The Great Gatsby; Not so great after all.

Hola guys, Im back with a movie review today, so I watched The Great Gatsby a few days ago and I had to give my verdict on that. Where do I start? Humph first of as hard as it might seem to believe but I havent read the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I know guilty as charged but in a way it is good since in my opinion the movies almost always never come close to anything what the book is about. So hopefully I will be able to give an unbiased review of the movie.

The movie is all about the glitz and glam during the 1920s in America after World War I, I love that era if I could go back in time I'd chose that era to be reborn in, the jewellery, the costumes, the over the top makeup, ah love it :P as far depicting this in the movie is concerned it was done well. But I hated the fact that the director tried to give it the computerized effects, why would you do that? keep the classic a classic, hated how it was pushed to be given a modern touch. The actors didnt really do much for me including Leo who I absolutely ADORE. he is probably one of the best actors of our generation but sadly even he fell short of the character. I really wish he hadnt played this role, it did not work for him. Carrey Mulligan plays the love interest of Gatsby whom, it is safe to say, I absolutely detested from the very start, ugh I dont get it what its about her, she has always annoyed me with her acting. Then there is Tobey Maguire again another disappointment, his voice in the background was utterly intolerable, plz stop talking plz. It was so bizarre because here is another actor who I really like but again turned out to be a disappointment. Joel Edgerton plays the role of Carrey Mulligan's husband, that God Damn accent of his, it was enough to drive anyone crazy. Amitabh Bachchan was easily forgettable, Isla Fisher was ok but that one person who really stood out for me was Jordan Baker, she was breathtaking and the performance was top notch. Also why try to give this movie an action scene? lol. There is this car racing scene which is laughable, I dont know if its in the book but it was extremely funny in the movie, it made zero sense. Lastly the songs, oh boy, I wanted to scream every time I heard Jay Z rapping in the background, ughhh. What an awful collection of songs to be played in the background for a movie like this. I love the songs as it is such as Lana Del Ray's Young and Beautiful, fergie's A little party never killed nobody and Bang bang but they did not go with the movie's theme.

Rating: 2/5

ROUGE BUNNY ROUGE: Colour Burst Lipstick in Prey of Lust

Hi everyone, first of all a very happy Ramzan Kareem to everyone, I hope your fasts are going great :) Today I will be reviewing a really great product from Rouge Bunny Rouge. I won a few goodies in one of their recent sweepstakes competition on Pinterest. Out of those I will be talking about Colour Burst Lipstick in Prey of Lust.

About the Company

“At Rouge Bunny Rouge we believe everyday is worthy of a soupcon of whimsy. As if the book of the Enchanted Garden lies open in our hands, we tell its enduring tales through powders that whisper over skin, unguents that caress and cajole and mesmeric vapours that seduce the senses. With indulgent textures tied with wistful tones, each fragment is created to enhance natural beauty, allowing you to become the protagonist in your own mysterious tale.”

About the Product

The easy glide, hydrating formula ensures superb comfort and softness. Enriched with Vitamin E, to nourish and protect from dryness and ageing.

With three separate formulas, depending on the texture, coverage and finish, all are suffused with botanical extracts such as Orchid Flower extract, Meadowfoam, Manoi Butter or Inca Inchi oil.

Verdict

To start off the first thing I noticed about the brand is the luxurious feel to it, it is definitely one of the high end brands and you instantly get the feeling of a quality product when you get your hands on it. The lipstick is very moisturizing and does not tend to dry and ended up leaving my lips feeling smooth. There is no scent of the lipstick although I dont mind but nonetheless that is another plus point. The colour Prey of Lust is light nude caramel colour which is perfect for a day out or a work at office. It is a subtle colour which a lot of women can easily pull off.  Now mind you Im not a nude shade person but Im totally in love with this shade. Has a good staying on power, lasted for around 3 hours on my lips without eating or drinking which is quite something since it is extremely humid and hot in Lahore these days. The only complain I have is it is a little on the shimmery side, which is barely there but it is noticeable. I wish it came off as completely matte but its ok I guess, this is a tiny little flaw which can be ignored. It is priced at $26.38 and you can order online form their website http://en.rougebunnyrouge.com/. They ship worldwide. They can also be found on facebook at Rouge Bunny Rouge. 

