Finally, an artist/a voice totally worth the hype. So much has been written about Sam Smith, and most of that I agree with. After loving every collaboration he has been on as well as his wonderful "Stay With Me", I couldn't wait for his album to be released - and "The Lonely Hour" is out now in the UK.
I can't add anything to the praise he is receiving already, and I guess it is easy to tell that I love his music. My advice? Download, now.
But now stop reading, sit back and enjoy listening - this is pure joy for the soul.
Anyone who would listen knows how excited I was about the release of Maleficent, - and it seems I was far from the only one.
MAC brought out a limited edition colour collection inspired by Disney's iconic villain "in specially designed
packaging to delight the most demanding of dark sorceresses."
On the MAC website it is stated that Maleficent is "Intensely
admired for her evil elegance, despite her efforts to instill fear in
the hearts of generations, this icon casts a spell of absolute adoration
with sensuous shades so wickedly gorgeous, who needs beauty sleep?"
Stella McCartney launched "Maleficent by Stella McCartney Kids" back in April, and numerous make-up tutorials have popped up all over YouTube on how to recreate Maleficent's look.
(While I would love to look like Angelina Jolie, I am not sure where the Maleficent look would fit into my daily life?)
Now, on to The Review.
Spoiler Alert - before I begin, please don't read on if you would rather be kept in the dark about plot developments. I must comment though that the trailers more than hint at what to expect, and as an aside the film was nowhere near as dark as I expected.
The biggest surprise-that-wasn't: Maleficent isn't really evil. At all. King Stefan however is another story entirely, and his betrayal causes Maleficent great pain both physically and emotionally. She infamously curses his daughter Aurora at her christening, a curse that, interestingly, then everyone is trying to prevent from becoming true, and with everyone I mean Maleficent, too. Over the years Maleficent is literally watching over Aurora, and while she calls her "Beastie" and even tells a sweetly smiling baby Aurora "I hate you", her actions towards the girl (and, by the way, her raven "minion") show an increasing fondness and actually a total absence of evil on her part. However, a curse is a curse, and we all know what's going to happen, and I won't spell everything out for you. So instead I'll give you a summary of the pros and cons of this movie, this is my personal opinion so feel free to disagree. The Cons: Sorry, but the Scottish accent of King Stefan is both badly executed and unnecessary. Apparently South
African actor Sharlto Copley adopted a Scottish accent because he wanted his character to sound as
royal as possible (?). Hm. The three fairies - while the animated fairies entrusted with Aurora's safety were kind and sweet, the real life versions are just ditzy and seriously lack likeability and any emotional depth. In fact, you don't get a feeling that they care for Aurora very much at all. And, sadly, I was not very much convinced by Elle Fanning's portrayal of sweet, beautiful Aurora. Nothing wrong with it so much as that I felt it was all a little too bland. The Pros: The action scenes of various battles I found to be an unexpected and very entertaining bonus. I have also heard criticism of the "over the top" visuals, but personally I loved that The Moors were elaborately depicted as a truly enchanted fairy kingdom, Maleficent flying across the land and into the sky made me want to have wings and anyway, this whole film is based on a fairytale, so it gets a "yes please" from me to as much over-the-top visuals as you can squeeze into 90-odd minutes. (Along the same lines, I loved Stardust - if you do "fairytale", do FAIRYTALE - I don't want realism's nitty-gritty or elegant restraint) And last and above all, Angelina Jolie. Admittedly, her enormous wings and unusual horns certainly help, but her performance alone commands a screen presence that makes it difficult, literally, to take your eyes off her. You may be surprised who saves Aurora and breaks the enchantment with true love's kiss. Verdict: Genuinely moving and a feast for your eyes - enjoy! Stars: 3.9 / 5
There are few film releases that have excited me as much in recent months as Maleficent, due out on the 28th May.
Disney's classic "Sleeping Beauty" was one of my favourite childhood movies, and Aurora's nemesis Maleficent frankly absolutely terrified me.
