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Yearly Archives: 2014

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We’d all love to have the wardrobe choices of Victoria Beckham or Beyoncé, but sometimes a girl’s just gotta make do. Don’t fret though, there are so many simple ways to make your outfit stand out from the crowd without having to pay extra. We’ve hunted out the best style hacks to have you looking like you’ve just stepped off the catwalk (even if you’ve just stepped out of Penney’s)…

1. Make a statement
A simple outfit can be taken to the next level with the strategic addition of jewellery. Try a blinging necklace, earrings or bracelet to make your outfit sing, whether you’re wearing a basic shift dress or a plain white t-shirt.

2. Don’t be afraid to have your clothes altered
High street clothes manufacturers make their clothes to fit a large range of shapes, regardless of size. So if the sleeves on your new blazer are too long, or the waistband on your jeans is loose at the back – take them to a dressmaker’s and have them tweaked. Properly tailored clothes always look classy.

3. Store your clothes properly
Don’t just throw your clothes on the floor every evening – take the time to hang them up. That goes for coats, jumpers and cardigans too. Try to avoid wire hangers where possible – wool is delicate and the shape can easily be ruined by the wrong shape of hanger. You can buy multi-packs of padded or wide plastic hangers very cheaply and it makes all the difference!

4. Splurge on one key piece
Whether it’s a winter coat or a leather handbag, one expensive-looking piece can make all the difference to a basic outfit. You don’t need to go all out – high-street stores like Topshop and River Island have some gorgeous classic coats and bags that won’t break the bank… so you can look like an Olsen twin without the hefty price tag!

5. Give your shoes a new lease of life
It’s inevitable that boots and high heels will get wear and tear over time. Most shoemakers offer re-heeling and re-soleing services for a low price. You’ll easily get another six months out of those stilettos with some extra TLC! Stains on suede and leather shoes can also usually be removed with some gentle care, and the right shoe cabinet will make sure that you’re not dealing with any unnecessary daily damage.

6. Actually LOOK at washing instructions!
If the tag on your favourite top mentions hand washing, don’t just bang it in on the hot wash with everything else. Following washing instructions means your clothes will hold their shape for far longer. When it comes to dry-clean-only items, if you really don’t want to hand over the cash, try washing the piece inside a pillow case on a cool wash. You won’t get it back all freshly-pressed but it still does the job nicely!

 

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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are the ultimate celebrity couple. Together they are parents to six children, and they still find time to look gorgeous and loved-up on the red carpet.

But now a source close to Brad says all might not be as rosy as it appears. Brad’s psychic and friend Ron Bard says he thinks Brad “loves the children more than the relationship.”

Okay, we agree, a psychic might be a dubious source of information, but this is the same man who claims he actually predicted to Brad that he would find love on the set of Mr and Mrs Smith back in 2005… that has to stand for something!

When asked whether Brangelina are still in love, Ron said he thinks that Ange has Brad “boxed in” but that he would never leave his children. “He’s a man who made a commitment to six children and he’s keeping his commitment to those six children… Whether he loves her or not, [that’s] another story.”

The couple have been engaged since 2012 but there has been no word of marriage yet. In an emotional interview last year with Esquire, Brad said he had never “known life to be any happier.” That sounds promising! We hope for the sake of our delicate hearts that Ron the psychic is totally off the mark!

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“Strong is the new skinny.”

That was the slogan on the poster outside my local gym recently. I’m usually not one for motivational one-liners, but that advertisement really made me think how attitudes to health and fitness in Ireland have changed over the last couple of years. Even so, many Irish women are still under the illusion that weight-lifting is not a necessary part of their workout.

Growing up, I always believed that skinny was healthy, but while living in South America after college, I had my first experience with a personal trainer. Under her guidance, I began to weight-lift and train regularly. Like many Irish women, I’d always feared that lifting heavy weights would lead to wide shoulders, huge muscular arms and a general, shall we say, manliness.

What I didn’t realise until then was that to be in any way “toned”, a lady has gotta lift. To be honest, the term “toned muscle” doesn’t really mean a whole lot. What it actually refers to is a lean, well-developed muscle.

In order to achieve washboard abs, the answer is not to subsist solely on black coffee and apples with the odd sit-up thrown in. The answer, in fact, is to build strength by lifting heavy weights and working hard, and to eat lots of healthy, clean meals to reduce fat and water resistance. When you see a picture of a celebrity looking effortlessly slim and “toned” on the beach, what you’re actually seeing is their relaxed but well-developed muscles. You don’t have to worry about looking like Hulk Hogan… unless you’re planning on taking testosterone supplements!

