New Smashbox Fade to Black Collection: Fall 2013

When I popped across to London last month for Smashbox's Fall collection launch I was sure their naming cue came from the old Metallica choon, I was wrong - as I often am. Inspired by film and the drama of dimming the lights for dramatic effect, Fade to Black boasts the full spectrum from flattering neutrals to the most intense blacks. 

How 'Blondie' is that graphic?

I've been featuring this collection and drip feeding the products for weeks now but thought it best to give you the full low down, now that you can get your mitts on it this side of the Sea. 

Made up of two shadow palettes, two Be Legendary lipsticks and two Waterproof Shadow Liners but although it's not as large a collection as expected, there's some serious quality to be had with these products. 

Waterproof Shadow Liners: Blackest Black and Black Gold: €19

The Waterproof Shadow Liners are one of my favourite products from my Smashbox arsenal, so these new limited edition versions caught my attention immediately. Precision  smudgeable colour can be used as either a liner, a shadow or a shadow base for the lid. Black Gold needs to be seen with your very own eyeballs to appreciate the tarnished metallic loveliness that can be achieved with just one stroke. It'll be a staple in my Autumn/Winter rotation. 

Be Legendary Lipsticks: Cognac & Black Cherry: €19

Don't allow these lippies to fool you, the seemingly translucent nude, Cognac is actually a warm caramel once on the lips and Black Cherry, while the deepest of plums in the bullet is more a sheer plum once applied. Both are more than suited to a Fall make up look, though Black Cherry has been on my lips for weeks now. 

Fade to Black Palette: €39.50

The first of the two palettes, containing 7 shades each, boasts 4 mattes and 3 shimmers. Colours are richly pigmented despite their creamy soft formulation and blend easily on the lid to create a dramatic smokey or stripped back neutral look. I'm getting an entire working day without creasing or fading with these shades, though have tended to use the lightest as a base only. 

Leaning more toward the purple hues, the second palette contains 3 mattes and 4 shimmers. Again the consistency is faultless. Truth be told this is the one I'm reaching for more often as the shades complement blue/green eyes and the neutrals are more deeply pigmented. As with all Smashbox shadows you're never left second guessing placement, a quick scan of the QR code on the reverse will bring you straight to a How To video, filmed in the LA studio. 

I've never made a secret of my grá for Smashbox as a woefully overlooked brand in Ireland and their products as some of my go to saviours since I can remember. While the price point is slightly higher than off the shelf make up, the quality of the pigments and the fact that they just bloody work, means I recommend them over and over when asked (and sometimes when I'm not).

The Fade to Black collection is on counters next month, the sales girls are some of the most helpful, non pushy make up ladies there are so I'd recommend stopping by for a scout when you're next in Boots or Arnott's. 

Are you a Smashbox fan? Anything here grabbing your attention? 

Lawcus Farm Guest House: A Family Mini Road Trip

It's been a little while since we got away together so a spontaneous trip to the home of the Cats, Kilkenny was just what the doctor ordered last week. On the recommendation (and twitpics) of the lovely @robo_jojo I got in touch with Anne-marie of Lawcus Farm Guest House and we hit the road. 

Just 1 hour twenty minutes from our door to theirs, Lawcus Farm couldn't be more different if it tried. Almost silent but for the sound of the river running through the land, the grounds are a very peaceful escape from the crazy city life we're used to. 

Though we arrived early, Anne-marie was on the ball with our room ready and a tray of teas and coffees in minutes. She took the time to give us the history of the house, show us photos of its evolution and the surrounding areas with detailed hand drawn maps of the things to see and do while in Kilkenny. You just don't get that attention to detail in hotels, it genuinely felt as though we were welcomed into her family's home for our stay. 

The Gold Room: €175 per night B&B for four

Of the three self contained rooms/lodges in the Guest House, we opted for the Gold Room. The lads slept in the twin beds downstairs (with free wi-fi)(a teenage MUST) while we lounged in the spacious upstairs space, complete with king size bed, power shower in the en-suite and several windows overlooking the fields of grazing cattle that gave the whole room a light and airy feel. 

