Izzynterview With: Crystal Valenzuela

I'm so excited to share this post where I interviewed the amazing Crystal Valenzuela. I found her channel a couple of years ago now and every video she posts leaves me with a giant smile on my face. She makes a variety of videos, including sketches and vlogs and her bubbly personality is just so entertaining to watch. I hope you guys love her channel as much as I do! 

1. How long before discovering YouTube did you decide you wanted to start posting videos?

Okay so I'm going to bring this one back to where it started. I started out by hearing about YouTube from my sister one day when she came home from middle school talking about this guys named Fred that everyone was going crazy about. Now I never did quite get the Fred thing but it did introduce me to this brand-new world; where people would post videos that they created. I personally always loved making people laugh and I was so fascinated by the whole world of movies and entertainment but of course it was kind of a far-fetched thing. At first though all I would do was watch videos for hours and "make my own videos in the mirror" or I'd actually film and edit them, but never posted them because I was too scared. For the longest time! I neglected starting a YouTube channel because I was afraid of what people would think. Finally, come my freshman year of college I was like screw it! I'm posting videos. So it only took me about 8 years or so to start making videos lol.

2. I swear everyone always has a song stuck in their head. What's currently stuck in yours?

Girl, this is a hard one! I have like 20 songs going through my head at all times. Though one that keeps replaying is currently Ariana's new song "No Tears Left To Cry", that intro always gets me. I can't help but stop whatever I'm doing and throw my hands up in slow motion as I tilt my head to the side (Literally laughing at myself as I type this).

4. You have quite a variety of videos on your channel. What type of video is your favourite to make?

I honestly love sharing my life so much with people that I think my favourite videos would be Vlogs. However, I also love love love lip syncing and singing along to my favourite songs of the moment that you basically find me singing along to a song in any of my videos. So, music favorites videos probably come close to vlogs. Honestly, if you follow me on Snapchat (little side promo haha) @crystal3499 you basically catch me doing both those things 24/7.

4. What video would you recommend people new to your channel should watch first and why?

The video I'd recommend watching first would be my "Dear Future Me..." video. I'm very proud of that one as it was my final for my television production class. I'd also recommend any of my vlogs. Seeing any of those is basically what you're gonna get if you subscribe haha.

5. You have documented so many memories through your vlogs. What has been your favourite memory from filming one of your videos?

I would have to say that my favourite video/vlog would be the one for my sisters Quinceañera; titled "Zezilia's Quinceañera". I enjoy looking back on it and I have gotten so many compliments from family that it makes me so happy. Though, I'm going to be going on a trip real soon, which I think is going to beat that one out :D. I'll be going in the third week of May. I should have the video up by the time this interview goes up. So head over to my channel and check it out :D If it's not up yet, it will be!

6. You honestly have a talent for funny videos and writing sketches, is that something you want to do do more of on your channel?

Sketch videos ARE my favorite!! I definitely want to do more and have so many idea for stetches that I want to do, but I have a limit on actors. My sisters are in that stage where they thing they're too cool (rolls eyes), that it's kind of hard to convince them to help me. A little side cash might do the job or I'll just have to turn it into a one woman show; which I have done before. 

7. What career path are you hoping to pursue?

I would love to do something in the movie industry. Whether it's behind the camera or in front. Don't know how good I'd be in front of the camera lol, but I've always just loved everything to do with making movies. I actually graduated with my associates in television production and plan on going back to University to get my masters in Film Production. I'm hoping that will be soon. I've been delaying it because I'm such a scary cat that the thought of leaving what I'm so used to throws me into a panic and I end up delaying it, again. Right now, I'm working a full-time job at a newspaper but it's not really my forte; which is why I use YouTube to keep challenging myself and exploring my creativity. Currently, I'm floating in life and I'm not liking it, I hope to be soaring within the next year or so. 

8. If you were hypothetically given the opportunity to travel to any city in the world, where would you like to go?

Ahh, another hard one. There are so many places I want to go to! My current obsession is Hawaii. I've been in a rut for so long, that I feel like I need a little get away to a place where you're able to roam free! I also feel like all the nature and beauty of Hawaii would help to spark a little passion in me once again. 

9. Who is your dream youtuber to collab with?

Actually, I don't really have a specific youtuber. There are so many youtubers that I love and enjoy watching that it would be a dream to collab with any of them!

