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

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.

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

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

If I ...

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

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

ASOS CURVE Jersey Top with Chiffon Sleeves Review

I bought this top more than a month ago, which is why I have the black version which is now sold out.  ASOS CURVE Jersey Top with Chiffon Sleeves

Colour: Currently the only colour available is the deep red.  I have the black version of this, so I cannot comment on the deep red one.

Material: Now this top has a combination of two materials.  It has a chiffon material on the sleeves which is quiet thick when considering it is chiffon, but still it is very comfy.  The rest of the top is made from viscose, which is stretchy and so one can risk taking a different size than their usual size since it stretches.

Style:  It is simple but yet fashionable.  The detail on the front is quiet cute.  I personally don't like frills but I find the detail on this top quiet tasteful, which in my opinion makes the top more versatile.  The sleeves are see-through as can be seen in the picture.  However, in my case the collar area seemed lower than as shown on the model. 

Fit: It is true to size, but due to being quiet stretchy one can play around with sizes but obviously one has to take into account their body shape.  The sleeves looked longer on me, but the end sleeve detail is quiet tight and so the sleeves didn't look frumpy but fashionable. Lenght-wise, the top is neither too short not too long, so covers the hip area nicely.  

Conclusion: This top is ideal for night outs, but if paired with certain pieces it can look quiet elegant such as if worn under a suit or blazer it would be good for work-wear or if one wears it with a tight pencil skirt or high waisted pants it would look great as lounge-wear.  As I said the top is very versatile, so it is up to you to use your fashion creativity.  My only disappointment with this top as again it doesn't come in a large variety of colours, lucky me I got the black one and all I can say is that this top will definitely be used well by me. 

Dear Asos,

After looking at the Asos Curve selection of dresses, I feel disappointed.  Although the dresses are gorgeous, not many in my opinion are flattering on a plus-size girl.  The great majority are too short and many plus-size women have huge thighs and would like them to be covered, even if one wears leggings they still wouldn't be very flattering.  Other dresses have high-waist details and girls with guts cannot wear such dresses as they wouldn't help to emphasise the good part of our curves but emphasise our flaws.
The following dresses are from the normal Asos selection which I think should be included in the Asos Curve catalog as these would be extremely flattering on the great majority of plus-size girls;
1. ASOS Midi Dress With Full Skirt

2. ASOS Pencil Dress with Square Neck

3. ASOS Midi Dress with Ruched Panels

4. ASOS Peterpan Collar Dress with Puffed Shoulders

5. ASOS Wrap Dress with Ruched Front

6. ASOS Midi Dress With Belt

7. ASOS Wrap Dress in Ponti Pencil

I have chosen these as some of the designs have ruching, which helps in hiding flaws and emphasise one's curves and which unfortunately not many dresses in the Asos Curve section have a lot of ruching detail.  Also I included a couple of midi-dress designs as a lot of dresses on Asos Curve are short and don't go beyond the knees.
Feel free to comment on whether you disagree or agree with these choices ;D

Before getting a new pet.

Throughout my life, my little sister has brought a variety of animals into our house, ending up not lasting with us for a long time either because she is not capable of taking care of them or because they have escaped.  Fortunately we are lucky that our dog is a great match with our lifestyle and has been with us for already 7 years and hopefully for a 100 more years as he is very dear to us.

I decided to write this post to maybe be able to educate and help readers to decide and choose the ideal pet for them. 

Before we got our dog, we did a lot of research on his breed and after finding a reputable breeder we finally got him.  Unfortunately our breeder wasn't the reputable, she had neutered the dog without telling us and gave him to us within less than a month after his birth and we didn't know that he was that young and could have easily died, if we hadn't taken great care of him.  So my first advice would be check the breeder well and also if possible talk to previous customers as well as they would be your best source.

However, before choosing a reputable breeder choose the breed well to see if it matches your lifestyle well. I suggest websites such as wikipedia which maybe helpful, however as many know wikipedia isn't t your best source as users can go and change entries whenever they want.  Therefore wrong information may be found. 

Also recently I have been watching a program on the Animal Planet Channel, called Dogs 101 and it has another one called Cats 101 and Pets 101.  Both shows talk about almost every breed out there of cats and dogs and other pet varieties and point out the features of such animals, such as their temper, the best environment for such breeds to live in, their health problems and so on; which is very helpful and it is correct as it practically nailed every pro and con of my dog's breed.  So how can you find these videos?  You don't need to have the channel, if you google or just go on youtube and type Cats 101 or Dogs 101 or Pets 101 (depending on what you are looking for) and also the specific breed you have in mind and you can easily find a video from the program of the breed you searched for. 