Rating: 4/5

NOTD: AVON Nailwear pro enamel in Golden Vision

Hello lovelies. Today I will be reviewing Avon Nail wear pro+ in Golden Vision. Avon is one of my favorite brands since they usually come up with great deals and their stuff is really good and doesnt put a dent in your pocket either. On to the nail wear,Im pleasantly surprised with this shade. I thought golden colour wont look that great in the day time since colours like these are usually reserved for parties. But it turns out this is a gorgeous dusky gold shade, which is extremely wearable.

 

I have applied two coats of the enamel without any top coat or base coat. The enamel did not chip off for almost a week which is the first for me since no matter how careful I am I always end up with chipping nail wear after like a day of applying it. It does not stain and dries quickly as well. Overall Im very pleased with this shade. Its a lovely colour for me.

Pros:

Affordable

Does not stain

Long lasting

Dries quickly

Nice Packaging

Cons:

I couldnt find any fault with this one, availability can be an issue though since its not available in Pakistan at the moment but you guys can always order it online.

Rating: 4/5

Luscious Plumping Lipglosses with Review and Swatches

Hola ladies, how have u been doing? I know I know I have been a bad blogger, its been more than a month since I posted, my apologies. But I was badly stuck with my thesis *argh* and couldnt sum up the courage to put up a new post. So finally I am free and hopefully will be more regular with my updates. Coming back to the post, I will be reviewing Luscious Cosmetics Plumping lipglosses today.

From top to bottom: Raspberry glaze, creme caramel, berry smoothie, candy floss. 

Ok I think to start off, disappointment is a small word when it comes to explaining my experience with these glosses by luscious. All of these are way to sticky and shiny. Raspberry glaze is grainy and glittery, it is extremely sheer. Creme Caramel is the ONLY gloss which does not have glitter in it. Berry smoothie is my favourite among all these because of the colour and candy floss is transparent, you can use it to apply on some other lipstick to give it a shine. All these glosses have minty scent which Im okay with but the worst part about these glosses are these are too runny and too damned sticky. I tried removing them afterwards and it took more than 2 hours of eating and drinking to get that sticky feeling off my lips. Also if its windy out there, oh boy won't you be in a lot of trouble. My hair kept sticking to my lips, it was a total nightmare.  And lastly all these shades are so similar, there isnt much of a difference when you apply them on lips literally. probably because most of them are filled with glitter to no extent. I am SO disappointed with these since Luscious is a great brand developed particularly for Pakistani's womens' skin tones. But this one is a major let down.I probably think these were produced keeping only the teenagers in mind because they are the only ones who might go for these glosses.

Pros:

Cute packaging

Affordable

Cons:

Really sticky

Really shimmery

Wont like it if you are not into glittery glosses

Wont like it if you are not into scented glosses

Runny formula

Rating: 2/5

May 15: 7o clock.

I didn't really wake up at 7o clock but lets just say that I'd rather put up a picture of my breakfast than of myself at that time of the day when I can barely get my bearings :p.  So I had a smootie from Cinnabon and it was so darned yummy, really healthy as well. Chocolate is my favorite flavor when I have to choose although they have a few other flavors as well. Limited flavors but nonetheless good.

May 14: Need

I need a vacation, baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. God the last time I went on a trip was with my family 6 years ago, its like ancient history. Hectic routine has made it impossible for us to make time for any family trip which really sucks. So I keep content with wishful thinking and when it comes to vacations Barbados is on top of my wishlist. That place is just magical, after seeing it in a few movies and then in a few videos by musicians, let me mention a recent one from last summer by Simple Plan called Summer Paradise, this song was my summer anthem last year and the video, ABSOLUTELY STUNNING and shot in Barbados. I really hope I get to visit that place before I die. Its fascinating. 

