new post for the moving film Hachi A Dog's Tail, this is an excellent film which I highly recommend. Enjoy .....
FILM ONLY REVIEW
At a small train station in Bedridge Professor Parker Wilson is making his usual commute home when he stumbles on a small puppy which appears to be lost. He takes to dog to the office but he is told that if no one claims him he will be sent to the pound. Parker takes the puppy home with the intention of finding its owner. His wife is not happy about the puppy as they have recently lost their own dog.
The following morning Parker sets about tracking the owner but has no luck so the dog ends up at home with him again. The next morning the puppy goes to work with Parker where he discovers from a colleague that the dog is not a normal one, it has been bread by monks to be a hunting dog and the markings on the tag say that the dog is called Hachi.
Hachi soon becomes part of the family and settles in well forming a very strong bond with Parker, he goes so far as to walking to the station every morning and the returning at night to meet Parker when he gets off the train. Hachi becomes a strong member of the community and when disaster strikes the family he is not going to be moved.
How far and how long will Hachi wait?
I have looked forward to seeing this film for quite some time now but hubby has never really fancied it as he thought it would involve the dog dying and he would not be able to watch that, I ca say that Hachi does not die so don’t let this put you off. Do not feel that I have spoilt the film by giving this away as there is so much more to the story and it is not spoilt in the slightest by this fact. I did find the story to be very good and quite moving at times and at the very end I found out that this was a true story ad for some reason it made the story more powerful and moving for me. The way the story was told was very good and I liked the fact it spread over many years as this kept it quite fresh and not at all dull or boring.
The acting was great, Richard Gere took the lead role of Parker and I found his to do an excellent job. He seemed very natural and at ease working with the dog and the way he let his emotions and feeling come out made he seem more genuine and likable. He delivered all of his lines with ease and seemed to have an honest and true bond with the dog. There was some good parts with Parker and his wife and they too worked well on screen together and came across as a very happy couple. The real star of the film was Hachi, he was a wonderful dog and looked so cute, he managed to act excellently and come across in a very friendly and kind way. He did put some good facial expressions over when Parker would be talking to him and I think this helped me a lot to understand how the dog was feeling and just how much love he had to his owner. We had some very good support actors in the film and they all came across well and did help to bring some depth to the story.
The story was told through the eyes of Parkers grandson and he opened the film before we went back to flashbacks, it was easy to follow as we did not keep going back to the present time and did only return there at the end of the film. We also got to see small parts through the eyes of Hachi, we could easily work out these parts though as they were lacking in colour and we were always looking at things from a lower level. I thought this was a nice inclusion in the film.
There were no real special effects in the film and none were needed. The one aspect which I found to be excellent was the dog training, Hachi was amazing and looked so at ease on screen and he always had a good playful look to his eyes. The trainers really worked hard to make the role so good. The costumes and sets were also very good and realistic, no real effort was needed as the film was only set a few year previous so normal clothes were worn. The music was good and did help with the tone and emotions of the story but personally it is not a soundtrack I would go out a buy.
This is a film only review so there are no bonus features to speak about. The DVD is available for around the £7 price tag which I think is very reasonable although this is being shown on Sky movies now.
I am more than happy to give this film a high recommendation and the full 5 stars as I loved it. The story and acting are excellent but I would warn it may bring a tear to the eye more than once!
Monday, 21 February 2011
Bright eyes
New post for Avon true colour eye shadow quad, an excellent product, enjoy the post....
As I am in the process of revamping my makeup bag I have been looking for a good selection of eye shadows and a good colour choice. I came across is eye shadow quad in the Avon brochure and thought it look good so decided to give it a try.
The eye shadows come in a black case which is made from hard plastic. On the lid we have a nice silver design and the Avon logo. When opening the lip, this is very simple to do, there is a small press button which releases the lid, you will find the 4 coloured shadows inside. There is a mirror on the inside of the lid which is a decent size and a space at the side of the shadows where the small double ended brush sits.
The powders look nice and rich in colour and they look quite moist, they are not all bitty and overly dry. On the back of the case there is a small section which shows the 4 colours with numbers and then an eye outline showing where the colours should go. I think this is very handy to have as it shows how to apply the shadows for the most dramatic look. The colours do not have to be wore in the way and they are all very good stand alone colours if you are looking for a more subtle look from them.
The application is very easy, there is a brush included in the case, the one end has quite a wide tip but the other has a more slimmer one, this is the ideal brush for the application of all four colours in the shown way. When you put the shadow onto the brush it only takes one stroke over the small round colour section as a lot does come away on the applicator. I have noticed that it does not crumble or leave a lot of powdery mess when this is done and for me this is a bonus as it means I am not getting it over my clothes. The power glides easily onto the eye lid and you to do have to be overly hard when doing so. The colour you get from just the one stroke on the lid is very good and rich but if you want more of a dramatic colour then you can build this up by applying more.
I have found this to be a great eye shadow which lasts for hours. I apply mine of a morning and it still looks just as good when it comes to removing it for bed. The shadow does not crease or smudge when blinking and it does not run when eyes water. I have had great success when wearing these and they are also very easy to get different looks from. The individual colour can be wore separately for the daytime and then they can be all worn and blended together for a perfect evening look. The colour choice is great, the set which I have is the aquadelic one, this contains a green, salmon, white and dark silvery grey colours, they do not look as if they will all go tighter when you first look at the set but if applied the way shown then they give a wonderful look. There are other colour choices available but for me they were slightly too dark.