The series makes out a valid statement in every program they air, i.e. that not all dogs or cats from a certain breed will follow the points they mention on such breed throughout the program, there are always exceptions to the rule.  This doesn't mean it is a bad thing, if for e.g. breed X normally lives up to 10 years, it doesn't mean your dog won't live for up to 20 years if it is given the correct diet.  The same reasoning can be applied to other aspects such as temperament.  However, in regards to the grooming criteria I feel there cannot be exceptions to this rule.

And one final point, don't be deterred from what people say about certain breeds, such as pitbulls or bulldogs.  It is people who make such breeds behave like monsters, in reality they aren't monsters. If you treat such animals well and train them and don't provoke them, then they won't harm you and others. This video shows clearly my point;

Hope you found my post helpful in deciding in what pet you are going to get.  It is a great pity that people get pets and end up abandoning them or harming them because they are not capable of taking care of them.

How to look like a celeb - Kate Middleton edition

Kate Middleton or, as she is now officially known as, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; has become a fashion icon.  She keeps everything classy and chic.  Her looks are very easy to achieve without the need to break the bank and which are all available for us plus-size girls.

1. Kate wore a green silk Diane von Furstenberg dress during her California visit.  The only dress I found which looked very similar is this ASOS CURVE Ruched Waist Shift Dress.  Unfortunately it doesn't come in the same amazing green colour, but it does have the same exact style.  Another similar dress, is the Next Teal Jersey Wrap Dress (do not have a pic sorry), it is closer to the dress's original color, but ,unlike the original, it is a v-neck dress.

 

 

2.   Kate clearly loves Jenny Pachkam's dresses as she has been seen wearing many of her desings. The most similar in pattern and colour palette I could find is this Evans Floral Prom Dress. It is also quiet similar in style, but it doesn't have the slight freely sleeves as the original.

3.  This Malene Birger dress was worn by Kate during her Canada visit.  I couldn't find an exact match, but this Eucalyptus Shift Dress from Debenhams is very similar.  It doesn't come with sleeves and there is slight difference in colour.

4.   Kate's royal blue engagement dress, has became a hit worldwide and I think it is now one of the most memorable looks of this decade.  At Yours one can find the same exact dress at a fraction of the original price -> Blue Cross Over Dress.

5.  The Joseph Dress Kate wore, is ideal for a special occassions during the summer.  This ASOS CURVE Midi Dress is the closest I could find, it comes in the same exact style but the color isn't the same as the original.  However, it is on sale so it makes up for not being in Cream ;P

6. For a more casual look I decided to find a similar dress to the Issa bird-print dress Kate wore recently in Canada.  The New Look Inspire Range have two very similar dresses to Kate's, however none of them come in the bird print.  These are the Inspire Floral Tea Dress & the  Inspire Spotty Jersey Dress.

I hope you enjoyed my finds, feel free to post similar plus-size dresses to the one's shown.  You can also post pictures of outfits you would like me to find for you.

Blake Lively please learn how to cry! - Green Lantern Review

I just saw the new Green Lantern movie and I came out with mixed feelings about this movie, apart from the fact that I cannot understand the fuss about Blake Lively.

Story

The story line is easy to follow not too complicated, but personally I didn't find it gripping enough, i.e. it doesn't make you want to know more  about the story and keeps you guessing.  I personally like complicated movies and movies with unexpected twists, so this is probably why I didn't find the story that interesting. 

Acting and Characters in the movie

Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan; As always I find Ryan Reynolds doing a great job, although I was expecting more from him after seeing him in movies like Smokin Aces and Definately, Maybe.  But, over-all he did a good job and made the character likable and so he achieved the aim perfectly and I also found him to look a lot a like how Hal Jordan is portrayed in the comics, so looks-wise they were spot on.  On a different note, I would have looked more shirtless scenes from him :p

 

Blake Lively as Carol Ferris;  I have never seen Gossip Girl, but I did see the Sister Hood of the Travelling pants movies and didn't find her that bad, average when it comes to acting.  In this movie she was again average, which personally I felt a character like Carol Ferris required a stellar performance not an average performance.  In fact I don't know how she bet Eva Green, who is a fabulous actress!  She cannot even cry properly!  I laughed at the two instances where her character was supposed to cry. 

