HomeArchives2017April

Monthly Archives: April 2017

by

If you're anything like us, there's a high chance you regularly have a mountain of clothes, shoes and accessories waiting in a virtual basket for the moment your monthly salary drops.

The joys of online shopping means you can browse to your heart's content, send screenshots to the squad for feedback, and even check reviews of the items before making the plunge.

Oh, and you can do it from the comfort of your own couch with a glass of vino in one hand and a credit card in the other.

And as online shopping devotees, we can confirm that no matter how adept we've become at the activity, we generally tend to have the same seven thoughts at various stages of the process.

1. Am I a 10 on this site or are these the guys that bumped me up to a 12 without my permission?

"Ah, there are no tens left, sure. Looks like I'm a 12 here, so."

2. What was I looking for in the first place?

"Christ, it was for someone's birthday present, wasn't it?  And yet here I am on my own favourited list again." 

3. I wish I was the type that could wear fringing.

"Imagine how different my life would be if I could pull off fringing. They'd call me the girl with the fringing."

4. I know I only wanted the skirt, but the whole outfit is calling to me.

"They put this look together for a reason, and if I ignore it, it'll be one of those things I'll regret forever."

5. Filtering has got to be one of the greatest inventions ever.

It's like having my own personal shopper, but I don't have to open my mouth or make eye contact.

6. A sale! They're having a sale! AND I have a discount code. That's it. This is how I'll go. Retail euphoria.

"iClothing, I love you. You guys are the real MVPs."

7. One day I'm going to earn a bigger wage and actually get everything on my wishlist.

"That'll always be the goal."

 

Trending

Every year, there was at least one.

One jammy little so-and-so in your primary school who managed to score a trip to Lapland just in time for Christmas.

While your teacher (the traitor) encouraged them to share their excitement with everyone, you watched from a dark corner of the classroom and silently plotted their downfall.

And here are just eight thoughts that ran through your head while your so-called friend ruined your Christmas.

1. “Why are her parents bringing her to Lapland, and my parents are bringing me to mass?”

“I swear I was born into the wrong family.”

2. “There should be a pay-off for this.”

“If she gets to go to Lapland, she shouldn’t get any presents.”

3. “Why is the teacher making us listen to this?”

“She must enjoy our misery. She must relish our envy.”

4. “Did she actually say she’ll get to make presents with Santa?”

“That one is living on another planet.”

5.  “Why is she still talking?”

“We get it. Reindeers, snow, Santa; change the record.”

6. “When I’m an adult, I’m going to Lapland every Christmas.”

“And then who’ll be laughing?”

7. “Are these knots in my stomach jealousy or pure rage?”

“I swear, she”ll pay for making me feel like this.”

8. “When she gets back, I’m not asking her one damn thing about it.”

“And I’ll shred her photos if she comes anywhere near me.”

If you’re still not over it, why not get your own back by planning your trip this year?

Sunway are currently offering one and two night trips to Lapland this December with flights from Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock and Kerry.

Ladies, you know what to do.

Sunway Holidays have a fantastic choice of 1, 2, 3 or 4 night trips to Lapland for Winter 2017.

With flights direct from Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock and Kerry to Finland, Sunway will look after everything so that all you need to do is sit back and enjoy this once in a lifetime, magical experience with your family.

If you would like to learn more about the Sunway Lapland programme log on towww.sunway.ie/lapland or call 01- 231 1800 where a Sunway representative will be happy to take your call.

Trending

by

We have some of the brightest talent in the realm of entrepreneurship, and earlier this year we put out a call for you to nominate an exceptional individual who is blazing the trail and flying our flag in the business world.

You guys responded in your thousands and our panel of judges got to work whittling your nominees down to our five incredibly worthy finalists.

So, without further ado, here are our five trailblazers!

Pippa O’Connor

Pippa started her career as a model, but while expecting her first son in 2013, she decided to establish a fashion blog as a hobby… and it ultimately went stratospheric.

As an author, designer and businesswoman, Pippa’s name is now synonymous with style, creativity and damn hard work.

