February 27, 2013

Red Carpet Review: Oscars 2013

Posted by Unknown with No comments
I'm sorry this is a little late but Monday was filled with my housemate's 20th birthday frivolities while yesterday consisted of a painful 9am lecture followed by the recovery from said frivolities. But enough excuses let's talk about the dresses. It pains me to say it but I was yet again none too inspired by the red carpet on Sunday night. I've decided that while there's been some beautiful gowns the real reason for the disappointment has been the serious lack of complete "what the f*ck" moments. Can we from now on make it a rule that Tilda Swinton must attend all big red carpet events. Then we wouldn't be in this predicament. This is also why I've only got 3 in my worst dressed this time around.

Anyway enough chitchatting from me. Let's get on with the show.

THE BEST
Sandra Bullock, Sally Fields, Naomi Watts, Amy Adams, Adele
If you've read any of my previous Red Carpet Reviews you'll probably be aware of the fact that I'm not a huge fan of the sheer bottom thing that is so prevalent in fashion these days yet for some reason, I don't hate this. I should but I don't. It may be because the sheer element is only in sections. It may be because the rest of the dress is so stunning. But it's probably because it's Sandra Bullock and she's just all kinds of awesome.

Sally Fields brought some much needed colour to this pale and washed out red carpet but not in the "that's a lot of yellow but for some weird reason it sort of, kind of, maybe works?" way a la Jane Fonda. Instead it's classy and sophisticated and perfect for the Oscars. I think I would have preferred the main skirt to be more opaque but overall it's a beautiful dress with a killer train.

Yet again, Naomi Watts is my best dressed. She hasn't really but a foot wrong this award season. Sure I wasn't blown away by her outfit at the SAG Awards but this, along with the stunning burgundy number from the Golden Globes definitely makes up for it. I love the cut of the neckline, it makes the dress stand out but also prevents an Emily Mortimer at the Golden Globes full body chain mail look. 

Now this is the kind of dress I expect at the Oscars. A full blown princess dress, train and all. The only thing that's stopping me giving the best dressed of the night to Amy Adams is the colour. Amy is a red head which I love, but unfortunately with that comes the pale skin and this colour doesn't do much for her except make her look a bit washed out. If this had been in a brighter or darker colour then it would have been a definite winner.

Adele is back doing what she does best. Black. After the curtain disaster at the Grammy's I'm glad to see she redeemed herself with this stunning sparkly number. It's flattering and simple but the sparkles stop it being boring.

THE WORST
Brandi Glanville, Anne Hathaway, Melissa McCarthy
There's a right way to do cleavage and there's a wrong way. No guesses as to which this is. I fear that if she had twisted her body even slightly then the paparazzi were going to get a little more than they bargained for. I just really want to run over to her a yoink the dress up a good few inches.

This dress is so nineties it pains me, it's even got the gratuitous nipplidge going on. It's just so freakin' boring! Let's be honest, Anne knew damn well that she was walking away with the Oscar on Sunday. She should've gone all out. Something unforgettable but in a good way a la Naomi Watts or Amy Adams. No one wants to win an Oscar and then get remembered for their nipples.

Oh Melissa. Why did you think this was a good idea? This dress does squat for you. The drop waist is doing no favours except making her look like she's draped herself in a sack. Then to top it all off she's gone for the major bouffant hair. There's just way to much. All that fabric and all that hair just completely swamps her. 

There we have it, the last of the big awards shows. I hope you guys enjoyed this little series. Let me know if you liked it and want to see more Red Carpet Reviews in the future! 
Posted in , ,

February 23, 2013

Haul: New Look & Superdrug

Posted by Unknown with No comments
Last Monday, me and my housemate decided to go on a little jaunt into town for a little retail therapy. Who said anything about skipping our seminar? I certainly didn't. Anyway, moving on.


Our first stop was New Look where I found this awesome necklace. I'd been on the hunt for a nice statement gold necklace for a while and so when I saw this I just couldn't say no, especially when it was on buy on get one free. Because of said offer I also got these cute stripy earrings as well, all for the beautiful bargain price of £6.99!


Next up was Superdrug which has recently, along with Boots, become my vice recently. I first headed straight to Barry M, as I always do when I go to Superdrug, and made use of their two for one offer and bought these lovelies, Greenberry and Prickly Pear. So far, I've only tried Greenberry and I absolutely love it, especially with the little bout of Spring we had. 


