to do! What Shondaland shows would you like to see/have you seen? Til next time!

xx
Maria Mikaela
 

Life Update

I literally havent posed content on my blog for the past months because of my really hectic schedule in school and other stuff. This post will mainly be a little narrative of the past 5 months ive been MIA here.

Schoolwise, ive been doing so much better this year compared to my other years in high school. My grades have been improving even though they arent that consistent yet but basically its progress which Im really proud of. Im halfway through my year 11 and im slowly grasping the changes. This year has totally been so different from the past years mainly because our workload is so much heavier and our school hours have been so lengthy that sometimes most of the time, I dont get to do the things I like to do because I have to prioritise school especially this year because of its impact to my university aplications. School is actually the main reason why I couldnt update my blog.

 The weather was CRAP during my birthday because of a storm so I wasnt able to celebrate with my friends but I spent the day with my aunts which wasnt bad at all and also went shopping for my birthday gift. The best gift I received was definitely from my parents. I LOVE jewellery especially necklaces so my parents got me this gorgeous necklace from this shop called Sweet Pea. 

It comes in this gorgeous pink box which I totally love 

I dont know if they came as a set or seperately but I got a sapphire necklace and earrings which are both so bloody gorgeous. As you can see theyre both so thin and delicate so they need extra tener loving care

If you wanna check out their online shop ive left the link down below but you can also check their shops if you have one around your area

Sweet Pea website: http://www.sweetpeajewellery.com/


3 months ago, I also saw one of my favourite bands from back when I was in year 7; All Time Low!! This was the second time I saw them live and they still never fail to amaze. It was kinda tiring because it was on a Wednesday so I had school before the concert and it was midweek so I was a zombie walking to school the following day but it was really worth it. Despite having a busy schedule in school, you should also learn how to have fun and party on weekdays because YOLO. this is such bad advice. Children, stay in school and focus on your studies haha. 

SEPTEMBER 1ST: Caspar retweeted me!!11!!!1!!!11
I clearly remember how this day wasnt going so well but well, ofcouse Caspar knows how to change my mood in an instant. That was the exact same day #ProjectJaspar was being released so I tweeted a reaction picture and 5 hours after, Caspar retweeted it! I was having dinner so I left my phone in my room and when I came back, I usually check my dms first because I usually talk to people via dm and its always my main priority to reply to them so they were like  "OMGGGG" and I was like whats happening and well my notifications were blowing up like fireworks so I checked it and I saw that Caspar RT-ed my tweet. Thats all, story time is over.

 
The past few months have also given me a few life lessons like just going for it. Ive always wanted to post content on my own channel but I have never gathered enough confidence to but after thorough thinking, I was like you know what I dont care about what people would say when I post but Im gonna do I wanna do and what would make me happy. Thats one thing we should all learn. We shouldnt care about what people say because we arent there to please them right? So go for your dreams ad do more of what makes you happy 

xx

Maria Mikaela

YouTube FanFest & Caspar Followed Me!

FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY! TODAY HAS BEEN THE DAY IVE BEEN WAITING FOR.

June 26, 2015 

After all the tears, the spamming and the excitement, the day has finally came! Im seeing Jaspoli live THIS ISNT A DRILL. I literally havent been focused the whole week because of this.


Anxiety hit me when I found out that fans were lined up as early as 8 in the morning. I WAS IN SCHOOL and I couldnt skip classes because of my hectic class schedule. I was so restless the whole day and my seatmate had to deal with me. I constantly checked my phone for updates and kept on texting my friends who were already there to update me on what was happening. Finally my classes were over and I rushed all the way to Marriott. I changed in the car, did my make up in the car and everything else. Once we reached the venue, I got my wristband

There was literally a sea of people and ofcourse pushing and stampedes occurred. It was horrible being pushed around and squished since Im really small. I met a few of my mutuals down there which made things a bit better and tolerable for me.

When I was able to make my way up the ballroom itself, It was such a great feeling to be able to breathe properly again. On the second floor, there were sponsors' booths which gave away few YTFF merchandise and products.

These were Globe's little prizes

 I also finally got to meet my co-admin and more mutuals. Going in the ballroom itself was another struggle. This one was harder since you had to go through a door which was really tiny for the amount of people pushing their way through. I got hurt more this time than the one earlier. I had to slide myself in the door which caused my sides to ache. 

