Movie Mondays - Seven Psychopaths

As some of you who may have followed my blog know I am a Cinephile and so whenever I can on Mondays I'll post trailers to movies which I have seen and liked or disliked and/or will also post movie trailers of movies which I would love to see in the future.

Seven Psychopaths - It is a dark comedy which will be out in October 2012 and the main plot involves the theft of an adorable Shi-Tzu.  Considering that I love three of the cast members are; Colin Farrell, Gabourey Sidibe and Christoper Walken and the plot looks interesting it is on my 'to watch' list.

The Absolutely Bad - Lady Gaga 'Fame' Ad

Who would in the right mind would want to smell like her? 



If any of you out there are interested in purchasing her perfume, then this review site will give you a pretty good idea on the perfume scent itself: Click here.

Caviar Nails for Cheap!

Hey readers!  So I came across this video on youtube and wanted to share it with you as this tutorial will definately save you a lot of money compared to buying a kit.  Enjoy!

Listen to This!

Florence + the Machine's new song Breath of Life  is truly an amazing song and really adds an element of epicness to the soundtrack of the up and coming movie Snow White and the Huntsman.

The Incredibly BAD - The Secret Circle is cancelled!

Just after I have watched the secret circle finale yesterday, I find out that it has been cancelled!  Why did the idiots of the CW cancel it?  The show was their best show in my honest opinion.  I am even more bummed, because the final scene gave a lot of potential for an incredibly awesome season 2 (with the potential of having more hunks on the show).  I loved the show, as I always liked witchcraft related series, such as Sabrina the Teenage witch and Charmed, which all were given a decent ending.  

The actors did a good job, the effects were ok, the location was beautiful, the story was really good and as a whole it offered great entertainment and also satisfied my need for a purely witch based series which there aren't any at the moment.  Pity, the cancelled it when other shows with much much lower ratings got renewed, which isn't fair.  

Many disappointed fans have started petitions online.  However, there isn't a single one petition for all fans of the show to sign, which isn't helping in trying to help in getting it renewed.   Hopefully all these online petitions to save the show floating around can be combined together.  I hope that the series may be picked up by another station, but I personally doubt it as it very rarely happens.  Hopefully all the actors involved will get some screen time on other shows/movies; e.g. Chris Zylka (aka Jake) will be in the new Spiderman movie (yey!).  

Shame on you CW for cancelling this amazing show which was barely given decent promotion, while other shows which were given much better promotion and still got much more horrible ratings were kept (e.g. Gossip Girl).  

This is the final scene of The Secret Circle, which as you can see had a lot and a lot of potential. I hate you CW!

Dear Anja Rubik,

I may not be one to judge as myself I am not healthy as I fall under the plus-size category.  However, protruding Bones are NOT sexy either and definitely NOT healthy-looking.  Please seek medical attention as you are clearly underweight and if you have eating problems please do seek help.  Otherwise, if you have none of the above, please stop at your nearest food-related shop, whether it is a diner, fast food joint, a restaurant or a supermarket and buy a decent meal and EAT IT!  You are a gorgeous girl and a little bit of weight won't hurt you or your career.

Regards,

D

Image from styleite.com

Look Luxurious for Less - Jumpsuit/Playsuit edition

All of us girls covet designer brands.  However, the reality is our wages/salaries are barely enough to make ends meet, let alone buy designer brands.  The situation is even much worse for us plus-size girls; when most designers do not even design for us, so those who can afford it cannot even buy it.  So here are two designer jumpsuits which you can find cheaper and in your size for less!  If you prefer the designer versions I also provided the links.  P.S.  none of the companies and sites I mentioned paid me to do this, this is just my own 'research'.

3.1 Phillip Lim Belted structured-satin playsuit €730 vs ASOS CURVE Cutwork Playsuit £35.00

 

Azzaro Lucilia crepe jumpsuit €995 vs So Fabulous Ruffle Sleeve Jumpsuit  €57.00

If you like this post let me know and I would be glad to do more posts like these.

Dear Rihanna,

Please stop with the constant illuminati symbolism in your videos and performances!  I and many others are getting fed up of it, especially since in my humble opinion I think it is ruining some of your good songs for me. 