Erika Fox

The face behind uber-popular lifestyle blog Retro Flame, Erika Fox has proven that following your dreams is always worth the effort.

Currently living in New York City, the former UCC and GTI student has seen herself featured in Teen Vogue, Seventeen and The Sunday Times STYLE Magazine while working alongside the likes of Whitney Port and Olivia Palermo.

Jane Swarbrigg

Director of Inglot Ireland, Jane’s contribution to the world of beauty and cosmetics cannot be overestimated.

Having launched her first store alongside her mother and brother back in 2007, Jane is now director of nine stores nationwide, and she’s your third finalist in our Trailblazer of the Year category!

Marissa Carter

Founder and creator of Cocoa Brown – a revolutionary tan favoured by countless A-listers – Marissa currently divides her time between business owner and media contributor.

Having spent years studying and, indeed, working within the beauty industry, Marissa is one of the most recognisable and respected names in the business.

Chupi Sweetman

A former Topshop designer, Chupi decided she wanted to celebrate Ireland’s design heritage and her love for wild and natural beauty, so she created a multi-award winning jewellery brand which has set the industry alight.

While each piece is designed, manufactured and finished in Ireland, the Chupi brand has made a huge name for itself worldwide.

Sunway – The REAL package holiday company is Ireland’s largest Irish owned and multi award winning tour operator offering over 70 destinations worldwide.

These include: European Summer & Winter Sun, Worldwide, USA & Canada, Cruise, River Cruise, Sunsail, Neilson, Mark Warner Beach Clubs, Club Med, Escorted & Adventure Tours, Weddings & Honeymoons, Turkey and Lapland.

Sunway is a fully bonded and licenced travel company under license no. 101 and are proud to provide good value quality holidays at competitive prices. For more see www.sunway.ie

 

Trending

As most fans of Emma Stone would know, the much-loved actress has spent much of her life navigating an anxiety disorder.

And in an effort to share her experience with fellow sufferers, the La La Land actress teamed up with Child Mind Institute, and revealed that her coping mechanism hinges on her abiility to acknowledge the fact that anxiety ebbs and flows.

“It’s so nice to know that, in those moments of real intensity, it will shift, and it will change, and there’s a lot that I can do to help myself," she said.

When asked what she would tell her younger self when dealing with anxiety, she said: "Life goes in stages and it has always been something that I've lived with and flares up in big ways at different times in my life."

"But sometimes while it's happening when I'm in a phase of real turmoil or the anxiety is very strong and it feels like it's never going to end, but it does."

Emma reminded sufferers that she has learned how to manage the condition and encouaged them to seek tools which enable them to deal with it as well.

Have a look here…

 

 

Trending

It is no secret that Dublin has become a real foodie hotspot in the past few years.

To help you eat your way around the city and make sure you don’t miss on the good stuff, we have made our own list of the food you absolutely need to try at least once in Dublin. 

So, without further ado…

A brownie in Industry

We love Industry for the beautiful design and lifestyle offering, but there is another reason we visit the gift shop on a regular basis: their dark chocolate and sea salt brownie.

This small piece of heaven is one of the best brownies we have ever tasted, gooey, rich in flavours and so satisfying. 

 

It's a brownie sort of a day #homemade #chocolateseasaltbrownies #brownie #chocolatebrownie #midweektreat

A post shared by Industry & Co (@industrydesign) on

A pizza at the Dublin Pizza Company

You would almost miss it when you walk past it but this tiny shed on Aungier Street serves the most delicious woodfired pizzas, made with organic ingredients.

And if you don’t want to eat it by the counter, you can now order it from the comfort of your couch. 

 

Easily the best pizza in Ireland

A post shared by Alan Bell (@officialahbell) on

Chicken wings from the Canal Bank Cafe

The chicken wings from this cafe on Leeson Street are so tasty they may actually change your life.

A warning – be prepared to get your hands dirty, as the sauce will pretty much go everywhere, but it will be more than worth it. Best wings in the city! 

