Sweet Home Alabama

You gotta love Alabama Whitman (played by Patricia Arquette) in the film True Romance, who else could pull off trailer-trash chic with such pizazz? The key to her look is kitsch accessories, bold colours, garish animal print, killer cowboy boots, Farrah Fawcett style flicks, and plenty of flesh-flashing. Don't forget the obligatory sunnies, red lippie and if you have a pink cadillac knocking around all the better!

Cow-print, neon turquoise and red nails actually working! Who'da thunk it?

Lady in red, red, red



Peasant chic with an 80's vibe...interesting

The Perfect Pimms

The sun is shining (shock horror) and people are dressing like it's summer so what better way to make the most of the rays than with a mighty jug of Pimms? Here's a so-easy-it's-embarrassing recipe for the perfect pitcher of frickin' delicious Pimms:

Take a jug and fill it with ice, mix one part Pimm’s No. 1 with 3 parts chilled lemonade, add some mint, cucumber, orange and strawberry. Et voila, perfect Pimms every time!

A Life in Colour: Steve McCurry

Get yourself down to the Gallery of Photography in Temple Bar, Dublin quick-smart to check out the phenomenal work of American photojournalist Steve McCurry. Best known for his image 'Afghan Girl' that appeared on the cover of National Geographic magazine, McCurry has crossed the globe from Beirut to Afghanistan to Cambodia and the Philippines capturing startling and touching images. Here are just some of the amazing images included in the exhibition which runs until the Sunday, 24th April:

A Boy on a Bicycle at Banteay Srei, Angkor, Cambodia, 1999

Geisha in Subway, Kyoto, Japan, 2008

Afghan Women at a Shoe Store, Kabul, Afghanistan, 1992

Never Go to Bed Angry!

THE best Sex and the City monologue of all time me thinks. Enjoy!

The Modern Bill Doyle

If you are not familiar with the work of Irish photographer Bill Doyle then get thee to googling stat for a taster of his tremendous body of work. Some of Dolye's work was recently on display at IMMA as part of 'The Moderns' exhibition and he has also been the subject of a retrospective at the Irish Gallery of Photography. A guide to the recent IMMA exhibition is currently available on the IMMA website.

Doyle, a former postman, became a fully-fledged photographer after winning a competition in 1967. His images quickly rose to iconic status, earning him the illustrious reputation as the “Irish Cartier-Bresson”. Doyle sadly died last year, aged 85. Here are some of his photograph's that will live on:

Anglesea Street, 1978 

Jameson Distillery, May Lane, Dublin, 1963

Mansion House, 1970

"You Don't Wanna Hold Her Hand, You Wanna to Dick Her!"

The immortal words once uttered by Jefferson Airplane frontwoman Grace Slick, pictured here with singing legend Janis Joplin.  This was Slick's response to 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' by The Beatles, in which Slick stated during a BBC documentary: "Of course you dont wanna hold her hand, you wanna dick her!". She looks cool, she sounds cool and she wrote 'White Rabbit' for God's sake! Grace Slick, I salute you.

Paraben Panic

Lately I've come across a heap of products that claim to be 'paraben free'. So it got me thinking:

1. What in God's name are parabens?                    
2. Why are some products free of them?
3. Should I chuck all my other products that contain parabens?

After much research (i.e. Googling) parabens are basically chemicals that are used as preservatives in a range of cosmetic and pharmaceutical products from shampoos and moisturisers to make-up and shaving gels.

The sudden prohibition on parabens stems from the fact that some have been found (in extremely low concentrations) in breast cancer tumors. Also, some parabens have the ability to mimic estrogen, a hormone known to play a role in the development of breast cancer. Please don't panic though - there has been no sustainable evidence found that links parabens and cancer with many studies proving that parabens are practically non-toxic. Despite this many would agree that further research into the safety of parabens is needed.

For those of us still a bit sceptical over the use of parabens fortunately there are a wealth of paraben free products on the market. La Roche Posay, Vichy, Burts Bees and Origins are just some of the mega-skincare brands offering paraben free products. If in doubt http://www.paraben-free-skincare.com/ is a good resource for all things paraben related.

Crackbird: chick, chick, chick, chick, chicken!

Jo' Burger is one of my all time fav places to eat so I was delire to hear the culinary genius behind it, Joe Macken, had set up a pop-up restaurant 'Crackbird' at Crane Lane in Dublin. The menu is completely burger-less, serving only super-fresh chicken dishes from soy glazed garlic chicken to buttermilk fried chicken along with tasty sides and sauces (I recommend the roast parsnip with nigella seeds side - yummins).