Regards,
D

Listen to this

Jack White's new single, Sixteen Saltines , has a very unusual twist to it, which personally at first I didn't like it, but now after listening a couple of times I am now addicted to it.


P.S. Jack will be composing the score to Disney's The Lone Ranger which will star Johnny Depp.  I am already looking forward to watch this movie even though no trailer is available yet.

If only these were real!

These may look like Geeked-out versions of Hello Kitty dolls.  Unfortunately they are just mere illustrations made by the talented Joseph Senior.  Sanrio please take note, us geeky girly girls would definitely consider buying these dolls if they were made.  

from the Pop Culture Hello Kitty Series by Joseph Senior

from the Pop Culture Hello Kitty Series by Joseph Senior

from the Pop Culture Hello Kitty Series by Joseph Senior

from the Pop Culture Hello Kitty Series by Joseph Senior

from the Pop Culture Hello Kitty Series by Joseph Senior

 

from the Pop Culture Hello Kitty Series by Joseph Senior

from the Pop Culture Hello Kitty Series by Joseph Senior

from the Pop Culture Hello Kitty Series by Joseph Senior

 

 

If I...

... had some clothing items in pastel (and obviously the money), I would definitely buy this Swarovski necklace.

Swarovski Spring Summer 2012 Collection

The disadvantage of not being rich ...

 ... that I cannot afford these absolutely gorgeous Givenchy handbags from their Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear collection.

The Absolutely BAD ...

... that Peplum Skirts/Dresses look horrible on my figure, which is just plain torture for me as I love this design on dresses and skirts.

from Denny Rose

from ASOS Curve

If only I knew how to walk in heels - Christian Louboutin Edition

Why did heels have to be so beautiful and at the same so evil to walk in?

No to Photoshopped women on Magazine Covers!

Julia Bluhm, a young girl from America, started this petition specifically for Seventeen Magazine to stop using photoshopped covers on their magazines as it is affecting young girls body image and self esteem and also health.  I personally agree with this petition and hopefully if this succeeds, not only Seventeen will start publishing unaltered magazine covers but also other magazines will follow suit.  If you want to sign the petition then click here.

The GOOD

... that Zooey Deschanel is now a Pantene Spokesperson.  I am huge Zooey Deschanel fan ever since I saw her in Failure to Launch (she was the only good thing about that movie, apart from Bradley Cooper) and have been following her ever since (mind you, not in the stalkerish sense).  Zooey will be part of Pantene's Beautiful Lengths Program where wigs will be donated to those women who have lost their hair because of chemotherapy.

ASOS CURVE Blazer In Floral Print Review

Recently I have bought this lovely Floral Blazer from ASOS.   Unfortunately for me I have paid full price, when a few days later it can be found on sale for about half the price.  You can buy it by clicking on this link: Asos Curve Blazer in Floral Print

Colour: The main colour is black and not navy blue, which was my first impression when seeing this picture.  The floral pattern is really lovely and colorful, and there are basically 6 main colours in the pattern; orange, pink/fuchsia, lavendarish blue, periwinkle blue, white and gray.  Therefore, one can wear this jacket with many different combinations of colours.  Also I think it is important to point out that there is no purple in the jacket, unlike what the picture seems to show.  The purple seen is in fact pink, which is lighter than as shown in the picture.  

Material: Although it is a blazer and one would expect that the material would be similar to those tailored suit jackets, it is not.  For me it is a pro, as the jacket is not uncomfortable as the material allows you to move better and it isn't as heavy.  Also the material is matte, so you don't get so much shine.  Considering the lightness of the material, it can be worn mostly during spring.  However, if you experience hot weather like we do here in Malta, I don't suggest wearing this jacket during the summer months. In the case of winter, if one dresses some heavier clothing underneath, the jacket can be wearable.  

 

Style:  Unlike other blazers, this one has NO buttons and NO collar. The sleeves are long and the length of the jacket is just right not too short and nor too long. Therefore it has a slightly more casual feel to it.  In the ASOS catalog one can also find matching capris and a matching skirt as well.  I only bought the blazer, so I cannot comment on this items.

