Reasons Why the 80's Are Golden

1) The Music

Cast aside the fact that I’m in love with five horribly manufactured idiots who go by the name of One Direction, I pretty much shy away from a lot of top 40 music. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pop song! Who wants to sing to James Blunt or any other melancholy singer out there in the shower? Not me! I want to wake up feeling like P-Diddy. I want to wear animal print pants on patrol. And chains and whips definitely excite me (just kidding, Mum if you’re reading this – Rihanna said it not me!). Overall, I listen to a lot of old music and prefer it alot more!

The 80’s had great music whether that be from movie soundtracks (Ferris Bueller, The Breakfast Club) to power ballads from the yodelling legends such as Bonnie Tyler. Back in the 80’s, girl power was evident with bands like Bananarama and The Bangles on the go (thank god for Haim in the present day, we are severely lacking girl bands who play instruments out there). Everyone was a crazy, fluffy haired guitar player and I love youtubing old performances from people like ACDC schooling 2013 bands about what real rock really is. God bless 80’s music, it may be cheesy in places and sound like old school polyphonic ringtones sometimes but I can’t think of anything better!


2) The Movies

If you don’t count the 80’s as a legendary period for film, you need to get your life reevaluated. Chick flicks were far from predictable – I’m still not over Ducky getting rejected in Pretty in Pink! Jake Ryan was a popular jock with a soul in Sixteen Candles, Christian Slater was a loveable psycho in Heathers and Patrick Swayze managed to pull off the almighty task of wearing spandex. The characters weren’t one dimensional like you get in a lot of soppy love stories these days and I never knew what to expect when I first watched 80's films.





We also had lots of coming-of-age films back then that 2013 is severely lacking; loveable prankster Ferris Bueller, the gang from The Breakfast Club that we all wanted to share a shift in detention with and even Tom Cruise pulled off running a prostitution ring in Risky Business (whilst only dressed in a white shirt and boxers for parts of the film, 5 skill points awarded to you Tom).

People will always remember John Cusack with a boombox in Say Anything, George McFly’s laugh in Back to the Future and E.T making red hoodies fashionable.


3) The Saved By the Bell Gang

I want to be friends with the characters from Saved by the Bell – namely one Zack Morris. I recently got back into watching it from the beginning (thank god for Youtube) and fell in love with him all over again. Zack Morris made wear oversized stripy tshirts and highlights on boys cool – he even managed to pull off ditching Kelly for a nurse that one time (but we won’t talk about that, bad Zack).

On the note of Kelly Kapowski, she is still up there with t.v show females I want to look like! The clothes, the hair and the winning smile - can we just be her for a day?! Also, let’s be honest, we all wish we could be suspended from Zack’s ceiling in a cardboard cutout form – the highest honour!





It’s a shame the series didn’t last longer and faded out towards the end because there hasn’t been a memorable group of friends like that since FRIENDS! Even with the episode inconsistences, Saved by the Bell is still one of the best shows ever to grace our television screens. I will remain a loyal fan forever, now let’s all do the 'Sprain' !


4)  The Style

If you go into Topshop right now, you’ll see that 80’s style has returned. Bright colours, croptops and backpacks are all back in style not to mention the fact that a lot of guy out there are sporting snapbacks and dressing like they should be an extra on Fresh Prince.




In the 80’s, there was a lot of self expression whether that be from your make-up to your overly crimped hair. Denim jackets and bright colours can suit anyone, that’s the beauty of it! Clothes seemed a lot more fun and stylish back then - even you, MC Hammer!

So here I am, hoping that this trend stays around for some time (even if we can't recreate the full glory of the 80's) let's just try to take some elements from it anyway. After all, you can't beat a bit of double denim and singing along to Journey classics on the bus!

- Steph

Why Loving Brendan Made it Ok to Love a “murderer”.

Right, let’s start with a disclaimer:

If you are in love with a real murderer do seek police/any help. Please.

So this blog is going to be some therapy for me in the wake of the exit of a beloved Hollyoaks character. Now Hollyoaks is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me as I haven’t watched any other soap since leaving the parental home a few years ago and before that soap watching was only done under mother’s orders. I pretend I only watch it to make fun of it (which is kinda true, some of the acting is horrendous) but somewhere over the years I became I true fan.  The main reason for this was Brendan Brady. The only soap character (as far as I am aware) that is an Irish, mustached, gay, bad boy (man) that was completely lovable!

If you happen to lurk over the online forums you will mostly find love for the character and this thanks to the great acting of Emmett Scanlan. I doubt this character would have been near as popular if portrayed by anyone else and I look forward to seeing Emmett in his future work.

Brendan was introduced to the soap in 2010 as the new bad boy and over the years has been shown as a truly dark character, from killing his own grandmother to frequently beating his lover Ste, but also providing laughs with his quick wit. Scanlan described Brendan as “a man who defines his own moral code and principles” and I think this is why people loved the character so much. He may have been a baddy but it was also good (in a way). He may have been a murderer but he also protected the people he loved the most, like killing Danny to save Ste.