After an evening swimming in the weirs, meeting the animals, having a wee nip in the local where The Riordan's was shot, take away from the local eatery, Stony Kebabish and a scoot into Kilkenny town (15 mins away) for dessert, we retired to our rooms to ready ourselves for brekkie the next morning. 

(Thanks to TripAdvisor for the kitchen pic, I wasn't quick enough to snap one)

Breakfast is served in the gorgeous open plan glass and wooden kitchen. You eat at a time that suits you and you eat WHATEVER YOU WANT. Anne-marie is up and at it from early and will prepare whatever your heart desires. Mine was eggs benedict with spinach and goat's cheese, while himself a full Irish and the lads had drop scones (fluffy wholesome pancakes). Adam has now informed me that they were so tasty that I'm not allowed to call my pancakes 'pancakes' any more. The cheek!

After a tour of the new build home that Anne-marie shares with Mark and their combined kiddies and a snakey dram of poitín, it was time for us to hit the road. Fully recharged and refueled after just a short stay, I can only imagine what a long weekend would do for your energy levels. 

It's very clear that Lawcus Farm Guest House is more than a labour of love for Mark and Anne-Marie, it's their home, their haven and for as long as you're on their guest book it's very much yours too. I can't recommend a trip down their way enough. 

Have you been for a break off the beaten track? I'd love to hear about it, any recommendations for the next Cherry Familia Road Trip? 

Monday's Moments: 05/08/13

There's no Monday nicer than a bank holiday Monday is there? The casual remembering of the fact all day Sunday and smug grin associated with knowing you get to escape the office for one more day. Is nice, innit? How about some Moments to make this Monday even nicer? 

1. All Together Now..

It might have been the impending bank hollier but there was definitely a celebratory mood around the office last week. 

While queuing for brekkie I found myself humming along to the radio and I Follow Rivers but it was only when the chorus came on I realised the entire line was singing it! There's something quite surreal about hearing your Director singing Lykke Li word for word before 9am...

2. Picture? Perfect!

While at the Clarins Autumn event this week I was tweeting and instagramming photos goodo to share what the brand had upcoming and the bits I loved. 

I was even more excirah and delirah that evening to get this lovely message from the Clarins Instagram account. They chose two of my photos to share with the Clarins loving folks on their US site. Isn't that awesome? I think it's awesome. 

3. It's in the Jeans...

The youngest Gorgebag has pretty savvy taste when it comes to clobber and knows what works for him and what doesn't so I had no hesitation in allowing him blow a good chunk of his birthday money on clothes. 

When he came back with this grey/mauve t though I had to chuckle. Proof at last that the Bet Lynch gene is, in fact, hereditary. Long live the leopard!

4. Family Mini Road Trip

In need some family R&R this week and on the recommendation of the lovely Joanne over at LovelyGirlyBits we all hopped in the car this week for a mini road trip to LawcusFarm Guesthouse in Kilkenny. 

I'll have the full lowdown later but suffice to say we had a blahhdy marvellous time and got to reconnect as a familia (read slag the bejebus of each other in close confines). Good times!

5. Opening Night at the Olympia

Barely a minute back in Dublin, we were invited along to see the opening night of The Silhouettes in The Olympia. This young dance troupe (some as young as 5 years old!) were the runners up in America's Got Talent and very similar to this years Britain's Got Talent winners (Attraction) so I was excited to see the show. 

Telling the tale of a love story of two young children as they grow to adults through dance and (funnily enough) silhouettes this show was a pleasant change for a Saturday night. A little talky in parts and heavy on the Americana, the audience weren't giving standing ovations come curtain time but we were thoroughly entertained and shocked that such young dancers could have such talent. It's a great choice for family friendly entertainment. (For a change of scenery, literally, you can catch the show in The Olympia this week for as little as €20!)

And that's Moi, five Moments that mean even without the bank holiday, I'm through with Monday Blues. 

Tell me, what's going on in your corner of the world - anything rocking your kasbah?

The Smurfs 2 - Movie Review

Who's in it?

Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Katy Perry  and  Jonathan Winters


What's it about?

The film follows the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria; or how you would probably know him as most of the character's voices in The Simpsons) and his evil Smurf Naughties as they kidnap Katy Perry's Smurfette and consequently attempt to glean the secret formula to making the grey Naughties into true blue Smurfs, meanwhile Papa Smurf accompanied by Grumpy, Vanity and Clumsy try to rescue her.


