Ryan Gosling to Make his Directorial Debut

I know what you're thinking, that this is a feeble excuse so that I can post about the face of ride that is Ryan Gosling well you're wrong, kinda. We know I love him long time, I've never denied it, there's been awkward calls between Eva and myself when he's paying me too much attention, LikeMamUseToBake and I have almost come to fisticuffs about her inviting him round for tea but this post is about Ryan making his directorial debut and I, for one, can't wait to see it. 

Since his days as a Mouseketeer, Canadian Lovegod, Ryan has consistently held the spotlight. His work on countless films such as The Notebook, Blue Valentine, Lars and the Real Girl and, of course, Drive has been lauded throughout Hollywood and the film industry as a whole so the logical next step would be directorial. 

Look into his eyes, not around his eyes. 

In How to Catch a Monster, which is written and directed by Monsieur Gosling, Christina Hendricks (his Drive co star and Mad Men favourite) will play the lead role, I can only assume he based it on my life story, such is his infatuation, having read the premise:

Written and directed by Ryan Gosling, How to Catch a Monster weaves elements of fantasy noir, and suspense into a modern day fairytale. Set against the surreal dreamscape of a vanishing city, Billy, a single mother of two, is swept into a macabre and dark fantasy underworld while her teenage son discovers a secret road leading to an underwater town. Both Billy and Bones must dive deep into the mystery, if their family is to survive.

Production starts in Spring 2013, tell me you're not dying to catch a glimpse...

Introducing ParaNorman: An Awe Inspiring Featurette

I'm an unashamed lover of Coraline, so when I heard that the masterminds behind her creation were releasing another hand made, stop motion, 3D movie I was delighted. When I saw the trailers for ParaNorman even more so. 

Watching this featurette, however, takes my admiration for the Laika production team to a whole new level. The pain staking work that has gone into creating each and every miniature scene really is a wonder to behold. 

ParaNorman opened this summer in the States to unilaterally positive reviews and Irish cinemas this September 14th. I'll bring you little teasers such as this one on the run up, cos you gots to be as excited as I am to see it, you gots to!

Pssst, if you can't wait until the 14th, ClickOnline.com 
have a chance to grab preview tickets for the 8th
at Movie Fest. Click here to enter. 

Introducing The Dr Hauschka's Pure Care Cover Sticks Addition for Medium to Dark Skin

Listen up medium to dark skinned lovelies, Dr Hauschka have just extended their Pure Care Cover Stick range with you specifically in mind. Their new addition, 03 Sand, joins 01 Natural and 02 Beige to provide not only first class coverage for problem areas but also to help heal the skin and return your visages to their natural balance.

Pure Care Cover Sticks in L-R 01, 03 & 02

Ingredients such as tea tree and manuka oil, kidney vetch and calendula all work to calm the skin and restore it to its former glory. Because of the healing properties of the Pure Care Cover Sticks, it’s recommended that they’re used at the first sign of a blemish. Place your chosen shade onto the affected area and blend gently to build up cover before applying your foundation. Finishing your look with a translucent powder, such as Dr Hauschka’s Illuminating Powder will set your make up in place and prevent slippage throughout the day.

Pure Cover Stick 01 Natural for light skin tones

Pure Cover Stick 02 Beige for light to medium skintones

New Addition: Pure Cover Stick 03 Sand for medium to dark skin tones

Because, thankfully, I’m blemish free at the mo, I decided on a little ‘speriment: here’s hoping you’ll never have an outbreak brighter than red ink on your poor kisser but just look at the coverage achieved with one stroke of my perfect match 02. It blends to a matte soft finish, with this and your foundation in place blemishes should be near invisible. Good, right?

Bright red ink is all but covered in one simple stroke

Like the Lipstick Novums from the Decorative range, Pure Care Cover Sticks are blended with natural waxes so they’re pleasantly scented (With the lippies it’s lavender (a joy to use) and this time it’s a slight woody aroma) they almost melt into the skin and prevent dryness associated with healing blemishes.

