Monday's Moments - 16/04

How is the Easter break done and gone? How did that happen so fast? Aside from me having the last week and a half off, as ever, there have been a couple of moments that have made me smile and/or kick my Monday Blues in the knickers. Let's see 'em, shall we?

1. Jazz Hands Agogo

Thanks to Music Scene and MCD Promotions we had the chance to head along to catch the final show in Diversity's arena tour in Dublin on Saturday. The show, based on the above BGT final, followed the dance troupe as they were trapped inside a video game.

The show was genuinely entertaining, I think more than anything else the fact that the (almost sold out) O2 was filled with young Irish Dance troupes was a sight to behold. These young boys and girls obviously idolise these chaps. Before the show ended they came back on stage to Thank everyone for buying their tickets and supporting them, they reminded everyone that they're just ordinary blokes, that with hard work and a lot of luck & support have made it this far and encouraged the youngsters to follow their dreams no matter what. Fair play, lads.

2. Hang on, Wha?

We had the great honour of being invited to visit Oriflame's head office and laboratories on Friday. When I say it was like being in our own 'How it's Made' episode I'm not exaggerating. Mags of EmeraldEyeliner fame even likening the experience to a visit to Willy Wonka's factory, such was our glee.

The stand out moment of the day, for me though, had to be the introduction of this little fella. Tender Care is a wonder pot of honeycomb extract and vegetable oils that's been on the market since 1967! For 45 years it has relieved dry skin using the same formula from the same packaging! I've been using it on cuticles and elbows since Friday and early signs are fantastic. How amazing is that?

3. Score (By Two and a Bit)

After Diversity on Saturday night, we headed off for a dámhsa into the City Centre as we were staying in a hotel overnight. When leaving the club though, what should I spot? A crumpled up €50 note!

It’s been a while since I've found money but I did the usual reccy to see if anyone was actively looking for money they might have dropped. In fairness, the fellow revellers were more Walking Dead than anything else at that time of morning so the decision was made. I gave both homeless chaps in the doorway beside the taxi rank €20 each and the change paid for our cab fare home. Sweet deal!

4. He May Never Forgive Me

Technically speaking this moment should have been included last week but I can't let it go without sharing it here. One of my funniest ever moments happened a couple of weeks back. I had large bubble wrap from a delivery on the kitchen table but it must have fallen to the floor. The eldest Gorgebag was walking in in the dark, stood on the bubble wrap and dropped to the floor with a squeal as if he'd been shot!

I ran out and tried to help him up but his expression had me on my knees with the laughter, he was white as a ghost and mad as hell. He insists I did it purposely but I'm just not genius an evil genius, Aar. Would that I were.

5. Oh What a Beautiful Morning...

Finally, even though my return to work after two weeks off would have been enough to send me spiralling in a Monday depression – I was more than pleasantly surprised this morning to wake up a good half hour before the alarm. I have trees to the back of my house that, when they’re not camouflaging stalkers, are home to countless birds that sing their faces off come daybreak.

This morning I was awoken, Snow White style, with 4 little birds on my window, their birdsong and the sunshine streaming in woke me more pleasantly than I’d hoped. (Yes, that’s where the Snow White similarity ends, my Dwarves are now head & shoulders above me and I'm the one trotting off to work with a pick axe slung o'er my shoulder)


Anything fabulous happen with you this week? Even something that tickled you nicely? Do let us know..

(Pssst, I'll have other pretty things for the Oriflame tour up soon, keep an eye out!)

2 Simple Ways to a Gorgeous Glitter Gradient

As a confirmed magpie, I was delighted when I gave the glitter gradient manicure a shot and it actually worked out. We all know I'm all about the easy when it comes to nails so I've put together two simple pictorials so you too can bling up your nails, as is your want.

The first look uses the sponge method for gradient. This, of course, can be used for any kind of gradient, you don't necessarily have to have glitter. Usually it's done with contrasting colours but I figured the pastel and bling were contrast enough.

1. My colours of choice were Nails Inc's Park Lane, Essence's No More More Drama and Bourjois Glitter. You'll need a make up sponge too. 
2. Apply two coats of your base colour and allow to dry. (You can use a quick dry top coat if you're a little impatient (like Moi). 
3. After rolling your glitter bottle in your hands, apply a thin coat to the edge of the sponge. You're aiming for more glitter than polish. 
4. Sponge onto the nail bed in light, fast touches so as the gradient won't be too thickly applied. 
5. Top your glitter with a coat of holographic glitter to add an even more sparkly dimension. 
6. After a swish of high shine top coat, run to the nearest window and marvel at the sparkle!
   