Many women believe that doing the same upper arm exercises with a set of 2kg dumbbells at every workout will result in gorgeous, defined biceps. While lifting light weights is great as a starting point, be sure to slowly increase weight every couple of sessions, to prevent your muscles getting lazy.

Next time you head in for your workout, ask one of the trainers on hand in the gym for a consultation and an exercise programme. Most gyms offer this as a free service so it’s a great way to get expert advice. Also, check out online fitness fanatics like the Belfast-based Peanut Butter Girl for health and fitness tips that are tough but get results.

It might seem daunting to make your way into the “heavy weights” area of the gym, especially if you’re the only woman there, which can sometimes be the case. But don’t stress out. Everyone’s there to work out, just like you. Hold your head high, pick up those dumbbells and get going. Your body will thank you!

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It's been reported over the last few days that Mariah Carey's marriage to Nick Cannon is all but over. 

While there has been speculation that Nick was in fact cheating on Mariah, it seems that's not the only reason the stars are divorcing. The real issue? Kim Kardashian.

Apparently Mariah was none too pleased when Nick publicly named Kim as one of the celebrities he has slept with, during an interview back in March. We wouldn't blame you for being annoyed, MiMi!  Their relationship allegedly never recovered from the humiliation Mariah felt after Nick's comments. Watch the clip below, where Nick lists Kim as one of the "big five" well-known people he has slept with.

Mariah and Nick began living separately together in May, and their divorce is now a "done deal" according to sources close to the couple, who also said that Mariah felt abandoned by Nick's hectic work schedule in recent months. The couple have two children together, three-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe.

 

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If you’re one of the few people who follow the rules in the cinema and turn off your phone completely, you’ll be missing out if you go to see a film in China!

They are launching a new program where audience members will be able to send texts about the film which will then appear on screen – after they’ve been screened, of course. God knows what might pop up otherwise.

Apparently the ‘bullet screen’, as it is known, is already a reality in Beijing and Shanghai, but we sure hope it doesn’t come to Ireland. It’d be like when you can’t get the subtitles off the TV even though it’s in English, and then you can’t stop reading them even though there’s no need – SO annoying!

This is one advancement in technology we can definitely live without. Plus, if we weren’t under the constant threat of the usher coming up and asking us to put our phones away (oh, the mortification!) we’d probably be tempted to check Facebook every five minutes. The cinema is our only escape! Please don’t ruin it!

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We really did think these two would never, ever, ever get back together (sorry).

It has been rumoured today that Taylor Swift and her ex-boyfriend, John Mayer have been seeing each other again, after being spotted at the same place recently.

Taylor and John dated for three months back in 2009 but had a rather bad break-up that resulted in Taylor writing the not-so-flattering ballad, Dear John.

He did not appreciate the gesture, needless to say: “It made me feel terrible”, he said, “Because I didn’t deserve it.”

However, now it seems like all may be forgiven between the two after they were both seen exiting the Chateau Marmont last night – could they be seeing each other again?!

The sighting comes only three days after Taylor released the video for her hit song, Shake It Off, which has instantly become a hit.

The song is also said to be a diss against Taylor's exes – John included. We wonder how that went down over dinner?! 

 

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Okay so, we do love a bit of make-up. Okay so, maybe sometimes too much. Yes my mascara was €45, it's YSL, what do you expect?! Here are the signs our love of make-up is well and truly alive:

1.You make this face when you put mascara on

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2. You live by this rule…

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3. Your liquid eyeliner skills have gone from this…

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To this…

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4. You want a fictional cartoon character’s make-up

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5. The thought of taking off your make up makes you want to hide

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6. Ridiculous shades don’t even phase you

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7. There are make up stains on everything you own

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8. You will never, ever, under any circumstances turn down a free sample

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And you will be surprised and excited every time you get one

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9. You can do your make up any time, any where

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10. You are well aware of the back to MAC policy

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11. And finally, you find yourself saying things like this

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via our content partner CT

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This puppy’s reaction to the old dial-up internet tone is basically every teenager these days.

What with fancy things like WiFi and broadband, many teens today won’t remember the old sounds, but we do.

Oh, we do.

It’s bringing back memories of Bebo and instant messenger… *shudder*

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For the past two weeks or so, many videos of celebrities and people around the world dumping buckets of iced water over their heads have been all over the place.

The words ALS may not have meant much to many of us before, but now we know exactly what Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is, and that’s why those videos are so important.