The shadow is very easy to remove when needed, I se a small blob of baby lotion on a cotton wool ball and just gentle wipe over the eye, it comes off with ease and no hard rubbing is needed. There have been no irritations to my eyes after using this shadow. There is a shelf life of 24 months on the product but personally I don’t think it will last for anywhere near this time as I love the colours so much.
This is an Avon product so it is only available in their catalogue or their online store. The price is around £8 but I paid just £5.50 on offer and I think it is well worth this amount as you are getting 4 different colours which can be worn many ways for lots of different looks. There are not claims on the shadow as to whether this has been product using animal testing or not.
I am more than happy to give this eye shadow quad the full 5 stars as I love it. The colours are great and it is not drying and does not crease. There are so many ways this can be worn and it is well worth the price tag especially if you too can get it on offer. Highly recommended by me.
As I am in the process of revamping my makeup bag I have been looking for a good selection of eye shadows and a good colour choice. I came across is eye shadow quad in the Avon brochure and thought it look good so decided to give it a try.
The eye shadows come in a black case which is made from hard plastic. On the lid we have a nice silver design and the Avon logo. When opening the lip, this is very simple to do, there is a small press button which releases the lid, you will find the 4 coloured shadows inside. There is a mirror on the inside of the lid which is a decent size and a space at the side of the shadows where the small double ended brush sits.
The powders look nice and rich in colour and they look quite moist, they are not all bitty and overly dry. On the back of the case there is a small section which shows the 4 colours with numbers and then an eye outline showing where the colours should go. I think this is very handy to have as it shows how to apply the shadows for the most dramatic look. The colours do not have to be wore in the way and they are all very good stand alone colours if you are looking for a more subtle look from them.
The application is very easy, there is a brush included in the case, the one end has quite a wide tip but the other has a more slimmer one, this is the ideal brush for the application of all four colours in the shown way. When you put the shadow onto the brush it only takes one stroke over the small round colour section as a lot does come away on the applicator. I have noticed that it does not crumble or leave a lot of powdery mess when this is done and for me this is a bonus as it means I am not getting it over my clothes. The power glides easily onto the eye lid and you to do have to be overly hard when doing so. The colour you get from just the one stroke on the lid is very good and rich but if you want more of a dramatic colour then you can build this up by applying more.
I have found this to be a great eye shadow which lasts for hours. I apply mine of a morning and it still looks just as good when it comes to removing it for bed. The shadow does not crease or smudge when blinking and it does not run when eyes water. I have had great success when wearing these and they are also very easy to get different looks from. The individual colour can be wore separately for the daytime and then they can be all worn and blended together for a perfect evening look. The colour choice is great, the set which I have is the aquadelic one, this contains a green, salmon, white and dark silvery grey colours, they do not look as if they will all go tighter when you first look at the set but if applied the way shown then they give a wonderful look. There are other colour choices available but for me they were slightly too dark.
The shadow is very easy to remove when needed, I se a small blob of baby lotion on a cotton wool ball and just gentle wipe over the eye, it comes off with ease and no hard rubbing is needed. There have been no irritations to my eyes after using this shadow. There is a shelf life of 24 months on the product but personally I don’t think it will last for anywhere near this time as I love the colours so much.
This is an Avon product so it is only available in their catalogue or their online store. The price is around £8 but I paid just £5.50 on offer and I think it is well worth this amount as you are getting 4 different colours which can be worn many ways for lots of different looks. There are not claims on the shadow as to whether this has been product using animal testing or not.
I am more than happy to give this eye shadow quad the full 5 stars as I love it. The colours are great and it is not drying and does not crease. There are so many ways this can be worn and it is well worth the price tag especially if you too can get it on offer. Highly recommended by me.
Monday, 14 February 2011
Love Hurts
New post for the film the End of an Affair, a good film with strong acting and a good story but let down by the overly shown sex and nudity scenes.
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Maurice Bendrix is a novelist working in London, he is out walking on a rainy night when he bumps into his friend Henry. Henry asks him home for a drink and the men get talking. Henry is concerned that his wife Sarah is having an affair and he is considering having her followed but little does he know that Sarah was once having an affair with Maurice.
Maurice was happy with Sarah until she abruptly ended the affair and he is still racked with jealousy that she may be with another man so he decides he will have her followed. Maurice is also writing a novel about hate and as it happens it involves his affair with Sarah. As Maurice writes we discover their affair and what happened during it but when the pair meet will the affair be rekindled and what will the private detective find out?
I have found it quite hard to give a brief plot summery for this film as there was a lot happening which went from different time frames so I have tried to give a little but not too much of the story as I do not wish to spoil it for those who may not have seen the film yet. The story was not an original one and it was mainly about a pair of lovers I did find it to be interesting as it was told in a very different way. Both me and hubby did have problems at the start of the film with the time frames, one moment we would be in the present and the next we would have moved back 2 years when the affair was happening but this was hard to spot at first and we kept getting lost. I am please to say it did get easier as the film went on due to the war being a key part of the affair.