I’ve said before that I love the ethos behind the Dr Hauschka brand; their natural approach to everyday skin care problems is hugely refreshing in a world of chemical solutions. The fact that this product not only gives you flawless coverage but works to treat your skin and gently heal problem areas makes it a winner in my book.

Priced at €16.95 the Pure Care Cover Sticks are part of the Dr Haushcka Skin Care Range that is stocked in selected Health Stores, Pharmacies, Avoca & Harvey Nics, though if none of the above suit you, there’s a full list of stockists on www.drhauschkaireland.ie.

Sleek Kajal Eyeliner: Odyssey (Purple)

I'm a big kajal liner fan, their pointedness, their ease of use and their smudgeable ways have all attracted me and kept me coming back for more. One of my all time favourite liners is Estée Lauder's Dramatic Teal and that just happens to be of the kajal variety too. Coninkadink? I think not. When I caught sight of Sleek's Kajal Eyeliner in Odyssey Purple then, I knew it had to be mine. 

Pointy Purple goodness from Sleek Kajal Odyssey

Sleek Kajal in packaging reminiscent of the originals 

The first thing that struck me with this Sleek version was the packaging. A thick black plastic bullet with firm click closing, always a pleasure to use. There's a black ribbon on the base, which you use to pull your liner bullet free. It's an unusual casing that goes back to the original kajal liners of India and I likes it. Lots.  

The formulation is highly pigmented purple with a subtle silver microshimmer to bring brightness to your peepers, but despite the shimmer it is beautifully soft and ideal for comfortable use on the waterline. You have about a minute from application to smudge Odyssey to your desired effect until it dries, when that happens it's virtually unbudgeable until it's removed with cleanser when your day is through. 

The precision point is another fantastic aspect of these liners, it allows you to place your line perfectly first time, every time. I always use it sideways so as not to blunt the tip, they can be a bit of a pain to sharpen when I don't. Rubbed all over the eye, you can also achieve a vibrant purple shadow or base for a colourful look. Again, once it's dry on the lid, it won't budge or crease. 

Sleek liners are available online from both BeautyEmporium.ie and Cloud10Beauty.com or, of course, from your local Superdrug, priced at €8. (€4 for Black). 

Are you a kajal fan? 

New from The Body Shop: Scents Of The World Collection

Although my first and formative foray into the world of fragrance came via The Body Shop many,many moons ago in the guise of Fuzzy Peach, Dewberry and White Musk, things have certainly changed in Body Shop HQ with this brand new line of EDTs and matching perfumed body care range, the Scents Of The World Collection.

Made with 100% organic alcohol (Community Fair Trade & made from Sugarcane) and natural extracts sourced from the far reaches of the world, you'd be hard pressed not to find a fragrance in this new line to suit your taste. 

• Japanese Cherry Blossom: a soft blend of magnolia, apple zest & cherry blossom, this scent is the perfect addition to the Japanese Cherry Blossom range already available (one of my personal faves)
• Indian Night Jasmine: sandalwood, violet leaves, orange blossom and jasmine combine to make a more sultry fragrance. 
• Atlas Mountain Rose: comprised of citrus, rose, musk and amber, I can see this one having the most universal appeal of the 5. 
• Madagascan Vanilla Flower:  this is a warm powdered blend of amber, vanilla and frangipani flowers. (See more below)
• Amazonian Wild Lily: with iris, white lily and orchid, enriched with papaya fruit zest, this is the liveliest of the five. Uplifting and invigorating. 

You can clearly see the loving Madagascan Vanilla Flower has been getting. 

I was sent both Madagascan Vanilla Flower and Amazonian Wild Lily to try and I can't let this post pass without singing from the rooftops about the former. Madagascan Vanilla Flower smells to me like a warm tropical breeze. One deep inhalation and I'm lying on a beach, drifting off to the sound of palm trees swaying, waves gently crashing and feeling the gentle breeze roll over me as I bake in the sun. Really. It's that good. 