   
   
   The second look uses traditional glitter as can be found in any craft or 2 Eurit shop. I got this one in Hickey's Home Focus for €2 (They've a gorgeous range of iridescent colours).

1. You'll need your base colour, glitter and a piece of folded paper. I chose the new Indian Ocean from the Model's Own Beetlejuice collection with a slick of Essence No More Drama underneath for my base. 
2. Apply a thin coat of each colour as your base so as not to make it too thick. (or two of your chosen polish)
3. Unlike the first pictorial, add your glitter, over the folded paper, while your base is still wet. Tap the glitter lightly around the tip of your nail. 
4. Shake off the excess onto the paper so that you're left with a thin coat. 
5. Cyphen the excess glitter back into your container for future use. (waste not, want not, yo)
6. Using a high shine top coat, first apply to the base colour then apply liberally to the glitter to reveal iridescent gradient gorgeousness! (I used Essence's Gel Look top coat as the glitter can transfer slightly to the brush and I wasn't risking spoiling the more expensive Seche Vite) 

And that's it, two easy ways to a glitter gradient, have you tried this look before? Are you as distracted by the shiny as I am?

PS please don't let glitter removal put you off, I've found Cutex to be miraculous x

Wrath of the Titans - Movie Review

Who's in it?

Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Rosamund Pike, Ralph Fiennes and Bill Nighy

What's it About?

Having slain the kraken 10 years previously, Perseus (Worthington) is settled in a sleepy fishing village raising his son Helius (a staggering ringer for Emily Blunt), when his father Zeus arrives to ask for his help. The Underworld (teeming with Titans) is becoming restless and needs a hero once more. Perseus has no choice but to intervene once Zeus is taken captive by Hades (his brother) and Ares (his son) and under threat of death from Kronos (Granpa of the 'em all and ruler of Tartarus). 

Any Good?

I'll preface this review by saying that Clash of the Titans was easily one of the worst lemons made, it's still my go to example of how 3D shouldn't be done so I wasn't to eager to watch this sequel. That changed, however, when the lads headed along to the premiere and came home saying good things. They're the toughest critics I know. 

Perseus having the chats with Uncle Poseidon 

First up, the 3D on Wrath is slick and well used. Scenes are bright and engaging. Clash of the Titans was obviously made in 2D with the 3D effects tacked on as an afterthought for the pay cheque and that's (one place) where it fell down. Not so here, the battle scenes are larger than life, in your face CGI fests and they don't disappoint. Creatures from the Underworld are just the right amount of repulsive and the inside scenes and set pieces of Tartarus are well thought out and presented. 

Grandpa Kronos, like a Balrog on steroids with a serious WANT to pass

While the script and plot are paper thin, the injection of comedy is a welcome one, not least from Toby Kebbell as the ne'er do well Demi-God cousin and Bill Nighy pushing the movie toward Monty Python territory nicely. Pike as Andromeda has immediately shot into my girl crush category, (the Beauty Blogger in me has to tell you that her hair, makeup and wardrobe are flawless). It is a real shame that she wasn't given more to do with the character, though none of them were. 

Neeson and Feinnes, acting deitys playing actual deitys, seemed to have had fun with the role, despite the choppy narrative and gaping plot holes. During tweet sized chats with Glenda Gilson about her interview with Worthington, she told me that he too had a blast filming and despite his usual 2 dimensional acting style, it showed. 

I have read scathing reviews of Wrath of the Titans, branding it 'ridiculous' and 'unrealistic', I'm not sure how 'realistic' those critics were expecting a 3D movie based on Greek Mythology with Gods and Titans waging war to be. 

I found it enjoyable and a big improvement on the first. Should you be in the market for some decent 3D CGI, peppered with comedy fun, I think you will too. 

Rating: 

Battleship - Movie Review

Who's in it?

Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna and Liam Neeson

What's it About?

What happens when NASA attempt to make contact with alien life forms in Summer blockbusters? They pay us a visit and try to destroy us, of course. Based (extremely loosely) on the Hasbro game Battleship, the movie centres on the fleet of Naval ships in Hawaiian waters that are charged with stopping the alien invaders. Peter Berg of Hancock fame directs this monumental battle over land and sea.  

