Fabulous Tip of the Day: Testing Lipstick Shades

Today's Fab Tip:

Sometimes it's difficult to tell from the tube or a picture if a lipstick color will actually work on you. Just because it looks fabulous on a professionally photographed model doesn't mean it will suit you when you apply it using the dim light over your bathroom mirror. Here's an easy trick to test out lipstick colors before dropping the cash -- and without the risk of germs from applying a tester to your mouth.

"Test lipsticks on fingertips. The color and texture of the skin on your fingertips if closer to your lips than the back of your hands, says celeb makeup artist Moani Lee."
--Taken from People Style Watch magazine, May 2015, page 153.

Very useful, especially when trying to decide on an expensive shade. Saving money is definitely fabulous!

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Movie Review: Unfriended

I went to go see Unfriended this past weekend, and I have to say that it was really interesting. I was very intrigued by the concept: the entire movie (except for like three seconds) is on a laptop screen. Just one laptop screen. A MacBook, actually. Set in real time (you can see the clock on the upper right hand corner of the screen), the story unfolds over Facebook, Skype, IM, YouTube, Chrome, Spotify-- all internet and social media-based forms of interaction that people (especially teenagers) use to communicate on a daily basis. 

Unfriended takes several overdone horror tropes: the vengeful ghost, the teen slasher where characters are killed off one by one, the sins of the past come back to haunt the characters, and found footage; and it presents these clichés in a new format. Even though you know people are going to die -- it's a horror movie, duh! -- there's still so much suspense in just seeing "..." on screen, so much suspense in wanting to find out just what will happen next. When a Skype video freezes and you can't see clearly what's going on, you just know something bad is going to happen. 

The movie makes good use of gore discretion shots, too. Even though people die in very bloody and violent ways, the webcam's cutting in and out reduces the amount of gore being seen, which makes it more terrifying than an in-your-face gross-out the way some horror movies *cough* Saw sequels *cough* rely on. 

The primary message of Unfriended is about cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is very real and very painful and dangerous. People hide behind the mask of anonymity the internet offers and say terrible things. I remember more than a year ago there was this post on Tumblr. I can't find it anymore, but it was a gif to promote awareness about how negative comments, online threats, and cyber bullying can lead people to commit suicide. The original post said to reblog to raise awardees on this issue, and added comments emphasized how important reblogging this message was. Then the comments degenerated to things along the lines of "Reblog this you piece of shit!" and "If u don't reblog this I'll fucking kill you!" thereby essentially becoming what the post warned against. Cyber bullying exists, and we need to be taking more of a stand against it. 

Additionally, I'd like to give a big shout out to actress Shelley Hennig. She's the one who plays Malia on Teen Wolf, and in Unfriended she does an excellent subversion of the Final Girl horror convention. As Blair (whose laptop we are viewing), she might pretend to be a pure, innocent, good little virgin, like the typical Final Girl, but the truth comes to light. It hit me a day later what the Facebook message "I GOT HER I GOT HER I GOT HER" that Blair receives was actually referring to, and ugh, that still gives me shivers. 😰

One final little detail that I loved: on Blair's browsing history and tabs we see pages on Teen Wolf. Awesome little Easter egg there. 

Have you seen Unfriended? What did you think of it? Do you think it'll be even better to stream on a laptop than it was in theaters? Let me know your opinion in the comments, or tweet me @ak_gossipghoul!

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

Fabulous Tip of the Day: Retro Lashes

Today's Fab Tip:

Seriously, '60s and '70s-inspired trends are huge right now. I blame American Hustle. And X-Men: Days of Future Past. And Mad Men.  Whatever, it's really big. The easiest way to incorporate any trend that's not your usual style and that you're not willing to splurge on is to go for an accessory or a little beauty trick. Spidery mascara can give you just the right amount of retro without making it look like you're trying too hard and without putting in a ton of effort. Always a plus. Here's how to get that look:

"An extra coat of mascara on top and bottom makes lashes look spidery and retro-sexy."
-- Taken from Lucky magazine, May 2015, page 95.

A lash comb can help you separate lashes for a little more spiky look, and a mascara like L'Oreal's Miss Manga Rock (my current favorite mascara) will make that even easier. The important thing, though, is to do lots of coats on both sets of lashes. Don't skip the bottom lashes, or it won't look balanced or retro-chic enough, k? Super simple.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

A Day In The Life

Mornings are always filled with big decisions which, in my half asleep, zombie-esque state, always seem so incredibly difficult to make. Do I use my argan oil conditioner or my intensive hydration treatment? Do I carry my big SPN backpack or my small SPN backpack today? Do I wear my Metallica shirt or my AC/DC shirt?

Seriously, do I wear the Metallica shirt or the AC/DC shirt?! How can I choose between them? 😰

Gif from Tumblr. If only wearing both were that simple.

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

Fabulous Tip of the Day: DIY Scalp Treatment

Today's Fab Tip:

This is a great DIY hair rinse when you have lots of product buildup preventing your hair's natural shine from showing. Just wash your hair as normal and then do the following:

"Add shine with club soda. Pour it on the scalp and let it drip to the ends right after you wash, says celeb stylist Ryan Nickulas. The bubbles remove the product buildup that dulls strands."
--Taken from People Style Watch magazine, May 2015, page 155.

Like I said, simple and a great substitute when you don't have a clarifying shampoo available. Enjoy your shiny locks!

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

Daredevil: About Seven Hours

Netflix is releasing a few series that are canonically part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Daredevil is the first of these to come out. I haven't finished it yet, but so far I absolutely love it. Frank Miller's run on Daredevil was my favorite part of the comic books, and this certainly has the same dark and gritty feel of, you know, almost everything Frank Miller has done, it still feels like part of the MCU. The destruction of Manhattan during The Avengers has a direct impact on what's happening in the show especially in regards to the Kingpin's rise to power. Additionally, the cast is freaking awesome, especially when playing the bromance of Matt and Foggy, which, honestly, was always the best part of the comic books anyway.

Here's a brief little clip from the first episode that definitely showcases just how this brOTP interacts onscreen:

LOL. It's just so, so Foggy and Matt. Foggy is definitely the best part of the show, not gonna lie.

All gifs from Tumblr

Have you guys watched any of Daredevil yet? What do you think? Let me know your opinion in the comments, or tweet me @ak_gossipghoul.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Fabulous Tip of the Day: All Day Bedhead Waves

Today's Fab Tip:

An easy hairstyle I love is bedhead waves. It's simple. You just wash your hair before bed and, when it's mostly dry, braid it, and then sleep in the braids. A little salt spray can give it a piecey texture. Unbraid the next morning, and instant waves. Easy and fabulous. The problem is that the waves don't always last all day. The weight of my super long down to my knees hair causes the waves to straighten themselves out after a while. That's why I'm very happy to have found this little tip.

"If your waves fall quickly, finish with a texturizing spray instead of hairspray-- it'll lock in bends."
--Taken from Seventeen magazine, May 2015, page 52.

Not Your Mother's Double Take, L'Oreal's TXT It, and Garnier Fructis's De-Constructed (the last of which is the one I use) are all great finishing texture sprays you can use. Try it out with volumizing mascara and a little gloss for a sexy but very wearable everyday look.

Stay fabulous!

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul