Pop Couture

Desk Drawer Essentials

Kimberley — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:45:18 +0000

There are certain days when you really don’t want to roll out of bed. (To some of us, this happens often – well, mostly in winter because you’ve cocooned yourself spectacularly well) In any case, the more time you spend in bed, of course, there’s less time before you have to be out the door, at work without making sure you’ve put your best face forward. Wardrobe: check. Glamourised face: not so much. Hair: fuhgeddaboutit.

But if you have a stash of essentials at your desk at work, at least you will feel a bit more awake, and fresh-faced. More often than not, the effort alone in this improves your general outlook on the day. Here are a few of what I deem to be the ‘desk stash essentials’. (Please note that I’m not about to roll off a list as big as the above stash) ;)

Handcream – I’m only a recent convert to hand creams at all. I honestly thought that it was something only nannas were a fan of.. *bows head in shame* I know, I know. But working at a desk under artificial air, heating, or cooling – any exposed skin is on its way to dehydration city. Current favourite? Jurlique Citrus Hand Cream. Super summery even in winter, or spring!

Face Mist/Spray – This is something else I’m recently new to, MAC Fix+ being my first introduction, and that was mainly to set a loose mineral powder I was using for foundation. But depending on the type of mist/spray you can get – this is perfect for 3:30itis, when sugar alone won’t give you that kick of energy you need. Current favourite? Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs & Rosewater

Tinted Moisturiser Always something I have on reserve because generally I like this on the weekends. Your skin should have a break sometime, right? But when you are in a mad rush out of the house, with only time to shower, and get dressed.. having tinted moisturiser in the drawer is ideal to at least give you a balanced complexion and have you feeling relatively okay to face co-workers without the dreaded ‘Whoa. You look tired!’ comments.

Lip Balm/Lip Gloss – Something I’m sure you’re no stranger to – I have about.. 5 or 6 lipbalms, gloss and lipsticks in my bag. That reminds me.. I need to clean out my bag. I digress. You need to have a lip balm – lipgloss or lipstick alone will dry out your lips, and make you feel worse. Lanolips in your favourite flavour (mine is Rhubarb) with a light strawberry-ish tint is perfect to start the day.

Honourable mention: A hair product/leave in conditioner of your choice – purely for those that might have also left the house with bed hair (real bed hair, not purposeful bed hair).

My list is rather low-maintenance – but if you are into high end fixes and can make more of an effort than my own lazy-bones – here is the Belle Lumiere’s personal list of must haves at her desk:

Tinted Moisturiser (Stila Tinted Moisturiser)
Mascara (Lancome Hypnose)
Creme Blush (MAC Blush Creme in Lady Blush)
Lanolips in Rhubarb
Blotting Papers (from Bloom)

Offering a new Impression…ism.

Kimberley — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 02:41:04 +0000

Look, I’m not an NCIS fan, but I do like a bit of Michael Weatherly, and Pauley Perrette seems like one cool cookie, and this is another reason why.

In a magazine spread for CBS’ Watch! magazine – Pauley gives a fashionable second impression of several famous Impressionist paintings. My favourite out of the five pieces would be the one above – Edouard Manet’s Berthe Morisot with a Fan. How stunning does she look?

The spread was taken at the Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, France – and how could you not be inspired by the city of food, fashion and art? Editor-in-chief Jeremy Murphy thought that with Pauley’s character being known solely to be the Abby, the geek-nerd/science gal of NCIS, though with a modelling past – would stand out even more with these new representations of Impressionist masterpieces.

Click here to read the rest of the article and to see more pieces by Degas, Cassatt and even Berthe Morisot – the lady with the fan.

Just Quickly: The Emmys 2010

Kimberley — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:09:41 +0000

I love awards season. I love it as much as it frustrates me, because there are just shows I haven’t managed to watch, and so when there are these ‘new’ shows winning awards (Breaking Bad and Mad Men, I’m looking at you) I’m shocked by them – frustrated that a) I have no informed opinion on whether they ‘deserve’ it or not. (As I write that out, I realise how conceited it sounds.. ew) and b) in regards to yesterday’s event – the big snub = Lost. The final season.

Can we talk about this? Lost has been arguably the most iconic show of recent years. Iconic because, it was the most intricately layered storyline.. ever? Kinda? For sure. Certainly not everyone understood it, but should it have been something to be ‘understood’? But it was still the show most discussed, most argued over, joked about show that you didn’t need to be watching – in order to be a part of a discussion. Yet, how even in its final season – did it still get snubbed for Emmy awards? We still have the Golden Globes. (And I’m not even what you’d class as a ‘Lostie’!)