I think this film was helped greatly by the choice of actors, the lead role of Maurice was played by Ralph Fiennes. He was a strong character and very believable, we did not get to know much about him and I liked the air of mystery which surrounded him from this, he was very jealous and this gave him a slightly nasty and hard image as well as the passionate on he had when with Sarah. Ralph managed to put so many emotions into the role really felt I got to know him well and I knew what he was thinking and why he acted as he did. He delivered all of his lines with ease and passion and was a very strong character. There was a good chemistry between him and the role of Sarah and I enjoyed seeing how their relationship developed. Sarah was played by Julianne Moore as she too played a very strong role. She was likable and despite cheating on her husband I could feel her pain and why she needed to be with someone who loved her. There was a constant connection between these two characters and even when they had been reunited and not lovers anymore there was still a powerful and tense love between them both. We also had the role of Henry which was good but he was not as central as the other two actors, he was played by Stephen Rea and there were times when I wanted to shake him and tell him to grow a backbone and fight for the woman he supposedly loved but he did not and I was disappointed he was not stronger, the acting was good but I would have liked more from him.
The film was set just after the end of world War 2 and this was very apparent from the location, sets, props and costumes. The clothes were all of the time and looked very good. I did enjoy seeing how London was after the war and felt it was a very good portrayal of the era. The scenes which involved the war were also very good and believable. We did have some special effects during the film and I found them to be of a high standard. They fitted effortlessly into the film and were good to watch. The music was not very memorable but it did help with the scene setting and tensions of the scenes in which the tracks were used.
The one criticism I do have of this film is the love scenes, for me they were overly long and not necessary. We did not have to watch 5 minutes of love making when it could have been a few seconds and the rest left up to our imaginations. We did not need the nudity either and for me it was off putting. We did get to see Ralph Fiennes bottom though which was a plus side! If it would have been left as subtle sex scenes I would have not been inclined to have left the room for the toilet or a cigarette when they were on.
The film was made in 1999 and I was worried that I might have looked dated as I was unsure of what it was about before I watched it but luckily as it was set in the 1940’s this was not the case and I think it holds up very well in the present time.
I am only reviewing the film so there are no bonus DVD features to speak about. The running time of the film is 102 minutes and the rate is an 18. The rate is spot one due to the language and the sex and nudity. The DVD can be bought for just a few pounds now online and I personally think it is not worth paying for.
I would love to be able to give this film more than 3 stars but there were a few factors which I did not enjoy. The story was good and told very well and the acting was strong. The things which have made me rate this down are the sex, nudity and the way at the start of the film both me and hubby had issues working out what year we were meant to be in. I would recommend watching this if you can catch it on the TV for free.
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Maurice Bendrix is a novelist working in London, he is out walking on a rainy night when he bumps into his friend Henry. Henry asks him home for a drink and the men get talking. Henry is concerned that his wife Sarah is having an affair and he is considering having her followed but little does he know that Sarah was once having an affair with Maurice.
Maurice was happy with Sarah until she abruptly ended the affair and he is still racked with jealousy that she may be with another man so he decides he will have her followed. Maurice is also writing a novel about hate and as it happens it involves his affair with Sarah. As Maurice writes we discover their affair and what happened during it but when the pair meet will the affair be rekindled and what will the private detective find out?
I have found it quite hard to give a brief plot summery for this film as there was a lot happening which went from different time frames so I have tried to give a little but not too much of the story as I do not wish to spoil it for those who may not have seen the film yet. The story was not an original one and it was mainly about a pair of lovers I did find it to be interesting as it was told in a very different way. Both me and hubby did have problems at the start of the film with the time frames, one moment we would be in the present and the next we would have moved back 2 years when the affair was happening but this was hard to spot at first and we kept getting lost. I am please to say it did get easier as the film went on due to the war being a key part of the affair.
I think this film was helped greatly by the choice of actors, the lead role of Maurice was played by Ralph Fiennes. He was a strong character and very believable, we did not get to know much about him and I liked the air of mystery which surrounded him from this, he was very jealous and this gave him a slightly nasty and hard image as well as the passionate on he had when with Sarah. Ralph managed to put so many emotions into the role really felt I got to know him well and I knew what he was thinking and why he acted as he did. He delivered all of his lines with ease and passion and was a very strong character. There was a good chemistry between him and the role of Sarah and I enjoyed seeing how their relationship developed. Sarah was played by Julianne Moore as she too played a very strong role. She was likable and despite cheating on her husband I could feel her pain and why she needed to be with someone who loved her. There was a constant connection between these two characters and even when they had been reunited and not lovers anymore there was still a powerful and tense love between them both. We also had the role of Henry which was good but he was not as central as the other two actors, he was played by Stephen Rea and there were times when I wanted to shake him and tell him to grow a backbone and fight for the woman he supposedly loved but he did not and I was disappointed he was not stronger, the acting was good but I would have liked more from him.
The film was set just after the end of world War 2 and this was very apparent from the location, sets, props and costumes. The clothes were all of the time and looked very good. I did enjoy seeing how London was after the war and felt it was a very good portrayal of the era. The scenes which involved the war were also very good and believable. We did have some special effects during the film and I found them to be of a high standard. They fitted effortlessly into the film and were good to watch. The music was not very memorable but it did help with the scene setting and tensions of the scenes in which the tracks were used.
The one criticism I do have of this film is the love scenes, for me they were overly long and not necessary. We did not have to watch 5 minutes of love making when it could have been a few seconds and the rest left up to our imaginations. We did not need the nudity either and for me it was off putting. We did get to see Ralph Fiennes bottom though which was a plus side! If it would have been left as subtle sex scenes I would have not been inclined to have left the room for the toilet or a cigarette when they were on.
The film was made in 1999 and I was worried that I might have looked dated as I was unsure of what it was about before I watched it but luckily as it was set in the 1940’s this was not the case and I think it holds up very well in the present time.
