First Impressions

The RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8 Queens!

13:40

A new season of Drag Race. A group of new queens battling it out for the title of America's Next Drag Super Star. It's safe to say I'm excited. Although I am very hesitant when it comes to new drag queens. This is because when I first started to watch Drag Race there had already been 6 seasons and I liked all the queens in those seasons, but then when it came to the season 7 queens...I was not the biggest fan.
So I was a little hesitant to meet the queens of season 8. What if they were similar to the ones from season 7? It's not that I didn't like those queens it was just that I didn't find a real connection to them like I had with queens from past seasons. So I was worried it would be the same with the season 8 queens.
But after watching the season 8 premiere I can say that I am willing to give these queens a chance. I think this is going to be a really great season of Drag Race and I can't wait to see what lies ahead. The queens this season definitely seem a lot livelier than the ones from last season. At least no one will be telling any of these queens that they need to wake up. *cough* Pearl *cough*
Before I get into my thoughts on the individual queens I want to talk about the premiere episode as a whole. I. Loved. It.
Not only was this the first episode of the season, it was also the 100th episode of RuPaul's Drag Race and so you know it was going to be special. I had already seen the promo photo for this episode with RuPaul and all the past winners of Drag Race and so I was dying to know what that was about.
I love all of the winners of Drag Race. They are all so glamorous and wonderful and perfect. And so to see them all in the one photo it's almost too much to handle. And I enjoyed seeing them all in this episode. Apart from Bianca del Rio which I was sad about although they did have a pretty convincing stand-in.
But not only were the past winners back, they also brought back some other drag queens from past seasons too. As well as some of my favourite design challenges. Which I was living for. I love all the design challenges on Drag Race, some of them look like so much fun. So it was cool to see the new queens take on these old challenges.
The only thing I would say though is that because everyone was working on different things we didn't see as much in the work room as we normally do which I was upset about. But the final products everyone produced were amazing.
Also no Santino again this season? I'm sad about that. I missed Santino last season.
We also have a new runway song this season which again I don't love. I thought Sissy That Walk was a great runway song. I suppose it just caught me off guard more than anything. I'll see if I warm up to it as the season goes on.
But overall it was a fabulous episode and I loved that it was the 100th episode too. It makes me super excited to see what the rest of the season will be like.
Now moving on to our season 8 queens...

Acid Betty
I love her. I got good vibes from her right away. I love her style and her attitude and she seems really fun. I'm excited to see how far she makes it in the competition. I also loved her money ball dress. That was one of my favourite challenges on Drag Race. So I was excited to see it again.





Bob the Drag Queen
Again a really fun queen. I know Bianca del Rio has a soft spot for her so I have been keeping an open mind about her. She's pretty great. Very clearly a comedy queen but there's nothing wrong with a good comedy queen. Also girl knows how to make a pair of curtains look stylish. Even if they come with a horrible accessory.



