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Monthly Archives: April 2017

Taylor Swift has never been one to shy away from the limelight.

Her career and personal life have dominated celebrity news columns ever since her 2008 album Fearless propelled her to international fame.

However the star has been keeping a mysteriously low profile lately, which has led to speculation about her future plans. 

Well, according to ET, Taylor has been busy working away on her upcoming album.

A source told the entertainment site that the Blank Space singer has been spending a lot of time in Nashville, Tennessee, trying to figure out what direction her new music should go in.

In the past, Taylor has had massive success with both pop and country records.

The source also suggested that Taylor’s new album may drop by the end of the year!

Fans of the songstress have been reacting to the news on Twitter. 

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If you think you have what it takes to be the next Little Mix, Leona Lewis or Louisa Johnson, then listen up. 

The X Factor is in town, and they are looking for the next symphonic star. 

If you have a penchant for a tune or two, then you need to make your way to St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre from today until Sunday. 

The show is welcoming both groups and solo singers, as long as they're over 16 years of age.

Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult. 

There are three easy ways to sign up to audition, one of which is simply showing up to the audition on the day.

 

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The second is registering online here for one of the Open Audition cities, such as Dublin and Belfast. 

You can also send in your own video audition as part of the registry. 

Auditions kick off at 9am each morning, so warm up those vocal cords and get queuing. 

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One hopeful groom-to-be is getting a serious bashing online for his crowd funding stunt.

The 30-year-old has ruffled some feathers with a €14,000 crowd sourced fund for an engagement ring for his ride or die. 

"This will raise awareness about the difference between the love we share and the love people have for us," he wrote on the page.

"Money for the engagement is your chance to get involved. I've heard everything from "I Love Yall" to "You need to put a Ring On It" etc etc."

"After watching Talladega College raise over 400k to attend the Presidential Inauguration I became a devout believer in this method of raising money for things and people you love," he continued. 

"Sometimes we can't quite afford expensive things by ourselves. A lot of people lean on credit card companies and banks (that overcharge them) so that they appear to do nice things for people they love by themselves," he said, justifying his actions.

The fund isn't exactly working out for the groom, with only €570.00 raised towards his goal so far. 

While it is wonderful that the loved-up lad wants to propose, €14,000 is a lot to ask of friends and strangers. 

"We have friends, family, and colleagues that don't mind passing up a drink or a sandwich to help out. Anything helps."

"All proceeds will go to the purchase of a beautiful engagement ring one that WE ALL can be proud of. Call me crazy but Love is Free Not Engagement Rings and Weddings," he finished. 

Feature image: Instagram/ ringconcierge

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Yep, you read that right. An actual ice cream festival is coming to Dublin and we couldn't be more excited.

Taking inspiration from the UK's Ice Cream Festival, the two-day event is expected to take Irish desserts to the next level.

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As well as being able to sample local produce, there will also be a comfy lounge area and DJ, so you can relax to "summer beats and many freezing specials."

The festival will take place on August 12 and 13, yet the location and exact times are to be announced.

And with all this chat about sweet, tasty ice cream, we decided to count down our top 5 desserts across Ireland:

5. Fallon & Byrne's vegan dark chocolate coconut mousse

And with gingerbread pudding too, this dessert not only looks amazing, but tastes great too.

 

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4. Fade Street Social's pavlova with strawberries

You know you're always guaranteed a good time in Fade Street, but this pavlova with chantilly cream and white chocolate is a cut above the rest.

 

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3. Market Lane's dessert specials

Whether it's a Paddy's Day lime pie or some colourful meringues, Market Lane in Cork always has a great selection of desserts on special offer from time to time.

 

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2. Brasserie On The Corner's vanilla crème brûlée

With cinnamon, rum and raisin ice cream, we can't think of anything better for a Friday night feast in Galway.

 

1. Queen Of Tart's… well, everything

This café specialises in cakes, pasteries and of course, tarts. So, you can pretty much grab anything you fancy. And it's all super delicious too.

 

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Pepsi have pulled their controversial ad featuring Kendall Jenner, and now celebs are weighing in on the issue.

The commercial, which was protest-themed, received a lot of online backlash, and last night, the brand apologised to consumers, saying they "clearly missed that mark."

Now, pop icon Madonna has weighed in on the drama. 

 

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Taking to Instagram, Madge posted a clip of the commercial. 

"When you wake up and realise that s**t just really doesn't make sense!" said the singer, captioning the post.

"Side note: my Pepsi commercial was pulled 30 years ago because I was kissing a black saint. #Ironic"

 

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She then threw further shade by posting a throwback picture of herself carrying a can of Coke, the main rival of Pepsi. 

Madonna's sentiments are reflected in the public outcry that followed the advert, as some social media users felt that Pepsi was attempting to capitalise on activism. 

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Ladies; a mere 15 percent of us orgasm every time we have sex, while 22 per cent of us don't at all.

If you're stunned by these figures, you're not the only one.

Jennifer Zamparelli, who is leading Durex's latest #OrgasmsForAll movement, aims to end bedroom inequality.