May 13: Sunset

The weather is pretty good these days considering its the mid of May and the heat mode is usually full on at this time of the year in Lahore :P But so blessed to have a better weather, trying to enjoy it while it lasts :) :P

May 12: Mother

Happy Mothers Day to all the beautiful moms out there either a housewife or a working woman. It is safe to say that my ammi is my inspiration, she has taught me to live my life the right way and to grow up into a strong independent woman. The entire credit goes to her because it is not easy putting up with a brat like me :P She is beautiful inside and out. I pray that she lives the longest and healthiest life. Ameen. Because mothers are the best, we all know that :)

May 10 & 11: Stars and Smile

May 10: Stars

 This jumper has been on my wishlist since some time now, I cannot wait to get my hands on a similar piece like this as soon as I find one :P

May 11: Smile

I think this is ironic how this challenge came on the exact same day when Allaah(SWT) did give us a lot to smile about. For all of you who don't know, Pakistan had its elections today after the previous government was able to finish its tenure of 5 years( a first in Pakistan's history) and the turnout was UNBELIEVABLE. The way people came out to vote was amazing. I dont think nay of us had predicted that the turn out would be off the hook and the excitement in the air, boy oh boy. Whatttaay feeling! I will surely remember this day till my last breath. And no matter who wins, we still have a lot to smile about because this is the first step to a better Pakistan, that people have learned the importance and the power of their vote. Here's to each and every single individual who came out of their houses and played their part by voting. you did good! :)

May 8 and May 9: Shape and Snacks

Yes yes I admitted this on uncountable occasions that Im lazier than your average Joe and yes Im a couch potato :p so yeah I was tooooooooooo lazy to put up with the May challenge hence Im merging two days in one. Not sure if its allowed but oh well.

May 8: Shape

I love chunky rings and this is one of my fav, the shape is quadrilateral which gives it a bit of modern touch.

May 9: Snack

My daily routine is NOT complete if I dont stuff myself with some sort of snacks and just co incidentally I had these lying around when I saw the challenge for today. its a good thing I hadnt eaten them yet :P Even though they are filled more with air rather than chips, I just cant say no to Lays :P

May 7: Something beginning with F

The first word that came in my mind was flowers but since Im a lazy bum I didnt get any time to take a picture of any flowers, instead I ended up getting one of my Food. Yep :D

May 6: Broken.

So I just broke a brand new shade of NYC lipstick :( sad day. Its a good thing Im more of a lip gloss girl.

May 5: Paper

If you guys get DAWN's Sunday newspaper you would know how loooooooooooooong it is, I can divide it in parts and read for an entire week :p Well anyways here it is, today's challenge. 

May 4: In My Cup

Well Im pretty sure Im not the only one who keeps pens and pointers in a mug, right? Cause thats what I have in my cup since its too hot to have tea or coffee here this time of the year :P

International Giveaway

Hop onto the parokeets blog for this sweet giveaway and enter yourself for a chance to win these yummy goodies :)

May 3: This is really Good!

Ok fellas! My nerd alert mode is ON!. Cause what Im about to share with you is epicness of epicness ( not sure if that is something that exists :P) but oh well you get my drift. I watch a LOT of movies of which only a very few turn out to be memorable for me and on top of that is Lord of the Rings trilogy, both the books and the movies. I have lost count of how many times I have seen them and lets just accept it, this is one the best book adaptations of our time. This is really GOOD!. Highly recommended, if you havent watched it already which would suggest you have been living under a rock :P

May 2: Morning Ritual

For someone who is ALWAYS late no matter how early the alarm goes off, I need to make sure I stick to a morning ritual which is really really simple. I brush my teeth, dab on a face wash and a little bit of a deodorant and Im all set. Cause honestly thats the most i can manage with my routine :P

May Photo A Day: A challenge that will change your life

I came across such a fun project initiated by the lovely Chantelle of FAT MUM SLIM about May Photo challenge, where you put up a different picture each day for the entire month of May. I have a serious time management problem but I will try my utmost to keep up with this fun challenge. Hope you guys will like my random ramblings throughout May. So you guys must be wondering what are the challenges. Let me keep you waiting no longer. Here they are.

May 1: I Bought This. Share a photo of something you purchased, whether it be today, recent or something long ago.

So I bought these cute pair of sandals from breakout recently, these caught my eye, such a colourful pair, perfect for summer. 

GIVEAWAY!