Chi Chi Davayne
Not very memorable to me. She came in wearing a trash bag which has been done before. Don't really have much else to say since I don't remember her. Although I will say I was disappointed in her glitter ball look. Not very glittery. And she's a drag queen.
Cynthia Lee Fontaine
As soon as she walked into the workroom I knew I was going to dislike her. She is a loud queen. And I think she is trying way too hard to come up with a catchphrase. I feel like she's trying to be Yara Sofia but is failing miserably. So please stop girl. Because I get a headache every time you come on screen. Her sugar ball dress was nothing special. All I can think of in that challenge was Detox's neon candy dress haha that was fierce.
Dax ExclamationPoint
Girl is tall. I don't really remember a lot about her either haha. She had the Hello Kitty runway look and I don't think I was a fan of it. But I like her drag name so I am hoping she has more to offer us.
Derrick Barry
I love her. I mean girl knows how to do Brittany. As soon as she walked into the workroom I was LIVING. Although my fear is she doesn't know how to do anything but Britney but I think we all have that fear. Her Christmas outfit kind of reminded me of Carmen Carrera's as it showed a lot of body.
Kim Chi
Another queen that I instantly fell in love with. She's so cute in or out of drag. And I loved her runway look, her makeup and outfit were on point. Although her runway walk is going to be her downfall. Everything else about her is really fierce. Another fear I have is that she's going to be a quiet queen and I don't want that. She needs her fierceness to shine through.
Laila McQueen
She reminds me of someone in real life and I don't mean that in a bad way. I like her. She doesn't seem to have as much energy as the other queens which bothers me. She seems to be one that lacks a big personality which is the downfall of many queens on the show. I hope she can come out of her shell. I was also living for her RuPocalypse look.
Naomi Smalls
All I could think when she walked into the room was Glamazon. She is gorgeous. I don't remember much else about her though. I do think her boat and runway look were lacking though. I mean she went very minimal with it and I wish she had done something like Willam had. Especially because she decided to step out of the boat. Her outfit could have been better for it even if she didn't have time to properly decorate the boat.
Nayasha Lopez
She kind or reminded me of Vivienne Pinay. As in she was very quiet and didn't stand out to me. I don't remember her at all. I just know she sashayed away. And from previous experience, the first queen to sashay away isn't really worth knowing at all...So sorry girl. We'll see you at the reunion though.
Robbie Turner
Did someone ask for Jinkx Monsoon 2.0? I think so. It was so awkward when she turned up at the photoshoot with the same hair as Jinkx. I mean right off the bat you can see what kind of vibe she was going for. I hope she has more to offer rather than just being another Jinkx. Especially because she's not going to win if she's a copy of one of the previous winners.
Thorgy Thor
Again, she reminds me of someone I know. Not in a bad way. She's very full of energy, quirky and fun. I like her. I'm excited to see where she goes in the competition. I don't really remember her runway look though so I can't make a comment on that. Still, she's fun although I wonder if she has a mean streak...most queens do.


And so that brings me to the end of my critique on the season 8 Queens! I have to say we have a good mix of queens this season.
Whereas with season 7 I kind of felt like a lot of the queens were similar. So I am excited to see what comes of this competition.
I don't have a particular favourite for winner yet. Although I do like a fair few of the queens. I imagine I'll be making predictions for the season after a few more episodes. I'll keep you posted.
In the mean time I think I'm going to go back and rewatch previous seasons of Drag Race and celebrate the past queens because seeing them all in the season 8 premiere made me miss them. I would love for there to be a show with all the past winners on it. I mean having them all in one place at one time is just fabulousness overload. So RuPaul, can you make it happen?


Let me know what you guys think of this season of queens and who is your favourite. And follow me on Twitter for when I live tweet Drag Race on Tuesdays.
~ Courtney x

First Impressions

My Amazing Race Season 28 First Impressions

14:36

The Amazing Race season 28. The social media themed season, where all teams are made up of Internet stars. It's safe to say I was really excited.
I actually started to watch the Amazing Race because YouTubers Joey Graceffa and Meghan Camerena competed in season 22 and then later in season 24. It was the first time I had ever watched the show and I really liked it. Which I was surprised about because I don't usually watch this type of show but I find that if you find one team per season that you really like you can really get into it.
And as soon as I found out that Tyler Oakley was going to be on this season of the Amazing Race I had already decided which team was going to be my favourite. Tyler Oakley is one of my favourite YouTubers. And so of course I am rooting for him 100%.
There is another YouTuber that I watch competing on this season too, Blair Fowler. She's a beauty guru that I like to watch and I also watch her sister Elle's videos too. I am rooting for her to go far in the race too however I am supporting Tyler a tiny bit more.
Aside from those two YouTubers and their partners, I don't recognise anyone else on this season of the Amazing Race. Oh - apart from Joslyn from Clevver TV. I used to watch Clevver TV's videos. But everyone else was completely new to me. I know it is a social media themed season so all these people are known on social media platforms but definitely not ones that I use. Like Vine stars are completely lost on me.
Anyway, I want to talk about each team individually to let you guys know how I feel about this season of the Amazing Race so far. As of now we are 3 episodes into the season and so I have gotten to learn a little bit more about each team.