While speaking to Jennifer, she told us how women need to initiate a dialogue and communicate their desires when it comes to the bedroom.

"One of the reasons I got involved [with Durex] was because it's all about getting the conversation going, isn't it?

"You need to be able to speak frankly about it, because Irish people aren't great at being frank… Like, I did it on a breakfast show and it didn't go well – it took three years for people to get used to [frank conversation]."

When it comes to men, Jennifer thinks that we can't be too hard on them, because it's not their fault either.

"It's not that men are doing a bad job – they're grand. It's, I suppose, about women not speaking up enough.

"And it always takes a bottle of wine to get the conversation going, right?!"

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​Hands up how many of us are a tad hesitant talking about what goes on in the bedroom? We'd say a few of you reading this are virtually throwing your hands up.

However, we were surprised at just how few of us actually speak about our sex lives – even with the person we're having sex with.

The Durex survey, which questioned 2,104 men and women in Ireland, found that 16 per cent of Irish women admit they would be too embarrassed to tell their partner how to help them orgasm and 8 per cent say they stay quiet because they want their partner to figure it out for themselves.

The figure we found most astonishing though, was that only 22 per cent of us speak about our sex lives with friends. We're surely more open than that?!

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​But Jennifer believes that we need to start talking now, because your sex life won't just benefit from it, "everything [will], whether it's emotional, physical, or sexual. It all starts with a conversation.

"It's about getting women talking… because we're all so busy. We try to be brilliant at everything.

"We want to be a great mother, we want to be great in the office, we want to be great at home, we want to be great as a friend… and then we don't have enough balls in the bedroom!"

But when it comes to sexual confidence and age, Jennifer thinks it only gets better, even though the survey might disagree.

"I think everything gets better with age. I'm a lot more comfortable in my own skin now than I was years ago.

​"You definitely become more confident in your own skin and that goes for sexual confidence as well.

"But still, the stats are there and that's from women of all ages just not speaking up.

"With women, there's always so much to do, whether you're 21 or 51 – we want to please and we don't want confrontation."

And it doesn't stop there. 23 per cent of us wouldn't expect to orgasm if our partner already had. But guess what? You should be getting a great orgasm every single damn time.

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​As Jennifer puts it, "we don't want to hurt the other person's feelings or make them feel inadequate – that's actually not the case.

"I don't think we give men enough credit because they probably want us just as happy as well."

If you fancy closing the "pleasure gap" as Jen calls it, Durex has introduced a new range of stimulating and intensifying products such as its new Intense Stimulating Gel, Intense Stimulating Condoms and a Pleasure Ring for your fun only.

All items are available in pharmacies nationwide now.

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Mel B’s ex-husband, Stephen Belafonte, has dismissed claims that he physically and emotionally abused the former Spice Girl calling them "outrageous and unfounded".

The Los Angeles Superior Court granted the singer a temporary restraining order earlier this week after she filed documents detailing the extent of the domestic abuse she suffered.

In the papers, Mel claimed that she had suffered ''multiple physical beatings'' and that Stephen had threatened to release intimate videos of her.

According to reports the Spice Girl also claimed that Stephen got their nanny pregnant, forced her to take part in sexual acts with other women, and even stopped her from calling an ambulance when she overdosed on painkillers.

This comes just two weeks after Mel filed for divorce from the film producer after almost 10 years of marriage.

In a statement, representatives from Stephen’s legal team confirmed that he will soon be making an official response to the allegations.

"It's a shame that Ms Brown elected not to proceed in a respectful and amicable fashion in this very private matter."

"In due course, Mr Belafonte will be filing his response to the outrageous and unfounded allegations made by Ms Brown, which allegations he vehemently denies."

The couple, who have been married since 2007 have one daughter, Maddison, together.

Mel have has two other children form previous relationships, 18-year-old Pheonix and 9-year-old Angel. 

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Love it or hate it, there was one fashion item that was seen on everyone and their mother last summer.

That Zara coat is back in store, and fans of the garment are more than excited.

Coat €69.95

The "Frayed Printed Coat," other wise dubbed as "that coat" is so popular that it even has an Instagram dedicated to its oh so fashionable existence. 

The account, which has over 8,000 followers, documents the adventures of the coat all over the UK, posting images of bloggers wearing it and even mere mortals donning the garment in the wild. 

The account keeps fans of the coat up to date on when it is in store, and once you are aware of the existence of the coat, you can never un-see it. 

 

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 Prepare to spot it on the Luas, in St Stephens' Green on a sunny day and all over Grafton Street. 

That coat now also has an equally as stylish sister which comes in red rather than the classic navy. 

Coat €69.95

We love both styles, and the thought of owning something as ionic has us very excited. 

We're sure this new drop of coats will sell out as quickly as the first. 

Feature image: Instagram / foundbyheart

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We love a good mid-season sale, but we're definitely ready to embrace some new, summery style.

Luckily, Zara has been dropping some of the most chic but affordable summer finds on the high street, and we kind of want them all.