Even from an adult perspective, not being invited to a royal christening may be disappointing, but Maleficent turns up anyway (rude), eerily polite, and points out how awkward the situation is. Well, obviously. Not only that, she bestows the worst, and also most elaborate, christening gift ever - a curse so that before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, princess Aurora will "prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die!" - now that is incredibly rude. So, to explain the background to Maleficent's irrational behaviour, Disney has gone through the trouble of making a film about it. Starring Angelina Jolie in the starring role - result: I literally cannot wait!
The
untold story of Disney's villain from
"Sleeping Beauty" goes something like this - a beautiful, pure-hearted young woman with stunning
black wings, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable
forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army of humans threatens
the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the
land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless
betrayal - an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone.
Bent on
revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the king of the humans
and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora.
As the
child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in
the kingdom - and to Maleficent's true happiness as well.
Sounds like a Happy Ending for all? Only One way to find out!
Did I mention I can't wait? Also, just as an aside, I can't help being reminded of Dolce & Gabbana's Autumn/Winter 2014/2015 ready-to-wear collection - all fairy-tale forests, knights and mystery:
I'll post my review of Maleficent here as soon as possible.
P.S.: My favourite quote from Sleeping Beauty (and oh so true, always): Merryweather: It looks awful. Fauna: That's because it's on you, dear.
There was no question who would feature on today's YouTube Week finale - Lisa Eldridge is the queen of online make-up tutorials.
Lisa Eldridge is a make-up artist who has worked with everyone, and with that I mean - Everyone.
You may not realize it but you have seen her work numerous times on the pages of the world’s leading fashion magazines including Vogue, Glamour, Allure, ELLE and Harper's Bazaar. She has worked with designers like Prada, Donna Karan, Moschino, Lancome and Chloe for their advertising campaigns and runway shows.
I don't think there is a famous photographer left that she hasn't worked with (Mario Testino, Patrick Demarchelier and Rankin to name but a few) and her celebrity and model clientele include Kate Moss, Emma Watson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Cate Blanchet, Liv Tyler, Keira Knightley... the list seems endless. She has of course appeared on TV as the resident beauty expert on ‘Ten Years Younger –
The Challenge’. Lisa Eldridge has a beautiful, award winning website and was the first highly-successful professional make-up artist to create online make-up tutorials for her site and YouTube. Her videos were the first to feature a professional studio white
background and lighting, and have become the benchmark for online make-up
tutorials.
Her video tutorials are an absolute delight to watch. With all of Lisa's credentials and experience, she is never, ever condescending or patronising, sharing her insider knowledge instead with charm and understanding.
While Lisa's voice is so calm and soothing I could listen to it on a loop, you really can learn a lot about application techniques and, if you wish, how to recreate the various looks she has chosen for her many celebrity clients.
What I probably love most about her is that she makes everyone she works with so very beautiful, she really brings out the best features in a face and very often, when you look at the finished "Look", you actually forget about the make-up and just see a beautiful person. Now that is art.
On my improbable wishlist: Having my make-up done, once, by the wonderful Lisa Eldridge. Or, even better, have Lisa as my BFF. A woman can dream!
On this glorious Saturday, and nearing our YouTube Week finale, let's turn our attention to another beauty blogger who makes absolutely lovely videos about beauty and fashion with the occasional vlog thrown in - Lily Pebbles.
The Blurb: "Weekly beauty videos every Thursday!" (We notice that the blurbs often tend to be short and to the point. That's ok we say, just go straight to watching their videos)
Our Verdict: Lily Pebbles knows her make-up related stuff and we like her fashion style and choices. Our favourites are her occasional "Dupes" videos ("Alternatives" for us Brits - see her latest below) which are always well thought-out and, like all her videos, beautifully shot and presented. Lily mixes luxury brands with highstreet/drugstore without being either snobby or apologetic about it (while she admits she prefers high end foundations, in her April favourites for instance she recommends Nars Sheer Glow, she has gone to some lengths finding one in Boots or Superdrug that she may like just as much. I don't think she was successful)
Lily Pebbles' videos, while easy to watch, are of high quality, and while Lily is likeable and friendly, she always comes across as professional and as someone whose opinion on all things beauty products-related we would trust implicitly.