Amazonian Wild Lily is a much livelier affair altogether, the forest florals punched through with papaya zest make it an ideal day time spritz. 

Available from The Body Shop online for UK customers or in store from this week, the Scents of The World is definitely a collection worth a sniff. Or ten. 

Are you a BodyShop fragrance fan?  More importantly were you a Fuzzy Peach or White Musk fan? 

Heads Up: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Limited Edition Rose & Lavender

Heads up lovelies, something a little bit gorgeous has hit my inbox. Cult favourite brand Liz Earle has teamed up with the Prince's Trust UK to bring us a beautiful special edition Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. The tried and trusted Cleanser has been given the Rose and Lavender treatment, two of my favourite skin care ingredients, and is set to hit our shelves on September 6th. 

This special edition has been made possible through the Tomorrow Campaign, which paired six up and coming young people with iconic mentors. Through the campaign Rebecca Taylor teamed up with Liz herself to design this botanical take on the Hot Cloth Cleanser. 

Liz says: “Our Special Edition Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser includes the same award-winning concentrated cream formula to remove daily grime and make up to leave skin clear, smooth and exceptionally clean, but with a special twist - a unique blend of rose and lavender essential oils to calm and relax your senses, ideal for use to ensure a good night’s sleep. Perfect partners; use our original Cleanse & Polish in the morning and our Special Edition in the evenings.”

Priced at €17 from Lizearle.com  €2.50 (£2) from each bottle sold will be donated directly to the Prince's Trust. Learn more about their fantastic work here. There's nothing quite like knowing you're doing a good deed to assuage some of the guilt when stocking up, eh? 

Are you a Cleanse & Polish lover? Read what I think here. Will you be snapping this limited edition up when it lands on September 6th? 

ALSO: There's FREE DELIVERY on Liz Earle until Friday the 31st of August, if you wanted to check out just why this brand is so popular, now is the time to do it!

Origins Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask

Say Oh Hai to my second purchase from Origins, but say it from a distance as I won't be parting with this beauty for quite some time. As I said to the eldest 'You see with your eyes, not your hands'. Origins Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask is everything it says on the recycled plastic tube, and then some. 

Made with Activated charcoal (that gives it both it's name and slight scent), White China Clay and Lecithin, this charcoal mask works at a deeper level to draw out the nitty gritty that causes clogged pores and breakouts. 

This mask is right up there with the Gorgebags' favourite but hidden Vichy Normaderm 3 in 1 wonder product and the organic delight Ógra 100% Peat Mask in terms of immediate results. I use it while running the bath so that the steam has naturally opened my pores. Applying a liberal charcoaly covering, I make sure to pay special attention to my T Zone and leave it in place for 10 minutes to work its magic (though it only needs 5). 

Thick & chock full of goodness

Although Clear Improvements dries in place like any other mask, there's almost an elastic quality to it once set. There's no way you're peeling it off so instead I opt to rub warm water into my skin, massage it gently to get rid of the majority then use a soft cotton facecloth to wash away the rest. 

Immediately the difference is visible, skin is brighter, pores seem tighter and there's a squeaky clean quality that I've only experienced with my other Origins love Modern Friction. Each of these products only really need to be used once a week so I'm alternating at the moment and having fantastic results. 

Priced at €27.50 from Debenhams or from any Origins counter it would appear that it's time for me to pay a little more attention to the brand. I had always considered the products too spendy but based on these two, it would appear that you get exactly what you pay for. I'm hugely impressed. 

Is there anything else I should be checking out? 

Monday's Moments - 27/08

Happy Monday, people. It’s been a hectic week here at Casa Cherry with several events over the past week and a surprise visit from the Broseph this weekend. It’s very hard to believe it’s almost September but I’m guessing Mammies of manic youngsters can’t have September come quick enough to get back into a routine. How about some Moments, eh?

