February 1^st marks the beginning of Women in Horror Month. As a huge horror enthusiast, supporting the creators and actors behind the films is always on my to-do-list. Women in Horror Month (WiHM), is an international grassroots initiative that aims to encourage others to get involved and bring awareness to the women in the horror industry.

In honor of WiHM I’m going to start a series on my blog from now till the end of February celebrating the many women that contribute to the horror genre.

To kick things off we’re going to celebrate some of my favorite final girls. Now, what would horror be without the “final girl”? For years, horror films have relied on traditional horror troupes, a formula to create the perfect addition to the genre. The “final girl” is a quintessential horror character and arguably – the most important. The final girl is the last-girl-standing at the end of the film; all of her friends are dead and after battling with the killer for the entire film, she’s finally succeeded in killing them once and for all (or at least until the inevitable sequel). The final girl serves as a heroine, a strong, badass female for the audience to sympathize and/or identify with and today we’re going to pay homage to a few of my most beloved.

Nancy (A Nightmare on Elm Street) – Nancy Thompson, portrayed by Heather Langenkamp, squared up against dream-killer Freddy Krueger in the 80s and again in the 90s. She started out as a normal teenage girl, but having your best friend sliced and diced and splattered all over the walls in your home will change a person. Nancy was intelligent and determined and manages to defeat Krueger not once, but three times. Even after being killed off in the third installment in the series, Dream Warriors, she still returned to kick Freddy’s ass. We love a legend.

Sydney (Scream) – Enter Sydney Prescott, portrayed by Neve Campbell, arguably one of the most notable final girls in the horror genre. As far as films go, Scream was one that turned the horror genre upside down by taking everything you’ve ever known about the genre and shoved it back in our faces. We see Sydney grow from a stereotypical final girl – virginal and making rookie mistakes – to a bona-fied badass that’s down to throw hands on Ghostface at any given time. Despite having lost her virginity in the first Scream, she still managed to survive the entire film, shattering one of the most important rules of surviving a horror movie (Don’t have sex – ever). From shitty boyfriends and deranged cousins, Sydney took them all down and earned her title as an iconic final girl.

Laurie (Halloween) – Jamie Lee Curtis is pretty much the G.O.A.T. of final girls. Curtis’ mother Janet Leigh graced the silver screen in the original Psycho so being a Scream Queen was in her blood. Laurie Strode basically pioneered being a final girl, after being the heroine in one of the longest-running series in the horror genre. She was your typical “girl-next-door” with a dark secret that was locked away until that secret broke out and came back home on Halloween night. Laurie faced off against her knife-wielding brother, Michael Myers, countless times; taking him down with everything from wire hangers to axes. Even though Michael finally succeeded in taking her out in Halloween: Resurrection, she still went out like a boss. However, it looks like Laurie Strode will be returning to Haddonfield in the upcoming Halloween film. This scream queen still reigns supreme.

Julie (I Know What You Did Last Summer) – Cheesy slasher films are a favorite of mine and I Know What You Did Last Summer is a classic. Before she was a Ghost Whisperer, Jennifer Love Hewitt was Julie James, who was tormented by fisherman with a hook in a small town in North Carolina. After running over local fisherman Ben Willis and dumping his body off the pier at Miller’s Dock, Julie and her friends receive letters a year later saying “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (I know, it’s a cinematic masterpiece). One by one, this cloaked maniac with a hook for a hand tries to pick them off, leaving Julie to face off against him in a one final battle. Then, because it seems like fishermen are notorious grudge-holders because he STILL knows what she did last summer, Julie once again has to square up against Ben Willis and his crazed son in the sequel. While Julie isn’t necessarily a badass like the others on the list, she still made a name for herself in the horror genre. Julie was the prototype for future final girls, even inspiring many of the scenes in the original Scary Movie. Bravo Julie.