As for the host Jimmy Fallon, I honestly wasn’t sure HOW entertaining he’d be, especially compared to crowd favourite Neil Patrick Harris – but he was the ultimate fanboy, representin’. That opening number with a few Gleeks, as well as Jorge Garcia, Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, Nina Dobrev and Betty White.. was SO joyful, and hilarious – especially with the surprise of Kate Gosselin making fun of herself? Very surprising!

Cue to the musical montage of ‘shows that are no longer with us’ with Jimmy Fallon paying tribute to 24, Law & Order and Lost.. by mimicking Elton John, Boyz II Men, and Green Day. Hysterical. I still have a bit of a cold, and giggle-fits soon turned into coughing fits just watching this particular segment!

Fashion wise, no real disasters, yet at the same time – no real standouts. I absolutely love Anna Paquin’s dress (with new husband and ASKARS) How much fun are they having?! Sigh. Completely jealous.

Aside from Jimmy Fallon’s fun-loving fanboy hosting, and the Lost snub – what were your favourite (or not so much) moments during the Emmys? What were your favourite celebrity looks?

An evening with Joss Whedon..

Kimberley — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 08:22:01 +0000

No, not *that* kind of evening, get your mind out of the gutter, folks!
So, as a cultured kinda gal – I went to the Melbourne Writer’s Festival Keynote address with Joss Whedon. Helllo. Have you been under a rock? Surely you know who he is.

Apart from the X Files which was one of my first obsessions, Buffy was definitely there. There was a time when I spoke fluently in Buffy quotes. I knew episode titles, I would nerdily bring up character continuity themes, and have the best impersonation of Drusilla ever. (its been a while, but I think I still have the voice down) ;)

Being able to see Joss again was just a pure pleasure, and being a part of the Writer’s Festival, I’d get a different insight into how he.. does what he does. With TV, and film, creating the ‘Whedonverse’ we know and love. I say again, as when Serenity was released, I was able to attend a Q & A he did here, and got him to sign a U.S TV Guide I had for when Buffy ended. ;)

For an hour, at Melbourne’s Town Hall, Jenna and I got to sit, and listen to the man regale us cheekily with tales of how he got his start, to what his dreams still are and how in 10 years.. his plan? To sleep. To have a rest. To finish a novel. Read on for more..

So many memorable moments in the evening stood out. Aside from Joss’ natural quick-wittedness, Jenna and I were either following the sign language ladies on stage, or marvelling at how some people were squealing/shrieking (not me!!) at the mere mention of his name, before he was on stage.

The interviewer opened with the statement that many people considered Joss a ‘God’. Or just.. God. Well, he did create many worlds, and characters.. so that’s almost a true statement. But he remarked, ‘I don’t believe in myself’. Which can be awkward..

He reluctantly got into writing for TV – as his father, and grandfather were television writers. He brought up the fact that a college friend nicknamed him 3GTV – third generation TV.. he hated it. After all, TV at that time was Fantasy Island. Yeesh!

But once he started, even with the first script that was cancelled before the script was finished – was the most exciting feeling he’d ever felt. He’d found the love of his life.

Of course, having Firefly cancelled was the worst feeling he’d ever felt – and he still agonises over the episodes he never got to make. The interviewer at this stage asks if he’ll go back to television – has he turned his back on it.. or has television turned its back on him?

To which he replied.. ‘TV broke up with me! *sob* Said it wanted to be friends..’ Brilliant. The crowd roared with that one. But let’s not forget his appearance in Veronica Mars, as well as his episode of Glee that he directed.. he is still passionate about television but right now, he’s focussed on film.

Specifically, comic book movies that he wants to convey.. are SUPER fun. He feels that there was a *couple* of good superhero/comic book films but now there was a wave of films deconstructing the comic book film (Watchmen, Kick-Ass etc) and dang it – he wanted to construct it again.

The comic world of Buffy itself allowed him to continue the world of the Buffyverse, and continue hearing the voices of the characters we know and love. But it doesn’t provide the same level of satisfaction as TV does.

At the end of the evening, there was an opportunity for audience members to ask questions. For the most part, there were intelligent questions about his work during the writer’s strike, about his views on the ‘corporations’ he seems to include in a few shows, but then.. a generic ‘what advice would you give an aspiring writer’ – though oddly, the dude worded it as ‘how do I have YOUR career’ – geez, a bit ambitious?

What I got from Joss’ answer was this – don’t think about writing. Write because you need to. Write because you can’t live without it. Don’t think about it. Don’t plan it. Just do it because its an urge you have. And work on it. Also – if you have a story in mind, a film that you want to make – MAKE IT. You can do anything now with any type of camera, or with the internet – you can do it. Be proactive.

The last question, geez.. the painful question from the audience was the ‘what do you like.. love.. like.. what would you like.. want to really get involved with, like.. something you LOVE’. Oh. GAWD. A question was wasted with that? I could have injected the word ‘like’ more times to match the girl that asked it.. but there is no need. You get the picture.