Fit: Since this Blazer doesn't come with any buttons, then it can only be worn in one style as it is shown on the model.  Therefore, since there isn't the problem of having to button the blazer one can play a little bit with sizing depending on the look one is going for. In my case I bought a size 26 as usually when it comes to blazers I always have to go a size up in order for it to fit nicely and for me to feel comfortable.  However, I found that the sizing of this blazer runs a little bit large and personally it would have suited me more if I went down a size or even two.  The sleeves aren't tight at all, which is sometimes a problem I experience with blazers as they are usually too tight in that area.  Therefore, I would suggest going down from your usual Blazer size. 

Conclusion:  Even though I paid full price and it looked slightly big on me, I am not disappointed with this purchase.  I wore it with a black dress to a wedding and I got loads of compliments of how lovely the blazer is and how it gave my simple black dress that extra edge.  Therefore, depending on the nature of your outfit I think this blazer can look great either for a special occasion or even for a causal or night out look.  However, I personally do not suggest this as work attire, as it is too fun to wear to work.  

 

I hope you enjoyed this review, feel free to ask me more questions about this product that I haven't answered or feel free to add some styling tips. 

The BAD ...

... that MANGO doesn't cater for plus-size girls, their collections are too beautiful to only be shared with non-plus-sized girls, we deserve some of their gorgeous stuff as well!

from the Mango pre-Fall 2012 collection

from the Mango pre-Fall 2012 Collection

from the Mango pre-Fall 2012 Collection

You know summer is nearing when ...

... companies are coming up with such lovely and fun nail polish colours.

Orly Mini Trio Summer 2012 Collection

Essie Summer 2012 Collection

Dior Summer Mix Makeup 2012 Collection

Listen to this ...

If I ...

lived in a fantasy medieval everything you think comes true kind of place, I would so get a dragon as a pet.

The Bad ...

That in my beloved country, i.e. Malta, we do not have an H&M store or at least an H&M+ store, as plus-size girls here barely have any decent shops to buy fashionable clothes from.

from the H&M Shades of Summer 2012 Collection

from the H&M+ Summer 2012 Collection

Listen to this ....

If I ...

... end up alone when I'm old, I would so become the old owl lady rather than the old cat lady.

Listen to this ...

The BAD ...

... that none of those lovely monthly gift boxes services send to Malta. Le sigh.

I have always wished to subscribe to a monthly gift box service whether they consist of makeup, food or anything else which I might fancy.  Here is a list of those monthly gift boxes which I really wish to subscribe to (in no particular order of preference), but as cruel faith having me live in Malta, I cannot;

1. Conscious Box - Who wants to pamper themselves with food and makeup goodies and at the same time save the planet? I do.  According to their site, they hand pick their products from small and large businesses, which is a good thing as normally I wouldn't dare to try a product from an unknown company.  This box can be yours at just $12 (+$7 shipping) per month.  However, for those of us who live outside the US we cannot get this as of yet, but soon they will extend their services to other countries as well including Europe (hopefully they don't forget about Malta, as funnily enough even though we are part of Europe we are usually not included)

 

As you all know I love my makeup and unfortunately I cannot find some very popular brands like Benefit or Mac in Malta and I wouldn't risk buying off the internet as I usually would want to test shades to see if they match my skin colour (as in my opinion I think I have a very weird skin tone colour), but through such beauty boxes I would be happy to try such brands and taking very small risks since you don't pay a lot.  

2. Birch Box - For $10 a month you get a 4/5 deluxe sample products from well-known brands like Stila and Smashbox.  Unfortunately this only ships to the US and also people have been complaining that they are sending repeats from previous boxes, which isn't a good thing if you have been a long-time subscriber.

3. BeautyArmy - The great thing about this box is that you get to choose the samples you want to be sent to you, which is great in my opinion, especially since you are paying for such products.  You get to choose six samples every month for just $12 a month. The downside, only availabe in the US. 

4. Glossybox - This is a UK box and they send up to five mini-beauty products for just £10.00 per month.  Again unfortunately for me this only ships to the UK and a number of countries, such as Germany, South Korea and Italy.