Any Good?

After about a half-week of saying 'I'll have no part of the promotion of this crime against film!!', The Smurfs 2 really did surprise me. It was well written, funny, had fantastic voice acting, and a mix of NPH and Brendan Gleeson which seemed just too good to be true but really did shine as their chemistry together made the step-father/son relationship truly believable.

Excuse me while I squeedgy my brains off the window..

The humor was mostly pun-based, and Maaaa Cherry LOVES puns, so listening to her groan in delight next to me only added to the laughs that already were coming from the so-bad-they're-great puns onscreen. The best character of all thought had to be Vanity Smurf, more than once Maaaa and myself turned to each other and said 'Yup, that's Adam' when he was musing in the mirror to his reflection.

Brendan Gleeson was hilarious, he was great as Corndog King and Patrick Winslow's (NPH) step-father Victor Doyle. He really put on the Irish charm and kept on repeating The Doyle Men in reference to himself and Winslow much to the latter's annoyance, and even when he got ducked up by Gargamel (Azaria) he just got funnier in relation to just his personality and puns.

As the film gets on NPH and Brendan Gleeson's acting gets more emotional and serious, and is supported well enough by Jayma Mays' wife of NPH's character's wife, Grace Winslow. It is here that NPH and Gleeson's chemistry really shines, their serious conversations are genuinely touching even if they are so cliched it should be awkward.

Tied with Jennifer Laurence for hottest woman in Hollywood (Don't even try to argue)

Overall I was impressed by the acting as a whole, NPH was a bit shaky to start for me but really did grow into his part, Brendan Gleeson made up for the horrors he inflicted on me in the form of studying Caca Milis for the Leaving, and Hank Azaria was like a child's version of Moe Sizlack which, even appearing to be dumbed down, was still funny; especially when arguing with his smartarse CGI cat who was hilarious in his own right. The voice acting was really fantastic, Katy Perry was really a surprise to me in how well she actually voiced Smurfette in relation to her awkward part in a Simpsons episode before. All the Smurfs were well voiced, as were their grey counterparts, but Papa Smurf really did put across his emotions and the animation matched them to a tee. 

Sorry, I just couldn't resist those eyes, could you?!

All in all Smurfs 2 is a solid film, it has good puns and humor, a great cast, fantastic voice acting but it just wasn't for me really. Nan Cherry adored this, and even stayed awake the whole time (which as I mentioned before is a rare occurrence) but that's second hand information so I'm a bit skeptical if it's true. Both Nan and Maaaaa will murder me for this rating but bear in mind that 5 is an awkward number to rate from because the low sounding 2.5 cherries is half, but I honestly wasn't as invested as I was. The film is entertaining and the 3D is excellent, but as Maaaa herself quite rightly put it in the car today 'you wouldn't go to see it if you didn't have children with you', and for me it was truly a film that is better to rent than pay full plus in the cinema for the 3D as it's not worth the extra cost. And if you rent it you can tell the clerk that you're renting it for your kids and they won't give you the weird looks and make it awkward like turning up to the cinema alone only to sit among families with young children.

Rating:

Sorry for the odd cherries this week, our PC has decided we didn't use Internet Explorer enough or some ridiculous reason and refused to connect to the internet so I had to improvise 2 and a half cherries and that's the best I could do folks, I'm doing all I can to fix the PC problem!! As usual, I love to hear  what you thought of the film or general musings from you on Facebook, Twitter and in the comments,

The (sigh..) Eldest Gorgebag

Things that Rustle my Jimmies

Friday Eve, there you are once more and despite this being a Bank Hollier weekend I have Jimmies to share - I have no doubt you do too so let's get started...

1. Incessant pen clickers in the office

2. My electric toothbrush losing power in my mouth

3. Brand invitations to press 'events' that are actually SALES events with 3% discounts

4. Road works outside my window AT 6 AM!!!

5. Godforsaken laptop taking 12 DAYS to load 

ONE GIF!!

Thank CHRIST I've gotten them out of my system, you know the drill by now - I've swapped the kettle for shots this week so grab a glass, switch on Anon if you need and join the rantorama in the comments!