MY FIRST TRIP TO THE MAC BELFAST: STRAIGHT TO DVD

No, not MAC makeup! The MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre) has recently opened in St Anne's Square in Belfast. I've watched it being constructed and have followed the journey in great detail as I attended a few workshops at the previous site of the OMAC back in my younger days. I also met Meryl Streep when she came to fund raise for the new building. All in all, I feel very connected to it before I even have been inside! I have sang for many years and I am really into up and coming talent in Northern Ireland. I think it is so important that people have a way of exploring their creative side and the MAC seems like a great place to do that. It is not pretentious, it is welcoming and really a theatre for all walks of life. 

Me outside the MAC (Wearing Topshop sunglasses, H&M vest, River Island skirt+belt and Michael Kors Sandals. The bag was a gift from my Mum), a picture of St Anne's Cathedral from inside the building, a shot of the building from St Anne's Square

The building was so beautiful and the restaurant and bar are equally as stunning! I definitely want to go for a meal sometime soon because the food smelled unbelievable!

I was delighted to be asked to attend the press night of a show entitled, "Straight to DVD" by a group called Ponydance. My friend Holly also attended with me as she is going to study drama at univerity next year. She had also been involved in some OMAC projects in the past. I had never heard of Ponydance before but I was really interested to see what they had to offer. The show took place in the "Upstairs at the MAC" which is a 120 seater theatre. They also have a "Downstairs at the MAC" which can sit over 300.  The show is only what can be described as a comedy dance fest. I laughed the entire way through. The 4 dancers draw from things in popular culture and reality TV that prove to be hilarious dance numbers when all put together by director Leonie McDonagh. Numerous sketches from ballet with prams (!) to synchronized swimming (minus the water) combined with some audience participation makes for comedy gold. The dancing was of a really high standard, but more than that; you wanted to be friends with the people in the show. All four seem honestly funny and lovely. This was my first show of this kind and it was a really great night out. I am so excited to see what the MAC has to offer in the coming months. I am returning next week to see the musical Sweet Charity which should be another fantastic night out.

An interesting pole-dancing routine from Straight to DVD

Straight to DVD runs from 22-26 May with some tickets still available from £12 Visit www.themaclive.com or call 028 9023 5053 for more information or to book tickets.

Visit the Ponydance website at http://www.ponydance.com/

Thank you very much to lovely people at the MAC for a great night out.

Loving culture in Belfast at the minute-very proud to be from Northern Ireland!

GL

x

FABB is growing!

Yes, I am supposed to be studying. But yesterday I was in Belfast at the University of Ulster for a CIPR "Meet the Bloggers" event. It was great and I loved seeing some of the FABB bloggers there :) We also attended a talk this week with Poppy from wiwt.com at Queen's University. Very informative! If you don't know what FABB is, it is a group of fashion and beauty bloggers based right here in Northern Ireland founded by the lovely Katrina from Sugahfix.com. Tweet the FABB network @WeAreFABB and look for the #FABB hashtag. We also do a FABB Friday talk on Twitter every Friday night from 7-9pm using the #FABB hashtag to ask beauty and fashion dilemmas to any of the bloggers! Here is the full list of the FABB girls-we're all different; different ages, likes, dislikes but inherently, we all love fashion and beauty!

I  have added a bar along the top so you can find any of the FABB blogs if you are in the mood for a read!

Remember to follow my blog and follow some of the other girls too! Don't forget that I also have a Facebook for my blog (which I am happy to chat to anyone on): www.facebook.com/champagnelifestylestudentbudget and a Twitter: @GemmaLEBond.

Here are all the FABB girls:

www.theagoraphobicfashionista.com

www.strawberryblondebeauty.com/

www.frenchforcupcake.com

www.sugahfix.com

www.bexsfashiontips.blogspot.com

http://lelliemoi.blogspot.co.uk/

http://rrronroute37.blogspot.com/

www.schoolgatestyle.com

http://gottaloveatrier.blogspot.com

http://bobsbeautifulblog.blogspot.co.uk/

http://belfast-blogger.blogspot.com

http://www.theyellowestdiamonds.com/

http://sarahsstylewatch.blogspot.co.uk/

http://niamhkelly.wordpress.com/

www.bexsfashiontips.blogspot.com

http://thestylecave.info/

http://bexberry.blogspot.co.uk/

http://thinkboutthings.com/

http://www.saloule.com/

http://www.inanityandthegirl.com/

http://www.themagpiegirl.com

http://www.belfastbeautylove.blogspot.com

Some new reading for the weekend!