To visit Lily Pebbles' YouTube channel click here.
Thank Goodness it's Friday - and, quite frankly, as the prospect of the weekend puts me in a very cheerful mood, there are few YouTubers that, for me, guarantee a genuinely fun time watching their videos, and the ideal choice for Friday therefore has to be Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter.
The Blurb: "NEW VIDEOS EVERY SUNDAY AND SOMETIMES A CHEEKY BONUS MIDWEEK. WOAH PONY, THAT'S EXCITING. Aloha! I love beauty, babies (particularly mine) and shopping. Come on in, the water's fine" I think this prepares you better than anything I could say for what's to come ;)
Our Verdict: If there was a Happy Pill in the format of a YouTube video, this is it. SprinkleofGlitter is not a comedy channel, and on here you do find "the usual" - fashion and beauty hauls, seasonal lookbooks etc., - but Louise is one of those rare gems of people that could literally describe herself going to the hairdresser and it would be funny. In addition, her videos are lovely to look at, she does in some of her chatty videos tackle more serious issue (body confidence, self harming to name but two) but the overall vibe is upbeat and self deprecating.
While becoming increasingly popular with her growing YouTube audience and blog, Louise still has that "it's just me and my camera" attitude about her that made you watch her in the first place which makes her amongst other established YouTubers a real breath of fresh air (sorry, it's Friday and spring and the sun is shining...)
My all time favourite video is Louise's make up tutorial "How to look AVERAGE!" - get ready:
BritishBeautyBlogger aka Jane Cunningham is someone who has been a beauty writer for many years and writes a beautiful to look at, straight-to-the-point and informative beauty blog. (To visit her blog click here)
The Blurb: "Beauty. Nothing else. You can find me at Britishbeautyblogger.com or on Instagram and Twitter @britbeautyblog."
Our Verdict: As a real beauty industry insider, Jane Cunningham reviews products before they're even out to buy. Again, it seems that it doesn't matter how many products she gets for free (and she seems to get a lot), she is very frank about which products worked for her and which ones didn't. Maybe because her blog is her own and she doesn't have to think of advertisers like a magazine, her reviews sound like a friend telling you about a new product that she (or he?) tried and thought was great, or disappointing, or great value . . . rather than the blurbs in magazines that somehow always praise new products in their columns without referring to actually having tested them.
Because Ms Cunningham has pointed this out herself, I would like to mention that she does not fall into the 20-25 age range, a fact that in my humble opinion is a bonus here. She has been in the industry for years, tried many, many products, still has great enthusiasm yet knows what she talks about and has a keen eye for quality "beyond the hype". You just can't buy experience.
Personally, I love her Chanel collectibles video, - get ready to swoon:
To watch her weekly favourites on YouTube, click here. P.S.: I highly recommend you visit her blog, too. Here Jane reviews the odd book too, in her refreshingly witty and original style, and tells of her recent experience with internet trolls after doing an article for dailymail. Like everything she writes well worth a read.
Just the right thing for the middle of the week, - a bit like a quick catch up with a good friend, where you feel just that bit better afterwards. I think this is in part due to Barbara's soothing voice and natural presentation.
The Blurb: There isn't one, - unless you count " Barbara. 20 years young. Student. Shopaholic" (and I think this one is a bit outdated).