Hope you enjoyed this post, if you know of any good monthly boxes which ship to Malta let me know ;D

If I ...

... knew how to walk in very high heels, I would wear this pair of Charlotte Olympia shoes.

from the Charlotte Olympia Fall 2012 Collection

... a Hollywood starlet, I would so rock this Shady ZeinEldine dress on the red carpet.

from Shady ZeinEldine's Spring/Summer Collection

and
If I was filthy rich, I would definitely buy this Alexander McQueen clutch.

from the Alexander McQueen Fall 2012 Collection

Rimmel SpecialEyes Duo Eye Shadow - 383 Budding Star Review

Hey everyone,

So I apologise if it has been quiet a long time since I posted something on my blog but unlike other bloggers out there I test products over a period of time and do not base my views on just a first impression.  

Today's review is on a Rimmel Eyeshadow.  This eyeshadow has been out for quiet some time, but it is still available for purchase online.  I had the eyeshadow for a while and I decided to throw it away, but before I did I have decided to write this review.

As you know I usually write my reviews by comparing the product to what is advertised by the company, but for this one I couldn't find what Rimmel claims that this product achieves, so will base it on what one normally looks for in an eyeshadow.

Packaging:  It comes in a small compact, with two decent sized eyeshadows and an eyeshadow applicator.    The compact is easy to carry around in a handbag, but the applicator is rubbish in my opinion, so either buy a new good applicator if you are on the go or use a brush if you are using at home.  

Colours: From a quick google search, this product does come in a variety of colours, but I will only comment on the one I have - 383 Budding Star.  Budding Star comes in a white shade on the left side and a pale minty green on the right side.  

Pigmentation:  Pigmentation is the absolute worse I have seen, it is very poor and the pale minty green looks white when applied, which kind of defeats the purpose of having a duo compact as the colours look too similar.  Also when I went to apply it on my eyelid, barely any eyeshadow was transferred on my eyelid, I thought it might be the applicator the eyeshadow comes with as it seems it absorbs the powder, but when I tried with my fingers still very very little product showed up.  In order to achieve a decent colour on my eyelid I had to reapply for several times!  Also the eyeshadow didn't last for 8 hours as the packaging claims at the back.  The eyeshadow didn't crease, but how would you expect an eyeshadow with barely any pigmentation to crease!?

However, I would like to point out that the product can also be applied wet, which I did not try so maybe pigmentation pay-off is better when applied wet.  

Would I buy it again?

Definitely NOT!  I personally prefer to apply my eyeshadows dry and was really disappointed with the pigmentation on this one.  I wouldn't recommend this eyeshadow. Maybe the other shades in the range have better pigmentation but after the bad experience with this one, I wouldn't even bother test the shades at the beauty store, let alone buying it.

I hope you have enjoyed this product review, feel free to share your views on this eyeshadow or any other eyeshadows and don't forget to subscribe ;D

Max Factor Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion Foundation Review

Recently I won a mixed makeup lot on e-bay and got this foundation for a fraction of the original price and lucky me it came in a tone very similar to my natural skin colour.  

Max Factor advertises this foundation as the following; 

"Max Factor’s newest and most innovative foundation will revolutionise the way you apply your base. With a unique lightweight solid to liquid formula it removes the need for the traditional concealer, foundation and powder combination and instead creates the perfect base in just one easy application. The result is a flawless, fresh and incredibly smooth complexion that glows with radiance."

About the Product in General. 

The product comes in a plastic circular container.  It has two separate compartments, the black compartment contains a sponge which is to be used to apply the foundation and the transparent compartment contains the foundation which comes in a solid but creamy form.  According to the British Max Factor site, it comes in 6 colours and from the colours available I don't think this foundation comes in colours for those with a darker complexion. 

So does this live up to Max Factor's claims?