GL

x

TAN BAN

L-R: Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs, Dove Summer Glow, St Tropez Gradual Face Tanner, Kardashian Glamour Tan, St Tropez Gradual Everyday Moisturiser, Fake Bake Beyond Bronze Airbrush Tanner, Almay Bare it All Legs.

On a recent inspection of one of my drawers in my vanity, I realised I own far too many bottles of tan. This is stupid because a) clearly they were expensive b) I need to tan more c) they are clogging up room. I recently was on a bit annoyed as Fake Bake have discontinued my favourite Beyond Bronze Air-Brush variety of tan so I have been trying to replace her (hence the two bottles!). I love Clains Gel Tanner but I only usually get 4 full bodies of tan out of it so it can end up being very pricey. I love being tan because it automatically makes me look and feel healthier but it is quite a process. I have been back into gradual tanners lately-namely the good ole dark Dove one. I forgot how dark it actually can get! I also bought the Kardashian Glamour Tan when I visited their Dash store in New York-it's a clear gel tanner. I need to try it properly. I recently had a sample of Xen Tan and I really loved it. So...I have put myself on a tan ban. I have to use all the tans I have before I can justify buying Xen Tan. Clearly the only way I told myself I was going to do this was by publicising it on my blog. Besides, I am in the middle of revising for my exams so I am trying to stay inside/avoid shopping/focus on passing my exams and actually making it to my final year of uni.

I would LOVE to hear what your favourite tans are. I need one that is quite moisturising as I sometimes get wee dry patches of skin due to stress etc. Share your favourite tan with me below or via Facebook (www.facebook.com/champagnelifestylestudentbudget) or Twitter (@GemmaLEBond).

Good luck to anyone else currently studying for exams....I'd hate to be doing my GCSEs or A Levels again-everyone has my sympathy!

Love,

GL

x

MET GALA 2012: MY BEST DRESSED

Anyone who loves fashion always patiently awaits the morning after the Met Gala to see who was wearing what. There were some SERIOUS fashion disasters but I will leave you to Google them yourself for your own enjoyment (an awful lot of Gothic looks and a dress that made Sarah-Jessica Parker look like she'd rolled herself in Laura Ashley wall paper. Sorry Valentino!). I am a true believer in looking classic glam for red carpets. I emphasised this during award season-especially during the Oscars this year. I like a good, well made gown. I am not anti-short frocks but if they are short, they need to be special. Also, nothing aggravates me more than a beautiful girl in a stunning gown with hair and makeup that doesn't match. It can ruin the whole look so easily.

Here are my top dressed ladies:

Debra Messing in Kaufmanfranco

Let me start out by saying how much I love Debra Messing, her beautiful red hair and her new TV show Smash (which if you are not watching on Sky Atlantic, you are missing out). I think this dress is simple, fits to her body so well and is completely timeless. Her hair and make-up are simple. The only thing that annoys me is the necklace. It seems a tad unnecessary. If she would have scrapped the necklace and had her hair up- STUNNING.

Emma Roberts in Escada

I think Emma Roberts is really cute and young. This dress is in keeping with that. The shape is lovely as is the colour (Solero lolly anyone!?). She looks fresh and summery. However, the dress seems to have wrinkled a bit which is a shame.

Jessica Alba in Michael Kors

I am a HUGE Michael Kors fan. I think he is one of the only designers that understands how to actually dress women. This dress is beautiful and is continuing with the 'Golden Gowns' which were so popular at the Oscars this year. Her hair, makeup and dress all compliment each other perfectly. (And before anyone else asks, yes I do think Michael Kors made it from a spare piece of fabric from Meryl Streep's Oscar gown. I know you all thought it....) 