I am only reviewing the film so there are no bonus DVD features to speak about. The running time of the film is 102 minutes and the rate is an 18. The rate is spot one due to the language and the sex and nudity. The DVD can be bought for just a few pounds now online and I personally think it is not worth paying for.
I would love to be able to give this film more than 3 stars but there were a few factors which I did not enjoy. The story was good and told very well and the acting was strong. The things which have made me rate this down are the sex, nudity and the way at the start of the film both me and hubby had issues working out what year we were meant to be in. I would recommend watching this if you can catch it on the TV for free.
Thursday, 10 February 2011
Golden Kisses
My new post is more for the lades as it is a product review for Avon ultra colour 24K gold lipstick. A great product and one for all make up bags.
On the hunt for some new makeup I decided to choose this 24k gold lipstick from Avon, to be quite honest the deciding factor was the price as it was on offer! I did also like the claim in the book of the moisture and glittering fleck which would help to give the lipstick colour shine.
The lipstick arrived and it was covered in the usual black plastic covering which has a small amount of detail about the lipstick, this is easy to remove as it has a perforated tear strip on it. Under this we come to the case of the lipstick and I am happy to say this is gold in colour with a matte finish but there is a shiny gold band around the middle which has the Avon logo on. The top of the lipstick is very easy to remove and just a small pull will see it coming off with ease. Under the lid in the lipstick barrel which is again shiny gold. To get the lipstick out for application the base just needs a few twists anti clockwise and then clockwise to return it to the safety of the barrel. The overall size of the lipstick including the case is 7.5 cm long and at the widest point which is the middle it is 2.5 cm wide, an ideal size for the handbag.
The actual lipstick is a good shape, the tip is angled and rounded which gives easier application. The shape will change when this had been used for a good few times but this will depend on the shape of your lips and the way you apply to how it ends up. The lipstick is simple to apply, I find it best to work from the middle out with one stroke on each side of the top lip and the one long stroke across the bottom lip. When I first applied the lipstick I noticed that there was a good shine to it, there was almost a glittery appearance to the colour which I really liked. Once I had blotted my lipstick I noticed that this did fade slightly but the colour was still more shiny than a standard matte finish one. The colour was very rich and I did not have to use a lot to achieve the desired finish.
I had been wearing my lipstick for about 2 hours and I noticed that the colour had started to fade slightly but this was no big issue as I had eaten dinner and been drinking, I was actually pleased that there was still some of the colour remaining. A big plus for me and this lipstick is the fact that it does not bleed off my lips, with the majority of lipsticks I have used in the past I find that after about 30 minutes of wear then tend to start bleeding off my lips and make me loose the defined line around the edge, this was not the ease with this and even after a light re application I still found I had defined lips. I also tend to get dry lips after wearing any type or brand of lipstick for more than a few hours but again this one did not do this to me, my lips felt very moisturised the whole time I wore this and even after I removed it they still had a good amount of moisture on them. The lipstick was very easy to remove and a small amount of baby lotion on a cotton wool ball saw it coming off with ease and no small patches were left.
The lipstick is only available to buy from Avon and it has a price tag of £8.50,l this may seem high compared to other brands but it really is worth the money for the benefits it gives. The colour choice consists of, golden peach, ruby in gold, golden rose, nude gold, pink and amethyst gold, the one which I chose was nude gold and this gives the lips a shiny golden glow and there is a noticeable colour change but it is slightly more subtle than the other colours and perfect for everyday wear.
The shelf life of the lipstick is 24 months, there are no indications as to whether this lipstick has been made sing animal testing or not. The packaging is not recyclable and there is a warning on the original black plastic cover it comes n that this lipstick contains oxybenzone.
I ma more than happy to give this lipstick a good solid 5 stars. The colours are great and it moisturised lips and gives a lasting colour which does not bleed. The price tag may seem high to some but it is well worth it, if you are unsure then wait for it to come on offer in one of the Avon books, I will certainly be stocking up when it does!
On the hunt for some new makeup I decided to choose this 24k gold lipstick from Avon, to be quite honest the deciding factor was the price as it was on offer! I did also like the claim in the book of the moisture and glittering fleck which would help to give the lipstick colour shine.
The lipstick arrived and it was covered in the usual black plastic covering which has a small amount of detail about the lipstick, this is easy to remove as it has a perforated tear strip on it. Under this we come to the case of the lipstick and I am happy to say this is gold in colour with a matte finish but there is a shiny gold band around the middle which has the Avon logo on. The top of the lipstick is very easy to remove and just a small pull will see it coming off with ease. Under the lid in the lipstick barrel which is again shiny gold. To get the lipstick out for application the base just needs a few twists anti clockwise and then clockwise to return it to the safety of the barrel. The overall size of the lipstick including the case is 7.5 cm long and at the widest point which is the middle it is 2.5 cm wide, an ideal size for the handbag.
The actual lipstick is a good shape, the tip is angled and rounded which gives easier application. The shape will change when this had been used for a good few times but this will depend on the shape of your lips and the way you apply to how it ends up. The lipstick is simple to apply, I find it best to work from the middle out with one stroke on each side of the top lip and the one long stroke across the bottom lip. When I first applied the lipstick I noticed that there was a good shine to it, there was almost a glittery appearance to the colour which I really liked. Once I had blotted my lipstick I noticed that this did fade slightly but the colour was still more shiny than a standard matte finish one. The colour was very rich and I did not have to use a lot to achieve the desired finish.
