Michael Fassbender - One of Hollywood's Finest!!

Fassbender in bloodbath '300'

One of Hollywood's finest alright (In every sense of the word) Michael Fassbender has a winning list of films behind him, some more controversial than others...

His latest film 'Shame' failed to get the oscar nod for a gripping complex performance from Fassbender who evocatively played the role of sex addict Brandon alongside Carey Mulligan. In the film his character, who has an inappropriate relationship with his sister, is both shocking, and complex, he is very believable in the role. The film has provoked mixed reactions due to the subject matter but it's standalone cast and direction by Steve Mc Queen ensures 'Shame' is all over every film-goers radar.

The actor's performance in 'Inglorious Bastards' was captivating, while his acting in 'Hunger' cemented his place in Hollywood. Fassbender's role as Magneto in 'X- men First Class' excited a lot of fans of the trilogy, he did the prequel and the role itself justice.

I interviewed Michael Fassbender at the 9th Annual Irish, Film and Television Awards.
From speaking to him briefly I found he was very charming and outgoing, he seems very down to earth and grounded with great skills as a versatile actor in this fickle world of fame. Surely this is a recipe for success?

Click here to listen to an exclusive interview with Michael Fassbender about his Haywire co-star Gina Carano and his Bromance with Brendan Gleeson

Michael Fassbender and myself @IFTA's 2012

'' Everything I put my name to and take part in, I want to be good. That's not saying it will always happen but I want to make bold choices. ''

- Michael Fassbender

Gina Carano wrestles Fassbender in a fight to the death in 'Haywire'

Check out the racy 'Haywire' fight scene for yourself, shot in The Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin City below:

xo L

Rockabilly Hair

Do you want hair reminiscent of a more glamorous era? Rockabilly hair is simple and fun to pull off and you can try it at home! The pin curl fringe reminds us of Vargas girls or Audrey Hepburn but with a modern twist. Adding retro make up (see doll make up blog entry) with a pretty dress or playsuit and Mac Lady Danger red lipstick and this look will be very unique and fun. Or team it with a headscarf! Make it your own.

My pin curl fringe

Firstly, put pantene mousse in damp hair and blow dry with volume.
Use a curling wand and select large sections of hair for a soft retro wave curl.

Select the front section of your hair an softly backcomb the underneath for 40 seconds. Use elnette hair spray as if you make a mistake or want to adjust the height/ size of your pin-curl the texture of the hair won't have a sticky consistency.

When the front section is looking fuller pin underneath using bobby pins. Stick to the colour of your hair when using clips, so if you have blonde/auburn hair use the blonde hair clips/pins/slides you find in the hair department at Boots pharmacy/ beauty store.



Spray the hair a good bit in order to retain the style and sleek look. You don't want stray hairs ruining the look.


*This look is perfect for those ladies who are growing out a side/full fringe or want to create a mini-fringe look on their forehead.


Happy styling Dolls! xo

To the side -the finished look

Rita Ora has arrived

My latest style crush is Rita Ora. Jay Z's protegee, signed to Roc Nation. Born in Kosovo but grew up in London, Rita Ora recently collaborated with DJ Fresh with 'Hot Right Now' which has been a massive success.

 Her energy and vivacious sense of dress are a winning combination. Ora names Gwen Stefani as her biggest influence, saying in an interview:

“Do you know how much I love that woman?I love everything about her".

Rita exudes the ultimate cool factor - her look screams the Fresh Prince of Bel Air meets Madonna of the 80's with an exotic retro glam vibe. Her look has an old school edge her styling can seem reminiscent of Rihanna in some respects - but Rita Ora is more relaxed and comfortable in the sense that she wears the eccentric quirky outfits they don't wear her. I don't believe that is where Ora draws her inspiration from, she follows her instincts in terms of fashion.

Rita Ora classes Jay Z's wife Beyonce Knowles as a major influence and a mentor, saying that both Knowles and Gwen Stefani are her two main role models and spoke of her admiration at being able to have Beyonce give her feedback on her debut album.

I will let this fashionista introduce herself:

This girl is going to be HUGE. Check out her latest single RIP with Tinie Tempah:

''Let my perfume soak into your sweater, you say you'll be here soon. Sooner the better...''

