Six Sci-Fi / Fantasy Shows You Should Be Watching

Most of my favorite tv shows tend to be of the sci-fi / fantasy variety. Even the books I read are very fantasy-oriented. For me, it's escapism. Sci-Fi, fantasy, and alternative worlds draw me in with their unusual but realistic worlds, fascinating characters, and hints of the impossible (ie. superpowers, magic, fairytale creatures, etc.).

Alphas

(Syfy) A show about people with superpowers, such as hyperkinesthesis (superhuman reflexes),  synesthesia (heightened senses), hyperinduction (ability to "push" people), etc. These five people are led by Dr. Lee Rosen (David Strathairn), a normal doctor who helps people with superabilities; he calls them Alphas. This group investigates criminal cases involving other Alphas with the help of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Though the show is science fiction, it is really about how these six people interact and begin to care for one another while dealing with the powers they have and how it affects their lives. It is smart, heartwarming, and fun.

Being Human

(Syfy) A vampire (Sam Witwer), a werewolf (Sam Huntington), and a ghost (Meaghan Rath) are roommates...It sounds like the beginning of a weird joke, but this American remake of a British show focuses on the three main characters and how they have to deal with being monsters in a human world. They are merely pretending to be human, hence the title.

It's dark and sexy without going overboard like Trueblood, it makes you care and root for all the characters, and there's a bit of humor.

Fringe

(FOX) People seriously need to watch this show! It's smart, complicated, exciting, suspenseful, a bit of a who-dun-it at times, and just plain awesome sci-fi. It started four seasons ago with the creation of the Fringe Division as Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson), Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble), and Astrid Farnsworth (Jasika Nicole) investigate the bizarre.

I don't want to give anything away, but the main storylines in recent seasons involves parallel worlds, dopplegangers, shapeshifters, and mysterious typewriters.  

Grimm

(NBC) Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) discovers he is the last of a line of Grimms, as in the Brothers Grimm. He investigates homicide cases that usually turn out to be tied to fairytale creatures that are very real in this world. His partner Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby) and girlfriend have no idea who he is, but others do and are after him. He also gets help from a bludbat (big bad wolf) named Monroe (Silar Weir Mitchell), who is the comic relief.

Although the special effects aren't the best, it is the relationship between Nick and Hank and the banter between Nick and Monroe that keeps the show realistic and at times humorous. It's a great, entertaining mix of cop drama, mystery, and fantasy.

Haven

(Syfy) It seems almost all fantasy shows are also detective shows and this one is no different. FBI agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) investigates mysterious cases known as the Troubles in Haven, Maine, and discovers that she has a connection to both the people with the Troubles and Haven. There are also two love interests: cop Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant) and criminal Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour).

It's mysterious, suspenseful, heartbreaking, romantic, funny, and dramatic. You really begin to root for Audrey and want her to figure out who she is and how she is connected to this small town.

Merlin

(Syfy/BBC One) One of my favorite shows, it reimagines the Arthurian legend slightly with Merlin as the same age as Athur. Merlin (Colin Morgan) is a powerful young wizard who becomes Arthur's (Bradley James) personal servant in order to protect him. At first, they hate each other, but the show centers on how the two come to be great friends.

Something always goes wrong in Camelot, which is all part of the fun. This show is full of adventure, humor, sword-fighting, romance, magical spells, villains, dragons, and a bit of Medieval bromance.

I mentioned Lost Girl and Alcatraz here and Misfits here.

I would have mentioned Once Upon a Time, The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Cirlce, Trueblood, Supernatural, Warehouse 13, and Games of Thrones, but they're already popular shows.

Do you watch sci-fi / fantasy shows? Or do you stick to more realistic shows?

(Pictures via Syfy, Syfy, Fox, Bing, Syfy, and Syfy)

Make Up Wants

I'm not much of a make up girl. I pretty much stick to the same routine of primer, skin color eyeshadow, black eyeliner, concealer, pink blush, and chapstick. I use the same colors, techniques, and brands, but I've been getting a little bored lately and would like to try new make up. If any of you have some favorite beauty buys that you think I should try out, please let me know. I would really appreciate it!

There are several things I've been wanting to try out for a while now, but I'm not sure if I should get them.

Too Faced Candlelight Powder

I have oily skin and need to use powder throughout the day. I've used CoverGirl pressed powder for years (and will continue to do so), but this powder has me interested. It gives your face a soft candlelit glow without being too sparkly.