1. Disco Naps FTW

As I said above I’ve been flat out this week, chasing my tail and working my tuckus off. It had seemed like a never ending week until Wednesday when I arrived home from work and the lads were pottering about. ‘You know what?’ I said ‘I’m going to put my head down for an hour’. The Playstation was turned down and headphones were plugged into the PC, no hassle, no bother.

I set the alarm on my phone and slept for exactly an hour, waking up just before it, completely refreshed. The lads were where I’d left them happily playing whatever shizz they were playing. I think it’s probably the first time I’ve realised how old they were. When they were toddlers I thought I’d never sleep again, I certainly could never have imagined I’d be a disco napper. I’m converted!

2. Bag ALL the Tickets

I’ve mentioned how ridiculously excited I am for Movie Fest, right? That’s why I was getting antsy waiting for tickets to be released and hoping against hope that they wouldn’t be announced and sold out before I had a chance to book ours.

Imagine my delight when I got a mail from Movies.ie to say that tickets had been released when I happened to be in town. We hot footed it to Cineworld, picked ours up and have spent the past 4 days speculating about what movie delights are in store for us.

3.So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen , Goodbye

This week sees the schools fling open their doors again post summer (can you believe it?). Normally I’m all a tizzy as part of my job is managing the School Warden Service (Lollypop Ladies), that’s 160 rays of Hi-Vis sunshine. Well not no more. There had been plans to split and restructure the management tier over a year ago but it came to naught.

On Thursday, however, I officially handed over the reigns. I’m going to miss them, certainly, but boy does it feel good to have that mountain of pressure off my shoulders. I’m hoping my phone will be a lot quieter, my out of office hours work will disappear and my down time will be officially mine again. Sure feels good.

4. What Trickery is This

Look ah dah face!

Because the Broseph was home this weekend, we all got to catch up, which was fantastic. My Sis lives in Athy so we don’t get to see each other as often as we’d like. Well, we elders get to gallivant, sure, but I don’t see the little ‘uns enough. Her youngest is the most gorgeous pudding you’ll ever see (yep, I’m biased), good natured, giggly and doesn’t make strange… I may have figured out why.

When I was holding him on Sunday afternoon, he was continuously looking at my mouth. It was only when my Sis came back we discovered why. She and I sound exactly alike; people mistake us on the phone all the time. Poor little mite was looking at me with his Maw’s voice coming out of my mouth. The look on his face was priceless looking into my face, wide eyed and back at my mouth, giggling when I speak. I could eat him, it could happen.  

5. Too Soon, TOO SOON

I've still Gorrit!

I’m not ready to turn into a grannybag, I’m just not. 34 is not the age at which I should be giving up all hope of a sneaky Sunday night on the tiles but that’s exactly how I felt last night. Chatting with the gorgeous Karen of Lovelygirlybits, instead of planning a mad night out, I was bemoaning the fact that I couldn’t go to bed early because the youngest had gone discoing and would need to be picked up!

He’s 15, out socialising having the time of his young life and I’m sat at home longing for my pyjamas and an early night? The sudden glimpse into our future was a bit of a shock. I’m not ready to hang up my pumps yet; I’ve warned him that should there be another Sunday session, I might just have to join him. His stone cold, expressionless face tells me he’s not too keen.

So tell me lovelies, what have you been up to this past week? Any memories or laughs that are getting you through Monday? 

Rihanna & Marc Jacobs Resort Nails - How To

It's been a little while since I've done a nail art design so when I saw Rihanna pouring out her heart to Oprah in Marc Jacobs Resort mint halter neck this week, I wasn't thinking 'poor ol' RiRi', no, I was thinking 'Oooh that design sure would make some purrty nails. 

The colours are gorgeous together, very like the cherry blossom nails I had previously, just in a slightly different design. Fancy seeing how simple they are to recreate? 

Colours used

A dotting tool and toothpick can be used for the florals (or of course a bobby pin)

Starting with a mint base, the flowers are done with two small dots of each colour. The small pink dots and green leaves are all done using the toothpick, it's much easier to do fine details with the sharper tip. 