Our Verdict: ThePersianbabe is unpretentious, honest and entertaining. Barbara is a university student (I think she studies for a Master of Pharmacy, am not absolutely sure though) who loves fashion and makeup without obsessing over it. You get a feeling it is - as for so many of us - a bit of fun, as well as meeting up with friends, going out and general life, not the focus of life itself. Not finding the right shade of eyeliner is not going to bring her down in a flood of tears, and in a YouTube world of beauty channels where young women seem to spend their lives hunting for the newest It product that will make their lives perfect, ThePersianbabes attitude is refreshing and healthy.
At the same time, Barbara manages to do all this without giving away too much about her personal life. We do see her sister and YouTube friend Shirley in some videos, she does talk about her upcoming exams and her experiences with Roaccutane, but she does so without revealing too much - and nowadays this deserves quite a bit of respect.
So if you enjoy watching personal fashion and beauty recommendations by an intelligent, charming YouTuber then give ThePersianbabe a go - to go to her channel simply click here.
You may well know our Youtuber choice for today - Fleur Bell writes a successful beauty and lifestyle blog and has won, amongst other prizes, Cosmopolitan's "Best Vlogger" Award 2013. She currently has over a million subscribers for her Youtube channel Fleur de Force.
The Blurb: Fleur De Force is one of the most successful beauty and fashion bloggers
in the UK. She started making videos on YouTube in September 2009, and
has been building her global audience ever since. Her YouTube videos
currently attract 4-5 million views per month, and her blog has over
100,000 unique visitors per month and between all of her sites she has a
combined view count of over 130,000,000.
Our Verdict: Fleur's videos are not only very pretty to look at, well edited (you realise this when you watch a few badly edited ones by other YouTubers) and upbeat, we generally love her fashion sense as she shares our passion for Zara and stylish but affordable (never cheap) clothes. Most importantly, we believe her. She always declares very honestly what she likes and why, and if she receives anything for free she mentions this along a frank review that doesn't rave about a product just because she "got it for free".
Also, and the importance of this shouldn't be underestimated by other YouTubers who find themselves becoming increasingly popular, while Fleur is upbeat, she still comes across as real and genuine. No frantic handwaving with sickly-sweet "Hiiiiii"s screeched at the top of her voice, and no fake hilarity. She is human, she gets the flu, and she doesn't pretend she loves every single member of her audience personally. We respect her for that.
What we do get is a lovely young woman who acts her age (24 is not the new 12 - could that please be passed on to some ever more juvenile YouTube gurus, please?) and very professionally reviews beauty products, presents her recent fashion finds (her accessories are always spot on) and occasionally vlogs about her life - and yes, it is worth vlogging about. To visit Fleur's channel click here, to visit her blog click here.
What better way to start the week than with an energizing workout? Good intentions anybody? (Start as you mean to go on . . . did I just think and write that?) In our Youtube countdown this week, number 7 is the channel BeFit by Lionsgate.
The Blurb: Get high-quality, free workouts on BeFit! Transform your body and
workout with top fitness trainers Jillian Michaels, Denise Austin, Jane
Fonda and more. Slim your waistline, tighten and tone your arms and get a
great butt for free. Are you ready to be fit? Subscribe for updates and
transform yourself today with BeFit, exclusively on YouTube.
Our Verdict: There seems to be something for everybody, whether you're into yoga, aerobics, pilates, a beginner or quite advanced and just looking for motivation - you name it, BeFit probably has something you may like. You can look for short workouts when you only have 10 minutes to spare, or do a full length session if you can't (don't want to) make it to the gym. So basically, as much as we would sometimes want to, there is no excuse for not working out. Whether you're travelling, stuck at home with a sick kid, there's a hurricane outside preventing you from going for a run - as long as you have Wifi, connect to BeFit on YouTube and away you go / exercise. To get you into a more toned, fitter body ready for the bikini (not long before summer now) just spare less than 30 minutes a day for Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred and watch your body transform:
BeFit now also offers BeFit GO, a new total body-conditioning circuit series that is optimized for your mobile device. This means you can take your
workout routines with you on the go (have we mentioned "no excuses" already?) These circuit exercises are designed to burn fat while strengthening the core, and sculpting lean definition throughout the abs,
arms, chest, back, legs, butt, and shoulders. "Whether you are at home,
at work, at the gym, or in the park, you will never be too far away from
your goals."