Relationships

Ste

So… I have always been a fan of the “Stendan relationship”. It was definitely a destructive and unhealthy relationship for the most part but its TV and I’m a sucker for a happy ending (which they didn’t get ..) 

I think Hollyoaks does a great job of highlighting serious subjects, like domestic abuse and this side of Brendan showed the depth of his issues but also showed that he was capable of love (eventually). To me they truly belong together as they could help each other through their own issues (Ste is known for a bit of a temper too) and they brought out the best in one another.

The recent reveal to Ste about the sexual abuse that Brendan suffered at the hands of his father was emotional to watch and I think it showed Ste why Brendan was the way he was and that he could be helped and changed if he had people he loved round him.

Now I know some people don’t like them together because no one changes from being abusive but to me it’s just TV and if it was real life it would be a completely different reaction. Then again, if Hollyoaks were real life Brendan would have possibly been in jail quite a while ago…

Final quote from Brendan “In the next life Steven”….. *ugly sobbing*

*so there was actually a whole "stendan" scene in tonights episode but seriously that episode is just being erased from my memory*

Cheryl 

I think the main love I have for Brendan is his devotion to his sister. They will do anything for each other and Brendan has spent the majority of his life protecting her, even as a child and keeping her away from the truth about their father. Cheryl knows that her brother isn’t a good person and even seeing him chop up a body isn’t going to keep her away for long. Now I’m pretty sure if I witnessed my brother doing such I thing I wouldn’t be nearly as accepting. 

In the end it is this devotion to his sister that is the end of Brendan. In giving her the chance to live a happy life with Nate he sacrifices his own happiness with Ste and his "life" for her :’( 

Brendan’s Exit.

Now these past few weeks of Hollyoaks watching have been marred by the knowledge that the Brendan end was near. I read spoilers so I have pretty much known the whole storyline for a few weeks now which has made watching a little painful! The scenes between Brendan and Cheryl have been really beautiful and emotional to watch although I was a little annoyed that he would rather Cheryl have the “happy ending” rather than Ste :(

 

In the end, it has been a pretty epic 2 and a bit years for Brendan Brady and I think Hollyoaks are seriously going to find it hard to replace him. With some of the best actors leaving (or already left) this year I’m not sure how long I’m going to keep watching for and really the Will storyline creeps me out, and not in a good way. It makes me want to turn over. Which I will probably do now.

I shall leave you with some of Brendan’s funny moments that I found on youtube! Enjoy…or cry….

Claire x

Ps. Im still a little emotional from the Merlin final and then this! I have nothing left to watch but Dance Moms (which is amazing!)


*EDIT*
So I just watched tonight's episode and frankly I was pissed off with it. The Brendan ending should not have been jail, last nights episode was the perfect farewell to such a character and i refuse to accept tonight's version.....Even with the Ste scene it just was not enough.

Top 5 of 2013 ( so far..)

5 FAVE THINGS OF 2013 (so far…)

So this is my first official blog post in years. Wish me luck….

I thought I would start with a general run down of my favourite things at this moment in time. It’s mostly beauty based with a few other bits thrown in.

Apologies if I’m a little rusty at this, I’m sure I shall improve with time. Hopefully.

    1.       Burt Bees Lip Balm (£3.49 from Boots)

This has been a lifesaver for me this winter! I get really dry lips, especially this year for some reason, so I’m always looking for lip balms. After trying a load of products (8 hour cream, carmex, Vaseline, etc...) I have found the best cure for my unsavoury looking lips in this little tube! It really has made a difference for me but now I need to get a new one as my mother has decided to steal it!

 

     2.       Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes Shampoo (£6.39 from boots)

I have recently had my hair dyed blonde so I was on the lookout for a purple shampoo and this was pretty much the only one I could find in my local boots (it’s a small one). Although I didn’t really have much to choose from I’m really happy with this product! I can see the difference in my hair straight away, its brighter and just more blonde looking! I do think that it’s a bit pricey but I only use once a week so it should last me quite a while.

Plus, I absolutely love the purple colour of it….so much so I kinda want dye my hair the same colour…..

     3.       Revlon Lip Butter (shade lollipop £5.99 on offer in Superdrug)

So I had heard a lot about these little lip products but never got round to checking them out myself. Up until recently I wasn’t really much of a lip person but during a shopping trip with Christmas money I decided to get a few lip products. One was horrible and has already been erased from my memory. Seriously it was bad…but this lip butter is amazing! It has been in my makeup bag since I got it and I love that it is moisturising (helps with the dry lip problem..).

The colour is also great. It can be worn very sheer for during the day and built up for more of a punch for the evening!

    4.       The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (£3.99 Waterstones)

Here is a little departure from the beauty side of things.

I was drawn to this book mainly by the word “circus”, I have always been a little intrigued by the mystery of the circus and this book really played up to that mysterious, magical idea I have in my head.

The descriptions in this book are amazing and really bring the whole circus world to life.

 I’m not much of a reader but I really didn’t want this book to end!  I originally got this book on my kindle but I’m seriously considering getting it in hard copy since I like it so much!

Highly recommended if you like fantasy and magic with a little romance on the side.