Accent Nail

Because the upper half of Rihanna's frock is a concentrated mix of all colours I wrapped the tip of the dotting tool in tissue paper, dipped it into the polish and placed it straight onto the accent nail. 

Place your flowers randomly on the nail bed

The final look

I'm unsure as to whether the accent nail works without the context of the dress but I absolutely love these colours together. It can be recreated using similar colours should you not have the ones I used to hand. 

What do we think? Will you be wearing Marc Jacobs on your talons any time soon? 

Cherry Pick of the Week - Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers

This song has been knocking around for a few years now but the radio edit has been getting a lot of love in recent months and weeks. 

One of those tunes that you can never put your finger on when you hear but instantly recognise, I Follow Rivers has been on constant repeat in my noggin this past week. 

Press play there and see do you know it. It's a grower. 

If not this, then tell me, what tune is your fave at the moment? 

Movie Fest 2012 - Get Your Tickets Toute Suite!

I announced with absolute delight a couple of weeks back that Movie Fest will be returning this September 8th & 9th. Well sound the claxons because as of yesterday, tickets have gone on sale. 

Priced at €25 per day and available from either Cineworld's website or their box office on Parnell Street, if you're wanting in on this awesome cinematic action then you need to run, not walk, to bag yourself some tickets before they inevitably sell out. 

We picked ours up last night and spent the evening second guessing what delights we'll have to look forward to come the weekend in question. Lucky then that Movies.ie are steadily releasing information on the build up with Paranorman (with its Director in attendance) and Premium Rush the first two to make the bill.  

Hold the phone: Looper has just been added - that's a double dose of Joseph Gordon-Levitt to look forward to. 

Paranorman because there can never be too many animated zombies. Ever. 

So tell me this and tell me no more, will you be there or will you be a regular quadrilateral of right angles? (If you know what I mean) 

Total Recall - Movie Review

Who's in It?

Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel & Bryan Cranston

What's it About? 

Doug Quaid is a regular schmoe of the future, living an unfulfilled life in a dead end job but he's haunted by lucid dreams of a very different kind. He opts to have memories implanted by Rekall so that he can feel a little less ordinary but his visit triggers events that give him all of the action and excitement he could ever want. Suddenly he's on the run, searching for answers and being hunted down.  

Any Good? 

When news of a remake of Paul Verhoeven's, 1990, Total Recall broke there was outcry. How could a film hope to better the cult classic that earned Arnie so many fans? The truthful answer is it couldn't and it hasn't. While the basic premise for its namesake has been used and of course some notable scenes, Total Recall 2012 really isn't a remake, more an ode to the original, a total rehash. 

Howaya, Farreller...

Completely abandoning the use of Mars from the first film, this offering is set in a time where the earth has been ravaged by chemical warfare. There remains only two lands, The United Federation (of Britain) and The Colony (Australia). Lower class citizens and workers are confined to the latter and must make the daily commute to work on an awe inspiring elevator through the centre of the earth called The Fall. 

From the opening scenes the desolate dystopia pictured is beautifully rendered. CGI plays a huge part but seamlessly so. We're only given the briefest of glances at Doug's (Farrell's) character before he visits Rekall and it all kicks off but boy does it kick off. The action is almost non stop, barely giving you time to realise that the film itself isn't that magnificent. 

Man she's gorgeous but Girlfriend needs a scrunchie!

Lori (Beckinsale) plays Doug's wife, once she's revealed as the enemy her relentless hunt and serious ass kicking skills begin. I'm a big Beckinsale fan, reckon she's one of the finest action actresses we have but for the love of Christ why can't she tie up her hair? There's no woman in the history of women that ever set out to whoop some ass without first tying their grúaig back. It worked in Underworld with a short crop yes, but here it was just ridiculous. Her dialogue too was teetering on farcical every time she spoke from behind those hairy black curtains - 'What can I say? I give good wife'. Seriously? 