My next purchase is a little bit random. This Monday coming up my housemate is turning 20 and has decided that we have to go to the club dressed up. The theme is "something beginning with the letter of your name" so, as I already have the costume, I'm going as Minnie Mouse. I decided it'd be fun to add some crazy long lashes into the mix, hence this purchase. I've never actually worn false eyelashes before so I also bought some cheaper ones to have a practice with.


I then sauntered down to my other favourite section, Rimmel. I'd been wanting a new lipstick that was more day friendly as the majority of mine are bright red so I plumped for shade 08 from the Kate Moss range. This is one of those "my lips but better' shades. I have to say I love these lipsticks, they are one of the few that don't dry my lips out like absolute biatch. Definitely going to gets me some of these bad boys!

Then as bit of an impulse, just before I got into the queue to pay, I picked up this eyebrow pencil. I don't normally do much with my eyebrows but I thought I'd give this a go and see how we get along.

I also bought a few other more boring things such as eyedrops and a birthday card for the previously mentioned housemate but I'm sure you don't really care. So, that was what i bought this week. I'd say there probably won't be another haul for a while but who am I kidding really? 
Posted in , ,

February 18, 2013

Nails of the Moment: Camden Lock

Posted by Unknown with 2 comments
For the past few days we've been treated to some lovely Spring weather here in Bangorland so I was wanting to pait my nails a nice light colour. Unfortunately 99% of my nail polish collection is dark winter colours so I decided to crack out Camden Lock by Nails Inc. and give that a try.


I first used two layers of Barry M's Matt White and then put 1 or 2 layers of Camden Lock over the top. 1 or 2, what? Let me explain. While Camden Lock starts off really sparse, which I actually quite liked, as I moved along, for some annoying reason the glitter got denser and denser so I had to go back an put a second layer on some of the first nails to even it all out. It really was a pain in the backside to apply compared to other glitter polishes I've used.


To be honest, Camden Lock was a little disappointing. I don't hate the look but I don't love it anywhere near as much as I wanted to. 
Posted in , ,

February 16, 2013

Liebster Award!

Posted by Unknown with 1 comment
The lovely Emily at BE-lieve in YOU-rself has nominated me for the Liebster Award!



The liebster award is to help promote and learn about other bloggers with below 200 followers and you can then submit other bloggers who deserve some support to keep doing what they are doing.

The rules state that a nominee must link back to the blogger from whom they received a nomination.  The nominee will then write 11 random facts about themselves and then answer the The rules state that a nominee must link back to the blogger from whom they received a nomination.  The nominee will then write 11 random facts about themselves and then answer the 11 questions which have been set for them. They will then in turn nominate fellow bloggers that they think deserve some recognition and pose 11 questions to them. This is a great chance for fellow bloggers to get to know each other and have some fun.

So without further ado, here are 11 random facts about yours truly:
  1. I spend far too much time in front of my laptop.
  2. I really want to ombré my hair for Summer.
  3. I hate Winter.
  4. I'm an introvert.
  5. I'm currently in the process of learning German and American Sign Language (I know I should probably learn British but there's more resources for ASL and as I'm just doing it for fun I thought why not)
  6. I've never been to Ireland despite my Grandfather being Irish.
  7. I managed to scrape a First (sort of the equivalent to an A) last semester!
  8. I'm addicted to mayonnaise.
  9. I really enjoy logic puzzles.
  10. I used to bite my nails all the time but once I left school I managed to stop.
  11. This year is all about Harry potter for me with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the end of May then LeakyCon London in August. It's gonna be awesome!
Now for the 11 questions that Emily has given me to answer:
  1. What's your favourite quote? "When you have a hard decision to make; flip a coin. Why? Because when the coin is in the air, you suddenly know what you're hoping for"
  2. What's biggest dream? To find a loving husband and have children.
  3. Who's your favourite author? As much as I love J.K.Rowling for obvious reasons, I'm gonna have to say John Green because all of his books are completely different. Plus, he's just awesome in general as well.
  4. What's your favourite TV programme? It's a draw between Glee and Switched at Birth. 
  5. Tea, Coffee or Hot Chocolate? Definitely hot chocolate as I don't drink the other two.
  6. Where would you most like to travel? Los Angeles. I definitely want to visit LA at some point in the future and maybe even live there for a few years.
  7. What's your favourite animal? I'm gonna be really boring and predictable and say dogs. They're just so cute and they are always over the moon to see you. Although, having said that, I was scared of them until we got one ourselves.
  8. Fashion, Beauty or Lifestyle? Lifestyle.
  9. Favourite shop? New Look. I buy the vast majority of my clothes from there and would buy most of the shop if I could.
  10. One thing in your make up bag that you can't live without? I'd have to say my Bourgeois Ultra Care mascara. My eyes have been pretty sensitive since I got laser in September so this is an absolute life saver!
  11. How would you describe yourself? Quiet and shy when you first meet me but if I get to know you and I'm comfortable around you then I'm extremely chatty and probably won't shut up, especially if you get me talking about one of my obsessions. I'm also very ambitious, I just don't always have the confidence to match.
My 11 questions are:
  1. What's the worst film you've ever seen?
  2. Describe yourself in 3 words.
  3. Do you like when your birthday is? If not, when would you rather have it?
  4. What's your favourite high street/drugstore makeup brand?
  5. What's your favourite album of 2012?
  6. Books or films?
  7. Recommend me a good book.
  8. What's the best music video you've ever seen?
  9. Is there anyone you'd love to see in concert but haven't already?
  10. Have you got any strange interests?
  11. Would you rather give up your phone or computer for a year?
Last but not least here are the people that I nominate:


Posted in

February 14, 2013

Valentine's Playlist

Posted by Unknown with 1 comment
Whether you love it or loath it, today is Valentine's Day. In honour of this I thought I'd put together a little playlist of some of my favourite songs about love to get you in the spirit of it all. So, as it's the 14th and I couldn't narrow down my list, here's my top 14 songs for Valentine's Day.

Posted in ,

February 13, 2013

Mini Haul: The Perks Of Being A Potterhead

Posted by Unknown with 2 comments
Today I got a pleasant little surprise when I walked in from the freezing cold after my lecture this morning. Two packages were sitting on the table and they had my name on them. I love post.


I've wanted this DVD since the second the credits started rolling when I first saw Perks back in September. Finally it had arrived. No guesses as to what I'm doing tonight. I'm pleased to see that there's a commentary with the cast and not just the director. Cast commentaries are the best kind of commentaries. On a more negative note, why in the sam heck are there no bloopers? Seriously, there should be a law against it. They're the main reason I buy DVD's! Oh well, hopefully they've made up for with the rest of the extras.


This was a bit of an impulse buy. For some reason at the start of this month I just had a major urge to buy something. Nothing in particular, just something, which is strange cause I don't normally like spending money. Anyway, I had a gander around my pinterest and decided I wanted to buy something nerdy, you know, as you do. After a search through eBay I settled on this beauty. I could have got one for like £3 but none of them had it that the circle could spin which I really wanted. It was still only a tenner which is pretty awesome seeing as it comes with two chains, the black one pictured and an ordinary silver one. It also came way sooner than I expected. I took 9 days despite it estimated 14-20. Not gonna complain. 

If you too want one of these awesome Deathly Hallow necklaces then head on over here.
Posted in , ,

February 11, 2013

Red Carpet Review: Grammy Awards 2013

Posted by Unknown with No comments
I know what you're thinking "where's your BAFTA's review?!" Well, I can honestly say that I have never seen a more boring red carpet as was the BAFTA's. It was just a sea of black with the speckle of pink that was Helen Mirren's hair. Therefore, I decided not to bother and instead I'm gonna review what is usually the craziest red carpet of the year, the Grammys.

THE BEST
Rihanna, Florence Welch, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Beyonce
Rihanna was hands down, the best dressed of the evening for me. Normally she turns up in some crazy ass concoction but this time she managed to shock the world by wearing something completely demure, and sophisticated but as it's slightly sheer in the bodice it still has a Rihanna feel to it. 

I know this particular outfit has divided opinions. I personally really like it. Despite the dinosaur-esque details I really like it, plus they add some interest to what could have been a slightly boring dress. The colour is amazing especially on Florence with her fiery locks.

This is typical Taylor. Long, flowy, pale and now with the added sprinkle of sexy that she's been favouring lately. It works and if it ain't broke don't fix it. Right?

Admittedly my first thought when I saw Katy was "boobs" but hey it's Katy Perry. It wouldn't be right if it didn't have a bit of a sexy element. Again, I love the colour, it's unexpected and the detail around the neckline adds some interest (for the women, cause me thinks men aren't gonna be looking that far north).

Only Beyoncé could pull off this playsuit. I'm not sure how much I'd like it on someone else, probably not much, but Beyoncé just looks awesome.

THE WORST
Adele, D'Manti,  Lisa D'Amato, Lila Downs, Kate Pierson
I always wondered why Adele always stuck to black. Now I know. Curtains is the only thing that comes to mind, and not the good kind. It doesn't help that the shoes are matchy. Some simple black heels might have helped the look a smidge. It's just so busy.