The show started a bit later than stated but it was fine. Jaspoli was the second one to perform. I couldnt help but cry when they came out. I couldnt believe theyre actually right infront of me at that very moment. 

Seeing them was so unreal and I never imagined that this would actually happen to me. They did a cheeky Q&A and a "who would rather"

They were also taught how to say various filipino words by Bogart the Explorer

 Let me talk about how starstrucked I was when I saw Caspar. I mean his eyes are so beautiful he is so tall (and handsome as hell). HE WAS JUST *insert heart eyes emoji*. At some point, I really wanted to touch his hair. 

After Jaspoli's segment. We decided to get some air outside and take a rest. We got water to hydrate ourselves again and checked out the whole place. There were tons of pretty places where you can take photos like the huge YouTube Fan Fest sign and the huge 3D Youtube logo. 

We saw this little passageway from the backstage to the stage itself which was OPEN so you could literally see the youtubers up close but no selfies thanks to the strict security personnel. There were only a few of us waiting there like just about 5 of us until someone began to scream because they saw Joe.  Oli walked by fast since he was the first then Caspar was waving whilst walking and Joe stopped by to wave. It felt so good knowink that you made eye contact with them. 

Because of this, i wasnt able to watch the whole performance of Beth but I was able to catch her singing flashlight. She was much more gorgeous in real life and her voice was sooo good. She also showed exclusive footage of her exploring a city here in the country 

All good things must come to an end. I got emotional once again when they came out for the finale. This was it. Its all over, this may be the first but hopefully not the last. I really wanna see my other favourite youtubers as well next time and hopefully be able to hug them. 

All my tears, my efforts, the followers ive lost because of spamming, the pain from getting squished and stepped on, the pushing, the anxiety and everything else I sacrificed and invested just to see them was so worth it. I couldnt have wished for anything more. 



✖️ CASPAR FOLLOWED ME✖️

This blog post has the worst chronological order. 

June 23, 2015

It was an ordinary Tuesday morning for me. I just had to get through a day of school and the cycle repeats. I woke up unknowingly that something HUGE would actually be happening today. I dont ususally check my phone first thing when I wake up since it lessens my time with my love (aka my bed). I got ready for school and hopped on the bus. I got on twitter and my DMs blew up for some reason and i had 10 notifications which I ususally have in the morning. Due to curiousity, I checked my DMs first and they were all like "OHAMYGOD CONGARTULATIONS" and I was literally clueless of what was going on I was like so did I reach 11K or something? I checked our street team's group chat and they were all Congratulations as well. I backread through their conversations and saw one if my co-admins saying that Caspar randomly followed me. YES IT WAS REAL CASPAR DID FOLLOW ME WHILST I WAS ASLEEP. 

I thought it was just one of those accounts that give you a heart attack BUT THIS WAS REAL IT WASNT A DREAM. It made me feel so special that I didnt spam him to get his follow nor was he doing a follow spree when he followed me. Ive been waiting so long for this, I used to stay up til 4am during Mondays (yay time difference) hoping that he'd follow me because of #newcasparleevideomonday but I guess theres aleays a right time for everything 😉

Im sooo sorry for this long blog post but I hope you enjoyed reading it! Im also sorry for not posting for quite a long time (if you actually look forward to my posts). School has been very hectic these past few days and Im still adjusting. Thank you again for taking time to pass by my blog. I really appreciate it ❤️

xx

Maria Mikaela

May Favourites

This month's favourites arent really exciting to be honest. Ive stayed home for the majority of the month since I really got drained from my month long holiday but lets get to it! 

ELIZABETH ARDEN 8-HOUR LIP CREAM

This shouldve actually been part of the Australian haul but I totally forgot about it. I got this in Darwin's Duty Free and ive totally been using it ever since I got back. I love putting this on my lips before I head to bed and I wake up with really soft lips. It works really well for me considering I have really dry lips.

SIGMA 3D KABUKI BRUSH

ONE OF THE BEST BRUSHES EVER. This brush has been my constant ever since I got it. Its SO SO SO SO soft compared to the mac brushes (idk but their brushes became harder recently). I also love how its shaped because it reaches all the parts of the face like on the sides of the nose and under the eyes. They cost a little bit more than the mac ones but theyre worth every cent youre paying. One of my all time favourite brushes.