Jessica Biel plays Melina, the girl of Doug's dreams, literally, but she's never really given much to do. She certainly packs a punch but her dialogue is clipped as if added in hindsight. We're never shown any reason that Doug might be in love with her, other than she says so. It's a shame to under use her as an actress though, she was capable of so much more.

The great Bill Nighy in one of his approximately 16 seconds of screen time

Both Bryan Cranston and Bill Nighy as the opposing heads are fleeting in their appearances with little or nothing to work with, it would seem that the sole concentration of the movie is on the action sequences and set pieces. Lovers of Tomorrow's World will enjoy the futuristic forays, such as a sub dermal phone and magnetised autobahns, where a distinctly Minority Report-like chase takes place but for all the shiny there really isn't the substance to back it up.

As a standalone film Total Recall works, it's a no brainer and doesn't give you much by way of poignancy but the high octane action and fight scenes are second to none. As a remake though? Coddle commendably gave it his best shot but I'm firmly Team 1990. If you're an ardent Arnie fan or have any recollection of the original, you'll leave the cinema asking yourself why this movie had to be made at all. If you're a newbie to the movie, check this out certainly but hare home to see the original.

Total Recall hits Irish cinemas on Wednesday, August 29th. 

Rating:

Psst.. Prices & Sales of the original Total Recall have

rocketed before this release, some sellers asking 

for upward of £19.99 but if you wanted a

gander you could be clever & buy the Arnie 

Boxset for just £7.99. Just a thought. 

Quadruple Threat for Acne: Vichy Normaderm

A veritable Teen Dream, the kind folks at Vichy have made two teen gorgebags here at Casa Cherry very, very happy indeed. Vichy Normaderm Anti Imperfection Hydrating Care has just been joined by Normaderm's 3 in 1 Cleanser, Scrub and Mask in the acne fighting arsenal and when I say 'joined' I mean it's kicked everything else out of the running. 

I should add that these really aren't teen only products, quite the opposite but the tables have been turned since 3 in 1 arrived in our door a fortnight ago, the shaggers have hidden it ON ME! I'm forever peace mealing out the goods when it comes to products that really work but once they realised the effect this Normaderm dream team has had on their kissers, I haven't had a look in since. 

Normaderm 3in1 - €13.25

This 3in1 Cleanser, Scrub and Mask is made with Kaolin clay to draw imperfections from the skin, salicylic acid that works to minimise pores and buff the skin surface. Delicately (divinely) scented and alcohol/paraben/soap free this little doozy works on many levels to clean, clear and treat delicate and acne affected skin. 

Since I have normal skin, the youngest has combo/dry and the eldest has combo/oily (Understandable, since they're teens) I was very interested to see how this product would fare on each of us. We sat down en famile last week and applied it as a mask (it's non stop rock & roll here). Although we completely bewildered the poor dog, we astounded ourselves with just how well this performed in 5 minutes. Soft, supple skin all round and for the youngest a considerable reduction in redness and inflammation. Win/Win/Win. 

As a 3 in 1, it works brilliantly as a twice a week scrub, an every other day cleanser or a once a week mask. Truly, I'll be picking another tube up as, try as I might, I've yet to find their hidey hole and Momma wants to try it again. 

Vichy Normaderm Hydrating Care - €15.75

While Normaderm Hydrating Care really didn't like my kisser, it's a prime example of how differently a product can work with different skin types. Containing salicylic and glycolic acids which help control oil production and glycerine and silica to hydrate oily but dehydrated faces, Hydrating Care works to calm, mattify and approve the overall appearance of angry or blemish prone skin. 

Used after the 3 in 1, Hydrating Care drenches the skin in moisture, soaks in quickly and leaves no residue, only softer, calmer skin. The youngest's lovely visage hasn't looked better than it has in the past two weeks. 

Have you tried anything from the Normaderm range yet? And, more importantly, where do you reckon they've hidden the scrub?!