Beyonce in Givenchy

THIS IS HOW TO WORK THE MET GALA PEOPLE! Beyonce, 4 months after giving birth to Baby Blue is back with a bang. Check out that body! The Met is all about Haute Couture and this Givenchy gown is insane. It is part Hollywood glam, part showgirl and completely fabulous. I love that she kept her hair and makeup simple in order to let the gown do the talking. She wiped the floor with everyone-Beyonce was certainly my best dressed.

Emma Stone in Lanvin

This is exactly what I mean about short gowns-it needs to be short and snappy. I love this little number on her-it's young and it's cute. I would have liked a more interesting shoe with it rather than just a black heel though. I like Emma Stone and red is really her colour.

That's a quick round up of the gowns for this year!

Who was your best (or worst) dressed?

All images via Tumblr.

GL

x

BEAUTY LUXURY: REVIVE SKINCARE

Whenever I hear someone say they've spent hundreds of pounds on creams for their face, my usual response is to laugh and say they're no better than something from Boots. Well I am now well and truly eating my words. In the recent Harrods Glossybox, many people including myself, received a mini of the Revive Intensité Creme Lustre. I started using it before I went to bed. It's really thick and creamy so I thought it lent itself to being a night cream. The more I used it, the nicer my skin became. I noticed a lack of spots, blackheads and my overall skin texture just felt really dewy and fresh. The sample was almost done so I looked on the Harrods website to buy it. A 60ml tub is £235. My shock and surprise made me quickly exit the website. However, the next day Glossybox ran a competition on Twitter to win a tub of the cream-AND I WON! I think the skin gods understood how much I needed it! I have been so obsessed with this cream and realise that the tub is actually quite large. A small 5p size amount of the cream is enough to cover your whole face due to the creamy texture of it. I also love that is has SPF30 in it-as my skin has been much better I have been even inclined to go makeup free some days. Brave or what! I read up about the cream and it although it is marketed as an "anti-aging" cream, the "Bio-firming protein" seems to be great for all ages of skin.

On my recent trip to New York, me and my mum spotted the Revive Skin Care stand at Sak's 5th Avenue. I had a lovely chat with 2 lovely chaps working on the counter about my skin routine and that fact I use a Clarisonic. One of the men said he actually has the exact same skin-care routine as me! They suggested that I buy the gel cleanser as it would foam up really well (which I like...it makes me feel very clean). The cleanser "contains minerals plus amino acids that strengthen the skin's acid mantle as they soothe, refresh and bind moisture into the skin". I honestly feel so refreshed when I use it. I paid $65 for it in Sak's and it retails for £41 in Harrods.

I feel like I have been really converted to luxury skincare and have been so impressed by the Revive brand. I am going to see how long the cream lasts for...£235 is a lot of money but at the same time, if you work out cost per usage, it probably doesn't work out that badly. I would love to try some more products in the range-the serums look amazing!

Revive is available from Harrods and from Harrods online at: http://www.harrods.com/brand/revive/view-all?psi=25

GL

x

NY GIVEAWAY WINNER

Congrats to the lovely Jill who won my giveaway! I had my mum pick the winner from all the user names in a hat. Thanks for all the entries and comments.

Enjoy your prize Jill!

GL

x

PHILOSOPHY: FALLING IN LOVE

A lovely PR lady (actually probably the coolest PR lady about) recently told me on Twitter that Debenhams in Belfast was planning on stocking Philosophy in the near future. I am so excited as I am a huge fan, as are many of my friends. I usually get my fix via Sephora when I go to the States or when Boots does the 'specials' at Christmas.  I love that the products can be multi-use and I love the idea behind each of the names. Lovely PR lady Fiona asked for my address and I had no idea what she was sending me....I thought it was just going to be a press release! How wrong was I! She sent me the 480ml of the Falling in Love Shampoo, Bath and Shower gel and the 60ml of the Falling in Love spray fragrance! Grace has been a favourite for many years but I had never tried Falling in Love. I think Fiona PR Lady must have read my mind. It is exactly the type of scent which I ADORE! I recently talked about my love for Lovespell by Victoria's Secret and Falling in Love is like its more grown up, sexy, night time sister. It has what Philosophy describe as a "a delicious, sparkling berry scent" but there are definitely some candy and sweeter notes running through it.  I have used the shower gel for the past few days-a 50p size amount is enough for a whole body as it is really soapy, meaning this bottle is going to last forever. As for using it as shampoo, it felt lovely but I did use it as a first shampoo rather than doing a double shampoo with my Kerastase shampoo. This is good because it saves money all round. It's also handy if you need to get a speed shower or are going to the gym-it saves carrying a few different bottles. The spray fragrance is very scented so one spritz lasts for a long time (to the point where I was putting my clothes in the wash bin and could smell it!). I absolutely love this scent and I undoubtedly will be repurchasing.