Kirsty (Hellraiser) – Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) gets to square up against one of the coolest villains to ever grace the screen. Pinhead and his merry-band of Cenobites, a group of grotesque hellions from another dimension that’s only accessible by solving this Pandora’s Box. Hellraiser is sadomasochistic nightmare-fuel but it’s bloody good fun, and our girl Kirsty is right in the middle of it all. After her seedy uncle is literally torn to shreds by the Cenobites, which he summoned in the hopes of some cheap thrills but got way more than he bargained for, Kirsty is thrown into this world of BDSM horror (think 50 Shades meets Texas Chainsaw). Kirsty is clever and thinks quick on her feet outsmarts the Cenobites by informing them that her uncle Frank has escaped their clutches and in exchange for her freedom, they agree to take Frank back to their realm. After the final battle ensues and Frank is once again torn to pieces, Pinhead and his crew try to kidnap Kirsty and since she was clearly not trying to end up like Frank, she retrieves the box and banishes the Cenobites back to wherever the hell they came from. She steps up her game in the sequel Hellbound: Hellraiser II and saves the day once again.

Sally (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) – Marilyn Burns portrayed one of the first final girls in this groundbreaking 70s slasher film. All Sally Hardesty wanted was a fun-filled summer with her friends but instead she gets catapulted into the dark, twisted world of the Sawyer family and the secret that they keep hidden behind that huge steel door. Instead of sipping lemonade by the pool or attending a music festival, Sally gets to witness her friends and boyfriend get slaughtered one-by-one by Leatherface. Leatherface enjoys long walks on the beach and slicing off his victim’s faces and making a mask out of the skin. Oh – and then she’s invited to a nice family dinner where she’s served their remains. How lovely. Sally managed to survive the night and escapes the Sawyer family’s House of Horrors, earning her a spot on this list.

Erin (You’re Next) – Sharni Vinson’s character Erin Harson is the most recent final girl on this list. The 2011 film You’re Next starts off as your run-of-the-mill home invasion film when a family reunion is cut short when these animal-masked killers show up. Despite being armed with crossbows, garrote wires, and knives, these assailants are no match for our final girl in this film. Erin isn’t easily intimidated by their blood-scrawled messages and feeble attempts to add her to their kill list and starts taking them out. Using anything she can get her hands on from meat tenderizers and screwdrivers, Erin begins the fight for her life. She throws any plans of being a victim back in their faces – literally. It’s revealed that the killers were paid assassins hired by two of the family members as part of their greedy scheme to walk away with the family fortune. Too bad one of their family member’s girlfriend is basically the female Rambo. Turns out, Erin grew up on a survivalist compound where she learned survivalist and combat skills. This final girl made the killers her bitch. What an icon.

Ellen (Alien) – Sigourney Weaver’s character Ellen Ripley is probably the most bad ass final girl on this list. Not only was Ellen the final girl in this sci-fi horror flick, she was the sole-survivor. In space, you’re basically on your own; there’s not a soul that’s going to hear your screams or cries for help. She when Ripley and her crew are met with this gigantic, big boss bitch alien, it’s kill or be killed. Ripley is smart, strong, and had the captain listened to her in the first place, this whole situation could have been avoided. Ripley stays one-step ahead of her crew and the alien and kicks the alien’s ass all the way into deep space. Let’s not forget Ripley’s incredible display of heroics in the sequel and the iconic line, “Get away from her, you bitch.” Ripley did not come to play games with these aliens and she lets them know time and time again.

That concludes this list! Who’s your favorite final girl? Let me know in the comments and keep an eye out for the next WiHM post!

January is officially over! Does anyone else feel like January was the longest month ever? The past couple of months flew by but it felt like January lingered around for way too long. So far, the month has been incredibly eventful – or at least that’s how it felt as I attempted to fill out my planner so that I can pretend to be a fully functioning adult.

I also turned 25 on the 7^th so that’s a thing. The only thing I asked for was IT on DVD so it’s safe to say that my birthday was pretty great.

Now, let’s get on with the things that I was obsessing over this month.

Beauty & Style:

ABH Modern Renaissance and Subculture Palettes – I honestly wasn’t expecting to love these as much as I do. As far as the Modern Renaissance goes, I knew I had to have it the moment I saw the colors (I mean, as if I needed another warm-toned palette) but as soon as I used it for the first time I was hooked. The colors are incredibly pigmented and they blend so nicely, I can now see why it was so loved. I went out on a limb when I picked up Subculture because I was well aware of how much flack ABH received for this palette but I’m honestly in love with mine. The shadows are actually quite nice, I haven’t had many issues with blending them out or with patchiness so that’s a plus. The fallout is minimal because I’ve seen enough reviews to know to go in with a light hand. The shade Cube has been my go-to for highlighting the brow bone and inner corner. If you’ve been hesitant to try it out but are still obsessing over the shades – I say go for it.