Erin White Robinson and Joslyn Davis
Like I said before, I recognise Joslyn from Clevver TV on YouTube. Her voice is very memorable.
Anyway I like Erin and Joslyn. So far I don't have a lot to say about them. All I really remember is that Erin got really claustrophobic in the last episode which can be a problem. Especially if there are any more challenges that require them to be in small spaces.
I also think it was great how they work together with Blair and Scott. Although I can see them throwing them under the bus if they need to which could cause drama.

Darius and Cameron Benson
Vine stars. Never heard of them but they seem like cool guys. They seem to lack the competitiveness and drive that the other teams do though which has been shown on a few occasions. Which I guess ultimately lead to their elimination.
I mean I don't doubt that they are smart guys but if you aren't in it to win it as much as the other teams you will get lost in the dust.





Zach and Rachel King
More vine stars haha. Honestly, I don't really think they stand out in the competition for me yet. I don't know enough about them to really make a judgement. I think they came first in the first episode but I honestly don't remember.






Dana Borriello and Matt Steffanina
Dancers. Recently engaged.
I always worry for couples on this TV show because sometimes I think it could make or break them. And with these two...it seems like it could break them.
They are both very strong-headed when it comes to competition and they have been fighting a lot.
I wasn't expecting that because if they have a business together you'd think they'd work a lot better together but I guess we see as the race goes on.
I know sometimes couples fight on the race and it only makes them stronger. So let's hope it's the case with these two.




Marty Cobb and Hagan Parkman
I thought they were cute. Although one mistake caused them to be eliminated early on in the race.
One thing I will say about that is, after watching this show for a long time I know never to leave your taxi anywhere/make sure the taxi is going to stay there while you do the challenge. Because taxis are usually your downfall on the race.
Also they got really annoying towards the end when they just sort of gave up. So...yeah I don't have much else to say about them.

Kurt Gibson and Brodie Smith
Pro frisbee players? Well Okay.
These guys always seem to come middle of the pack and so to me they aren't very memorable. I don't know, that or they just don't have as big a personality as other people on the show.
It's so easy to fade into the background on this show because there are so many teams and they get eliminated easily. Hopefully these guys make a good impression by the end of the race.

Tyler Oakley and Korey Kuhl
I could write a novel on why I love these two so much. But I won't. All you need to know is that I'm biased towards them because of watching them on YouTube and listening to their Podcast.
Anyway, what really surprised me about them is that they are really good at these challenges. I mean I know they are really good friends and have worked together since graduating but I had no idea how good a team they were until now.
They are just so efficient and take no crap haha. I'm sure they will have their bumps on the road as they continue on the race but so far they seem to be plain sailing. And yes, they are the team I want to win. Just saying.

Jessica Versteeg and Brittany Oldehoff
Instagram models. Because that's a thing now.
I like them. They only really stand out because they are pretty. Like that's all I can say about them so far. They are pretty.
Again they are in the middle of the pack right now in the race so who knows how well they will actually do. Although being in the middle of the race is not neccessarily a bad thing, it could be the reason you end up in the final four.

Burnie Jones and Ashley Jenkins
YouTube gamers. And a super cute couple.
These two work well together too. I remember how they were in the last episode and they seem to have a really good relationship.
I can see them going far in the race.

Scott and Blair Fowler
Like I said before I watch Blair's videos and so I am biased towards her in this race as well. So I do hope she makes it far in the race.
Although part of me wishes that Blair was doing the race with her sister Elle because they both make videos, however I'm pretty sure Elle couldn't do the race because of when she injured her back.
Still I like this father daughter team. I think it's sweet that they help people when they can and I just hope that doesn't come back to bite them if someone decides to take advantage of that.
Also I'm pretty sure that if you were to remember anything about this season it's Blair's voice. She definitely has one of those voices that's very memorable.