I had been wearing my lipstick for about 2 hours and I noticed that the colour had started to fade slightly but this was no big issue as I had eaten dinner and been drinking, I was actually pleased that there was still some of the colour remaining. A big plus for me and this lipstick is the fact that it does not bleed off my lips, with the majority of lipsticks I have used in the past I find that after about 30 minutes of wear then tend to start bleeding off my lips and make me loose the defined line around the edge, this was not the ease with this and even after a light re application I still found I had defined lips. I also tend to get dry lips after wearing any type or brand of lipstick for more than a few hours but again this one did not do this to me, my lips felt very moisturised the whole time I wore this and even after I removed it they still had a good amount of moisture on them. The lipstick was very easy to remove and a small amount of baby lotion on a cotton wool ball saw it coming off with ease and no small patches were left.
The lipstick is only available to buy from Avon and it has a price tag of £8.50,l this may seem high compared to other brands but it really is worth the money for the benefits it gives. The colour choice consists of, golden peach, ruby in gold, golden rose, nude gold, pink and amethyst gold, the one which I chose was nude gold and this gives the lips a shiny golden glow and there is a noticeable colour change but it is slightly more subtle than the other colours and perfect for everyday wear.
The shelf life of the lipstick is 24 months, there are no indications as to whether this lipstick has been made sing animal testing or not. The packaging is not recyclable and there is a warning on the original black plastic cover it comes n that this lipstick contains oxybenzone.
I ma more than happy to give this lipstick a good solid 5 stars. The colours are great and it moisturised lips and gives a lasting colour which does not bleed. The price tag may seem high to some but it is well worth it, if you are unsure then wait for it to come on offer in one of the Avon books, I will certainly be stocking up when it does!
Not quite perfect wear
My new post is really one for the ladies, it is a review of Avon's perfect wear extra lasting eye shadow stick.
As I have had a good clear out of my makeup bag I decided to take advantage of the Avon book which I had just had delivered. The first thing which I decided on was a new eye shadow as I am a little bored of wearing nude and brown colours, for the summer months I wanted something a little lighter so opted for a blue one. The product which struck me was the Perfect Wear Eye shadow stick as it looked simple and easy to apply.
The eye shadow comes in a black plastic case, it has a gold trim around the middle with a picture of the eye outline on it. There is no Avon logo on the outside of the stick but under the lid it is embossed on the side of the tube. When pulling the end of the case off you find the eye shadow inside. It is in a cut away end of the stick and this is angled for easier use. The overall size of the eye shadow is 11cm by 1.5cm.
It is simple to use the eye shadow and to do this us just really have to draw it on the eyelid. I did find that it took quite a few strokes to get a noticeable amount of colour and that I did have to press quite hard to get this. The eye shadow covers the eye quite evenly and smooth and does look rather nice. The only thing which I had a problem with at first was the fact that it seemed to take a few moments to dry, it felt rather tacky on the lids for a good 2 minutes but this did go away once the colour was dry. After wearing this for about 30 minutes and checking it in the mirror I was rather disappointed as there was a massive crease on both lids. The colour had all clumped together on the crease of the lid and looked rather messy and I found I had to then reapply the shadow to smooth the crease and get an even coverage again.
There are some plus sides to the shadow, the fact that it is not a powder means none of it comes off the brush and goes on the dressing table top of my clothes and the colour is lovely. I have found that this is not overly bad to wear for everyday if you are not working for too long as the re application is quite simple but I would not suggest this for a night out as you will be forever going to find a mirror to smooth it out then it get you quite paranoid about whether it has creased again or not.
There was a good feeling of moisture from this eye shadow which I did like and I also fond it very easy to remove, a simple dab of baby lotion on a cotton wool ball will mean only one or two gentle wipes over the eye to ensure that it has all been removed. I have not had any drying of the eyelids from wearing this on the odd time I have taken the plunge and spent time working on the creases.
The eye shadow comes in a variety of colours, diamond, blue wave, lovin lilac, moonstone, classic grey and zest. The one which I choice was the blue wave and it is a lovely light baby blue colour. The colour is easy to achieve when a few hard application are applied and I would be tempted to try the other colour if not for the few problems I have had. There is definitely a nice light summery feel to these colours and I think the choice is very good. The eye shadow is only available from Avon and it is priced at £6.50. I did manage to get mine on offer for £5 which I think is a little more reasonable.
The shelf life of the eye shadow is 24 months and the packaging is unfortunately not recyclable.
I would love to be able to give this eye shadow a higher rate as I love the colour and design, I have compromised at 3 stars due to the love of the colour but the amount needed to get the desired colour and the fact that it creases has put me off from buying more of them. I think if you are prepared to keep toping this up and smoothing the creases or only wanting to wear it for an hour or so then it may be better suited to you. A slightly disappointing buy from Avon.
As I have had a good clear out of my makeup bag I decided to take advantage of the Avon book which I had just had delivered. The first thing which I decided on was a new eye shadow as I am a little bored of wearing nude and brown colours, for the summer months I wanted something a little lighter so opted for a blue one. The product which struck me was the Perfect Wear Eye shadow stick as it looked simple and easy to apply.
The eye shadow comes in a black plastic case, it has a gold trim around the middle with a picture of the eye outline on it. There is no Avon logo on the outside of the stick but under the lid it is embossed on the side of the tube. When pulling the end of the case off you find the eye shadow inside. It is in a cut away end of the stick and this is angled for easier use. The overall size of the eye shadow is 11cm by 1.5cm.
