Best of the Met Ball 2014

Taylor Swift 

Nothing quite beats the drama of the Met Ball held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is the one to watch each year as all the best of celebrity ville, strut along the red carpet in their finest. Each year is themed and this year it was 'White Tie and Decorations' and as the event is hosting each year by US Vogue editor and fashion queen Anna Wintour, all the girls make the extra effort to dress to impress. 

Here are some of my favourite looks from the night: 

Sarah Jessica Parker in Oscar De La Renta

Former Sex and the City star, SJP, wore a fairytale dress that Carrie herself would be proud of. It was a beautiful moment with a gorgeous dress that had a train to ensure that the photographers got the shot they needed. 

Victoria Beckham in her own design

No one quite knows how to do the red carpet like Victoria Beckham, her poses and her pout have been perfected after years of practice and she always looks fierce, absolutely brilliant. 

Blake Lively in Gucci

Those Hollywood girl locks and red lip made Blake Lively revive old school glamour in her Gucci gown. I love the fact that it flares out perfectly at the back, adding to the glamouros effect. 

Kendall Jenner in custom made Topshop

Little Kendall Jenner is all grown up and if this gown is not proof of this then what is?! She looked beautiful and elegant, so far removed from the Kardashian brand. She really is one to watch this year after her walking the catwalks through New York Fashion Week last year. 

Stella McCartney and her girls 

Stella McCartney bought her girls in tow and they did look fantastic. Cara Delevigne always picks the right outfit to make a statement, last year was her Burberry dress complete with spikes, this year was this fantastic pant suit. 

Suki Waterhouse in Burberry Prorsum

Suki Waterhouse looked divine in this Burberry gown, layers of lace at the tail of the gown adds to the fairytale effect. 

Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Star rating: ****
Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and others

This latest instalment in the Amazing Spider-Man series promised a high entertainment film with some brilliantly choreographed CGI scenes. The first part of this film established that Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone could create magic on screen and Andrew's fun yet very teenage version of Spider-Man was endearing to say the least.

The story begins where the last one left off. Peter Parker aka Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) is struggling to balance both his alter egos, to the point where it is effecting his relationship with his girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). At their graduation, the pair decide to go their separate ways where Peter decides that he cannot face losing Gwen. She decides to head off to Oxford University as a result and pursue a new life there. In the meantime, Spider-Man is battling his sick friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) who later turns into Green Goblin and downtrodden Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) who becomes Electro.

The wit in the script of this film has to be remarked upon. It was well written and the banter between the characters makes it all the more easy to watch. Many superhero films turn the superhero into a responsible adult, whilst the real person is a teenager. Peter, on the other hand, is portrayed as a teenager both in and out of costume. He revels with this spider skills and has a lot of guilt and angst inside of him. The relationship between Parker and Stacy is the real story in this film. It is heart touching and fun and so genuine that you are immediately attached to them from the start of the film. It is also refreshing to see Stacy to be less so exasperated by the fact that her other half is Spider-Man and more so with the fact that he keeps her at arm's length rather than letting her help.

The CGI for this film is fantastic and visually appealing, you indeed do feel like you are swinging through the towers of the landscape alongside Spider-Man. This film is a great watch for both the adults and kids and the use of human emotion throughout the film as the main star, makes it a must see. 

Beauty Tag: 9 Truths

So i am not really one to do beauty blogger tags because i don't have a YouTube channel so frankly i don't really know how many of people who take the time out to read my blogs (hiii!) will want to read this about me. This is a tag from CharliesMakeUpBoxes on YouTube, here goes...

1. Do you wear makeup everyday ? 

Not everyday, just when i am going to work or a special event. I suffer from acne so have a lot of scarring that needs covering up. That being said though, during the weekend i don't touch make up at all and keep it very minimal with just some vaseline on my lips and moisturiser.

2. How often do you buy new makeup ?

Not very often because i like products to be tried and tested. YouTuber's Tanya Burr's recommendation are always spot on so i do rely on her for advice on new products.

3. If you could only buy one item would you choose makeup, bag, shoes, clothes etc.. ?

Clothes would be for me as i love my fashion!

4. How much of what you buy is because you've seen someone else have either in person or on YouTube ?

I think ever since i have discovered beauty YouTubers, i have bought anything without checking on YouTube. It is so nice that there 'real' people on there who are happy to talk frankly about products without giving you all the sales fluff.

5. Be honest do you make notes or lists of stuff you want to buy while watching YouTube videos or commercials on TV? 

Gosh yes, don't we all!

6. Have you ever stolen something makeup related and from who ? (intentional or unintentionally)

I don't think i even knew what make up was when i was younger and now i just buy my own. I have to say, don't you think that some people are so weird about telling you about the products they use on a daily basis. I love to recommend products that i use to other people.