10. And now to finish with a deep one; Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

Let's see, in 5 years I'll be 26 turning 27 (shock faced emoji!) I hope to by then have settled myself in a career with production. Honestly, if YouTube is still around within 5 years I don't see why it would't make a good career (wink wink). If not, I've always wanted to work at Warner Bros. I also hope to have travelled outsided of the country because all I've seen is a couple of newarby states and a couple of cities in Mexico (which I don't count because I've been going there since I was born and it's literally like 30 mins from where I live). I don't think I'll have kids by then, but if the munchkins want to come along, I'll happily accept them lol. This is such a hard question because I feel like 5 years is a lot of time for change. What I want now could be completely different from where I'll see myself 5 years from next year. If that makes sense?

A little message from Crystal which I though was really cute...

I just wanted to thank Izzy for considering me for this interview. I honestly feel so honored. I've always felt that I'm a very uninteresting person so the thought that you even wanted to interview me means a lot (wipes tear away). Izzy is the best!! <3 Thank you Izzy <3

Isn't Crystal just the cutest!


I really hope you've enjoyed this interview. Thank you so much Crystal for taking the time to answer my questions. If you haven't already, please check out Crystal's channel. Thanks for reading,

Izzy K xxx

The Greatest Showman Review

As a film student it hit me the other day, why don't I use this blog to review... films? Don't get me wrong, I love reviewing beauty products and I'll still continue to do so. But I feel like since films are a passion of mine and it relates to my degree, I should invest more time into them. So this just counts as revision right?!

I know I'm a bit late to the hype with this film and I missed it when it came out in the cinema. But my sister, having already seen it, brought it on DVD and came into the lounge and forced me and my mum to watch it with her. I was reluctant at first because this film was hyped up, much like the film La La Land was which really wasn't my cup of tea and I was left disappointed. I was just afraid that this film wouldn't live up to the expectation either, but boy was I wrong.

The Greatest Showman (Michael Gracey, 2017) is a musical, loosely based on the creation of Barnum&Bailey's Circus, and the adventures of P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) and his star attractions. With it's cast being filled with recognizable faces and a production budget of $84 million, it's clear this film was made with the potential to be a huge success.

The story begins with a young P.T. Barnum (Ellis Rubin) who came from near-to-nothing, who 
meets Charity Hallet (Michelle Williams) and the two of them have an instant connection. Barnum dreams of having as much in this life as possible, and starts a new life with Charity. The two of them raise their two children, and using a loan from the bank, Barnum opens Barnum's American Museum.

Barnum begins to recruit extraordinary people to perform in his circus including the bearded lady Lettie Lutz (Keala Settle), a dwarf performer Charles Stratton (Sam Humphrey) and trapeze artist Anne Wheeler (Zendaya). Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron) is also recruited as Barnum's trusted partner.

Despite ultimately being a feel-good, inspirational film, the plot also covers serious topics such as greed, the class system, discrimination and loyalty. It appears even Barnum seems embarrassed of his performers for a short while in the film. However, they prove to themselves and the audience that they shouldn't be ashamed of who they are. Then, there is the whole "will they/won't they" tension between Barnum and Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson), the Swedish singer who Barnum leaves his family for to join on tour. 

The visuals in this film are simply breathtaking, for the most part. The opening number gave me goosebumps, seeing all the acts perform and the stage covered in bright colours. Each character is also fully suited up in a gorgeous and unique costume, so huge shoutout to the costume and set designers. 

The only flaw I had with the visuals was the animation in some parts. Animals seem to be particularly difficult to animate in live action films and this is something that stands out on several occasions in the film. Firstly, the movements and sizes of the elephants are questionable giving a sense of falseness. Secondly, I noticed when Charles was riding his horse it was quite obviously an animation which I feel effects the quality of the film.

For me, the cast was fantastic and each character was right for the role. Each child in the movie was undoubtedly cute and very talented. Zac and Zendaya both gave touching performances and there was no denying the chemistry between them. And for me personally, I feel like Zendaya showed a bigger range of emotions in this movie than in any other role I've seen her in. There's no denying Hugh Jackman is a talented actor, and he really was able to live up to the title of "the greatest showman". For me his only downfall was his inconsistent accent throughout the film. Even my mum (who is the world's worst person at recognizing accents) was able to spot his Australian accent slip through.

And finally, I can't discuss a musical film without mentioning, well, the music. As someone who doesn't have a musical bone in my body, I found myself still humming along with all the songs and I still have the soundtrack stuck in my head as I'm writing this. My top 3 songs from this film were, Never Enough, Rewrite The Stars and This Is Me. Picture the scene, I was listening to these songs covered in goosebumps and tears streaming down my face.

I know this movie has received a lot of mixed reviews, but I was honestly pleasantly surprised with how much I loved this movie. I would rate it a 9/10, and if it were up to me this film would be considered a modern day classic. It's truly one of those movies where you finish watching it and you just feel grander and more inspired for watching it. 

Have you seen this movie yourself? If so let me know what you though in the comments below,

Izzy K xxx

Izzynterview With: Ryenn Hayes

A couple of years ago I received a supportive comment on my mental health series on YouTube from the lovely Ryenn Hayes. To this day I would still regard her as one of my closest friends and her kindness really comes across online. Her confidence on camera really drew me in and her channel covers lots of topics such as mental health awareness, art and poetry. You can tell she is passionate about everything she talks about, and if you haven't already please check out her channel because she deserves so many more subscribers. 

To get to know her a bit better I asked Ryenn 10 questions: 

1. You come across as being very passionate about YouTube and are a natural in front of the camera. What first made you want to start posting YouTube videos?

Well, I got really into YouTube in 2012 when I came across Carrie Hope Fletcher's channel through a collab she did with Dan Howell. I immediately fell in love with everything she did, and she was really an idol for me for a long time; she helped me through some really difficult times. I kind of wanted to be able to do that too, but I was really young at the time. So, when I was going through different things in 2015 I decided to make a channel. The goal was just to talk about things I was going through, and maybe be able to look back on it. Either to see how far I've come, or to help myself by seeing what I'm like when I'm doing better. As I started posting videos more it was just kind of about raising awareness for mental illness. That's something I'm very passionate about. 

2. Inspiration can come from all sorts of places, name something that has recently made you feel inspired?

I'm really inspired by the idea of making a difference. So when I listen to something or read something that is impactful and meaningful, it inspires me to do good. I want to one day die knowing that I made a mark; I did something good. 

3. What do you typically enjoy doing in your spare time?

I love to write, draw and play video games. I'm not very interesting!

4. If you had to make a playlist consisting of only 3 music artists, who would you pick and why?

This is very difficult, but probably Hayley Kikoko, Dodie Clark and Kelly Clarkson. I listen to a lot of Disney and musical theatre as well, but those don't really count as artists. Hayley Kiyoko's music are just constantly bops, Dodie makes me super happy, and Kelly Clarkson has been one of my favorites since I was very young. 

5. There's no better feeling than genuinely laughing until your stomach hurts. What is the last thing that made you laugh?

I played a game with some friends called Quiplash. It's a game like Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity except you type in your own answers. Every time we play I just absolutely lose my mind laughing. 

6. If you got the chance to go on holiday anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

I really want to go to Disney in Florida. I've never been, and Disney movies are my favourite things. I'd also love to go to Ireland since that's where my family is from. 

7. What is something you've always wanted to try, but never have?

Dance! Technically, I did dance when I was little for like two years, but that hardly counts since I was five. I wish I had done ballet for longer, or even something like figure skating!

8. What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given and who gave it to you?

This is really difficult since I've been given a lot of advice. It's hard to remember what I've been told and who told it to me. However, there is one phrase that was told to me by a tech in a hospital I was in. "I am valued. I am loved. God's blessings are chasing me down and overtaking me. I am excited about my future". It's an affirmation, not advice, but it's one that really meant something to me at the time. I don't necessarily know if I believe in a God, but even if someone doesn't, the rest of it is really important to remind yourself of in times of struggle. You are valued. You are loved even if you don't feel it. You have a future that is worth chasing. Never forget the importance of your life. 

9. If you had to be remembered fro one message on your channel, what would you want it to be?

That you are never alone and that you are always loved and cared about. Someone is always willing to be there for you, to help you. 

10. What goal would you like to achieve within the next year?

Just to get through my first year of university alright, maybe work on my books more, and I want to start up YouTube regularly again. I hope to grow more confident in myself as a person, but that's more of a long term goal. 

I'd like to say a huge thank you to Ryenn for taking part in this post. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through all these answers, and I hope you check out Ryenn's channel if you haven't already!

Izzy K xxx