The lovely Crystal of Valentine Kisses is having a MAJOR giveaway on her birthday and that is INTERNATIONAL as well. Ladies you DO NOT want to miss out on it because believe me the products are to die for. So hop on to her blog, show her some love and enter in the giveaway. Who knows you might be in for a treat ;)

http://xoxovalentinekissesxoxo.blogspot.com/2013/04/valentine-kisses-birthday-giveaway-win.html

Guest blogging: A short story by Mansoor Iqbal

This is abit of a diversion from my usual posts but I liked this story and thought of sharing it with you guys with the consent of the author :) Hope you guys will like it as much as I did.

 So Why It Hit Me So Bad.

So Why Did It Hurt So Much

You see, that young, lanky, handsome, curious, happy and carefree dog could have been me. It might as well have had 2 legs instead of 4. It might as well have had a walkman hanging by his belt and the earphones in his ears. The heat of that afternoon in June hit us both the same way. He could have been coming from a date, just like I was going back to work and still smelling of my Love.

You see, I spent afternoons with her in our house. That the idea was hers made our meetings in the afternoons more like small celebrations rather than a mundane duty. Maybe that young dog too had someone with whom it spent his afternoons and was happy going back to whatever dogs do in the infamous Lahore hot afternoons.

In that 10 seconds before my car hit him, I saw him suddenly yet clearly. He was as clumsy as I was. I slip while climbing down hills, I trip over steps, but over the years I have gotten better at anticipating. At least so I thought, but that’s another story. He too was shaky with unsure steps. Busy, exploring. His eyes were full of expression, shifting wildly from side to side, up and down. The expression was, quite aptly: endearing.

The service road was wide on which I was driving. It has a huge water drain that separated the service road from the main Highway. I saw the head and the front feet jump over the 3 foot concrete side wall. One would think that urban dogs knew about traffic. But this road was new and so was the dog. He was able to balance itself for just a second before he fell, leaped, slid, all at once, on to the road. I knew I was going to hit him. I looked in the rear view mirror to make sure no cars were present. But there was one just about to overtake me from the right. With no choice left, I stepped on the brakes. His happy and content expression was what I remember the most. And the basic law of physics, momentum, came into play. It was going to carry him in front of danger. The car slowed down and hit him at 40 km/h.

That happy expression turned into a young boy’s pain. The car kept slowing down. The front left tyre missed crushing him. I heard his body bang and roll under the car. The sound made more terrible with his painful cries. My expression reflected his torture and my inadequacy to do anything. The car kept slowing down and before the rear tyre got to him, he was out on the same side. I had slowed. He had rolled and panicked under the car for less than 5 seconds, yet it felt like an hour.

You see, one second of pain can last an hour or a lifetime. One hour of pleasure is forgotten almost immediately.

I kept watching him from the rear view mirror. He was absolutely shook. Like a drunk, it walked itself next to the same side of the wall out of harm’s way, which was a smart thing to do. And then it just sat down. Almost fell down. His head was up though. There was no blood. It was licking itself and panting but I knew he would survive. I could see its head moving. His image receded in the mirror to a spot.

I never thought that my afternoons would end like that. I never thought my house would end. But the afternoons ended and the house ended.

You see, I too am sitting next to a wall, out of harm’s way and panting.

P.S: If anyone wants to do guest blogging, feel free to contact me. I would be more than happy to provide you with some kind of platform. Cheers! xx

 

Jordana EasyShine Glossy Lipcolor in Sweet Strawberry

I am a sucker for glosses, and when it comes to bright colors, I start drooling all over, Im not really a nude shade person , brights are what define me as a person. I will be reviewing Jordana EasyShine Glossy Lipcolor in Sweet Strawberry today.

ABOUT

Jordana Cosmetics is a family-owned business headquartered in Los Angeles, California. For over 25 years, Jordana’s philosophy has been to offer every woman the chance to experience superior quality, fashion forward cosmetics at extremely affordable prices.

Jordana’s commitment to high-quality cosmetics has enabled the brand to have broad and global appeal. Jordana has captured the attention and loyalty of millions of women around the world.  Today, women of all ages, incomes and ethnicities enjoy the exciting and colorful line making women feel and look beautiful!

Jordana features modern packaging, advanced formulas and trendsetting-shade ranges. Most of our products are still proudly Made in USA.  These unique distinctions have earned Jordana unparalleled dedication, complete product satisfaction and the subsequent loyalty of consumers all over the world.