Max Factor claims that this new foundation offers a revolutionary way how to apply foundation.  To be honest it is nothing out of this world, it is a normal foundation in solid form which is applied with a normal sponge.  However, what I consider as 'revolutionary' is the packaging itself as it keeps the foundation separate from the sponge, which not many products out there offer this.  Also unlike many sponges and applicators which come with makeup products, the sponge that comes with this foundation is really good, but it is a pity that it is quiet small and that it doesn't seem possible to just buy the sponge.

The formula is very creamy, but I wouldn't consider it 'lightweight' compared to my previous Maybelline foundation I find this foundation to be thicker.  It is of medium coverage, as due to it's thick consistency if you applied more one would look too made up and unnatural and so it doesn't cover everything and I still needed to use my concealer to cover a few red spots and my under-eye area.  However, it did help in applying less concealer but didn't remove the need completely to apply concealer as Max Factor claims.  

To get the best result it requires some blending, which the sponge helps a lot in achieving this.  The sponge helped in making application easier and less messy, however it does seem that the sponge absorbs a lot of the product which results in some of the product being wasted.  This is a real big disadvantage, since the foundation is quiet pricey and there is little product!

My complexion did look more glowy and radiant.  However, this didn't last long!  In fact, after an hour of applying and I needed to blow my nose and a huge amount of the product ended up on my tissue!  Also the formula is very drying.  I have combination skin (i.e. both dry and oily skin). and after 3 consecutive days of using the foundation my oily parts dried up and ended up with small dried flakey patches on my skin, which obviously this is not my desired result when using such product.  I started using moisturiser before I applied this foundation but it still had a drying effect on my skin and so I went back to my old Maybelline foundation.  

Would I buy this again?

It costs I think around 12 Euros, which for just 11.5 grams of product it is very expensive.  Also considering that a lot of the product gets absorbed by the sponge and also it dried up my skin - I will not ever buy it again.

The product had a lot of potential; the packaging is great  and is ideal to carry around with you when you are on the go and the foundation blends nicely.  However, there are way too many cons.  I would only reconsider to buy this product if the price was cheaper and the foundation was moisturising but not too greasy and too drying and had better lasting power.

Max Factor Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion Foundation in Natural 70

Max Factor Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion Foundation in Natural 70 blended

I hope you have enjoyed this review, feel free to share your opinions on this foundation or other foundations ;D

ASOS CURVE Exclusive Knitted Kimono Review

About a month ago I have bought this Kimono top which I have forgot to review to all you lovely ladies out there.   You can buy it by clicking on this link: Asos Curve Exclusive Knitted Kimono

So from the picture it is clear that it is not your average Japanese Kimono, but more of a long shrug.

Colour: It comes only in black.  However, it is important to point out that the kimono has some metallic threads which makes it more of a glittery black.  If you zoom on the pictures provided on the Asos site you will see this detail. 

Material: It is quiet difficult to describe, but it is a bit see-throughish and it is not your normal knitwear material either, it is more of an acrylic material which kind of makes it a bit uncomfortable to the skin until you get used to it. Also as it comes to material I don't suggest this to be worn as a jacket during wintery months, this should be worn under a jacket during these colds months.  For Spring the material is perfect and for Summer in my case due to the unbearable heat we have in Malta in the Summer months I don't think I would wear it as it is a little thick for Summer. 

Style:  It looks more like a long shrug.  It doesn't have any buttons so it stays open and doesn't have any ties to tie it around.  The sleeves are baggy more bat-wing styled sleeves and are three-quarters in length.

Fit: Since this is a shrug, one can afford and play around with sizing depending on the look they are going for.  If you girls out there have big arms, don't worry about going a size smaller as the sleeves will still fit comfortably since they are baggy and will still hide those back-bumps nicely.  I personally went for a size smaller than usual and was almost a perfect fit as it was still slightly big.  Length-wise it is normal in length, it is not as short a normal shrug and not too long.   

Conclusion:  This top due to having the glittery material, is ideal for night outs.  I don't recommend it for casual wear and due to it's laid-back look I also don't recommend it for formal occasions.  Still this depends on how one wears it; if you wear it over an LBD I think it would look lovely for a wedding or such other occasion and if it is worn  over a tank-top one would look effortlessly chic for a girls' night out and even for office-wear it would look nice depending on what you pair it with.  I paired it with a three-quarter sleeved knitted top and it looked great.    