Sheri and Cole LaBrant
Another vine star.
I think this mother and son team is also very cute. I also like that other teams are nice and help them out when they can although I know it won't last. As the competition gets smaller and smaller people will be less likely to help out teams like Sheri and Cole and so I wonder how they will do without any help later in the race.




And so those are my first impressions of all the Amazing Race teams on season 28! So far it's been a very entertaining season with all of my favourite one liners coming from Tyler and Korey.
If you guys are watching the Amazing Race this season then let me know your predictions, who do you think will win? As I've been saying the whole way through this blog post I hope Tyler and Korey win. And if not them then someone else who deserves to win. I mean it doesn't really matter. I always end up feeling like the people who win the race were the ones that deserved to win, even if I wasn't really rooting for them to begin with.
I will be sure to let you guys know my thoughts as the season progresses. I don't know if I will make another blog post like this but I always tweet about the episodes when I watch them. So if you are interested in knowing my thoughts on the race or any other TV show I am currently watching then feel free to follow me on Twitter. Or don't. I tend to tweet a lot haha.
~ Courtney x

Life

Life Update: A Crazy Month!

16:24

What. A. Month.
February has been insane and so I thought I would give you guys a little life update to let you know what's been happening. First of all, I have started my second semester of university. And it has been taking up all of my time as usual.
Going into this semester I was a lot calmer than last semester. Last semester I had no idea what I was doing but I'm glad that I have now established some sort of routine with myself.
However my timetable is different from last semester's so I have been having to adjust to that. It's not that different but it still shifts when I have to go to uni and how long I stay there each day. I'm still in til 6 on Mondays and Tuesdays though.
I have also decided to take up Mandarin this semester on Thursdays from 5-7. Looking back I wish I had picked a different timeslot to do it in because it means my Thursdays are now incredibly long. Still I am enjoying the class so far. It's something new. And I have always regretted not learning Chinese when I was younger. So now I am taking the opportunity to learn a little bit. I'm not saying I'm the best at it but I wouldn't say I'm awful either. I haven't decided whether I should continue Mandarin to level 2 yet but I guess I will let you know by the end of the semester.
On top of that we have also started a new module this semester. It's a group project one and I was super nervous when I found out about it. I have never been great at working in teams, mainly because it was always a case of no one wanting to do the work, leaving it all to you to do. So I was worried it was going to be the same with this module.
We were put into our groups randomly and so I had no idea who I was going to be working with. Considering there are over 400 people in our class the chances of me being grouped with someone I knew were very unlikely. I ended up being in a group of complete strangers.
Luckily though my group is really nice. We all get along well and I hope that we can all work together smoothly. I know we won't always get along and there will be disagreements but I hope we make it through the semester without wanting to kill each other at least haha. It's still the early stages of the group project though so you never know what could happen during the rest of the semester. I'm still trying to remain hopeful about the whole thing.
Aside from class, I have been spending more time with my university friends outside of class which is nice. I feel very lucky to have made friends so quickly since starting university. Although being one of the few girls in a computing course makes it a lot easier to make friends. All the girls kind of just stick together haha. So I have made a couple of good friends at university so far.
I have even decided to live with one of them next year which I think will be fun. Which is another thing I have been thinking about this month.
After realising just how much I had to go into university for class last semester I realised it would be a lot easier for me if I moved closer to the university next year. So I decided to move with a friend from secondary school but we needed at least one other person to live with so I asked one of my new friends.
And so for the past couple of weeks we have been house hunting. I have to say it feels very adult to be searching for a house. And I know it's only going to be my house for a few years but I'm excited and also scared. I know we all have to leave home at some point but I can't believe how fast this is all happening. But I will be sure to share the ups and downs of living with friends whenever the time comes.
Also this past month I have been busy with a boy... I don't want to go into too much detail about it but let's just say I'm really happy with them.We aren't official yet but we are dating. And that's good enough for me. I'm in no rush to be in a serious relationship. I'm just excited to see where it goes.
Moving away from student life I will also mention some TV shows I have been sucked into this month. As they have also been taking up a lot of time.
First off, Pretty Little Liars is always taking over my life. This season is leaving me with a lot of questions as usual.
I also started watching New Girl. I like it. I think it's very quirky and fun. I am almost caught up I just need to watch the latest episodes of season 5.
Finally the Amazing Race season 28 has officially started and I am loving it so far. I think I will make a separate blog post talking about the Amazing Race because I love it so much. I got addicted to the Amazing Race when I watched the season Joey Graceffa was on. This season features Tyler Oakley and Blair Fowler, two other YouTubers that I love and so of course I am obsessed with this season. I'm excited to see how far these two teams make it in the race. I am also hoping that one day I get my dream of an all YouTuber version of the Amazing Race because I would love it so much.
And so that is everything I have going on in my life right now. When I write it down here it doesn't seem like a lot but for the past month it just feels like time is flying by. It just feels like I have been going all the time and never have time to really stop and just breathe. Hopefully things begin to slow down this month. Although I kind of like that so much is going on right now. It keeps me busy. Compared to January when I was off university for a month and barely did anything. Still, I would appreciate if I had some more time to sleep.
I hope you guys are also having a good start to the year. I hope you are working hard to achieve your goals and haven't given up on all your New Year's Resolutions yet. Let me know in the comments how things are going. And I will be sure to keep you updated on my life as the year progresses. I hope to make blog posts more often than this but I can't make any promises.
~ Courtney x