 

You can pick up these Marc Jacobs sunnies in Brown Thomas

This lady has sass and modesty. Check her out @ritaora on twitter

Rita looks flash embellished in chunky gold jewellery

The UK's competition for Rihanna? Maybe in the style stakes but their music is very different.

YouTube: http://smarturl.it/RitRIPiTYou

Blogs: http://smarturl.it/RitRIPiTBlg

Facebook: http://smarturl.it/RitRIPiTFB

Twitter: http://smarturl.it/RitRIPiTTw

Rita's Website: http://smarturl.it/RitRIPiTWb

Have your say... What do you think of Rita Ora?

A small bite of a big apple

I hope you enjoy my iphonography - the art of taking an artistic shot with your iphone and enhancing it.
Have a look at NYC through the lens of the iphone 4s.

Sunlight on fifth Avenue

Madison Park

Moonlight on Bleecker Street

On the Ferry to Ellis Island

A side profile of Lady Liberty

On top of the rock - Rockefeller Plaza

The tip of the Empire State Building

A quiet moment in NYC

xo L

Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2012

Translucent metallic fabrics, beehives with headscarves. 1920's Chicago style dresses, statement bags with pearly embellishment and calf length sheer socks. Neon and pastels surface in clashing forms. It's Gossip Girl meets sports luxe meets Broadway theatre - an orchestra of influences. Provocative, funky and classy combine. I'm not a fan of the pointy- toed footwear though. One model resembled a muted disco ball with eighties styling. The coats are all very Audrey Hepburn, in a modern context.

The opening and conclusion of the Marc Jacobs S/S 12 Catwalk show reiterate the idea of broadway, specifically the musical Chicago.

Overall, the sneakers were my most coveted item

What do you think?


xo

Doll- inspired make up

 For Irish ladies it's nice to embrace a trend that enhances our cailin-snowy appeal. I saw a beautiful girl the other day strolling down the street in a white mini dress with long shiny red hair and doll like make up, which is on every catwalk especially Versace and Miu Miu Spring/Summer 2012 and therefore in every magazine.
I'm talking about a fusion of Katy Perry meets a porcelain doll rather than your standard malibu Barbie make up application.

I attempted this look myself, for daytime and night time using a range of products listed below....

 Katy Perry eyelashes - Apply lashes when foundation has been applied and sealed.  Seal using translucent powder applied in gentle circular motions to create a matte finish. Use dashings of mascara to blend your eyelashes with your false strip lashes. Do not trim the length but the width if the lashes are too long for your eye bed.

 Mac Pro Longwear foundation - colour NC15 - also with SPF 10 to help protect your skin from harmful UV rays

Brown eyebrow pencil to enhance the colour and shape of the brow, if eyebrows are already dark clear mascara would suffice.

Clinique is the best in my opinion

 Use white eyeliner and white eye shadow on your eyelids to make your eyes look larger and to exaggerate the doll- like look. Bring it right into the corner of your eye.

This double ended pencil is my favourite as you can use the black pencil underneath your bottom lash line to frame the eye.

 Use black liquid eyeliner above your fake eyelashes and flick out at the end in a gentle motion - exaggerate by Rimmel is the most long lasting & easy to apply -

Outline your lips using Barry M pink lipliner and use the fuchsia lipstick or pink mac lipglass to complete the look.

Alas you are girlified for a coffee date with your friends or a night out!

L xo

The 9th Annual Irish Film and Television Awards

The most glamorous night of the year hit the Convention Centre in Dublin last night, the 9^th Annual Irish Film and Television Awards.

 I had the fantastic opportunity of covering the awards again this year and was thrilled to speak to the best and brightest in both the Irish and International Film Industry.  I caught up with Liam Cunningham, Dana Delany, Michael Fassbender, Fionnula Flanagan, Ruth Negga, Bressie, Ryan Tubridy, Charlene Mc Kenna and many more star’s who were enjoying the lavish ceremony. Sponsorship by Moet and Chandon champagne meant the stars were eager to dish out all their news, views and big aspirations for the future.