It is simple to use the eye shadow and to do this us just really have to draw it on the eyelid. I did find that it took quite a few strokes to get a noticeable amount of colour and that I did have to press quite hard to get this. The eye shadow covers the eye quite evenly and smooth and does look rather nice. The only thing which I had a problem with at first was the fact that it seemed to take a few moments to dry, it felt rather tacky on the lids for a good 2 minutes but this did go away once the colour was dry. After wearing this for about 30 minutes and checking it in the mirror I was rather disappointed as there was a massive crease on both lids. The colour had all clumped together on the crease of the lid and looked rather messy and I found I had to then reapply the shadow to smooth the crease and get an even coverage again.
There are some plus sides to the shadow, the fact that it is not a powder means none of it comes off the brush and goes on the dressing table top of my clothes and the colour is lovely. I have found that this is not overly bad to wear for everyday if you are not working for too long as the re application is quite simple but I would not suggest this for a night out as you will be forever going to find a mirror to smooth it out then it get you quite paranoid about whether it has creased again or not.
There was a good feeling of moisture from this eye shadow which I did like and I also fond it very easy to remove, a simple dab of baby lotion on a cotton wool ball will mean only one or two gentle wipes over the eye to ensure that it has all been removed. I have not had any drying of the eyelids from wearing this on the odd time I have taken the plunge and spent time working on the creases.
The eye shadow comes in a variety of colours, diamond, blue wave, lovin lilac, moonstone, classic grey and zest. The one which I choice was the blue wave and it is a lovely light baby blue colour. The colour is easy to achieve when a few hard application are applied and I would be tempted to try the other colour if not for the few problems I have had. There is definitely a nice light summery feel to these colours and I think the choice is very good. The eye shadow is only available from Avon and it is priced at £6.50. I did manage to get mine on offer for £5 which I think is a little more reasonable.
The shelf life of the eye shadow is 24 months and the packaging is unfortunately not recyclable.
I would love to be able to give this eye shadow a higher rate as I love the colour and design, I have compromised at 3 stars due to the love of the colour but the amount needed to get the desired colour and the fact that it creases has put me off from buying more of them. I think if you are prepared to keep toping this up and smoothing the creases or only wanting to wear it for an hour or so then it may be better suited to you. A slightly disappointing buy from Avon.
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
Mind Games
This new post is a film review for film, Sleuth. A British film staring Michael Caine and Jude Law.
FILM ONLY REVIEW
I am finding it hard to give a plot summery for this film as it was quite complicated to follow for the majority of the film and a little strange so what I am going to do I only give a very brief one and let you find out the rest from watching as if I give too much away it will spoil the whole film.
Andrew is an aging man who lives in a country manor and is a crime writer. He is having issues as his wife has left him for another younger man and he wont give her a divorce. The lover, Milo arrives to speak to Andrew and asks for a divorce so he can marry lover Maggie. Andrew will not agree to the divorce but comes up with a plan to help them both out.
Andrew says Maggie loves money and she will not stay with Milo as he is poor, he suggests that Milo breaks into the house and steals the jewels that they have in the safe, that way Milo can sell them for just under a million pounds and Andrew can claim the insurance money. Milo is reluctant at first as he does not trust Andrew one bit but after some persuasion he agree. The men set about breaking into the house but things don’t go to plan and Andrew changes his mind at the last minute with drastic consequences for Milo.
Will Milo get the divorce he went for or will Andrew be able to win wife Maggie back?
As I said before the plot for this is a little complicated and slightly hard to follow for the majority of the film, fortunately it does all come together towards the end of the film and I thought I had worked it out right until the very end scene when it just left me thinking, What? And he had no real ending. I was disappointed with this as the film starred two fine actors and I was really looking forward to watching it. For the first 20 minutes of the film I just could not get into the story and thought that it was strange the way the men were with each other but I did settle into it and the connection with the men improved greatly.
The role of Andrew was played by Michael Canine and I had problems trying to work him out. He came across as a little odd for the majority of the film and he seemed very wooden with his lines at the start of the film, once we got past the first part of the film thought we got to know more about him and I felt more at ease watching him. The role of Milo was played by Jude Law and he was slightly better in his role, he seemed very naive at the start of the film and slightly scared of Andrew and I think this helped in letting me get an understanding of him. Both men seemed at a loss with each other to begin with and there was not connection of chemistry between them at all, this did slightly improve as the film went on but not enough for me to really enjoy the film.
We did only have these two actors in the whole of the film so don’t expect a great cast.
The setting for the film was in Andrew’s country manor but don’t expect it to be a lovely old house as the inside was very modern and it was all controlled by a remote, I really did not like the overly modern setting and felt it was very out of place. We do only have this one setting and I think this just made the film a little boring as it was the same scenes over and over again. The clothes and props were average and I think more effort could have been used on them. There was the problem of the lack of setting and actors which did not help this at all. The music was not at all memorable and I am unable to even remember on track or one part of the film where music was used.
For me and hubby, we both think this film would have worked better as a comedy, there were some funny moments and a few one liners but when they came out they seemed more sinister than funny and it made the characters seem unstable. I think re casting this and giving it a different setting and a comedy element would make this a good fun film to watch.