NYX Brow Pencil in Black – On days where I don’t feel like busting out the brow cream, this pencil serves as a quick fix. Whenever I feel like doing a more natural brow look for days when I’m not wearing at eye makeup, this pencil is perfect. It’s the perfect shade for my brows because it’s not too dark or warm and its creamy consistency allows the product to glide on without tugging so you get a precise look. It’s affordable and effortless.

Studded Faux Leather Backpack – This was a Christmas gift from my mother and I’m absolutely obsessed. I had been on the hunt for a faux leather backpack to take with me to shows and festivals but everything I found was either too big, too small, just not my type at all. I spotted this backpack at TJ Maxx and as soon as I saw the studs I knew it was meant to be. It’s the perfect size so it’s not too bulky and it has a bunch of compartments for all of my things.

Denim Jacket from Boo Hoo – Another item I was on the hunt for was a distressed denim jacket. I love shopping at Boo Hoo because they always have cute things and they’re always having a sale – like 50%-80% off all the time. I saw this and had to have it. It’s comfortable and it has just the right amount of stretch to it so it’s easy to move around. It’s also not too distressed or bulky which I appreciate. I lucked up on this when Boo Hoo has 80% off plus I managed to get free shipping. They are a blessing and a curse when it comes to treating yo self.

Skeleton Crop Top from Fashion Nova - So, I finally caved and had to see what the fuss was about with Fashion Nova. I was skeptical because I had never ordered from them before so I had no clue on how the items would fit or look on me but I couldn’t be more pleased. The material on the top is so soft and stretchy and it fit great. It’s a bit longer than my other crop tops, which I don’t mind because I wear it as is or I can tie it in a knot in the front. I ordered another crop top with bell sleeves and even though it’s a bit roomy, I’m still obsessed with it. I love anything black with long bell sleeves because it makes me feel like an extra in The Addams Family. I might include that top in a future look book so stay tuned for that.

Velvet Heels- This was probably one of the most random purchases I’ve ever made. I went shoe shopping with my best friend, not intending to buy anything and I spotted a pair of purple velvet heels. They were cute but I’m not too big on purple so I jokingly said “if only these came in black!” My friend then comes over to me not even 30 seconds later with the same velvet shoes in black. Naturally, I took that as a sign and I walked away with a pair of velvet heels. I’m not big on heels but these were just too cute to pass up. The heel is a bit chunky so they’re pretty comfortable to walk in.

Entertainment:

Ice Nine Kills & The Used Vinyl – My collection recently grew by two when I received these babies in the mail. I adore these two albums more than life itself so I couldn’t pass them up. When Ice Nine Kills announced they had 500 of these limited edition green copies of Every Trick in the Book I immediately added one to my cart. Lo and behold, I already had a copy of In Love and Death sitting in my cart just waiting for me to click “checkout”. I couldn’t let them down so I gave them a nice little home by my record player.

Black Mirror – I recently started re-watching Black Mirror so that I could get my mother caught up before we start the new season and It’s basically been destroying my life all over again. I’m about to put tape over the webcam on my laptop again and now I’m even more paranoid than usual. It was all fun and games until we got to the "San Junipero" episode and I was once again reduced to a puddle of tears. I’ve never felt so attacked before in my life, how dare you make me feel things?

Happy Death Day – I finally saw this film and I know I’m a bit late but I loved it! I’m a huge fan of slasher films and this film was reminiscent of those classic, cheesy slashers from the 80s - Like Groundhog’s Day meets Happy Birthday to Me. It was clever, funny, and incredibly entertaining. I appreciate films that make me want to know more, and this film did just that AND it didn’t disappoint me in the end.

That’s it for this month! I didn’t include any specific music favorites because I have way too many so they’re getting their own post. What did you love in the month of January?

Like others, I’m still bopping to the amazing albums we were blessed with in 2017. While I may still be listening to Paramore's “Rose-Colored Boy” on repeat, I’m still beyond excited for the MANY new albums set to be released this year. We have so many new, exciting releases to look forward to from a wide variety of talented artists and I cannot wait to see what all they have in store for us. I’m going to give you the run-down on what releases I’m the most excited for, so let’s get started.