Peter Sarsgaard as Dr Hammond; I was disappointed with Peter's performance, as I found the villain he portrayed as extremely annoying and imo villains aren't supposed to be boring, but interesting.  I'm not sure if it was the directors who required him to act like this, but he left me disappointed especially after seeing such performances in An Education, Jarhead and Garden State.

Mark Strong as Sinestro; I wished that his character had more screen-time.  I felt Strong was under-used in the movie.  P.S. For those who don't remember him he was in Kick-ass, The Young Victoria and Sherlock Holmes.

Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan as Tomar-Re and Kilowog; they did the voice-over and I cannot complaining, their voices fit perfectly their characters.

Direction and Location

 

The great majority of the location is CGI, the CGI effects in regards to scenery were pretty good, but sometimes they did feel cheesy, but were still good.  How the movie was filmed and lightning etc... it was good and as colours go it fit well with the movie's tone.

Soundtrack

The movie didn't have much of a soundtrack, which could be noticed, so cannot comment on this.

Who should watch this?

According to a friend of mine, unlike other superhero movies it follows the comics well and so comic lovers would probably like this.  Also I think it is ideal for teens, as there is no nudity and if I recall no swearing either, just some action scenes, which weren't too bloody either.   

Conclusion

I wouldn't watch it again, as I expected it to be better.   It was an ok movie, but would have been better if I rented it rather than watched it at the cinema. It felt like as if the movie was missing something, I don't know what it is but I think who saw this movie also felt this.  I would rate it 3 out of 5.  Btw, when the movie ends, I suggest you sit through the credits as you might miss something out (although I doubt they will be making a sequel as it happened to The Golden Compass).  If they make a sequel I hope they replace Blake Lively as she clearly needs to take more acting/crying lessons. 

Feel free to add your thoughts and I hope you enjoyed this review.

Thought of the day

So, lately I was thinking to myself about how on many shows, movies and stories, you have a magical being, such as a genie, fairy, witch, etc... who'll grant you 3 wishes.  How come no one ever wished to have an unlimited number of wishes?!

Emma Watson; What were you thinking?

So I just read an article on Emma Watson's tough struggle in trying to handle both a University life and a career; which she eventually failed miserably at as her career won.

I'm all for education as I am a student myself and even Miss Watson in her latest interview on Vogue.  

In this interview Emma discusses how she struggled with juggling her career and her education and she eventually dropped out of Brown because of work and how she wished she could continue in her education, bla bla bla.

The girl should just shut up;  if she wanted an education she should have either;

1. put her career on hold - In her interview she referred to James Franco and how he helped her.  The thing is, Franco as far as I know isn't involved in a billion dollar franchise, as she is, and so I would have been slightly easier for him to handle.
2. waited for the Harry potter films to end and then went to university.  There is no age limit for education, so she could have went later in life.
3. while still at university, apart from being still involved in acting I wouldn't have added another burden, ie modelling gigs. It's one thing when you can barely keep up with both acting and education and it is another thing when while you yourself are finding it extremely difficult to keep up then you stupidly add another 'career'.

I don't mind that she actually tried to juggle jobs, etc... but it's not like she was low on cash (she has millions in her bank account) unlike other students who have to take up loans and still pay even after they graduated. She could afford putting her career on hold.  Taking Natalie Portman as an example; when she was studying she wasn't involved in many projects and wasn't doing that many magazine covers and appearances, she kept the right balance of work and study.  

Emma Watson was being too ambitious and trying to impress everyone that she is like her character Hermoine, unfortunately unlike Hermoine she doesn't have a magic watch thingy.  Emma failed and instead of trying to blame her bosses she should blame her self and just shut up; the more she talks the more stupider she sounds and the more she shows she was only admitted to Brown University because of her money.  People would have been more impressed if she actually finished school and not dropped out.

Emma dear, you don't impress anyone by looking too ambitious and then falling flat on your bum for failing, because you are a famous actress earning more than what 50 million people put together earn doesn't make you a super being, we are all still human at the end of the day irrelevant of socials status and income.

Arriva! Arriva!

Within less than a month, Arriva will start operating on our small islands.  They have sent brochures and created a site/journey planner for us Maltese to help understand the new system better.  Well, from what I could get it is a recipe for disaster!