Book Review

Girl Online On Tour Book Review

15:00

My 7th blog post this month and my second 2nd book review. I'd say I'm on a roll.
Today I am reviewing Girl Online On Tour by Zoe Sugg. I wasn't really sure if I was going to get this book because when I read the first one I was convinced that it was aimed at a younger audience and I didn't enjoy the story. However, I decided to give it a chance Zoe had released a number of signed books you could preorder online and so...I gave in. I might have only done it for the signed Zoella book but I knew I couldn't leave it unread. Especially when I know Zoe has so many fans and someone else would have appreciated the book a whole lot more. So I decided to see where Penny and Noah were headed and honestly, I really enjoyed it.


If you read my book review of Girl Online then you know it was probably the only YouTuber book I didn't like so I wasn't sure what to expect with the sequel. But Zoe definitely stepped up the game with this one. I tried not to have high expectations after the first one and I didn't even really know much about the story. I hadn't really thought much about what Girl Online On Tour actually meant. But it literally meant Penny was going on tour with Noah.
And I think that's one of the things that really changed this book from the last one. Because life on a rock tour is so fast-paced and crazy the story had to reflect that. Which meant the pace of the book was a lot faster than the first one. There were things going on all the time and I just felt like I had to keep reading because I wanted to know what happened with all these things.
I feel like with Girl Online, Zoe was just testing the waters with her writing. And now, she knows what she can do and she wanted to showcase that. I could tell her writing had improved, which I was really glad to see. It still has the same style and tone as before but there was just something a little bit different. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's because there has been no ghost writer scandal with this one. Not that I was ever mad about that. Or I'm just getting used to the style of Zoe's writing. Either way, I am glad to see Zoe is improving her writing skills. Because she can only get better from here and I love seeing that.
Okay moving to the actual story. So many things. Lots of spoilers ahead.
First of all, I totally related to Penny when she had to stop publishing her blog. Last year I had a similar thing go down where I basically had to stop something I was doing and it was awful. It feels like you are being told you aren't allowed to express yourself like you're being censored. And it's not good.
You should always be allowed to express yourself as long as it isn't offensive or hurtful to others. Although I know that can be hard now because people can get offended quite easily. But if you're doing something you enjoy and you don't intend for it to be offensive or to hurt people then you should do it. Although you should be careful if it's personal or involves friends and family.
That's what I have learnt about the whole thing and in this book Penny learns a similar thing so I think that made the book more enjoyable.
If you can relate to the character of the book it's so much easier to read. At least, I feel that. Or if you have a connection with them.
Something else that kept me reading was the mystery. Who was sending all those messages to Penny? I have to admit I had my suspicions about Megan and Pegasus Girl. I would have loved if it was Pegasus Girl. Only because people online can't always be trusted. That really would have been a twist.
However, that was a bit of a letdown. The reveal was still shocking because I never expected it but...then when it was revealed and the reasons behind it I kind of felt like it was cliche movie. I should have seen it coming. I think I'm more mad at myself for not figuring it out than the actual outcome haha.
Also, I'd really love a friend like Leah Brown. She really surprised me by being really nice. I think I've been watching too much Pretty Little Liars because I have to stop jumping to the conclusion that every girl character is secretly a bitch. I mean a girl should be able to take another girl shopping and give her a glam makeover without there being an ulterior motive right? At least, I'd like to think so.