        5.  Leather Look Leggings (disco pants dupes £30 Topshop)

I really didn’t want to get sucked into this trend but I love a good pair of leggings and these are really up my street.  

There was no way in hell I was going to pay the price for the American Apparel (like £70!?) ones so I went for the Topshop ones (£27 with student discount!).

These leggings are really nice, thick enough so you don’t need to wear tights underneath and they make me feel thinner as you can drop a size since they stretch!

I’ve been wearing them a lot and I’m very tempted to go get them in the navy version too.

*Bonus fave*

Pop tarts (s’mores  £5.50 from local American candy shop..)

Chocolate and marshmallow squished together in a warm pocket of loveliness. Is there really any more I need to say.

£5.50 is a tad on the expensive side for these but personally I think it money well spent for how good these taste.

 I’m living in hope that someday they will come to a supermarket near me!

until next time folks :)

claire x 

Top 5 Tried & Tested Workout DVDs!

Image via weheartit.com

I'm sure that the rest of the nation will agree with me when I say that I love summer! Who doesn't love the season of BBQs, sunny days and beach holidays? However, there's one thing I do not enjoy about summer and that is being mistaken for a baby whale on the beach (and possibly being harpooned in the process).

Thus, I have set out on the journey every woman does at this time of year: mission lose-the- winter-pounds!


Since having an overweight spell in high school, I have enjoyed keeping fit and have been on a constant quest to find the best workout dvds out there. The gym has always been out of the question for me for 2 reasons: 

1) I refuse to pay monthly to inevitably torture myself.
2) Nobody wants to see me in tight leggings sweating profusely.

So, I began to look into other ways and became addicted to trying different workout dvds. So, here I list my top 5 tried and tested workout dvds (in no order) - this is just my opinion and it may not work for everybody but it works for me! It's all about finding something that works for you individually and sticking with it :) Good luck!



TOP 5 TRIED AND TESTED WORKOUT DVDS


1. Jane Fonda Workouts

Jane Fonda looks amazing at 75, albiet with the help of a little surgery, so why wouldn't we give her workout a try?

It's simple and easy to follow, varied so you don't get bored and has a great soundtrack for an 80's lover like me. There are different levels and different programmes ranging from beginners to ones that your Gran can do - no, seriously it's true!

It always makes it more fun if the music is good! You can find alot of them on Youtube too so it saves you breaking the bank this summer.



2. Jillian Michaels Workouts

Jillian Michaels is probably best known (apart from famous her abs which resemble the surface of the Grand Canyon) for training on the Biggest Loser.

She is really motivational and will give you the good telling off you need throughout the workout.  You can fit it into your daily schedule - there's no excuse! They only take 20 mins or so. And there is progression into different levels so it gives you something to work towards.

This is hardcore circuit training which is proven the burn more calories than an hour at the gym.






3. Insanity

The dreaded Insanity workouts - favoured by some and liked by none! It's presented by a guy called Shaun T, who is Wolverine ripped!

This is more circuit training but much more intense to see faster results. It allows progression into different levels and the idea is you stick at it for 60 days - a perfect quick time fix when combined with a good diet.

Not for the faint hearted but if you have enough will power you will see great results!



4. Tony Horton's P90X

This one is marketed more as a lifestyle programme; it has a different daily workout and a diet guide all presented by Tony Horton, who trains the S.S staff at the Whitehouse!

It really is marine type workouts, there is hardly any breaks! I'd say it's better for those really concentrated on building muscle rather than just toning up a bit. 

However, it is effective for burning calories with good variation ranging from plyometrics to yoga.



5. Tracy Anderson Method Mat

I wanted to hate this one because I don't like Tracy Anderson or her ethics but I couldn't. I did it a while ago when I was going to be a bridesmaid for my cousin's wedding and remember seeing results.

She trains the likes of Gwenyth Paltrow, Cheryl Cole, Madonna etc. and uses previously learned techniques to get a lean, dancer body. I didn't stick at this one for too long because Tracy isn't my cup of tea but I know that it has worked for some! She also has pregnancy and dance workouts available.




I hope this helped somehow for all of you people out there getting ready to go on holiday this summer, good luck and let us hear some of your feedback soon :)


- Stephanie

The Formal Introductions

Hellos!

Welcome to our blog! We are two make-up artistry students who are nearing the end of our college adventure and progressing into the “real world” (not the TV show, the literal real world).

We hope to write about general lifestyle with a beauty influence.

Introducing the Writers

·         Claire –
As the Journey lyrics go “just a small town girl….”
I hail from a small Highland town and now live in the big bad city of Glasgow. After moving to Glasgow to study make-up artistry a couple of years ago I will hopefully be graduating this summer! At the age of 22 I have been a charity shop worker (assistant manager..), cleaner, beauty student and make-up artist.

I will be writing about my life as a beauty fan and general geek.

·         Stephanie -
I am a former make-up student and professional drop out (Kanye made it work and wrote a whole album about it, y.o.l.o)
I currently volunteer with Oxfam Books so you can expect lots of book, movie and music reviews from me. Also, except posts about cheap pop music and boybands...

Now that the introductions are over we will be regularly updating our blog… so stay tuned for more!