Waterparks Entertainment: Their debut album Double Dare was, and still is, one of my most listened to albums. Waterparks have been hard at work touring alongside All Time Low, Mayday Parade, and then blessing us with their headlining “Made in America” tour at the end of 2017 and then they decided to keep the excitement going by announcing their sophomore album Entertainment. In typical Waterparks fashion, their first single “Blonde”, is incredibly upbeat and addictive – it’s been stuck in my head for the past few weeks now. The album is set to be released on January 26^th, you can pre-order it here.

Ice Nine Kills “TBA”: If you know me, I’ve probably forced you to listen to Ice Nine Kills at some point in our friendship. Their last album Every Trick in the Book became an instant favorite of mine. It was innovative, haunting, and absolutely brilliant. It left such a mark on me that I had to get a tattoo inspired by my favorite track “Hell in the Hallways”. This band never ceases to amaze me so I’m more than thrilled to see what they’re going to hit us with on their new album.

Tonight Alive Underworld: Their last release Limitless, introduced us to a side of the band we had never experienced before. With new albums come new risks, which can be scary for both the band and their fans. Tonight Alive gave us a new sound that unlike their previous albums, which were more traditionally pop punk. It was a mix of electronic and synth-pop influences but it still had that same charm that fans were familiar with. In a recent podcast with Rock Sound, frontwoman Jenna McDougall revealed that they’re working with Dave Petrovic, who previously produced The Other Side and that the recording process has been a much more enjoyable experience for the band. They released their new single “Crack My Heart” and it’s incredible. It still has a similar vibe to Limitless, but with more elements of their earlier material. They also released a video of their track “Disappear” featuring vocals from Lynn Gunn from PVRIS and I’m still recovering. The album is currently available today! You can order it here.

Real Friends “TBA”: For those that follow Real Friends on Twitter, you know all too well that they’re recording the follow up to their 2016 release The Home Inside My Head. Our favorite Illinois sad boys have been in the studio have some big things in store for us saying that this upcoming album has “some of their strongest and most creative lyrical content yet”. I for one, am always down to get hit with a wave of emotional trauma in the name of pop punk.

After this new record comes out there will be no more moshing, just straight GROOVING AND DANCING. Unless I tell you to circle pit.

— Real Friends (@realfriendsband) January 10, 2018

Cane Hill Too Far Gone:  Their second full-length album is said to be a more raw, honest portrayal of the personal experiences of the band and how they view themselves. The title track and first single of the upcoming album, “Too Far Gone” was a candid look into their experience dealing with LSD. It was a glimpse into the heavier, more intense, and unapologetically in your face attitude that they plan to hit you in the face with on this album. The band recently told Alt Press that the new album will showcase the “real” Cane Hill. “No makeup or gimmicks – just musicians playing aggressive ass music that’s meant to stick in your head and you won’t want to get it out.” I’m ready. You can pre-order the album here. Release date is set for January 19^th.

Fall Out Boy MANIA: Speaking of bands that change their sound with each album. After pushing back the release for four months, the official release date for Fall Out Boy’s seventh full-length album M A N I A is January 19th. This album is the follow up to 2015’s American Beauty/ American Psycho. Despite how people feel about the band’s ever-changing sound, I actually enjoy their later albums. I like how they manage to completely reinvent themselves with each new release, showcasing how versatile and inventive they can be. But I’m also one of the only people still bumpin’ Folie a Deux so, there’s that. The first single from the album, “Young and Menace” definitely threw people through a loop with its heavy EDM elements, however, Pete Wentz explained that it was one of the “wildest” songs on the album. Then came “Champion” which was still a change in pace, but still the same FOB we’ve come accustomed to. The concept behind the album features a combination of an “aggressive sound” and a lyrical nostalgia that fans will appreciate. They pushed the release back four months in order to revisit the songs and give us something they were truly proud of. Pre-Order the album here.

Panic! At The Disco “TBA”: The follow up to the Grammy nominated Death of a Bachelor has been on our minds since Brendon Urie gave a quick little overview in an Instagram live stream. According to Urie, the material he’s been working on is very “party” and that he has some very fun songs in store for us. As someone that added “Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time” to every party pre-gam playlist – I am BEYOND ready. Brendon is nothing short of a perfectionist when it comes to producing the best work for Panic! Fans to enjoy so I can’t wait to see what he’s been working on. I’m ready to hit more high notes.

What albums are you looking forward to? Did I miss any? Let me know in the comments!