 

Canal Bank Wing Lunch #instafood #foodie #wings #canalbankcafe #lovindublin #dublin #tasty #hotsauce #frankshotsauce #lunch

A post shared by John Howe (@johnchristopherhowe) on

Mushrooms on toasts in Fia

This little cafe in Rathgar never cease to amaze us and the Mushrooms on toast, one of Chef Keith Coleman’s signature dishes, should be in the brunch food Hall of Fame. 

A carrot cake at Queen of Tarts

Whenever we are craving something sweet during a shopping session in town, Queen of Tarts is a place that always comes in mind.

This tearoom is super tiny so you might have to queue to get a table (especially on a rainy Saturday), but their incredibly tasty and moist carrot cake is also available for takeaway.

 

A burger in Bunsen

When we need a really good burger, Bunsen never fails to deliver.

A big juicy meat patty, a sweet bun, and a well-balanced combination of pickle, onion, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard and mayo are all it takes to make our mouth drool. 

 

A pint in Grogans

According to some Guinness experts, Grogans serves the best pint in Dublin – as well as a deadly toastie.

We love the atmosphere of this pub right in the city centre, especially when the days get warmer and everyone is drinking outside. #heaven

 

A tasting menu at Forest Avenue

Why does Forest Avenue not have a Michelin star yet is beyond us, as the food Chef John Wyer creates there is pretty mind-blowing.

It might seem like a lot at first, but the 5 course tasting menu for €55 is actually amazing value for the fantastic experience you get.   

A cannoli in Dolce Sicily Cafe

This small Italian cafe located under The Design House has made a name for itself thanks to the delicious Italian style ristretto coffee it serves as well as the most delicious cannoli you could find outside Italy.

A food tour with Fab Food Trails

You think you know Dublin until you enrol in a tour with Fab Food Trails. During the 3 hour stroll, the guides will surely bring you to places you have heard about (who would say no to a stopover in Sheridan's?) but also some hidden gems you had never heard of.

Between two bites, you will also learn a lot of interesting facts about the culture and history of our beloved city.

A steak in the Butcher Grill

An absolute must for meat lovers. You dine in an intimate and comfortable setting, where the staff are lovely and the food is out of this world.

If you can, order a side of mashed potato – and eat the entire thing (you won't regret it!). 

A lunch at Bastible

We will agree with the British Vogue on this one: Bastible is definitely on the list of the places you need to visit when in Dublin.

This contemporary bistro on South Circular Road serves the most delicious and refined food in a pleasant casual atmosphere. 

A prawn toast with yuzu mayo at Hang Dai

Trust us, these will be €7 very well spent. With their contemporary Chinese menu, this subway-style restaurant on Camden Street reminds us what real Chinese food can be, far, far away from the 3 in 1. 

Trending

Look, we all know life can be hard, and there are occasions when you deserve some serious TLC.
 
And then there are other times when life is totally going according to plan, but you still crave some major pampering and me-time.

Hey, we get that –  it's calling treating yo'self.

Whether life is running on rails or careering off them completely, here are 8 situations which always require you treat yo'self pronto!

1. Someone eats the food you've been looking forward to all day.

Situation: The feeling of utter despair that envelopes you when you realise you live with a thieving so-and-so, who would happily chomp their way through your food, is oh so real. 

Remedy: Take a deep breath, make a mental note of their deception, plot their downfall, order a takeaway and have a long bath while you're waiting for it to be delivered.

2. There's no hot water for a much-needed post-gym shower.

Situation: Peeling off your work-out gear only to find yourself shivering with one outstretched hand beneath a freezing cold torrent of water is worthy of multiple meltdowns.

Remedy: Jump straight into your fluffiest dressing gown, and while you're waiting for the water to heat up, give yourself some pre-shower prep with a little body brushing. Not only will it keep you warm, but it will do wonders for your stress levels.

3. You realise you've been rocking a funky foundation tidemark all day.

Situation: After a relatively good day with the other humans, you arrive home to find that your neck and face look like they belong to two different people… and not ONE person thought to tell you.

Remedy: There's really nothing for this other than a few hours of alone time with a DVD boxset and McVities Nibbles. 

4. The clothes you ordered online make you look like a potato.

Situation: You (willingly) maxxed out your credit card and now you're surrounded by a mountain of garments which only belong on a bonfire.