Here are a few of our top picks from the new collection:  

Left to right: Pocket T-shirt €17.95

Tropical bralette €15.95

Eyelet waistcoat €59.95

Floral crop top €29.95

Left to right: Sheer top €29.95

Embroidered skirt €39.95

Baby doll dress €29.95

Dusty pink biker jacket €59.95

Left to right: Embroidered smock dress €39.95

Linen tunic €49.95

Red Skirt €29.95, and Jacket €59.95,

Blue dress €29.95

 

Left to right: Leather flatforms €59.95

Red leather bag €59.95

 
Navy heels €49.95
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Most people are well aware that store mannequins are not meant to be an accurate or realistic portrayal of the human form, but teens and young girls may not be able to see this fact as clearly. 

One mum has taken issue with the size of the mannequins at high street favourite Topshop, after her daughter brought the mannequins' physiques to her attention. 

"My Biggest Girl went into town with her friend after school yesterday. They went around the shops to try to find a birthday present for another friend of theirs," she wrote, in a now viral Facebook post. 

"She thrust her phone under my nose and showed me this picture and said, 'Look at that, Mum! I mean just LOOK at it. Me and M couldn't believe it as we walked past!'"

"I mean, it's not surprising that so many of my friends think they are fat or just don't like their bodies. Are girls not meant to be happy whatever size they are?"

Others have also taken to social media voicing their concern over the mannequins, which have been described as looking like "famine victims" in some comments. 

Topshop came under fire two years ago for the same reason, and pledged to stop using this particular style of clothes horse. 

At the time, the store responded in a statement about their use of the slender mannequins, reports The Guardian

"This particular style is used in small number of our stores and is based on a standard UK size 10."

“The overall height (187cm) is taller than the average girl and the form is stylised to have more impact in store."

“As the mannequins are solid fibreglass, their form needs to be of certain dimensions to allow clothing to be put on and removed easily; this is therefore not meant to be a representation of the average female body.”

 

 

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Is this a case of life imitating art?

Friends star, David Schwimmer, who played Ross Geller in the iconic 90s sitcom, has announced that he and wife, Zoe Buckman, are officially on a break.

The couple, who married in June 2010, confirmed the news in a statement to US Weekly on Wednesday.

 "It is with great love, respect and friendship that we have decided to take some time apart while we determine the future of our relationship."

The pair first met when David was directing the 2007 comedy Run Fatboy Run, in London. Zoe moved to Los Angeles shortly after to be with the actor.

According to The Daily Mail, the Friends actor had previously spoken of the personal difficulties that fame brings and admitted that stardom has impacted his relationships in the past.

David and Zoe confirmed that the well-being of their five-year-old daughter Cleo was their main priority going forward.

 "Our priority is, of course, our daughter's happiness and well-being during this challenging time, and so we ask for your support and respect for our privacy as we continue to raise her together and navigate this new chapter for our family."

We can’t help but see some similarities between the current situation and David’s famous on-again, off-again on-screen relationship with co-star Jennifer Aniston, and we can only hope that the pair will have a happy ending. 

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Summer is right around the corner, and we've already started thinking about where we want to jet off to on our holidays.

There is nothing better than taking a city break with friends or heading off to the sun, but it can be seriously inconvenient if we forget something along the way.

Here are a few things we always forget, so make sure you put them on your list of travel essentials. 

1. Toothbrush

This is definitely the most important essential that people forget to bring all the time.

The best thing to do is have a travel toothbrush specifically ready for going on holidays with you, that way you can leave your usual one at home to languish without worrying about having to remember it the morning of your flight. 

SONIC Chic has just unveiled their Urban Collection, which includes six gorgeous, holiday-worth designs that fit perfectly into your travel bag. 

The eclectic range of electric toothbrushes are available from Boots for a complete bargain at €14.95.

 

2. Flip flops

There is no excuse to forget flip flops when you can get them cheap as chips on the high street and in Penneys. 

Buying them at home before you go is a good option, as often seaside vendors abroad charge a bit more for them, knowing that people have forgotten them at home. 

Penneys have so many gorgeous styles at the moment, including these two pairs, which come in at only €1.00 and €2.00 respectively. 

3. Chargers and adapters

You can pick up adapters easily in the airport on your way, but be sure to hold on to them when you return so you can use them again and again. 

Chargers are another often forgotten item, so make sure you have one stashed away in the pocket of your handbag at all times. 

4. Headphones 

There is nothing worse than having a long journey ahead of you with no headphones available. 

These can be bought from pretty much anywhere, but it's so annoying to have to spend money on something you already have at home, so make sure to pack these the night before. 

 

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5. Tea bags 

Yes, we know it's a bit of a cliché, but sometimes all you want in the evenings is a decent cuppa. 

Just pop a few tea bags in your case for emergencies and you're good to go.

The tea bags can also help keep your clothes fresh on long-haul flights thanks to the odour absorbing power of tea. 

Feature image: Instagram/pavlinajagrova

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