I am only reviewing the film so there are no DVD extras to speak of. The running time of the film is 86 minutes and although this is short it did seem a little long and dragged out as there were only 2 actors. The rate is a 15 and I do agree with this. The film can be bought on DVD for just a few pounds now from Amazon.
I would like to be giving this film a high rate and recommendation but unfortunately I just cannot. I am only able to give 2 stars and that was due to the fact it was confusing and hard to follow and there was always a wooden and uneasy connection with the actors. I would not advise buying the DVD and only to watch this on the TV if nothing better on. This would have been so much better with a different setting and with a comedy element included. Not Caine’s best by a mile.
FILM ONLY REVIEW
I am finding it hard to give a plot summery for this film as it was quite complicated to follow for the majority of the film and a little strange so what I am going to do I only give a very brief one and let you find out the rest from watching as if I give too much away it will spoil the whole film.
Andrew is an aging man who lives in a country manor and is a crime writer. He is having issues as his wife has left him for another younger man and he wont give her a divorce. The lover, Milo arrives to speak to Andrew and asks for a divorce so he can marry lover Maggie. Andrew will not agree to the divorce but comes up with a plan to help them both out.
Andrew says Maggie loves money and she will not stay with Milo as he is poor, he suggests that Milo breaks into the house and steals the jewels that they have in the safe, that way Milo can sell them for just under a million pounds and Andrew can claim the insurance money. Milo is reluctant at first as he does not trust Andrew one bit but after some persuasion he agree. The men set about breaking into the house but things don’t go to plan and Andrew changes his mind at the last minute with drastic consequences for Milo.
Will Milo get the divorce he went for or will Andrew be able to win wife Maggie back?
As I said before the plot for this is a little complicated and slightly hard to follow for the majority of the film, fortunately it does all come together towards the end of the film and I thought I had worked it out right until the very end scene when it just left me thinking, What? And he had no real ending. I was disappointed with this as the film starred two fine actors and I was really looking forward to watching it. For the first 20 minutes of the film I just could not get into the story and thought that it was strange the way the men were with each other but I did settle into it and the connection with the men improved greatly.
The role of Andrew was played by Michael Canine and I had problems trying to work him out. He came across as a little odd for the majority of the film and he seemed very wooden with his lines at the start of the film, once we got past the first part of the film thought we got to know more about him and I felt more at ease watching him. The role of Milo was played by Jude Law and he was slightly better in his role, he seemed very naive at the start of the film and slightly scared of Andrew and I think this helped in letting me get an understanding of him. Both men seemed at a loss with each other to begin with and there was not connection of chemistry between them at all, this did slightly improve as the film went on but not enough for me to really enjoy the film.
We did only have these two actors in the whole of the film so don’t expect a great cast.
The setting for the film was in Andrew’s country manor but don’t expect it to be a lovely old house as the inside was very modern and it was all controlled by a remote, I really did not like the overly modern setting and felt it was very out of place. We do only have this one setting and I think this just made the film a little boring as it was the same scenes over and over again. The clothes and props were average and I think more effort could have been used on them. There was the problem of the lack of setting and actors which did not help this at all. The music was not at all memorable and I am unable to even remember on track or one part of the film where music was used.
For me and hubby, we both think this film would have worked better as a comedy, there were some funny moments and a few one liners but when they came out they seemed more sinister than funny and it made the characters seem unstable. I think re casting this and giving it a different setting and a comedy element would make this a good fun film to watch.
I am only reviewing the film so there are no DVD extras to speak of. The running time of the film is 86 minutes and although this is short it did seem a little long and dragged out as there were only 2 actors. The rate is a 15 and I do agree with this. The film can be bought on DVD for just a few pounds now from Amazon.
I would like to be giving this film a high rate and recommendation but unfortunately I just cannot. I am only able to give 2 stars and that was due to the fact it was confusing and hard to follow and there was always a wooden and uneasy connection with the actors. I would not advise buying the DVD and only to watch this on the TV if nothing better on. This would have been so much better with a different setting and with a comedy element included. Not Caine’s best by a mile.
Rat Pack take on Vegas
New post is for the original Oceans 11 film starring members of the Rat Pack.
11 Men who all served together in the Second World War are about to be reunited. Danny Ocean and Jimmy Foster plan to get the group back together so they can pull of one of the biggest robberies ever. They plan to steal millions from 5 Las Vegas casinos on New Years eve.
They have to try and track down the men and talk them into the plan. This seems easy but the plan has to be carried out to the exact letter and timing or they all face getting caught. Can Ocean and his gang pull of the robberies and can they all make it out of Vegas very rich men?
I have heard of this film but only because of the recent re makes. I never knew it was an old film starring some very famous men. Hubby thought it would be good for me to watch the film and see some of the old style and world famous actors on screen. I did enjoy the film and have heard of the actors but for me I just did not recognise them at all in the film and had to keep asking hubby who was who. I enjoyed the story and found it to be interesting especially as they only really had the use of basic equipment and high tech tools. I did find the slight comedy which was added to the film did make it much easier to watch.
The acting was good for the age of the film and I have to confess that there was only one of the actors who I recognised and that was Sammy Davies Junior. He was great in his role of Josh and bought some good comic moments to the film. We had some of the old big names in the film, Frank Sinatra played the role of Danny Ocean, Dean Martin played Sam Harmon and Cesar Romero played the role of Duke. They were all very good in their roles and made them easy to watch and get to know but I did have a hard time working out who was who and how they fitted into the film. They all seemed to look very similar and dress the same, this was the fashion of the time but it did mean I kept loosing track of who was who. The men worked well with their lines and delivered them with ease, there were a few small moments when I felt it seemed slightly wooden but I think the age of the film played a part in this.