His answer was ‘Glee. Oh.. wait.. :)’

All in all, the evening was fantastic, there was a great energy in the crowd, everyone was just in awe of him and his work, and his giddy optimism and ambitions, especially when it came to interacting with the fans online. I have the highest of respect for him and how passionate he is – for it shows in everything he does.

Picture credit/source here

No Ordinary Family – the Pilot

Kimberley — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:46:28 +0000

Ahhh, I love the fall. The autumn. Though, really when watching new shows, the U.S’ fall = Aussie spring. Doesn’t matter. September/October is an exciting month in televisionary terms.

And in the interest of creating a buzz, and backing it up with content – rather than just a few teasers, ABC’s website gave viewers the opportunity to watch the pilot of No Ordinary Family, more than a month early of its premiere on September 28th – for the first 5,000 viewers that got to it. *rubbing hands together* Excceeeellllent.

Think of the Incredibles – think of it as live action, and with an exciting cast led by Michael Chiklis & Julie Benz, with supporting stars Romany Malco and Autumn Reeser. Its a family adventure, of finding super powers in a society when there is no such thing.

The pilot itself isn’t short on excitement, and doesn’t dwell too much on exposition. Its a family drama, with the marriage between Jim & Stephanie not as exciting as it used to be, whilst the teenage kids JJ & Daphne experiencing the usual trials and tribulations of being a teenager. Then, cue a relucatant family holiday then turns to near tragedy – no radioactive spiders found here.

Cue, the action and discovery of super human powers, and testing them out.. which is totally the fun part!

The cast banters and bounces off each other beautifully, especially Jim, and best friend, partner in crime George who test out Jim’s newfound super powers playfully, whether it be catching a bullet, or leaping off a tall building. Not quite succesfully the first time around.. It has to be said, Chiklis could be reprising his exact role from Fantastic Four – its just this time around, you don’t have prosthetics. And he talks normally, no grunting.

This is definitely one to keep an eye out on, with such an exciting vibrant cast, and a family drama entwined with superpowers? I’m in.

Pop Couture @ MakeUp Store in Melbourne

Kimberley — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:31:23 +0000

Thanks to Sassi Sam I was able to wander over to the launch of the MakeUp Store brand in Myer Melbourne – a brand previously only available to Sydney-siders. I even got a makeover!

Check out my post, and more pictures here over at Sassi Sam’s blog :)

Offspring – a newborn review

Kimberley — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 23:48:00 +0000

In the interest of blogging as soon as ideas pop into my head – you may see a few more posts for me. (Otherwise my my crazy urge to edit until I can’t actually post anything type of mentality will continue)

With much hype, and extended ‘sneak peeks’ of new Australian drama Offspring– there was quite a buzz about whether this would be the new ‘Secret Life of Us’ – or the new drama to try and rival the success of 7’s Packed to the Rafters. Starring Asher Keddie as the lead, with Don Hany as the lustful pediatrician in her sights – Offspring is all about her life, between daydreams, fantasies and reality within her interactions with friends, family and oh, her ‘explosive’ ex-husband.

Whilst some of this may be relatable – this show is simply trying TOO hard to be quirky. Everyone has their own quirks, eccentricities, but generally they still operate within a normal functioning situation. Logically? Whereas, with Asher’s role alone as Nina she can barely form two words, or a full sentence towards her crush, because she’s thinking about ‘take me in any position you want’ or ‘let’s go out.. for coffee.. or dinner, or bed’.. – and its absolute overkill.

Partnered with that, within the first episode – a long lost best friend (played by Deborah Mailman) came to her hospital to have a medical check up, close to giving birth, and what do you know? Oh, she had sex with a stranger on a cruise ship – and its Nina’s father! Her older sister Billie (played by Kat Stewart) is a more-than-ambitious egotistical real estate agent, dating a musician she obviously feels superior over. Yet… we’re meant to like her? Is she an acquired taste? Aside from that, we have Nina having to deal exasperatingly (rather than alarmingly) with an ex-husband that likes to blow things up. Riiiiight.

I’m officially giving it one more chance, one more episode before moving on – I found myself in the second episode either scoffing, or rolling my eyes at just how over-the-top and contrived it was.

Another nostalgic re-watch..

Kimberley — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 06:41:50 +0000

So we all know I was doing an X Files rewatch just in terms of revisiting my first TV crush, as well as getting some closure on the X Files storyline – as I certainly didn’t get any sort of closure from the 2nd movie (or entertainment for that matter) but you know me. I start a lot of things, don’t quite finish them. Get sidetracked.

But along with Buffy and Angel.. Roswell was one of my biggest obsessions when I was younger. The soundtrack, Max and Liz, Michael and Maria.. Katherine Heigl’s introduction (sooo not Grey’s Anatomy, folks) I’ve been rewatching this from Season 1 (tied in with X Files season 1).