Sephora | Amazon

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter



Lately, I've been trying more lip colors because of Maybelline's Baby Lips, but I've heard fantastic things about this lip butter. That there are so many colors to choose from, that it's hydrating, that it lasts for a long time, that it's not too sheer and not too bright. The only problem would be which color to choose!

Revlon | Amazon

Klorane Dry Shampoo

My thick, wavy hair gets oily super quick, so sometimes I use Cake Refreshing Powder, a dark powder that smells like cake, but I would like to try an aerosol one that works. Tresemme's Fresh Start Dry Shampoo made my hair look even worse unfortunately. I've also heard good things about Batiste's Dry Shampoo.

Ulta | Amazon

Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment

As a chapstick addict (I blame you, Jackie haha), I love anything that will help make my lips soft and smooth. I've heard that this lip treatment is fantastic and have always wanted to try it out. I'm thinking I should just wait until my birthday because I hear Sephora is giving out mini ones of this to Beauty Insiders (which is free to join). Now I just have to wait until June.

Sephora | Amazon

Lush Aromaco Deodorant

I've been looking for an alternative to antiperspirant for a while now. I don't plan to stop using it altogether, but I would like a good deodorant for laidback days. People seem to love Lush products, and I would like to get on that bandwagon. Deo-Dry Stick also seems like a good option.

Lush





Have you tried any of these? What did you think? Any recommendations?

Smelling Books

For my best friend, Jackie. :)

(Image via Bookoisseur)

Cold Day, Warm Tea

With all this snow falling in New York, I'm going to spend my day reading, drinking Numi's Moroccan Mint Tea, and watching movies at home. If the snow stops, hopefully I'll be able to see Haywire tomorrow. 

This is the awesome mug I will be drinking my tea out of!

(Sources unknown, Cheetah is the New Black)

Poem: The Tale of Alice's Illusional Escape

I don't write poetry (though I think I wrote some terrible ones in high school), but this is one of my favorites from a freshman undergrad class. It was actually published in the school's literary magazine, Italics Mine.

If you look at the last word from each line, you'll see that they're repeated in each stanza, except they're slightly switched each time.

In blue moonlight, Alice sips warm tea,

cup and saucer of pale yellow chinking gently.

An owl hoots in the black, nightly distance.

Hardly any noise is to be heard – all is silent.

Her rosy curtains move from the mellow breeze,

a glance out the window to see a white rabbit.

Oddly dressed in a burgundy jacket is the rabbit.

T’was such a fright, she nearly drops her green tea.

A gasp escapes her: noise caught by the milky breeze,

as she sets down the champagne porcelain, ever so gently.

Azure pinafore fabric brushes skin in the silence,

and Alice wonders how far the alabaster rabbit is in the distance.

Hasty footsteps, a white blur in the distance;

on olive grass, waiting, is the furry rabbit.

Golden and ticking, a glint in the eerie silence—

Should Alice have stayed inside with her tea?

A chalky glance back, but she advances gently,

the indigo sky listening with the breeze.

Mumbled, crimson words are stolen by the breeze

as jaded time laughs in the nearby distance.

One departs into the gray hole; two follows gently.

Alice, red heart beating in head, watches the rabbit.

Slow descent, past an odd array: teal umbrella, cup of tea.

“Tsk,” says the creature in the ebony silence. 

Smooth landing on chestnut earth; a supple silence,

but unseen is the cherry jacket in a place with no breeze.

Sapphire tears fall, a downpour of salt, unlike sweet tea.

A river emerges – honey-haired Alice is swept up in the distance

and carried to a large lemon house where she sees the rabbit.

Marked “Drink Me,” Alice’s fingers hold a sage bottle gently.

Unwelcome guest in an ivory party of unusual hosts – tread gently,

Alice thinks to herself in the bittersweet, cobalt silence

with emerald-topped hatter, snoring dormouse, and quizzical rabbit.

Obnoxiously riddled into ruby fury, she mutters into the breeze.

Tangerine laughter stopped short in the near distance—

The crowned, lips scarlet, arrives, though she had no invitation for tea.

Diamonds and spades swept up gently into the navy breeze.

Within the calm, lilac silence, eyes dreary, she looks into the distance.

Alice, thinking vaguely of a white rabbit, sips cold tea.

(Movie still via Gizmodo)