Remedy: Grab your phone and immediately Google 'Celebrity Worst Dressed Lists'. It may not be kind, but hey it will make you feel better.

5. Your gin buddy cancels at the last minute… and you're ready and waiting to cut loose.

Situation: You've been looking forward to a night on the tiles for over a week, and your so-called mate cancels on you due to a cold you're certain could be fixed with a few gins.

Remedy: Do NOT instantly grab a facewipe and remove every smidgen of makeup you've just applied. Instead, hijack someone else's night out, and make the most of that lipstick.

6. You lose your Leap Card mere hours after topping up by €50.

Situation: You top up your Leap Card BEFORE you find yourelf in the red, and lose the damn thing just hours after filling it with money.

Remedy: Like your funky tidemark situation, some scenarios require alone time. Take to the couch in your cosiest pyjamas, fill a bowl with your favourite chocolate, and eat your way through those feelings of frustration and irritation.

7. You wake up in foul humour, trudge through your day in foul humour and come home in foul humour.

Situation: You woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Remedy: You treat yo'self old-school by lighting candles, pouring wine, eating chocolate and pampering yourself like the queen that you are.

8. You spend days on a project for your boss only for it to be shelved at the last minute.

Situation: Your boss reminds you why you hate him by dropping the ball on a project you worked your arse off on.

Remedy: Chocolate. And gin, ladies. Chocolate and gin.

Trending

by

For most of us, our jewellery has a story.

Whether it’s a piece of jewellery you bought to style-up a tired ensemble or a delicate chain gifted to us in our teenage years, it’s rare you don’t remember how and why you came to own a particular piece.

Tapping into the sentimental value we place on jewellery and the desire to know its back story, Dublin-based Designyard set about curating the finest contemporary jewellery from Ireland and around the world.

Having thrown opens its doors more than 20 years ago, Designyard has two branches in the capital, and acts as a platform for the work of more than 60 designers and makers from Ireland and around the world. 

And we are officially obsessed.

Kokkino Shimmer Yellow Gold Plated Silver Necklace
Kokkino 'Shimmer' Multi Yellow Gold Plated Silver Earrings

Loinnir Tumulus 'Drop' Earrings In Rose Gold

Ella Green Swallows Climber 9ct Yellow Gold Earrings 

Claudia Milic Shine Rhodanized Silver Necklace

Heather O'Connor Four Oval Graduating Cadence Gold Plated Silver Earrings
 

 Check out more of Designyard's fab collection on their InstagramFacebook and Pinterest!

Trending

The bank holiday weekend means plenty of tea, relaxation, and, of course, TV.

The Ray D'Arcy Show is set to be chock-a-block with interesting guests this week. 

Sports broadcaster Marty Morrissey will be joining Ray in studio to discuss the upcoming championship and how he will broadcast live on radio from New York during the New York vs Sligo match.

As well as this exciting insight into the sporting world, same-sex couple Dil Wickremasinghe and Anne Marie Toole will chat to Ray about their pregnancy.

This is their second child, and they will be chatting to Ray about their joy in expanding their family.

There will also be two doctors in the house to chat about phobias this Saturday night.

Dr Pixie McKenna and Dr Phil Kieran will be telling the viewers exactly why Irish people have a phobia about seeing a doctor.

They will also share details of some of the most interesting cases they have seen in their careers.

David McSavage will also be on hand to provide some comic relief, giving his unique perspective on life in Ireland and abroad.

Trending

by

Johnny Depp dropped into Disneyland, California this week, kitted out in a full Captain Jack Sparrow costume.

He surprised visitors to the theme-park on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride that inspired the hit movie franchise

The star appeared with sword in hand and greeted fans in his character's signature English twang. 