IFTA Chief Executive Áine Moriarty gushed: “In what has been a wonderful night of celebration for the Irish film and television industry, IFTA is delighted to announce the winners of the 9th Irish Film & Television Awards. Ireland’s film and television industry continues to punch above its weight in terms of production values, creativity and entertainment and the outstanding achievements of Irish directors, writers, actors, television and film makers has been showcased here this evening. Many congratulations to all of this year’s winners and nominees”, she said.

I spoke to the legendary Fionnula Flanagan about her passionate romance of thirty years, her outstanding career, lifetime achievement award and the fact that even though she starred in American TV drama LOST she doesn’t have a clue if they were dead the entire time! In addition, the actress won a second IFTA for her supporting role as Brendan Gleeson’s mam in ‘The Guard’.
Flanagan explained that her husband has been so supportive throughout her entire career and winning the IFTA for ‘Life time achievement’ has in no way slowed her down, she is busier than ever working with Pat Shortt on a new project.





Click here to hear the full interview: http://soundcloud.com/lauramullett/interview-fionnula-flanagan

Desperate Housewives actress Dana Delany flew in for the IFTAs and arrived in style in her black trailing Prada gown. Delany was originally asked to play the part of Bree Van De Camp which she turned down three times. She admits she did regret this afterwards but was enthusiastic about playing Katherine Mayfair, a versatile complex character. Her gripping performance earned her an Emmy nomination. Delany assured me that her and Katherine are polar opposites.





Love/Hate picked up a staggering number of awards on the night. The RTE crime drama scooped a total of seven statues. Love/Hate actors Aidan Gillen, Denise McCormack and Tom Vaughan Lawlor received IFTAs for Actor Lead TV Drama, Actress Support TV Drama and Actor Support TV Drama respectively, with the series’ seventh IFTA going to editor Isobel Stephenson.
I spoke to dynamic Love/Hate actress Ruth Negga who was wearing a stunning Joanne Hynes gown. The talented young lady who scooped up Best Actress told us working with Robert Sheehan previously on Misfits and now on Love/Hate is very “funny” and that “he brings a fantastic energy to the set”. Negga recently starred as Shirley Bassey in a biographical depiction of her life and as she strutted down the red carpet she certainly mirrored her idol.






Irish talent working on international projects fared well at this year’s Awards Ceremony with friends Michael Fassbender on hand to accept the IFTA for Actor Lead Film for his outstanding performance in Steve McQueen’s Shame and his good friend Bridesmaids star Chris O’Dowd was presented with the award for Best Supporting Actor Film. Fassbender has great faith in the Irish Film Industry and homegrown talent. I questioned him about the fantastic fight scene in Haywire, filmed in The Shelbourne Hotel, and what kind of training and preparation was involved. The actor described said his training from the film 300 really stood to him and that he really enjoyed that racy violent scene with co star Gina Carano.






Bressie was only too keen to quash speculation that he is ‘in a relationship’ as he brought his sister along to the ceremony. He admits that he has high hopes for all his acts on The Voice and even though it seems like he and Kian Egan are at at eachother’s throats on the Irish talent show it’s mostly banter. He hopes they will be “grabbing a few pints soon”.
Bressie denied that Kian is his secret Valentine and says he is very much on the market. He seemed genuinely taken aback by all the female attention he has received since The Voice hit our screens. “There are times when I have turned my chair around on the voice and I am surprised by the sexuality of the contestant! There are also times where I have wished my chair could do a 360 spin around”, Bressie divulged.





After a fantastic night at the IFTAs I’m holding my breath until 2013. I have no doubt we should all be very excited for this year’s Irish film and television releases.

Trends for Spring 2012

Well my fellow gossipers.... according to the Mayans this is the last year of our existence.. so we may as well go out with a bang when it comes to our styling!


Colour blocking is still on the catwalks, Marc Jacobs has his doll-like models sporting daring clashing numbers. I found a great high- street equivalent in Forever 21 - a magenta and orange short- sleeved blouse for 24 eur. Not bad considering it is suitable for both night time and casual wear.

But to tone down colour blocking and bring it back to suit you, pick colours that will complement your skin pallor and hair colour. For example, if you are a traditional cailin with ravishing red locks and a pale complexion emerald green blouses, or peachy- coral will look great. If you are raven haired with a medium- tanned complexion its better to go a little bit out there... safari colours with a strong primary colour thrown in such as a sandy or brown bodycon skirt, red/fuschia cropped t-shirt/ blouse (check out american apparel online) with yellow or colourful chunky accessories best found in Topshop or Penneys look fun and flattering for Spring.