Jordana continues to be the leading brand of value priced cosmetics and after 25 years Jordana remains Beauty’s Best Buy!

REVIEW

This is a gorgeous bright red color with a very creamy texture. The consistency is pretty amazing considering the price and I love the fruity scent of it. It tastes like a combo of strawberries and cherries *yum*. The gloss easily lasts for around 3 hours which is pretty good considering I usually eat up my glosses :P it is not super shiny or sticky which is another plus. The packaging is handy though I could do away with the annoying cap, it always ends up ruining up the gloss while putting the cap on. Honestly I love this shade.

Pros

Pigmented and creamy

Fruity scent

Is not sticky

Lasts for 3 hrs

Cheap

Cons

Packaging could be better

Wont like it if you are not in to scented gloss

Wont like it if you are not a bright shade person

Rating: 4/5

NOTD: Medora of London nail enamel in 434

This poor thing had been lying in my closet since ages so i decided to put it out of its misery and do a nail post for a change. I will be reviewing Medora of London in 434 today. So lets see what its all about.

ABOUT

Medora of London (Pvt) Ltd. was established in 1961 and is today one of the leading cosmetic companies in Pakistan . It is committed to its objective of providing high quality products at affordable price.
With brands “Medora”, “Delycia” and “Diplomat” being one of the best sellers in their respective categories, Medora of London has become a household name today. The trust gained has been as a result of constant improvement in the products by our team of chemists who are continuously striving to meet the expectation of the consumers.
Having a network of more than 200 distributors, the company is able to serve its consumers all over Pakistan.

REVIEW

 

The shade that I have applied is 434 of 16ml, its a very girly pink colour with a very decent consistency. I applied double coats although the color is fairly well enough so that you can make do with one single coat as well. It mostly depends upon your personal preference of how much you want to build up the color. The nail enamel dries pretty quick, I applied on one hand and when I came back to re do my fingers, the enamel had dried. Pretty quick I must say. I had this on for two days and there was no chipping off either. The applicator is decent and there is no staining. The only thing that bothered me was the strong smell but that is only temporary so not much of a big deal. Lastly it is priced less than a dollar so its super cheap considering the quality of it. 

Pros

No chipping

Dries fast

No stain

Lareg variety to choose from

Easily available

Super cheap

Easy to remove

Cons

Strong smell

Rating: 4/5

 

Book Review: The Six Sacred Stones

I will be burning this book right after Im done writing this review. As long as I can remember, it never took me this long to finish any book but this one did it for me, I would open this book, read a page and then snap it shut because it required an intellectual level of a teaspoon for someone to have to actually comprehend what Matthew Reilly is trying to explain to his readers. SO much God Damned repetition of the same stuff,over and over and over again. Not to forget the absurdity of the nicknames that you will come across in this book for instance who names someone Pooh bear, Princess, Wizard, Huntsman. In a particular scene where these so called heroes are going o rescue Wizard, the only image that kept popping in my head was a bunch of puppies going to rescue a guy named Wizard who evidently cant perform magic to save his life. To top it off, exclamation like Wham, boom, blast, whiff, whoosh, what the hell am I reading, a comic strip? There are twins who instantly give u an impression of the Weasleys twins(Harry Potter reference). this book could have been finished in around 200 pages but I have to give it to Matthew Reilly, this guy has a talent, Oh yeah, how to unnecessary prolong a book. The hero who has been out of action since 18 months can be seen fleeing from life threatening situations without even a single scratch. I get it, its fiction but seriously What the hell am I reading? never thats all I have to say, never am I going to pick up anything with Matthew Reilly written on it. 

Rating: 1/5

My Top 10 movies of 2012- Part 2

5. Skyfall

I know a LOT of people hated this movie, but I really liked it. Now before you start rolling your eyes, let me just clarify why I liked this one. The fact that it actually showed us a more personal side of James Bond, a little insight into his past life before he became 007 really intrigued me. I loved the concept and it showed that even without all the fancy gadgets, Bond can still pull off some serious shit and save the day. Thats how I saw it, true there wasnt a LOT of action going on like in other Bond movies but at least it didnt follow the same old typical pattern of where he forms an alliance with a *bond* girl, kicks some ass and saves the day *yawn*. And of course I love the song by Adele too :p

4. The Avengers

This movie was so much fun, all the action and the excitement of seeing some of the greatest superheros getting together despite their differences to save the world, precious right :p My favorite character was Black widow, what a surprise that one. Love Scarlett Johanson , she is smoking hot and a great actress and she looks fabulous when she kicks some evil butts :p.