This video will show you the importance of movements like this one, and open our eyes to things that touch people’s lives that we may not see everyday.

Well done, Anthony, your video truly touched our hearts. 

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Former EastEnders star, Daniella Westbrook, broke down into tears during an emotional interview on ITV’s This Morning.

Daniella, who was spotted fighting with her boyfriend, Tom Richards in the street just last week, left England on Saturday, after being told her drug use would be revealed in the media the following day.

The actress has previously been very open about her past drug use, and this time is no exception. Speaking about the situation, Daniella said : “The newspapers have done me a huge favour – the first thing I said to the journalist was, ‘thank you very much because you’ve done me a huge favour.’”

Daniella suffered a miscarriage back in April and has clearly been suffering deeply since the breakdown of her 13 year marriage to Kevin Jenkins last December.

She tells the hosts of This Morning, Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, how she has told her family about the drug use: “I told my mum three weeks ago at her house … My younger brother just emailed me this morning and I know I’ve broken his heart.”

The actress’ struggle with cocaine has been widely known for years now, beginning when she was only a teenager and starring in EastEnders as Samantha Mitchell. 

Hopefully now she can get the help she needs to be healthy and happy. 

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Anne Marie (AKA Girl Friday) is a trained make-up artist who loves to blog – which is great for us because we get to read all her top tips! She says she’ll review just about anything, with 100% honesty, so we decided to catch up with Anne Marie to get some of her 100% honest advice:

What is your best budget beauty buy?
For make-up I have repeatedly sung the praises of Essence I <3 stage eye primer as I think it is better than the Urban Decay Primer Potion but at a fraction of the price. For skincare I am a massive fan of Ziaja which can be purchased from Originalbeauty.ie as their products are all very good and very affordable!

What is your top make-up tip?
That less is more – being CAKED in foundation is not a good look and go for either bold eyes or bold lip but not both!

Most girls have much-loved lipstick – what's yours?
I'm a massive fan of a red lip so Urban Decays F-Bomb is a favourite for that but if I want to go for something more understated New C-id Damson is a firm favourite.

What was your very first perfume and what are you currently wearing?
I was the era of  'So..?' and Exclamation!!' perfumes. Currently I am loving Vanillary from Lush.co.uk or Beyonce Pulse

You're only allowed use three make-up products for the rest of your life – what are they?
Skin 79 BB cream, Inglot eyeshadow palette and NYX lip butters.

Check out Anne Marie’s blog, Girl Friday, and don’t forget to follow her on Facebook and Twitter!

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Sex is great – we all love it! But there are some types of sex that are just better than others. Here's the most memorable sex you will have in your life:

1. First Time Sex
We don’t mean the time that you lost your virginity, because we all know that was awful sex. But after you’ve taught yourself a few moves and finally feel confident that you know what you’re doing under the sheets, first time sex with your new partner feels incredible. It can be awkward and nervous at first, but once you find your rhythm everything falls into place. Sparks fly, birds are singing outside your bedroom window. 

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2. Make-up Sex
Make-up sex is up there with the best of them. There’s no better way to close an argument with your boyfriend than by getting up close and personal. You’re still angry and hate your partner a little bit because you’re still mad about whatever it was you were arguing about, and all this added ferocity boils into a beautiful concoction of unbelievable make-up sex. If you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and need to spice things up in the bedroom, start a silly argument for the sake of it, so you can jump into make-up sex later. Healthy. 

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3. Revenge Sex
Revenge sex is an awful and spiteful thing to do, but at the time you’re doing it, it does feel incredible. Because let’s face it, you’re doing it for a reason. You may be doing it to get back at someone who wronged you, and you may feel like an awful human being once that nut is busted, but when that Marvin Gaye music is ringing in your ears and you’re doing the no pants dance, that’s the last thing on your mind. Who ever said that revenge wasn’t sweet?

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4. Marathon Sex
Okay, marathon sex is just the best. There’s no better way to explore your partner’s needs and figure out what they like best, then to go at it two, three, or even four times in a row. Practice makes perfect, and boy you’re getting a whole lot of practice!

5. Secret Sex
Secret sex is so, so satisfying because, like Monica and Chandler out of Friends, having to hide your sexual relationship makes it all the more fun and sexy. Whether it’s because you’re cheating (bold), hiding them from your disapproving parents or just sneaking around for the fun of it, secret sex is like Christmas to those dirty thrill seekers. Enjoy it while you can though, because you’ll always get caught in the end.

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via our content partner CT

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