My love of quotes...

I have been a huge fan of quotes and sayings ever since I can remember. I love how quotes can capture a thought or feeling so perfectly, that I completely identify with it or can look to them as an inspiration to lead my life. I am one of those people that if I read or see a quote that I like; I will write it down, save it or take a photo of it - just to ensure I don’t forget it. People always ask me, where do you get all your ‘Happy Hump Day’ images and quotes from? Well they pretty much just come from my continually growing collection that I have assembled over time and then on Hump Day I look for one that fits my mood or feelings at the time.

This last weekend I went home to the Netherlands for one of my very best friends’ Bachelorette party. She is marrying her lovely American fiancé in September this year and as much as I am extremely happy for her, the downside for me is that this means she will be moving to the USA in 5 weeks’ time. When my friend (Lulu) and I met we were both 17 years old, starting the same university degree in Utrecht. We always laugh and say ‘You had me at Hello’ (as famously said by Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire) because we just clicked instantly and have had a strong friendship for the last 10 years, even though we lived worlds apart with me in NZ and her in Europe.

We both shared a love for quotes and so at 17 we decided to create our own ‘religion/way to life your life’ calling it Lulu-dism which was made up of a list of amendments out of our favourite quotes. We typed it up and took it to a photocopy place to get two big (ugly) posters printed that we each hung in our rooms to remind us and support us through life in good and bad times. Over the years we each sadly lost these posters but when I was packing up my life in New Zealand I all of a sudden found this list of quotes!!! For Lulu’s leaving gift I wanted to give her something really special that summed up our friendship and bond that we will hopefully have for the rest of our lives (no matter where we live) so I decided to get a brand spanking new poster made of our Lulu-dism quotes that she could hang in her new house in America. I wanted it to look amazing and tried my hand at designing something but being the perfectionist that I am, I just felt it needed to look more professional. So to help me I got in touch with a friend of mine who does graphic design and she created this amazing poster for me!


I seriously love the end result and so did Lulu I think because when I gave it to her this weekend…well let’s just say it produced a lot of tears! It’s hard for me to pick a favourite on this poster because I just LOVE all these quotes ♥ I am definitely going to get one printed and framed for my house too :)

For more awesome posters check out my friends Etsy Shop where she sells prints and personalised poster gifts. If you spot something you fancy then she’s offering my lovely readers FREE (UK only) shipping! All you need to do is enter the coupon code DUTCHESS01 when checking out.

Here also two pictures of the fun-filled Bachelorette Party weekend in Amsterdam.
Quite the contrast between the two haha!
A FAB Burlesque Work Shop at Paleis van de Weemoed in Amsterdam.

What happens in the Red Light District, stays in the Red Light District ;)

....and a hilarious Group photo shoot in Dutch Traditional Costume in Volendam.
Most Dutch people would not actually do anything like this (more touristy thing to do) but what amazing memorabilia to have!

Definitely had a fantastic weekend and will cherish these memories for ever....
'A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you, when you have forgotten the words' Happy Hump Day!! xoxo

Best & Worst of the Golden Globes 2012

On Sunday night annual Golden Globe Awards were held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in California. As the 2012 award season gets underway, the Golden Globes is the first chance for Hollywood's elite to set the red carpet trends for the upcoming year. Big winners 'The Descendants' and 'The Artist' took home multiple statues, but the awards for Best & Worst dressed are a whole other story. Take a look at my Golden Globes 2012 night's style winners and losers ...

Best

♥ The ever stunning Charlize Theron chose a slit-up-to-there Christian Dior Couture gown with an elegant bow in the front!

♥ Nicole Richie sparkled in a glittering column gown by Julien Macdonald and matched it with a clutch by her own label, House of Harlow.

♥ Love Heidi Klum’s simple (but with sexy open back) nude Calvin Klein dress. She accessorised it perfectly with beautiful turquoise jewellery to saves her Calvin Klein gown from being a washout!

♥ Angelina Jolie looked very elegant. The Atelier Versace dress could not have fit her better, and the red splash across the top made it stand out from other white and off-white gowns on the carpet.

♥ Salma Hayek oozed sex appeal in a strapless Gucci gown..

♥ Keeping her style simple, yet utterly elegant, Kate Beckinsale wowed in a stunning blush Roberto Cavalli chiffon and lace gown.   
♥ Best Actress in a Television Drama winner Claire Danes looked amazing in this black and white J. Mendel gown. An interestingly constructed dress plus the low-cut back made it an absolute winner in my books!   
♥ Evan Rachel Wood looked glamorous in sequined Gucci dress with real feathers on the bottom of the skirt. She looks a bit like a cross between a mermaid and a bird…but in a good way ;) It’s probably not something I would wear but it perfectly suits Evan Rachel Wood’s Hollywood glamour/gothic style.    
♥ Emma Stone showed off a modern way to wear red; with her maroon and fuchsia pleated Lanvin gown matched with a funky jewelled eagle belt buckle. I think she looked like a fashion superhero!

Worst

♦ I’m not a fan of Amanda’s tiered Marc Jacobs dress; too much ruffle and it looks a bit like the dress was made out of her grandma’s curtains?

♦ Natalie Portman seems to be channelling Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen prefer blondes here haha. I love the colours of the Lanvin gown but perhaps after you've recently lost a ton of baby weight this isn’t the most flattering of outfits…

♦ Kelly Osbourne doesn’t shine for me in this ill-fitting, pointy-shouldered Zac Posen dress. Wonder if she'll make her own ‘Fashion Police’ show's Worst Dressed List?

♦ Sarah Michelle Gellar said that her two-year-old daughter Charlotte picked out her tie-dye-style Monique Lhuillier gown. Just too much…I think the look would have been far more successful with a plain fabric!