 

It's not everyday that you come to Disneyland and see Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in the pirates attraction surprising fans and having their reactions recorded lol. Due to the popularity of this video and comments, we can't respond but We give our consent to repost with credit to those of you asking. To everyone else asking, this wasn't a known event. It was a surprise and yes Johnny Depp really did dress up as Captain Jack Sparrow and was talking to guests. They were filming boats interacting with him and we are thinking it's new promo for the new Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Men Tell No Tales film which is coming out May 26, 2017. This video was filmed Wednesday 4/26/17 °o° Thank you @evil_queen #PiratesOfTheCaribbean #POTC #DeadmanTellNoTales #JohnnyDepp #JackSparrow #CaptainJackSparrow #Pirates #Disney #DisneyParks #DisneyGram #Disneyland #DisneylandResort #DL #DLR #HappiestPlaceOnEarth #DisneySide #GetHappier #DisneylandAnnualPass #AnnualPass #AP #DisneylandCastMember #CastMember #CM #TheDisneylandTwins

A post shared by The Disneyland Twins (@thedisneylandtwins) on

Apparently, Johnny also ran up and down the balcony above the entrance to the ride – just for fun like. 

The surprise appearance comes just ahead of the release of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge.

Kiera Knigthly is set to return as Elizabeth Swann for the first time in 10 years. 

Orlando Bloom will also be returning as Will Turner for the fifth installment of the franchise, while Javier Bardem and former Skins actress, Kaya Scodelario, will join the cast for the first time.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge hits Irish cinemas on May 26, 2017.

Trending

by

We're all mad about Game of Thrones here at the Shemazing! HQ, so when we heard there was a very specific college course on the subject, we got excited.

The Dothraki are arguably one of the most interesting clans in the TV series, so it's no wonder that there is now a line of academia you can pursue to find out more about their intricate language.

Image result for game of thrones yay gifs

The Linguistics of Game of Thrones and the Art of Language Invention  is a brand new course at UC Berkeley. 

The three-part course will run over the summer, and will be taught by David J. Peterson who invented both the Dothraki and Valyrian languages for Game of Thrones.

He plans on teaching the students how to build a language from the ground up, and use the Dothraki tongue as an example. 

'In this case, students are going to be learning how to create a naturalistic language,' he said.

'These are languages that attempt as nearly as possible to replicate the quirks and idiosyncrasies of natural languages, those that have evolved naturally on Earth,'

Where do we sign up? 

Trending

After the absolute disaster that was the Pepsi/Kendall Jenner ad, most companies would probably shy away from inserting politics into their campaigns.

However, Heineken is stepping up to show us exactly how it is done. 

The beer brand's latest ad put two people of opposing political beliefs through a variety of situations, before revealing to the other what they have said about issues they hold close to their heart. 

There are three pairings chosen for the ad experiment. 

The first pair sit on opposite ends of the feminism debate, with the male counterpart believing that feminism is an excuse to engage in 'man hating' and 'misandry.'

The female in this situation is staunchly feminist and believes there is still work to be done to improve women's rights. 

The second pairing is made up of two men who have opposing opinions on climate change. 

One guy thinks that climate change is a minimal issues, which should have less of a focus in society.

His experiment partner feels that climate change is seriously important. 

In the final pair, a man and woman have opposing views on a very personal issue. 

'You're a man, be a man, or you're a female, be a female,' he says.

The woman in this situation is transgender.

All of the couples are made to do team building exercises, and share quite a few details about their lives.

In the end, the pairings opposing beliefs are revealed, to initially awkward but ultimately heartwarming results. 

Check it our for yourself: 

 

Trending

Don't feel like bracing the outdoors tonight? Not to worry, The Late Late Show's line up is worth staying in for.

Actor, and Sherlock star, Andrew Scott and director John Butler will join Tubs to discuss their new film, Handsome Devil.

Funny gal, Katherine Lynch, will be speaking about her life after Celebrity Operation Transformation and Dancing with the Stars. She will also pay tribute to grand-uncle, poet Patrick Kavanagh.

Journalists Owen Conlon and Stephen Breen will discussing the ins and outs of Christy Kinahan and the Dublin gang feud.

Viewers will be brought back in time with a look at some restored classic Irish advertisements from the Irish Film Institute.  

And Brandan Murray, Ireland’s hopeful for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev, will take to The Late Late show stage to perform his song Dying to Try.

Catch The Late Late Show on RTÉ One at 9.35pm tonight.

Trending