Keep your eye out for Philosophy coming to Debenhams...I think it is going to be very popular!

GL

x

NEW FAV: SALLY HANSEN SPRAY ON LEGS

I have heard a lot about Sally Hansen Spray On Legs in the blogging community but only recently purchased it. I love being tan but I HATE the process of tanning. I wish I had a spray tan booth in my house. If I am rich one day, I'm going to buy one. There are only certain tans that like my skin-Fake Bake airbrush (which has been discontinued and it was my fav), Clairns tan (very lovely) and St Tropez. I recently tried a sample of Xen tan and I was loving it so it is one to purchase in the future. So basically you get the picture....expensive tans. I am very jealous of all my friends who can use £2.99 St Mortiz.

I have had loads of uni work do to lately but was going out in the evening for my friend Gillian's birthday. I was WHITE AS A GHOST. I actually am one of those people that looks ill when they are pale. I didn't have time to do my full usual Fake Bake tan the night before so when I got up I just did my top half (I find it really hard to tan my legs on my own! Anyone else need their mum/boyfriend/child to help them?) and then nipped to my local Boots and picked up Spray On Legs. It actually has £2.50 off at the minute so it must have just been waiting on me coming! I picked up the tin of "Tan Glow" but it also comes in other variations. It certainly is very dark and wouldn't recommend it for anyone who is super pale. To apply I sprayed it on to my legs then using a tanning mit, PATTED it in. I found that rubbing it in like tan wasn't the answer-it is after all, a leg makeup! The tin suggests it dries in 60 seconds but I think it takes a good 20 minutes to settle down. I did it before my hair and makeup so it had plenty of time to dry. It did not transfer to my clothes or other fabrics. It is also water resistant which is great (nights out, people spilling drinks!). I found it to not feel heavy or thick-it felt nice and covered up a few scars which I have on my legs. The next day I thought it would be all over my bed sheets but there was no transfer. I got in the shower and put on shower gel-still no moving! The best way to get it off is a wee bit of body scrub and exfoliating mits-came off in 2 minutes!

Overall, I am very impressed with Spray On Legs and I definitely will be repurchasing. I know it is intended for legs only but I imagine if you apply it properly, it could be used on other parts of the body too. It reminds of me the airbrush makeup that Kim Kardashian etc use to look flawless. I am very impressed and wish I could spray myself head to toe everyday to look more perfect LOL!

Definitely try it out if you are looking for a quick alternative to tan/want the perfect pins you always dreamed of!

G

x

Sally Hansen Spray On Legs is available from all good pharmacies.

I NEED TO STOP BUYING

As I said in my haul video, I have a problem. I am trying to put myself on a spending ban but it's not going too well. I think because I am on a diet it is making me feel like I need to do something other than eat..... Anyhow, picked up these few wee items last week.

I wanted Toms for ages but I always thought they wouldn't be very supportive for your feet.  How wrong was I! They are so supportive and very comfortable. I decided on getting a sparkly pair (of course I did, it's me). I love the concept of them donating a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased. If only more companies did that...I'd buy MORE shoes!

Toms, £39.99 from Office

I also picked up 2 DVDs. It's coming into exam season which means I am going to be in my house revising a lot/early nights! I like going to bed and watching a DVD to help to get me over to sleep. I have seen both The Debt and Country Strong before and they are both AMAZING. Country Strong is honestly fabulous; I have no idea why either of these films didn't do well at the box office. I'm also a big Helen Mirren fan so it's another one for the collection!