REAL TECHNIQUES CORE COLLECTION SET

Real Techniques were the first ever brushes I had when I started getting into make up. Impressed by the Travel ser, I decided to get the core collection set and ofcourse it never let me down. The core collection comes with 4 brushes (i forgot the detailer brush in the picture oops). The contour brush, detailer brush, buffer brush & the pointed foundation brush. I love each and every one of them. I use the detailer brush to apply my concealer or sometimes to apply my lipstick. The buffer brush also helps me blend in my foundation.

REAL TECHNIQUES STIPPLING BRUSH

(Yay for an unwashed brush) also one of my favourites in applying my foundation. This brush just helps the foundation blend in so well without difficulty. I love how soft it is on the skin as well. This is a must buy especially to those who are starting make up because its really cheap yet has really great quality.

AUSTRALIS BLEMISH BUSTER PRIMER

You may have seen this from my little  priceline haul. I TOTALLY LOVE THIS PRIMER. I apply this before putting on my make up to prep my face. It leaves my skin really soft and makes the foundation easier to apply and blend as well. With the blemish buster part, im not so sure it actually fights acne but I really love the feel of it on my skin so its totally fine. One of the best drugstore primers! 

GREY'S ANATOMY

Basically this isnt an object but this month ive been LOVING Grey's Anatomy. Since im on my summer holidays at the moment, Ive been watching all day and all night (literally) i'd sleep at 3am because of this and im not regretting anything. This show has been on-going for 10 years and its still so amazing! It actually made me think about taking medicine for university but lets see about that. THIS IS TOTALLY A MUST WATCH if youre looking a new TV series to obsess on. (Consider setting lots of time to watch this since it has 11 seasons, 24 episodes in a season consisting of roughly 43 minutes. Since im on summer, I was able to finish it in 4 weeks)

Favourite Fragrances

Hello everyone! This post will be about my top picks in fragrances as of now. I dont really mind spending my money on quite pricey perfumes because they are really worth the price you are paying. Lets get on to it! 

TAYLOR BY TAYLOR SWIFT {MADE OF STARLIGHT EDITION}

As you guys know, im one huge swiftie. Ive completed the whole taylor swift fragrance as of now and there are two in the line that I really love. This one is the first, Taylor by Taylor Swift. This is the 3rd to be released in her collection. My perfume bottle is different from the others because I purchased the limited musical edition which costs a little more since the box sings starlight. I use this perfume in a regular basis and for (mostly) everyday use. It smells like an infusion of fruits & floraly stuff. Im really bad at explaining what stuff smells like but I definitely love how the smell gets more mild after a few hours but it doesnt totally fade away. It comes this beautiful clear crystal bottle and its just so elegant! I grabbed this at a duty free last year and I totally love this. 

GUCCI GUILTY

This fragrance is just LOVE it smells like ambers & lilacs and it has this really classy smell. I love how it lasts you all day and I really like it because I dont have to carry the bottle around with me in school when I need to retouch. It comes in this gold metalic case which is transparent in the middle so you can see how much product is left inside the bottle. When the scent fades, it leaves this vanilla-y floral scent which I really love. 

TAYLOR SWIFT: INCREDIBLE THINGS

This is the newest Taylor fragrance she has released. I picked this up at a priceline store when I was in Gold Coast. This honestly reminds me of Sydney for some reason. It smells really sophisticated and it smells like vanilla-ish coconut. Its really hard to explain but this is my FAVOURITE amongst all Taylor's fragrances. Its more suitable for night use and it smells really mature. I love love love love this one so much. 

VERSACE BRIGHT CRYSTAL

This fragrance is more of a fresh girly scent. It has a really strong smell at the start but it smells great after the scent fades a bit. It smells really floral with a dash of vanilla and smells elegant. I love the packaging of it. One of the perfumes I actually use on a day to day basis

That ends my favourite fragrances! I hope you guys enjoyed it! If you want me to do a separate and more detailed blog post of my Taylor Swift collection, please comment below or tweet me @casparspizzas. I would also love some blog post reccommendations and feedback! What are your favourite fragrances? 

xx

Maria Mikaela