It recently opened up on the 21st February and is only in town for another 12 weeks, so cluckin' get down to it now!

Top, Middle or Bottom: Office Drawer Essentials

As much as I loathe working at a desk, I do find the drawers a bonus! Here I can keep all my emerency goodies and beauty back-ups amidst the papers, discs and general rubbish I've accumulated. Here are a few office drawer essentials I swear by:

Top Drawer

Here I keep all my 'bare necessaries' like hand sanitiser (for when all the hand soap runs out and it's replaced with water - gross), wipes (facial and baby), a mini toothbrush and toothpaste and hand moisturiser (Soap and Glory do a great mini one). These are basics that allow me to be somewhat presentable in a matter of minutes.

Middle Drawer

This is where I keep my 'me' stash. This includes my MP3 player, magazines and solid perfume. This is my fav drawer once lunch time rolls around because I can chillax with some music and a mag whilst fervently sniffing my wrist!

Bottom Drawer

This is my go-to-drawer if I'm invited (last minute) out somewhere and I have to hide the fact I've been downing Dime bars,  twiddling my hair profusely and clutching the radiator all day. This drawer includes heels (nude heels are great for going with everything), dry shampoo to mask the grease that has built up through ample twiddling and a mini-makeup bag full of pick-me-up items like Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, lipgloss, cream blusher, black eyeliner and mascara. A facial mist is also great for a quick moisture boost - badly needed after a day's love-in with the radiator (I'm a very cold person!).

Edvard Munch: Attraction I

                                               Attraction I, 1896. Edvard Munch. Lithograph.

Django Django

I'm McLovin' this band at the moment. Unfortunately they haven't released an album as of yet but I can't wait to hear what it sounds like - I'm guessing much like this beauty! Enjoy!

I Heart Mona Lisa Vito

Ok she's a bit too 80's and a bit too Dynasty on drugs but you gotta love Mona Lisa Vito (played by Marisa Tomei) in the hilarious, must-see ' My Cousin Vinny'. Here are some of my favourite ensembles:

Now that's what you call rockin' monochrome!

A high-neck, floral all-in-one that's also backless! Genius.

It's a bit what Ruby Wax's younger, much better looking sister would look like. Check out the pink camera - it's on my wish list!

SOS Beauty Tips

SOS please someone help me...and so the song goes. Every now and then I find myself in some beauty related dilema and impressively enough I always seem to get through it (pat on the back for moi). So I have decided to share some of my biggest beauty mishaps and subsequent SOS solutions. So, if you ever find yourself in the midst of a make-up/sartorial/beauty related disaster you won't go into total meltdown mode!

SOS Tip #1: Match Box Nail File

There's nothing worse than chipping your nail and then having the bugger snag on everything you touch, including your face. My nifty solution? Use the strikey side (you know what I mean!) to file down chipped or borken nails. Volia! No more snags or facial injuries.

SOS Tip#2: Sole Spray

New shoes smell good, look good and feel good. Ok, I take the last statement back. Sometimes walking in new shoes feels like you teetering on the edge of life itself. To prevent shoe slippage (a serious side-effect associated with new shoe wearing) spray hairspray on the soles of your feet so they 'stick' to your shoes. No more slip-sliding away! (Cue Paul Simon song).

SOS Tip#3: Ladder Up With Clear Nail Varnish

Outfit? Check. Shoes? Check. Accessories? Check. Ladder in tights? Crap! Everyone has been plagued with a ladder in their tights at some time or another. My first foray into the world of ladders was when I was getting ready for my first ever disco (I don't think they're called that anymore, showing my age). Anywho, I was putting on my tights when a dirty, sneaky ladder appeared. Whilst hyperventilating at the thoughts of going tight-less my lovely mummy nipped the problem in the bud by simply applying a coat of clear nail varnish to the ladder to prevent it from taking over my whole leg. Easy peasy!

SOS Tip#4: Shaving Foam Shortage

If you ever run out of shaving foam and need to tame the beasts growing on your legs simply use hair conditioner instead. It gives the same smooth effect but just take your time, it's not as good as shaving foam but in a SOS situation it's a life-shaver. See what I did there?!

SOS Tip#5: Shiny Smile

This is an old beauty queen trick: If you haven't got time to brush you teeth but still want a glowing grin then rub a bit of vaseline on your front teeth. It will make them super shiny and is great for quick pics and instant sparkle.

If you have any other beauty SOS solutions then please let me know so I can work on my disaster recovery plan now!