We had a lot of other actors in the film and they included appearances from, Peter Lawford, Angie Dickinson, Richard Conte, Joey Bishop and Buddy Lester. They were all very good and had good characters. I found they did bring a small amount of depth to the story as there were some small side stories involving their personal lives.
The film was made back in 1960 and this was very apparent from the costumes down to the sets. The clothes were all very good and it was nice to see the men all dressed in suits and looking smart with their slicked back hair. The old fashioned cars were good to watch and so too was the way they acted and tried to look cool. The sets were all very made and I loved the shots of Vegas as it looked so basic and small compared to how it has been developed and what it looks like now.
There are a lot of songs in the film, as you would expect with the appearance of some amazing singers in it. I found the tracks Sammy Davies junior sang seemed more natural than the ones Frank and Dean Martin sang. They seemed a little to forced and not fitting into the film naturally for my liking. The vocals were all very good though. There is some comedy in the film and the timing was great. We has some good one liners which the characters managed to work well with and bounce of each other and I loved how they would pay tricks on one of the men as this made the film light to watch.
The special effects which we had were good and fitting for the year this was made. I loved how basic they were and thought they were very in keeping with the film. They would look awful compared to the modern films but as I have not watched the re make of this film I cannot comment on how they have been developed to bring them up to date. There were a few moments during the film when the back drops looked poor and this was mainly when we were seeing shots of Sammy Davies Junior in his rubbish truck but I can forgive these as it was only once or twice it happened.
This is a film only review so there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 127 minutes and personally I did find this to be slightly too long. The rate is a PG and I do agree with this. The DVD can be bought now on many internet sites for just a few pounds but personally I would wait for it to be shown on the TV.
I am happy to give this film 3 stars. I found the acting good and the comedy much needed, it is well worth a watch as long as you remember this will not be amazing as it was made back in 1960. Recommended but not worth spending money on.
11 Men who all served together in the Second World War are about to be reunited. Danny Ocean and Jimmy Foster plan to get the group back together so they can pull of one of the biggest robberies ever. They plan to steal millions from 5 Las Vegas casinos on New Years eve.
They have to try and track down the men and talk them into the plan. This seems easy but the plan has to be carried out to the exact letter and timing or they all face getting caught. Can Ocean and his gang pull of the robberies and can they all make it out of Vegas very rich men?
I have heard of this film but only because of the recent re makes. I never knew it was an old film starring some very famous men. Hubby thought it would be good for me to watch the film and see some of the old style and world famous actors on screen. I did enjoy the film and have heard of the actors but for me I just did not recognise them at all in the film and had to keep asking hubby who was who. I enjoyed the story and found it to be interesting especially as they only really had the use of basic equipment and high tech tools. I did find the slight comedy which was added to the film did make it much easier to watch.
The acting was good for the age of the film and I have to confess that there was only one of the actors who I recognised and that was Sammy Davies Junior. He was great in his role of Josh and bought some good comic moments to the film. We had some of the old big names in the film, Frank Sinatra played the role of Danny Ocean, Dean Martin played Sam Harmon and Cesar Romero played the role of Duke. They were all very good in their roles and made them easy to watch and get to know but I did have a hard time working out who was who and how they fitted into the film. They all seemed to look very similar and dress the same, this was the fashion of the time but it did mean I kept loosing track of who was who. The men worked well with their lines and delivered them with ease, there were a few small moments when I felt it seemed slightly wooden but I think the age of the film played a part in this.
We had a lot of other actors in the film and they included appearances from, Peter Lawford, Angie Dickinson, Richard Conte, Joey Bishop and Buddy Lester. They were all very good and had good characters. I found they did bring a small amount of depth to the story as there were some small side stories involving their personal lives.
The film was made back in 1960 and this was very apparent from the costumes down to the sets. The clothes were all very good and it was nice to see the men all dressed in suits and looking smart with their slicked back hair. The old fashioned cars were good to watch and so too was the way they acted and tried to look cool. The sets were all very made and I loved the shots of Vegas as it looked so basic and small compared to how it has been developed and what it looks like now.
There are a lot of songs in the film, as you would expect with the appearance of some amazing singers in it. I found the tracks Sammy Davies junior sang seemed more natural than the ones Frank and Dean Martin sang. They seemed a little to forced and not fitting into the film naturally for my liking. The vocals were all very good though. There is some comedy in the film and the timing was great. We has some good one liners which the characters managed to work well with and bounce of each other and I loved how they would pay tricks on one of the men as this made the film light to watch.
The special effects which we had were good and fitting for the year this was made. I loved how basic they were and thought they were very in keeping with the film. They would look awful compared to the modern films but as I have not watched the re make of this film I cannot comment on how they have been developed to bring them up to date. There were a few moments during the film when the back drops looked poor and this was mainly when we were seeing shots of Sammy Davies Junior in his rubbish truck but I can forgive these as it was only once or twice it happened.
This is a film only review so there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 127 minutes and personally I did find this to be slightly too long. The rate is a PG and I do agree with this. The DVD can be bought now on many internet sites for just a few pounds but personally I would wait for it to be shown on the TV.
I am happy to give this film 3 stars. I found the acting good and the comedy much needed, it is well worth a watch as long as you remember this will not be amazing as it was made back in 1960. Recommended but not worth spending money on.
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