I hope you enjoyed this review, feel free to ask me more questions about this product that I haven't answered or share some styling tips on how to wear this Kimono. 

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick Review

After seeing the amount of views my post on the Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil Eyeliner got (unfortunately no comments :( ), I have decided to write another makeup review, this time on the Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick.  

So Max Factor advertises the Lipstick  as; 

"For instant fabulous colour and smoother, softer* lips over time look no further than Max Factor’s new Colour Elixir Lipstick. The Elixir formula contains a 60% blend of skin emollients, conditioners and antioxidants including vitamin E, for a visible transformation in the look and feel of your lips. As you apply the Colour Elixir Lipstick, it actively moisturises and smoothes lips. Enjoy rich and gorgeous looking colour on smooth, beautiful lips!
*vs bare lips "

About the Product in General;

It is in a normal squared gold lipstick tube, which gives it a very classic look.  The lipstick inside comes in the normal lipstick shape, i.e. the teardrop shape.  At the bottom of the tube it indicates the shade of the lipstick, however do not trust that when it comes to buying these lipsticks; always test it as colour varies and sometimes even its finish varies from one lipstick shade to another, such as it may be more shimmery or is matte.  The product comes in various shades, which vary from country to country as one can note in for example the British Max Factor site and the Australian Max Factor Site.  

So does it live up to what Max Factor claims? 

The lipsticks do offer an 'instant fabulous colour' and come in a great variety of colours at that.  Not all are of the same consistency, some are more shimmery/frosty than others (e.g. Secret Cerise) while others do not have any shimmer at all (e.g. Pink Brandy).  When I use these lipsticks the shades really light up my face and give me a more fresher look.  It is important to point out that the colour of these lipsticks is very intense and not as transparent/sheer as the Revlon Lip Butters I have seen (although to be honest I haven't tried them yet, but I saw loads of pictures and videos on other blogs), even though they have a moisturising formula.

According to Max Factor, the lipsticks have a particular moisturising formula and yes it is true.  The instant I tried on one of these lipsticks my lips felt really moisturised and in my opinion I found them even more moisturising then my normal lip balms.  I have tried other lipsticks which didn't have such an instant moisturising effect as this one.  Usually after a couple of hours wearing my old lipsticks my lips would crack, which ended up ruining my whole look.  Luckily, these Max Factor Lipsticks do not chap my lips at all, which is why I have thrown away my old lipsticks and bought 4 of these babies.  

Max Factor also claims that this lipstick smoothes lips, which from personal experience I also agree with this statement as it isn't the first time that I didn't exfoliate my lips and went straight to putting on this lipstick even when I had a slight crack - the result my lips still looked smooth and not icky like when you would apply lipstick on slightly chapped lips with other brands.  

However, I would like to point out that these lipsticks do not have such a moisturising effect when one dabs a little on the lips for a very very slight pop of colour.  So to get the full moisturising effect you have to apply it as you would normally do with a lipstick.  

Now as one can note, Max Factor doesn't advertise these as long-lasting and in fact they aren't, they are pretty average when it comes to lasting power.  The colour doesn't last long, but if one applies a lip liner base before applying this lipstick then it will definitely last. 

Would I buy this again?

Of course, I have bought four in total - Secret Cerise, Pink Brandy, Chili & Sunbronze.  I always loved lipsticks, but my lips always chapped after 2-hours or so but with these my lips never get chapped and the colours are just amazing.  Also after a day wearing one of these lipsticks, the next day my lips would still feel moisturised even when the product has come off completely!

They are a bit pricey here in Malta as they are about 12Euros, but in my opinion I think they are worth every cent.  

Now below you will find a picture of me trying Secret Cerise, as I noticed it is not a very common colour to come-by.  As one can note it is a plum-pinkish colour and has a sort of frosty finish, which makes the lipstick very fun to wear.  (Note I am not wearing any lip liner)

Natural Lips

Wearing Secret Cerise

I hope you enjoyed this review and if you want me to provide you with more swatches of the shades I have I would be glad to oblige, just leave a comment ;D