There is much that has been, or could be, and no doubt will be written about Youtube.
Whatever its critics say, one can't deny the fact that the sheer variety of content offers such a wide choice of entertainment that is unrivalled, anywhere. Gamers, cooks, comedians, beauty and lifestyle vloggers, musicians, critics, - you name it, amateurs and professionals of any given subject can make videos and upload them, and you can watch "on demand" whenever it suits you. Doing the dishes or sorting the laundry has never been so much fun. Forget daytime TV, for a quick-fix of boredom relieving ten minutes of entertainment, Youtube is a good bet. Starting Monday, we will choose a daily personal favourite from the Youtube universe. Hope you enjoy!
P.S.: Choosing "The favourite Seven" was not easy, so here is a little cheat video that was not included in our top seven for no other reason than that the cut had to be made somewhere. However, there's no denying that Grace Helbig's sense of humour, however inappropriate (and so often you just know you really shouldn't laugh), does exactly what it's supposed to: makes you smile.
Ok so ever since "Easy A" we liked Emma Stone, a lot. But her appearance on The Tonight Show put her right at the top for us. If you haven't seen her lip sync battle with Jimmy Fallon yet, then yes this is a must - all 7:26 minutes of it. If you don't want her as your new best friend after that, noone can help you.
See what we mean? Not only is she really, really good (and FAST!), we hadn't heard the song "Hook" by Blues Traveler before, the lyrics of which are actually genius (yes they're very fast, so here goes): It doesn't matter what I say
So long as I sing with inflection
That makes you feel I'll convey
Some inner truth or vast reflection
But I've said nothing so far
And I can keep it up for as long as it takes
And it don't matter who you are
If I'm doing my job then it's your resolve that breaks
Because the Hook brings you back
I ain't tellin' you no lie
The Hook brings you back
On that you can rely
There is something amiss - I am being insincere
In fact I don't mean any of this, still my confession draws you near
To confuse the issue I refer to familiar heroes from long ago
No matter how much Peter loved her, what made the Pan refuse to grow
Was that the Hook brings you back - I ain't tellin' you no lie
The Hook brings you back. On that you can rely
Suck it in suck it in suck it in
If you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn
Make a desperate move or else you'll win
And then begin to see
What you're doing to me this MTV is not for free
It's so PC it's killing me
So desperately I sing to thee of love
Sure but also of rage and hate and pain and fear of self
And I can't keep these feelings on the shelf
I've tried well no in fact I lied
Could be financial suicide but I've got too much pride inside
To hide or slide
I'll do as I'll decide and let it ride until I've died
And only then shall I abide this tide
Of catchy little tunes
Of hip three minute diddys
I wanna bust all your balloons
I wanna burn all your cities to the ground
I've found I will not mess around
Unless I play then hey
I will go on all day. Hear what I say
I have a prayer to pray
That's really all this was
And when I'm feeling stuck and need a buck
I don't rely on luck because The Hook brings you back
I ain't tellin' you no lie. The Hook... On that you can rely
Emma Stone, all you do is win, we love you! Our hands are in the air and stayin' up.
Our Verdict: There seems to be something for everybody, whether you're into yoga, aerobics, pilates, a beginner or quite advanced and just looking for motivation - you name it, BeFit probably has something you may like. You can look for short workouts when you only have 10 minutes to spare, or do a full length session if you can't (don't want to) make it to the gym. So basically, as much as we would sometimes want to, there is no excuse for not working out. Whether you're travelling, stuck at home with a sick kid, there's a hurricane outside preventing you from going for a run - as long as you have Wifi, connect to BeFit on YouTube and away you go / exercise.