DVDs, £8 each from HMV

I have started picking up items for my holiday to Portugal and finding nice bikini's is hard (when you are over a size 12...just saying!). I am not the skinniest girl ever so bikini bottoms can be a pain. I am loving the 50's style "big pants" which are in. I picked up this bikini in Urban Outfitters last week when they had a 20% off day. I'm actually starting to really like Urban Outfitters more these days...I even bought my first ever vintage shirt from UO last week (Vintage scares me SO much! Tell me how to get over this fear!).

Bikini, £32 from Urban Outfitters

NOW, no more hauls. Please ban me and freeze my chip and pin.

(Are we taking bets on how long I will last?)

G

x

CLARISONIC: A MALE PERSPECTIVE

I recently asked my friend Patrick to write a wee review of what he is making of his Clarisonic.  The link to my original Clarisonic post is here. Boys like skincare too, especially Patrick! I hope you enjoy his post-maybe he can become a regular contributor to Champagne Lifestyle, Student Budget as I think he is just fabulous! And sure, gives us an idea about how to beautify the men in our lives! Picture below of me and Patrick! :-) Patrick is 18 and hopefully going to study Politics at university next year. (People often think we are brother and sister!) G x

Men’s skin, as we’re so often told by advertisements, is “different”. According to those who make and market the male counterparts to many of the world’s leading skincare products for women, male skin is from Mars, female skin is from Venus. Personally, I don’t subscribe to this notion. While our complexions do tend to be oilier and the issue of facial hair does rear its unkempt head, for most intents and purposes, our skin acts and re-acts in much the same way as that of the fairer sex. I therefore believe that my experience with the Clarisonic is applicable to anyone with problem skin.

Some might describe my skin as both quintessentially “male” and unmistakably teenaged. It is greasy, prone to mild outbreaks of spots, blackheads and it often slams the door when it’s in a mood. However, like morning breath and really liking Glee, these are problems which cross the boundaries of gender and age in order to affect a considerable proportion of the population. As a result, finding the right product to target my problem areas has been tricky.  Aware that proper cleansing is a vital part of the skincare routine and that, for problem-skin sufferers like me, it is absolutely non-negotiable, I have tried myriad cleansing products to try and tame my skin. Often finding that the majority of facewashes targeted at greasy skin, especially those for young men (e.g. Oxy), exacerbate blockages by stripping away my skin’s natural oils and it to produce even more, I decided that it might be worth investing in the Clarisonic, a system which would allow me to use a gentle cleanser without compromising on the removal of dirt and oil that I need.  Since purchasing my Clarisonic Mia in January, I have rarely encountered a problem with it. Although possibly not the miracle cure-all that some of its most ardent supporters claim it to be, it ensures a thorough, gentle and extremely effective cleanse. Over the course of three months during which I used the Sensitive Brushhead with a cleansing lotion from Simple, I noticed that my skin seemed less greasy after use and that I experienced acne breakouts less frequently.

As the time to change brushheads drew nearer (it is recommended that one changes the brush head every 3-4 months), I purchased the Deep Pore Brushead from the Clarisonic quite on impulse. As it was the same price as the sensitive brush head and claimed to be more effective in cleansing skin with larger pores and on more awkward areas such as the nose, I decided to give it a whirl. Ostensibly, the sensitive brush head and my current brush head are almost identical. The bristles on Deep Pore cleansing head appear to be finer but are greater in number. I have found differences between this and my last brush head to be quite negligible but I have noticed that blockages on the sides of my nose to be more easily cleared since switching. The brush head has had a slightly more drying effect than my last one and, although this is a welcome relief for a shiny Sheila like myself, someone with dry or dehydrated skin should probably avoid it.

Even though some might recommend that you alternate the Deep Pore brush head with a sensitive one every 3-4 uses of the Clarisonic, I found that on my skin this simply was not necessary. After 2 weeks of twice daily use with my usual cleanser, the Clarisonic Deep Pore brush head has offered me the same gentle yet effective cleanse that of its Sensitive counterpart. I would recommend that if you’re in need of a change of brush head, your complexion is normal to oily and you are suitably intrigued, there’s no harm in tailoring your cleanse even better to your skin. For those who are yet to try the Clarisonic, the Sensitive Brush head is still safest bet for all skin types and should accompany your first foray into the world of sonic cleansing. And that’s the truth, no hidden agend-er.