Any Good?

The publicity for this movie has been enormous, understandably enough, it having cost an estimated $200 Million to make. If you haven't seen a trailer, poster, bus or tweet about it then you need to get to Specsavers, sharpish. I went along, with an open mind and I'm very glad I did. With a clunking start, Battleship is hugely overacted,  Skarsgård and Kitch in the opening (seemingly neverending) scenes are cringeworthy, even Neeson's scowling begins to grate (unheard of) but once the action starts they can be forgiven, temporarily. 

Epic alien ship is Epic

The plot is all over the place, the performances (of the human variety) putting me in mind of Fair City... Fair City in Hawaii. We didn't see nearly enough of the aliens, which looked pretty cool nor did we ever find out their intention, other than to destroy the most random of objects. There are too many characters of the wooden variety to actually engage but one stand out, for me, had to be Hamish Linklater, whom at one point asked what the entire audience were thinking, 'Who talks like that?'. By the time we were an hour in I decided that, in fact, it's meant to be a clichéd, laugh at themselves, Michael Bay parody and that allowed me to actually enjoy the movie.

Rihanna's actually rather pretty when she puts her chesticles away you know

The descent into farce on several occasions jarred a little though, for example, the old Navy vets on the museum ship. I think they were meant to evoke patriotism and a can do attitude, they put me in mind of Grandpa Simpson & the Flying Hellfish. I spent a good five minutes wondering if they used a stair lift to get them to the Bird's Nest and genuinely expected to hear the famous Battleship line at every turn.

If you're buying your cinema ticket expecting an award winning film or performances, you're going to have a bad time (its nowhere near poor enough for a Razzie either) but if you're looking for a loud, CGI heavy, shoot 'em up, blow 'em and kill the aliens with fire then you're prayers have been answered. I can see Battleship appealing hugely to Transformer loving teenagers but also envisage some demographics that will LOVE it i.e. fans of Taylor Kitch, Michael Bay, Fair City, tongue in cheek, clichéd hilarity, Age Action Ireland and/or Americans. 

All of the above and you, if you're looking for a cheesy, laugh out loud blockbuster.  Grab the popcorn, switch off the frontal lobe, sit back & enjoy.  

PS.. Be sure to stay till the trailers end.

Rating: 

MAC - Extra Dimension - Skinfinish/Highlighter in Superb

It's very rare that I run out to buy a product, much less rare that I call the shop the night before and get up at 9am ON A DAY OFF and make sure I'm first in line to have it but since seeing Dusty Hunter's video about the new MAC In Extra Dimension collection and the fact that Superb Extra Dimension Skinfinish/Highlighter is an exact dupe for the Holy Grail & impossible to find Estée Lauder's Modern Mercury illuminating powder gelée, that's exactly what I did. Knowing that Éstée have recently purchased MAC, it was only a matter of time before there was some cross over in products produced. Thank the Lord.

This skinfinish/highlighter is a rose gold, dry to the touch but oh so smooth product. It looks a lot warmer in the pan than on the skin. It catches the light beautifully for a high shine finish but I find it a lot more subtle than metallic, making it a win for Irish skin tones. 

Swatched (heavily) wet on the left and dry on the right

I've been using this highlighter just about every day since purchase such is my grá for it. I'm loving it as a highlighter on temples, cheekbones and décolletage but also as a subtle but hugely flattering eye shadow. This handy photo shows you exactly where to use it. The genius that is Dusty Hunter had suggested using Modern Mercury (& this as it's a dupe) as a funky nail polish. Simply paint your nails with a clear basecoat, brush this powder on lightly and seal with a topcoat for a unique metallic finish. I've yet to try it but I will.  

The beautiful Christine over at Temptalia.com has Superb in a face of the day, which shows it's subtlety perfectly.  She's also rated it A- and coming from one of the leading beauty gurus, that's pretty phenomenal. 


At the time of writing this post, Superb has already sold out on the MAC website and I can envision the shops running out fairly quickly too. I bought it for €28 in BT2 in Blanchardstown but I know that each of the MAC stores (Cork especially) are hugely helpful in holding and posting products to your home should the want overcome you. 


Tempted?




PS... If you haven't followed Dustin Hunter yet, do yourself a favour and get on it, I love the man muchly.