As for Penny and Noah...well I actually liked how they ended. I think it was the right decision and I love that they are able to both pursue their passions. I thought that was a really great theme to the book. That you should pursue your passions because you could just end up living the dream.
It really inspired me. I remember being like Penny and not knowing what I was going to do with my life. I still haven't got it quite figured out but I am piecing together things I want to do and going for it. One of them being my blog. I identify a lot with Penny and her blog, I've been blogging on and off since I was about 11 and I know how it feels to have a place to vent. It's great.
Something else I loved about the book was Alexiot. I loved the ship name, I loved the big romantic gesture...I loved the whole thing. That was a love story I could totally get behind. It was so cute.
Another big thing in the book was the progression of Penny's anxiety. Just like Zoe, Penny suffers from anxiety attacks and I really appreciate that Zoe was able to incorporate that into her book. I think it helps a lot of people who don't have anxiety get an idea of what it feels like sometimes. It also helps a lot of people who do have anxiety and how to deal with it.
In the end, I'm so glad there was a happy ending. I feel like after everything that happened in what felt like a short amount of time everyone deserved the ending they got. I also couldn't imagine a novel written by Zoella ending sadly.
I'm really glad I gave this book a chance because I ended up loving it a lot. And while yes, it's a little cliche and predictable it's a good read. I learnt I was way more attached to the characters than I thought I was too. I was happy, sad, and I even think I yelled at my book a few times.
I would definitely recommend this book to you if you loved the first Girl Online book. And even if you weren't a fan of the first book, you should give this book a chance because you might end up liking it. I still think it is aimed at a younger audience than some of the other YouTuber books but that's okay. I think if she did something for an older audience it would be very off-brand.
And so, those were all my thoughts on Girl Online On Tour! I hope that you guys enjoyed reading. Let me know what you guys thought of Zoe's books in the comments below. I think the next book I am going to read will be Username: Evie. So look out for that book review coming soon (I hope. Depending how fast I read and if I actually have enough to say on it to write a book review.)
~ Courtney x

Pretty Little Liars

Fangirl Overload - Pretty Little Liars Season 6B

20:00

This show.
I swear.
If you guys have been following me on social media for a while then you know all about how Pretty Little Liars makes me feel. And now that we are into the second half of season six things have never been so intense.
We are only three episodes into season 6B and yet I'm already freaking out hysterically. I have so many questions and thoughts about how this season has been going. The five-year time jump has really changed the game and it's hard to believe that just a few months ago we found out the identity of A.
So much has changed and yet it still has that PLL flair that makes you want to come back for more. I love it, so much so that I have already made two videos talking about the second half of season six already. If you want to know all my thoughts on Pretty Little Liars right now check them out below:





And if you want to know my thoughts on future episodes then follow me on Twitter. I always tweet when I'm watching the show because I always have so many thoughts to share.
I'll be so sad when the show ends because I don't know if I'll ever find a show to replace it. But I don't have to worry about that for a while. I just have to think about making it through the rest of the series without freaking out too much. Although I don't think that's possible. It is Pretty Little Liars after all.
~ Courtney x

Life

Meeting Bianca del Rio!