Tapered high wasted trousers worn with this seasons wedges and splatterings of statement jewellery are a sexy but sophisticated way to go. Be all european and throw a beret on! They are really cute and keep your hair in place, and in windy weather that is a godsend. The hair/lipgloss combo is negative craic. And a little frustrating. With some pearls and a blazer you are ready to go! 

My beret from Miss Selfridge

My best fashion find this month was unrivalled by anything I have seen in a long time.

Do you know that feeling when you try on something and you feel a million euro? You feel slimmer or just plain old different. I found an adorable outfit in a vintage store in Dublin called 'Shotsy'.


 Click here to find 'Shotsy' vintage wear on facebook

This little green minidress I tried on had a built in shorts underneath and had that cute apron pattern I associate with those stepford-ish wives from the 40's.

My little green minidress is in fact a vintage swimsuit. And I have to say the ladies back then really had taste. Fashion seems inclined to come full circle. My new outfit is quite short by but with white opaque tights, grey tights or regulation black tights it is more porcelain doll- like than overtly too curve- skimming. It is versatile in daytime or for night time Sally Hansen Airbrush Tanning spray on your legs is an infamous favoured product by a lot of Irish ladies this weather.

Little did the previous owner think I would proudly don their swimwear for a night on the tiles! ;)

That's what makes vintage items so special.. each and every garment has a tale to tell. For those who only see clothes for the practical element I always want to shout from the rooftops why fashion is so important. Our style is an extension of our personality and therefore ourselves. Our little day-to-day choices about what we throw on our backs says a lot about us.

 For cute little playsuits and retro attire this Spring I would recommend four places in particular...

Click below to find these stores on Facebook: 

http://www.facebook.com/SundayGirlVintage

http://www.facebook.com/siopaella

http://www.facebook.com/ShotsyVintage

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fluorescent-Elephant/

xo

Kelly Kapowski - POW being the operative word.

In the 90's TV was unreal. It was so entertaining, particularly 'Saved By The Bell'.

Kelly Kapowski is without doubt the teen pin up for adolescent boys everywhere, crude facebook groups are endless in her honour. But is there something in the idea that next to Screech anyone looks hot? Or was this teenage girl the object of lust for a valid reason? Have your say..

In breaking news - the lovely Kelly has been immortalised on a t-shirt in Urban Outfitters. Brilliant.

You can wear Kelly for a mere 34.95 eur

This is the only time you will see retro Kelly with rolls on her stomach. When the stacking of a pile of t-shirts makes us wish the optical illusion were true! ;)

Patch up your wardrobe or floordrobe!

There is nothing better than taking something you wear,

not just casually - but an item you would jazz up for cocktails - and customizing it, while adding a little bit of pizazz.  

For example, a fawn playsuit I picked up in Urban Outfitters last season. I love wearing it as it's comfortable and a colour that complements red lipstick and pale skin. So I can throw it on with tights and an oversized cardi for college or add a pair of funky tights and high heels and head to a night club wearing it. But I felt it was a blank canvas. It was a staple piece of my overflowing floordrobe rather than wardrobe that I wanted to rejuvenate.

 So.... I decided to strategically apply some iron - on patches strategically around the pocket detailing. 

These patches remind me of when I was little and my Mam sowed some in my flared dark denim jeans. In the Spice Girl era I felt like Baby Spice with my super cool jeans funny how thirteen years later I have revisited this idea of my own accord. Style is a bit of a spinning wheel, trends reappear on the catwalks and the streets time and time again, except modified, like the 50's poodle skirt or tying your hair up with a patterned scarf. 

These patches cost under a fiver and not only are they easy to use but look seriously cute and you will be very proud of your handiwork. I used three patches all in varying colours and ironed them on following the foolproof instructions. I selected a rose pattern, a russian doll and an ice- cream. 

My Russian Doll patch

Retro rose tattoo patch

You scream for ice- cream patch

And here is what the finished job looked like & was completed in about 5 minutes. You can find these patches in Hickeys on Henry St. and other stores Nationwide.

Happy customizing! ;)