You know what? Its actually not that dated, it does still make me yearn for that epic teenage angsty/loving feelings of will he take me to the prom, and does he notice that I brought him tabasco sauce especially for his pancakes. Its the small things. The only horrific thing that takes away from this nostalgia is for me – I remember songs. I remember them down to the scene they were included in. Sometimes scenes can just be all the more poignant, or haunting because of a particular soundtrack. And with Roswell, as well as Dawson’s Creek – the soundtrack was a trademark. I raise this point because apparently there wasn’t enough in the budget to cover buying the rights to these songs – and so.. when I watch certain scenes in these episodes – the music is DIFFERENT. B-grade, or C-grade ‘who the heck am I listening to?’ different.

Looks like I won’t be throwing out those VHS tapes I recorded back in the day after all (in hopes that the DVD box sets would suffice – as they do with a lot of other shows!)

Twice the tearjerkers

Kimberley — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:43:10 +0000

What was I thinking? Two movies that were bound to be tearjerkers – oh, because they were both written by Nicholas Sparks (A Walk to Remember, The Notebook) but I’m just a sap for anything super romantic, epic, tragic.. whatever.

Surely there’d still be a fairytale journey on the way to whoever was meant to die (as there is always someone that dies in a Nicholas Sparks tale) so I went with Dear John starring Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum, and then the Last Song with Miley Cyrus and the boyfriend she met on set – aussie Liam Hemsworth. Boy – the two were poles apart.

Dear John tells of a man and woman seperated by the army at first, only to be temporary, then by a longer stretch due to the events that took place on September 11, 2001. All this, after an epic 2 week summer romance that featured a musical montage, and lots of hand holding on the beach.

I tried to write that in the epically tragic way it was meant to be told but to be honest – I’m not sure if there was chemistry lacking, or the fact that it is hard to relate, and get to know characters through letter writing alone. Then.. without giving anything away, there’s a pity marriage, and bad mistakes, and then a pity donation, and a pity hug. Once you see it, it will make sense, but it all just left me with the thought of… uh, Nicholas Sparks, WHAT were you wanting me to feel here? Who was I meant to feel sorry for? Or in love with? What life lesson should I have learnt here?

It just left me so dissatisfied, and practically disgruntled because I think the plot veered off, tried to be more preachy and over the top self-righteous, I wouldn’t recommend this on a girl’s night in movie night.

Then there was the Last Song. It had all the right elements – though I’m not entirely convinced that Miley Cyrus could ever succesfully play a ‘rebellious’ teenager. Sent off for the summer with her younger brother to spend time with her estranged father (Greg Kinnear) she refuses to play piano anymore (though Juilliard know about her) and spend any time with the family.

She then meets handsome volleyball playing, mechanic, aquarium volunteer Will, and swoon, she’s smiling again. Thus.. the romantic summer begins, and she starts seeing a different side of family. All the cliches are here, the epic musical date montage, and having a mud fight, seriously. Too. Much. Romance. I won’t go into too much here, or why it made me bawl my eyes out but for what it was, and what Nicholas Sparks always promises – pick this over Dear John.

P.S – the forehead kiss gets me every time.

The Killers – a review

Kimberley — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:50:45 +0000

This will be a super short and sweet review. Well, not sweet for anyone involved in making the movie.. but. Oy. It could have been good. The premise was so-so, almost a ‘Hi, I want to be Brad and Angelina, but this Mr & Mrs Smith will be GOOFIER’. Yeah. Not even close.

I could watch anything with Katherine Heigl, bless her cotton socks I’ve loved her since Roswell days. Yep, way before everyone got on the Izzie Stevens on Grey’s Anatomy bandwagon. Ashton, well.. he’s good to look at? But as for loving anything he’s done, or wanting to rewatch it? Not so much.

The premise for the Killers is essentially girl gets dumped, goes on trip with her parents, meets bare-chested Ashton, and oh, he’s a hitman. Pretty by-the-numbers. Except there is NO. CHEMISTRY. I mean, they’re both young and hot, and yet when they meet, its almost as if Ashton’s character latches on to her because she’s literally the FIRST ‘normal’ (ie, person that does not commit homicide) person in the vicinity. Other than that, how they go beyond a first date… is beyond me.

The action? Its just not funny. Its meant to be almost slap-stick, and people trying to kill them being more ‘annoying’ and farcical but to tell you the truth, I was thinking about house chores, and what I needed to do at the time, rather than focusing on the absolute lack of any believable friendship, let alone romance between Ashton and Katherine. SUCH a letdown!

Pop Couture

Desk Drawer Essentials

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Offering a new Impression…ism.

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Offspring – a newborn review

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