3. Django Unchained

 Quentin Tarantino has done it again, this guy is a genius. Loved loved loved Leonardo DiCaprio in it, he is so good at what he does. Too bad he keeps getting snubbed by the Academy, someone surely has a serious beef against him there. That being said, Leo might have given one of his bets performances in this movie after Blood Diamond. A western film which captures the adventurous story about a man named Django(Jamie Foxx) who teams up with Dr King Schultz( Christopher Waltz) to rescue his wife from a plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo Dicaprio). The movie shows about the level of brutality the black slaves had to endure before Civil War and how one man rises against the system to get back what he has lost. This movie has so much going on, from brilliant performances to some really great scenes, too over the top at some points, yes but that's Tarantino's trade mark. DO WATCH IT.

 

2. The Hobbit

Damn this was a tough one, being one of the biggest fans of Lord of the Rings trilogy (books and the movies) and The Hobbit too, I came this close to picking it as my number 1 movie of 2012 but then I didnt. You will find out why soon. I have been following The Hobbit ever since Peter Jackson announced on his face book page that he has gottne the rights of the movie, (yeah Im that crazy). So its safe to say that i was the first in line to see it when the movie released, I was a bi nervous seeing this , mind you, because I knew after having experienced LOTR, I couldnt help but miss all the other characters and if I would be able to like Bilbo as much as I loved Frodo. Well the good thing is I loved this movie, from the start I was gripped especially because of the 3D effects, wow, there were a few scenes which were just breathtaking. And I loved how Peter Jackson started a little touch of LOTR in the beginning of the movie *nostalgia*. Some ppl complained about the movie being too log but then Peter Jackson always makes sure not to leave out the tiny little details which make a movie great. I love the whole franchise and I cannot wait to see the second part which releases in December this year.

1. The Dark Knight Rises

Need I say more, umm I think the name says it all. The biggest movie of 2012 and what a masterpiece. Christopher Nolan has set the bar extremely high for any future filmmakers to take up this comic character and make a movie on him and come any close to this trilogy. Christian Bale, what an amazing actor, he owned the character, his flawless performance and his sultry looks *sigh*. This has been a pretty good year for Anne Hatheway, she gave Cat woman a new meaning, I had no idea she would be this good playing that role, i had my doubts but she was fabulous and lastly Michael Caine, I dont think Batman would be Batman without Alfred, he brought that balance in his life which his parents left. Lastly Tom Hardy as Bane, a lot of people kept comparing him to Heath Ledger, sheesh people, stop comparing the two villains, they dont have anything in common, This movie is worth every single penny, if u have to watch a movie, ANY movie, watch this one. Amazing special effects, and get ready to be blown away by the performances. 

Image Courtesy Google

FAV Looks from OSCARS 2013

I know Im not the only one who watches the much awaited Oscars just for the sake of finding out who takes the Academy home, Im as equally eager to find out who wore what. So this year wasnt any less glamorous as of the previous years. Here are some of my favorite looks from this year.

Ahhhhhhh how much I love Jennifer Anniston and her classy look, she keeps getting better and better with age.

Amanda looks absolutely gorgeous, I love this color on her.

     

Naomi Watts in her metallic attire , drop dead gorgeous.

 

All I gotta say is, Smokin Hot Charlize.

 

Last but not least Catherine Zeta Jones, looking like a goddess.

Some of the looks that didnt do anything for me

What was Anne Hathaway thinking O.o

Halle Berry has a body to die for, then why o why cover it up in something like this?

Getting really really bored of Adele's style, yes yes she is fabulous and all but enough with the black.

I dont know what was going through Jennifer's head when she decided to adorn this dress.

Really let down with this look, I was looking most forward to Jennifer Lawrence's look, not impressed. Have seen her in much better attires in BAFTAS and even other awards, didnt do much for me this time.
Which was your favorite look form OSCARS 2013?

Image Courtesy People.com