17:40

Last week my friends and I went to our first ever drag queen show. We were super excited because the drag queen we were going to see was one of our favourites. Last year we all got addicted to the TV show RuPaul's Drag Race and ever since then we have been wanting to see a drag queen from the show. And we finally got the opportunity.
So we bought our tickets, got all glammed up and mentally prepared ourselves to meet the one and only Bianca del Rio. Bianca was the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race season 6 and considers herself to be an insult comic. She is hilarious. And even more, glamorous in person.
When we first got to the venue we had no idea what to expect. We had never been to this club before, much less a drag queen show. The vibe there was pretty good. Lots of good music, lots of fabulous people. But as we got closer to the start of the show, the more people showed up and soon we could barely move because everyone was pushing to get a good view of the stage.
My friends and I were were lucky that we got there kind of early. That way we could claim the area we kind of wanted to be in when the show started but we still got pushed around quite a bit. That was the only downside to the whole thing. Too many people.
But once the show started you didn't think about that. All you could focus on was the fabulousness that was taking place on stage.
The first two performances were by the two drag queens that host the special guests at the club. They both did lip sync performances which were amazing. Most drag queens are known for their lip syncing and these girls were perfection. And their backup dancers were giving me life.
And then finally, the queen herself appeared on stage. She looks flawless in person. And at first, I had my doubts because it had been a few years since Bianca was on drag race so maybe she looked different from when she was on TV. But no. She looked perfect. In a fabulous black gown no less. Kaftan realness.



She opened the show by explaining how everyone thought she was going to be on Big Brother and how she wasn't going to be releasing an album anytime soon. Of course, she was her hilarious self.
So worth the wait.
Next Bianca turned to ask for people in the audience. She was going to hold a lip sync contest. But she wanted it to be a fair competition so she was looking for four different specific people. And I was one of those people.
I was in shock.
I had no time to process and next thing you know I was being brought onto the stage.
I couldn't believe it. I was on stage with BIANCA DEL RIO.
It still feels like a dream.


When I found out we had to lip sync I was worried. My first thought was: oh my God what if I don't know the song?!
I've watched enough Drag Race to know if you don't know the words to the song you are lip syncing to then you're out. And I was the first one to lip sync. So if I didn't know the words but the other people did I was screwed.
Luckily, when the music started to play I got into it. They played Sissy That Walk by RuPaul and that's when I felt more at ease. That was the one and only RuPaul song I knew the words to so I knew I could do this.
I was hesitant about it at first. Because I was on stage with about 200 people watching me and a bright spotlight blinding me. But as soon as I started to lip sync I just owned it. It was go big or go home and I went big.
It was a blast.
I have no idea how to describe the experience I just thought it was so much fun.
Unfortunately, I didn't win the lip sync battle but I came in second. So I'm taking that as my victory.
When I got off the stage and was reunited with my friends we all freaked out hysterically. I mean no one was expecting that.
Later at the meet and greet, Bianca was so nice! She hugged me and my friends and thanked me for being such a good sport. And I got a photo with her.




I still can't believe it happened. It all just happened in such a blur. But luckily I had friends who decided to document my lip sync performance. That was uploaded to Facebook the next day. I could have cringed about it but instead, I embraced it. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was going to do it. I mean ever since Drag Race I have wanted to walk that runway and lip sync for my life. So I guess this was me half fulfilling that dream.
And if you guys are interested in seeing a little bit of how my night with Bianca Del Rio went I did vlog about it. Of course. So check that out below:



It was a fab night and I really enjoyed myself. And I think that's the most important thing. So my advice for this year is to embrace the opportunities that come your way. And have a blast. Because life's too short so live it up and party.
I have recently found myself saying "party" a lot and I owe it all to Adore Delano. She's another drag queen from RuPaul's Drag Race season six. I think that's a great catchphrase to have. Because life is to be enjoyed. And what better way to enjoy it than to party?
So I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience meeting Bianca del Rio. If you wanna see me lip sync for my life check out my vlog. And let me know in the comments below what song you would lip sync for your life to.
~ Courtney

Book Review

Binge Book Review

17:04

My first book review of 2016! Exciting!
Today I am reviewing Binge by Tyler Oakley. First of all, I love Tyler Oakley so I'm sorry if this comes across as biased. But technically all my book reviews are a little bit biased because I love all the YouTubers. And I can't help if I also like their books.


Tyler's book was a fun and quick read. I seemed to find myself getting through his book faster than some of the other YouTuber books that I've read. I think it has something to do with Tyler's writing style. His writing style is similar to a lot of YouTubers as he writes as though he were talking directly to you. Like if you didn't have the audiobook you could still imagine Tyler was reading it to you. Which is what I enjoy about YouTuber books they are casual and fun. Yet can still touch on serious topics without being too serious.
Which was Tyler's book in a nutshell. He bounced from talking about the serious issues such as his eating disorder to talking about his favourite Disney princes.
I enjoyed this approach to the book because it made it fun. I think it was done in a way to show that life isn't always bad and it isn't always sunshine and rainbows either. It's a mixture of both. And I'd rather have a mixture of happy and sad stories rather than just having a happy one or a sad one. It's about balance.
Which is ironic considering Tyler's book is called 'Binge' and it's about bingeing on certain things. And in this book Tyler shares his experience bingeing on the good and bad things in life.
To be honest, I was surprised at how much Tyler was willing to share about his life with us. I know all YouTubers have been spilling the tea in their books but Tyler's shocked me the most. I think it's because I was seeing a different side to him. It's hard to imagine him as anything other than the character he portrays online. I think it's refreshing to learn about the person behind the camera. That's another reason I like YouTuber books. They expose the real person and not the one we see on a screen.
Tyler's book was very real. The stories he decided to share with us were personal and things that I never knew Tyler had experienced before. Such as his eating disorder or his first heartbreak. The things people typically don't want to share on the internet. Reading these stories honestly broke my heart. I mean it's hard not to feel sad reading about the hardships people have gone through. But reading about how they dealt with the problem or overcame it changes how you view a person. It also makes me feel proud of them because they have come so far from where they once were. And I'm glad that Tyler decided to open up about these things and share what he has learned from his experiences. I know it will help a lot of people who are struggling through similar things.
On the other side of things, you have Tyler's comedic chapters which I enjoyed a lot. These were the ones where you got to see the Tyler Oakley we all know and love. This was him showing his character. In his book Tyler explains he is both @TylerOakley and Matthew Tyler Oakley. He is both the person we see on screen and this other person that we don't see. And to see both sides of him is great. He's basically like Hannah Montana and Miley Stewart.
I loved all of Tyler's funny chapters. I don't think I can choose a favourite. They were all so entertaining. One of the chapters I wasn't expecting that made me laugh a lot was the one about Tyler's unexpected Toemance. I don't have much to say on the chapter other than the puns were ev-er-y-thing.
I also enjoyed the photos of foetus Tyler. But I'm a sucker for any baby YouTuber photos. They just add so much more to the book. Because if you're going to tell embarrassing stories about your life why not throw in the baby pictures too?


Overall this book was a great read. And when I finished reading I was definitely ready for more. So I'm hoping Tyler announces book 2 very soon. I want more gossip. All tea, all shade, hunty. I also recently watched Tyler's documentary Snervous which goes hand in hand with his book. So I definitely recommend Tyler's documentary if you haven't seen it already.
And so thanks for reading another YouTuber book review! The next YouTuber book I am going to be reading is Girl Online: On Tour so look out for that book review soon. Also, if you haven't already, check out my review of Zoe's first book Girl Online.
~ Courtney x