♦ Jessica Biel in a long sleeve Ellie Saab dress. This gown looks a bit like it could be her grandmother's wedding dress from 1934? Jessica is so beautiful and I think something more modern and striking would have been more age appropriate :)

♦ Michelle Williams looks cute and quirky in this Jason Wu gown but for me the blue velvet dress is a bit too matronly and slightly boring..(Sorry I know lots of people loved this dress!)

♦ ‘Glee’ star Lea Michelle in an embroidered Marchesa illusion dress. Again she was on a lot of people’s best dressed list but it just didn’t do it for me!

♦ Giuliana Rancic arrived in a floor-length grey and black Monique Collignon gown which is simply unflattering. Nuf-said ;)

♦ Madonna disappointed in a cluttered green and pewter Reem Acra ballgown.

So this were my picks for the 2012 Golden Globes Fashion hit and misses; do you agree or disagree? :)

See below the full list of award winners at the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards; I really want to see the movies "The Descendants" and "The Artist"!

MOTION PICTURES
- Picture, Drama: "The Descendants."
- Picture, Musical or Comedy: "The Artist."
- Actor, Drama: George Clooney, "The Descendants."
- Actress, Drama: Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady."
- Director: Martin Scorsese, "Hugo."
- Actor, Musical or Comedy: Jean Dujardin, "The Artist."
- Actress, Musical or Comedy: Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn."
- Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners."
- Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, "The Help."
- Foreign Language: "A Separation."
- Animated Film: "The Adventures of Tintin."
- Screenplay: Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris."
- Original Score: Ludovic Bource, "The Artist."
- Original Song: "Masterpiece" (music and lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry), "W.E."

TELEVISION
- Series, Drama: "Homeland," Showtime.
- Series, Musical or Comedy: "Modern Family," ABC.
- Actor, Drama: Kelsey Grammer, "Boss."
- Actress, Drama: Claire Danes, "Homeland."
- Actress, Musical or Comedy: Laura Dern, "Enlightened."
- Actor, Musical or Comedy: Matt LeBlanc, "Episodes."
- Miniseries or Movie: "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)," PBS.
- Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Kate Winslet, "Mildred Pierce."
- Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Idris Elba, "Luther."
- Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jessica Lange, "American Horror Story."
- Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones."

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Morgan Freeman.

Urban Decay - Naked Palette 2!!

Most of you will know that I am a HUGE fan of the Urban Decay Naked Palette. You can my read my review of this best-selling palette here. I love how you can create so many different looks ranging from a natural day look to a dramatic evening smokey eye plus the shadows are such amazing quality. Here are some of my favourite looks I created with the palette; Gold/Bronze look, Gunmetal Silver look and an Evening Smokey eye.

In the last few weeks the anticipation has been building on the release of the brand new Naked Palette 2! It won’t be available in the UK until February 4^th but I have just found out that you can buy it exclusively from Debenhams in store or online right now, a month before it hits the stores nationwide.

The new Naked 2 Palette is filled with 12 highly pigmented eye shadows ranging from shimmery nudes to smokey black and includes 5 brand new shades. The palette also features a mini Lip Junky Lip-gloss in ‘Naked’ and a double-ended eye shadow/crease brush!

I am definitely excited, are you? I can’t wait to get my hands on this palette; so watch this space for a detailed review :)You can buy the Naked 2 Palette online here for £36 – exclusive to Debenhams

On another note, it is that time of the week again...
    
Love this haha! Happy Hump Day :) xoxo 

Sleek Brow Kit Review

I am a big believer that well-groomed eyebrows can transform a face. A lot of girls leave this step out when doing their makeup but I think by just shaping and setting your brows it will frame your face and complete your look. I love using MAC charcoal brown eye shadow to fill in my brows and then setting it with a clear brow gel. I also use the HD brows set (review here) plus have many times thought about adding the Benefit Brow Zing or ELF Eyebrow Kit to my makeup collection. Late last year Sleek released their brow kit and ever since then have read rave reviews. So when I was in Superdrug the other day and it was just sitting their staring at me for only £7.99 I couldn’t resist giving it a go!

The Sleek Brow kit is available in two shades; light and dark. I decided on the light version which suits my colouring perfectly.

What they say “For perfectly shaped, groomed brows look no further than Sleek MakeUp’s brow kit. Complete with all the tools you’ll ever need for brows that flatter and frame your face, choose from two shades in light or dark to compliment your natural colouring. Just a few simple steps are all it takes for preened and polished brows!

The kit comes with a pigmented wax (right), setting powder (left), an angled brush, blending brush and even wee tweezers to pluck out any stray hairs. This all in a nice handbag sized compact complete with in-built mirror so perfect for on the go! Swatched is powder on the left and wax on the right.

I have been really impressed with this brow kit and it’s now part of my daily makeup routine. I start by combing my eyebrows into shape and then apply the wax, which has a lovely smooth texture, along the natural shape of my brow to create a perfect arch. Then I apply the setting powder to keep the wax from slipping off and fill in any sparse areas.
For on the go the little brushes provided in the kit are fine but at home I tend to use this angled brush by EcoTools.

“EcoTools is a leader in eco-conscious beauty products, most notably known for its incredibly soft cosmetic brushes. They take pride in offering a collection of cosmetic accessories and bath products that feature innovative, earth-friendly materials. In a continued effort to give back, 1% of EcoTools annual sales is donated to 1% For The Planet®, an alliance of businesses committed to leveraging their resources to create a healthier planet.” More information on EcoTools and their brushes here.

So have you tried the Sleek Brow Kit? If not, how do you do your brows?
The kit retails for £7.99 and can be purchased from www.sleekmakeup.com and Superdrug.