I had to give worst dressed to D'Manti purely becasue, well, she forgot to actually get dressed. I'm pretty sure this dress (and I'm using that in the losest sense of the word) doesn't fit to the new PG guidelines that were introduced this year. Next time leave the negligee for the bedroom, yeah?

The main part of this dress is actually not to bad. A simple monochrome number with a pop of bright pink. I can deal with that. Unfortunately whoever designed the dress didn't know when to stop and thought it would be a good idea to add on some stripy 80's style bouffant sleeves. Unnecessary. 

That is a lot of pattern right there. I love pattern but there is such a thing as too much and this is too much. Then she goes and adds the completely unnecessary bright blue shawl with it. At least that wasn't patterned too.

Despite this being a single colour it somehow manages to just be far too much. The high neck put together with the long sleeves and then her hair being down, it's just way too much going on right there. This dress also makes me think "boobs" but this time it's not in the slightest bit positive. At least Katy has some cracking cleavage to flaunt, this is just bringing attention to something we don't want our attention brought to.

This red carpet was definitely more interesting that the BAFTA's, poor show Britain  but then music awards are always on the more crazy side of things. Where else could you get away with turning up in a spacesuit? At least he helped fill the bat shit crazy void that is usually filled by Lady Gaga and/or Nicki Minaj.
Olga Levit with 'spaceman' DJ Al Walser
Last but most certainly not least is the mother of all the awards in Hollywood, the Academy Awards. Let's hope everyone's left their best til last. See you then!
Posted in , ,

February 06, 2013

Film Review: Django Unchained

Posted by Unknown with 2 comments
This time last week, some friends and I decided to go on a little trip a la cinema to see Django Unchained. I knew it was a Quentin Tarantino film and I've seen Inglorious Bastards so I thought I knew what I was letting myself in for but oh my days, there are no words to describe this film.

It's an 18 so of course there's blood and swearing but boy is there blood and swearing. In actual fact the goriness wasn't too unbearable as it gets to the point that there's so much blood spurting out everywhere that it ends up, at times, being funny. The swearing on the other hand, while I did get used to it somewhat, throughout the film, I was not prepared for the amount of times the N Bomb was dropped. Obviously, it is to be expected, that's just how it was back in those days but still, with so much stigma attached to the word now, it was a bit strange to hear it quite so much.

In contrast to all the violence and blood and what not, there was actually a surprising amount of comedy. Not a huge amount but just enough to counter balance all the bad stuff so that you didn't come out feeling morbidly depressed.

I know some people are disappointed by the fact that Leonardo Dicaprio has been snubbed again at the Oscars but in all honesty, now that I've seen the film, I can understand why. I'm not saying he was bad by any stretch of the imagination but in my opinion he was the weakest of the main four, Dicaprio, Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson. As usual, Christoph Waltz is awesome. He was one of the main reasons I wanted to see the film and he's one of the main reasons I liked the film.

On a side note, there's a scene that is entirely in German and I understood the vast majority of it without needing the subtitles! This makes me happy. It means the hours I'm spending reading and watching TV shows in German isn't a complete waste of time!

Anyways, if you don't like blood, violence and/or incessant swearing then this is not the film for you. But, if you like Tarantino's previous work, I'm sure you will love this too. I'm not sure it will get best film at the Academy Awards but I really hope Christoph Waltz gets best supporting actor and as he's already won the Golden Globe, things look promising, so fingers crossed!
Posted in ,

February 02, 2013

January Playlist

Posted by Unknown with 7 comments
 
Love Is Easy - McFly
I Dreamed A Dream - Les Misérables
Dark Side - Glee/Kelly Clarkson
Skyfall - Adele
I'm With You - Avril Lavigne
Tell Him - Glee/The Exciters
Run - P!nk
Everybody Talks - Glee/Neon Trees
Kiss You - One Direction
A Thousand Years - Christina Perri

For the start of this month it was pretty much all about Les Mis for me. After finally getting to see the film I downloaded the original cast recording of the West End show (the actual movie soundtrack is seriously lacking some songs i.e. Do You Here The People Sing) and as it always has been and probably always will be, I Dreamed A Dream is my favourite. Most of the other songs are simply ones from late 2012 that I'm still loving. 

 You may notice that there's an odd one out in terms of when it was released. Well, my housemates decided to have an impromptu Avril Lavigne session which reminded me how good her first album was, especially I'm With You, and so it's since been playing quite a lot on my iPod since then.

What songs have you been listening to this month? I'd love some recommendations so let me know in the comments below!
Posted in ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)