1. The fares - they are too expensive to begin with, when one takes into account the average income of a Maltese worker. For about 1.3 Euro 2-hour ticket, when compared to an average price of 47 - 58 cents for an average trip it's quiet expensive, if one is going to stay longer than two hours at their desired place.  The day ticket is a very good buy and also the saver cards.  
2. Saver cards - I am personally looking forward for the saver cards as I hate it that every time I have to search in my purse to pay the fare, in fact my purse is now heavy not because I have a lot of money (I wish) but because I have loads of 1 and 2 euro cents!  However, I find that the saver cards programme needs improvement, firstly from what I could understand (please feel free to correct me) if is Maltese and has a saver card on Malta it cannot be used in Gozo and it applies the same vice-versa; which I personally feel it is stupid especially when taking into account Gozitan workers/students/users who commute frequently to Malta would either have to buy a separate card or a ticket since one cannot use their card.  Also these cards cannot be used at night, so again if one decides to go out the card is useless to have to cough up the money; while in England the Oyster card (which is more or less the British equivalent to our new Arriva saver Cards) don't make such distinction at all!
3. The routes -  the direct routes from several areas in Malta to Mater Dei/University, have been removed, which I find it is an idiotic move from Arriva's part.  If these routes weren't used so frequently I would understand Arriva's decision to remove them, but it isn't the case!  These routes are usually the one's which end up with people standing up due to being used by a lot of people!  Also certain routes have now become longer, such as the one from Valletta to Cirkewwa, which now is going to pass through Bugibba, so that's an extra 15 minutes on the trip at least.  Also many villages according to people's comments seem to be excluded from Arriva's timetables, so it isn't that much of a good news.Also those routes which were left as they were seem to be much more infrequent, then they used to now.

So, my prediction, it doesn't look good.  My main concern is with the routes, Arriva in their brochure advertised that it added a lot of new routes, when in reality it remove a lot of important routes and made such trips more infrequent, which will lead to a lot of people standing up on buses due to resulting in a lot of people waiting to catch the same bus, due to lack of different routes.  The current routes, from my experience, were perfect for the needs of the public, the only thing which they needed was to be more frequent and be punctual.   Arriva, in my opinion, hasn't clearly tried to understand the actual needs of the Maltese consumer and didn't carry out any proper analysis of our current situation otherwise they wouldn't have come up with such stupid routes!  The system may have worked for the English or in other European states, but it won't work here.

The current system isn't that bad, if only our government bothered to train our bus drivers properly and provide with newer air-conditioned buses and more frequent routes, we would have a purely LOCAL bus service to be proud of and we wouldn't have needed a foreign company to interfere in something where they clearly didn't carry out enough research!

"Snap Out of IT" Lady Gaga

I have been for a long time debating with myself whether to post something about Gaga and now that I heard her latest single "Judas", I decided that I had to say something.

During the beginning of her career I was a huge fan of hers, her songs were fun and catchy (even though their lyrics were quiet ...).  Everything changed for me, from when she did the Paparazzi video and those after it.  The videos started to creep me out and were becoming darker and darker, from suicidal models to poisioning the gorgeous Alexander Skarsgård in Paparazzi; killing a guy in Bad Romance, poisoining a whole restaurant of people in Bad Romance (the only good thing about that video was borrowing Tarantino's prop - yes I am a Tarantino fan), creating a sort of Communist place where Gaga is controlloing a bunch of hot gay Hitlers (sans the mini moustache) and seeing throughout the video what resembles a heart with thorns (similar to that of Jesus Christ) in Aljeandro, and giving birth to something absolutely weird in Born this way and now we have Judas.

The timing seems to be perfect since it is Easter and the song refers to some events which led to many of us celebrating Easter; hopefully this won't become an official Easter song.

I admit I did read a bunch of articles on Lady Gaga being part of the Illuminati, but I'm not goign to go into this as I have mixed feelings about this, although the more time passes the more I am beleiving such articles.  Anyway the one thing which is evidently clear is that in these last 3 singles of hers she has made great reference to Catholic saints and symbols and now I am getting fed up of it.  Yes, I am Catholic I don't agree with everything with the church does and did, but yes I am a beleiver and now I am feeling offended, especially becuase of such 'usage' she is earning more money at the expense of us Catholics.

My point is, she needs to stop this, apart from offending Catholics, the act is now getting boring and predictable and also many of us are experiencing dejavu (remember Madonna?).  She doesn't need to mention and refer to such saints, etc... in her songs, they are unnecessary and such songs can still be hits without such references.  And I know some of you may argue that she has the right to her freedom of speech, but well personally I wouldn't I have minded if she did it once, but now that it is becoming more repatative and now I think she is abusing such right.

So please Lady Gaga snap out of it, you are better than that!