7. Be honest are you guilty of opening makeup where there are no testers to swatch it before buying or do you just buy it and take advantage of return policies ?

See it is odd but in the UK, you can't return cosmetics that you have already used or tested so you have to use the testers. Depending on the store, if the testers have been stolen, then i do resort to opening the products, sorry!

8. Are you honest if you don't like something a friend is wearing (makeup, clothes, etc) or do you spare their feelings and say it's nice even if you hate the way it looks ? 

Yes i am because i would expect them to be as open with me. I'll just say it tactfully instead of being rude about it of course.

9. When getting ready for the day, what do you hate doing the most and do you sometimes skip it ?

I really hate putting on make up, gasp! I know it sounds silly but honestly it is hard to not feel as though i am painting my face each morning. I really find it frustrating to do every morning!

Well i hope you enjoyed reading this, i enjoyed writing. I tag all of you to do the same :)

We Day UK 2014

Co-Chair of We Day UK - Holly Branson

Blogging about my job is something i don't really do on a daily basis to be honest but that doesn't mean that i don't know how fortunate i am to do what i do. Working with young people is challenging, yet the most rewarding career path that you can have. No two days are ever the same and they really do inspire you as a person and remind you about what really matters in life. Why am i saying all this? Well the culmination of the power of young people ended up me attending with some of the aforesaid young people, to an event called We Day, a day all about youth empowerment, encouraging them to be the voices and the leaders of tomorrow.

It was genuinely amazing to see all the highly influential people who turned out for this event and really made an effort to ensure all these young people were celebrated and given the chance to have their voices heard. Prince Harry came up on stage and spoke about how 'cool' it was to help other people and make a difference. Malala Youfzai spoke about how she was keen to see the world operate as one big family, without any form of discrimination. London's very own Paralympian heroine Martine Wright spoke about how something good can come out of something bad and how she has found her way again. It was a heart warming and encouraging event. 

See here for more information: http://www.weday.com/2014/03/we-day-uk-royally-good-time/ 

Presenters on stage including Laura Whitmore

Free The Children co-founders, Marc and Craig Kielburger 

Sam and the Womp

Former US Vice President Al Gore

Pretty Little Liars actress Shay Mitchell

Clive Owen

Sir Richard Branson 

Jameela Jamil 

Stephen Wright

The Tenors

Prince Harry

Malala Youfzai

Birdy

Jennifer Hudson

Martine Wright

Jacob Artist

Jamal Edwards

Harry Potter actress Evanna Lynch

Ellie Goulding

Oscars 2014 - Dresses that i fell for..

Aside from all the drama from these awards nights, the one thing that really gets me is the spectacle which is the red carpet. The beautiful dresses that transform these actresses into modern day princesses never fail to enthral, check out some of my favourite looks below:

London Fashion Week - February 2014

Somerset House during London Fashion Weekend

If you adore the fashion world as much as i do, you have to love it when two of your passions, fashion and your home city, both come together to put on a show for you. Fashion in the UK is nothing like the world of fashion anywhere else, it is eccentric and a complete mish mash. Trends are interpreted much like the city's population, a mixture of different cultures and personalities and everyone takes it upon themselves to create their own take on outfits. 

I have been going to fashion weeks since the last few years, twice a year but this year, it just feels like it has become more commercial than ever. One of the things that i used to love about fashion week are the new up and coming designers showcasing their styles, these are unfortunately turning into a money making guise and i am not sure i am completely comfortable with it.

This brings me nicely on to the use of fur. I know that fur is coming back but the sheer amount of it on display at London Fashion Weekend, made me stop and think whether this was a good thing or bad. There was so much of it, at every turn and i can only hope that it doesn't spark a trend for people hunting (excuse the pun) for the real deal. 

Live conversation with Fifi Chachnil (Fifi Chachnil Lingerie)

I have to say that i am finally getting used to having Somerset House as the venue for London Fashion Week. It is a beautiful building and i admire the amount of history that is in the building which acts a backdrop for the event. I like the way the space is used for fashion week with rooms to discover and new people to meet, it has an Alice in Wonderland feel to it. I also stumbled on Fifi Chachnil speaking about her lingerie label in the Vodafone Lounge. She was talking about how she got into designing lingerie because no one was doing it at the time and it was seen as being scandalous. I liked how brash she was in talking about her label and she came across as great role model. 

A good day at London Fashion Weekend, i just hope they don't forget one day exactly what they stand for and that is fashion at its most original and its best! 

Fashion Week Favourites

Here are some of my favourite looks from the fashion weeks so far... 

Oscar De La Renta 

Oscar De La Renta 

Oscar De La Renta 

J Mendel

J Mendel

Burberry Prorsum

Burberry Prorsum